not only was Ian the Perfect End but he was the Perfect Beginning as well. No one could wake a woman up each morning the way he could. The memories of their lovemaking sessions could still curl her toes and wet her panties. He had been her first lover and, she thought further, her only lover.
“Are you going to stand there and say nothing or are you going to answer my question, Brooke?”
Ian’s question reclaimed Brooke’s attention and reminded her why she was there. And with the angry tone of his voice all the memories they’d ever shared were suddenly crushed. Placing her hands on her hips she answered with the same curt tone he’d used on her. “I’ll gladly answer your question, Ian.”
Ian folded his arms across his chest. How could he have forgotten how quick fire could leap into her eyes whenever she got angry, or how her full and inviting lips could form one perturbed pout? Over the years he had missed that all-in-your-face, hot-tempered attitude that would flare up whenever she got really mad about something.
The women he’d dated after her had been too meek and mild for his taste. They’d lacked spunk, and if he’d said jump, they would have asked how high. But not the woman standing in front of him. She could dish it out like nobody’s business and he had admired her for it. That was probably one of the reasons he had fallen so hard for her.
“The reason I’m here is like everyone else. I needed time away from my job and decided to check in here for two weeks,” she said, intruding into his thoughts.
Ian sighed. As far as he was concerned her reason sounded too pat. “Why here? There are other places you could have gone.”
“Yes, and at the time I booked the two weeks I didn’t know you were the owner. I thought you were still a riverboat captain.”
For a few seconds he said nothing. “Hurricane Katrina brought a temporary end to that. But I’d decided to purchase this place months before then. It was just a matter of time before I came off the river to settle on land.”
He studied her for a moment, then asked, “And when did you find out this place was mine?”
Brooke gave a small shrug. “A few days ago, but I figured what the hell, my money spends just as well as anyone else’s, and I can’t go through life worrying about bumping into you at the next corner.”
She released a disgusted sigh and raked her hands through her dreads, making them tumble around her shoulders. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Ian, we have a past, and we should chalk it up as a happy or unhappy time in our lives, depending on how you chose to remember it, and move on. I heard this was a nice place and decided it was just what I needed. And to be quite honest with you I really don’t appreciate being summoned up here like I’m some kind of criminal. If you’re still stuck on the past and don’t think we can share the same air for two weeks let me know and I can take my money elsewhere.”
Anger made Ian’s jaw twitch. She was right, of course—he should be able to let go and move on; however, what really griped his insides more than anything was not the fact that they had broken up but why they had. They’d been exclusive lovers. She was the one woman he had considered marrying. But in the end she had been the woman that had broken his heart.
Even when she had moved away to D.C. to take that job with the Bureau, and he had moved to Memphis to operate the Delta Princess, they’d been able to maintain a long-distance romance without any problems and had decided within another year to marry.
But the one time she should have trusted him enough to confide in him about something, she hadn’t. Instead she had destroyed any trust between them by not letting him know that a case she’d been assigned to investigate had involved one of his business partners. By the time he’d found out the truth, a man had lost his life and a family had been destroyed.
As far as her being here at the Rolling Cascade, he much preferred that she leave. Seeing her again and feeling his reaction to her proved one thing: even after four years she was not quite out of his system and it was time to get her out. Perhaps the first step would be proving they could breathe the same air.
“Fine, stay if you want, it’s your decision,” he finally said.
Brooke lifted her chin. Yes, it would be her decision. There was no doubt in her mind if it was left up to him, he would toss her out on her butt, possibly right smack into Lake Tahoe. “Then I’m staying. Now if you’ll excuse me I want to begin enjoying my vacation.”
She went to the elevator and without glancing back at him pushed a button, and when the doors opened she stepped inside. When she turned, their gazes met again, and it was during that brief moment of eye contact before the doors swooshed closed that he thought he saw something flicker in the depths of her dark eyes. Cockiness? Regret? Lust?
Ian drew his brows together sharply. How could he move on and put things behind him when the anger he felt whenever he thought of what she’d done was still as intense as it had always been?
Moving around his desk he pushed a button. Within seconds Vance’s deep voice came on the line. “Yes, Ian?”
“Ms. Chamberlain is on her way back down.”
“All right. Do you want me to keep an eye on her while she’s here?”
“No,” Ian said quickly. For some reason the thought of someone else—especially another man—keeping an eye on Brooke didn’t sit well with him. Deciding he owed his friend some sort of explanation he said, “Brooke and I have a history we need to bury.”
“Figured as much.”
“And another thing, Vance. She’s a federal agent for the FBI.”
Ian heard his friend mutter a curse word under his breath before asking, “She’s here for business or pleasure?”
“She claims it’s pleasure, but I’m going to keep an eye on her to be sure. For all I know, some case or another might have brought her to these parts, and depending on what, it could mean bad publicity for the Cascade.”
“Wouldn’t she tell you if she were here on business?”
Ian’s chuckle was hard and cold. “No, she wouldn’t tell me a damn thing. Loyalty isn’t one of Brooke Chamberlain’s strong points.”
Knowing video monitors were probably watching her every move, Brooke kept her cool as she strolled through the casino to catch the elevator that connected to the suite of villas located in the resort section. All around her crowds were still flowing in, heading toward the bar, the lounge or the area lined with slot machines.
It was only moments later, after opening the door to her villa and going inside, that she gave way to her tears. The look in Ian’s dark eyes was quite readable, and knowing he hated her guts was almost too much to bear. If he ever found out the real reason she was there…
She inhaled deeply and wiped her cheeks, knowing she had to check in with Malcolm. Taking the cell phone from her purse, she pressed a couple of buttons. He picked up on the second ring.
“I’m at the Rolling Cascade, Malcolm.”
He evidently heard the strain in her voice and said, “I take it that you’ve seen Ian Westmoreland.”
“Yes.”
After a brief pause he said, “You know this isn’t an official investigation, Brooke. Your job is to enjoy your vacation, but if you happen to see anything of interest to let us know.”
“That’s still spying.”
“Yes, but it’s beneficial to Westmoreland. You’re there to help him, not hurt him.”
“He won’t see it that way.” Her reply was faint as more tears filled her eyes. “Look, Malcolm, I’ll get back to you if there’s anything. Otherwise, I’ll see you in two weeks.”
“Okay, and take care of yourself.”
Brooke clicked off the phone and returned