Free Rough and Tumble by CRYSTAL GREEN Page A

“I’m not a biker.”
    Right.
    â€œNo lie,” he said. “I’ve got a black classic Ford Thunderbird parked at the side of this building. Not exactly biker-issue.”
    If he wasn’t a biker, then what was he? Whatever it was, the look on his face when he’d spoken about the car said volumes: it was his pride and joy, and he didn’t like being categorized.
    Was it weird that this comforted her slightly?
    And who was she to talk about “weird” when she’d already jumped down the rabbit hole with her friends today?
    She grabbed one of the cocktail napkins the bartender had set on the table, took a pen from the purse over her chest, and started to scribble.
    â€œI’m sure you’ve signed contracts before,” she said.
    He only chuckled in resignation, then took a slug of whisky.
    When she finished, she pushed the napkin to him. “This basically says that you’re excusing Arden Pope from the ten thousand dollars she owes you after you and I go on this date. Please sign the bottom.”
    He put down his drink and nudged it away, motioning to Kat the bartender again. “Let’s get a witness over here, just to make this extra official.”
    He shot her a smart-ass smile, and as he held the pen, she noticed how long his fingers were. That gave her the sexy shivers all over again. So did the fact that she was negotiating a freakin’ date with Mystery Man.
    â€œBy the way, is this in triplicate? Do I get a copy?” he asked sarcastically, looking the napkin over as Kat arrived at the table.
    â€œI could . . .”
    â€œNever mind.” He looked up at Kat. “I’m signing a very serious document here. You’re seeing me in action, right?”
    â€œRight.” Kat didn’t blink an eye. She’d probably witnessed kookier things in this saloon.
    With a flowing jumble of letters, Cash signed the napkin, then gave it and the pen to Kat. She signed, too, and walked off to continue manning the bar.
    So it was done. No matter how you said it, Molly had agreed to sell herself, and in a warped way, it turned her on.
    Ignoring the rush, she looked over the napkin. “I can’t read your name.”
    â€œIt’s there.”
    â€œI’d like to print your full name under the signature.”
    â€œHell.” He sighed gruffly. “It’s . . .”
    He said something she didn’t understand before he got to his last name, which was Campbell. She marked that down.
    â€œWhat was the first part again? It doesn’t look like ‘Cash.’”
    He muttered it one more time, and she sent him an exasperated look.
    â€œBeauregard,” he said dismissively. “Beau.”
    Wait.
“I thought your name was Cash.”
    â€œNickname.”
    â€œBecause you’re a cardsharp?”
    â€œRight. But no one calls me anything but Cash.”
    Whoa, he was kind of touchy about this. Beau was a good name. A gentleman’s name, very old-fashioned. Maybe that’s why he’d ditched it.
    But he’d been forthcoming, so she didn’t dwell. She was even surprised he’d played along by signing his supposedly full name.
    She shoved the napkin and pen in her purse. “I’ll need a bit of time to check in to the hotel with my friends and . . .” Take a cold shower? Probably that, too.
    â€œCaesars Palace?” he asked. At her startled look, he added, “Arden mentioned it during the poker game.”
    â€œGreat.” Clearly, Arden had given more away than money. Molly only hoped her friend hadn’t blabbed too much.
    Cash said, “There’re a lot of bars in Caesars, but there’s one you’ll probably like in particular. The Seahorse Lounge.”
    â€œIs that where we’ll meet?”
    He leaned closer and gave a slow look at her hair, which she hadn’t bothered to put back into its bun.
    â€œYeah, we’ll meet