No Limit (Armed & Dangerous #1)(16)

“Mrs. Rushing said it had to be the best for her friends. I’m sure she’ll be up here to greet you soon. Your waitress will be here shortly, would you like me to open the wine while you wait?”

Jason shook his head and sat down. “Nah, it’s okay. I got it.” Once alone, Jason opened the bottle and poured me a glass.

Taking the offered glass, I sipped the wine and swished it around my mouth; I was a wine whore. My uncle would always let me sample them when I was younger. When I got older, it was my job to pick out the types of wine we kept stocked for the guests. “I’ve never been out to dinner like this,” I confessed.

He stared at me in disbelief. “You expect me to believe that?”

I shrugged. “Why not? It’s the truth.”

“I guess because someone like you has to have a million guys following you around. Didn’t you date at all? What was your last boyfriend like?”

My lips turned up in a smile. “He was a good one, but not the kind of guy who was ready for a woman like me.”

“How so? By the smile on your face, I’d say you still care for him,” he mentioned, regarding me with serious eyes.

“He was one of my two friends. After we split up, I dated here and there, but nothing ever serious. Then when I got done with FBI training, I went back to Maine and we started a relationship again.”

“Recent?” he asked.

“Not really. Things went downhill when I found out the truth about my parents. I was consumed with exacting revenge, while Adrian wanted to settle down with a wife and kids. I just couldn’t commit.”

“I’m sure you will one day. When that time comes, are you going back to him?”

Shrugging, I took another sip of wine. “I don’t know. I’m not promised to live through this mission. I can’t have kids and do this job. When I do decide to settle down, I’m not really sure where I want to be.”

About that time, the waitress came up and I quickly looked through the menu and decided on the filet, Oscar-styled with au gratin potatoes. My stomach growled and Jason chuckled before ordering his food. When she left, his piercing green gaze bore into mine.

“So, basically what you’re trying to say is that you need adventure, someone who can keep up with you and not put a limit on what you can do.”

I smiled. “Something like that. Why, you want the job?”

“I don’t do long-distance, firecracker. Maine’s a little far away from North Carolina.”

“How will I ever find the strength to go on?” I asked. “Anyway, I bet you have tons of women waiting on you when you get home.”

“Does that bother you?” he asked in all seriousness.

“Why would it?”

He poured himself a glass of wine and held it up. “Here’s to our freedom.” I touched my glass to his and we both took a sip.





We got back to Caesar’s Palace around eight o’clock. Randall and his friends hadn’t shown up yet so I decided to play my luck at the tables.

“Do you want some of my chips?” Jason asked.

Smiling, I shook my head. “Nope. I got this.”

I paid for my own and walked to one of the Texas Hold’em tables. It was my favorite style of poker. There were a few men at the table, so I sat down and grinned. They looked at me like I was easy prey. Jason took the last seat.

“What are you doing? You’re not supposed to play against me,” I whispered low.

He smirked. “I couldn’t resist. Let’s see what you got.”

The dealer passed out our cards and I gently lifted the corners to see what I had. Not bad. I had a queen of spades and a six of hearts. Jason winked at me and I rolled my eyes. Two of the men folded, which brought us down to seven players. The dealer laid out the flop which happened to be a two of diamonds, four of clubs, and a six of diamonds. A pair of sixes wasn’t the best hand, but it was still something. Having my queen helped. The bid started out at a hundred dollars and Jason raised to two hundred. Keeping a straight face, I tossed in two hundred.

Jason’s gaze focused on something across the room and he tensed, knocking my knee with his. “Incoming,” he warned.

I looked over to see Will walk in with a group of men in tow, which seemed to be made up of the entire pool of suspects we were investigating, minus Drake Blackwell. Will found us and directed his friends to another table before coming to ours.

“Good evening, Mr. Randall,” the dealer announced.

“Same to you, my friend.” The energy in the room lifted and the men all sitting at our table sat straighter, puffing out their chests. It was funny how people liked to be intimidating. Will didn’t seem to be effected at all. Instead, he watched the game in amusement.

After the last card was thrown down by the dealer, everyone checked except Jason, who tossed in three hundred more. Knowing he was either bluffing or just lucky, I called, determined not to back down. Four of the other players folded, leaving one other player in the game. Turning over his cards, he revealed a pair of fours. Judging by the look on his face, he knew he was grasping for straws.

“What ya got, firecracker?” Jason said, grinning slyly.

“Together?” When he nodded, we both turned our cards over at the same time. Eyes wide, I glared down at his cards and both Jason and Will bellowed. “You have got to be kidding me. How the hell is that possible?”