Deadly Odds by Adrienne Giordano Read Free Book Online Page A

shrugged. “You think he’s gonna find something? Because he won’t. Trust me on that.”
    He did trust Don. Who he didn’t trust was Samuels. Samuels knew Ross had a thing for redheads and the brilliant, scheming bastard had sent him the mother of all redheads. One so beautiful she could drive a man to his knees.
    Or the unemployment line.
    Don waggled a finger. “You’re afraid you’ll lose your Wonder Boy status.”
    Could happen. “Pfft.”
    “You’re attracted to her and you think she’s going to screw you. And not in the way you want.”
    “Are you done playing psychologist?”
    “Slice this any way you want, but if Samuels sent her here, she’s staying. I’ve worked for this guy thirty years. He’s a maniac, but he knows what he wants. Right now he wants this broad to tell him what he wants to hear. Maybe she will, maybe she won’t. You can’t get worked up. She’s not going anywhere and you’re not gonna get fired over what she tells him. I guarantee that.” He jabbed his finger. “Nobody is pulling any shit in our casino. We’re solid here.”
    Don’s phone rang. A Hail Mary sent to save Ross from this conversation.
    “Go,” Ross said.
    “We good here?”
    “Yeah. We’re good. I’ll handle Kate Daniels.”
    “I’m sure you will.”

Chapter Four

    The casino lounge was busy for three o’clock on a Monday. Not that Ross would complain, but the noise level didn’t exactly make for easy conversation. All around him strategically placed tables allowed for crowds, but also for aesthetics and movement.
    The lovely Kate Daniels sat near the far railing overlooking the casino floor, her head slightly tilted and that lush red hair falling over her shoulders as she made notes on a legal pad. She must have sensed the we-need-to-get-laid signals from the three men at the adjacent table because she’d set her briefcase on the vacant chair across from her and had spread papers across every inch of open space on her table. The whole setup screamed “back off.”
    Before joining her, Ross checked in with two of the waitresses and the bartender. He wouldn’t mind a vodka rocks, but he still had hours of work ahead of him and settled for a club soda with lime. While waiting on his beverage, he snuck a glance at Kate, still head down and oblivious to his presence. Damn, he liked that.
    She reached for her phone, lifting it to her ear and plugging the other with her free hand to block the casino noise.
    The bartender slid his drink across the bar. “Here you are, Mr. Cooper.”
    “Thanks, Heidi.” He nodded in Kate’s direction. “Whatever Ms. Daniels is having, add it to my tab.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    Angling around customers, he made his way to Kate, still on her phone. On his approach, he slowed to give her privacy, but she looked up, her mouth easing into a slow, sexy smile that had him calculating how long it had been since he’d taken a woman to bed.
    “That sounds good,” she said into her phone. “See you later. Call me if you’ll be late. Don’t leave me sitting there.”
    Boyfriend maybe? Right now, with Samuels sending him this redheaded spy, her being in a relationship might be the only thing that kept his horny body at bay. As miserable as it would make him, he didn’t fool with spoken-for women.
    She set the phone down, tapped the screen. “Hi. Sorry about that.”
    “No problem. Dinner plans?”
    “That remains to be seen.”
    Interesting. “Come again?”
    “Nothing. Sit.”
    She reached over, grabbed her briefcase and set it on the floor next to her. Then she gathered up her papers and shoved them into her briefcase while Ross shot a glance at the idiots next to them. The one guy made eye contact and Ross nodded, letting him know, without question, Kate was off-limits. Nice try, ace .
    He set his glass down, eased into the chair and let his good sense take a nap. “I guess whoever that was cancels on you a lot.”
    Her eyebrows arched. “And it’s your business