Mine to Crave (Mine 4)

And things started to click into place for him. “That’s what you do. You don’t take jewels. You’re an information thief.”

“Ah, I prefer the term…information retrieval specialist.”

His jaw nearly dropped.

“It sounds better.”

He could only shake his head.

“It does. It sounds a lot better than thief.”

“The cops are after you in Texas.” He freed her and stepped back. “Hell, you’re wanted and that bounty hunter—”

“I’m not wanted because I haven’t been caught before!”

His gaze pinned her. He’d caught her.

“You were the first,” she allowed, obviously reading his thoughts. “No one else ever held me.”

“Then the others were idiots.”

She looked away from him. “Maybe.”

He just couldn’t figure her out. “You were hired to do a job. You didn’t do it…because you saw a wedding photograph.”

“I just changed my mind, that’s all.”

Lie. “You’ll pay for that one,” he promised her.

She tensed.

He didn’t go to her and collect. Not yet. She’d revealed good information to him, and he just had to work this situation out in his mind.

Casinos…it was about the business. His business. Someone wanted him to crash and burn financially.

Hell, there was quite a list out there for that. When it came to the casinos, Drake didn’t exactly play nicely. Playing nicely wasn’t part of his vocabulary.

But Jasmine was afraid of the person targeting him, and Drake didn’t think Jasmine scared easily. He knew that she didn’t.

So it was business, and it was personal.

He watched her. Waited. Narrowed down his enemies. Someone tied to the casino industry. Someone who would be willing to destroy a man’s life in an instant. Someone he’d recently pissed off…

Luckily, that list was fairly short. At the moment. “Maxwell Case,” Drake threw the name out as a test.

Her chin notched into the air. “Is that name supposed to mean something to me?”

He was on her in a flash. “That’s lie number three. Collection time.” His mouth sank on hers. Damn but he liked her taste. Liked the way she gasped and arched against him. Liked the sting of her nails along his shoulders.

His tongue thrust into her mouth. He savored her. He wanted to taste every single bit of her. He’d gone too long without a woman. Need rode him hard. Only…

It wasn’t need for just any soft, feminine body beneath his. It was a dark, aching need for her. Jasmine.

His head lifted. “He’s the one who sent you after me.”

She didn’t speak, but she stubbornly shook her head.

“The Arrow used to be another casino.” A rundown dump that needed new life. A spot that had been ripe for the picking. “Case wanted the place. I bought the casino before he could. Found out the SOB’s bid, and I took it.” When Vegas was supposed to be Case’s domain. Screw that shit. Drake took what he wanted.

And he’d wanted Vegas.

“I took what was his, and now he’s trying to take what’s mine.”

She gazed up at him with wide eyes.

“That’s why you told me to head down to New Orleans. He’s trying to take my casinos from me. The bastard thinks he can run me out of business.”

Her lips pressed together.

“Not happening.” He marched for the door. “No one takes what’s mine.”

“Can I…can I go now?”

“Go?” he repeated as he turned back to her.

Her hands twisted in front of her. “You think you know everything, so you don’t need me now.”

He stilled. “On the contrary, I think I need you very much.”

“I don’t understand.”

The woman’s eyes could bring a man to his knees.

But Drake bowed for no one.

“Good thing your bag is packed, princess, because we’ll be leaving for New Orleans soon.”

Her jaw dropped. “You’re taking me with you?”

“I wouldn’t dream of leaving you behind.”

Fear flashed in her eyes. “You should, though. You need to leave me.”

“No.” Because he had plans for Jasmine. So many plans. “I’m not letting you go.”

***