The CEO Buys in (Wager of Hearts #1) (34 page)

“So you think you’ve won?” Happiness raced through Chloe.

“Darling, I’m sure of it. But I don’t care about the wager. Knowing you love me is all I need to be a rich man.”

Even though the interior of the Rolls was toasty, Chloe snuggled up to Nathan, stroking her hand down the satin of his tuxedo lapel. “I still can’t believe I get to walk into these fancy parties holding hands with the best-looking man there,” she said.

Nathan threaded his arm around her waist under the velvet cape she wore. The warmth of his palm on her hip seeped through the thin blue silk of her evening gown. “I used to hate those parties. Now I spend them thinking about how I’m going to make love to you once we leave. It’s a significant improvement.” His hand slid lower.

Chloe trapped his wandering fingers under hers. “You said we have one stop to make before we go home, so no wrinkling the dress.” She tilted her head up to give him a hot look. “Yet.”

He gave her thigh a quick squeeze before moving his hand to a less dangerous spot. “Do you think Grandmillie will have fired her new companion by the time we arrive?”

Chloe chuckled. “No, she likes Taleesha. She says she’s a woman of good sense. I’m so relieved.”

“Hank at Jersey Caregivers must be even more relieved.”

“Grandmillie is particular about who she spends her time with.” Chloe sighed. “I knew she would be.”

“She’s allowed.” Nathan shifted on the seat so Chloe found herself plastered against him. “Phil gave me an earful today about how selfish I was to force you to leave Trainor Electronics. He had lunch with your boss and heard all about the great work you’re doing for Allitel.”

“At least I’m not working for a competitor,” Chloe said as gratification made her grin. Judith had found her the job three weeks after she’d resigned from Trainor Electronics. Chloe had made Nathan swear not to intervene in any way, so she knew she’d gotten the position on her own merits. “It’s almost as good a company to work for as Trainor.”

“And the location is convenient.” Nathan bent to kiss the side of her neck.

Delicious shivers danced down over Chloe’s breasts at his touch . . . and at the thought of her occasional lunchtime visits to Nathan’s office. They would barely manage to wolf down one of the sandwiches Janice ordered for them before Nathan would have her stretched out on top of his desk or bent over one of the armchairs.

“Dad says you need to come down to visit Allitel’s regional office in Raleigh. He wants to take you out to dinner at a great restaurant he knows there.” Nathan picked up her free hand and toyed with her fingers. “I might join you there.”

Nathan and his father were finding their way to a new relationship, but he still liked to have Chloe around when he was with the general. The Marine had taken a liking to her, and it softened some of the edges of his forceful personality, making it easier for Nathan to connect with him. Angel’s presence also helped, and Nathan was coming to terms with the prospect of having a very young half sibling. In fact, Angel had asked him to be the child’s godfather, much to Nathan’s initial consternation but ultimate pleasure.

“I’m sure I can come up with an excuse for a road trip,” Chloe said, “as long as you’re coming too.” Especially now that Grandmillie had Taleesha.

Nathan’s hold on her tightened. “You didn’t really think I’d let you go without me.”

“Well, you went to Japan for four days alone.”

“Only because you wouldn’t quit your job and come with me.”

Chloe laughed. He had suggested she do that, which had made her heart flutter with delight because he wanted her company that much.

The Rolls glided to a stop, and Chloe peered out the window. They were parked in front of a brownstone adorned with fantastic gargoyles and ornate curlicues, all thrown into high relief by dramatic up-lighting. A small black shield was attached to the wall beside the door with the gold initials
B. C.
intertwined.

“What is this place?” she asked.

“The Bellwether Club.”

“This is where you made that bet.” Chloe sat back.

“Yes, and I brought you here to prove that I won.”

“Luke and Gavin already know me,” Chloe said, not moving from her seat. Although she now considered the two men friends, she hadn’t quite forgiven them for the part they’d played in the four most miserable days of her life.

“They need to see the ring,” Nathan said.

Chloe wiggled the fingers of her left hand to make the sapphire and its surrounding diamonds flash in the light. She still felt like a bit of a show-off wearing it. “It doesn’t seem real yet.”

He lifted his hand to take her chin and turn her face toward his. “Darling, there’s nothing more real than what we have between us.” The playful gleam was absent from his eyes as he said it.

He kissed her and pushed the car door open, taking her hand to help her out of the car. “Now let’s go rub it in.”

A staff member met them by a marble-topped table decorated with a giant bouquet of flowers, taking Chloe’s cape and Nathan’s overcoat. “Ms. Hogan is waiting for you in her office.”

“Ms. Hogan?” Chloe threw a questioning glance at Nathan as he led her down a wide hallway carpeted with jewel-colored Oriental rugs.

“Frankie Hogan is the keeper of the betting paperwork. She’s also the owner of the club.” He ushered her into a cozy room furnished with plush green wing chairs and a warmly glowing fireplace.

The inner door was open, and a slender woman stood framed in it, her white pageboy catching gold glints from the fire. She wore a pantsuit so dark Chloe couldn’t tell exactly what color it was. “I’m Frankie Hogan. Welcome to the Bellwether Club,” the woman said, the rasp of her voice reminding Chloe of smoky Irish bars. “You must be Chloe Russell.”

“I am.” Chloe shook Frankie’s tiny hand. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“I told them all they had to bring in the women who had the misfortune to fall in love with them,” Frankie said, but a twinkle in her eye took the sting out of her words. She scanned Chloe’s face for a long moment. “Come in.”

Chloe followed her through the door into a large office that looked nothing like the rest of the club. It was brightly lit and held clean-lined modern furniture designed for function as well as form. Steel-framed French doors gave onto a garden featuring a sensuous abstract sculpture, now dusted with snow.

Frankie stopped in front of what appeared to be a cupboard door before she turned to Chloe. “Let’s see the ring.”

Chloe held up her hand, the bright light glittering off the facets of the gems.

“Nice,” Frankie said, throwing an approving glance at Nathan. “Substantial but not ostentatious.”

Nathan laughed. “I had to balance my desire to let everyone know she belonged to me against Chloe’s accusations that I don’t live in the real world.”

“Ha!” Frankie barked as she typed in a combination that opened the door. Behind it was a massive utilitarian safe with a dial and a slot. Frankie put her body between the dial and her two guests as she twirled it. Then she pulled a strangely shaped key from her pocket and fed it into the slot.

“No biometrics?” Nathan asked. Chloe loved that his inventor’s mind was always working.

“I’m not having someone cut off my thumb to open a damned safe,” Frankie said, swinging the foot-thick door open.

“Wise,” Nathan said.

The older woman pulled out a leather portfolio, shuffled through the papers in it, and removed a thick cream-colored envelope. “I understand you’ve decided I should mark the still-sealed envelope with ‘wager satisfied’ and my initials. You wish me to retain it until the end of the one-year time frame of the bet.”

“That’s correct,” Nathan confirmed.

Frankie carried the envelope to her desk, where she picked up a black fountain pen, scrawled the two words and her initials on the vellum, and blotted it.

“Why not just shred it since you’ve won?” Chloe asked, a little miffed that the bet would linger on.

“We want to destroy them—or reveal them—all at the same time.” He took Chloe’s hands in his and faced her. “We were gambling with the most important of our possessions: our hearts. A wager like that deserves the respect of ritual.”

“And gamblers are superstitious,” Frankie said, putting the envelope back in the portfolio and closing the safe. “Nathan here doesn’t want to jinx his chances of marrying you.”

“Seriously?” Chloe said, giving him a skeptical look.

“Better safe than sorry,” he said, lifting her hands to kiss first one and then the other, his lips firm on her skin. “It’s not easy to find a woman brave enough to love me for myself.”

Chloe could feel his touch along all the nerve endings in her body.

“We have rooms upstairs,” Frankie said, her tone dry. “But first your friends are waiting for you in the bar where this sentimental bet began.” The club owner held out her hand to Chloe again. “I expect a wedding invitation.”

“You’re at the top of the guest list,” Nathan said.

As they left Frankie’s office, Chloe said, “Let’s make a deal.”

Nathan groaned. “You always come out on top in these negotiations.”

“I thought you liked me in that position,” Chloe said, enjoying the quick intake of Nathan’s breath. “Anyway, this one’s easy. You tell me what you wrote on that piece of paper in Frankie’s safe, and I’ll have a drink with Luke and Gavin.”

All the teasing went out of Nathan’s expression. “Let’s go somewhere more private.”

He led her down the hall to a small hexagonal room furnished with a round, leather-topped table surrounded by four dark wooden chairs upholstered in matching leather. A circular gold-and-wine-patterned Oriental rug covered the floor. Closing the door, he pulled out a chair to seat Chloe before turning another one toward her and sitting down himself.

“We agreed to wager something that was not only valuable in and of itself, but which would cause us pain to lose.” He crossed his arms on his chest. “I considered the pair of paintings in my bedroom. They would bring a lot of money at auction, but I could replace them with different ones. Another possibility was the first battery I invented. That had significance to me, but it wasn’t intrinsically valuable, except maybe to a computer geek.”

He uncrossed his arms and leaned forward in his chair. “So I wagered the family sword.”

Chloe gasped. “You must have been really drunk.”

“It was desperation that drove me. I knew there was something wrong with my life and I needed to make a change.” His gaze burned with intensity. “You didn’t just save the family sword. You saved
me
.”

“Love saved you,” Chloe said. “I was just lucky enough to be the one you gambled on.”

He stood and drew her up against him before he lowered his head and kissed her. She understood he wanted to do more than just
say
he loved her. He wanted her to feel it deep down in her bones.

“I love you too,” she breathed against his lips.

For a long moment, they stood pressed together, absorbing the emotion swirling around and through them. Then he slid his hand down to the curve of her behind.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you all night,” he said.

She looked up to find a devil in his eye. “What’s that?”

“Are you wearing anything under that dress?”

“Just my skin,” she said, injecting a little seduction into her voice.

“That’s what I thought.” And then both of his hands were cupping her bottom, rubbing the silk against her. “I want to tear this dress off you and have you right here on the Oriental rug.”

“You did that last night, only on a different Oriental rug,” she said, her breath catching as his fingers traced lightly down between her buttocks.

“Damn Miller and Archer for stopping me,” he muttered before opening the door and gesturing toward the stairs. “Let’s get this over with so I can have you naked in the car.”

Anticipation rippled through Chloe. She slipped her hand under Nathan’s tux jacket and gave his muscular butt a quick squeeze. He grinned, but corralled her hand to steady her up the elegant staircase.

At the top of the stairs, he led her into a room that was so stereotypically “men’s club” she nearly laughed out loud. “I can’t believe Frankie decorated this place,” she said.

“She did it as a swipe at the other clubs that wouldn’t let her in. She decided to out-club them, as she puts it.” Nathan swept his gaze around the room. “There they are.”

The two men stood as they approached the table set by a tall, arched window. Luke sported a blue blazer, white button-down shirt, and khaki slacks that gave his well-muscled, athletic frame an elegantly tailored look. The black turtleneck and slacks Gavin wore under his tweed jacket made him appear lean and slightly piratical.

Gavin stepped forward first, giving her a peck on both cheeks. “A pleasure, Chloe. I see you made the entirely wrong decision to tie yourself to Trainor here. How much did he have to pay you to wear that ring?”

“You’re contradicting yourself,” Chloe said, amazed as always that the writer could make his insults sound so charming. It was something about the self-mocking light in his dark eyes.

“Or maybe it’s merely an oxymoron,” Gavin said with a wink.

Luke offered his hand and said in his Texas drawl, “Best wishes on your engagement.” He shook Nathan’s hand as well. “Congratulations on winning your fiancée. You’re a real competitor.”

Chloe always liked Luke’s straightforward courtesy, but she caught the hint of steel when he called Nathan a competitor.

Gavin waved his hand at an ice bucket. “We’ve ordered a 1928 Dom Pérignon to celebrate this happy occasion.”

“My favorite,” Chloe said. She had a feeling she didn’t want to know what the bottle of champagne cost.

The glasses were filled and distributed as they stood. Gavin lifted his flute in the center of their circle. “Here’s to Nathan drawing a queen into his royal flush. We wish you health, happiness, and a long life together.”

Luke brought his glass up. “Here’s to putting seven points on the board on the opening drive. I predict a championship season.”

Since she was next to Luke, Chloe put her glass into the cluster. Despite the rocky start, she’d gotten fond of Nathan’s two friends. “Here’s to burning all three envelopes by the end of the bet.”