Ian's Ultimate Gamble

Anger made Ian’s jaw twitch. She was right, of course—he should be able to let go and move on; however, what really griped his insides more than anything was not the fact that they had broken up but why they had. They’d been exclusive lovers. She was the one woman he had considered marrying. But in the end she had been the woman that had broken his heart.

Even when she had moved away to D.C. to take that job with the Bureau, and he had moved to Memphis to operate the Delta Princess, they’d been able to maintain a long-distance romance without any problems and had decided within another year to marry.

But the one time she should have trusted him enough to confide in him about something, she hadn’t. Instead she had destroyed any trust between them by not letting him know that a case she’d been assigned to investigate had involved one of his business partners. By the time he’d found out the truth, a man had lost his life and a family had been destroyed.

As far as her being here at the Rolling Cascade, he much preferred that she leave. Seeing her again and feeling his reaction to her proved one thing: even after four years she was not quite out of his system and it was time to get her out. Perhaps the first step would be proving they could breathe the same air.

“Fine, stay if you want, it’s your decision,” he finally said.

Brooke lifted her chin. Yes, it would be her decision. There was no doubt in her mind if it was left up to him, he would toss her out on her butt, possibly right smack into Lake Tahoe. “Then I’m staying. Now if you’ll excuse me I want to begin enjoying my vacation.”

She went to the elevator and without glancing back at him pushed a button, and when the doors opened she stepped inside. When she turned, their gazes met again, and it was during that brief moment of eye contact before the doors swooshed closed that he thought he saw something flicker in the depths of her dark eyes. Cockiness? Regret? Lust?

Ian drew his brows together sharply. How could he move on and put things behind him when the anger he felt whenever he thought of what she’d done was still as intense as it had always been?

Moving around his desk he pushed a button. Within seconds Vance’s deep voice came on the line. “Yes, Ian?”

“Ms. Chamberlain is on her way back down.”

“All right. Do you want me to keep an eye on her while she’s here?”

“No,” Ian said quickly. For some reason the thought of someone else—especially another man—keeping an eye on Brooke didn’t sit well with him. Deciding he owed his friend some sort of explanation he said, “Brooke and I have a history we need to bury.”

“Figured as much.”

“And another thing, Vance. She’s a federal agent for the FBI.”

Ian heard his friend mutter a curse word under his breath before asking, “She’s here for business or pleasure?”

“She claims it’s pleasure, but I’m going to keep an eye on her to be sure. For all I know, some case or another might have brought her to these parts, and depending on what, it could mean bad publicity for the Cascade.”

“Wouldn’t she tell you if she were here on business?”

Ian’s chuckle was hard and cold. “No, she wouldn’t tell me a damn thing. Loyalty isn’t one of Brooke Chamberlain’s strong points.”

Knowing video monitors were probably watching her every move, Brooke kept her cool as she strolled through the casino to catch the elevator that connected to the suite of villas located in the resort section. All around her crowds were still flowing in, heading toward the bar, the lounge or the area lined with slot machines.

It was only moments later, after opening the door to her villa and going inside, that she gave way to her tears. The look in Ian’s dark eyes was quite readable, and knowing he hated her guts was almost too much to bear. If he ever found out the real reason she was there…

She inhaled deeply and wiped her cheeks, knowing she had to check in with Malcolm. Taking the cell phone from her purse, she pressed a couple of buttons. He picked up on the second ring.

“I’m at the Rolling Cascade, Malcolm.”

He evidently heard the strain in her voice and said, “I take it that you’ve seen Ian Westmoreland.”

“Yes.”

After a brief pause he said, “You know this isn’t an official investigation, Brooke. Your job is to enjoy your vacation, but if you happen to see anything of interest to let us know.”

“That’s still spying.”

“Yes, but it’s beneficial to Westmoreland. You’re there to help him, not hurt him.”

“He won’t see it that way.” Her reply was faint as more tears filled her eyes. “Look, Malcolm, I’ll get back to you if there’s anything. Otherwise, I’ll see you in two weeks.”

“Okay, and take care of yourself.”

Brooke clicked off the phone and returned it to her purse. She walked through the living room and glanced around, trying to think about anything other than Ian. The resort was connected to the casino by way of elevators, and the way the villas had been built took advantage of paths for bicyclers and joggers, who thronged the wide wooden boardwalk that ran along the lake’s edge. Since this was mid-April and the harsh winter was slowly being left behind, she could imagine many people would be taking advantage of those activities. The view of the mountains was fabulous, and considering all the on-site amenities, this was a very beautiful place.

After taking a tour of her quarters, she felt a combined mixture of pleasure and excitement rush through her veins. Her villa was simply beautiful, and she was certain she had found a small slice of paradise. This was definitely a place to get your groove on.

The view of Lake Tahoe through both her living room and bedroom windows was breathtaking, perfect to capture the striking colors of the sunset. Brooke was convinced the way her villa was situated among several nature trails was the loveliest spot she had ever found. This was a place where someone could come and leave their troubles behind. But for her it was a place that could actually intensify those troubles.

Pushing that thought from her mind, she once again entered her bathroom, still overwhelmed. It was just as large as the living room and resembled a private, tropical spa. This was definitely a romantic retreat, she thought, crossing the room to the Jacuzzi tub, large enough to accommodate four people comfortably. Then there was the trademark that she’d heard was in every bathroom in the villa—a waterfall that cascaded down into a beautiful fountain.

She breathed in deeply, proud of Ian and his accomplishments, and recalled the many nights they would snuggle in bed while he shared his dream of owning such a place with her. When the opportunity came for him to purchase the Delta Princess, a riverboat that departed from Memphis on a ten-day excursion along the Mississippi with stops in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Vicksburg and Natchez, she had been there on his arm at the celebration party his brothers and cousins had thrown. And when his cousin Delaney had married a desert sheikh, she had been the one to attend the weddings with him in both the States and the Middle East.

She sighed, knowing she had to let go of the past the way she’d suggest that he do. But the two years they were together had been good times for her, the best she could have ever shared with anyone, and she had looked forward to the day they would join their lives together as one.

She frowned. Four years ago Ian had refused to hear anything she had to say; had even refused to acknowledge that if the FBI hadn’t discovered Boris Knowles’s connection to organized crime when they had, all of the man’s business dealings would have come under scrutiny, including his partnership with Ian.

Common sense dictated that she tread carefully where Ian was concerned. He was smart and observant. And he didn’t trust her one iota. There was no doubt in her mind that he would be watching her.

Brooke’s breathing quickened at the thought of his eyes on her for any amount of time, and moments later a smile curved the corners of her lips. Then she laughed, a low, sultry sound that vibrated through the room. Let him watch her, and while he was doing so maybe it was time to let him know exactly what he’d lost four years ago when he’d walked out of her life.

Ian glanced at the clock on his office wall and decided to give up his pretense of working, since he wasn’t concentrating on the reports, anyway. He had too many other things on his mind.

He resisted the urge, as he’d done several times within the past couple of hours, to push the button and see what was going on in the casino, in hopes he would get a glimpse of Brooke. His hand tightened around the paper he held in his hand. He thought he was downright pathetic. And just to think, she was booked for two weeks.

It took him a minute to notice his private line was blinking, and he quickly picked up his phone. “Yes?”

“Ian, how are you?”

He smiled as he recognized Tara’s voice. A pediatrician, she was married to his cousin, Thorn, a nationally known motorcycle builder and racer. “Tara, I’m doing fine. And what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

“Delaney’s surprise birthday party. Shelly and I are finalizing the guest list and we wanted to check with you about someone who’s on it.”

Ian leaned back in his chair. It was hard to believe that his cousin Delaney would be thirty. Her husband, Prince Jamal Ari Yasir, wanted to give his wife the celebration of a lifetime and he wanted it held at the Rolling Cascade. It seemed only yesterday when he, his brothers and cousins had taken turns keeping an eye on the woman they’d thought at the time was the only female in the Westmoreland family in their generation.

Delaney hadn’t made the job easy, and most of the time she’d deliberately been a pain in the ass, but now she was princess of a country called Tahran and mother of the future king. And to top things off, she and Jamal were expecting their second child.

“Who do you want to check with me about?”

“Brooke Chamberlain.”

Ian rubbed a hand down his face. Talk about coincidences. Hearing Brooke’s name brought a flash of anger. “What about Brooke?”

“I know Delaney would love to see her again, but we thought we’d better check with you. We don’t want to make you uncomfortable in any way. I know how things were at Dare and Shelly’s wedding.”