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“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.
