Читать книгу Full House Seduction - A.C. Arthur - Страница 11

It was all about business, Brock reminded himself as he pulled out the blueprints he’d retrieved from his office and laid them on the coffee table on the porch in front of her. She bent forward, letting her elbows rest on her knees as she surveyed them.

She wore jeans, fitted to perfection, he might add, and a T-shirt with “Las Vegas” in glittering, swirling letters across her breasts. If Brock had ever wanted to be something in his next life it would be those letters. Looking as if it was costing her dearly to sit still, she tapped her feet on the floor while she studied the papers.

For a moment Brock wondered if she even knew what she was looking at, then chastised himself for assuming that just because she was gorgeous and stacked like a Playboy magazine model that she didn’t have an ounce of sense. Linc had told him how she’d obtained her degree and still took managerial classes to keep sharp on the job. He’d be wise to remember that instead of the way that denim hugged her plump bottom.

“This is a different concept you’ve used,” she was saying.

Taking a seat in his favorite chair, Brock nodded. “Most casinos are designed to spread out, with gaming facilities going horizontally and hotel towers on top. My architect and I decided to break from the norm. Luckily Linc approved.”

She nodded. “I can see why he did.”

Taking that as a compliment, Brock cracked a small smile. “Do you like it?”

He wasn’t prepared for her to look up at him in response, but she did. She didn’t smile, but the twinkle in her eye said she was pleased. “I do. I think it’s more than functional—it’s unique. Having a dash of gaming, entertainment and suites on each floor is a great opportunity for us to capitalize on every guest.”

“Exactly. The idea is that no matter where the guest goes in the facility they’ll have options of where and how to spend their money.”

“And that’s the name of the game.”

She did smile then and he joined her, relaxing a bit. She was in his space, a place where he normally didn’t allow women he barely knew. But since he’d known they would need to work long grueling hours to get the Gramercy II up and running, he’d been the one to suggest to Linc that she simply stay at the house with him instead of getting a hotel room. Surprisingly, both Linc and Noelle had thought that a wise idea.

When they’d toured the house he’d been on edge, wondering what she thought about what she was seeing. He didn’t put a lot of time and energy into decorating, much to Josette’s dismay. He functioned on the bare necessities, which could come off as sparse to some. But since he never entertained, beyond having Josette and Kent over to light up the grill, it didn’t matter.

Speaking of which, he said, “I planned to put a couple of steaks on the grill for dinner. Is that okay with you?”

“Ah, yeah. That’s fine. I like steak.”

He nodded. “Good.”

“What I don’t like are all these windows.”

Brock looked around and frowned. “It’s a screened porch,” he said in defense.

“What? Oh, no, not here. The porch is nice. It’s comfortable and probably relaxing after a long day’s work.” She tapped a finger to the blueprint. “I’m talking about at the casino. You have to know that reminding the guest of the time distracts them from gambling. They’ll realize how long they’ve been at one table if they can see that when they came in it was daylight and now it’s dark.”

He felt like an idiot. Of course she was talking about the casino.

“Normally that’s true,” he said, clearing his throat. “But we’ve designed some special effects lighting that will change the moods. So the guest isn’t reminded of the time but entranced by the ambiance.”

She looked to be thinking that over, her hair brushing over her shoulders as she nodded. “That might work. Now what about here? What’s this?”

“The waterfall cove,” he answered. “People in this region are in love with the water so we decided to keep that as the recurring theme. Instead of something as ostentatious and played out as pyramids and Egyptian or Venetian themes, we thought we’d simply let nature take its course, per se.”

“Your architect is a genius. Who’s the interior designer? I’ll need to meet with them sometime this week to go over how this theme is being incorporated. I think something subtle, classic lines, use of basic materials, copper, bronze, stuff like that will go well with the natural flow. Oh, and I want to make sure we’re being as green as possible.”

“Green?”

“Yes, as in the environment. Wherever possible we need to conserve, recycle, save the Earth.”

Brock held up a hand as she looked like she would go into more explanation. “I get it. Kent Foster is the architect. He has an even more talented wife. Come to think of it, she’s better looking than Kent, too.” He laughed. “I’ve contracted her for the interior designing.”

“Keeping it all in the family, huh?”

Brock instantly sobered. “They’re not my family,” he snapped, and the air around them chilled.

It was like walking on eggshells, Noelle thought dismally. She’d replayed their conversation in her mind at least three times since he’d bolted up out of the chair and began readying the grill for their steak dinner, she supposed.

After the third time she figured to hell with it. If he was some crazy, emotional head case she could do without that drama. Hadn’t she had enough of that going on in her life already? No, she definitely was not in the mood. Therefore, her next thought was that she had no intention of dealing with Brock Remington on any level other than their work on the casino. In that area he seemed knowledgeable, confident, not nearly as agitated.

From the moment she’d introduced herself to him he’d acted as if she’d done something to offend him personally. Which, by the way, in her past could have been entirely true. But Noelle was no longer that immature girl. She’d grown in the years she’d known the Donovans, in the time she’d watched her sister find the happiness she deserved. So again, she had no idea what Brock’s problem was.

Hearing her cell phone chime, she stood, walked to where she’d placed her purse on the chair closest to the doorway that led into the house and retrieved it. After checking her caller ID first, she breathed a sigh of relief to see it was Jade.

“Hi,” Noelle said with a smile.

“Hi. You didn’t call when you landed so I worried.”

“You always worry.”

“That’s what big sisters do. So how’s it going? How was the plane ride? Is the Eastern Shore as beautiful in the summer as the brochure says? How’s Brock? Are you being nice to him?”

“Whoa, hold on with the interrogation.” Noelle chuckled then looked over her shoulder to see that Brock still had his back to her, still focusing on getting the grill started. But as a precaution Noelle moved into the foyer of the house, out of his earshot.

“The plane ride wasn’t as bad as I thought. Flying on a private jet is much more relaxing than going commercial. As for the scenery, from what I’ve seen it’s nice. Lots of trees and grass and pretty flowers. It’s hot as hell here, though.”

“You’re used to the heat.”

“No, Vegas heat is dry. This is sticky, sultry, but I shall survive.”

“Ok, so how’s Brock? Linc said he just had his house built a couple of years ago. Is it nice?”

“It’s a beautiful home. And it’s right on the water. There’s a small village just a few miles away that he said we’d visit maybe tomorrow to get more of the Eastern Shore feel. But I had a tour of the house and it’s okay, if you like this sort of thing.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Even though she knew Jade couldn’t see her, Noelle shrugged. “I mean, it’s really nice, a little sparse for my tastes, but I get the impression he’s a man with minimal needs.”

“Where is he now?”

“Making dinner.”

“Oh, a man that cooks. That’s heavenly. Linc can barely warm a bottle for the girls, let alone cook a meal.”

“Calm down—it’s on the grill. That’s like second nature to them. If a man can’t handle a grill, he’s got real issues.”

Jade laughed. “Well, I just wanted to check up on you and make sure things were going smoothly.”

I wouldn’t exactly say smoothly, she thought, remembering the way Brock had just about raced away from her and their conversation. “I’m not on vacation, Jade. We’re going over the plans for the casino and I suspect we’ll get right to work tomorrow. It’s no big deal.”

“It’s just that you’ve never been this far away from me, so allow me a little worry for the time being.”

“I’m fine.” While Jade loved the progress Noelle had made—loved the fact that Noelle was no longer partying all night, sleeping most of the day, and basically tossing her life away—she still felt the need to protect her. Noelle respected that to a certain extent because for so long she had depended on her sister for everything—but now she didn’t, now she was standing on her own two feet. No matter what sticky situations they still seemed to walk her into.

“You have two beautiful daughters to worry about now. I’m a big girl. If I can’t get myself out of the trouble I get into, then that’s my problem.”

“Are you in trouble? What really happened with Luther, Noelle? Because you never did tell me a lot about him or why you two stopped seeing each other. All I know is that he had some issues letting go.”

“No,” she answered quickly. “Luther is definitely not a situation. Besides, that’s over and done with and I’m not looking for another relationship until I can find a man who likes me for me and not just my physical attributes.”

Jade sighed. “Listen to you. I remember a time when your physical attributes were your best asset. That’s what you used to say.”

“Yeah, well, that ship has sailed,” Noelle responded. “There’s a new sheriff in town and she’s taking no prisoners so any man that steps to me now better be for real about being with me or else he can just keep on steppin’.”

“I hear you, little sis. And you’re right. You deserve more than a man that simply wants you in his bed.”

“And that’s what I plan to get.” Noelle sighed. “Even if I have to grow old and gray waiting for it.”

Jade chuckled. “Me, I can see growing old and gray. You, on the other hand, will be fifty years old and counting with your hair dyed blond, your party dress on and, oh yes, the hottest, most expensive designer shoes you can find.”

Noelle couldn’t help but smile—her sister knew her all too well.