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“Well, you certainly considered it.”
She leaned forward across the table. “Look, why don’t you just ask your questions so I can satisfy your curiosity and get rid of you once and for all.” Before I start hoping for the impossible.
He smiled and said nothing. She was becoming more and more interesting by the minute. She was glaring at him so fiercely, he didn’t have the heart to tell her this was only the beginning of their relationship, not the end.
“Why did you quit the game so abruptly?”
Roxie twisted her mouth in irritation. “I didn’t run, but…” She wasn’t about to admit that he’d scared her right out the front door. “Sometimes, strategic retreat is necessary.”
They both held their peace as the waitress cleared away Roxie’s salad plate and replaced it with entrées of chicken parmesan, and chicken cordon-bleu.
“Retreat? Are you implying that you plan to try again?” Ike asked.
“Maybe.”
“But you said you would stay away from the Desert Rose.”
“Who said anything about the Desert Rose?”
He studied her thoughtfully. “What exactly are we talking about here?”
“Am I making you nervous?”
“A little. I thought you were after some quick cash, but I’m starting to realize there is more here than meets the eye. Just what are you after?”
“That’s personal, remember? You just wanted to know how I took the tables.” She hid the satisfied smirk, as she watched his eyes dart around. His brain was trying to work it all out. He was probably remembering every word they’d said to each other over the past two days.
She was certain she’d said nothing to give herself away, but strangely enough she wanted to confess all. It was as if all her secrets were suddenly weighing her down, and he was a safe place to settle her load. There was absolutely no reason to trust this man, a friend to her enemy, and yet there was something about him that screamed safe.
Roxie was unable to stop the smile that touched her lips. “Still curious?”
His dark eyes raced over every feature of her face. “More than ever.”
She cut into her chicken parmesan, and thought how much better her evening was turning out than what she had planned. A little late-night TV, and a pasta salad didn’t hold a candle to the company of this fascinating and charming man. This too charming man—and that was the problem.
He seemed to know just what to say to put her at ease, something few could do. He was compassionate, and understanding and a complete surprise. He was making her want things she shouldn’t want, especially not from him.
Roxie gently placed her fork on the table. “Okay, how about you answer a question for me?”
Ike gestured for her to go ahead.
“Other than your own personal curiosity, why did you come looking for me? Did Bobby Kincaid send you?”
The answer to the question was yes, but he knew that would be the wrong answer to give. Despite how comfortable she appeared to be now, he remembered the look of pure fear on her face when he first stepped out of his truck in the laboratory parking lot.
Ike knew his godfather’s reputation, but unlike most, he knew there was little truth to most of the rumors. Bobby was a Vegas personality as much as Tom Jones, or Siegfried and Roy. And like all celebrities, what the press didn’t know, they made up. Nonetheless, Roxie’s fear was real. Which meant she’d obviously heard some of those rumors. Or was it something more? What was she really after?
“Yes,” he answered.
“Why?”
He sighed. “He wanted to know the same thing I did. How you did it. You have to consider it from his point of view. He thought you may have been using some kind of new technology.”
“And what will you tell him?”
Ike had a sudden desperate need in his gut to comfort and reassure her that he was not the enemy. “That his fears were unfounded.”
She watched him with suspicious eyes. “So, you’ve decided I’m not a threat?”
Other than to my peace of mind? “No. Like you said, you weren’t looking to make a quick buck, you were there for personal reasons.” He decided to play a hunch. “Besides, I don’t think the Desert Rose was your real target. The more I talk to you, I think you were after Bobby.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully.
She toyed with her scalloped potatoes. “You’re not concerned?”
“Why should I be? Bobby was taking care of himself long before I was born.”
Roxie fought to keep the truth behind her sealed lips, but she wanted to tell him. She wanted to blurt out everything.
“Would you stop looking at me like that?” he asked without ever looking away from the food on his plate.
“Like what?”
“Like you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“Is there another shoe, Ike? I mean, what’s in this for you?”
He smiled that wonderful, sensual smile and Roxie fought to ignore its erotic pull. “I have my own personal reasons.”
“What—”
He held up a finger and shook his head. “Hence the word personal, remember?”
“Fair enough.”
Ike found it a little surprising that she was willing to drop the issue so easily. He didn’t think she was particularly fair-minded enough for that. But the fact that she did let it go suited his purpose just fine. He had no diplomatic way of explaining to her that he knew with complete certainty that she would be his next lover.
He’d known that since before her salad plate was taken away. But first, he had to discover what her aversion to Bobby was all about. He instinctively knew that would be the greatest stepping stone between them.
Chapter 5
As the night wore on, Roxie found herself relaxing much more than she ever expected, or even wanted. There was something about Ike Bancroft that her soul found very comforting. It could’ve been his sensual, almost musical voice that caused his words to roll over her in waves. Or the look of understanding she saw in his eyes so many times when she spoke of her past.
Whoever he was now, Ike had seen hard times. It was hard to tell what he’d been through with his stoic demeanor, and his careful ways, but there was something deeper and darker living inside him. Something that not only spoke to Roxie, but truly heard her, as well.
She found herself telling him about her background, things only Tessa and Theo knew. She doubted he would judge her. And although he said little, it was enough to let her know she was not being condemned for the acts of her childhood.
She’d just finished telling him about how Tessa and Theo found her, when he sat back in his chair and wiped his mouth with his linen napkin. “Wow, I can’t believe you managed to make it on your own for so long.”
She chuckled with little humor. “Looking back on it, neither can I. I guess the angels were watching over me.”
“What made you trust the Sanchezes?”
Her mouth tilted up at the corner as she remembered those two pairs of compassionate eyes looking down on her with concern. “What choice did I have? It was either trust them, or take my chances with the creep on the corner.”
“The creep on the corner?”
“Yeah, there was some old guy that would hang around when I worked the crowd. I changed locations four times trying to shake him, but he would always find me.” She shivered involuntarily. “The way he looked at me…I can still see him like it was yesterday. I had nightmares about him for years.”
Ike learned forward and took her hand, wanting to draw her pain into himself. She was as cold as ice. “Roxie, did he…”
She shook her head adamantly. “No, he never got the chance.” She smiled to herself as she remembered. “I started noticing this Hispanic couple everywhere I went. At first, I thought it was just coincidence. I mean, the man would feed the pigeons, while the lady sat on a bench knitting. But then, I realized they would turn up whenever the monster did.”
Ike did not miss the fact that she’d referred to the man as the monster.
“This particular day…” She paused to take a sip of wine. “This particular day, he finally attempted to approach me. But Tessa and Theo cut him off, and got to my table first. They introduced themselves, and explained that they wanted to help me. At first, I didn’t trust them. Back then, I didn’t trust anyone. But then I looked into Tessa’s eyes and knew she would never hurt me. There is something about eyes that are very honest, don’t you think?” She glanced up at the dark, honest eyes staring back at her.
He shrugged. “So, you went home with them, and never looked back.”
“It wasn’t quite that easy. At first, they let me come and go as I please. I guess they wanted me to know that I was not their prisoner or something. Most times, I still slept on the street, and only went to their house on really cold nights. Even then, I didn’t get much sleep, but finally, after a few months. I started staying every night. Then eventually, I would leave my stuff, and so on.”
Ike shook his head. “I don’t know. If I had been in your situation, I don’t think I could’ve trusted even them.”
“You have to trust someone, Ike.”
“No, you don’t.”
She stared at him, wondering if she’d misread all that compassion.
“Roxie, I’ve seen things in the military, on the police force. Things that would make you wonder why God even bothered. People can be horrible and cruel.”
“But they can also be loving and kind.”
“Sorry, I’ve seen more of the horrible and cruel than the loving and kind.”
“Are you telling me there is no one you trust?”
“My mother, my fa—”
“No, I mean someone who is not related to you by blood?”
“Bobby. I trust Bobby.” To a point.
“You shouldn’t.” The words slipped out before she could stop them.
“Okay, what is it, Roxie?” He folded his arms on the table. “You’re dying to tell me something. You might as well get it out of your system. What is it about Bobby that irks you so?”
I don’t know you! her mind screamed, yet she was dying to tell him the real reason she was at the casino.
“Tell me, Roxie.”
His quiet words couldn’t have been any more appealing than if he’d thrown open his strong arms and said come on in.
“What do you know about Tumbleweed?”
“Bobby’s condominium development?” His eyebrows crunched in confusion. He had no idea where this conversation was headed.
She nodded.
“Not much. Why?”
“Kincaid is using it to scam people out of thousands of dollars.”
All the warmth and lust Ike was feeling for Roxie came to an abrupt halt as he began to suspect he was being played. Did she really think he was gullible enough to believe such a ridiculous story? “Really?”
Seeing the doubt and skepticism in his eyes, Roxie immediately regretted her confession. But it was too late to turn around now. Her only choice was to go full speed ahead. “I know because he scammed my parents out of fifty thousand dollars.”
“Your parents? Are we talking about that pair of con artists who raised you?”
She sighed, feeling defeated and quickly vowing never to trust her heart again. “Look, Ike, you can believe what you want. But it’s the truth, whether you like it or not.”
“And why would one of the wealthiest men in Vegas need to steal fifty thousand dollars from a pair of con ar—”
“Stop calling them that! Yes, that’s what they did in the past, but it has nothing to do with this! They invested that money in good faith, and he took it without so much as a blink of an eye.”
“Why?”
“Why is he running the scam? How should I know?”
The couple fell silent when they realized people were staring. Ike turned his attention to the remainder of his chicken cordon-bleu. His mind was trying to come up with some rational reason why Roxie would believe something so stupendous. There had to be some explanation that would justify her claim. Otherwise, he would have to accept that she was trying to run some kind of game on him. Which meant he would have to open the cage door and set her free. And he just wasn’t ready to give up yet. Then it occurred to him.
“How did you find out about this?”
“Tessa and Theo told me.”
Bingo. He took a bite of meat, suddenly feeling much better.
Roxie searched his face as he concentrated on cutting into his chicken. She was unsure herself as to why she was so desperate to make Ike believe her, but she needed to convince him. “Ike, why would I go through the trouble of making all this up?”
“I don’t think you are. I think you’re just acting on whatever lies you’ve been told.”
“Okay, and why would they tell me something like that if it wasn’t the truth?”
“I don’t know.” He hunched his shoulders and dug into his pasta. “Maybe they lost the money somewhere else, and just didn’t want you to know.” He tilted his head as a thought occurred to him. “Did they know what you were planning? Trying to get the money off the tables?”
“No, but what does that have to do with anything?”
His mouth twisted. “That’s what I thought. They probably told you that lie, never realizing that you would try to do something about it.”
She sat looking at him with sullen eyes while he continued to eat. “I should’ve known better than to try to convince you of the truth. You’d already made up your mind about me before we walked through the door to this restaurant.”
