“I told you, I don’t have the cash. So what do you want?”

That was a loaded question if Linc had ever heard one.

“I want you,” he said slowly and watched as Jade’s eyes grew bigger, “for one week.”

“What?” she finally whispered. “Are you out of your everlasting mind?”

“I’m offering you a way out. Spend the week with me, or I’ll call the police.” Even to his ears the ultimatum sounded offensive. Even so, he waited with baited breath for her answer. He should’ve stopped, kept a reasonable distance from her but he simply couldn’t. The tension crackled between them as he lowered his head until his lips were inches from her ear. “I want you for six nights in my bed and seven days at my beck and call.” His tongue scraped her earlobe….

Jade melted. Heaven help her she was still attracted to this monster. And now she owed him money. She was at his mercy.

A. C. ARTHUR

was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, where she currently resides with her husband and three children. An active imagination and a love for reading encouraged her to begin writing in high school and she hasn’t stopped since.

Determined to bring a new edge to romance, she continues to develop intriguing plots, racy characters and fresh dialogue—thus keeping the readers on their toes! Visit her Web site at www.acarthur.net.

Love Me Like No Other
A. C. Arthur

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Damon, for your patience and encouragement.

Dear Reader,

Love Me Like No Other introduces the first of the Donovan clan to be swept away by love. The Triple-Threat Donovans are three brothers known for three things only: their breathtaking good looks, the size of their bank accounts and their inability to commit to lasting relationships.

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas—at least that’s what Jade Vincent thinks until she’s face-to-face with her college sweetheart. Now, to save her sister, she’s forced to make a deal with the devil! Lincoln Donovan is tired of the life he thought he wanted, but he’s too stubborn to see what that change is, until she literally falls in his lap.

I am thrilled to share Linc and Jade’s story of rekindling lost love with you. Linc’s story needed to be told first, not because he’s the oldest Donovan brother, but because I so enjoyed watching him grow. He and Jade were meant for each other and I hope you’ll agree. When you get a chance, please visit my Web site for a closer look at the Donovan clan, www.acarthur.net. And don’t hesitate to share your comments about Linc and Jade via e-mail at acarthur22@yahoo.com.

A. C. Arthur

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Epilogue

Prologue

“You need a wife.”

Clenching his jaw, Lincoln tried his best to remember this was his mother he was speaking to. “I don’t need anybody or anything.”

“What good is all this success if you have nobody to share it with?” Beverly Donovan was unwavering when it came to the well-being of her children. She’d watched her oldest grow into a handsome man, an intelligent man, an entirely too serious and business-oriented man. And she didn’t like it one bit.

“I have my family, unless you’re planning on disowning me because I refuse to get married.” He gave her a half smile, the one he always gave her when he was trying to win her over. Normally it worked. Today, however…

“Don’t be fresh, Lincoln.”

…her tone cut that short.

Beverly stood, brushed imaginary lint from her pink Chanel-style suit and looked down at her son. “Your father and I are celebrating forty years together, son. Forty long, beautiful years of loving and supporting each other. These have been the best forty years of my life.” She moved to him then caressed his clean-shaven cheek. “I only want that same happiness for you.”

Beverly Donovan had a way with words. His parents were happy. Happier than most married folk he knew. It was only natural that she’d want the same for her children. He loved that she cared about his happiness and he loved that she’d never been too busy with her own life to see to his. He simply did not agree with her plans for his future. “I am happy, Mom.”

“That’s what you think.”

Chapter 1

“Craps!” the man dressed in too-tight black pants and a colorful vest with a bright red bowtie said. His expression remained dour, the way it had been for the last three hours since she’d been here.

Jade Vincent shifted. Her feet hurt. Whatever possessed her to wear slacks and pumps to a casino?

The man with the long black stick and the blank gray eyes leaned into the table, retrieving the dice—the ones that had just cost her another fifty dollars—and with a quick glance he handed them to her again.

Taking them out of his hand she looked down at the pile of chips that once represented all the free cash she had to spend—the entire three hundred and forty-two dollars.

What was she doing here?

The pale man waited for her to either roll the dice or walk away from the table.

Men, she thought with a heavy sigh. That was the simple answer to her latest dilemma. How a woman who graduated tops in her class from Harvard always managed to pick the worst men was an enigma to her. Her stomach twisted, her temples throbbing as chiming slot machines and hostesses with sing-song voices chanting “Coffee? Soda?” for the billionth time, echoed in her head. She didn’t want to be here, didn’t want to be in this desperate situation, but she’d never gotten what she wanted.

So with great reluctance and a silent prayer to the gods to shine favorably on her just this one time, she shook the dice in her hand then let them fall onto the green felt, watching eagerly as they tumbled and landed.

Her entire future rested on the roll of two red squares. Well, not her future. Noelle’s future. Noelle Vincent, two years younger than Jade, average intelligence, a pretty face and a magnet for trouble. It was just three days ago that Noelle had come barging into Happy Hands, Jade’s day spa, whining about some fiasco at the casino. Noelle, in her bubbly, never-worry-about-a-thing-because-my-big-sister-will-bail-me-out attitude, had sat in the steam bath and informed her older sister that she had ten days to come up with five thousand dollars or the owner of the Gramercy casino was going to have her thrown in jail. Jade hadn’t had a moment’s peace since then.

All Jade had ever wanted was to run her business and to lead a nice, quiet life.

Fate obviously had a different agenda.

Since her grandmother’s death a year and a half ago Jade’s life had been full of drama and stress. With Noelle usually being the cause of them both. Still, it would be unfair to blame all her recent misfortune on Noelle. A good portion could be attributed to Charles Benson. He was the man she’d thought she loved. The man she was going to marry.

Jade had planned every tiny detail of the wedding even through the grief of losing her grandmother, knowing how much the thought of her being married to a good man would have made Grammy happy. She missed Grammy terribly but would be forever thankful for the inheritance she’d left her. With that money Jade had planned to open her day spa.

Jade was going to make something of herself. Something her mother couldn’t do. She was determined to be successful. Lillian Vincent died from years and years of alcohol abuse when Jade was sixteen. That’s when Jade and Noelle had moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, to live with Grammy. Grammy spent many a day drilling into her head the importance of being independent and not relying on anyone but herself. In turn, Jade was spending her days drilling the same thing into Noelle’s thick skull. Jade had been smart enough to get into Harvard and even smarter to know that she’d only be happy running her own business. And with Grammy’s inheritance she’d planned to do just that.

Grammy used to laugh and say, “All that money I put into your college education and you come back wanting to give people massages.”

But it was so much more than that. Massage therapy provided an escape, a healing for the stressors of the world, and Jade knew all about stress. Her ultimate goal was to provide a haven for people to seek when things became too difficult to bear alone.

Too bad Charles had had other plans for the inheritance. He’d suggested they get a joint account for the wedding expenses. She’d taken that one step further and added his name to all her accounts. Grammy’s college education really was wasted on her because that was a colossal mistake.

Charles broke off the engagement two days before the wedding via e-mail. Two weeks after that when she was ready to get on with her life, Jade waltzed into the bank with the intention of leaving with a cashier’s check for the down payment on the little building she’d found just south of the Strip, only to be told that the account had been emptied.

Jade was used to the bad luck streak that seemed to follow her around like a bad odor but felt this time she’d hit an all-time low. Luckily, the incident with Charles thickened her skin. Her full-time job as manager of a boutique supported her goal until finally nine months ago she’d opened Happy Hands Day Spa. But she hadn’t turned a profit yet. Her financial advisor continued to advise that she was on the right track and that most businesses weren’t completely in the black until a year or so afterwards. She was content with that assessment.

At least she was until Noelle’s latest dilemma.

He was rich.

He was successful.

He was bored out of his mind.

Lincoln Donovan groaned, walked to his desk and dropped into his chair. He needed something…a woman perhaps? For almost six months he’d slept alone. He hadn’t dated, hadn’t kissed, hadn’t so much as brushed up against a feminine body. But that was all by choice.

Work was great. After only five years the Gramercy was now a top contender with MGM Grand and the Bellagio. Who would have thought a then twenty-five-year-old novice could pull off such a feat?

He’d known all along it would be a success. He wouldn’t have had it any other way. That was his ambition speaking. It wasn’t for the money because he had enough of that by birthright. The oldest son of Henry and Beverly Donovan, the next in line to inherit millions through a long line of old family money, he didn’t need anything. And it wasn’t for the exposure, because he could do without his name routinely appearing in the local papers. It was about being a part of something, a vision, a plan that he’d come up with. It was about having a purpose. And all his life he’d seemed to have a purpose. At least until now.

Linc wasn’t one to complain. For instance, when the Gramercy opened he’d been labeled Vegas’s Youngest Prince. By his second year he’d risen to the Hottest Bachelor. And just last year, with the help of his two younger brothers, he’d been dubbed the head of the Triple Threat Brothers.

Because they were rich, good-looking and single, the town had nothing better to do than stick a stupid label like that on him. Now every woman he so much as looked twice at believed she had his number and either ran quickly in the opposite direction to avoid the inevitable heartbreak or let the dollar signs rule over romantic thoughts and attempted to bleed him dry with mediocre sex and dull conversation.

No, he hadn’t complained, he’d simply accepted it as fate and rolled with the punches. Now he felt as if he’d taken it long enough. There had to be something else to life, something else to work toward. The fact that he was sitting in his plush office, staring at a bunch of security monitors with a grim look on his face and an aching in his groin wasn’t really making a stand in that regard.

As quickly as that thought entered his mind her face appeared on the screen. Monitor No. 7, the craps table. There was a small crowd gathered but he saw only her. A smooth, honey-toned complexion, dark hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and high cheekbones. He sat up in his chair and touched a button that allowed him to zoom in on the image.

She looked distracted, her eyes—a light shade—brown or probably hazel—moved from Reed, the dealer, back to the dice. There was no pile of chips in front of her so he assumed this was her last roll. Her fingers gripped the side of the table and her chest heaved with each breath she took. She had great breasts.

He swallowed.

Really great breasts, high and firm just the way he liked them. That ache in his groin increased and he clenched his teeth. He’d become a Peeping Tom, getting his jollies off a customer in his casino! With a moan he turned away from the screen taking deep breaths and thinking about baseball—which, incidentally, wasn’t working.

He stood, crossed the floor to his private bathroom, then leaned over the sink and splashed cool water onto his face. He needed to get it together. Getting laid was easy enough, finding a woman who did more than arouse his libido seemed to be the problem. He wondered again at the sudden turn his thoughts had taken. Ever since that little confrontation with his mother he’d been thinking about what he really wanted out of life. An incessant twitching between his legs interrupted and he realized that what he really needed to do was to flip through his Palm Pilot and start dialing until he found a woman who could come and relieve him of all this tension.

A chirping sound came from his laptop and he clicked the mouse to bring the message up. With a sigh he realized it was from his mother, reminding him of his parents’ fortieth wedding celebration this week. More accurately, she was reminding him that she would have a host of women lined up for him if he dared show up alone.

Everywhere he turned his thoughts were bound to return to women. Of their own accord his eyes found Monitor No. 7 again. The woman was still there, the one with the great breasts. He licked his lips just as the phone on his desk rang.

Saved by the bell.

The Pit Boss had summoned two other men. They actually looked like professional wrestlers dressed in too-small tuxedos but Jade refrained from pointing that out, most likely because at that precise moment the two oversize suits were escorting her out of the casino.

She’d crapped out…again. Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment while her heart threatened to shatter with defeat. She’d known that gambling wasn’t the answer but had promised Noelle she’d give it a try before going ahead with her original plan. The plan which had her at the mercy of a casino owner prepared to beg on her sister’s behalf. For the billionth time today she swore if Noelle came to her with another problem in this lifetime she’d strangle her.

Jade loved her sister. She was the only family she had left. But she was sick and tired of bailing her out. Grammy used to say it was a shame Noelle got their father’s brain—Jade was beginning to believe her—and his uncanny knack for finding trouble.

If only she still had her inheritance, she’d have money in the bank and she could have simply paid Noelle’s debt. Although Grammy’s voice echoed in her mind that if she never let Noelle fall how would her sister ever learn to pick herself up. Still, if she had the money…Her bottom lip trembled. But she refused to cry. She would not shed one measly tear. Charles had taken her money but she’d allowed that to happen. Her luck with men had always been horrible. Why she thought this time would be any different was beyond her. He’d done what all men do—use women then drop them. That’s what her father had done the moment he found out her mother was pregnant with Noelle.

That should have been enough to warn Jade against all men, but as Grammy always said, “A hard head makes for a soft behind.”

Now that hard head had her boarding an elevator on her way to meet with a stranger. To ask him for some time to come up with the five thousand dollars. According to Noelle that was a foolish thing to do but Jade figured she’d talk to him like one business owner to another. Besides, was five thousand dollars really worth filing charges and throwing a woman into jail?

The two ogres stepped off the elevator, one looking over his shoulder to make sure she followed him. She did, with her head held high. She’d asked to see the manager the moment those dice stopped rolling and she’d counted the seven dots. She planned to walk right in and ask him…for what? Three weeks? Three months? When would she have the money? He’d probably laugh in her face. Or worse, he might make her wash five thousand dollars’ worth of dishes.

Maybe she’d have to wear one of those skimpy costumes and walk around offering watered-down soda and stale coffee to the guests. She could do that, but she’d catch a horrible cold from being half-naked in the very air-conditioned casino.

Beavis and Butthead, which she’d now named her escorts, stood to the side, dark oak double doors between the two of them. “What now?” she asked as she stared up at them expectantly. She wasn’t a mind reader and was fairly sure that though they were huge and appeared not-too-bright, they could speak the English language.

“He’s waiting for you,” Beavis, the one on the right with the clean-shaven head volunteered.

Defiantly she folded her arms over her chest. “Who is?”

The men exchanged a glance then Beavis gave a crooked grin. “The Boss.”

His words sounded ominous but she would not be intimidated. It hadn’t escaped her that nobody bothered to tell her the man’s name. It could be a woman for all she knew, not that the gender mattered. “So shall I just go in or do you want to announce me?”

Butthead, with an expression that said he was growing tired of her already, leaned over, twisted the knob and pushed the door open.

Squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath, Jade walked into the office noticing first, the very masculine scent and second, the plush carpet that her high heels practically sank into. The door closed behind her and she turned to see if her guards had accompanied her inside. Of course they hadn’t, and she was a little disappointed. As it stood now there were no witnesses. She was in the office alone with the Boss…except—her eyes scanned the lavishly decorated office—the Boss was nowhere to be found.

Shrugging she walked around the room. It was dark, but ornate. Rich mahogany molding, hunter-green papered walls, leather furniture and marble desktops boasted a masculine touch. There were two desks in an L shape directly in front of the huge window that from the outside was tinted gold. On the long side were a dozen monitors showing different views of the casino floor. Somebody liked to keep an eye on his money, she mused.

Crossing to the other side of the room she saw trophies and commendations presented to the casino by the State of Nevada, the Gaming Commission, the governor. Whoever the Boss was, he was pretty darn popular.

Absently sliding her hand over the smooth leather arm of the couch Jade wondered what it must be like to live in such splendor. She came from a middle-class family. They didn’t starve but they didn’t have a lot of luxuries, either. Now that she owned her own business that would change, hopefully. Too bad Grammy wouldn’t be here to share it with her. She heard a clicking sound behind her and turned quickly…a little too quickly, because her heel caught in the deep carpet and she felt herself falling backward, arms flailing wildly.

Moments before her head would have hit the edge of the marbled coffee table strong arms slipped around her waist pulling her back into an upright position. At the contact, slow and steady waves of heat slid through her body until warmth overtook her. He held her close, the front of her pressed securely against the hard strength of him. His masculine scent—she’d smelled it instantly upon entering the room—engulfed her, rendering her defenseless against its torture. Then she managed enough coherency to look at his face. She saw the eyes, remembered and immediately stiffened.

Linc had been admiring the view from behind. She wore black pants, tight around her hips and backside then stretching the length of what he imagined to be long, gorgeous legs. Her hair swayed seductively down her back as she moved. Then she’d reached out, touched the couch and let her fingers glide along the fabric. He imagined that hand moving over him in the same manner. Touching him lightly, gripping him…He took a deep breath then steadied himself before speaking.

She owed him money. This was no longer about his immediate attraction to her, but more about business. And Linc never let anything get in the way of business.

Then she’d tripped and he’d rushed over to keep her from falling. Without thinking twice he’d grabbed her, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, keeping her there. Those luscious breasts rubbed against his lower chest and he wanted to moan. One hand was dangerously close to the small of her back, where the roundness of her bottom began. Every inch of his body stood at attention including the one he’d been battling with since the moment he’d first glimpsed her over the monitor. He was sure she was aware of his aroused state and wondered what thoughts were going through her mind.

He looked down into her face. Noted the high cheekbones, the hazel eyes, the succulent lips…then back to the eyes again…

“Jade?”

She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. It couldn’t be. Please, please, please, don’t let her luck be that bad.

It had been years. Eight years to be exact. She’d thought of him occasionally—okay, frequently—in that time. But she never, ever thought she’d see him again. She didn’t want to see him again.

But here he was, as tall, dark and breathtakingly handsome as he’d been that night. He’d developed. Instinctively her fingers tightened over his biceps. She gasped and pulled her hands away as if she’d been burned. He still held her close. Too close. She wriggled trying to break free.

“Sweetheart, that’s not such a good idea right now,” he said through clenched teeth.

She halted as the knowledge of what he meant poked her stomach. He had grown. She swallowed then summoned the courage she seemed to have left at the door and tried again to speak. “Then why don’t you be kind enough to let me go?”

“I’m not real sure I want to do that.”

His smoldering gaze held her still, reducing her insides to mush that shifted and swirled in a fiery ball at her center. Her knees were shaking. She hated herself for this pure feminine weakness. He no longer had this type of control over her, no man did. Planting her palms firmly on his chest and trying like hell to ignore the blessed rigidness beneath her palms she pushed against him. “I don’t care what you want.”

He frowned, then loosened his grip until his hands were no longer on her. But not before letting them glide down her hips, just brushing past her bottom. Her body quaked one last time as she took a shaky step backward.

“Fine. We’ll get right to business then.” He spoke as he turned away and moved around his desk.

She watched him walk—correction, Lincoln Donovan had never walked, he swaggered. That self-assured glide that said he was the man and you’d better not dispute it. His dress pants were expertly tailored and hung over his hips and taut buttocks just right. Her mouth watered. He wore all black. His pants, his shirt, his tie, everything was black and domineering. And Jade had never loved the color more. His arms were even thicker when she looked at them from a distance, his chest broader, his shoulders squared. He was built like a quarterback, his skin the color of aged rum, dark and satisfying. Damn, he was still fine.

And he was still the man who’d taken her virginity then left her high and dry the next morning.

“Business? What are you doing here?” she asked when she’d found her voice again and stopped ogling him like some schoolgirl with a crush.

“I should ask you the same thing.” He took his seat then with a nod motioned for her to do the same.

She didn’t want to sit. She wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible. But that would prove she was afraid. And she’d be damned if she gave him that satisfaction. She sat in the chair across from his desk. “Casinos are open to the public.”

He sat back in the chair eyeing her carefully. “That they are. But they don’t give away money. At least my casino doesn’t. And according to my Pit Boss you want to speak to me about a five-thousand-dollar marker owed. How do you plan to pay? Cash or credit?”

Oh, God, this was his casino. Lincoln Donovan owned the Gramercy. She truly did have bad luck! Still, she refused to break down. There was a solution, she just had to find it. “I don’t have that much cash on hand. I can sign a promissory note and…”

He was already shaking his head negatively. “I don’t take promissory notes.”

She cocked her head to the side. “But you don’t have a problem taking innocent girls?” She hadn’t meant to say that. Yes, as a matter of fact she had. She hadn’t ever planned on seeing him again, so all the anger she’d had that morning when she’d awakened to an empty bed in a male dormitory came rushing back with a vengeance. Over the years she’d thought of a million ways she wanted to curse him out for what he’d done to her.

He frowned. “I’d rather we talked about business.”

“That’s fine. But our first order of business is the past. You know, the night you seduced me and the morning you left?”

“Jade—” he began.

“How could you be so careless? So evil?”

He stood, slamming his hand down on the desk. “That’s enough!” he roared. “I am not going to rehash the past with you. It happened. Get over it.”

“Get over it?” She stood, too, glaring at him with a look so vicious that it probably matched his. “Who the hell do you think you are? You can’t just do what you want and think you don’t have to ever answer for it.”

He came around the desk towering over her until she had to crane her neck to keep eye contact. “I can do what I want. And I don’t have to answer to you. On the other hand, if you don’t come up with my five thousand dollars I can call the LVPD and they can engage you in a question-and-answer session.”

At that moment she hated him more than she’d ever hated another human in her life. She wanted to slap him, to scream at his callousness, his arrogance. But she’d been raised better than that. So with a deep breath and a step back she decided to forego the fact that Lincoln Donovan would forever be on her most-hated list and handle her business. “I told you I don’t have the cash. So what do you want?”

That was a loaded question if Linc had ever heard one.

She was beautiful. Too beautiful for words. But then he’d known that years ago. What he didn’t know, or perhaps hadn’t had the chance to experience, was how sinfully sexy she became when she was fired up. He’d wanted nothing more than to grab her, to toss her over his desk and have his way with her. Luckily, like Jade, he remembered their past. In the instant he’d touched her the memories of their one night together came barreling back. He’d noticed her weeks before they’d actually met and had watched her the entire time she was at the party. He’d known then that he wanted her in his bed. It wasn’t until after he’d achieved that feat that the trouble began.

Jade Vincent was incredible to look at. Who would have guessed that he’d want more? He had no idea that spending one evening with her would incite feelings of permanency that would scare him witless.

But that was then.

And this was now. Did she have any idea how much her words had turned him on? No, she was clearly too angry to see that.

This was a totally different Jade than he remembered. She didn’t have that naive look about her anymore. Her body had filled out more, her stance had become more self-assured and assertive. No, this was definitely not the college girl he’d slept with.

And yet, he desired her just the same.

“I want you,” he said slowly and watched as her eyes grew bigger. “For an entire week. Seven days and six nights.” The thought came to him as simply as his next breath.

“What?” she whispered.

“I’ll clear your debt if you spend the week with me.”

She was already shaking her head negatively backing further away from him. It wasn’t her debt, but he didn’t need to know that. He didn’t need to know anything about her. “You are out of your everlasting mind.”

She moved and he moved with her until her back was to the wall, her front dangerously close to his. “I’m making you an offer. Spend the week with me or I’ll call the police.” To his own ears the ultimatum sounded stupid and offensive and he waited with baited breath for her to answer.

He should have stopped, should have kept a reasonable distance from her but simply couldn’t. The tips of her breasts brushed against his chest and tension fairly crackled between them. “Six nights, in my bed.” He lowered his head until his lips were scant inches from her ear. “Seven days at my beck and call.” His tongue scraped her earlobe.

Jade melted. Heaven help her she was still attracted to this monster. And now she owed him money. Simply put, she was at his mercy.

Even so what he was suggesting was ridiculous. She wasn’t for sale…her body wasn’t for sale. “No,” she stated in a shaky voice.

He traced a scorching path down her neck with his tongue. “And you don’t strike me as a woman who would renege on her debts.”

Chapter 2

“Seven days and six nights,” Jade stated matter-of-factly.

Linc was still kissing her neck but the shift in her tone stopped him. A moment ago she’d been breathless, feeling the same attraction that he was, the same attraction that they’d shared eight years ago. He couldn’t believe he could still want her with the same urgency as a young, horny student. He had to get a grip on his actions, on what he was about to do, but couldn’t help being entranced by the woman in his arms.

He pulled back until he could once again look into her eyes. She had deep, compassionate eyes. Eyes that held secrets and sadness. He’d always wanted to know why. Jade Vincent had intrigued him from the moment he first saw her. Linc was shocked to realize that eight years later her effect on him hadn’t changed.

“My parents are celebrating their fortieth wedding anniversary this week. There are a lot of activities planned and I’ll need a date. For reasons I won’t go into I need a woman to give the appearance of a healthy, loving relationship.”

“I find it very hard to believe that you can’t find a date,” she quipped.

Reaching out a hand he let his thumb trace her bottom lip, the very spot he longed to taste. Linc forced himself to be cautious, to take this twist of fate slowly. Eight years ago he’d let her slip away and for the last ten minutes he’d been thinking of any reason he could to keep her here.

“I can get a date. But this calls for something a little less dramatic. You’ll be doing a job, working off your debt.”

Jade folded her arms over her chest, effectively ending the intimate contact between her breasts and him. She looked up, defiance clear in those sultry eyes. He was curious as to what was going on in that pretty little head of hers but decided to wait until she divulged her thoughts, which, if he remembered her correctly, he was sure she’d do. Jade didn’t mince words. That was part of the reason he’d left his dorm room while she was sleeping.

“A business deal of sorts?”

Her understanding didn’t surprise him. Jade was a very intelligent woman. “Exactly.” He nodded.

She tilted her head, placed a finger to her chin and gazed at him steadily. “I’ll stay with you for seven days and six nights. I’ll smile and act like I have some semblance of admiration for you.” She paused then slipped from between him nd the wall. “But I will not sleep with you. For that you’ll have to hire a professional. And if you call the police I’ll tell them you propositioned me for money.”

Linc had turned to face her and couldn’t help but gape while she spoke. The more he looked at her, the more alluring she became. She’d been pretty enough to catch his attention from across the room at the frat party. That’s how she’d ended up in his bed. And now, he could hardly focus on his so-called business deal as thoughts of having her back in his bed nagged at him. The strange thing was, in the very back of his mind, if he allowed himself to admit it, there was something else bothering him about Jade and her appearance at his casino.

She’d countered his offer with one of her own. He had to smile. That was precisely what he would have done. “Did I proposition you before?” he asked out of curiosity.

“You said that was the past. We’re not here to talk about the past. Remember?” Jade stood perfectly still mentally willing her legs not to shake and her voice not to crack. She had to get away from him or else all her thoughts would have turned to mush, as his tongue moving sinuously over her sensitive skin had raised the room temperature several degrees already. “This is a job and those are my terms.”

She’d deal with her traitorous body later. Right now she needed to deal with Mr. You’re-in-debt-to-me-so-you’ll-do-whatever-I-say. He might run a big, fancy casino and he might be filthy rich and he might even be too handsome for his own good, but he would not control her or her emotions ever again.

He smiled. Not a happy smile that reached his eyes, but a half smile that gave a slight peek of straight, white teeth. He slipped a hand into his pocket, pulling her gaze instinctively to his midsection. He was still hard, all of him. She licked her lips at the memory of his rigid erection between her thighs.

She took another protective step back although he hadn’t made any motion toward her. “So,” she began a little shakier than she wanted to sound. “Do we have a deal?”

If it were possible Linc would swear her counter-offer had increased his desire for her. The simmering heat at his groin wanted him to accept the deal on the table even though it didn’t include that certain satisfaction he was aiming for. She’d backed up to his desk now and was leaning against it, her hands gripping the edge, her breasts heaving, beckoning him.

Without another thought he moved closer until his erection pressed against her belly again. She leaned back, possibly to escape the inevitable. Still he leaned closer until his lips hovered above hers. His tongue stroked her top lip. She moaned. He traced the bottom lip. Her nails scraped the top of the desk. Then he covered her mouth, pressing his tongue against her lips until another moan tried to escape granting him access. Delving into the warmth Linc allowed himself a taste of the days ahead.

Memories came flooding back as his tongue, thick and hot, grazed hers, pulling her deeper until she had no choice but to cooperate. Jade felt as if she were drowning and he was her only lifeline. He controlled the kiss, controlled her, his mouth moving seductively over hers evoking a fresh wave of heat that centered between her legs.

He was thick and hard against her and she wanted nothing more than to spread her legs and let him in. The ache in her center increased as he pushed against her. He wanted her to feel him, to want him. He knew what her reaction to him was, just as he’d known all those years ago.

He’d kissed her before. Her senses froze, her heart pausing as she recalled the differences between now and then.

His tongue probed deeper, stroked more boldly over hers. Dizziness enveloped her as she clung to the wondrous feel of his hot tongue mingling with hers. Desire swept through her like a raging storm leaving her weak and submissive—two emotions she absolutely despised.

Then as quickly as the kiss had begun it ended. He pulled away. “It’s a deal.”

Leaving her, Linc moved around his desk. He pulled out the top drawer then retrieved a card. He reached into his back pocket and extracted his wallet. He handed her two cards. “This is the key to my penthouse here at the casino and this is a credit card.”

When she’d regained her senses from that kiss she looked down at what he was giving her. “What’s the credit card for?”

“There will be a formal party on Saturday, luncheons throughout the week and various other activities. You’ll need a wardrobe.”

A bit insulted by his words she frowned. “I have clothes.”

“I’m sure you do. Think of this as your uniform for the job.”

Oh, he was a smug something, an arrogant and self-assured brut that she would cut down the very next time he thought to touch her. She’d do this job because her sister’s freedom depended on it. But that was all this week was about.

With a sly smile she took the cards from him. “I love a shopping spree.”

“Then by all means enjoy yourself. I have meetings the rest of the afternoon. We’ll have dinner in the room and we’ll leave for my parents’ estate in the morning.”

“Where do they live?” Eight years ago she’d known nothing about him except his name and that he was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. She wasn’t surprised that a part of her still wanted to know more about him.

“Northeast of the city limits. It’s a horse ranch, one of my father’s new hobbies. Do you ride?”

She looked at him, and noted the hint of desire still shadowed in his eyes. He wanted her and to a certain extent he’d gotten her. She’d be at his side for an entire week. She’d made it clear that she wouldn’t sleep with him, but she wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to make him suffer the same way she had. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” she said with a half smile before sashaying out of his office.

The moment the door closed Linc let out a long, slow moan. He’d never been this hard, this excited over a woman before. When he’d kissed her he’d thought of nothing else but ripping her clothes off, getting his mouth on those breasts, those nipples that he’d felt harden beneath him. Did she ride? She had ridden him that night with the experience of a shy virgin. He’d coaxed her until she’d found her rhythm, until she’d driven him so wild he’d had no choice but to end the sweet torture.

She would ride him again, he thought, his hand resting on his erection. She would definitely ride again.

But that was for later. For now he had to handle some details. He had never taken a woman home to his parents and his brothers would surely get a kick out of the first time. Lifting the receiver he dialed his youngest brother’s number.

“Speak to me,” Adam answered in his deep, cheerful voice.

“It’s Linc. We need a conference.”

“What’s up?”

“It’s about this week.”

“Cool. Hold on. I’ll connect Trent.”

After a few clicks all three of the Donovan brothers were on the line. The Triple Threat as they’d been dubbed. Each one of them, Lincoln, Trenton and Adam, separated by two years each, possessed bone-deep good looks, quick minds, huge bank accounts and the ability to make any woman whimper with need. They were also confirmed bachelors. A fact that had long since plagued the women of Nevada.

“What’s going on?” Trent asked first.

Adam answered, “I don’t know, big brother initiated the conference.”

“I wanted to give you guys a heads up. I’m bringing someone with me this week.”

“Home? You’re bringing a guest home with you?” Adam asked.

“Yes.”

“I assume this guest is a woman,” Trent offered.

“Yes. It’s a woman. Her name is Jade Vincent. She’ll be spending the week with us.”

“And who is this Jade Vincent?” Trent was an ex-Navy Seal who now owned a company of special investigators that filled high priority government assignments. He trusted no one and suspected everybody.

“An old college friend I ran into today.”

“You haven’t seen her since college and you’re bringing her home to meet the folks? That doesn’t sound like you,” Adam surmised.

“It’s not like that. It’s business,” Linc replied.

On the other line Trent frowned. “Explain.”

“She owes me a favor and I’m collecting by using her as a shield between Mom and all the eligible ladies she’ll have lined up for me.”

Adam chuckled. “Good thinking.”

“Whew, I sure am glad you’re the oldest.”

Linc frowned at Trent’s words. “And why is that?”

“Because you’re the first one she wants to marry off. Which leaves Adam and I more time to prowl the herd.”

“I am not getting married. This is just a buffer for the week. Next week I’ll be prowling right beside the two of you.”

So she’d accepted this ridiculous arrangement to keep her sister out of jail. Noelle better be damn grateful to have a sister like her. It had taken years for her to to get over what Lincoln Donovan did to her and now in the span of a half hour she’d been reduced to that brokenhearted college girl all over again.

Except now she was not only older, she was wiser. She would not be succumbing to his charms or his smile or his scent. She was stronger than that. She’d do this so-called job and she’d walk away from him the same way he’d walked away from her.

With credit card in hand she sat back against soft leather seats as Mario, Linc’s personal chauffeur, drove down the the Strip. After Mario had indicated he’d been instructed to take her anywhere she wanted to go, she quickly directed him to the Fashion Show Mall where she did her best window shopping. There were things in the window at Neiman Marcus that she’d had her eye on for a while now.

Lately, all her money went back into the spa or toward Noelle’s college education. Noelle was definitely going to set a record for how long she would draw out a four-year degree program. Jade was no fool—she was sure Noelle was stalling. While she sympathized with Noelle’s fear of responsibility she wasn’t footing the bill beyond this year. Now she felt like a child at Christmas who’d been given the key to Santa’s workshop. Sure, this key came with lots of strings, but she wasn’t going to think about that right now. The car came to a stop and she smiled to herself. Oh, no, she was thoroughly going to enjoy this moment and she’d deal with the rest later.

Three hours later her feet had begun to feel numb, the muscles in her arms strained from the weight of the bags she carried from one store to the next. She was making her way back to the car for her fifth drop off when she figured she’d better call Noelle before she sent the cavalry out to find her.

“Hello?” Noelle answered her cell on the first ring.

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Where are you? I thought you’d be back hours ago. Did you get the money?”

Jade rolled her eyes. She should at least be proud that Noelle had asked about her before the money. “I’m at the mall.”

“That means you got the money!” Noelle said excitedly. “That’s cool. What mall? I’ll meet you there.”

Noelle liked to shop, too. That’s another reason she couldn’t concentrate on school—because she was too busy keeping up with the latest fashions.

“No. Don’t bother. I’m just about done. Look, I’m going away for the week. I need you to take over at the spa.” Jade had been grooming Noelle for an assistant manager position and although Noelle was mostly resistant to the idea she’d caught on fast and Jade trusted she could handle the responsibility for a week. Besides, Kent, her full-time assistant, would be there should any problems arise.

“Where are you going and how come you get to go shopping and I don’t?” Noelle whined.

“Because I’m the one who sold my soul to the devil to save your ungrateful behind.”

“What are you talking about?”

Jade sighed. She really didn’t want to give Noelle too many details. “Nothing. Just take care of the shop for the week and when I come home be prepared to have a plan for your life because I don’t intend to do this for you anymore.”

“Do what?” Noelle screeched. “What are you doing that you have to be secretive about? Did you rob a bank or something?”

“Girl, stop playing. I met with the casino owner like I told you I would and now I have to work for him for a week to clear your debt.”

“Uh-uh, Jade, you are not stripping in some casino.”

Jade almost laughed at that ludicrous statement. “No. I’m not stripping. I’m going to attend some parties with him.”

“Like a call girl?”

“No! Not like a call girl. I’m not having sex with him!” No matter how much his body begs me to. “Parties, dinners, stuff like that for the week and that’s all.”

“Who came up with that idea? I know it wasn’t you. And is he at least good-looking? I’d hate for you to be stuck with a dog for the week on my account.”

“He’s not ugly, Noelle.” Quite the contrary. “Anyway the deal’s been made.”

“Jay, I don’t know. I don’t like how this sounds. I can go to the bank and apply for a loan,” she offered.

“Noelle, you work ten hours a week at the spa. You don’t make nearly enough to pay back five thousand dollars plus interest. At that rate it would take you a lifetime. It’ll be fine. It’s only seven days.” Seven days with the sexiest man in the state of Nevada.

“I’m sorry for getting you into this, Jay.”

Jade softened thinking about her baby sister instead of that man. “I know you are, Noelle. Maybe next time you’ll think more carefully before you do things. I’m not going to be there to bail you out the next time.”

Jade felt bad that Noelle was now crying but didn’t speak. Noelle had gotten away with those crocodile tears for way too long.

“I’ll work at the spa all day, every day until you get back,” Noelle offered.

“Thank you. I’ll call you later tonight when I settle in.”

“Okay. And Jade, what’s this guy’s name? You know, just in case.”

Jade knew she didn’t have to consider a just in case. Linc was not that type of man. But she hated telling Noelle this. “It’s Lincoln Donovan. I gotta go. I’ll call you back.” She disconnected before Noelle could respond.

If anybody else knew the pain and heartache Linc had put her through Noelle did. And thinking of that pain and heartache Jade did something she didn’t often do, but had done once already today. She thought of revenge.

“Where to next, Ms. Jade?”

Mario was a huge man. Linc must have employed every ex-wrestler in the Las Vegas area. But after chatting with Mario amiably on their way to the mall Jade found he was quite likable. He was older, maybe nearing his fifties; only the sprinkle of gray at his temples gave that away. He wore gold rings on both his pinkies and a diamond stud in his left ear. He, Jade decided, was like somebody’s father dressed like a gangster, and she liked him instantly.

With her plan for revenge foremost in her mind she said, “I need some pampering, Mario. I want to visit the best, most lavish spa in Vegas.” Of course, whatever the spa she went to it would only be the next best thing to Happy Hands, she thought.

“That would be at the Bellagio,” Mario said quickly. “But don’t tell the boss I said that.” He chuckled.

Jade smiled, too. She really did like Mario. “It will be our little secret.” He was leading the way to the back door of the limo when she stopped and reached into her new Gucci bag, also courtesy of Linc’s VISA.

“I almost forgot. I bought you something.”

Mario held the door open and turned to face her. “Me? You’re supposed to be shopping for yourself.”

She waved his words away. “I know but there’s only so much I can buy myself. Besides, I saw these in Saks and knew they’d look great on you.” Standing on tiptoe she slipped the dark sunglasses onto his face, pushing them up his nose with a slender finger, then stood back to survey him. “Perfect!”

Grabbing the lapels of his black jacket Mario posed one way, then turned another. “I feel like Dan Aykroyd in The Blues Brothers.”

Jade laughed. “You look ten times better.”

With a lavish swing of his arm Mario motioned for her to climb in. She did and sat back against the seat again, this time thinking of the massage she was going to get. She’d been to the Spa at Bellagio once before, a special treat to herself. In addition to the extravagant decor and the pleasant staff, she’d fallen in love with the Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy. As if they could read her mind, her toes, which had been crumpled inside her pumps for the last seven hours, screamed for mercy!

Ashiatsu (“ashi” meaning foot and “atsu” meaning pressure) was an ancient form of body work using deep compression. A “push, pull, pumping” effect worked the muscles of the spine. Jade swore by its healing tendencies. She’d learned the technique at the Nevada School of Massage Therapy where she’d obtained certification as a massage therapist. Grammy thought rubbing on strange bodies was crazy but Jade loved it. Ashiatsu was a specialty at Happy Hands and her clients loved it.

Within a half hour she’d removed all her clothes and had donned the thick, soft Bellagio robe. She’d had a mini foot massage and was now lying on a massage table with a thin, stern-faced therapist above her, holding on to bars attached to the ceiling. The moment his feet came down on her back she was in heaven.

Another hour and a facial later and Jade was as relaxed as they come. She remembered what was next on her agenda. Dinner and then a night at Lincoln’s place. While she wasn’t particularly afraid of the dinner she didn’t want to rush spending the night with him. For seven days she’d be in his presence. She at least wanted tonight to herself. Her brow furrowed as she looked through the tinted windows deciding what she would do.

With a spurt of defiance she instructed Mario to take her back to her apartment. Lincoln Donovan could eat dinner alone tonight.

Linc was fuming. He’d arrived in his room expecting to see her, craving the sight of her. He’d thought of her all afternoon. Bewitching eyes, supple lips and those breasts…He’d been distracted in each of his meetings. But it wasn’t just Jade physically. There was something else. He’d noticed it earlier when he’d seen her and he’d thought about it continuously throughout the day. She was different and yet a part of her seemed the same. He found himself wondering what she’d been doing over the years and who she’d been doing it with. He hadn’t taken the time to get to know her when they were in college. Back then the power she had over him was too much for him to deal with. He didn’t want any distractions from his business goals. But now, he wanted to take his time getting to know her, sampling her, experiencing her. Too bad he only had one week.

One of the things that was particularly worrisome was the fact that she was indebted to the casino for five thousand dollars. He’d watched her betting over the monitor. She was what they called a conservative gambler. She placed one chip on the line at a time. One fifty-dollar chip if he remembered correctly. She would have had to have spent an entire day at the craps table to get anywhere near five thousand dollars. Besides, Jade seemed too smart to loose that type of money in a casino. But that was simple enough to discover. A call to his Pit Boss would give him that answer.

His day had progressed painfully slowly, most likely because he wanted it to go fast. He took care of mundane tasks then called his manager to give last-minute instructions for his week away. One entire week was the longest he’d ever been away from the Gramercy. It was going to be difficult but he was sure that being with Jade would pass the time quickly.

Linc remembered the feel of her, soft and accommodating; and the taste of her, sweeter than any dessert his casino offered. He remembered her smile and the way her eyes, her nose, had crinkled when she’d taken her first swig of beer. That night at the frat party she’d bewitched him. He’d wanted her fiercely and had gotten her.

Tonight, he still wanted her.

So he’d moved quickly to get to his penthouse, to get to her. Only to find that she wasn’t there.

Okay, so maybe she was late. He decided to take his shower and change. An hour later when he was still in his penthouse alone he knew she wasn’t coming. A call downstairs informed him that Mario had returned to the hotel, without his guest, over two hours ago. In minutes Linc was stepping off the elevator heading out of the casino. Mario stood from his perch against the limo as he approached.

“Where is she?”

Mario shrugged. “Told me to take her home.”

Linc gritted his teeth then yanked the handle to the back door not waiting for Mario’s assistance. Mario followed his boss’s lead and climbed into the driver’s seat. With a glance in the rearview mirror he asked where to.

Linc answered with a scowl. “Take me to her.”

Mario did as he was told, weaving through the early evening traffic in the direction from which he’d just come.

She was a stubborn one, Linc mused from his seat in the back of the vehicle. When they’d first met she’d seemed amiable enough, but then they’d both had a few drinks by that point. He remembered clearly the assessing way she’d looked at him when he proposed a private party in his room. He’d felt that same desperation, that same paralyzing need for her to say yes then, just as he had earlier today.

What was it about her?

And why on earth was he chasing her?

Even with his reputation he had an endless choice of women. But none of them had ever stirred him like Jade did.

He didn’t have time to search for an answer as the car had stopped in front of an apartment building he assumed was where she resided. Linc stepped out after Mario had opened his door. Surveying his surroundings he noted that this wasn’t one of the best neighborhoods in the city. It wasn’t the worst but for some reason he had a hard time picturing Jade here.

“I took her bags up to 3C,” Mario volunteered in a stiff voice.

Linc nodded then took the few steps leading to a rusted wrought-iron gate serving as the entrance.

The elevator was taking too long and Linc’s patience was wearing thin, so instead of losing his temper—which he often did—he found the door to the stairs and headed upward.

Jade had just emerged from a soothing chamomile bath topping off her state of pure relaxation. Wrapped in her kimono-style robe she padded barefoot across the wooden floors to the kitchen. Through the open window she heard the rumblings of nightlife awakening on the outskirts of the Strip.

Women of the night and their employers would hit the streets as soon as the sky darkened completely while from a distance the glitz and glamour of the Strip would beckon all with at least a nickel in their pockets. An enticing trap, she thought to herself.

As was Lincoln Donovan.

She’d accepted his deal for one reason and one reason only—to save her sister.

This was the last time, she’d told herself, and now had told Noelle. She’d help her sister out of this jam and then Noelle would be on her own. She refused to spend her time making money just to spend it all on Noelle and her crazy lifestyle. Why her sister thought she could go and gamble with money she didn’t have was beyond Jade’s imagination. Still, she felt compelled to help her. They were all each other had in the world. That had been her excuse all these years even though Jade was sure that if Grammy were here she’d be telling her to let Noelle sink or swim on her own. The next time that’s exactly what she panned to do.

But for now she’d made a deal.

With Lincoln Donovan.

Eight years ago she’d been young and in lust. Now she was older, wiser. This was a business deal and nothing else. Hence the reason she’d killed those dinner plans. Linc needed a date for his parents’ festivities. Well, those festivities hadn’t begun yet. Therefore, there was no need for them to spend time together.

That coupled with the fact that she detested being pushed around. When a man wanted to have dinner with a woman, the normal route was to ask. He’d told her and she’d showed him differently. She smiled smugly and wrenched open the freezer.

“So who was the winner again?” she asked as she frowned at three neat stacks of frozen meals. She had a large variety since this was what her complete diet consisted of, but tonight, for some reason, chicken and broccoli fettuccine just didn’t sound appetizing.

A hard knock at the door had her nearly jumping out of her skin. And when she’d made her way across the room to pull it open that same skin began to heat instantly.

Her throat went dry as her gaze rested on Linc’s wide shoulders completely filling the tiny doorway. He looked ominous, foreboding and commanding dressed in all brown, glowering at her as if she’d just stolen something from him.

Jade squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. “Can I help you?”

His gaze raked over her in a way that left her feeling naked and exposed and she instinctively regretted the question.

Linc cleared his throat. “We had dinner plans,” he said gruffly.

“No, you had dinner plans. I went shopping and came home.”

“I thought it was understood that we were staying at the hotel.”

“You’re staying at the hotel. I have a home, thank you very much,” she quipped.

He gave an exasperated sigh. “Can I come in?”

“No,” she said quickly.

“Jade?”

It was her turn to sigh just before stepping aside and allowing him entrance. “What are you doing here?” she asked, closing the door behind her.

“As I said, we had dinner plans.”

She was instantly uncomfortable as she watched him peruse her apartment. It wasn’t a hovel by any means but Jade was positive it was below Lincoln Donovan’s standards. Just as she’d always been.

“And you left this in the car.”

His voice interrupted the beginnings of her pity party and she looked down at his outstretched hand.

“Oh,” she said then reached for the necklace. “It must have fallen off.”

Before she could take it from him Linc pulled his hand back. “Was it a gift from someone special?”

She blinked wondering why he’d asked. “From Grammy. I mean, my grandmother.”

He nodded, profoundly relieved that it wasn’t from a man. He looked down at the necklace in his hand then back at her. “The clasp is broken.”

Jade reached for the necklace again. Since his arrival it had become increasingly harder for her to breathe. She feared his large form simply took up too much space in her small apartment. She had to get him out of here as quickly as possible. “I’ll have it fixed.”

“I’ll take care of it,” he said simply then slipped the necklace into his pocket. “I’m hungry. Can we go to dinner now?”

Jade opened her mouth to speak then quickly closed it again. He’d asked her nicely this time, his voice velvety smooth as his gaze bore through her. She didn’t know how to respond.

“Are you hungry, Jade?”

“Ah…I…I’m not dressed for dinner,” she croaked. Damn, he was getting to her again. She looked down at her robe that had begun to gape a bit at her chest. Hastily she pulled it closed then cinched the belt around her waist.

Linc followed her gaze. “I’m certainly not complaining about your attire but you might want to change just in case other people get the wrong idea.”

“I most certainly am not going out like this. I’m not going out at all. Our deal doesn’t start until tomorrow.”

“I think you’re mistaken.” Linc took a step closer to her. “Our deal started the moment you took my credit cards and hit the mall.”

Jade thought about what he’d just said, recognized the logic and could have kicked herself. Again she reminded herself why she was allowing him back into her life. It’s only for a week, she told herself—seven days and six nights then she’d have what she wanted and he could go back to his rich, polished life. The one she’d never be a part of.

“Fine,” she snapped. “I’ll change.”

He nodded his approval as she stalked past him.

She’d change all right and Lincoln Donovan would regret coming here forcing her to do this tonight. While she wasn’t financially or socially in his league, she had one positive thing going for her—she was a woman.

And he was definitely a man.

A man that wasn’t above being tortured.

She wore red, come-and-get-me red, that fit her like a second skin. He swallowed as he reached for her hand to help her out of the car. The drive back to the Gramercy had been one of hell on earth. Her scent was intoxicating, coupled with that barely there dress. His blood pressure had steadily begun to rise.

They’d talked amicably in the car, she seemingly without a care in the world while he struggled to keep from blabbering how much he wanted her. They walked through the lobby, Linc noting the stares both from his staff and the guests milling about. He didn’t like that. He’d never really cared before that people watched him, made conclusions about him that were false and unfounded. But the thought of them wondering what was going on between him and Jade didn’t sit well with him at all.

She wore light makeup. A gold frost on the lips, something to darken her eyes and that was it. Her hair had been pulled up to a pile of luminous curls. She looked absolutely delicious and he was ravenous.

“I thought we were having dinner in the room,” she said with a pretty smile.

“We’d better stay in public for as long as possible,” Linc said through clenched teeth.

He escorted her to the restaurant and then to a booth reserved especially for him in the back. Sitting down, she picked up the menu. “I hear the food here is fabulous.”

For endless moments Linc couldn’t speak. He’d watched the sway of her hips as she walked. Then she sat while he remained standing. Her dress was cut low, very low. The view of those luscious mounds had all the blood rushing from his head. He gripped the back of the chair to steady himself then lowered his quaking body down into the seat.

This was not what he’d expected.

She was not what he’d expected.

He wanted her, yes. He’d thought making her spend the week with him was a good idea. But now, he had a sinking feeling that in the next week he was going to get more than he’d bargained for.

“I don’t like when my plans are changed.” He frowned.

Jade lifted a brow. “I hadn’t planned on having dinner with you. Actually, I hadn’t planned on ever seeing you again and I most definitely did not plan to spend the week with you. But life is unpredictable. Nothing ever goes exactly as planned.”

Her voice was alluring, soft and sultry in the dimly lit restaurant. His gaze fell to her lips as he listened to her words. Yes, life was unpredictable and most times things didn’t go as planned. And if he had his way his plan for a week would last much longer.

Chapter 3

Jade sighed as she sank into the deep cushioned couch in the living room of Linc’s penthouse. She was stuffed. Dinner had been magnificent. Giving Linc his due, the restaurant, the casino, the hotel, all of his hard work was apparent. His establishment was every bit as classy and elaborate as his competitors’. But then she’d expected nothing less of him. What did come as a surprise was the fact that he was great with his staff. He knew everyone by their first name, their job title and specifically the shift they worked. And when he spoke to them he seemed genuine. In her experience rich bosses didn’t treat their staff like they were personal friends.

Now he moved comfortably through the room. He’d slipped out of his suit jacket and tossed it on the back of an armchair. Under the pretense of resting her eyes she watched him through slit lids. A white dress shirt had never looked so good, but then she’d yet to see him in anything that looked bad. The way the material draped over his broad shoulders and muscled arms had her heart thumping in her chest. Her gaze traveled down to the gold cuff links at his wrists, then toward the gold belt buckle at his waist. And rested there.

Lincoln Donovan was a well-built man. She could not only see that but had the memory of it permanently emblazed on her brain. The thought of him inside her again made her mouth water. Their one night together had been beyond anything she’d ever experienced since then. As far as initiations go she was sure Linc had been the best. He’d been slow and gentle with her as if he’d already known her inexperienced status. There wasn’t a part of her body his hands hadn’t explored. And it had happened more than once. After the first time he’d continued to lavish her body with attention throughout the night. She thought she’d died and gone to heaven. Until she woke the next morning, alone.

That single thought had her sitting upright on the couch, which was difficult because the cushions were so deep and so soft that keeping her balance was almost impossible.

Maybe if she hadn’t been nursing a crush on him since the first time seeing him one year prior to the night they’d spent together, she wouldn’t have been devastated when he left. And maybe if she hadn’t been filled with silly romantic notions that she would defy her bad luck and fall madly in love with a man who loved her back, she wouldn’t have cried for the duration of that next day.

“Do you want a drink?” he asked, startling her from her thoughts.

“No.” She wanted to stand up, to go to whatever room she’d be sleeping in, and break this connection they still seemed to have. She wanted to get away from him, plain and simple. But she couldn’t get out of the damned chair. She struggled to stand, bracing her hands on the cushions at her sides and attempting to lift herself up.

In seconds he was there, his hands going beneath her arms, pulling her to a standing position, parallel with his tall, rigid form. She sucked in a breath, looked up at him, then to the side. Staring into his eyes was deadly. It made her feel vulnerable, too open for his assault. “I’m ready for bed.”

His hands remained on her, his thumbs grazing the side curve of her breasts. Heat spread through her rapidly with waves of desire building steadily. Her knees wobbled and her nipples hardened—damned traitorous body of hers. He was the enemy. He’d hurt her once, no way was he going to do it again.

She tried to move out of his grasp but he held firm. “There’s a big bed in the master suite,” he said seductively.

He pulled her closer to him until his burgeoning erection was positioned between her thighs. His message was very clear. “I’m ready to go to sleep,” she corrected her earlier declaration.

“I know just how to put you to sleep.”

Jade’s breath caught in her throat. How could one man’s touch erase all intelligent thought from her mind? It hadn’t been this way with Charles. Then again, she and Charles never shared an active sex life. Come to think of it sex had never been the same for her since that first time with Linc, hence the reason she didn’t indulge as much as the average twenty-eight-year-old. Still, she was determined not to indulge with Lincoln Donovan again.

She pressed her palms against his chest and tried to push him away. That in itself was a mistake. She loved the feel of his rigid muscles beneath her hands and reflexively moved them over his pectorals, to his broad shoulders and down those hard biceps. “I don’t need you to help me sleep,” she whispered in a voice that didn’t sound like her own.

He exuded strength, masculinity and pure unadulterated sex appeal and she wanted him. She didn’t want to, but it was undeniable. She could accept lust but she didn’t have to act on it. She wouldn’t act on it.

Linc’s pulse raced. Had he ever wanted a woman so badly before? Blood pumped fiercely to his groin until his erection strained against his zipper. He pressed into her center again marveling at how perfectly they fit. Her breasts rubbed against his chest and she was touching him. Damn, her hands on his arms of all places were even driving him wild. Each time her fingers flexed over his taut skin he felt the urge to lift her dress and thrust himself inside her grow stronger. She was trying to tell him that she didn’t want him, he could hear it in her voice. But her body was telling him something different.

He stared at her mouth. Propelled by need he leaned down and captured her lips. His mind was full of her as his tongue slid seductively over her closed lips. Her lids fluttered and he drew her bottom lip into his mouth and sucked. Her fingers clenched on his arms. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. Heat raced through his loins and he nipped her lip. She whimpered and he suckled the spot gently. Her taste was simply intoxicating, filling him with something he was sure he’d never felt before.

His tongue plunged inside seeking hers then stroking, suckling and mingling. Her arms went around his neck, pulling him down closer, opening her mouth, taking his tongue and twirling it against her own. Linc closed his eyes to the sensations, the room beginning to slowly spin out of control. Desperation spread through his body like a disease. He could not get enough of her. His hands moved to her back, down to her bottom where he cupped the voluptuous mounds, pressing her center firmly into his erection. Her legs parted with the movement and he moaned deeply into her mouth.

Hot and wet, the kiss continued deepening until his hands finally slipped to the hem of her dress. Fiercely he jerked on the material, pulling it up to her waist. As if following an unknown signal his hand grazed the rim of her panties. Deft fingers pushed the material aside, slipping into her dewy folds.

What had started as a way to get out of a debt was quickly turning into a disaster in the making. She loved kissing him, loved the feel of his hot mouth on hers. But then he’d touched her there and was now touching her even more. Intimate strokes between her legs were like a beacon in Jade’s head and she summoned all the strength she had to wrench herself out of his arms and step away. Breathless from the kiss and thoroughly confused from the emotions he’d aroused, she turned her back to him and tried to regain her composure.

Long seconds ticked by in the silent, sexually charged atmosphere and she wondered briefly what he was thinking, then decided that she didn’t care. This was business. There was no room for her feelings to get involved, not with this man, not with any man again. She turned back to find him staring at her, hands fisted at his sides. His eyes were dark with desire, his chest heaving.

It didn’t matter. She was his employee for one week. She had to make her stand now or she’d lose before the game had even begun.

“I will sleep alone.”

Never, in all his thirty-two years had Linc entertained the idea of forcing a woman to do his bidding. That thought alone caused him to tremble and hesitate. He wanted her fiercely, could imagine his erection slipping inside of her the way his finger almost had. Dragging a hand down his face he inhaled her essence, felt his gut clench and swore. “We made a deal.”

Jade squared her shoulders and stared at him, fighting the urge to give him what they both desperately wanted. “The deal was for a date for the week. When I sleep with a man, it’s on my terms, my decision. It’s not a part of a job.” She walked out of the room slowly enough for him to stop her if he wanted to although she knew he wouldn’t.

Linc might be arrogant and he might be domineering but—even though she’d accused him of it—he was not cruel. He wouldn’t force her to do something she didn’t want to do. He’d proved that the night of the party. He hadn’t done anything to her without her express permission first even though they’d both been drinking. No, if she slept with Lincoln Donovan again, business or not, it would be because she wanted to. And because her heart still hammered in her chest, her lips still tingled from his kiss, her center still pulsed from his touch, that thought alone frightened her.

Linc awoke the next morning in the master suite. Alone. He hadn’t taken a cold shower in years, but last night after she’d almost kissed the wits out of him then left him standing there panting like a dog in heat he’d had no other choice.

He’d lain awake for hours trying to get her out of his mind, trying to erase the feel of her body against his, the scent of her desire out of his head, that look of fear he’d glimpsed seconds after she’d pulled away. Another hour was spent kicking himself for moving so fast. They hadn’t been together in eight years. It was foolish of him to instantly try and pick up where they’d left off. Because he hadn’t stuck around he’d never known how she’d felt about that night they’d spent together. He’d immediately moved out of the dorm, returning to campus only to take his remaining classes. He hadn’t wanted to bump into her again.

Had she been hurt by his leaving?

He doubted that. A week later he’d had a close call when leaving the campus library later than usual one night. He’d seen her in the arms of another man smiling happily up at him as they walked. No, Jade Vincent was not pining over him at all. He silently thanked his instincts and made an even more concerted effort to never see her again.

In the morning he faced the fact that she’d probably been right to stop them. This was about money for her. Every woman’s bottom line was money where he was concerned. She’d agreed to be his date, not to sleep with him. As she’d made perfectly clear last night, if she slept with him it would be because she wanted to.

He amended that statement. When she slept with him, it would definitely be because she wanted to. He wouldn’t have it any other way. As far as her terms, well, he wasn’t willing to think about them right now.

In an hour they would leave for his parents’ house. That thought soothed him a bit. Fifteen years ago Henry Donovan had acquired a stretch of land in the Pahranagat Valley, just ninety miles northeast of Las Vegas. Initially he was going to sell it until his wife had seen it and fallen in love with the rich scenery. Henry had had a mansion built there instead and about five years ago added horse breeding to his repertoire.

Linc continued to think of his parents and of the forty years they’d been together. Henry and Beverly were the epitome of love and happiness. Funny how their sons avoided the same things like the plague. But lately Beverly had begun hinting at the fact that she had no grandchildren and that her sons were sorely disappointing her. Sure, she loved them, would do anything for them, but she wanted them married and settled. It was that simple. At least in her mind it was. Linc knew differently.

In the past months he’d grown tired of the women his mother not so discreetly sent his way. They simply didn’t appeal to him on a long-term level. Up until a week or so ago he hadn’t even thought he wanted someone on a long-term level. While he still wasn’t entertaining thoughts of marriage, he had begun to think that his discontent centered around his lackluster personal life.

His mother would love to hear that and Linc had no doubt she would have more than enough women at the house this week to perk up that personal life of his. She had a surprise coming.

The first half hour of their ride passed in virtual silence after a brief breakfast of fruit and coffee. Jade’s stomach growled and she coughed to muffle the sound. Linc had offered to order a full meal but she’d been stubborn, and anxious to get this show on the road. She’d barely slept last night and was having second thoughts about this deal with him. Maybe she would have been better off applying for a personal loan herself to pay Noelle’s debt. But she had enough overhead right now. Another bill wasn’t the answer.

With a sigh she decided she’d have to find some way to deal with this attraction to Linc and the business deal they’d struck. He fully expected her to sleep with him. She had no intention of getting her feelings tangled up in him again. Linc had broken her heart once and she wasn’t about to give him the opportunity to do it again.

Last night she’d wondered how she considered the one-night stand with Linc a lost relationship while her six-month engagement to Charles was written off as a fatal mistake. She’d liked Charles well enough—Grammy had liked him more—but she had to admit to feeling a small sense of relief when she opened his e-mail that fateful morning. There was no love lost where Charles was concerned. Anger was more likely the emotion of choice when she thought of him. Her fists clenched at the memory. If she ever saw Charles again she’d…

Linc reached over, touched her hands, slowly pulling her fingers out as he stared at her. “What are you thinking about over there?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing. I wasn’t thinking about anything,” she said, embarrassed that he’d obviously been watching her.

“It must have been something. You were about to draw your own blood.”

She shrugged. “Just something that’s better left in the past.”

“Did somebody hurt you?”

Jade stared at him blankly then quickly turned away. “No. Nobody hurt me.”

“They made you angry?”

She opened her mouth to speak then clamped it shut again. Why did he care either way? “Let’s just say my life’s been full of lessons learned.”

He folded her hand in his and Jade felt the familiar heat stirring inside.

“I’d be interested in hearing about those lessons.” He smiled and then held up a hand to stop her when she would have spoken. “But for now I’ll settle for hearing about what you’ve been doing for the past eight years.”

Making one mistake after another, pining for you, losing a fortune… Where should she start? Jade shifted in the seat. What was it about him that made her want to scream one minute and melt into his arms the next? At any rate, telling him about her past mistakes was definitely out of the question. Switching the subject would be better. “I have a better idea. Why don’t you give me the rundown on your family? Since I’ll be spending a week with them I should probably know some basics.”

Linc gave her a half smile. She hadn’t admitted it but he was sure there was someone in her past who she was still pretty angry with and he was willing to bet the person was a man. He looked into warm hazel eyes and wanted instinctively to protect her from all hurt and harm. She had secrets, ones that caused her great pain. He wondered how long it would take her to tell him, then decided it didn’t really matter. At least he didn’t want it to.

“I am the oldest of three boys. I have two brothers—Trent and Adam. Trent’s an ex-Navy Seal and Adam’s into real estate. My parents, Henry and Beverly, have been married for forty years and will invite every living member of the Donovan family to the house this week to help them celebrate.”

“Hmm,” she sighed. When her mother had died it had been just her, Noelle and Grammy. She’d always longed for a big family. “What do your parents do?”

Linc chuckled. “Not much of anything anymore. My father was a third generation rich kid, following in his father’s footsteps. He ran the family oil company for about twenty years before deciding to retire. Now he finds hobbies. For a few years he was a racing sponsor, then he dabbled in marine biology and right now he’s into horse breeding.”

“He sounds like an interesting man,” Jade said wistfully.

“He is. Mom comes from money. Her father was an oil tycoon. Now she has her charities and her clubs. But her main job as of late seems to be finding a wife for me.”

Jade’s heart skipped a beat. “A wife?”

His thumb continued to move absently over the back of her hand. “Yeah, she’s pretty focused on the task.” Then he looked at her. “That’s why I needed you this week.”

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