RISK (4 page)

Nolan

What the fuck just happened?

Crew just offered the sexy redhead a job. Not just any job. The job we've been trying to fill for the past four months. He gave the almost six-figure-a-year job of head loss prevention officer to a casino security guard who just got her ass fired.

"Hold up." I raise my hand in the air. "Wait."

I own the goddamn company. Crew has a small percentage of Matiz Cosmetics shares in his pocket. He handles the front-end of the business, putting himself out there for the press when they want an exposé on what our new product line entails. I'm running the entire show behind the scenes.

I don't handle new hires. Crew doesn't either, but he witnessed the same thing I did. He saw Ellie take control of a man who towered above her. She wasn't taking any shit from that asshole. There was no way in hell she was going to let him mistreat another woman. It took balls to do what she did. The fact that she did it while wearing a skin tight black dress, only makes it that much more impressive.

I scrub my hands over my face, desperate for the clarity I possessed a mere three hours ago. Since Ellie plopped her firm round ass in my lap at the restaurant, my brain has ceased to function in any manner that's the least bit helpful to me. That has to stop now. Matiz is my company. This is where I take back control of this fucked up night. 

"We need to discuss this, Crew." I step toward where he's standing with Ellie. "Let's not offer anything before we find out if Ellie is qualified."

Ellie's back stiffens at my words. The more I stare at her profile, the more I doubt she's the girl I've been looking for.

"Are you fucking serious?" Crew asks with a smirk. "You saw what I saw, Nolan. She took that guy to the floor. You're the one who called me when you left the restaurant because she caught Shelby red-handed with a stolen wallet."

I called him because I wanted him to get his ass to Meadow so he could catch a glimpse of Ellie before she left. I needed him to confirm the same thing he does every time I see a gorgeous redhead with beautiful blue eyes. He tells me it's not the girl I've been searching a third of my life for and I tell him I'll let it go. I never do. I can't. The scenario plays out the same way every goddamn time. It never ends with Crew handing a high paying job to an underqualified applicant.

"I admit it's all impressive." I focus on Ellie, but she's looking right at Crew. "We need to be prudent about who we hire, Ellie. We'll need to know your background."

She nods, but doesn't turn from Crew to look my way. "I have a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Mercy College. I attended on a full scholarship. Before I moved to Las Vegas, I worked in Manhattan as a security consultant for Foster Enterprises in their Fashion Division. During my contract, I was able to help lower loss due to theft in their stores to less than one percent across the board. I did that without using security tags on any of their products."

Jesus Christ.
A fucking full scholarship?
 

I limped through college on a ticket paid for by my father.

We're consistently losing three percent in annual sales to theft by customers and our goddamn greedy employees. Lowering it to one percent would mean more than twenty million dollars saved a year.

Ellie takes a deep breath before she continues. "I should also mention that I'm a recipient of the Jane Bishop Medal from the Mayor of New York for civilian bravery. It took getting a bullet in my thigh but it was worth it and yes, it hurt like hell. "

"Good enough for you?" Crew crosses his arms over his chest as he shoots me a look that says wake the hell up, idiot, this woman is our savior.

I don't say anything because fuck me, there are no words.
A bullet?
A medal for bravery?
I'm scared of spiders, and this woman is getting awards for her courage.

"I get that you need to check out my credentials." Again, she stares at Crew while she talks. A smile brightens her face. "If you need me to fill out an application or submit my resume when I get back to the city, I'll be happy to come in and do that."

"Give me your number." He tugs his phone out of the back pocket of his pants. "I'll need a few other details too."

She steps away with him; her phone clutched in her delicate hands. They're the same hands that most likely could snap a man's neck in two with one quick twist. 

"Are you coming home with me or not?" Lacy bumps her hip against my thigh.

Shit. I forgot about her. Her voice, her irritatingly high-pitched, tinny voice had trailed off when I walked over to speak with Ellie and Crew. I assumed Lacy had wandered away after someone else, but that didn't happen. She's still here.

I look down at her, expressionless. There seriously are no words.

"In case you can't take a hint, you're not Ellie Madden's type. The looker with the black hair is." She smirks. "It's fate. The two of us are destined to happen."

I circle my index finger in the narrow space between us. "The two of us? You think this is fate?"

"You haven't been able to take your eyes off of me since we met." She flutters her now chalky eyelids causing flecks of bluish, lime green shimmer to rain down on her cheeks. "We're wasting time standing here when we could be back at my place."

Destroying this woman's ego is tempting, but the fuel of my frustration would be wasted on her. She may be right. I may not be Ellie's usual type, but that unspoken exchange between us, when she was in my lap, was undeniable. I know she felt it too even if she acted like I didn't fucking exist when she was talking to Crew.

"Are you ready to go?" Lacy snaps. "Time is wasting."

"Time has run out." I gesture at my watch with an exaggerated sigh. "It looks like fate has other plans for us. I have an early flight in the morning."

"We'll just pull an all-nighter." Her eyes drop to my wrist. "Jesus. Is that a Rolex? How much are you worth?"

"This? A Rolex?" I tap the face of my watch, one of the
three
Rolex watches I own. "I wish. I got this from a guy working a street fair in Toledo. It keeps time, but the rash it gives me rivals the one on my dick."

"What?" she asks tightly. "You have a rash on your dick?"

I nod. "That's what my doc says it is. He doesn't think it's contagious. My ex-wife disagrees."

"She has the rash too?"

If I actually had an ex-wife, she'd be rash free, just as I am. I'm clean as a whistle and have the monthly test results to prove it. "She's got the rash, the open sores and the non-stop itching.  At least, that's what she claims in her lawsuit."

She takes a step back. "She's suing you over the rash?"

I reach down and scratch my dick through my pants, shifting from one foot to the other. "She has to prove I gave it to her. Since my doc says my rash isn't contagious, she can't win."

Her attention is laser focused on the movement of my right hand. "I forgot that I need to give my dog a bath. He needs a good scrub. I'll go home now and do that."

I stop scratching and raise my hand to her shoulder. "I'll help."

Tension tightens her body. She looks at my hand, panic chasing away anything else in her expression. "No. You can't help."

"Why not?"

"He'll bite you?"

"Is that a question?" I quirk a brow. "Dogs love me. What kind of dog is it?"

She retreats so quickly she bumps into a woman walking behind her. "He's a really big dog. You know the kind with the floppy ears and the long nose."

I force back a smile. "What's the name of your big dog, Lacy?"

Her eyes search mine as she scrambles to think of a name, any name that will give her the out she needs to get away from me and what she thinks is my rash covered cock. "Lacy."

"Your male dog is named Lacy?" I ask as she slowly backs away from me.

"That's right. Yes," she calls with a brisk wave of her hand. "He's named after me."

With that, she turns and sprints to a run, racing to the nearest exit. I adjust my suit jacket, smooth my hand over my hair and walk over to where Ellie is still talking to Crew.

Ellie

What the hell crawled up Nolan Black's ass?

The man was doing everything in his power to dissuade his business partner from hiring me. You'd think after what I did in Meadow Grill that he'd want me on his team.

He was there when I took Jerry to the floor for touching that woman, yet Nolan seems completely unfazed by my drive to do what's right.

After hearing Crew tell me about the job at Matiz, I know I'm a perfect fit. I would do the job well and make the company proud. They're one of the most recognized makeup brands in the United States and also one of the most expensive. It's not my ultimate dream job, but I'll happily take it.

While Nolan was talking to Lacy, Crew explained that the biggest challenge they currently face is theft, by customers and employees. I have the skills and knowledge they need to halt that in its tracks. I conveyed some of that to Crew, but I know he's already on board with hiring me. It's Nolan that I need to convince and I sense that he's the one with the final word.

"Where's your date?" Crew chuckles as Nolan approaches us alone. Lacy is nowhere in sight. "Are you two kids calling it a night? Don't be too loud. My room is next to yours, remember?"

I dip my chin to veil the smile on my mouth.

"Fuck you, Crew," Nolan barks back with a chuckle. "Lacy had to go. She needs to wash her dog."
              "She's allergic," I point out. "Pet dander, strawberries, shellfish and soy, I think."

"Either Lacy overshares, or you have too much time on your hands if you're gathering useless intel like that." Crew smirks. "I'm all for having some shit to hang over your co-workers' heads for leverage, but that's information no one needs or wants."

I laugh. "No. Lacy told me. She told everyone when she ate a piece of birthday cake in the staff room and broke out in hives."

"Forget about Lacy and her allergies," Crew says dryly. "Let's get back to business, Ellie."

"Business," I repeat, my gaze darting to where Adley is leaning against a pillar. She's been waiting patiently for me, and I'm eager to get back to her.

I'm moving back to New York whether this job at Matiz works out or not. If there was ever a reason for the two of us to celebrate, this is it. The difference between now and an hour ago is that we're going to pick up a bottle of cheap champagne and toast to our reunion in my apartment while I pack instead of ordering expensive cocktails in Shade.

Nolan clears his throat. "You should get back to your friend. Crew and I will discuss the job and let you know."

I'm pissed. I know Nolan can sense that. I want this job, and right now, I feel like the only thing standing between me and my future as a Matiz employee is him. It's time to revise my approach.

I extend my right hand. Call it an olive branch, if you will. That's how I want Nolan to see it. "Thank you for even considering me for this job, Mr. Black. I appreciate it more than you know."

He looks down before he reaches forward with his hands. He softly wraps my hand in both of his. "I'd prefer if you called me Nolan. Please don't take my hesitation about giving you the job personally."

How could I not? He's essentially discounting me for no good reason.

I smile through that thought as I place my left hand on top of our still joined hands.  I slide my gaze up to his face. His eyes search mine, looking for something there. I don't know what it is, but from the urgency in his expression, I don't think he's finding it.

"If I owned a company like Matiz," I begin before I sigh, heavily. "I know that if I was the owner of such a huge organization, that I would be very cautious when it came to hiring anyone. You can't be too careful these days. It's impossible to know who to trust."

He nods slowly, his dark brows pinch together as he looks into my eyes again. "Our ideal candidate will have the experience to spot a potential shoplifter immediately so the security staff can be vigilant about subtly watching their every move. Primarily, we're looking for someone who can think like a thief, so they're always one step ahead. That's a level of insight I'm not sure you possess."

"I understand," I mutter even though I don't understand. I called out the woman he was having dinner with after she stole a wallet just a few feet away from him. No one else in the restaurant, including the wallet's owner, realized what was happening. If that's not insight and experience, what the hell is?

"We'll discuss your qualifications and Crew will let you know either way in a few days."

I pull back. The tug is enough that Nolan releases my hands. I clasp them together in front of me. "I'll look forward to that call."

"We're heading into the club. There's room at our table if you'd like to join us." Crew motions toward the VIP entrance of Shade. Why doesn't that surprise me? When they checked into the hotel, they would have been granted all access to Shade. That's what money buys here in Vegas, among many other things.

"Thank you for the offer, but I can't. I need to give a witness statement to the police regarding Jerry and then I'm going to hang out with my friend at home."

"I'll be in touch." Crew nods as his hands dive into the front pockets of his pants. "Have a good night, Ellie."

"You too," I shoot back quickly.

"We will." Nolan's voice lowers. "Goodbye, Ellie."

I offer a sweet smile that is masking something sinister and then I wait.

They both pivot on their heels and take a step toward the club's entrance.

Then another step.

Crew stops to talk to a brunette with a short bob and an equally short dress.

Nolan continues on.

On Nolan's sixth step I finally unclench my hands. "Hey, Nolan Black. Turn around."

He turns instantly at the sound of my voice.

Nolan's gaze catches mine before it settles on my fingers and the object I'm dangling in the air. His brows arch in surprise. His eyes fall to his now empty wrist before they dart back to the watch in my hand; the exquisite Rolex watch in my hand. 

"I believe this belongs to you." I smile, tilting my head as I step toward him.

"How the fuck?" he mutters with a grin and a shake of his head. "You're hired. Can you start next week?"