Page 84 of The Scarab's Game
“We’re close,” said Jayce over the earpiece.
I reached past Jenn and picked up my chips. Straightened. Held them in front of her.Blow on them, I mouthed.
Definitely too far. But damn, it felt good.
Jenn moistened her lips, dark blue eyes locked with mine. I felt that all the way in the pit of my stomach. And when she blew on the chips, the sensation dropped lower.
Then her father’s voice wove its way through my brain.‘You’re not good enough for my little girl.’
What was I doing?
“Can you hear me?” Jayce snorted. “Just flirt some more if you can’t talk.”
I hadn’t heard Rav’s voice yet. Hopefully, he was far enough away, and my signal was still scrambled so he couldn’t make out my words. “You choose the bet, Krista.”
“Who’s Krista?” asked Jayce. Her voice came through so clearly, she must have been close. “Where’s Jenn?”
I carefully placed the chips in her hand, my fingers lingering for a moment longer than necessary. With deliberate movements, I shifted behind her chair, my heart racing as I gently ran my hands over her shoulders.
Jenn hesitated, then placed a small bet on red. She took my hand from her right shoulder, pulling me closer as the ball spun. She twisted her head to look at me from the corner of her eye.“So, if I’m the temptress in this scenario, what’s my evil plan? To seduce you away from your mission?”
“Maybe you’re working with me, but you’re a double agent? Trying to throw me off my game?” I should have been able to talk Massimo out of the scarab at the restaurant, or convince Jean-Philippe or Dante to hand it over at the gallery. But every time Dante looked at her, the right words flew from my brain. Shewasthrowing me off my game.
“Am I succeeding?” Her eyes met mine with an intensity that almost pushed her father’s voice—and the idea of my team listening to our conversation—out of my head. As the word ‘Yes’formed on my tongue, the ball landed on black. Jenn groaned, letting go of me and slumping back in her chair. “See? Even your luck isn’t enough to rub off on me.”
“I have eyes on them,” whispered Jayce. “Security desk with two armed men.”
Drew said, “—areful.” Proximity must have played a large part with the watch-connected earpiece. No doubt, he’d told her to be careful, but was farther away from me than Jayce was.
“It’s a little early for dinner”—I tossed a chip onto the table, and it rolled, eventually settling on red fifteen—“but did you want to visit the restaurant and grab something to eat?”
Jenn stood and faced me. She might have been disappointed with another loss, but her nerves had calmed from earlier. “You sure? I’d like to avoid the real world a bit longer.”
“I’m free for the evening.” I’d finished my conversation with Martine but had to wait for her proposal to Mum. Jayce was close enough that she’d mapped a route to the Casino. They didn’t need anything else from me. “I’m all yours.”
The ball clattered into a slot on the roulette wheel behind Jenn. A few cheers rose from the players and observers.
“Quinze, rouge,” droned the croupier. “Fifteen, red.”
Jenn’s lids fluttered shut, and she grumbled, “Seriously?”
I shrugged, holding down the self-satisfied grin I wanted to flash. Thirty-five-to-one odds. “Guess I got lucky.”
Chapter 30
Jenn
“Are you all right?”Emmett’s voice was full of concern, as though I were a fragile piece of pottery that might break if he looked at me wrong.
The elevator dinged, and we got off on our floor.
I hadn’t thought my life could get any more crazy after seeing Noah this afternoon. But an afternoon in an underground casino with secret passages, armed gunmen, and my best friend’s brother? My life had turned into a movie.
But who was the Bond Girl? Me? Or Martine?
Was that the problem? Did Emmett have a thing for older women? Or for women who were in control?
Control. Was thatmyproblem? I was showing him I wanted him—giving him opportunities to tell me he wanted me, too. But I hadn’ttoldhim. Hadn’t demanded anything.