a nod of his head, Roxie thought, as she met his steady eyes, which were boring into her.
“Well, I’m not a true high roller.” Roxie stepped back again.
For every one of her backward steps, Ike took a step forward. He watched her look around in every direction, clearly wondering if she were crazy enough to make a run for it.
He extended his hand. “Ike Bancroft, casino security. And you are?”
Roxie stared down at his long, elegant fingers. She forced another stiff smile. “Roxie…Smith.”
Ike smiled, probably at her lack of creativity. “Roxie…that suits you.”
Roxie looked around again. “You think so?”
He nodded slowly in affirmation, as his eyes slid over her slender form, taking in the gold dress that fit so well. “So, Roxie, can I buy you a drink?”
Chapter 2
“No thanks.” Roxie turned sharply, preparing to flee, and felt her arms suddenly locked in a vise grip.
“Not so fast.” His soft breath tickled the hairs at the nape of her neck.
“Let go of me,” she hissed between clamped teeth. Roxie yanked against his hold, but struggling against him was like fighting bands of steel. “You can’t prove anything.”
She gasped in surprise at her own words, realizing she’d as much as confessed. “I said, let me go. You have nothing to hold me on,” she spat, realizing their private battle was becoming public.
“Why don’t we have a little chat, first.” Pushing her ahead of him, Ike guided her across the crowded casino with little effort.
Every once in a while Roxie would jerk discreetly in a continuous, but useless effort to free herself, or try to catch the eye of one of the casino patrons in a silent plea for help. Once she almost succeeded when a man standing near a roulette table saw the desperation in her eyes. He started to move toward the couple, but the cold, dead stare he received from her companion stilled his desire to be a hero. The Good Samaritan found his feet frozen in place.
Once they were past the roulette table, Ike leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Try that again, and you gonna get someone hurt tonight.”
Roxie took a deep breath, determined to ignore the erotic feel of Ike’s warm breath on her neck. She needed to concentrate on finding a way out of this mess.
He guided her through the kitchen, ignoring the staff that looked up in mild surprise, to a small office near the back entrance. After slamming the door shut, he plopped her down in one of the two chairs facing the desk.
Ike took the seat behind it and slumped in the chair, locking his eyes on his captive.
Roxie refused to meet those eyes of his again; they were just too disconcerting. Too deep-seeing. Instead, she looked around the small office. The walls were covered with various licenses from the city and state. The small metal desk was bare, all except the small stack of papers on the corner and the remnant of a meal from a take-out restaurant.
Ike broke the silent standoff. “How about you explain to me exactly what happened out there?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Ignorance was her only defense, she decided. He couldn’t prove anything as long as she admitted nothing.
He sat forward and folded his arms across the desk. “I think you do.”
Her response was complete silence.
“You’ve piqued my curiosity, Roxie.” He smiled softly, revealing a glimpse of white teeth. “Just tell me how you did it. That’s all I want to know.”
More silence.
“I must admit, I’m a little disappointed. You struck me as a pro, a real smooth operator. But now I see…this is just another amateur night.”
Unable to help herself, Roxie’s eyes flashed to his.
Ike stood and came around to the front of the desk. He leaned one hip against the empty surface, and moved forward until their faces were level.
Roxie felt her heart pick up its cadence, beating rapidly against her chest. She pressed herself back into the chair trying to put as much distance as possible between them, still unsure of the fearful excitement he seemed to arouse. Granted, he was a good-looking man, but she knew it wasn’t his face that she was responding to. It was something else, something deeper. He was such a still creature, slow moving and quiet. But the energy coming off of him was like bolts of lightning shooting around her head.
“Come on,” he cooed seductively. “It’s not often I get the opportunity to talk to someone with your expertise.”
Give me a break. She maintained her silence, focusing her attention on a small puncture hole in the vinyl covering of the other guest chair. Her busy mind worked for a way to extricate herself. A way that did not involve being detained half the night, or being turned over to the police. Despite his sweet talk, Roxie knew for certain that as soon as she even hinted at the truth, the wolf would rip her to shreds.
“I’m not looking for a collar tonight, just a lesson. Educate me. How’d you do it?”
Roxie folded her arms over her chest. “Either charge me or let me go. I know my rights. You can’t just hold me here indefinitely.”
“You can tell me or the police. It’s your choice.” The seductive tone of his voice was instantly replaced by pure steel.
Roxie’s whole body stiffened reflexively before she forced herself to relax. “It must be really hard playing good cop, bad cop all by yourself.”
His dark eyes narrowed. “All right, let’s cut the bull. Just tell me how you did it, and I’ll let you go.” He popped his fingers. “Just like that.”
She set her full lips in a determined fashion, letting him know there would be no more involuntary confessions. “I have nothing to tell. I’m just a gambler who got lucky.”
She stood and he stood with her. Roxie felt her whole body shiver in response to the sudden nearness. Get a hold of yourself! she scolded.
“I don’t know who you think you’re dealing with, lady. But you are playing a dangerous game.”
Roxie was far more afraid than she let on. His words were the very reason she’d walked away from the poker table without a dime. Fear of an unknown danger so strong it was almost palpable. “Are you going to charge me with something or not?”
“We both know you were cheating. Why deny it? All I want to know is how you did it.”
She moved to go around him, and Ike cut off her path once again.
“The Desert Rose is owned by Bobby Kincaid.”
“So what?” she snapped, more out of nervousness that nerve. Suddenly, she was remembering every rumor she’d ever heard about how Bobby Kincaid made his fortune, most of it not good. How much did this man have
