Gambler's Woman by Jayne Ann Krentz Read Free Book Online Page A

find
him systematically going through her purse went up another notch. Her
body was a slender, taut length outlined by the gold sheet

"Alyssa Meredith Chandler. Age thirty and a couple of days. Resides in
Ventura, California, and works
as a statistician for a company called Yeoman Research." Jordan
repeated what he had learned about
her as if savoring each small fact. He leaned down as he reached the
bed, planting a palm on either side
of her body to form a cage with his arms, trapping her. "And unmarried.
Thank God." The golden eyes burned over her tense face.

"Do you always go through a woman's purse the morning after?" Alyssa
muttered, trying for some semblance of bravado. A semblance was all it
was. She didn't feel particularly brave lying there with
him looming over her like some vengeful devil. Yes, devil. Hadn't they
once called casinos "gambling hells"? And with those golden eyes and
those hands.. . Her body heated uncomfortably at the memory
of those hands on it

"Last night," Jordan told her carefully, "I wanted you too badly to
risk asking too many questions. This morning, when I woke up, I
realized just how little I knew about you. It occurred to me, in fact,
that
you might even be married. I had to get some answers, honey, and I
wasn't too sure you'd be willing
to part with them. That didn't leave me much choice. But you're not
married, are you?"

"Would it matter?"

" Are you?" This time the
question was dangerous.

"No. Not anymore," she whispered starkly. "Are you?"

"No. We're a little late with some of the more pertinent questions,
aren't we? But I suppose better late than never."

A sense of indignation began to eat away at the uncertain fear he had
inspired in her. "Can I assume
from the tone of this inquisition that you really are just curious
about me? You're not planning to take
my money and disappear?"

One dark brow lifted deliberately. "Is that what you thought I was
doing when you woke up? Getting ready to steal last night's winnings?"

"The thought crossed my mind." Alyssa struggled up onto one elbow, but
he didn't remove his caging arms. The lean power in his nude body
seemed to be reaching out to suffocate her. She felt trapped,
and she was far too aware of the strength in him. She should be. Her
body still ached from it "After
all, I don't know any more about you than you know about me."

He stared at her broodingly for a long moment "No. I probably don't.
Last night, in the heat of passion,
I told myself that once I had you in bed, all the questions would be
answered. I thought we'd know each other very well by this morning. And
we do in some ways. I just hadn't realized how many questions there
would remain to be asked. I seem to have developed an insatiable
curiosity about you, Alyssa Meredith Chandler. I want to know
everything there is to know, and taking you to bed only gave me some of
the answers. My biggest single fear when I opened my eyes and saw you
lying there beside
me was that I might have been cast in the role of the other man."

"Somehow I don't see you playing that part," she retorted caustically.

"Neither do I," he agreed a little too blandly. "But given the fact
that I went to sleep without even
learning your last name, it was a distinct possibility."

"You're in a rather negative mood this morning, aren't you?" she
observed. "Do I get to go through your wallet now?" It was only a faint
sally, and Alyssa was rather surprised when it worked. She hadn't
really expected him to free her and walk across the room to fish the
elegantly thin leather billfold out of the pocket of his slacks, but he
did. She sucked in her breath in temporary relief as his weight left
the bed.

Wordlessly, he strode back across the room and dropped the wallet on
her lap. Then he lounged at the foot of the bed and waited while she
flipped through it.

Feeling awkward at riffling through his personal things but not knowing
what else to do now that she had demanded to see them, Alyssa hurriedly
flipped