Mine to Crave (Mine 4)

Her head turned then, just a bit, and her eyes met his. There was pleasure on her face. No denying that, but Jasmine also looked…lost?

Had he hurt her? “Jasmine?” Her stitches—

“I…wasn’t prepared for you.”

He didn’t know what that meant. He’d taken care of the protection. He always did. No way would he go bareback with a woman he’d just picked up.

Jasmine’s not just any woman.

She blinked and her expression changed. Now she just looked…happy. Sated.

His.

“That was incredible.” Her voice was still soft and husky, and he was already getting hard inside of her. Again.

Round two, coming up.

But first…

He pulled out of her. Settled her down against the covers. Feasted for a moment with his eyes. He’d give her a few minutes to rest, then he’d get more screams from her.

Sex with Jasmine had been fantastic. Far better than—

His phone was ringing. Hell, where was his phone? He’d thrown it aside earlier when he shed his clothes. He’d been so intent on getting in Jasmine that he hadn’t exactly been paying much attention to the thing.

Ah…there…

He followed the sound and swiped up his phone—it had been under his trousers. “This had better be important,” he snapped. Cause you’re taking me away from paradise.

“Oh, it’s important, all right, boss. Some jerkoff just tried to get access to your vault,” Chad told him, voice flat and hard. “The guy stole a guard’s suit and walked right up here.”

His body tensed. “Where is the joker now?” Drake turned his back on Jasmine.

“He knocked out two of the guards.”

What?

“And he…hell, it looks like he just left. Must’ve realized that he wasn’t going to be able to break through the vault’s security system.”

No, that didn’t fit. The guy knocked out the guards, then left—with nothing?

“Drake?” Jasmine’s voice. Worried.

He glanced over his shoulder. She’d sat up in his bed. Her body was naked. Flushed from the releases he’d given her.

Beautiful, distracting Jasmine.

His jaw clenched as he put puzzle pieces together. “The devices last night were on timers…”

At his words, Jasmine’s gaze seemed to double in size. “What’s happening?” she demanded as she rose from the bed. Her eyes were wide.

“Those were just smoke bombs…” But now Chad’s voice was hard with an edge of worry.

“Tell me what’s happening!” Jasmine grabbed for his arm.

He didn’t respond to her, but he told his security chief, “Maybe those were just smoke last night, but maybe they aren’t tonight.”

Her hand tightened on him. “Was someone at the Arrow?”

As if she didn’t know.

Such a lying, beautiful face.

“What happened?” Her nails dug into him. “Tell me.”

He eased the phone from his mouth. “Someone tried to get to the Arrow’s vault. Attacked the men there but left without taking anything—”

“No,” the word was a stark whisper from her as horror flashed across her face. “He hasn’t taken anything yet. You have to get your men out of there! Close the casino!”

He glared at her. “You know what he’s doing.” A set up. She’s still playing me.

“He’s pissed. If he went in…or if he sent someone else inside…anyone in that casino could be in danger.”

“What will he do, Jasmine?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know…I just…I don’t want anyone hurt.”

Liar. He’d warned her about telling lies.

“Please, be safe.” She was begging again, but not because of passion. “Get the people out of there!”

He brought the phone back to his lips. “Get a sweep going—now. Close the whole place down.” Because even without Jasmine’s words, his gut was clenching with an instinct that couldn’t be denied.

“Yes, sir,” Chad told him instantly.

Jasmine’s breath whispered out as Drake ended the call. She backed away from him. Still naked. Still staring up at him with secrets in her eyes.

But he was figuring out those secrets. And maybe I really did just get fucked. “You’re the distraction.”

“Wh-what?”

“You keep me busy, while what…he goes after my money?” She’d been the one to tell him that he had to head down to New Orleans. A ruse, to get him away from the Arrow so her boss could attack.

He grabbed her, yanking her up on her toes. He’d been lost in her, driven to the edge by his lust, when some of her cronies had been trying to rob him. “What’s he got planned?”

“I-I don’t—”

“What?” Rage erupted inside of him. “Dammit, I have friends in that casino. Innocent people in the club. Don’t you try to cover—”

Her chin slipped up a notch. “I don’t know anything about another attack on the Arrow! I thought he was trying to come after your property down here, not up there in Vegas.”

“You’re lying to me.” He’d warned her before. There were no more warnings.

“No.”

“People could die, Jasmine. Stop screwing around and tell me what you know! You wanted my security guards to do a sweep. You knew that something could be happening.”

She was silent.

“Tell me.”

Her lashes lowered as she seemed to go limp in his arms. “I’m a dead woman now.”

What?

“Like you, Maxwell Case was ex-military.”

Maxwell Case. She’d just confirmed the SOB’s identity. And she was still talking.

“Demolitions were his specialty,” her voice was muted. “He liked to—liked to make things explode. That’s what he told me.” When her lashes lifted, her eyes shone with tears. “When I was in his office, I…accessed his computer. Found blueprints for the Arrow. Information on the vault. That’s how I knew where to put my smoke bombs. I used the plans I found on his computer. The placement was so obvious…I…it was just smoke for me, but I’m afraid it won’t be for him.”

He pushed her away and called his head of security. “Chad?” The man answered right away. “Get the bomb squad in there.”

“Boss?”

“Use your connections. Get them there now, and make sure everyone else is out.”

Because he would not have anyone dying on his watch.

Maxwell, you bastard…now I’ll be coming after you.

“I can tell you where to search,” Jasmine whispered. “I can tell you everything I saw on his computer…”

***

The Arrow should’ve blown. A controlled explosion that would’ve given him access to all the cash in that casino.

Not that Maxwell Case needed cash.

He wanted to make a fucking point.

But the bomb squad came. The place didn’t blow. They found all of his devices. In record time.

As if they knew just where to look…as if they knew exactly what he’d planned.

Jasmine.

That little bitch. She had always seen and understood far more than most people realized. It was that deceptively delicate appearance. When you looked that fragile, people expected you to be weak.

Jasmine was the smartest woman he’d ever met.

She was also a dead woman.

You told him, Jasmine.

She’d figured out his game. Figured out how much Maxwell liked the fire. Ah, now that was a shame. He’d had such grand plans for Jasmine.

But she’d gone and wrecked everything.

He slid into the back of the limo that waited for him. One that had been parked blocks away from the Arrow.

“Home, sir?” his driver asked.

“Yeah.” Because there would be no fireworks that night. He pulled out his phone. Pressed the number for the hunter who was proving to be nothing but useless. “Hardin, where the hell is she?”