Corey and I ride into work together the following week. I love when we work the same shift, but she hates it, because it means she’s working days, and she makes more money at night.

It’s the first chance I’ve had to fill her in on the latest with Tacone, which is nothing.

“So you haven’t seen him since the day he kissed you?”

“Nope. The next day I went in and there was a fifty on the table. I left it. The day after that, he left a hundred-dollar bill with my name on it.”

“You took it, of course.”

I didn’t want to. I was afraid it would mean something. Like if I accept his money, I’ll owe him something later. Except I really can use the money. I need at least two thousand for a deposit and first month’s rent. And another three thousand to buy a car that runs.

“Yeah. And then he left another one a couple days later.” I dig them out of my purse and hand it to her. “Here.”

She shoves my hand away. “What’s that for?”

“To go toward my share of the rent.”

She rolls her eyes. “Save it. Then you can move out sooner.” She gives me a teasing grin.

“You sick of having me?”

“No, I love it, actually. But I think Dean’s tired of sharing the family room. He likes watching movies at night, you know.”

Yeah, I noticed. Dean hasn’t exactly stopped that habit even though the sofa’s my bed. He stays up watching until one in the morning most every night.

“And every time we have sex, I cringe because the walls are paper thin. Can you hear?”

I make a face. “Yeah, sometimes.” They have sex at least once a day, sometimes more. I swear, Dean’s a sex addict. Not that once a day is bad, but I don’t see why he’s looking at me when he gets plenty from Corey.

“I think he wants to have a threesome.”

“Ew. Corey!”

She laughs. “I told him no way. I don’t share. Ever. Not even with my best cousin who’s like a sister.”

What in the hell would I say if she was into it?

But yeah, gross. Apparently my instincts are right about Dean.

“So back to Nico Tacone. What’s going to happen when you do see him again?”

Er…how should I know?

“I mean, you need to decide. I think the guy has the hots for you. And his instinct is to exploit you, like he probably exploits all women, but something made him hold back.”

Corey grins at me. She knows better. “There’s something about you that comes off that way. I used to hate you for it.”

I gape. “What?”

She shrugs. “When we were kids. I mean, my dad was such a prick and I didn’t trust anyone as far as I could throw them, but you were so pure. With you, what you see is what you get. It’s what makes you trust losers. But it’s a pretty amazing quality.”

I roll my eyes. “Great. An amazing quality that made you hate me as a kid and makes me date losers. Sounds like one I should keep.”

Her eyes slide over at me. “No, really. I hope you never lose it.”

She sounds so serious I shut up.

“Anyway, I think that’s what he’s reacting to. You’re out of place in Vegas.” Corey pulls into the Bellissimo’s drive and heads toward the back employee lot. “So how’s it going to go when you see him?”

I draw a breath. I want to lie and say I hope I won’t see him at all, but Corey already knows the truth. I shrug. “I’ll follow his lead.”

Corey parks and faces me. “Seriously? How’s that been working out for you so far?”

“I know, I know, but…” But it’s part of the fascination. The way he dominates every moment we’re together makes my knees weak.

We get out of the car and walk into the casino together through the service entrance.

“I think you should decide. If you want to go for him, make a play. If not, be professional. Don’t let him jerk you around again. Okay?”

I nod, but I’m not sure about anything. I need to quit this job. Soon. Before I humiliate myself even more.

My phone buzzes as I walk down the hall. It’s a friend from Reno. She wrote, ~Tanner stopped by. Seemed really heartbroken. He begged me for your new number. I told him to get lost. ~

Right. Heartbroken. Ha. He wants the car back.

I head to the employee locker room to change into my pink housekeeping dress. Like every day this week, there’s an uptick in excitement as I put it on, remembering how Tacone stripped me out of it.

Damn. I have it bad for this guy and he’d be my worst man-move yet.

~Nico ~

“The fuck you are,” I snarl at my oldest brother, Junior, through the phone. He’s just informed me he’s sending ten guys to Vegas to take over the cocaine scene here.

“You wanna try that again?”

“We had an agreement. I keep things on the up and up here so your money can be laundered through. I do not need the Vegas police or the Feds breathing down my neck because you want to increase your share of street drug sales. It’s not worth it.”

“I decide what’s worth it and what’s not.”

I go silent with my disagreement. Junior doesn’t run the outfit. Our father is boss, but he’s currently sitting in a federal prison for four more years on a tax fraud charge.

“No, Junior,” I say after the pause. “I have enough to deal with here. I know this city. I know the cops. I know the mayor. The risk does not outweigh the reward.”

“Maybe you need me to come help you run your business better, then.”

“Fuck you.” I squeeze my eyes shut, because I really shouldn’t talk to my brother that way, and if I don’t de-escalate things, I’m going to be pulling my balls out of my ass. “Listen, J—I’m sorry. That was disrespectful. I didn’t mean it.”

Junior makes a sound in his throat.

He makes another affirmative sound.

“So please trust me on this. I’m sorry I was being a prick. I get too used to being my own bossman here. But I know what’s gonna work in my city. Cocaine dealing is too risky. Too dominated by the Latin American gangs. And it could threaten everything I have going here, ah?”

“You’re being a pussy.”

I have to work to keep my temper in check. I don’t dignify his taunt with an answer.

Junior waits another moment, then he says, “We’ll talk about it when I come out there.”

I stiffen. “When is that?”

“Next week. Ma wants to move out for the winter. Says she misses you too much. I figure I’ll come along and find her a house.”

~Sondra ~

I take the elevator up to the top floor. Something makes me try Tacone’s room first—some sixth sense he’ll be there this time. I knock on the door, but hear nothing. So much for intuition.

I key myself in and get to work.

It’s empty, as it’s been the past week. A crisp fifty dollar bill lays on the table with a note and my name. At this rate, I’ll earn enough to move out of Corey’s by the end of the month.

Which, considering what she told me about Dean’s interest in a threesome, is even more necessary.

I leave the bill on the table until I finish. It’s for a job well-done and I’ll make damn sure I do my best before I take the money. I clean the bathrooms and bedroom and head into the study. I end up in the office last. Because Marissa was paranoid about it, I stay way the hell away from the desk, dusting the bookcases, emptying the trash and vacuuming. Noticing a spider web in the upper corner of the window, I grab the broom to swipe it. And that’s when the other end of the broom knocks over something on Tacone’s desk.

I jump and whirl to see coffee spilling across the papers.

Oh shit.

~Crap, crap, crap. ~

I run for my rags, and come back, mopping things up as fast as I can. But it’s too late. Half the papers on his desk are soaking wet, stained brown.

What should I do?

I separate them and lay them out individually to dry, trying not to look at the contents. I’m not supposed to be seeing this stuff.

“What the fuck?”

A little shriek leaves my lips and I knock the now-empty coffee mug over again.

Tacone looms in the doorway, his hulk more menacing than ever. His eyes glitter black, a muscle jumps in his jaw.

“Oh God…” I right the coffee mug again. “I’m so sorry. I knocked over your coffee and got it all over everything. I know we’re not supposed to touch the desks—I definitely didn’t plan to, but…”

Tacone walks closer, suspicious eyes sweeping the desk, the floor, my body, the room. He still has bags under his eyes like he hasn’t been sleeping.

“I didn’t look at anything—I swear.”

In a flash, he wraps his large hand around my throat from behind, loosely cupping the front of my neck. He pulls me back, so my ass bumps into his legs. “What did you see?” His voice is low and dangerous, but the hand on my neck is more a caress than a threat, especially when his thumb strokes lightly along my pulse.

I close my eyes. “Nothing,” I croak. “I saw nothing. I swear.”

“Nosiness won’t be forgiven, Sondra.” His voice is pure sex. Total seduction. His breath feathers hot across my ear. The hard muscles of his body press against my softer form. “Are you telling me the truth?”

“Yes.” It comes out as a half-moan, half-gasp, but not because I’m scared. I’m totally turned on.

Tacone’s other arm snakes around my waist. His hand splays flat across my belly, inching down. “Your only sin is clumsiness?”

“Yes, sir.”

Zingers of electricity run through my body, lighting it up from the inside, and I swear I sense the answering charge from his cells. My panties are beyond damp—they’re soaked.

My heart thuds, probably so hard he can feel it through my back.

“Put your hands on the desk.”

My belly flips. Oh my lord, is he going to spank me? A shiver runs through me. He’s excited too. His cock presses into my back, and his breath rasps in and out as fast as mine. He releases me and steps back and I obey, bending to rest my palms flat on the desk in front of me.

I hear a deep rumble of approval behind me. His two hands grip my hips and he pulls, angling my butt even further back. He slowly slides his hands down the fabric of my skirt, caressing my curves before he releases me. “I’ll let you keep your uniform on.” His voice is impossibly deep. “Only because this time, if I take that zipper down again, I won’t hold back.”

The floor tilts and a wave of dizziness floods through me and then I slam back to reality when his palm crashes down on my ass.

I gasp and list to the side automatically, but then I put myself back in position. I hold still for his punishment.

I pant, my pussy clenching, heart tapping out a rapid beat.

Tacone strokes down my hip until he reaches bare thigh. He starts to slide up my leg, under the uniform skirt, then stops, and pulls my dress hem lower. “You’d better get back to work before I take this way too far.”

Uhhh…what? I’m way too horned up to just pull my dress down and get back to work. In fact, the very idea of it pisses me off. If a female could get blue balls, I’d have them. My clit throbs, my nipples are hard, sensitive points.

I lift my torso and whirl around to confront him. Before I can speak, he catches me at the nape and holds me captive for a kiss. Hard lips twist over mine with a bruising intensity. He sucks my lower lip into his mouth, nips it. His tongue sweeps between my lips.

I mewl and kiss him back, grateful for the desk supporting my ass, or I would fall down.

But with a pained look, he releases me and steps back. “Go on.” He turns me and smacks my ass in dismissal.

A storm of emotions flood through me—humiliation mingling with lust and turning into white hot anger.

Okay. He wants to toy with me?

Fine.

Two can play at this game.