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“Trying to cut back.”
She shook her head slightly. “I never thought I’d see the day when Bosco Roth would listen to a woman…”
I had no idea how she knew about Carmen, but since I’d brought her to the casino, people probably talked. “Are you having a good time?”
She shrugged. “My date isn’t the best gambler. He doesn’t have your poker face.” She watched me as she took another drag.
“Not very many men do.”
“Nope. You can say that again.” She crossed one arm over her waist and propped her elbow on her hand, holding out the cigar like a cigarette. “And they don’t have your other qualities either…” She gave me a cold stare, but the desire was obvious in her look.
Ruby and I’d had a short-lived fling. She was a beautiful woman who was attracted to power and money. She went from man to man, cleaning them out until she got everything she wanted. What made her different from being a con artist was her honesty. She told men exactly what she wanted before she used them, but she was so beautiful, the men didn’t care. That was exactly what had happened to me. She wanted a new diamond necklace, a trip to Istanbul, and to sit on my arm for a week. We spent that week fucking and drinking until it ran its course. When she walked away, I didn’t ask her to stay—even though she was good in the sack. “Keep looking, Ruby. I’m sure you’ll find a good man out there.” I didn’t sleep with the same woman twice, but Ruby had been an exception. Though she hadn’t been the kind of exception Carmen was. “Have a good night.” I turned away and headed toward the elevators, dismissing the conversation without giving her a chance to respond. Ruby still wanted me because I was the most powerful man in this country. She desired nothing more than to sit on my arm forever, to roll around in my cash and retire as a wealthy woman.
But she knew that wasn’t possible with me.
Ronan walked up to me, his hands in the pockets of his slacks. “I smell trouble.”
I knew he was referring to Ruby. “Ignore her.”
“I know I can. But can you?”
I ignored the jab. “She never meant anything to me.”
“She was your longest fling before Carmen came around.”
“Not comparable.” We moved to a secluded table in the corner, where the men brought us a decanter of scotch and two glasses. Then they disappeared, leaving us alone together while the music played overhead.
“But—”
“I don’t want to talk about Ruby anymore.” She was a brief fling who never meant anything to me. She was direct about what she wanted from me, to be spoiled and fucked right. It had been a satisfying week, but I’d had no problem walking away when she clung to me too hard.
Ronan stopped when he heard the threat in my voice. He drank from his glass then licked his lips. “I hope you’re in the mood to talk about Carmen, because that’s my next subject.”
“She’s fine.” The thought of Carmen didn’t fill me with annoyance and dread. It was almost eleven, so I knew she would be asleep by now, spread out across my bed with the sheets pulled to her shoulder.
“I like her.”
“How can you not?” She was perfect, from her pretty face to the pretty words that flew out of her mouth.
“I’m serious. She’s not like the other women we fuck around with.”
“No comparison.”
He abandoned his drink and put all his focus on me. “I can tell she’s crazy about you.”
My impenetrable exterior faded slightly, even though we were still in the casino and I had to keep up my cold presence. “What makes you say that?”
“Everything. From the way she looks at you. The way she talks to you. She isn’t a pushover who will do whatever you want, but she accepts you as you are. But she’s not afraid to tell you off either—which is something you need.”
She’d asked me to quit smoking, and she complimented me left and right. She obviously cared about me, which is a big change from how she felt about me in the beginning.
“Mom would like her.”
There was no doubt about that. Mom had been an opinionated and outspoken woman, not afraid to get her hands dirty. She would admire Carmen’s independence and fire. They would fit together like two peas in a pod. “I know she would.”
“So I like her. You like her. Mom would like her. Hmm…” He took a drink from his glass. “Interesting.”
I knew exactly where this was going. “We have an expiration date. She made that clear.”
“I know. But you’re the kind of man that can make things happen. So, make something happen.”
My life was about gambling, booze, and women. Carmen would always have a special place in my heart because she was different. She would be a good memory, and she would be someone I never forgot about. But my life would continue forward on the path I was meant to walk—alone. “It’s not gonna work out. We want different things.”
