Ian’s Ultimate Gamble
Brenda Jackson

To Gerald Jackson, Sr., my husband and hero.

To all my readers who love the Westmorelands.

To my Heavenly Father who gave me

the gift to write.

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,

and the man that getteth understanding.

—Proverbs 3:13

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

Coming Next Month

Prologue

“I won’t do it, Malcolm!” Brooke Chamberlain said sharply as she absently pushed a dark-brown dread that had fallen in her face back behind her ear. If she’d had any kind of warning of the reason she’d been summoned to her boss’s office, she would have found an excuse not to come.

As far as she was concerned what he was asking her to do was totally unacceptable. First, she had just come off one assignment, where a successful vineyard had been caught producing more than vintage wine, and second, he wanted her to go back out west and literally spy on the one man who hated her guts—Ian Westmoreland.

Malcolm Price rubbed a frustrated hand down his face before saying, “Sit down, Brooke, and let me explain why I decided to give the assignment to you.”

Brooke gave an unladylike snort. As far as she was concerned there was nothing he could explain. Malcolm was more than just her boss. He was a good friend and had been since their early days with the Bureau when he’d been a fellow agent. Because they had been good friends, he was one of the few people who knew of her past relationship with Ian as well as the reason they had parted ways.

“How can you of all people ask me to do that to Ian, Malcolm?” she said, pacing the room as she spoke, refusing to do as he’d asked and sit down.

“Because if you don’t, Walter Thurgood will be assigned to do it.”

She stopped moving. “Thurgood?”

“Yes, and once he is, it will be out of my hands.”

Brooke sat down in the chair Malcolm had offered her earlier. Walter Thurgood, a hotshot upstart, had been with the Bureau for a couple of years. The man had big goals, and one was to be the top man at the FBI. After several assignments he’d earned the reputation of being one of those agents who got the job done, although there were times when how he’d gone about it had been questionable.

“And even if Ian Westmoreland is clean, by the time Thurgood finishes with him, he’ll make him seem like the dirtiest man on this planet if it makes Thurgood look good,” Malcolm said with disgust in his voice.

Brooke knew Malcolm was right. And she also knew what Malcolm wasn’t saying—that when you were the son of someone already at the top, the people around you were less likely to spank your hand when you behaved improperly.

“But if you think Ian is running a clean operation and you don’t suspect him of anything, why the investigation?” she asked.

“Only because the prior owner of the casino, Bruce Aiken, was found guilty of running an illegal betting operation there, and we don’t want any of his old friends to come out from whatever rock they hid under during Aiken’s trial and start things up again without Westmorland’s knowledge. So in a way you’ll be doing him a big favor.”

Brooke’s gaze dropped from Malcolm’s to study her hands, clenched in her lap. Ian would not see things that way, and both of them knew it. It would only widen the gap of mistrust between them. But still, she knew there was no way she could allow Thurgood to go in and handle things. It would be downright disastrous for Ian.

She lifted her head and met Malcolm’s gaze once again. “And this is not an official investigation?”

“No. You’ll be there for a much-needed vacation, while keeping your eyes and ears open.”

She leaned forward as anger flared in her eyes. “Ian is one of the most honest men I know.”

“In that case you don’t have anything to worry about.”

She stared at Malcolm thoughtfully for a moment and then said. “Okay.”

Malcolm lifted a dark brow. “That means you’re going to do it?”

She narrowed her eyes. She was caught between a rock and a hard place and they both knew it. “You knew I would.”

He nodded and she saw another certainty in the depths of his dark blue eyes. The knowledge that four years after their breakup she was still in love with Ian Westmoreland.

One

Ian Westmoreland sat at his desk, knee-deep in paperwork, when for no apparent reason he felt a quick tightening in his gut. He was a man who by thirty-three had learned to trust his intuition as well as his deductive reasoning. He lifted his head to glance at the wood-paneled wall in front of him.

He reached out, pressed a button and watched as the paneling slid back to reveal a huge glass wall. The people on the other side who were busy wandering through the casino, taking their chances at the slot machines, gambling tables and arcades, had no idea they were being watched. In certain areas of the casino they were being listened to, as well. More than once the security monitors had picked up conversations best left unheard. But when you operated a casino as large as the Rolling Cascade, the monitors and one-sided mirror were in place for security reasons. Not everyone who came to a casino was there to play. There were those who came to prey on the weaknesses of others, and those were the ones his casino could do without. His huge surveillance room on the third floor, manned by top-notch security experts viewing over a hundred monitors twenty-four hours a day, made sure of it.

Since the grand opening, a lot of people had made reservations merely to check out the newly remodeled casino and resort and to verify the rumors that what had once been a dying casino had been brought back to life in unprecedented style. People Magazine had announced in a special edition that the Rolling Cascade had brought an ambience of Las Vegas to Lake Tahoe and had done it with class, integrity and decorum.

Ian stood and moved around to sit on the corner of his desk, his eyes sharp and assessing as he scanned the crowd. There had to have been a reason he was feeling uptight. The grand opening had been a success and he was glad he’d made the move from riverboat captain to casino owner with ease.

A few minutes later he was about to give up, consider his intuition as having an off day and get back to work, when he saw her.

Brooke Chamberlain.

He stood as his entire body got tense. What the hell was she doing here? Deciding he wasn’t going to waste time trying to figure that out, he reached back to the phone on his desk. His call was quickly answered by the casino’s security manager.

“Yes, Ian?”

“There’s a woman standing at the east-west blackjack table wearing a powder-blue pantsuit. Please escort her to my office immediately.”

There was a pause when his security manager asked a question. And in a tight voice Ian responded, “Yes, I know her name. It’s Brooke Chamberlain.”

After hanging up the phone, his full attention went back to the woman he’d once come pretty damn close to asking to be his wife…before her betrayal. The last time he’d seen her had been three years ago in Atlanta at his cousin Dare’s wedding. Since she’d once worked for Sheriff Dare Westmoreland as one of his deputies, she’d been invited, and Ian had deliberately ignored her.

But not this time. She was on his turf and he intended to let her know it.

Ian was watching her.

Brooke wasn’t sure from where but the federal agent in her knew how. Video monitors. The place was full of them, positioned so discreetly she doubted the crowd of people who were eager to play the odds knew they were on camera.

“Excuse me, Ms. Chamberlain?”

Brooke turned to stare into the face of a tall, husky-looking man in his late forties with blond hair and dark blue eyes. “Yes?”

“I’m Vance Parker, head of security for the casino. The owner of this establishment, Ian Westmoreland, would like a few words with you in his office.”

Brooke’s lips curved into a smile. She seriously doubted that Ian had just a “few words” to say to her. “All right, Mr. Parker, lead the way.”

And as Vance Parker escorted her to the nearest elevator she prayed that she would be able to survive the next two weeks.

With his gaze glued to the glass, Ian had watched the exchange; had known the exact moment Vance had mentioned his name. Upon hearing it, Brooke’s reaction hadn’t been one of surprise, which shot to hell the possibility that she hadn’t known he owned the place. She had knowingly entered the lion’s den, and he was determined to find out why.

He stood and moved around his desk, suddenly feeling that knot in his gut tighten even more. And when he heard the ding, a signal that someone was on their way up in his private elevator, the feeling got worse. Although he didn’t want to admit it, he was about to come face-to-face with the one woman he’d never been able to get out of his system. Whether deliberately or otherwise, during the two years they were together, Brooke had raised the bar on his expectations about women. Deputy by day and total woman at night, she had made any female that had followed in her wake seem tremendously lacking. He’d had to finally face the fact that whether he liked it or not, Brooke Chamberlain had been the ultimate woman. The one female who had robbed his appetite for other women. The one woman who’d been able to tame his wild heart.

Not only tame it, but capture it.

The memory brought a bitter smile his lips. But today he was older and wiser, and the heart she once controlled had since turned to stone. Still, that didn’t stop his breath from catching in his throat when he turned at the sound of the elevator door opening.

Their gazes connected, and he acknowledged that the chemistry they’d always shared was still there. Hot. Intense. Soul stirring. He felt it, clear across the room, and when he felt the floor shake, he placed his hand on his desk to keep his balance.

This was the closest they’d been to each other since that morning when he’d found out the truth and had walked out of her apartment after their heated argument. At Dare and Shelly’s wedding, Ian had kept his distance, refusing to come within ten feet of her, but those gut-wrenching vibes had been strong then, nonetheless.

Over the years it had been hard to let go of the memory of the day they’d met in Dare’s office, when she’d been twenty-two. Even in her deputy uniform she had taken his breath away, just as she was doing now at twenty-eight.

Despite their separation and the circumstances that had driven him to end what he’d thought was the perfect love affair, he had to admit that in his opinion she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever set eyes on. She had skin the color of sweet almond; expressive eyes that turned various shades of brown depending on her mood; lips that could curve in a way to make every cell in his body vibrate; and the mass of dreds that came to her shoulders, which he loved holding on to each and every time he entered her body.

His hand balled into a fist at his side. The thought that Brooke could make him dredge up unwanted memories spiked his anger, and he forced his gaze away from her to Vance. “Thanks, Mr. Parker. That will be all.”

Ian watched his good friend lift a curious brow and shrug big wide shoulders before turning to get back on the elevator. As soon as the elevator door closed, Ian’s attention returned to Brooke. She had moved across the room and was standing with her back to him, staring at a framed photo of him and Tiger Woods and another of him and Dennis Rodman.

She surprised him when she broke the silence by saying, “I heard Tiger and Dennis have homes in this area.”

Ian arched a brow. So she wanted to make small talk, did she? He shouldn’t have been surprised. Brooke had a tendency to start babbling whenever she was placed in what she considered a nervous situation. He’d actually found it endearing the night of their first date. But now it was annoying as hell.

He didn’t want her to make small talk. He didn’t want her there, period, which brought him back to the reason she was here in his office. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

“I didn’t have Vance bring you up here to discuss the residences of Woods and Rodman. I want to know what the hell you’re doing here, Brooke.”

The moment of reckoning had finally arrived. Brooke had grabbed the chance to take her eyes off Ian when he’d all but ordered Vance Parker to leave them alone. Although she had prepared for this moment from the day she’d left Malcolm’s office, she still wasn’t totally ready for the encounter. Yet there was nothing she could do but turn around and hope that one day, if he ever found out the truth, he would forgive the lie she was about to tell.

On a sigh, she slowly turned, and the moment she did so their eyes locked with more intensity than they had earlier when Vance had been present. Her internal temperature suddenly shot sky high, and every cell in her body felt fried from the sweltering heat that suddenly consumed her.

Words momentarily failed her since Ian had literally taken her breath away. He had always been a good-looking man, and today, three years since she’d seen him last, he was doubly so; especially with the neatly trimmed beard he was sporting. He’d always had that drop-dead-gorgeous and let-me-bed-you-before-I-die look. He’d been a man who’d always been able to grab the attention of women. And now this older Ian was a man who exuded raw, masculine sexuality.

When she had returned to Atlanta to take the job as one of Dare Westmoreland’s deputies, she had heard about the two Westmoreland cousins who were the same age and ran together in what women had called a wolf pack. Ian and his cousin Storm had reputations around Atlanta of being ultimate players, the epitome of legendary lovers. Storm had been dubbed the Perfect Storm and Ian, the Perfect End.

It was rumored that any woman who went out with Ian got the perfect ending to their evening, after sharing a bed with him. But all that had changed when he’d begun showing interest in her. He’d called her a hard nut to crack; she’d been one of the few women to rebuff his charm.

Instead of willingly falling under his spell like other women, she’d placed it on him to earn his way into her bed. The result had been two years of being the exclusive recipient of his special brand of sexual expertise.

The rumors hadn’t been wrong, but neither had they been completely right. She had discovered that not only was Ian the Perfect End but he was the Perfect Beginning as well. No one could wake a woman up each morning the way he could. The memories of their lovemaking sessions could still curl her toes and wet her panties. He had been her first lover and, she thought further, her only lover.

“Are you going to stand there and say nothing or are you going to answer my question, Brooke?”

Ian’s question reclaimed Brooke’s attention and reminded her why she was there. And with the angry tone of his voice all the memories they’d ever shared were suddenly crushed. Placing her hands on her hips she answered with the same curt tone he’d used on her. “I’ll gladly answer your question, Ian.”

Ian folded his arms across his chest. How could he have forgotten how quick fire could leap into her eyes whenever she got angry, or how her full and inviting lips could form one perturbed pout? Over the years he had missed that all-in-your-face, hot-tempered attitude that would flare up whenever she got really mad about something.

The women he’d dated after her had been too meek and mild for his taste. They’d lacked spunk, and if he’d said jump, they would have asked how high. But not the woman standing in front of him. She could dish it out like nobody’s business and he had admired her for it. That was probably one of the reasons he had fallen so hard for her.

“The reason I’m here is like everyone else. I needed time away from my job and decided to check in here for two weeks,” she said, intruding into his thoughts.

Ian sighed. As far as he was concerned her reason sounded too pat. “Why here? There are other places you could have gone.”

“Yes, and at the time I booked the two weeks I didn’t know you were the owner. I thought you were still a riverboat captain.”

For a few seconds he said nothing. “Hurricane Katrina brought a temporary end to that. But I’d decided to purchase this place months before then. It was just a matter of time before I came off the river to settle on land.”

He studied her for a moment, then asked, “And when did you find out this place was mine?”

Brooke gave a small shrug. “A few days ago, but I figured what the hell, my money spends just as well as anyone else’s, and I can’t go through life worrying about bumping into you at the next corner.”

She released a disgusted sigh and raked her hands through her dreads, making them tumble around her shoulders. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Ian, we have a past, and we should chalk it up as a happy or unhappy time in our lives, depending on how you chose to remember it, and move on. I heard this was a nice place and decided it was just what I needed. And to be quite honest with you I really don’t appreciate being summoned up here like I’m some kind of criminal. If you’re still stuck on the past and don’t think we can share the same air for two weeks let me know and I can take my money elsewhere.”

Anger made Ian’s jaw twitch. She was right, of course—he should be able to let go and move on; however, what really griped his insides more than anything was not the fact that they had broken up but why they had. They’d been exclusive lovers. She was the one woman he had considered marrying. But in the end she had been the woman that had broken his heart.

Even when she had moved away to D.C. to take that job with the Bureau, and he had moved to Memphis to operate the Delta Princess, they’d been able to maintain a long-distance romance without any problems and had decided within another year to marry.

But the one time she should have trusted him enough to confide in him about something, she hadn’t. Instead she had destroyed any trust between them by not letting him know that a case she’d been assigned to investigate had involved one of his business partners. By the time he’d found out the truth, a man had lost his life and a family had been destroyed.

As far as her being here at the Rolling Cascade, he much preferred that she leave. Seeing her again and feeling his reaction to her proved one thing: even after four years she was not quite out of his system and it was time to get her out. Perhaps the first step would be proving they could breathe the same air.

“Fine, stay if you want, it’s your decision,” he finally said.

Brooke lifted her chin. Yes, it would be her decision. There was no doubt in her mind if it was left up to him, he would toss her out on her butt, possibly right smack into Lake Tahoe. “Then I’m staying. Now if you’ll excuse me I want to begin enjoying my vacation.”

She went to the elevator and without glancing back at him pushed a button, and when the doors opened she stepped inside. When she turned, their gazes met again, and it was during that brief moment of eye contact before the doors swooshed closed that he thought he saw something flicker in the depths of her dark eyes. Cockiness? Regret? Lust?

Ian drew his brows together sharply. How could he move on and put things behind him when the anger he felt whenever he thought of what she’d done was still as intense as it had always been?

Moving around his desk he pushed a button. Within seconds Vance’s deep voice came on the line. “Yes, Ian?”

“Ms. Chamberlain is on her way back down.”

“All right. Do you want me to keep an eye on her while she’s here?”

“No,” Ian said quickly. For some reason the thought of someone else—especially another man—keeping an eye on Brooke didn’t sit well with him. Deciding he owed his friend some sort of explanation he said, “Brooke and I have a history we need to bury.”

“Figured as much.”

“And another thing, Vance. She’s a federal agent for the FBI.”

Ian heard his friend mutter a curse word under his breath before asking, “She’s here for business or pleasure?”

“She claims it’s pleasure, but I’m going to keep an eye on her to be sure. For all I know, some case or another might have brought her to these parts, and depending on what, it could mean bad publicity for the Cascade.”

“Wouldn’t she tell you if she were here on business?”

Ian’s chuckle was hard and cold. “No, she wouldn’t tell me a damn thing. Loyalty isn’t one of Brooke Chamberlain’s strong points.”

Knowing video monitors were probably watching her every move, Brooke kept her cool as she strolled through the casino to catch the elevator that connected to the suite of villas located in the resort section. All around her crowds were still flowing in, heading toward the bar, the lounge or the area lined with slot machines.

It was only moments later, after opening the door to her villa and going inside, that she gave way to her tears. The look in Ian’s dark eyes was quite readable, and knowing he hated her guts was almost too much to bear. If he ever found out the real reason she was there…

She inhaled deeply and wiped her cheeks, knowing she had to check in with Malcolm. Taking the cell phone from her purse, she pressed a couple of buttons. He picked up on the second ring.

“I’m at the Rolling Cascade, Malcolm.”

He evidently heard the strain in her voice and said, “I take it that you’ve seen Ian Westmoreland.”

“Yes.”

After a brief pause he said, “You know this isn’t an official investigation, Brooke. Your job is to enjoy your vacation, but if you happen to see anything of interest to let us know.”

“That’s still spying.”

“Yes, but it’s beneficial to Westmoreland. You’re there to help him, not hurt him.”

“He won’t see it that way.” Her reply was faint as more tears filled her eyes. “Look, Malcolm, I’ll get back to you if there’s anything. Otherwise, I’ll see you in two weeks.”

“Okay, and take care of yourself.”

Brooke clicked off the phone and returned it to her purse. She walked through the living room and glanced around, trying to think about anything other than Ian. The resort was connected to the casino by way of elevators, and the way the villas had been built took advantage of paths for bicyclers and joggers, who thronged the wide wooden boardwalk that ran along the lake’s edge. Since this was mid-April and the harsh winter was slowly being left behind, she could imagine many people would be taking advantage of those activities. The view of the mountains was fabulous, and considering all the on-site amenities, this was a very beautiful place.

After taking a tour of her quarters, she felt a combined mixture of pleasure and excitement rush through her veins. Her villa was simply beautiful, and she was certain she had found a small slice of paradise. This was definitely a place to get your groove on.

The view of Lake Tahoe through both her living room and bedroom windows was breathtaking, perfect to capture the striking colors of the sunset. Brooke was convinced the way her villa was situated among several nature trails was the loveliest spot she had ever found. This was a place where someone could come and leave their troubles behind. But for her it was a place that could actually intensify those troubles.

Pushing that thought from her mind, she once again entered her bathroom, still overwhelmed. It was just as large as the living room and resembled a private, tropical spa. This was definitely a romantic retreat, she thought, crossing the room to the Jacuzzi tub, large enough to accommodate four people comfortably. Then there was the trademark that she’d heard was in every bathroom in the villa—a waterfall that cascaded down into a beautiful fountain.

She breathed in deeply, proud of Ian and his accomplishments, and recalled the many nights they would snuggle in bed while he shared his dream of owning such a place with her. When the opportunity came for him to purchase the Delta Princess, a riverboat that departed from Memphis on a ten-day excursion along the Mississippi with stops in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Vicksburg and Natchez, she had been there on his arm at the celebration party his brothers and cousins had thrown. And when his cousin Delaney had married a desert sheikh, she had been the one to attend the weddings with him in both the States and the Middle East.

She sighed, knowing she had to let go of the past the way she’d suggest that he do. But the two years they were together had been good times for her, the best she could have ever shared with anyone, and she had looked forward to the day they would join their lives together as one.

She frowned. Four years ago Ian had refused to hear anything she had to say; had even refused to acknowledge that if the FBI hadn’t discovered Boris Knowles’s connection to organized crime when they had, all of the man’s business dealings would have come under scrutiny, including his partnership with Ian.

Common sense dictated that she tread carefully where Ian was concerned. He was smart and observant. And he didn’t trust her one iota. There was no doubt in her mind that he would be watching her.

Brooke’s breathing quickened at the thought of his eyes on her for any amount of time, and moments later a smile curved the corners of her lips. Then she laughed, a low, sultry sound that vibrated through the room. Let him watch her, and while he was doing so maybe it was time to let him know exactly what he’d lost four years ago when he’d walked out of her life.

Ian glanced at the clock on his office wall and decided to give up his pretense of working, since he wasn’t concentrating on the reports, anyway. He had too many other things on his mind.

He resisted the urge, as he’d done several times within the past couple of hours, to push the button and see what was going on in the casino, in hopes he would get a glimpse of Brooke. His hand tightened around the paper he held in his hand. He thought he was downright pathetic. And just to think, she was booked for two weeks.

It took him a minute to notice his private line was blinking, and he quickly picked up his phone. “Yes?”

“Ian, how are you?”

He smiled as he recognized Tara’s voice. A pediatrician, she was married to his cousin, Thorn, a nationally known motorcycle builder and racer. “Tara, I’m doing fine. And what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

“Delaney’s surprise birthday party. Shelly and I are finalizing the guest list and we wanted to check with you about someone who’s on it.”

Ian leaned back in his chair. It was hard to believe that his cousin Delaney would be thirty. Her husband, Prince Jamal Ari Yasir, wanted to give his wife the celebration of a lifetime and he wanted it held at the Rolling Cascade. It seemed only yesterday when he, his brothers and cousins had taken turns keeping an eye on the woman they’d thought at the time was the only female in the Westmoreland family in their generation.

Delaney hadn’t made the job easy, and most of the time she’d deliberately been a pain in the ass, but now she was princess of a country called Tahran and mother of the future king. And to top things off, she and Jamal were expecting their second child.

“Who do you want to check with me about?”

“Brooke Chamberlain.”

Ian rubbed a hand down his face. Talk about coincidences. Hearing Brooke’s name brought a flash of anger. “What about Brooke?”

“I know Delaney would love to see her again, but we thought we’d better check with you. We don’t want to make you uncomfortable in any way. I know how things were at Dare and Shelly’s wedding.”

Ian leaned back in his chair. He doubted anyone knew how difficult things had been for him at that wedding. “Hey, don’t worry about it. I can handle it.”

There was a slight pause. “You sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” He decided not to bother mentioning that Brooke was presently in the casino and they were sharing the same air, as she’d put it. “I got over Brooke years ago. She means nothing to me now.”

Ian sighed deeply and hoped with all his heart that the words he’d just said were true.

Two

Sitting at a table in the back that afforded him a good view of everything that was going on, Ian saw Brooke the moment she walked into the Blue Lagoon Lounge. Under ordinary circumstances he would have given any other beautiful woman no more than a cursory glance. But unfortunately, not in this case. Brooke was, and always had been, a woman who warranted more than one glance, and her entrance into any room could elicit looks of envy in most women’s eyes and a frisson of desire down many men’s spines.

Taking a deep breath, he frowned in irritation when he saw the look of heated interest in several masculine gazes as she wove her way through the crowded room with confidence, sophistication and style. And what bothered him more than anything was the fact that the same heated interest in other men’s eyes was reflected in his, as well. And her outfit wasn’t helping matters. Talk about sexy….

She was wearing her hair up in a knot on her head but had allowed a few strands to fall downward to capitalize on the gracefulness of her neck and the dark lashes that fanned her eyes. And her luscious lips were painted a wicked, flaming-hot red.

But it was that sensuous black number draping her body that had practically every male in the room drooling. Emphasizing every curve as well as those long, beautiful legs, the short dress had splits on both sides, and Ian actually heard the tightening of several male throats when she slid onto a bar stool and exposed a generous amount of thigh. Before she could settle in the seat, he watched as several men stood, eager to hit on her.

Ian took a leisurely sip of his drink. Unless she had changed a lot over the past four years, the poor fools that were all but knocking over chairs to get to her were in for a rude awakening. Although she probably appreciated a hot stare as much as the next female, Brooke was not a woman to fawn over male attention. He had learned that particular lesson the hard way the day they’d met. From that day forward he had never underestimated her as a woman again.

And after being deeply involved with her, he also had a more intimate view of the woman who was the center of every male’s attention in the lounge tonight. Without a doubt he was probably the only man in the room who knew about the insecurities that had plagued her through most of her young life. Her father and two older brothers had been known as the Chamberlain Gang, robbing banks as they zigzagged across state lines before the FBI brought an end to their six-month crime spree.

As a teenager, Brooke and her mother had moved to Atlanta to start a new life and find peace from the taunts, ridicule and insensitivity of those less inclined to put the matter to rest. It was then, while in high school, that Brooke decided to bring honor and dignity back to the Chamberlain name by working on the right side of the law.

The activities in the room reclaimed Ian’s attention, and he chuckled as one man after another was treated to Brooke’s most dazzling smile, followed by her more than courteous refusal. He lifted his drink, and before taking another sip he muttered quietly, “Cheers.”

There must be a full moon in the sky, Brooke thought, idly sipping her drink. The wolves were definitely out on the prowl and had erroneously assumed she was an easy prey.

What woman didn’t enjoy knowing a man thought she was attractive? But there were some men who thought beauty went hand in hand with stupidity. One man had even offered her the chance to be his second wife, although he claimed he was still happily married to the first.

“I see you haven’t lost your touch.”

Brooke glanced over at the man who slid into the seat beside her. The smile in his eyes threw her for a second, but that was only after a flutter of awareness inched up her spine. “Thanks. I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said, sipping her drink when her throat suddenly felt dry.

She fought to keep her body from trembling and, in an attempt at control, studied her reflection in the glass she held instead of placing her full attention on Ian, the way she wanted to do.

“I really thought I wouldn’t see you anymore tonight,” he said, taking a sip of his own drink.

With that Brooke cocked a brow and turned to him, first taking in how he was dressed. He had changed out of the business suit he was wearing earlier and was wearing another, just as tailormade and just as appealing. And, like the other one, it represented his status as a successful businessman. Whether he wanted to or not, he stood out as the impeccably dressed owner of this casino and was doing so in style.

“Why?” she asked, her concentration moving back to his comment. “Why did you think you wouldn’t see me anymore tonight? Did you assume I’d hide out in my villa, Ian, after our meeting earlier? Like I told you, I can’t go through life worrying about running into you at every corner like I did something wrong.”

Ian’s eyes narrowed. “A man’s life was lost,” he said in a tight voice.

“Yes,” she said coolly. “But Boris Knowles should have considered the consequences. He didn’t get involved with a group of amateur criminals, Ian. He was involved in organized crime. Don’t try and make me feel guilty for the choices he made.”

“But had I known, I—”

“Had you known, there wouldn’t have been anything you could have done. He was in too deep. Why is it so hard for you to believe that? Telling you would not have changed a thing, other than involve you in a situation you didn’t need to be in.”

Brooke didn’t know what else she could say to get through that thick skull of his. He refused to believe he wouldn’t have made a difference, and that not knowing about Boris had been a blessing.

She heard his muttered curse and knew it was a mistake to have come to the lounge, a place where she figured he would be. “Look, Ian, evidently you and I will always have a difference of opinion about what happened and why I kept things from you. And I’m tired of you thinking I’m the bad guy.”

She stood and threw a couple of bills on the counter. “See you around. But then, maybe it would be better if I didn’t.”

Ian muttered another curse as he watched Brooke disappear through the door, leaving her sensuous scent trailing behind. He felt that familiar stab of pain he encountered whenever he thought of her betrayal. But Brooke’s words reminded him of the same thing Dare, a former FBI agent himself, had told him. Organized crime wasn’t anything to play with, and regardless of the outcome, Boris had made his choices.

Dare had also tried to make Ian understand that when Brooke had taken the job as a federal agent, she had also made an oath to uphold the law and to maintain a rigid vow of confidentiality. Had she told him about the case, and security had been breached, it would have risked not only Brooke’s life but the lives of other federal agents.

Ian had understood all of that, but still, he believed that when two people were committed to each other, there weren’t supposed to be any secrets between them. So in his mind she had made a choice between her job and him. That, in a nutshell, was what grated him the most. Yet at some point he had to let go and move on or the bitterness would do him in. He couldn’t continue to make her feel like a “bad” guy, especially when he of all people knew how much becoming an agent had meant to her. Twice her application had been turned down when background checks had revealed her family history—namely her father and brothers. It had taken Dare, who’d still maintained close contacts within the Bureau, to write a sterling letter of recommendation to get her in.

Ian pulled in a deep breath. It was time for him and Brooke to finally make peace. He knew that because of all that had happened between them, the love they once shared could never be recovered, but it was time he put his animosity to rest and make an attempt at being friends.

Brooke angrily stripped out of her dress. Ian Westmoreland was as stubborn as any mule could get. He refused to consider that she had been doing her job four years ago and if she had told him anything about the case, her own life could have been in jeopardy. No, all he thought about was what had happened to a man who’d been living a lie to his family, friends and business associates.

Fine, if that was the position Ian wanted to take, even after four years, let him. She refused to allow him to get on her nerves, and somehow and in some way she would wipe away the memories she found almost impossible to part with. More than anything she had to somehow eradicate him from her heart. But in the meantime she planned to enjoy herself for the next two weeks and wouldn’t let him stand in the way of her doing just that.

She slipped into the two-piece bathing suit, thinking a late-night swim might make her feel better. Swimming had always relaxed her, and she was seriously considering adding a pool to her home in D.C. The question was whether or not she would have the time to enjoy it. In a few months she would have made her five-year mark with the Bureau and it was time to decide if she wanted to remain out in the field or start performing administrative duties. Her good friend and mentor, Dare Westmoreland, had cautioned her regarding Bureau burnout, which was what had happened to him after seven years as an agent.

Brooke had just grabbed her wrap when she heard the knock at her door. Evidently room service had made a mistake and was at the wrong villa. Making her way across the room, she leaned against the door and glanced through the peephole, and suddenly felt a sensation deep in the pit of her stomach. Her late-night caller was Ian.

She tensed and shook her head. If he thought he would get in the last word he had another thought coming. After removing the security lock she angrily snatched open the door. “Look, Ian, I—”

Before she could finish, he placed a single white rose in her hand. “I come in peace, Brooke. And you’re right. It’s time to put the past behind us and move on.”

Ian’s heart slammed against his chest. He had been prepared for a lot of things, but he hadn’t been prepared for Brooke to open the door in a two-piece bathing suit with a crocheted shawl wrapped around her waist that didn’t hide much of anything.

There were her full, firm breasts that almost poured out of her bikini top and a tiny waist that flared to shapely hips attached to the most gorgeous pair of legs any woman could possess. And her feet—how could he possibly forget her sexy feet? They were bare, with brightly painted toenails, encased in a pair of cute flat leather sandals.

Her unique scent was feminine and provocative and the same one he had followed out of the lounge. It was the same scent that was filling her doorway, saturating the air surrounding him, getting into his skin. She was and had always been a woman of whom fantasies were made. And seeing her standing there was overwhelming his sense of self-control.

He sighed deeply, inwardly wishing he could focus on something other than her body and her scent. He wanted to concentrate on something like the rose he had given her, but instead his gaze lowered to her navel, which used to be one of his favorite spots on her body. He could recall all the attention he used to give it before moving lower to…

“Ian?”

He snatched his attention back to her face and cleared his throat. Damn, he had come to make peace, not make love. They would never share that type of relationship again. “Yes?”

“Thanks for the rose, and I’m glad we can move forward in our lives, and I hope that one day we can be friends again,” she said.

Brooke was watching his eyes, probably noting the caution within their dark depths when he said, “I hope so, too.”

She nodded. “Good.”

He leaned in the doorway. “You’re going out?”

“Yes, I thought I’d go for a swim at one of the pools. The one with the huge waterfall looks inviting.”

Ian nodded. It was. He had passed the area on his way here, and another thing he noted was that it was crowded with more men than women. He then remembered that the Rolling Cascade was hosting a convention of the International Association of Electricians. There were over eight hundred attendees, eighty percent of them men who probably thought they were capable of finding a woman’s hot spot and wiring her up in a minute flat. He drew his dark brows together sharply. Not with this woman.

“That pool is nice, but I know of one that’s a hundred times better,” he said, when an idea suddenly popped into his head.

“Really, where?”

“My penthouse.”

She met his eyes then, and he could imagine what thoughts were going through her mind. Hell, he was wondering about it himself. He had no right to feel possessive, as if she was still his. But just because she wasn’t didn’t mean he shouldn’t have a protective instinct where she was concerned, did it?

Feeling better about the reason he was inviting her to his suite, he reached out and took her hand in his. “Look, it was just an invitation for you to use my private pool. Besides, I’d like to catch up on how things have been going for you. But if you prefer we don’t go any further than the rose, that’s fine.”

Brooke took a second to absorb Ian’s words. He wanted them to become friends again and nothing more. He had given her a peace offering and now he wanted them to catch up on what had been going on in their lives. She doubted that he knew she asked about him often, whenever she and Dare spoke on the phone. She knew Ian was back at the top of his game, had reinstated his role of the Perfect End and now claimed he would never, ever settle down and marry. With his cousin Storm happily married, Ian much preferred being the remaining lone wolf of the Westmoreland clan.

“I’d love to go swimming in your private pool and visit,” she said, and hoped and prayed she could get through an evening alone with him in his private quarters.

The smile that touched his lips sent heat spreading through her. “Good. Are you ready to leave now?”

“Yes. I just need to grab a towel.”

“Don’t bother. I have plenty.”

“Okay, let me get my door key.”

Moments later she stepped out and closed the door behind her. As they walked together, side by side, toward a bank of elevators, she was fully aware that Ian was looking at her, but she refused to look back. If for one instant she saw heated desire in his eyes, she would probably do something really stupid like give in to the urgency of the sexual chemistry that always surrounded them and ask him to kiss her. But knowing what ironclad control Ian could have, he would probably turn her down.

“Welcome to my lair, Brooke Chamberlain.”

Ian stepped aside to let her enter, and Brooke’s breath caught the moment she stepped into the room. His personal living quarters was a floor above his office, and both were connected by a private elevator, an arrangement he found convenient.

The moment Brooke crossed over the threshold it was if she had walked into paradise. She had figured that, as the owner of the Rolling Cascade, Ian would have a nice place, but she hadn’t counted on anything this magnificent, this breathtaking.

His appreciation of nature was reflected in the numerous plants strategically arranged in the penthouse, which encompassed two floors connected by a spiral staircase.

The first things she noticed were the large windows and high ceilings, as well as the penthouse’s eclectic color scheme—a vibrant mix of red, yellow, orange, green and blue. She was surprised at how well the colors worked together. For symmetry, the two fireplaces in the room were painted white, and then topped with drapery of a hand-painted design.

It appeared the furniture had been designed with comfort in mind, and several tropical-looking plants and trees gave sections of the room a garden effect.

“Come on, let me show you around,” he said, taking her hand in his.

The warmth of the strong hand encompassing hers sent a sea of sensation rippling through her. She tried not to think about what expert hands they were and how he used to take his thumb and trail it over her flesh, starting at her breasts and working his way downward, sometimes alternating his thumb with his tongue.

His silky touch could make her purr, squirm, and elicited all kind of sounds from her. And when he would work his way to her navel—heaven help her—total awareness for him would consume her entire body, making her breathe out his name in an uncontrolled response to his intimate ministrations.

“You okay?”

His words snatched her back from memory lane, and she glanced up at him. “Yes, why do you ask?”

“No reason,” he murmured, and the tone sent a shiver all through her.

Brooke raised a brow. Had she given something away? Had she made a sound? One he recognized? One he remembered?

They walked together while he gave her a tour. French doors provided a gracious entry from room to room, and the kitchen, with its state-of-the-art cabinets and generously sized island, showed a comfortable use of space. The skill of an interior designer touched every inch of Ian’s home, and Brooke thought this was definitely the largest penthouse she’d ever seen. It encompassed more square footage than her house back in D.C.

Ian told her that Prince Jamal Ari Yasir was his primary investor and that Ian’s brothers, Spencer and Jared, and his cousin Thorn had also invested in the Rolling Cascade. The one thing Brooke had always admired about the Westmoreland family was their closeness and the way they supported each other.

When he showed her his bedroom a spurt of envy ran through Brooke at the thought of the other women who’d shared the king-size bed with him. But then she quickly reminded herself that Ian’s love life was no business of hers.

“So, what do you think?” he asked casually.

His question momentarily froze her, and she shifted her eyes from the bed and met his gaze. “I’m really proud of you, Ian, of all your accomplishments. And you are blessed to belong to a family that fully supports what you do. They are really super.”

Ian smiled. “Yes, they are.”

“And how are your parents?”

“They’re doing fine. You do know that Storm got married?” he asked, leading her out of the bedroom, down the spiral stairs, to an area that led toward an enclosed pool.

She smiled up at him. “Yes. I can’t imagine marriage for the Perfect Storm.”

The corners of Ian lips curled in a smile. “Now he’s the Perfect Dad. His wife Jayla and their twin daughters are the best things that ever happened to him. He loves them very much.”

When there was a lull in the conversation, Brooke said, “And I heard about your uncle Corey’s triplets.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, can you believe it? He found out an old girlfriend had given birth to triplets around the same time he was united with a woman who’d always been his true love. He’s married now and is a very happy man on his mountain.”

Brooke nodded. She had visited Corey’s Mountain in Montana with Ian and knew how beautiful it was. “I also heard that Chase got married and so did Durango.”

He nodded, grinning. “Yes, both were shockers. Chase and Durango married two sisters, Jessica and Savannah Claiborne. Durango and Savannah eloped and held their wedding here.”

He then looked over at her. “I see Dare’s been pretty much keeping you informed.”

She shrugged. She detected a smile in his voice, although she didn’t see one in his face. “Yes. Do you resent knowing Dare and I keep in touch?”

“No, not at all,” he said, his tone making it seem as if such a notion was ridiculous. “Dare knew you for a lot longer than I did. You used to be his deputy and the two of you were close. I didn’t expect you to end your relationship with him just because things didn’t work out between us, Brooke. The Westmorelands don’t operate that way.”

Moments later he added, “And I also know that you’ve kept in touch with other family members.” He shook his head, grinning. “Or should I say they kept up with you. Delaney let me know in no uncertain terms that our breakup had no bearing on your friendship.”

“Did she?” Brooke asked, attempting to conjure an air of nonchalance she was far from feeling. She and Delaney had remained friends, and a few years ago when Delaney had accompanied her husband to an important international summit in Washington, the two of them had spent the day shopping, going to a movie and sharing dinner.

“Here we are.”

They stopped walking, and Brooke’s breath caught. Now this was paradise. Ian’s enclosed pool was huge, including a cascading waterfall and several tropical plants, and connecting to his own personal fitness center and games room.

“You like it?”

“Oh, Ian, it’s wonderful, and you’re right—it’s better than the one by the villas.”

He reached behind her and handed her a couple of towels off a stack. “Here you are, and I meant to ask earlier, how’s your mom?”

Brooke smiled. “Mom’s doing fine. Marriage agrees with her. While Dad was living—even though he was incarcerated—she refused to get involved with anyone. She was intent on honoring her wedding vows to him although she’d always deserved better. She refused to divorce him.”

Ian nodded. “I heard about your father. I’m sorry.”

Brooke shrugged. “He was a couple of years from being up for parole and what does he do?” she asked angrily. “He causes a prison riot that not only cost him his own life but the lives of four other inmates, as well.”

“And how are your brothers?”

“Bud and Sam are okay. Mom stays in contact with them more than their biological mother,” she said of her father’s first wife. When her mother had married Nelson Chamberlain, her brothers were already in their teens.

“I write them all the time and have taken Mom to see them on occasion. I think they’ve finally learned their lessons and will be ready for parole when the time comes,” she said.

Brooke appreciated Ian asking about her family. She had loved her dad and her brothers even though they had chosen lives of crime. And she simply adored her mother for having had the strength to leave her husband to provide her daughter with a better environment.

She was about to remove her wrap when she nervously glanced over at Ian. “Will you be taking a swim, too?”

He smiled, shaking his head. “No, not tonight. The pool will be all yours. There are a couple of calls I need to make, so I’m going to leave you alone for a while. Do you mind?”

“No, and I appreciate you letting me use your pool.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“And I enjoyed our chat, Ian.”

“So did I.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll be back in around an hour to walk you to your villa.”

“All right.”

After Ian left, Brooke licked her suddenly dry lips, remembering how quickly he had exited the room. Was she imagining things? Had the thought of her undressing in front of him—doing something of as little significance as removing the wrap of her bathing suit—sent Ian running? Um. Maybe that ironclad control he used to have wasn’t as strong as she’d thought.

The possibility that the attraction they’d once shared was just as deep as before sent a warm feeling flowing through her. And suddenly feeling giddy, she removed her wrap, walked over to the deep end of the pool and dived in.

Ian’s hand trembled as he poured wine into his glass. Talk about needing a drink. It had taken everything within him not to pull Brooke into his arms at several points during their conversation. And even worse, he had picked up on that vibe, the same one she always emitted whenever she wanted him to make love to her.

It had been awkward to stand beside her and know what her body wanted and not oblige her the way he would have done in the past. Angrily he slammed down the glass on his coffee table. This is not the past, this is the present and don’t even think about going back there, Westmoreland. The only thing you and Brooke can ever be is friends, and even that is really pushing it.

He muttered a curse, and at the same time the phone rang. It was his private line. “Yes?”

“Hey, you’re okay?”

Hearing his cousin Storm’s voice, Ian shook his head and smiled. It had always been the weirdest thing. His brother Quade was his fraternal twin like Chase was Storm’s. But when it came to that special bond he’d heard that twins shared, it had always been he and Storm and Quade and Chase.

Quade worked for the Secret Service, and half the time none of the family knew what he doing or where he was. But they could depend on Chase to know if Quade was ever in trouble with that special link they shared. Likewise, Ian knew that only Storm could detect when something was bothering him, even thousands of miles away.

“And what makes you think something is wrong?” Ian asked, sitting down on a leather sofa. This spot gave him a view of Brooke whenever she swam in the shallow end of his pool.

Storm chuckled. “Hey, I feel you, man. The one night I should be getting a good night’s sleep, now that the girls are sleeping through the night, I’m worried about you.”

Ian lifted a brow. “Worried about me?”

“Yes. What’s going on, Ian? What has you so uptight that I can sense it?”

Ian’s attention was momentarily pulled away from his phone conversation when Brooke swam to the shallow end of the pool. He shifted slightly on the sofa to get a better view and knew from where he sat that he could see her but she couldn’t see him.

He watched as she stood up, emerging from the water like a sex goddess as she tossed her wet hair back from her face. But it wasn’t her hair that was holding his attention. Have mercy! She had a body that made men drool, curves in all the right places—and he was familiar with those curves, every delectable inch. And that bikini, wet and clinging to her, looked good on her. Too good. He could only imagine the reaction she would have gotten from other men. But just the thought that he had once touched her all over, licked her all over, made love to that body in more ways than he could count, sent blood surging through his veins. “Damn.”

“Hey, man. Talk to me. What’s going on?”

Storm’s words reminded Ian he was still holding the phone in his hand, and it was taking every ounce of strength he had to continue to do so. He suddenly felt weak, physically drained.

“Brooke,” he finally said, whispering her name softly, drawing out the sound deep from within his throat on a husky sigh. “She’s here.”

“What do you mean she’s there?”

Ian rolled his eyes upward. “Just what I said, Storm. She checked into the Rolling Cascade for two weeks for some R and R. But at this moment she happens to be in my penthouse, using my pool. We’re trying to put the past behind us.”

“Brilliant. That’s just brilliant, Ian,” Storm chuckled. “Don’t tell me, let me guess. You and Brooke are trying to put the past behind you and become friends. Come on, Ian. Think about it. Do you actually believe you can be just friends with the only woman who’s ever had your heart?”

Ian frowned. “Yes, since the key word here is had. I stopped loving Brooke years ago.”

“So you say.”

“So I mean. Good night, Storm.”

Three

Ian stood and walked across the room to the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling window that gave a breathtaking view of Lake Tahoe.

When he had reopened the casino after extensive remodeling, he’d given it more than just a new name and a new face. He had given the place a new attitude. He had painstakingly combined the charm of the Nevada landscape with the grandeur of a world-class casino, then added an upscale nightlife whose unique ambiance appealed to a sophisticated clientele.

His penthouse had the best view of the lake. Strategically set on the west side of the casino and covering portions of both the eighth and ninth floors, his domain was away from the villas, the various shops and restaurants, the golf courses with cascading waterfalls and the tennis courts. He considered his personal quarters as his very own private hot spot, although between the hours he’d spent making sure things were perfect for the grand opening nine months ago, his time had been too consumed in business matters to pursue any intimate pleasures, and he had not yet invited a woman up to his lair, other than members of his family and now Brooke.

Brooke.

He cocked his head, and a smile touched his lips when he heard the sound of her splashing around in the pool. For some reason, he liked knowing she was there, and regardless of what Storm thought, he and Brooke held no emotional ties. The most they could ever be again was friends.

Brooke swam back and forth through the calming water as she did another lap around Ian’s pool. After several more laps she pulled herself up on the ledge thinking that she’d had a wonderful workout. She felt rejuvenated in one sense and exhausted in another. Beside the pool was a long padded bench that looked absolutely inviting, and she decided to rest a while.

She lay flat on her back and stared up at the ceiling. All she could think about was Ian’s dark eyes and the way they had looked at her moments before he’d left her alone. Swim or no swim, she’d been fantasizing about him ever since. She was trying to keep a part of herself distanced; especially knowing how quickly she could be consumed by desire for him. Though she hadn’t been completely honest with him about the real reason she was there, she couldn’t control her attraction to him. Basic urges were exactly what they were. Basic. And she knew firsthand how skilled Ian was in taking care of anything that ailed her.

She flipped onto her stomach and studied a nearby plant. Anything to get Ian off her mind. But it wasn’t working. As her eyes closed, her mind shifted back to a time when he had moved his mouth all over her breasts, sucking and lapping at her nipples while his fingers skimmed just beneath her panties….

Ian wasn’t sure how long he stood at the window looking out, idly sipping his wine while seeing various yachts, sailboats and schooners cruising the lake, resembling fireflies below as they went by. Tomorrow was another busy day. He had meetings with Nolen McIntosh, his casino manager, Vance on security matters and Danielle on PR. Then of course there was that discussion with his event planner regarding the final details for Delaney’s surprise birthday party.

It took Ian only a minute to notice something was different. There was no sound coming from the pool. He set his wineglass on a nearby table, moved away from the window and headed toward the room where he’d left Brooke almost an hour earlier.

The pool was empty, so he glanced around the room and then saw her. She lay flat on her stomach on the padded leather bench, asleep. The intensity of the emotions he felt at that moment hit him from every angle. When was the last time Brooke had slept at his place? It had been years. Their angry parting words—mostly from him—still burned fervently in his veins. She had tried to explain; tried presenting her side of things. But he hadn’t wanted to listen. He hadn’t wanted to ever see or talk to her again.

So what was happening here? Why was he talking to her, seeing her again? Why had he allowed her to invade his space, the only place free of his memories of her?

She moaned in her sleep, and hearing the sound he stepped closer, allowing his gaze to rake over her shapely body, feeling a rush of adrenaline. A deep swallow made its way down his throat as his gaze moved to the tie that held the top part of her bikini in place, the smooth curve of her back, the flare of her hips beneath the thin scrap of material that was supposed to be a bikini bottom. Her skin looked soft, inviting and warm to the touch. He wanted his hands all over her thighs, and he would do anything to cup her delicious bottom. And he didn’t want to think about how he wanted to use his mouth on her breasts.

He sighed deeply. Considering their history, it was only natural that he would feel this heated lust, this mind-searing desire. There was a time when, if he’d found her like this, he could have awakened her by making love to her, gently flipping her on her back and using his hands and his mouth to show her what real moans were all about. His stomach begin trembling at the memories, and hot liquid fire filled his body at the very thought. But he knew things were different. They no longer had that kind of relationship, and he doubted they ever would again. She was no longer his to touch at will.

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