Unexpectedly His(27)

Nick never bet—ever. He’d occasionally double down on darts with Charlie over a beer or two. But otherwise, he steered clear. The lure of the games was lost on him.

His fiancée, however, was on a roll.

He took a second pull of his beer and watched her at the table, expertly managing his boss with her reserved charm and apparent card-playing skills. In terms of saving his ass—so far, so good. He had to give it up to his sister, she’d found him the perfect temporary girl.

Emphasis on temporary. She might be his fantasy cake girl, even be wearing his sapphire ring, but that didn’t change his DNA. Love wasn’t his game. If he were smart, he’d remember that fact.

As if aware of his internal debate, Marianne turned and smiled reassuringly in his direction, all prim and sweet, a decided contrast to the dazzling sweater and the pink satin dress that hugged her hourglass figure. No doubt about it, Marianne was playing the role of fiancée to perfection, attentive to his boss, doe-eyed when she looked at him.#p#分页标题#e#

Completely believable.

Exactly what he needed her to be. So why the hell did Nick feel so unsettled?

“Enjoying the view there, bro?” Drew Evans asked, arriving at the exact wrong moment, drinking his usual Scotch, making his usual trouble. “She’s pretty hot. Need another drink?”

“No.” And keep your eyes to yourself, you son of a bitch. He raised his beer, which was full save a couple of sips. “I’m good.”

“Not as good as your fiancée.” Nick shot him a glare that told him to shut the hell up, and Evans took a half step back. “Take it easy. I’m not moving in on your action, although props to you for finding a woman like her on such short notice.” Nick’s hands balled into fists at his sides to keep from going all Brooklyn on Evan’s ass. His temper had its limits, a fact Evans ignored. “You scored, Nick,” he continued, waving his drink at the card table, “looks like your fiancée is quite the advantage player. Makes you wonder.”

His jaw clenched defensively. Evans was an asshole, but the guy wasn’t stupid. An advantage player. Nick had been thinking the exact same thing. Not that he’d let Evans know his usual running commentary hit its mark.

He took a sip of the Heineken. “A skillful use of mathematical advantage isn’t illegal, you ought to know that,” Nick said, his tone as chilled as a Monte Carlo martini. “There is an attorney underneath this high-priced suit.”

“But not a partner.” Evans’s smile did not reach his eyes. A round of applause exploded around the blackjack table. His colleague cocked a dark eyebrow. “Better keep an eye on your fiancée and her shuffle-tracking skills. Never know what other secrets she keeps.”

Watching Evans walk away, Nick felt an invisible band tighten around his chest. The truth was, he felt disquieted by Marianne, by her satin dress, her numbers-based gambling talent, and yes, her secrets. His fiancée was more like him than he’d imagined, and while a buttoned-up cardigan girl wasn’t his type, a table runner with a penchant for sequins and pop-out cakes? That woman sounded like fun. His eyes caught her gaze. Her hand fluttered to her throat, and the ring sparkled under the casino lights. Too much fun.

The dealer threw down another card. She swiveled on the green velvet chair, all innocent blue eyes and killer legs. Yeah, his fiancée had her secrets, secrets that were kind of sexy. He’d figure them out. But secrets were for later. Tonight, he had a partnership to win.

Nick cruised over to the gaming table. Marianne glanced at Dan’s cards and pursed her lips. His boss stayed, she took the hit, and won the hand with a total of twenty.

“The firm is acting as the house tonight, Dan. Don’t let her take too much of your money,” he said, offering his boss a firm handshake. “She’s a bit of a card shark.”

A blush colored Marianne’s skin as he bent to brush a kiss across her cheek. “Maybe I need to cash in my chips before my luck runs out.”

“Nonsense,” Dan said, with an encouraging smile. “All of tonight’s proceeds go to charity, so I’m happy to be bested. What about you, Nick?” His boss turned his sharp gaze in his direction. “Ready to lose a little money for a good cause?”

Offering up his most polished smile, Nick said, “I’m not much of a gambler, but my donation will be on your desk in the morning.”

“Glad to hear it,” he said, before lowering his voice in side commentary. “She’s a real sweetheart, a serious asset, too, even made Bill Jeffers chuckle, and I’ve not seen the man laugh in nearly fifteen years. If you don’t marry her, I will.”#p#分页标题#e#