Mistress of Fortune
Kathie DeNosky

www.millsandboon.co.uk

This book is dedicated to the authors

of the DAKOTA FORTUNES. It was a real pleasure

working with you and I hope we get to do it again soon.

Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Kathie DeNosky for her contribution to the DAKOTA FORTUNES series.

Contents

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

One

“Good morning, this is Sasha Kilgore, public relations assistant.”

“Hi, Sasha. Blake Fortune, here.”

At the sound of his smooth baritone filtering through the phone into her ear, Sasha’s heart skipped a beat and she had to remind herself to breathe. “Hello, Blake. What can I do for you today?”

“I need a favor, Sasha.”

Every time he said her name, a tiny little flutter in the pit of her stomach reminded her that she apparently still carried the remnants of a schoolgirl’s crush for the youngest of the Fortune men.

“I’ll do what I can,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound too eager. “What do you need?”

“You.”

“Me?” Her pulse raced and the room suddenly felt as if it had become a vacuum.

“I know this is late in the game to be asking about something like this, but I’m opening a new casino here in Deadwood toward the end of the month and I need your help coming up with a special PR campaign to kick things off. I want it to run though the summer to attract vacationers.”

It was completely ridiculous, but she felt a little disappointed that his call wasn’t of a personal nature. “Hotels and the gaming industry aren’t exactly my area of expertise.”

Why hadn’t he consulted his own PR director? Surely he had one. After all, this would be the third casino he’d opened in the past four years and she’d heard through the office grapevine that he’d recently formed his own corporation.

“Come on, sweetheart.” His use of the endearment sent a little shiver straight up her spine. “We both know you’re one of the best. Otherwise you wouldn’t be working for Dakota Fortune.”

She felt warm all over from just the sound of his voice. “So now you’re going to resort to charm and flattery?”

“Is it working?”

She laughed. “No, but it’s nice to hear.”

“Tell me you’ll help me out here, Sasha,” he said, his voice taking on the no-nonsense tone she was used to hearing from him. “My public relations director is out on family medical leave, helping his wife with their new twin girls and I’m up against a wall on this. Fortune’s Gold is opening in three weeks.”

“I’ve never seen the place and that makes it extremely difficult to come up with ideas that would work for you,” she warned.

“Not a problem. Just set a day and time and I’ll send my private jet to pick you up.”

“I could probably research your needs on the Internet, then—”

“You’ll get a better idea if you see the operation firsthand,” he said obstinately.

If there was one thing about the Fortune men that she knew as surely as she knew her own name, it was that they didn’t take no for an answer.

Sighing, she reached for her electronic planner. “The earliest I could possibly meet with you would be day after tomorrow. Would that be convenient or would the following week be better?”

“Friday’s great. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you. Plan on spending the weekend here in Deadwood, then we’ll fly back to Sioux Falls together on Monday morning.”

“That’s three days.”

“Your math skills are impressive.”

“And your persistence is annoying.”

His deep chuckle caught her off guard. To her knowledge, she hadn’t heard him laugh in years and she’d come to the conclusion that his brothers, Case and Creed, had been right when they’d insisted that Blake didn’t have a sense of humor. Apparently, they’d been wrong.

“Come on, Sasha. You’ll be able to get an idea of what my clientele experience while they’re here. That should help you come up with a more attractive promotional offer. And besides, it’ll be a nice little break away from the rat race.”

Oh, he was good. He knew just what to say and just how far to lower his voice to make her feel as if it really meant a lot to him for her to spend the weekend working on his promotion campaign.

“I suppose it would be nice to get away for a weekend,” she said slowly. “I just wasn’t aware that it would take that much time to research what you need and come up with a viable plan.”

“I thought since you’ll be here, you could go ahead and take a look at my other casinos and give me a fresh perspective on ways to promote those as well.” He paused. “But if it’s a problem…”

When his voice trailed off, she shook her head at how masterful he was at getting what he wanted. “No, no problem. I should be able to clear my calendar for the weekend.” Truth to tell, she didn’t have anything planned beyond cleaning her apartment and vegging out in front of the television for a Julia Roberts movie marathon on one of the cable channels.

“Then we’re set. I’ll have my pilot pick you up at eight on Friday morning. And, Sasha?”

“Yes.”

“Thanks.”

He made the word sound extremely intimate and caused the fluttering in her stomach to go absolutely berserk. But before she could get her suddenly paralyzed vocal cords to respond, he hung up.

“Who was that?”

She looked up at the sound of the familiar male voice to find Creed Fortune standing in her office doorway, looking extremely suspicious.

“It was your brother Blake,” she answered cautiously.

“Half brother,” Creed corrected tightly. “What did he want?”

It was a well-known fact that although Creed and Blake were brothers, they weren’t close. Far from it. At the best of times, they were barely civil and at the worst, openly hostile.

“His PR director is on leave of absence and Blake asked me to help him work up a campaign for the opening of a new casino.”

She concentrated on inputting her meeting with Blake into her planner. Why did she feel as if she were being disloyal to Creed? They had never been anything more than good friends.

“Are you going to help him?” From the disapproval in Creed’s voice, Sasha could tell that he thought she should have turned Blake down.

She nodded. “I see no reason why I shouldn’t help him with the grand opening of his new casino.”

“I can give you a damned good reason.” Creed shook his head. “The son of a bitch can’t be trusted. Hell, I’d trust a rattlesnake before I put any kind of faith in Blake Fortune.”

“That’s a horrible thing to say about your brother, Creed.” Being an only child, she’d always wanted a brother or sister and couldn’t understand anyone feeling such antagonism toward their sibling. “Whether you get along with him or not, he’s still part of your family.”

Creed grunted. “The worst part.”

Choosing her words very carefully, Sasha met his piercing gaze head-on. “You’re one of my best friends, Creed, and I place a lot of value on that friendship. But don’t ask me to choose sides. Whatever grievances you have with Blake are between the two of you. I have nothing to do with it.”

His mouth flattened into a straight line a moment before he nodded. “All I’m saying is, watch yourself around him, Sasha. He’s just like his mother. Bad news.”

Hoping to lighten the moment, she grinned. “He’d probably tell me something similar about you. Now, why don’t you go back to your office and do something productive while I get back to work?”

Long after Creed had left her alone, Sasha wondered what could possibly have caused the siblings to be at such odds. The two older Fortune brothers, Case and Creed, made no secret of the fact that they had no use for their younger brother. And from everything she’d seen and heard, the feeling was more than mutual. Blake had even gone so far as to leave Dakota Fortune, the multibillion-dollar corporation their grandfather had founded, to build his own empire in the South Dakota gaming industry. As far as she knew, he still maintained his shares of stock in Dakota Fortune and was a member of the board of directors, but had nothing to do with running the enterprise.

Leaning back in her leather desk chair, she stared at the entry she’d just put into her planner. It appeared the hostilities between the Fortune brothers were escalating and they expected those around them to choose sides in their battle of wills—something she had no intention of doing.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure how she was going to avoid it. She was good friends with one brother and the other brother had always had the ability to make her feel as if the earth moved whenever he looked her way.

Sighing heavily, she shook her head as she opened the browser on her computer and keyed in a search for casinos in the Deadwood, South Dakota, area. When war broke out between Creed and Blake it could very easily destroy whoever got in the way. She needed to keep that in mind and make sure that she wasn’t the one caught in the middle when it all came to a head.

Blake sat in the back of his corporate limo at the small private airfield just outside of Deadwood as he waited for his pilot to taxi his Learjet up to the tarmac. After talking with Sasha, he’d spent the past couple of days working with the contractors and decorators responsible for putting the finishing touches on his newest and most luxurious hotel casino yet.

He was determined to see that Fortune’s Gold was the premier place to stay in Deadwood and a welcome addition to his newly formed Fortune Casino Corporation. Along with the Belle of Fortune, his hotel casino decorated like an 1880s riverboat, and the Lucky Fortune, a family friendly establishment where parents could drop off their kids at a supervised indoor playground while they gambled without worry, he would be able to successfully offer something to suit everyone’s tastes and needs.

Mentally reviewing what still needed to be done, he concluded that he only had a couple of more details to nail down, then he’d have the rest of the weekend to concentrate on Sasha and his mission. He’d told her the truth about his PR man being on leave of absence because of his wife having a set of twin girls. He had, however, omitted that the man had only taken the time off because Blake had insisted on it. A promotional campaign for Fortune’s Gold wasn’t the real reason behind his calling Sasha or his wanting her to join him for the weekend in Deadwood.

When Blake had attended his oldest brother Case’s wedding reception back in February, he’d noticed that Sasha had been Creed’s date. Then, thinking back on it, Blake remembered seeing her with Creed at several functions and family gatherings over the past year. It was clear there was something going on between the two of them and spoke volumes of how special Sasha was to Creed. Blake knew for a fact that his brother was notorious for never dating the same woman more than a few times before he moved on to his next conquest. But Creed obviously felt differently about Sasha and that was what Blake found more than a little interesting. And quite useful.

Sasha had been a freshman when he’d been a senior in high school. Although they hadn’t been friends, Blake had a photography class with the shy auburn-haired girl and could have sworn she’d had a crush on him. To his recollection, they’d never spoken back then, but several times he’d caught her watching him, and when his gaze had locked with her pretty green eyes, Sasha had turned several shades of red and glanced away. But in recent years she’d apparently gotten over her schoolgirl crush and turned her attention toward snaring the middle of the Fortune brothers.

Blake smiled. It was past time he rectified that situation and reclaimed what was rightfully his.

When the pilot brought the jet to a halt several feet from the limo, then lowered the door, Blake got out of the car and walked over to offer Sasha his hand as she descended the built-in steps. The moment her soft, delicate palm touched his, a jolt of electric current zinged straight up his arm.

“It’s good to see you again, Sasha,” he said, dismissing the sensation as some kind of static electricity.

Once she was standing on the pavement beside him, he pulled her into his arms for a lingering hug. When he felt her slender body shiver against him, he concentrated on keeping his expression passive. No sense giving away his intentions before he had the opportunity to ensure their success.

“Did you have a nice, uneventful flight?”

Stepping back, Blake could tell his familiar manner confused her, just as he’d intended. Good. Throwing her off guard and keeping her there was exactly what he wanted to do.

“Y-yes, the flight was blessedly calm.” The slight blush on her porcelain cheeks was an encouraging sign and he was confident his plan was going to go off without the slightest hitch.

“I’m glad. At this time of year, turbulence can be a problem.”

The early April sun shone weakly through a bank of clouds, but did little to take the chill from the stiff breeze ruffling the soft auburn curls that had escaped the tight knot of hair at the back of her head. Turning her toward the limo, Blake slipped his arm around her shoulders on the pretense of shielding her from the wind and motioned for his driver to take care of her small travel case.

“Let’s get you into the car before you freeze,” he said, ushering her over to the long, black sedan.

She drew her coat a little closer as they walked the short distance. “It is rather chilly.”

Once they were comfortably seated inside the warmth of the limousine, it wasn’t lost on him that she scooted all the way across the bench seat to the other side. He clearly made her nervous and Blake had a good idea why. There was no doubt in his mind that bastard, Creed, had warned her to be wary of him.

“We’ll go on to Fortune’s Gold from here,” Blake said, deciding that work might get her mind off whatever poison Creed had fed her about him. “Then, after you get an idea of the type of clientele I want to attract, we’ll eat lunch at Lucky Fortune, tour that facility and end the day at the Belle of Fortune.” He smiled. “The Belle is where you’ll be staying this weekend.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea.” To his relief, she visibly relaxed and her pretty smile caused an odd feeling to grip the pit of his stomach. “I’ve been doing some research on Deadwood and your competition. After I tour your casinos, I’ll be better able to judge if my ideas will work, but I think I already have a plan in mind that I’m sure will fit your needs.”

“Great.” He made sure to give her his most encouraging smile as he reached over and took her hand in his. Giving it a gentle squeeze, he added, “We’ll discuss your ideas tomorrow morning, then have the rest of the weekend to relax and have fun.”

Her smile disappeared immediately and she looked as if she might bolt from the car. “Fun?”

If Blake could have gotten his hands on Creed at that moment, he’d have taken great pleasure in tearing his brother limb from limb. No telling what kind of outright lies and distorted half-truths Creed had told her about him.

“I thought since you’re here, you might like to try your hand at some of the gaming tables and tour a museum or two. Deadwood has several dedicated to the town’s old west history.” Thinking quickly, he added, “It might give you another idea or two for the packages I’d like to offer.”

She looked thoughtful a moment before she nodded. “You do have a point. Adding admission to one of the museums as part of a special on room rates and meals would be very nice.”

As his driver parked the car under the entryway at Fortune’s Gold, Blake opened the door and climbed out of the car, holding out his hand to help Sasha to her feet. “Then it’s settled,” he said, careful to keep the triumph from his voice. “We’ll check out a few of the sites tomorrow, then we can decide on the one that will enhance the deals I’ll be offering.”

When he escorted her through the front entrance of his soon-to-be open casino, he watched her reaction as she looked around at the opulent decor. He’d spared no expense in re-creating the elegance of a high-end Las Vegas establishment, while still maintaining the relaxed atmosphere Deadwood was known for.

“This is beautiful, Blake.” She walked over to touch the cool black marble countertop on the registration desk. “I love your use of black, gold and cream. It’s very striking and goes perfectly with the crystal chandeliers.”

He hadn’t counted on her enthusiasm pleasing him quite so much. “I’m hoping Fortune’s Gold will attract some of the high rollers from the midwestern cities who might not have the time to make it to Vegas, but could get away for a couple of days to gamble here.”

“I’m sure it will be quite popular as a weekend getaway.” She continued across the lobby to descend the two steps leading down into the sunken casino area. She nodded toward a variety of slot machines and gaming tables. “I see you have all of the most popular games and gambling devices.”

A loud noise on the far side of the casino, where several men were installing some of the decorative trim work, caused her to jump and Blake realized that she still wasn’t completely at ease with him. Maybe if he gave her a moment or two alone to collect herself it would help. Throwing her off guard was one thing, but her being a nervous wreck would be detrimental to his plans.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to find the foreman and check to see that everything is still on schedule.” He gave her his most reassuring smile. “I’ll only be a few minutes.”

“Of course.” She motioned toward the gaming tables. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just wander around here to get a better feel for the place.”

After talking briefly with the foreman, Blake retrieved a pass key from the main office, then went to find Sasha. When he spotted her, she was standing beside one of the many rows of slot machines and he couldn’t help but notice how attractive she was. In high school, she’d been nice looking, but that had only been a hint of things to come. The pretty teenage girl had grown into a strikingly beautiful woman with a figure that could tempt the most pious of saints.

“Is everything still on target for your grand opening?” she asked, clearly disconcerted when she caught him studying her.

“So far, so good.” Walking over to her, he placed his hand to the small of her back and guided her toward the elevators. “Ready to see the rooms?”

She stopped to give him a dubious look. “Is that necessary?”

He shrugged. “I thought it might give you a couple of ideas about accommodations for the package offers. I was thinking we could offer about three different options for our guests to choose from.”

Looking a little uncertain, she finally smiled. “I told you, the hotel and gaming industry isn’t my area of expertise. But touring the rooms does sound like an excellent idea and might help me make the offers more attractive for guests to bring spouses and children.”

“PR is PR, whether it’s for a casino or a corporation like Dakota Fortune,” he said, stepping back for her to enter the elevator. “It’s just a different market.”

When the doors whispered shut, she laughed and shook her head. “There’s a little more to it than that, Blake.”

Her soft voice saying his name did strange things to his insides, but he didn’t give it a second thought. He was on a mission, and the success or failure of his objective depended on him keeping a cool head and not letting emotion enter into the equation. It was the way he did business and it had served him quite well over the past four years.

When the elevator doors swished open on the top floor, Blake guided Sasha down a short hall to the executive suites. He’d known in advance which one he’d be showing her and made sure the housekeeping staff had it ready for her inspection.

“This is one of the suites we’ll be offering to the whales.”

“Whales?”

Fitting the key card into the lock, he opened the door when the light blinked green. “That’s the term used in the gaming industry for high rollers. They expect to get their rooms and meals free because they drop more than enough money in the casino to cover the costs, as well as make us a nice profit.”

“In other words, it’s incentive to get them to gamble in your establishment,” she said, glancing around at the expertly decorated rooms.

“That’s the idea,” he said, nodding. “With enough comps, they’ll be happy to stay here and gamble exclusively with us instead of visiting the other casinos.”

She walked slowly around the suite’s living room. “This looks like something I might see on one of the television shows about Las Vegas.” Turning to face him, she smiled approvingly. “I would think your whales will be quite pleased with this kind of complimentary service.”

Nodding, Blake walked over to open the French doors leading to the bedroom. “That’s what I’m aiming for. I want this to be the hotel for the wealthy when they visit Deadwood.”

“I haven’t seen the other hotels in town, but I think you’ve accomplished your goal. This is absolutely beautiful,” she said, wandering into the master bathroom. She stopped suddenly and her face reflected her astonishment. “Good lord, Blake. That tub is almost large enough to swim laps.” She shook her head. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bathtub that large.”

Walking up behind her, he placed his hands on her shoulders as they gazed down into the black marble Jacuzzi tub. “We’ll offer champagne and caviar for two, in case a gentleman and his lady want an intimate bath together.”

Her slender frame stiffened beneath his palms and she quickly stepped away from him. But not before he felt a slight tremor course through her and noticed a faraway expression cross her face.

“I—I think I’ve seen enough to know what you’ll be offering in the way of accommodations to your wealthier clientele,” she said, her steps purposeful as she started for the door. “Why don’t we take a look at the standard rooms?”

As he followed her across the living room, Blake smiled. Sasha was nervous all right, but in a good way. He’d bet a day’s take in one of his casinos that her reaction to his touch had more to do with the fact that she was still attracted to him than from anything Creed could have told her.

When he pulled the door to the Executive Suite shut behind him, Blake watched the gentle sway of her hips as she walked down the hall to the elevator. He smiled. His plan was not only going to work beautifully, it was going to be a pleasure for both of them.

He was going to seduce Sasha right out from under Creed’s nose. And there wasn’t a damned thing his older brother could do to stop him.

Two

By the time Blake’s driver delivered them to the entrance of the Belle of Fortune Hotel and Casino that evening, Sasha wondered what on earth she’d been thinking when she’d agreed to help him. Spending the day with him had played havoc with her equilibrium and only confirmed what she suspected after she’d talked to him earlier in the week. She was still attracted to him and, although it wasn’t the same as when she’d had a crush on him in high school, the fascination was still there just the same. Trying to deny it would be utterly futile.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t helped her predicament. From the moment she stepped off his private jet, it seemed as if he’d seized every available opportunity to touch her. Then, there was the matter of his leaning close whenever he spoke to her. It wasn’t what he said that caused her to have a perpetual case of goose bumps shimmering over her arms, it was the way he said it. Listening to his smooth baritone as he explained his plans for building a gambling empire, his voice seemed to wrap around her like a warm cocoon. She wasn’t sure how he did it, but Blake had managed to make the most mundane detail sound incredibly intimate.

As they walked across the lobby of the authentically decorated hotel, she wondered what had gotten into her. She wasn’t that same starry-eyed teenager with a huge crush on the best-looking boy in school. She was a grown woman with a much broader perspective of what to look for in a man besides a handsome face.

It was true that Blake had grown into a devastatingly handsome man who could turn the head of any female possessing a pulse. With his dark-blond hair, blue eyes and sensual good looks, he could just as easily have been a movie star as a businessman.

But it wasn’t just the way he looked that caught Sasha’s attention. It was his commanding presence that demanded respect and the undivided attention of whomever he was addressing that made him seem larger than life. And if he was smart, he’d use that to his advantage in his promotional campaign.

“Blake, what kind of advertising budget are you planning for the opening of Fortune’s Gold?” she asked thoughtfully as they waited for the elevator.

“I haven’t set a limit,” he said, stepping back for her to enter the car ahead of him. “I’ll spend whatever it takes to kick this off the right way. Why?”

“Do you think that’s wise, not setting a budget?” she asked.

Pushing the button for the top floor, he shrugged his wide shoulders and shook his head. “Money isn’t an issue.”

She chided herself for asking such a stupid question. Of course money wasn’t an object. Blake was a Fortune, and besides his family owning the largest corporation in the western part of South Dakota—maybe the entire state—he was quite a successful businessman and multimillionaire in his own right.

“I was thinking—”

He suddenly placed his finger to her lips, stopping her. “It’s past five, Sasha. The business day is over and it’s time for pleasure.”

“But—”

She intended to tell him that business was the only reason she’d come to Deadwood. But when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, the words stuck in her suddenly dry throat and all thoughts of a promotional campaign flew right out of her head.

“You know what they say about all work and no play, Sasha.”

“Th-they make a person dull?” Her mind told her to push him away, but her body refused to cooperate.

As if in slow motion, she watched him nod his head, then smiling, lower his forehead to hers. “Remember, you’re not only here on business. You’re here to get away for a weekend. And I’m personally going to see to it that you relax and have a little fun while you’re in town.”

His smoldering blue gaze held hers until she felt as if she might melt into a puddle at his feet. Then, just when she thought he was going to kiss her, the doors swished open. Releasing her, he stepped back for her to exit the elevator ahead of him.

The tendons in her knees felt loose and rubbery as she walked out into the hall, and she found it extremely difficult to draw air into her lungs. Dear heavens, he hadn’t even kissed her and she was about to lose it.

Taking first one breath, then another, she wondered if her luggage had been delivered to her room. Earlier in the day, Blake had sent his driver to take her small bag to the Belle while he’d shown her around the Lucky Fortune. Hopefully, it would be waiting for her. And if she had any sense, she’d pick it up and call for someone to take her to the airfield. Or if there weren’t any outgoing flights this evening, she could find a car to rent and drive back to Sioux Falls without waiting to see what he’d do next.

“Which room is supposed to be mine?” she asked, desperately hoping she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt.

“This way,” Blake said, moving to her side to open a door with Riverboat Queen engraved on an ornate wood-and-brass plaque.

When she walked into the suite, Sasha marveled at the beautiful antique decor. The living area had been decorated like a nineteenth-century parlor and it appeared no detail had been overlooked. From the floral-print rug on the hardwood floor to the flocked wallpaper and wainscoting on the walls, it was meant to make the occupant feel as if they’d taken a step back in time and had boarded a real riverboat.

“Are all the rooms decorated like this?” she asked, letting curiosity get the better of her.

“No. Only the suites.” He opened the door to the bedroom. “Standard accommodations are pretty much like any other hotel room.”

When she walked into the bedroom, her breath caught at the sight of the huge poster bed with a lace canopy and matching crocheted bedspread. “This is absolutely gorgeous, Blake.”

A half smile curved the corners of his mouth and she could tell her comment pleased him. “When I bought the Belle some people thought I was crazy to insist the decorator use real antiques for the high-end suites. But it’s been a big hit with those looking for the old West experience.”

“I can understand why your guests like it,” she said, spying her small suitcase. Walking over to it, she picked it up and started back across the room toward the door. “It goes along with the casino’s riverboat theme and is quite charming.”

His expression turned to a deep frown as he pointed to her overnight bag. “Is something wrong? Would you rather have a different suite?”

“No, this is very nice,” she said, shaking her head. “But I think…That is, I…”

Her voice trailed off as she tried to think of something to say that wouldn’t reveal the real reason behind her early departure. There was no way she was going to admit that the chemistry between them was about to send her into sensual shock. Opting for silence, she simply continued to stare at him.

A confident expression slowly replaced his dark scowl. “I make you nervous, don’t I, Sasha?”

“D-don’t be ridiculous,” she stammered, wondering what had happened to the articulate, intelligent woman she’d always prided herself in being.

As he moved closer, she had to force herself not to take a step back. It would have only proven his theory right and that was something she was determined not to do.

“You want to know what I think, honey?” he asked, moving even closer.

“Not really.” She did take a step back when he continued to slowly, deliberately close the distance between them.

“I think you’re feeling it, the same as I am.” He smiled knowingly. “And I think you want to run from it, from me.”

“I don’t have a clue what you’re referring to, Blake.”

His confident grin sent a knot to the pit of her stomach. “Liar.”

She set her case down and took a step back, then another. “I don’t know what you think I’m supposed to be feeling, but—”

“Don’t play dumb, Sasha. It doesn’t become you.” He shook his head. “We both know you’re a hell of a lot smarter than that.”

“All right, I’ll give you that much.” She felt her knees come into contact with the edge of the bed. Great. Her retreat had been stopped and he was still advancing. “But you have one thing wrong.”

“What would that be?”

“I never run from anything.”

At least, that was normally the case. But in this instance she wasn’t certain that standing her ground would be all that smart. Especially when Creed’s warning kept echoing in her ears—Blake wasn’t one to be trusted.

“Really? You aren’t nervous about the way I make you feel?”

Unable to make her vocal cords work, she shook her head.

He came to stand in front of her and as close as he was, if she drew in a breath—which wasn’t possible at that moment—her breasts would brush the front of his sports jacket. “If that’s true, Sasha, then why do you want to go back to Sioux Falls this evening? Why not stay and enjoy your weekend here?” His voice dropped when he added, “With me.”

She swallowed hard as she tried to think of something to say that wouldn’t refute her adamant denial. “I didn’t say I was going back tonight.”

“Then why did you pick up your suitcase and head for the door?” Before she could come up with a plausible excuse, he reached up to lightly chafe her lower lip with the pad of his thumb. “You aren’t wanting to get back to see someone, are you?”

His light touch sent a tingling awareness skipping over every nerve in her body and she had to concentrate hard on what he’d just said. “N-no…I mean yes. That’s it. There’s someone I’d like to see.”

His deep chuckle let her know he wasn’t buying her excuse for a minute, but to her relief, he stepped away from her. “Did anyone ever tell you that you can’t lie worth a damn, sweetheart?”

Drawing in some much needed air, she trembled all over as anger streaked through her. “If you’ll remember, I’m here at your request for help with your promotion. Nothing more.”

As they stared at each other like two prize fighters sizing up their opponent, the phone on the bedside table rang several times before she finally reached over to answer it. She had no idea who the caller could be, but whomever it was, she definitely owed them a debt of gratitude.

“H-hello?”

“Sasha, are you all right?” Creed’s deep voice was a welcome sound.

“Hi, Creed. I’m fine. Why do you ask?” At the mention of his brother’s name, she watched Blake’s easy smile disappear and his eyes narrow dangerously.

“You sounded a little shook up when you answered the phone.” She heard him release a frustrated breath. “You know I don’t trust that son of a bitch. I guess I was reading something more into the tone of your voice than was there.”

“I suppose so,” she said, careful to keep her voice as noncommittal as possible. From the dark frown on Blake’s handsome face, he wasn’t happy to hear that his brother was on the other end of the line, nor did he intend to leave the room until she’d ended the phone call. “Was there something you needed, Creed?”

“Not really.” From the slight hesitancy in his voice, she could imagine his sheepish grin. “I was a little worried about you and I wanted to make sure you’re being treated well.”

“I am.”

“Good,” he said, sounding a little more at ease. “Just remember, if you have any problems all you have to do is give me a call. I’ll be more than happy to fly down to Deadwood and give that jerk an attitude adjustment.”

“Thank you, that means a lot, Creed.” She couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s concern. “I’ll see you Monday morning.”

When she hung up the phone, Blake’s expression was congenial enough, but there was a spark of anger in the depths of his blue gaze that sent a chill coursing through her. “Your boyfriend checking up on you?”

“Creed and I are good friends, but that’s as far as it goes,” she said, wondering why she felt the need to explain her relationship with his brother.

He stared at her for several more seconds before he spoke again. “I have a couple of things I need to take care of,” he finally said. “Change into something more casual and I’ll come back in about an hour to take you to dinner.”

“Is that an order, Mr. Fortune?” Her irritation with his high-handedness returned tenfold.

His expression became unreadable a moment before he shook his head and pointed to her black suit. “I just figured you’d want to trade your skirt and heels for something more comfortable.”

“There’s no need for you to come back up here. I’ll meet you downstairs in the restaurant,” she said when he turned to leave.

He looked as if he intended to say something. Instead, he gave her a short nod and without another word left the room.

When Sasha heard the outer door close, she finally released the breath she was certain she’d been holding from the moment they’d entered the suite. What on earth had she done? More importantly, why had she let Blake get to her?

She’d had every intention of leaving when they’d walked into the suite. And if she hadn’t let his goading rile her, she’d be on her way to the airfield at that very moment.

But no. She couldn’t leave well enough alone. He’d been so sure of himself, she’d taken up the challenge and had been determined to prove him wrong. Unfortunately, the only thing she’d accomplished was doing what he wanted her to do in the first place—to spend the weekend with him in Deadwood.

Shaking her head, she couldn’t help but wonder what she’d gotten herself into. Or, more importantly, how she was going to get out of it.

The second Sasha stepped off the elevator and walked toward the entrance of the Golden Belle Restaurant, Blake watched several men in the lobby turn to stare at the auburn-haired beauty in the jade silk pantsuit. Her slender body moved with a sensual grace that he found absolutely fascinating and he took a moment to enjoy the view.

Blake was going to enjoy sharing a physical relationship with Sasha. The chemistry between them was utterly amazing. He couldn’t keep his hands off her. And her reaction to his touch, her breathlessness whenever he came near her, indicated that she found him to be every bit as compelling.

But he’d have to be careful not to put too much pressure on her, too soon. He’d have to take his time and romance her in order to prove that whatever Creed had told her about him had been erroneous.

Gritting his teeth at the thought of Creed’s interrupting phone call, Blake had to force himself to calm down. He’d thought that by acting like Creed, it would win her over. But it was clear she was tired of the bulldozer approach to romance.

All Blake had to do was change tactics, turn on the charm and Sasha would be his for the taking. He could be himself and old Creed would take care of the rest. Knowing his half brother the way he did, Blake was confident that Creed would keep reminding her of his suspicions, continue to make phone calls to check up on her and ultimately push her right into Blake’s waiting arms.

He smiled as he watched Sasha standing by the entrance to the restaurant, obviously waiting for him. She was a captivating woman and he wasn’t the only one who thought so. Apparently, the men who had turned to watch her walk across the lobby found her just as mesmerizing. One in particular caught Blake’s attention when the man approached Sasha to strike up a conversation.

For reasons he didn’t care to analyze, a wave of possessiveness shot through Blake and he wasted no time in moving in to stake his claim. “You’re late, sweetheart.” He met the interloper’s curious gaze with a cold smile as he slipped his arm around Sasha’s shoulders. “You’ll have to excuse us. We’re on our way to dinner.” He nodded toward the casino. “And I’m sure you’d like to get back to the action.”

The man returned Blake’s stare for several silent seconds, then lifting the drink he held, he nodded a silent concession. “Have a nice dinner.”

As the man descended the steps into the casino area, Sasha turned on Blake. “Are you always that rude to your guests?”

Sliding his hand down her back to cup her elbow, he steered her back toward the elevators. “Are you in the habit of encouraging men to hit on you?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but all he wanted from me was to see if I knew what time it was,” she said, clearly exasperated.

Blake grunted. “Yeah, and I’m Buffalo Bill Cody.”

When the elevator doors opened, she stopped dead in her tracks. “Why are we going back upstairs? I thought we were going to dinner.”

“We are.” He urged her forward, then pushed the button for the top floor. “I had the staff set up our dinner in my suite.”

“Why?” If her expression was any indication, she was anything but happy about the arrangement and more than a little suspicious of his motives.

“I thought it would give us a chance to talk uninterrupted and catch up on old times,” he said, shrugging.

She looked at him as if she thought he might be a few cards shy of a full deck. “Catch up on old times? Since I started working at Dakota Fortune, we’ve only spoken briefly at the office and a few times at the social functions I’ve attended with Creed.”

His gut burned at the mention of his half brother’s name, but Blake stifled the urge to curse aloud. The success of his mission depended on him keeping a cool head.

When the elevators doors opened, he guided her down the hall toward his suite. “You’re forgetting that we attended the same high school.”

She shook her head. “Don’t feed me that line, Blake Fortune. You didn’t have the slightest notion that I existed back then.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Sasha.” Opening the door to the Admiral’s Suite, Blake stood back for her to enter his private domain. “I would have had to be as blind as a damned bat not to have noticed one of the prettiest girls in school.” He smiled. “And I’ve never had vision problems.”

“Give me a break.” She rolled her eyes. “We had a photography class together for one semester and in that whole time, I don’t remember a single instance of you speaking to me.”

Walking up to stand in front of her, he touched her soft cheek with his index finger. “Believe me, sweetheart, I found out all I could about you after that first day of class. But you were too young for me back then.”

“There’s only…three years difference in our ages.” To his satisfaction, she sounded a little breathless and confirmed his suspicions beyond a shadow of doubt that she was still attracted to him.

Smiling, he shook his head. “I was a typical eighteen-year-old boy with a raging case of hormones. I wanted a whole lot more from a girl than sharing a few chaste kisses. And let’s face it, Sasha, at fifteen that’s all you were ready for.”

“Why are you telling me this now, Blake?” Her confusion was reflected in her luminous green eyes and he didn’t think he’d ever seen her look more desirable.

He was going to enjoy his seduction of Sasha Kilgore. But it was time to back off a little and let her catch up.

Deciding it would be in his best interest to put a little space between them, he guided her over to the table his staff had set up by the window overlooking Deadwood’s historic district below. “I told you. We’re talking about old times, sweetheart.” He held her chair, then seated himself on the opposite side of the small round table. “You were in the chorus weren’t you?”

“Yes, but you weren’t.”

The flicker of the small candle on the table between them brought out the highlights of golden red in her auburn hair, fascinating him. “That doesn’t mean I don’t remember your singing at my graduation.”

“Oh, dear,” she said, her cheeks coloring a pretty pink. “You remember that?”

“It was quite an honor for a freshman to be asked to sing a solo at another class’s graduation,” he said, nodding.

He’d anticipated her wanting to know what he remembered about her and he’d done his homework in advance. Besides thumbing through his high-school annual, Blake had spent several hours trying to think of all the times their paths had crossed during his last year of school.

The color on her cheeks deepened. “Having to perform in front of all those people made me a nervous wreck. That’s when I decided to limit my singing to the shower.”

“That’s a shame. You have a beautiful voice and did a wonderful job with the song.” Reaching across the table, he took her hand in his. “I’d like to hear you sing again sometime, sweetheart.” He smiled and before he could stop himself, he added, “My shower has great acoustics.”

Her eyes widened a moment before anger filled their green depths. “I don’t think so.”

“Never say never, Sasha.”

She pulled her hand from his and, pushing her chair back, rose to her feet. “I don’t know what you’re up to, Blake Fortune. But it’s not going to work.”

Rising to face her, he didn’t think twice about taking her into his arms and drawing her to him. “I’m not up to anything more than having dinner with a beautiful woman that for years, I’ve wanted to get to know better.”

He heard the hitch in her breath a moment before she trembled against him. “Why now? Why after all these years are you—”

“Hush, Sasha.”

Before she had the chance to question him further, Blake lowered his mouth to hers and at the first contact, he felt as if he’d been hit by a bolt of lightning. Nothing could have prepared him for his reaction to the softness of her perfect lips, yielding to the demands of his.

But it was her response that had him hard in less than two seconds flat and forgetting all about slowing things down. Resistant at first, when she melted against him, her fingers curled into the front of his shirt as if she needed to hold on to him to keep from falling at his feet.

As he tightened his arms around her and continued kissing her, a tiny moan escaped her slightly parted lips and he took advantage of her acquiescence to slip his tongue inside. Blake acquainted himself with her tender inner recesses, exploring her thoroughly, savoring the sweetness that was uniquely Sasha.

He slid his hands from her back, up along her sides to the underside of her breasts, but stopped just short of cupping the soft mounds. He sensed that too much, too soon would only scare her away. And that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Reluctant to completely break contact with her, he held her slender body close as he eased away from the kiss. Neither spoke, but he could tell that he’d accomplished two of his goals. He’d managed to stop her from arguing with him, as well as establishing the direction he intended for their friendship to go.

Three

As Sasha sat, staring at Blake across the elegantly arranged table, she had no idea what she was eating or how it tasted. After that kiss, she was lucky to remember her own name, let alone take notice of the food on her plate.

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