You’re acting like a fool over this woman.
True, but it was a state he had no control over in her presence. He liked everything about Florence, from her angelic looks and heart-stopping smile to her quick wit and sharp mind. She was passionate and fearless in bed. He held nothing back from her—a first for him. With others, he’d been afraid of scaring his partners, of being too demanding. Florence made him burn, so hot that he lost himself in the moment. And she didn’t seem to mind. Quite the opposite, in fact.
So would she hate him when she learned of what he’d done?
She couldn’t blame him, could she? After all, he’d warned her. Jack had begged him to call off the plans for the Seventy-Ninth Street casino, but Clay would not be deterred. His revenge against Duncan was twenty years in the making. A few blissful weeks in bed with Duncan’s daughter could not change that.
He wouldn’t allow it.
Besides, nothing good lasted long, especially something this good. All he could do was bide his time and enjoy each second with her. Wring every sigh and moan out of her body until it came crashing down and she despised him. To that end, he glanced at the clock. Soon. He would have her in bed, naked, very, very soon.
Christ, he could hardly wait.
“Have you found the error?” he asked, ready to move tonight’s lesson along.
“I think so.” She lifted her head and blinked at him. As it nearly always did, her beauty struck him like a blow to the chest. Perfect features, slashing brows, full lips. He could stare at her for hours and never tire of it.
“Show me.” He leaned over to see her work. He’d presented her with a recent problem in one of his poolrooms downtown. A puzzle he wished to see if she could solve.
She pointed at her notes. “This one location consistently has a lower revenue on Tuesday night races, when the other locations have a higher revenue that night. Tuesday is one of Sheepshead Bay’s most popular days. Therefore, what is happening in this one location that no one is betting on Tuesdays?”
This woman. Damn, she was exceptional.
“You’re right. So where do we begin to investigate the problem?”
“I assume they call the Tuesday night races in this poolroom.”
“They do.”
“The patrons could have a reason to avoid betting on races from that track, I suppose.”
“Perhaps, but not over a long period of time. The crowd varies too much for that. What else?”
“Someone is skimming.”
His mouth hitched in satisfaction. “All right. Who?”
“The owner?”
“Unlikely. He has the most to lose, if discovered. He knows me well enough to understand what happens if he’s caught. Let’s assume it’s not him.” Clay already knew the answer but he wanted to see if Florence could get there on her own.
“One of the workers, then. A banker.”
“How do we prove it?”
She chewed her bottom lip in the way that drove him mad. “Look at who was working that night.”
“Yes, we could do that but we might not be able to clearly isolate the problem by just studying their shifts.”
“You could move the suspected skimmer to another night of the week, see if the revenue dips that night, as well.”
Fuck, he absolutely adored her.
“Very, very good.”
She beamed at him, happiness shining in those gorgeous eyes of hers. Everything inside him tightened in anticipation. He needed to get his hands on her.
“This was fun,” she said.
“Stand up.”
Her head cocked as she studied him. “Why?”
“Because I want your mouth on mine right now.” He started around to the other side of the desk.
She tracked his approach through her lashes, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. “What of our lessons?”
“I have a different lesson in mind right now.”
“Oh?”
Now in front of the chair, he pulled her to her feet. His fingers wrapped around her waist and dragged her closer. “This lesson has to do with my desk and your pleasure.”
Laughing, she put a hand on his chest to stop him. “As much as I love that lesson, wait a moment. Let’s not get distracted this early in the night.”
“Why not?”
“I won’t be here tomorrow so I need to soak in all the information I can this evening.”
That news shouldn’t affect him, as he’d seen her every night for the past week. Yet, he felt his chest tighten in disappointment. He was already dreading the long evening without her. “Plans?”
“Do not frown at me.” She leaned up to nip at his jaw. “Tomorrow is my birthday and I am going to dinner with my family.”
“Your birthday?”
“Yes. I am turning twenty-two.”
He winced. Just a mere babe compared to his thirty-one. You are too old for her. He ignored that voice in the back of his head. There were many reasons why he was wrong for her, and age was near the bottom of the list.
Releasing her, he returned to his seat across from the desk. “Then we’d best make the most of tonight.”
“Are you annoyed I won’t be here tomorrow?” She remained standing, watching him curiously.
“No, of course not.”
“Then what is it? Your mood went topsy-turvy on me.”
She was too perceptive sometimes. “Nothing,” he said.
“Liar. Is it about my birthday?” She approached, her skirts rustling as she moved, lips curved into a secret smile. “My family? Or is it about my age?”
Yes, too perceptive. “I often forget how much older I am than you.”
She came in front of his chair and moved in between his knees. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she leaned down and gave him a spectacular view of the tops of her breasts. “You forget,” she whispered in his ear, “because it doesn’t really matter. Thirty-one isn’t so old.”
He caressed her waist, his hands smoothing the expensive silk covering her body. “Yes, but twenty-one is so young.”
“Twenty-two tomorrow, and why are you focused on my age?” She dragged her teeth over his earlobe and he shivered. “Is this about corrupting me again?”
Yanking her forward, he brought her onto his lap. He slid a palm around her neck to cup the back of her head. “No.”
It was about his wanting to keep her and knowing he couldn’t.
He pressed a soft kiss on her mouth, pleased when she relaxed into him and kissed him back. He loved the way she kissed, with her entire being dedicated to the task. She didn’t hold herself in check, playing prey to his hunter. No, she attacked and demanded. She met him as an equal. He never tired of it.
After a quick knock, the door opened. Clay tore his mouth from Florence’s and glanced over to see Jack rushing in, the big man’s eyes wide with panic. His friend exhaled at seeing Clay and Florence. “Oh, thank Christ,” Jack breathed and bent at the waist to collect himself.
Clay set Florence on her feet and rose. “What is the matter? Has something happened?”
“Someone may’ve snuck into the building,” Jack said. “I had Kid Johnny on the back door. They just found him knocked out cold, door wide open.”
Clay’s entire body froze, fear sinking into his bones. If someone was here to hurt him . . . He couldn’t allow Florence anywhere near this place. Her safety was the only thing that mattered. “Come with me,” he told her.