Of course, the first words out of his mouth were about her and Nate. It was apparently all over the tournament that someone had snagged the Barracuda. Most of her friends had already heard the whispers, and those that hadn’t turned to her in surprise and pumped her for details. Annie wasn’t very close with her family, so these were the people who knew her the best. They were also the people who would be the most surprised to see that ring on her finger.
Annie took the congratulatory drink forced on her by Eli and chatted for a while before she made excuses to leave and find Nate. She weaved through the crowd but couldn’t see him anywhere. Normally he stood out, a head taller with a booming voice and contagious laughter, but the lounge was too full tonight to find anyone.
She was about to give up and find a stool at the bar when she caught the flame of red hair out of the corner of her eye.
Tessa was looking lovely in a Kelly-green satin cocktail dress. It was strapless, showcasing her creamy, flawless skin. Her hair was down now, falling over her bare shoulders like liquid fire. Annie had always been jealous of her younger sister’s hair. It only got worse as Tessa got older and grew into a stunningly beautiful woman. She was only twenty-two and had a lot of growing up left to do, but she was off to a fine start.
A man with his back to Annie stood near to Tessa, slipping a hand around her waist. It was an intimate gesture, one Annie was not accustomed to when it involved her baby sister.
Then he turned to speak to someone and she saw his face. It was Eddie Walker. A touch of bile started rising in her throat, but she forced it back down. Hell, no. That dirty bastard was not touching her sister.
Before she could stop herself, Annie marched across the dance floor and grabbed her sister by the wrist.
“Hey!” Tessa protested as Annie tugged, but she stayed firmly in place with the assistance of Eddie’s grip around her waist.
“Tessa, come with me right now.” Annie could hear her mother’s scolding tone in her voice.
The demand obviously chafed her sister’s pride and she clung with more determination to Eddie. “No.”
“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Annie. This is a party.” The leech had the nerve to speak to her, a cocky grin spread across his face. “It might be better if you just stayed out of this.”
“Don’t you tell me what is or isn’t my business when it comes to my sister and a sleaze like you. Tessa, come on.” She tugged again, this time shooting eye daggers at Eddie until he released her. She pulled Tessa into a dark corner near the ladies’ room, well out of anyone’s earshot.
“What is wrong with you?” Tessa complained, yanking her hand away.
“Me? What’s wrong with you? Eddie Walker? Are you kidding me?”
Tessa’s face hardened, her jaw setting defiantly as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re one to talk, Mrs. Reed.”
“That’s not what I mean. Eddie is...” Annie struggled to find the right words.
“Wonderful?”
“No. He’s a dirty, stinking, lying poker cheat.”
Tessa’s eyes widened for a moment, an expression of shock paralyzing her mouth in an open O. Apparently she thought Eddie’s reputation hadn’t spread that far. Had he convinced her that no one knew about his activities?
“Please don’t get involved with him.”
“It’s too late, Annie. I’ve been seeing him for almost six months.”
Six months? How had Annie missed this? She wasn’t very social with Tessa, but she must’ve been trying fairly hard to avoid the subject this long. Why did she have to break her relationship streak of two months with a scumbag like Walker? “He’s bad news, Tessa.”
“Oh, please. You’re just jealous.”
“Why would I be jealous? He’s not a great catch, Tess. You’ve known him six months. I’ve known him six years. Everyone knows that he plays a dirty game. They just haven’t caught him yet.”
Tessa’s expression changed then. It almost beamed with subdued pride. Was she honestly proud that Eddie was too crafty to be caught? That would all change, and quickly, with Nate involved. He wouldn’t tolerate it in his hotel and he was using Annie to ensure it.
“I know what I’m doing.”
Annie sighed. There was no more sense in arguing. For one thing, Tessa was stubborn. Telling her she couldn’t do something was like a challenge. Annie realized she’d already made that mistake when she saw the defiant look in her sister’s eyes. Second, the harder Annie pushed, the more closed off Tessa would become. They weren’t close, but the gap could easily widen. She couldn’t afford that, especially now.