The Return of the Rebel Read online

  “I remember how your brothers policed every guy who looked in your direction. Did you ever have a date in high school?”

  She nodded. “Mama finally put her foot down and made them back off on the couple of boys she approved of.”

  “But not the guys you had your eye on.”

  She shook her head. “You know how old-fashioned my family can be, and Kurt is no better. He doesn’t understand why I had to get away to try different things and find what makes me happy.”

  “I guess I hadn’t thought of it that way.” Jax placed his hand over his heart. “I promise in the future to let you fight your own battles.”

  “Thank you. But you do realize once you check out, Mr. Burns will find a way to get rid of me.”

  “Are you saying that I have to stay here indefinitely?” Jax smiled, causing her heart flutter.

  “Yes. But in order to do that, you’ll have to start winning.”

  He rubbed his jaw. “I suppose you’re right. Maybe we should go give it another try. I’m feeling lucky now.”

  “Are you serious?” There was still a chance of turning things around if Jax continued to test his luck at the tables.

  The light from his smile snuck between the cracks in her dark mood and lightened her spirits. She was drawn to him, but she steeled herself against the desire. There was still so much she didn’t know about him.

  She’d never met anyone who could affect her so deeply. She’d come in here ready to tell him what to do with the job he’d secured for her, but instead she was walking out the door with a smile on her face, anxious to prove Mr. Burns wrong.

  In the warm evening, the lights along the pathway gave off a soft glow. Jax was just behind her and she could sense his gaze on her. What was going through his mind?

  Was he remembering how he’d almost kissed her in the restaurant? Drat Mr. Burns for ruining the moment. After all, it wasn’t as though they were starting something serious. It would have been a simple kiss.

  “It’s a beautiful evening,” Jax said from behind her.

  “Yes, it is.” But it wasn’t the darkening sky or warm breeze that held her interest.

  When Jax made another comment, she couldn’t quite catch his words. Afraid she missed something important, she stopped short. He bumped into her. His hands reached and wrapped around her waist. She automatically turned in his arms.

  Her gaze met his and her heart skipped a beat. “I didn’t hear you.”

  “I said the sunset wasn’t nearly as beautiful as you.”

  He was so close. She could smell his male scent combined with a spicy aftershave. A much better fragrance for him than the coffee.

  Her good intentions evaporated as his intense gaze held hers. In his eyes, she detected mounting interest. She reveled in the fact that she could evoke such a reaction in him. She moved a little closer and heard the swift intake of his breath. He might fight it, but he was as attracted to her as she was to him.

  Then she did something spontaneous. She lifted up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his just the way she had all those years ago. But this time she didn’t stop there. She was no longer young and inexperienced. And she fully intended to make an unforgettable point.

  Her lips moved against his very still mouth. Surely he couldn’t be that surprised. This had started long ago and tonight she wanted to turn her fantasy into reality. So that when they each went their separate ways, she would have this memory to hang on to during those sleepless nights.

  Her hands slid up over his solid chest and his muscled shoulders and wrapped around his neck. Her fingertips slid through his hair. With a moan, he tightened his hold on her, drawing her closer. His lips moved beneath hers. And like a timeless dance their mouths opened and their tongues met. Was it possible that this kiss—that Jax himself—was even better than she ever imagined in her dreams?

  His kiss became frenzied with need. She met him stroke for stroke. His excitement increased her pleasure. Time slipped away. The only thing that mattered now was the man holding her.

  Then as quickly as the kiss had started, it ended. Jax released her and stepped back. His breathing was as rapid as hers but his gaze lowered. He refused to look at her. What was that all about?

  “That shouldn’t have happened.” He raked his fingers through his hair, scattering the short strands.

  This was not the reaction she’d expected. She inwardly groaned. Why should this time be any different? He didn’t want her. The acknowledgment stung.

  “You’re right.” What had she been thinking? “It was my fault. It won’t happen again.”

  She went to turn away when he reached out to her. “Hey, this has nothing to do with you. You’re beautiful. Any man would be crazy to turn you down.”

  “You’re making too much of it.”

  When would she learn to think before acting? Every time she put herself out there, she’d been rejected, first by her ex and then by her very own mother. People couldn’t love her as is. They always wanted her to be more outgoing, more compliant, more something. There was always an area where she fell short in their eyes. She didn’t even know what Jax found lacking in her and she wasn’t about to stick around to ask.

  She sucked down the bruising ache in her chest. It wasn’t as though she still carried a torch for him. The kiss had been nothing more than a passing fancy, not something serious.

  Swallowing hard, she levelled her shoulders and met his gaze. “I have some stuff to do. You can go ahead without me. I’ll call and make sure your blackjack table is ready.” It was then that she realized she didn’t have her phone. “I must have left my phone back at the bungalow.”

  Jax turned as though to walk with her.

  She held up her hand to stop him. “Just go into the casino. I’ll get it.”

  He looked as though he was going to argue but then thought better of it. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Go ahead into the casino. You should be all set up at the same table as earlier.”

  “Cleo, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you—”

  She waved away his platitude. “I’m fine. It was a mistake kissing you all those years ago and it was a mistake tonight.”

  His mouth opened but she didn’t wait around to hear anything he had to say. She strode away, completely mortified by the way she’d thrown herself at him. What in the world had gotten into her? She’d like to blame it on a full moon, but there was none. This mortifying disaster was all her fault.

  When she arrived at Jax’s bungalow, she realized her pass card was with the phone locked inside. She expelled a sigh. Just what she needed now was to tell him that she had forgotten not only her phone but the hotel pass card, as well. Could she look any more incompetent this evening?

  The sound of footsteps had her taking a calming breath. A shadow fell over her. She turned, expecting to find Jax, but instead a tall, muscular man dressed in a dark suit stood before her. The stranger was built like a linebacker and under different circumstances this might have intrigued her, but tonight she didn’t want to be bothered.

  Her gaze rose to his face. She was caught off guard by his dark, menacing eyes. “I’m sorry but this is a restricted area. Are you a guest of the hotel?”

  The man’s tanned face creased with an intimidating frown. “I’m looking for someone. A Jax Monroe.”

  She had no idea who this man was or who had pointed him in this direction, but the first rule about being a casino host was abiding by their client’s wishes. And Jax had no wish for anyone to find him here.

  “I can’t help you. Did you try at the front desk?” She knew that they wouldn’t release guest information, but she hoped this man didn’t know that and would go away. “Maybe they can give you some information.”

  “Just tell me where I can find him.”

  An
uneasy feeling inched down her spine. Was this the man Jax was avoiding? If so, she fully understood why Jax wouldn’t want anything to do with him. Her mouth grew dry. The guy looked as though he could bench-press a car. And the menacing look in his eyes gave her the creeps.

  Something definitely wasn’t right here. Her palms grew moist. Standing alone with this man was not a good idea. It was time to get moving.

  “I really need to be going. I have people waiting for me.” She started walking, but instead of taking the private path back to the casino, she veered toward the pool, hoping there might still be some stragglers hanging out.

  “Don’t walk away from me. This is important. Just tell me where to find him and there won’t be any trouble.”

  She didn’t need to hear any more. She walked faster. The man easily kept pace.

  The hairs on the back of her neck lifted. When she reached the pool area, luckily some young people were still milling about. Not that they were paying her any attention. Still, whatever this man meant by his threat, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to try something with so many witnesses... Would he?

  She got as far as the first line of lounge chairs when his meaty fingers reached out and clamped around her upper arm, halting her progress. She jerked her arm, but his grip was like a vice. Her heart jumped, lodging in her throat.

  He pulled her to him. Her back pressed to his chest and he wrapped his hand over her mouth. “I want you to give Jax a message—”

  Cleo bit down on the man’s finger.

  A curse thundered in her ears. He yanked his hand away. Never taking her eyes off him, she backed up. He lunged for her. In the ensuing struggle, her foot got caught in a lounge chair. She lost her balance and fell backward, hitting the concrete.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “OPEN YOUR EYES.”

  Jax stared down at Cleo’s pale, lifeless form on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance. His chest tightened as he said a silent prayer to the big guy upstairs. She just had to be all right. She had to be.

  His thumb stroked the soft skin of her limp hand. He had no idea what had happened. When he’d heard there was a commotion out by the pool and Cleo hadn’t returned, he’d gone looking for her. He never expected to find Cleo in a crumpled heap on the ground.

  There hadn’t been time to stop and ask questions. All he could think about was her opening her beautiful green eyes again. But one thing he knew in that moment was that the girl who’d given him a peck all those years ago still meant the world to him. He reached into his pocket. His fingers traced over the pocket watch—his good-luck charm. He was about to pull it out and press it into her limp hand when he noticed her fingers move.

  “Jax? Where am I?”

  Cleo’s voice was weak but clear. He’d never heard anything so wonderful in his whole life. He longed to pull her into his arms and hold her close.

  “You fell, but don’t worry, you’re going to be fine now.” She tried to sit up, but the straps on the gurney held her down. “Not so fast, they still have to check you out. You got quite a bump on your head.”

  She glanced over, noticing the paramedic reading off her stats to the hospital.

  “My leg hurts and I can’t move it.”

  “They immobilized it. Looks like you banged it up pretty good.”

  She closed her eyes and he worried that she had slipped into unconsciousness, but she quickly opened them again. “I’m sorry to be such a bother.”

  He held her hand between both of his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You could never be a bother. Right now all you have to do is concentrate on getting better.”

  He wanted to ask her what happened, but now wasn’t the time to get into it. Still, Cleo wasn’t a clumsy person. When you lived on a ranch, you learned to be fast on your toes. So what exactly had happened to her?

  He was still holding her hand as they backed up to the emergency room entrance. Her fingers were cold as she kept a firm grip on him. When he tried to pull away, she wouldn’t let go.

  “It’s okay. They’ll take good care of you.” He stared straight into her eyes, noting the worry reflected in them. He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her delicate skin. “You’re safe now. I promise.”

  “Will...will you stay?”

  “You bet. They couldn’t drag me out of here if they tried.”

  “Thank you.”

  The fact that she wanted him with her, that he was able to provide some sort of comfort, stirred a strange sensation in his chest. It wasn’t the protective feeling of a big brother watching over a little sister. No, this was something different—something much deeper. Much more powerful.

  The scare had been of a magnitude that he’d never experienced before. He didn’t know where the feelings came from or what to do with them—he just knew his place was right here by Cleo’s side.

  The ambulance doors swung open and they rushed her off. He wanted to go with her—to make sure that nothing happened to her. But as he started to follow Cleo’s gurney, a nurse stepped in front of him and pointed the way to the waiting area, promising they would notify him when he could see her.

  Frustration knotted his gut. The last time he’d let her out of his sight something bad had happened. But Cleo was safe now. She was in the hospital. Doctors and nurses would be seeing to her needs.

  He entered the spacious waiting area lined with rows of black cushioned chairs. He took a deep breath as the reality of his location struck him. It wasn’t so long ago he’d been the patient. Even though it had been a different hospital, the memory had him on edge. He didn’t want to be here—not at all.

  But he’d promised Cleo he’d stay. He wouldn’t break his promise to her. It was the least he could do for her. He tried sitting but that lasted all of thirty seconds. He paced the length of the room. Back and forth. He wasn’t the only one wearing a concerned expression. The waiting area was filled with young and old people all waiting for word on a loved one.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Monroe.”

  He turned to find a police officer. “Yes.”

  “I’m here about the incident at the Glamour. Did you see anything?”

  The police were involved. This wasn’t good. “No, I didn’t. I was inside and heard about the commotion by the pool. I went to investigate and that’s when I found Cleo. Do you know what happened?”

  “I’m still piecing things together. We have a report of a man getting into a scuffle with Ms. Sinclair and your name was mentioned.”

  “Have you talked with her?”

  “Not yet. That’s where I’m headed next.”

  Dread dug at Jax as he wondered if it had anything to do with his mysterious calls. “There’s something you should know.”

  The officer turned his keen, observant eyes on him and listened intently as Jax revealed how he was a key witness in a federal money-laundering case. He also mentioned the strange phone calls that had started in New York.

  The officer asked a few more questions, jotted out some notes and gave Jax his contact information. “If you think of anything at all that might be helpful, let me know.”

  “I will.” And he meant it. He wasn’t going to take unnecessary chances with the woman he...he...cared about.

  Whether he liked it or not, she was definitely getting to him. She was making him feel things that he didn’t have any right to feel. The only way to stop this growing attraction was to follow through with his plan to leave Vegas. He eyed up the exit. But he couldn’t break his promise to her. He’d wait until he saw her and was certain she was going to be fine.

  Almost a half hour later, a nurse stood at the security door that led into the examination area. “Mr. Monroe, you can come back now.”

  When he came to a stop next to Cleo’s bed, he was stunned by what he saw. A white bandage was wrapped around her fore
head. Her face was nearly as pale as the sheet. And her injured leg was elevated. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but it wasn’t her looking weak and helpless.

  She studied him. “Do I really look that bad?”

  He’d obviously let his poker face slip again. Still, the sight of her lying there injured had shaken him more than he’d anticipated. “Sorry. I wasn’t expecting to find you all bandaged up.”

  “Jax, there’s something I need to tell you—”

  “And how’s the patient?” A male voice came from behind him.

  Jax turned to find a doctor in a white lab coat standing at the opening in the curtains surrounding the bed. He glanced back at Cleo. “We’ll talk later. I’ll just wait outside.”

  “It’s okay.” She grabbed his hand. “You can stay for this.”

  The doctor cleared his throat. “Ms. Sinclair has a mild concussion. We’re still not certain about the extent of damage to her leg. I’m waiting on the films. However, I want to keep her in the hospital under observation. She was unconscious for a bit and I want to make sure there aren’t any complications. But she’s insisting that she’s going home.”

  Jax turned to her. “You need to listen to the doctor. He knows what he’s talking about.”

  “I’m not staying.” A stubborn glint reflected in her eyes. “I can’t sleep in hospitals. Besides, I feel fine now.”

  “She can go home as long as she isn’t alone,” the doctor said while looking directly at Jax. “Can you stay with her?”

  “I don’t need him.” The sincerity in her pointed words poked at Jax. “I can take care of myself.”

  The doctor’s brow drew together. “I’m sure you can in most cases, but you’ve got a serious bump on your head and you need to stay off your leg as much as possible. So either you stay here and let the nurses look after you or you can go home with...”

  “Jax. Jax Monroe. And I’ll see that she’s taken care of.”