I extend my hand to her and smile. “Allow me to introduce myself officially. My name is Alexander Obolensky, but you can call me Alex.”
She shakes my hand. Her grip is firm, but her hand is warm and soft. I feel a burst of sparks run up my dick at her touch. Her sharp intake of breath betrays that she feels something too. She pulls her hand away, perhaps a little too quickly, but I understand why she did it.
The chemistry between us wasn’t imagined, and it certainly wasn’t a product of my charm. Charm is not one of my assets. It can even be said that I am a singularly charmless person. Raw chemistry could complicate my ‘project’, but I tell myself it won’t. That this is business and I’ll keep it that way. I won’t let my attraction to her change my plans. I’m not a kid. I know how to ignore sexual attraction. I’ve done it before. Plenty of times. A little determination is all it takes.
I stand abruptly. It’s a good thing for her to have some space. By the time I hit her with my proposal I need her to be back to her normal self.
“Meet me in Alstree’s old office in twenty minutes,” I say, all business now. “There is something I need to discuss with you.”
I walk away without waiting for her to confirm her acceptance. I feel her eyes on my back as I make my way through the crowd.
I hate that it takes all of my effort not to look back.
Cindy
I watch Dark and Stormy, well, Alexander Obolensky, walk away. He walks like a predator. Confident and fearless. The whole jungle is his hunting ground.
My head feels like it is spinning. I shouldn’t have drunk that last glass of G&T.
Even so … what the hell was all that about?
That was not … normal. Okay, I have to believe that cocksure bastard has bought the casino even though I find it almost impossible to get my head around the fact that the business has switched hands without me knowing anything about it.
But the way Alex made me find out about the sale was bizarre to say the least. It was almost as if he deliberately put me in a tricky position to see how I would react to him when I was outside my comfort zone. I frown when I remember our conversation. There was something disturbingly sexual about our entire exchange.
“Everything all right, Miss Forrester?”
I look up into Jerry’s inquiring face and nod distractedly. “Yes, everything is fine.”
“Can I get you anything else?”
“No, I’m fine.”
He nods and walks away.
Because Lord Alstree is a notorious recluse who only came to the casino when it was closed and there was no one around, all casino business was conducted through Steven, his business manager. I could call Steven now and ask him about the sale, but something tells me he probably doesn’t know much more than me.
So what now?
I’ve already wasted five minutes mulling this over. I have fifteen minutes left to decide whether to accept the change of ownership, or leave. Even the thought of leaving makes my stomach tighten. I love my job, I love the staff, I love everything about this casino. I’ve poured everything into this casino. When I first arrived it was a nondescript little place. The best that could be said about it was it had faded charm. I built it up to what it is today.
I don’t want to leave it. Why should I? I haven’t done anything wrong and Alex Obolensky doesn’t look like a man who has time to waste on a small casino like this. Maybe he will run the same shop as Lord Alstree. As long as the casino is ticking over nicely there is no reason for him to chop and change anything.
I look at my watch.
Yes, I tell myself. I’ll go and talk to Alex. In spite of the way he toyed with me he still seems like a reasonable man. If what he has to say sounds like something I can stomach, then I’ll stay. If it doesn’t, then I’ll quit. It’ll make me sad to leave this place and all the friends I’ve made here, but my mother always said, God never closed a door without opening a window. And in my life, I’ve learned to crawl out of the smallest little windows.
I’m not rich, but I have enough savings to see me over for at least a year. Hopefully it won’t come to that. I think I have built up enough of a reputation to walk into any other casino in the city and get a job.
What I am worried about is how deeply attracted I am to Alex. If he’s going to be a more hands on owner than Lord Alstree was I don’t know if I can deal with seeing him every day while he has such a big effect on me.