el Julian's gaze on her shoulder blades. It felt like a laser burn. She order

of young men. They were Hosts. Beautiful, paid companions that the club kept on retai

her phone. She typ

B.

tantly. Then a reply. H

ted. Two min

storm of red hair and designer silk. Trailing behind her was a

e

a smile that could melt glaciers. He spotted

d, waving franticall

gain. Julian didn't turn aroun

ng on her best surpris

took her hand and kissed the knuckl

id, laughing. It was a light, tinkling

thout asking and draped it over her shoulders

r? he

into him, letting the jacket env

ted the bar area from the poker pit. She hopped up onto a high st

lian had a direct l

the bartender. Cha

lose. Is that h

red, reaching up to adjust his

inned.

s fabric, she said, her voice pitched just loud enough to carry. It'

lian's hand froz

sure, tried to intervene. Julian, baby, it's

was staring at Victoria

terrible joke about a lawyer and a shark, but Leo threw his head b

f chips into the center

changed looks. The p

ooked over the rim of the glass at Juli

. I've always thought intelligence is the sexies

d so hard a muscle f

, Juli

paused. Sir

is entire stack forward. Two m

he table knew it. He hadn't e

sped. Ju

a shark named Sebastian who had been

ds. A Full House. The unb

es. He had the nut flush draw. He had missed. He had been staring

t was a two-million-dollar lapse in judgme

throat. The house win

e in a second of testost

sick. Julian, that was... that was t

d. A slow, sarc

e raised her glass.

against the floor with a screech

predatory grace of a panther that had d

raightened up, instinctivel

g, Leo bega

Julian

ayful shove. It was a blow to the chest that sent Leo stumbli

s shattered. Amber liquid spr

went de

ook at the bouncers who were starting to mo

e the flecks of gold in his gray eyes. She could smell the whisk

sked. His voice wa

cing so fast she thought she might pass out

Julian. Are yo

. For a second, she though

ched out and gr