Throb (12 page)

“Yesterday, a man came by to look at the house.”

“How do you know the bank sent him?”

“Because he told me they did.” Oh geez. Being married to one of the world’s biggest card sharks for thirty years certainly didn’t affect my mother the same as it did me. I’m always looking for the sleight of hand. Mom is way too trustworthy.

“Did he leave a card?” I have a power of attorney on file with her bank and mortgage company. They should have called me if they were sending someone over. Builders and potential investors have been snooping around since the house first went into foreclosure.

“No.”

“What was his name?”

“I don’t recall. It was something odd though. One of those names that has a dark ring to it.” She shrugs and sips her tea. “But it went with what he looked like, I suppose.”

“What did he look like?”

“He was tall, bald … wore all black. Looked tough. He was very nice though. Just looked a bit rough around the edges. At first, when he rang the doorbell, I was sure he was a friend of your father’s. I’m surprised you don’t know about it. He knew your name. I guess the bank must have given it to him.”

We finish our tea and sit around talking for a while. I have such limited time with Mom that I make the decision not to spend it worrying about something I can’t change right this minute. I make a mental note to call the bank tomorrow.

Spending the afternoon with my mother reinforced that I’m making the right choices, although it doesn’t make it any easier to forget the feeling of being near Cooper today. My heart leaped just seeing him. Knowing how much he wants me made it that much more difficult. Remembering how it felt to have his hand on the inside of my thigh, inching it’s way up to the heat between my legs, made it impossible. I have no willpower around that man. There is no choice but to keep away from him. And work on rekindling whatever sparks Flynn and I may have had before Cooper Montgomery walked into my life.

My phone buzzes as I turn onto the crowded Pacific Coast Highway. I press the button on the dashboard and the blaring music is replaced by the sound of a man’s voice.

“Kid?” I’ve never talked to Frank Mars on the phone before, yet I know it’s him with just that one simple word.

“Hi Frank.”

“You busy tonight?”

“You’re married, Frank. I can’t go out with you.”

“In my dreams, kid. In my dreams.” I can tell he’s smiling through the phone. “Listen, Grip can’t make it tonight. The bum just called, something about Bernice’s bursitis. We need a fourth. You free?”

I am, but I’m also wary of whom I’d be sitting next to. “Umm … is Ben playing tonight?”

“You’re killing me. You got a thing for Ben? If you like old men, I’ll drop my wife faster than you can say ‘don’t let the door hit your fat ass on the way out, Sharon.’”

I laugh. “No worries. My heart belongs to you, Frank. I was just asking so I’d know if I should bring the cufflinks I won from him last time.”

“Yeah. Bring ’em. But I’m betting he doesn’t win them back. And you haven’t met Carl yet either. We won’t let on who you are. He can be your sucker tonight.”

Disappointed, yet relieved Cooper isn’t going to be one of the four, I agree to play. This morning I had two men who seemed interested, yet tonight I have no plans. Dating a man who has five other girlfriends makes for a very lonely Friday night.

“Your father would be proud right now, Cooper,” Ben Seidman says, a stack of papers sitting in front of each of us. Red and green tabs stick out from the sides, indicating dozens of places we both need to sign to formalize the deal.

Ben’s right—my father would be proud. Co-produced movies are a rarity in the film business, especially when the two production houses are the number one and number two producers in the world. But if any two companies can make it work, it’s Diamond Entertainment and Montgomery Productions. My father’s best friend is a formidable opponent, and will make an even better feature film partner.

“Fucking Grip,” Ben grumbles as he reaches the bottom of the signing pile. “The old bastard was whipped before he retired, now he’s all but hog tied to Bernice.”

I’d forgotten it was card night. “You need a fourth?”

“Nah. Frank got someone. Don’t you have a hot date or something better to do than sit around losing all your hard-earned money anyway?” He signs the last document and tosses his pen on the desk, leaning back in his chair. “Isn’t anything sacred anymore? Jack and I, we never missed once in twenty-eight years.”

I slide the paper he just signed across the desk to my side. One more signature and we’ll be changing the film industry as we know it. I lift my Montblanc, thinking I’m putting this pen aside. The one Dad used to ink his first film deal is sitting in my top right hand desk drawer. This one should keep it company. “Who’s filling in tonight?”

“That cute little card shark girl.”

I put the pen down before signing on the last empty line. “Ben,” I say, “there’s one more condition to this deal …”

Case of disgusting Budweiser in hand, I stroll into the studio, letting the loud slam of the door echo through the tall, open space. My eyes are already trained on Kate when she looks up. Eyes wide as saucers, sharp inhale—she’s surprised to see me. Tonight is all about winning. I’m going to use the element of surprise to my advantage.

“I thought you were going to be Ben,” Frank says.

“Change of plans. Ben’s not coming,” I respond to Frank, but my eyes don’t leave Kate.

“Whadda you mean, Ben’s not coming? He hasn’t missed a night in twenty-five years.”

“Twenty-eight,” I correct him.

“Is he all right?”

“He’s fine.”

“What the hell was so important that he would miss? It’s not like Ben.”

“I’d tell you why he can’t make it, but I wouldn’t want to break the no-business-talk rule before I even sit down.”

“Whatever,” Frank grumbles and waves my comment off. “You remember Kate?”

“I do.” I arch an eyebrow at Kate and nod.

“Carl hasn’t played with Kate yet. I told him to take it easy on her.” Frank winks, shuffling the deck.

Aggressive women were always a turn-off for me. But aggressive card-playing women—that’s apparently a whole different ballgame. Kate folds the first two hands, Carl raking in the pot both times. Hand three, even I caught Carl’s facial tic when he picked up his cards, indicating he thought he had a winner. I nearly laughed out loud when Kate took two cards and her eyes bulged from her head. Even a novice card player would cover up better than that. But Carl bought her shit—hook, line and sinker. And Frank and I quickly bowed out to enjoy the show.

On his raise, Carl pushes in a tall stack of chips. Kate actually nibbles on her lip a bit, pretending to debate whether she should go all in or not. The smile on Carl’s face when she shrugs and pensively pushes her chips in is absolutely priceless. He turns over three queens, gloating, hands already reaching toward the center of the table.

“Does this beat three of a kind?” Kate asks innocently, laying a full house down on the table.

We let poor Carl lose his shirt, not letting him in on the joke until we take the usual bathroom break. “You guys are assholes,” he mutters, throwing his cards down on the table before stalking off to the restroom. Frank follows him out, chanting, “You got beat by a girl. You got beat by a girl.”

“You must have gotten lost on your way to my office after lunch this afternoon,” I say when the door slams shut, leaving just the two of us. “Avoiding me won’t solve the problem.” The room is so quiet I can hear the distinct hitch in her breath, even though she tries to conceal the effect my words have on her.

“What will?” She busies herself collecting the cards from the table and speaks without looking at me.

“Working through it.”

“Am I supposed to believe you’re here by coincidence? If you want something, set it free, if it comes back to you, it was meant to be … or something like that?”

“Do you believe in that stuff?”

She pauses for a moment, considering my question, and then begins shuffling again. “I think I do. Do you?”

“I’m more of the school of if you want something bad enough, pursue it aggressively until you wear it down and it gives in.”

Her mouth twitches with suppressed amusement, but she still doesn’t look up.

“You didn’t push my hand away today,” I say, my eyes never leaving her face.

“I didn’t want to make a scene.”

“You liked it there. The way my fingers traced the outline of the lace. I could feel the heat. You wanted me to dip my fingers inside and feel how wet you were as much as I did.”

She closes her eyes.

I stand and step around the table.

“It made me insane to see his hand on you,” I admit as I graze my knuckles lightly down her cheek. She still doesn’t look up.

“Look at me,” I say, quietly but firm.

Her eyes close again.

“I can’t, Cooper.” There’s sadness in her voice. “I can’t spend time around you and do what I need to do.”

I take her chin in my hands and force her gaze to meet mine. “And I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Bet me.”

“What?” Her brows furrow.

“If I win, give me tonight.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Is it? Leave it up to fate. You just said you’re a believer.”

“Cooper,” she warns uncertainly.

I kiss her lips. Sweetly this time, even though all I really want to do is grab her and pounce.

“Last hand,” I breathe, hating to pull my lips from hers.

“I don’t know …”

The door opens, and the boisterous sound of Frank still needling Carl interrupts us before I can get her to agree. A part of me wants to clear the room. Tell Frank and Carl I need them to leave so I can finish our conversation. But I don’t. I respect the hell out of these guys, and when we leave work at the door, we leave me being the boss there too.

We play for two more hours. Frank peppers Kate with all kinds of questions about her family and plenty about her infamous father. I suspect he has a bit of a crush on Kate; my guess is she knows it too. She flirts playfully with him. It makes me smile almost as much as it does Frank.

“That’s two in a row you lost to Frank. Are you letting him win or is your luck starting to turn?” Tipping my beer up, I eye Kate.

“My luck must be running out. I only let people win to build their confidence.”

“Well, my confidence is dwindling here, maybe you should throw some charity my way.” I motion to the sparse pile of chips in front of me.

“I don’t think you’ve ever experienced a shortage in confidence, Mr. Montgomery.”

Frank snickers. “You got this one pegged. Hard to be lacking in confidence when you’re walking around with Ms. Laroix on your arm.”

“She’s beautiful. I saw you with her today. Is she your girlfriend?” Kate asks, a sly smirk on her face.

“No.” I throw two chips into the pot, even though I have another shit hand.

“Looked cozy.” She shrugs. “Friends with benefits?”

My eyebrows jump. “No. Not friends with benefits either.”

“Ohhhhhh,” she says, as if something dawns on her for the first time. Then says nothing more.