High Stakes (Vegas Vampires #1)(17)
Author: Erin McCarthy

"I’m Alexis Baldizzi, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Raul- Fortunato. Did you have a pleasant flight to Nevada ?"

"Absolutely."Mr. Raul- Fortunatobeamed.

They chatted for a minute, Alexis wearing a serene smile and murmuring platitudes like she’d been born a politician’s wife.

Yet when Mr. Raul- Fortunatoleft them to join the other guests, Alexis muttered, "Freak."

And for J. P. Montmarte , the French engineer, she shot, "Chez psycho," at his retreating back.

"Stop it," Ethan told her. "Someone is going to hear you."

"What?" She turned that faux innocence on him. "I’m beingPerfectly pleasant. Just be sure to wind me up again when the next guest arrives." Moving her arms like a robot, she tilted her head toward him. "See? I’m a windup toy."

He struggled not to grin. "Better windup than blowup." This is where I smile at the room and call you an ass**le under my breath. See? Doing that right now smile at the pretty guests, Ethan’s an ass**le yes, I can multitask with the best of them."

An older gentleman Ethan didn’t recognize gave Alexis a little wave as he caught her eye from across the room.

Alexis waved back with cheery enthusiasm as she said, "Hi there, Loon.Wacky-Willie.Crazy with a capital C, all of you. And I am, too, for being here with you."

Seamus was glaring at him from the head table, and yet Ethan wanted to laugh. "Alexis, I suggest you relax and enjoyyourself ." He couldn’t stop himself from stroking his hand across her back. "You look beautiful tonight, by the way. I like the way your backside looks in this dress. My hand is itching to touch it."

Or smack it with a nice resounding slap on bare skin. Either way would work for him.

"Do it and youdie. "

"Oh, come on admit you want me to, just a little."

She glanced up at him, eyebrows slightly raised."Nope. Sorry.Not at all."

It was a lie. It had to be. No woman had ever dismissed him so out of hand. It was starting to irritate him. Well, it had been irritating him since the moment they had met, but it was even worse now because he was wearing a tux, had given her a diamond necklace, and she still looked at him like he was bacterial slime.

"When is the food being served? I’m starving."

Time for her to accept some realities."There is no dinner. We’re vampires. We don’t need food to sustain us." Blood was what he needed, and he was starting to suspect he wouldn’t be satisfied until he drew some straight from Alexis during a slow sexual mating.

"No food? That sucks." She gave him a sour look. "I’m going to faint if I don’t eat something. I only had a yogurt at lunch because I thought this was a real dinner—I mean you called it a dinner—which would mean food to any normal human. You should have told me you all were eating before the party."

Clearly, sex wasn’t the first thing on her mind.

Turning, she snatched champagne off a passing waiter’s tray." Geez. No food. What a rip-off."

"I’m sorry. It didn’t occur to me to tell you. I’m sure I can get you something sent up from one of the restaurants downstairs. What would you like?"

"I want Frank Sinatra’s pepper steak.And a mixed-green salad. Am I going to have to sneak into the bathroom to eat it so I don’t embarrass you?"

"The bathroom?"Ethan laughed."God, no. You can eat in the room down the hall designated for the serving staff to take breaks in. I’ll tell everyone you’re freshening up."

"While I scarf my food down.Great, just great, Carrick.Thanks for being such a fabulous host. Don’t know why I thought I wouldn’t enjoy myself."

That was sarcasm, obviously. "Would it make you feel better if I kissed you?" He tried to draw her closer to him.

"Get away from me, pimp." Alexis could turn glaring into an art form. She gave him an inspired look of hatred.

"I like the way your lips part when you’re angry," he teased.

"You’re a sick man. Go order my food." She left him standing there and went to mingle, which meant tilting her head and doing beauty pageant impersonations for anyone who would talk to her.

Realizing he was just standing there staring at her firm little bottom, Ethan pulled out his cell phone and ordered her food.Frank Sinatra’s pepper steak. What a smart-ass.

He liked that about her.

Chapter Seven

Alexis was debating the rules of chess with a kooky Russian when Ethan reappeared at her side. "Look, Peter, with all due respect, you can’t castle after moving your king."

He shrugged with that cool nonchalance all Russians seemed to have mastered. "Says who?"

"The rules!"

"What rules? Do you have these rules? Can you prove these rules to me?"

"I don’t have them right this second up my dress, but I can prove it to you."

"That’s a shame there are no rules up that dress, because now I can call you a liar."

Alexis laughed. Peter amused her. He was like an arrogant walrus.

Ethan took her elbow. "I have something to show you, my dear. Please excuse us, Peter."

"Yes, yes, young passion." Peter waved his arm in a grand sweep. "There is nothing like the firstflush of mutual sexual desire you go show her your secret something, Carrick, this old Russian understands."

Oh, that was subtle. "Did you pay him to say that?" Alexis asked Ethan. Somehow she wouldn’t put it past him.

"No! And I’m quite shocked that he did say that." Ethan nudged Peter. "You’re going to get me in trouble here, old chap."

Peter winked at Alexis. "Orlaid , which would be better."

"In his dreams," Alexis said before Ethan could reply.

But instead of laughing or getting annoyed with her, Ethan gave her a smoldering look, like the one he had when he’d pinned her on the floor. "Yes, that is definitely a dream of mine. Recurring frequently, I might add."

Damn it, she felt the beginning of a blush rising up her cheeks."Down, boy. Take me to my dinner." At Peter’s smirk, she added, "Food.My pepper steak."

Ethan’s shoulders were vibrating as they moved toward the door, like he was having trouble containing an obnoxious laugh. Alexis couldn’t even reprimand him because she was having trouble not cracking a grin herself.

They stepped into the hall and a tall, skinny mass of long black hair and legs came at them in a blur.

"Kelsey!" Ethan put his hands up and stopped the blob. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

A gasp left Kelsey’s mouth.

"Calm down," Ethan said. "What’s wrong?"