Free High Stakes by Erin McCarthy Page A

know what a receptionist was.
    Stabbing his butt out in the ashtray, he turned a little and gave her half of his attention instead of a tenth.
    "You like your job, Kelsey? Mr. Carrick a good boss?"
    He had no intention of involving Kelsey in his plans, but maybe she could tell him the layout of the private floors, and where Car-rickwent for dinner every night, since he didn't seem to eat in any of the hotel restaurants.
    And if she was his receptionist/lover, why was she trolling his casino for sugar daddies? Carrick was a big-ass sugar daddy in his own right with his two-thousand-room hotel and ten-million-a-day casino.
    "Oh, he's the best boss. I'll never leave him," she said solemnly.
    Ringocould practically hear the rocks in her head rattling. "You're doing it again," he reprimanded, going over twenty-one on his hand."Distracting me from my game."
    "Sorry." She laughed, her lips around a swizzle stick, licking martini juice from the tip. "I'll be a good girl and behave." With a twist of her wrist, she made as if she were zipping her lips shut.
    It was too easy.Carrick's receptionist landing in his lap. Maybe she had been sent to distract him.
    That seemed far-fetched. Carrick didn't know who the hell he was.
    But it made sense to keep an eye on Kelsey. "Never behave, gorgeous, that would be a waste on you.
    Let me close out here and we'll go grab a table and get to know each other a little better."
    Zipped lips were forgotten. "Cool!" She leaned over and kissed him quickly. "I like the way you smell,"

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    she murmured against his mouth.
    Then she giggled again.

Chapter Six
    Alexis stared at the itinerary in front of her and decided Carrick was weirder than she'd given him credit for.

    7 p.m. Assemble in Sinatra room for reception line.
    8 p.m. Fundraising dinner, open only to conservatives sup-porting President Carrick's reelection.
    11 p.m. Benefit concert with special guests, The Suckers, to support campaign financing.

    There was then a long list of what she could and could not do, including an insistence that she wear pantyhose—like her underwear was anyone'sflippin ' business but hers—and the pearls provided for her in the room safe, key on the dresser.
    If this were a bid for the U.S. Senate, or a gubernatorial race, she could hang with it. It would make sense.
    But none of this was real. They were pretending to elect a president of a Vampire Nation that was a flipping figment of their seriously corroded imaginations. She was so gladBrittany was safe at home, far away from this bunch.

    Brittanyhoped she didn't bump into Alex. Her sister would kill her if she found out she had come back to The Ava. But she couldn't stop herself. She had to understand what was going on. She had to help them, even if she put herself at risk.
    Which didn't really explain why she was back in the hallway by the bathroom, where she had seen that man and woman the night before. Biting her lip, she looked around the empty space.
    Had she really thought he'd just be standing here? And why was she so anxious to see him?
    Okay, that was obvious. She thought he was hot.Sexy.A hard body.
    But he was also a vampire, and she had to remember that first and foremost.
    Which was why she screamed—just a little—when two seconds later he came around the corner.
    He started,then stopped in front of her.Studied her. "You areze woman from last night.Carrick's Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    woman."
    French accent wasn't helping her stay focused.Brittany clenched her legs together and nodded. "Yes.
    But I'm notCarricks woman… my sister is."Sort of. But she didn't want tall, dark, and Francophile to get the wrong idea about her.
    "Whoez your sister?"
    "AlexisBaldizzi ."Brittany swallowed. Maybe this wasn't such a brilliant idea after all. They were kind of alone here. "She's a lawyer.A prosecutor ."
    "You areBrittany