High Stakes (Vegas Vampires #1)(7)
Author: Erin McCarthy

Ethan drained his glass, the blood having warmed to room temperature. But it wasn’t what he wanted to take the edge off his desire, to quench the thirst that raged hotter and hotter in him as Alexis stood face to face with him and confidently insulted him.

"Seamus, please escort Brittany and the other cabinet members down to the private dining room. I’ll join you shortly after I finish speaking with Miss Baldizzi ."

There was movement around him as his guests politely moved to do as he had asked. Alexis made a squawking noise. " Brittany is staying with me! In fact, she’s leaving with me, right now. And that’sMs . Baldizzi to you."

But Brittany evaded the hand that reached out to grab her. Alex, you don’t understand. Ihave to stay." She latched on to Seamus’s arm and headed for the door. "Please don’t be mean to Ethan. He can’t help what he is."

She made it sound like he was g*y or something. Ethan snorted in annoyance before he could prevent himself.

Alexis made to follow her sister, but Ethan put his hand on her shoulder and stopped her. "I am sorry you’re displeased with my arrangement with Brittany ."

"That’s a big-ass understatement." She struggled to wiggle out of his touch.

But he was strong, so strong that it was no effort to keep her pinned. "She’s an adult. Anything she does is her choice."

Over her shoulder, she gave him a look of utter disdain. "You’ve taken advantage of her naivete and manipulated her. You make my skin crawl."

She’d managed to push the right button. His anger exploded, irrational and hot. "What would you say if I told you I really was a vampire and that I fully intend to marry your sister?"

The words hung in the air for a sickening second, her gasp of outrage loud in the silence.

He saw her movement, a slight shift, but even with his heightened senses he never guessed her intention until he felt the impact and the sharp pain jolt through his chest.

Now that was a first.

The crazy woman had actually hit him.

Chapter Three

Alexis thought she was handling herself, keeping it cool, until Ethan wouldn’t let go of her shoulder. His touch was firm, powerful, and effortless, reminding her that she was stuck in a puny woman’s body. She hated that she had to spend her entire life at eye level with most people’s ni**les.

Alexis didn’t like to feel powerless, and that’s what Carrick’s grip did to her.

Added to that was his annoying statement that he was going to marry her baby sister, and she lost it.Snapped. Did what instinct, anger, and years of Korean karate training had taught her.

With a yank, she pulled his arm forward,then used her elbow to drive into his chest. It was a satisfying way to lose his grip on her shoulder.Letting out a " Ki-Hap!" she whirled around and faced her opponent.

Okay, soopponent was an exaggeration, but it still felt good to see the surprise on his face.

"Look, Alexis " He raised his hand.

She went in with a knife-hand block that deflected his movement. Annoyance pinched his features. She struggled to make sure pain didn’t show on hers. Dang, the man was hard.Solid. Making contact with his palm had been like blocking a slab of concrete.Which only increased her determination to show him he could not physically or metaphorically push her around.

Waving both his hands toward her face, he said, "I’m not trying to—"

Alexis got him with a double maneuver, right then left.

Ethan glared. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Sang Dan Mahk Kee .High block, front stance."She eased back just a little, but stayed in ready position.

"Oh, my God."Ethan rolled his eyes. "There’s no reason to pull out your little martial arts techniques. I’m just trying to resolve this to our mutual satisfaction."

That would mean he would drop dead in front of her. He wasn’t hitting the floor, so she went on the attack, giving him a spear hand to the arm just for fun. "I’m a Dan member, which is the Korean equivalent of a black belt. Don’t mock me, Carrick."

"Stop hitting me. I’m not going to fight back, it’s completely ungentlemanly. Besides " He smirked at her.Actually smirked. "I don’t wish to wrinkle my shirt restraining you."

Pompous and British, that’s how he sounded to her. "I am seriously a woman on the edge here. Just give me one more reason, one more ass**le remark, and I’m going to pop you. And enjoy it."

Alexis bounced on her feet, wishing she weren’t wearing a business suit. It was going to be a little tricky to get her foot into his chest, but she had outrage fueling her. Stepping out of her shoes, she kicked them aside, and was annoyed when she dropped another two inches.

Ethan just eyed her, took a deep breath, and unclenched his fists. "Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot here. There’s no reason to be hostile. And I fail to see what’s so objectionable about me. I’m sure Brittany could do worse."

Hello? "You just told me you’re a vampire!Which means you’re insane. I don’t want my sister involved with a lunatic, because she’ll think it’s her job to save you, and I know, as sure as the sky is blue, that you can’t change people.Once a nut, always a nut."

Alexis saw violent criminals every day in her job as an assistant prosecutor specializing in sexual crimes.Men who took advantage of their power and position and hurt women, children. She’d do anything to protect Brittany from the pain and suffering she had seen.

"I’m not a lunatic. In fact, I’d argue that I’mmore sane than you are. You’ve barged into a private business, insulted me, hit me, allto rescue a sister who doesn’t want to be saved." Ethan Carrick took a step closer to her, got in her face, and smiled tightly, his eyes cold and triumphant. "She likes it here with me, wearing pretty dresses and strolling through the casino on my arm, a rich man’s girlfriend, and she likes it in my bed.Just as you would."

The pleasure he was getting from rubbing the victory in her face was more than Alexis could handle. Hey, she could admit it— she was a control freak. She liked to win. She didn’t like to have any man get the better of her, and she didn’t like that Brittany had insisted she couldn’t leave.

So she jabbed Ethan in the gut with her elbow and kicked his leg out from under him. He went down hard, with a surprised grunt and a loud thud when his back connected with the floor. It was a shame the carpet was so plush—ceramic tile would have really made an impressive smack.

It was probably wrong to feel as satisfied as she did, but she’d worry about that later. Like when she died. Right then she fought a battle not to laugh, and lost. But she only got one snort out, watching him wince, before she suddenly heard a whooshing sound, and felt the air move around her.