“Good reasons?” Jarrett asked.
“Unfortunately, yes. But I’m working on a way around it.” Finn’s cryptic reply piqued her curiosity, but she didn’t dare ask.
“Care to share?” Cole inquired.
“It’ll have to wait.”
Steph got the distinct impression she was the reason Finn was waiting.
“I wish they wouldn’t fight.” Steph was being honest. She was a peacemaker at heart and couldn’t stand being around people who were quarreling. “I’m going to do my best to help them work things out. That’s one of the reasons I came. I wanted to convince her I’m not a threat.”
“Personally, I’m glad Carina’s in a snit,” said Finn. “She’s playing right into my hand. If everything goes as planned, Branson’s going to back out of this relationship, soon.”
Steph ought to object, but secretly wanted Finn’s plan to work. She kept her mouth shut.
“You’ve got a plan to break off the engagement?” Cole’s eyes lit up.
“I do. We all have a part to play.” Finn’s lips curved in a special grin, one Steph was beginning to recognize, indicating he had something up his sleeve.
“I’m in.” Cole raised his voice to compete with the casino noise as they drew closer.
“Me, too,” Jarrett confirmed.
“Stephanie has a special role,” Finn added.
She stopped in her tracks. “No way. I don’t want any part in this. I’m here to back my boss. I’m not risking my job to help with your little scheme.”
“Surely you don’t believe Carina’s good for him, do you?” Finn’s hand nestled on her bare skin on the small of her back, nudging her onward.
“My opinion doesn’t matter.” She marched faster, escaping from the unwanted intimacy of his touch, a feat made difficult by her gangly heels. “It’s what Branson wants.”
Finn passed her up, blocking her path, and the other two caught up and flanked him. “What if I told you she’s trying to steal from him?”
“Carina’s stealing from Branson?” Steph felt a sudden impulse to slam her fist into Miss Snobby’s perfect teeth. “Why haven’t you told him?”
“It’s a hunch. I don’t have any proof. That’s where you come in. When you get back, you have to spy on Carina… see what she’s up to.”
Her dampening armpits made her want to flap her arms like a chicken. “I can’t. She hates me, already. If she catches me nosing around, she’ll get me fired.”
Finn’s special grin returned. “Don’t worry about that. If my idea works, it’ll be impossible for him to terminate you.”
Her curiosity overcame her better sense. “What’s your idea?”
“Come on. You wouldn’t want me to spoil the surprise, would you?” Finn scrunched one eye shut in an exaggerated wink. Cole and Jarrett shuffled their feet, as if they didn’t want to confront her.
She crossed her arms and gave all three men a scorching, angry-mom look that would’ve made the average man tremble in his shoes, even if he wore fancy boots like Cole’s. “I don’t like surprises.”
“You’ll find out soon enough,” said Finn. He hooked an imprisoning arm around her shoulder and towed her onward. “This way to check in.”
With all the fees prepaid, a quick ID inspection produced four tournament tags, and four small pouches with twenty chips each.
“Only twenty poker chips?” she wondered aloud. “That won’t last long.”
“Each one of those chips is worth a thousand dollars. Plus, you have twenty thousand more banked on that ID tag,” Cole explained as the group wandered inside.
Frustrated she hadn’t discovered the price of her tournament entry, Steph tried to wheedle the information from Finn, while thanking him, once again, for fronting her entry fee.
“Branson insists he’s paying me back,” Finn replied. “Seems he can’t stand the idea you might be obligated to me in any way. Guess if you want to know the buy-in amount, you’ll have to ask your jealous boyfriend.”
So much blood rushed to her face, she needed to fan herself. “Don’t say things like that. If Carina gets wind of it, she’ll use it against me. Branson Knight is my boss and nothing more. Not my boyfriend. There’s nothing romantic between us, and there never will be.”
Finn’s enigmatic smile never faltered as his arm slid around her waist. “That’s good to hear. I’ll give you a chance to prove that tonight. Will you be my date, for real?”
The heat in her face spread down her neck. She searched for a way to escape him without hurting his feelings. “Honestly, I don’t even know how to date, it’s been so long.”
“I doubt that,” he replied in a throaty voice, dipping so close she could smell the spicy musk of his aftershave. It was nice, but sweeter than the one Branson wore.
She tried to sidestep away from him, but his arm held firm, pulling her toward one of the slot machines. He herded her into the chair in front of the machine with flashing lights and a sign that read, “$10,000,000 Payout.” His hands rested on her bare shoulders and feathered a stroke on her neck, sending a rippling shudder down her back.
Great. Now he’ll think I’m attracted to him. Better nip that in the bud.
“I should’ve brought a sweater. I’m going to run upstairs.” She wriggled free of his hold and slid out of the chair. “Be right back,” she threw over her shoulder.
Ignoring his protests, she walked as fast as her towering sandals would allow, belatedly realizing her stride made her hips move in exaggerated form. When she got on the elevator, she joined a couple dressed in elegant fashion, the woman with a diamond-studded necklace. Of course, Steph had no idea if the jewels were real or fake. The only diamond she’d ever owned was the modest solitaire in her old engagement ring.
“You look beautiful,” Steph complimented. “Does everyone dress up like this to gamble?”
“To gamble? No.” The woman shook her head, with a puzzled smile. “You can wear anything you like to play in the casino. The dress you have on is gorgeous.”
