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“Well, not if you’re trying to get him investing in Dark Matter’s cruise line. That’s for sure.” Jasper snorted.
Zane decided in that very moment to show his cards. “Why’s that? Because of the money leak?”
Jasper nearly choked on his wine. “You are good!” He leaned closer. “I didn’t think anyone knew about how badly the cruise line was hemorrhaging money. It’s all Dad talks about lately. In fact, knowing my dad, this trip is probably his way of convincing the board that Dark Matter’s cruise line is ripe for a takeover.”
“He brought his board on this trip?”
“Yes, sir, he did. Bunch of old womanizers as it is.” He tipped his glass toward Elm. “That’s one of them right there.”
“Is this Elm’s first trip on one of these cruises?”
“As far as I know, he’s only been on one other. The first time Dad experienced a fetish cruise, Elm was with him. Since then, Dad has been a regular traveler on board Dark Matter cruises. He says it’s because it’s one of a kind, and he likes the amenities.” Jasper rolled his eyes. “I know my dad, though, and he’s not one to bet on a sinking ship—but he is one to dismantle it.”
“I’d just heard that they money seemed to be siphoning out somewhere. I didn’t know the company was doing that poorly. I mean, a takeover… Wow!”
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Jasper shoved his salad to the side and replaced it with his wine glass, clearly giving up the pretense of eating. “Why do you think the good ol’ captain is kissing my dad’s ass? He’s got a vested interest in keeping this cruise line going.”
“What kind of vested interest?”
“Cammie, baby, I heard the craziest story earlier.” Bill’s booming voice pulled Zane’s attention away from Jasper, not so much because of how loud the man was but because there was an edge that hadn’t been there before.
“I can only imagine,” Cammie drawled.
“Yeah, I heard that one of the sexy little waitresses in the casino found a five-thousand-dollar chip on her tray.” He leaned in close to Cammie with narrowed eyes. “Right around the time you were leaving with the five-thousand-dollar chip I gave ya.”
“Did you see the heels those girls were wearing? A five-thousand-dollar tip isn’t nearly enough, in my opinion.” Cammie stared right back at him. “You filthy rich men should think about being so generous with your tips, especially since you’re so generous with your hands.”
The table had fallen silent, so Cammie’s words hung over the room like a cloud. Zane felt a crackle of danger and the testosterone seemed to skyrocket. He shifted his chair back in case he needed to get Cammie out of her seat and out of the room fast. It was hard to tell when rich men with power would decide to use it, especially after a gauntlet had been thrown down.
“I love your sass, girl!” Bill barked a laugh and smacked the table so hard that the glasses shook all the way down the length. “That’s right! All you filthy rich gentlemen sitting at this table! You better be givin’ generous tips, or you’ll have Cammie to answer to.”
Zane relaxed back into his seat then reached under the table to squeeze Cammie’s knee. She flashed him a wicked grin before taking a bite of her salad, and he realized once again just how lucky he was to have met Cammie. She was a boss in her own right and used to dealing with men like Bill.
He was grinning when Zane turned back to finish his conversation with Jasper but the seat next to him was empty.
