Beautiful Moves (Shifting Steel Book 3)(46)

Ella nodded and slipped the phone back in her purse.

“Are you in kid,” Charles asked.

“Yeah.”

Ella smiled at her impromptu mentor. She’d been careful to not screw him while she earned the money for her sister’s hospital bills.

“This is my last round. I’ve got dinner reservations with the wife. She should be happy, since I didn’t lose my shirt, and she got time in the spa.”

“Thanks for showing me the ropes, Charles. It was nice meeting you.”

“No problem, you’re a natural. Have fun.”

Charles got up after the final roll, collected his winnings, then walked off with a smile.

“So, this is your first time playing Craps? Miss?” Business Casual asked.

“Ella,” she replied, giving him her first name only. “Yes, it’s my first time. Mister?” Ella asked in return.

“Drake.”

He reached out his hand. She gave it a firm shake, then turned back to the game.

Ella bet several rounds as she had, win a little, lose a little, win a lot, all while keeping a watchful eye on her steadily building bottom line.

“You are a natural,” Drake commented nonchalantly, as he took a sip of his overpriced scotch.

“Yes. Well, I think I’m due for a break. Nice to meet you. Good luck.”

Ella stashed her stacks of chips in her purse, and stepped away from the table, heading for the ladies’ room.

“Join me for a drink, Ella.”

Ella swung around at the sound of Drake’s voice.

How in the hell did he get so close?

“No, but thank you.” Ella turned to go.

“Ah, but I insist, Miss Roulant.”

Drake gripped the back of her arm, seized her purse before she could get a good handle on it, and ushered her past the bathrooms, toward a set of double doors.

“Excuse me.” Ella attempted to pull free.

“Don’t make a scene,” Drake insisted as he directed her forward.

A couple of staff members approached, and Ella hoped they would do something, before she lost her shit entirely.

“Mr. Drake.” They nodded and walked on by.

Obviously, Drake worked for the hotel.

“Am I being detained for some reason?” she demanded.

“Let’s discuss this matter in my office,” he practically growled.

Boy, was I wrong. I thought Drake was hitting on me, like some creepy Richie Rich. No, he was sizing me up for cheating. Shit, was I that obvious?

Ella calmed her mind, as they moved down the personnel hallway, and entered an elevator. She couldn’t let her emotions get out of hand. There was no possible way Drake could prove she was cheating. As far as he knew, it really was beginners’ luck.

Drake led Ella into a well-appointed office, with one-way glass that looked out onto the hotel.

“Sit.”

He pointed to a chair, as he took a seat behind his immense desk. Drake proceeded to dump the contents of her purse out. Ella watched as fifty thousand-dollar chips rolled across the surface.

Although she hated her curse, it had also given her a sense of security that wasn’t easily shaken. Ella relaxed back into her chair, crossed her legs at the ankle, and adopted her best innocent yet reproving expression. She sat quietly as Drake pulled out a cord and powered up her phone.

“Your pin?”

“Your reason?”

Drake typed on his keyboard, then spun his computer monitor around. Ella watched herself on camera, as her four hundred dollars steadily turned into the small fortune it was now.

“That’s quite a feat.” Drake pointed to the screen.

“I’m pleasantly surprised, or was,” she replied.

“No, this is excitement.” Drake showed her the clip of the bouncy birthday girl, who Ella had helped win, when she first arrived. “You on the other hand are rather calm for winning so much, particularly considering, as you say, it’s your first time. It’s almost as if you expected to win.”

“I’m sorry, Drake. I’m mild mannered,” Ella shrugged.

“Yes, you are.” Drake smiled smugly at her. “Most people who are innocent of cheating my casino are not so calm, when approached like this. In fact, most of the cheaters I have these private discussions with aren’t either.”

Ella decided she should probably be worried about her safety, considering the stories of what happened to cheaters in the back rooms of casinos. But all she was concerned about, was the money sitting on his desk. Drake was trying to intimidate her. It was getting on her nerves more than anything.

“Am I supposed to be afraid of you? If so, again, I apologize for not behaving as you think I should. My boyfriend did call me Ice Princess when we first met.”

Drake laughed, though the mirth didn’t reach his eyes.