Risky (Torn Between Two Lovers #2)(67)



“I’ve got a plan. I’ll let you know when I have the details ironed out in my head.”

“Sounds mysterious. And knowing you, something that’s sure to piss off almost everybody.”

“Don’t be so sure. I have a feeling you’ll like it just fine.”

“Hey, am I interrupting?”

Joaquin turned to see Anna hovering in the doorway to the kitchen and waved her forward. “Not at all. Come meet my brother Rio.”

“Hello,” she greeted him with a friendly smile. “I’m Anna Claire. Joaquin has told me about you.”

“And you’re not running away screaming? I’m sure none of it was good.”

“On the contrary, he had nothing but good things to say.”

“Was he running a fever?”

They laughed, and Joaquin forced himself not to bristle at the way his brother was ogling his lover. He was really giving her the once-over, making his appreciation plain. He knew Rio wouldn’t dare poach, but it was still annoying.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her close. “How about we ride into AC and I’ll show you my casino? Then we can have dinner at one of the restaurants if you’d like.”

“Sounds fantastic. Should we change?” She glanced down at herself in worry. “I didn’t bring anything fancy on my trip.”

“You look beautiful the way you are,” he said honestly. “Anyway, tourists dress in all sorts of clothing in my establishment, from shorts and sandals to dresses and suits. I say we go low-key in what we have on, and we’ll go shopping for you tomorrow.”

Relief was etched on her face, and he thought she looked adorable. It was always funny to him the stuff women worried about.

She nodded. “Okay. That works.”

“Let’s go, then. I’ll have the car brought around.”

“See you two later,” Rio said, and gave his brother a wink.

Out front, they waited as the limo pulled to a stop and his driver opened their door. He let Anna get in first, and then climbed in to sit next to her. As the car pulled away, she ran her hand over the leather seat in admiration.

“I can’t fathom what it must’ve been like to grow up surrounded by all of this. My parents were such regular people; I don’t know if they would’ve lived like this even if they could have. Well, my mother might now that my dad’s gone, but still.”

“See, you say that, but I don’t have a clue what regular people are supposed to look like. Am I not normal?”

“No, sorry, but you’re not.” Her smile softened her words. “You’re in the top one percent of the entire world when it comes to how you live.”

“Hmm. Well, that can’t be helped. I never knew others weren’t like us until I hit puberty and my father started taking me places and introducing me to new things. And then I knew we were different, of course, but in a detached way. Like I could see the world around me but it didn’t touch me, really.”

“That’s amazing to me.”


“You’d eventually get over that feeling, just like anyone who’s been immersed in their lifestyle for years.”

He turned the conversation to small talk, learning that her favorite colors were blue and red and that she loved almost all food, but hated escargot and sushi. She spoke more about her parents and growing up. She was so animated, he loved to hear her talk, and just let her ramble about her childhood without interrupting.

Half an hour later, the limo came to a stop in front of the grand entrance to his casino. He normally had the car pull around back, to his private entrance. But he’d wanted to make an impression on Anna, and he couldn’t help the surge of pride that swelled in his chest.

“This is my home away from home—La Boheme, named after the gypsy blood that runs in our ancestry.”

“Oh, it’s stunning,” she breathed as the driver opened the door. She stepped out, and he followed, taking in the admiration on her face. “You built this?”

“From the ground up. She was my first go at owning a business that my father wasn’t involved with, and she’s been legit from day one.”

“She?” Anna asked, her tone teasing.

He shrugged, grinning. “Ships, hurricanes, and cars are identified as female. Why not my place?”

“True.”

“Let me show you around.”

Escorting her inside, he took her through the busy lobby, noting with satisfaction that the marble floors and walls were pristine, the place shining like a new penny. The check-in desk was bustling, and he heard the staff speaking in friendly tones with the customers. No one had noticed or recognized him yet, and that was just as well. Anna would see a much more accurate picture of how well his place operated if the staff wasn’t bowing and scraping to him.

Once he was spotted, though, it wouldn’t take word long to travel.

Joaquin took her to each level of the casino, and they spent some time playing a few slots for fun. Anna’s delighted laugh when she won a hundred-dollar jackpot made him smile.

“How fun! I’ve never done anything like this before!”

And damn … he fell for her a little right then. She was like a young girl learning how to run and play for the first time, and he wanted more of her. So much more, when just a few days ago he would have denied ever wanting more than a woman to warm his bed. Damned if he knew what to do about it, but he was just going to enjoy his time with her for now.

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