Mad for you in Madrid (Building Love Book 3) Read online

  “Um, no.”

  “Didn’t think so. Don’t let the game intimidate you. The rules are easy enough once you get the hang of it. See that man over there? That’s the stickman. He gives the shooter the dice.”

  “The . . . who?”

  “The stickman. His job is to keep his eyes on the dice. He announces the roll’s total.”

  She gave a brief nod to feign understanding.

  “The shooter,” he continued, “is the name for the person throwing the dice. That’s the guy standing right next to you.”

  She turned her attention to the burly partygoer immediately to her right. Sweat marred the man’s perfectly groomed face. “C’mon, six!” he yelled. He shook the dice in his right hand, angling toward the side of the table, and then threw. The dice rolled and bounced, landing with the numbers two and five.

  “Seven,” said an African-American casino employee holding a long stick with a curved edge. “Crap out.”

  Lost bets were scooped from the table. The crowd groaned. The shooter walked away, his tuxedo-clad shoulders drooped in disappointment. “Place your bets,” the stickman called out.

  “Go,” Daniel whispered in her ear.

  Lori blinked at him. “Go where?”

  He gave her a playful roll of the eyes. “You’re the person next in line to shoot. It’s your turn to go.”

  Her chest constricted in panic. “Whoa there, Nelly, not me. I already told you I have no idea how to play.”

  “Half the fun in life is throwing yourself into exciting new situations. Impossible ones. Bungee jumping off a plane, for instance.”

  “Yeah, about bungee jumping. It’s not going to happen.”

  “Don’t you ever take a chance in life? Stop worrying about feeling self-conscious and simply do what you want? Go ahead. I placed down a bet. Let the chips fall where they may.”

  She gulped.

  “We are in Las Vegas, after all,” he prompted. Daniel pointed to the chip he’d put down. It was red and embossed with gold.

  How much the chip was worth, Lori didn’t want to know. Daniel’s words were nothing but crazy talk. How did he manage to make them sound attractive?

  The flurry of betting died down. “No more bets,” the stickman announced. He pushed five dice over to Lori, using his stick. “Ever play before?”

  “No,” Lori squeaked. Damn. He can smell the cluelessness on me.

  “It’s okay, don’t worry. I’ll instruct you.” The man pointed to the pile of dice. “Pick two,” he said. “Then roll your dice with one hand. Be sure to hit the side of the table. That’s all you’ve got to do.”

  Hope surged through her. “Really?” Thank the Lord above. She selected her dice and placed them in her right hand. She aimed low against the side of the table. The dice tumbled forth until they rested. Each displayed the number four.

  “Eight the hard way,” the stickman called. He placed a hockey-puck type disc on the board’s “eight” space.

  Hard way? I didn’t do anything hard. Her eyes darted to Daniel, who was smiling smugly. “Good for you, Lady Luck. Keep going,” he said over the hubbub of table payouts.

  “Yeah?” Her eyes darted back to the stickman. “Should I go again?”

  “Of course,” the stickman answered, handing her back the dice.

  “Okay, here goes nothing.” She concentrated on shaking the dice. Then she tossed them against the side of the table.

  “Hard four,” the stickman called upon observing her twin twos. “You go again,” he shouted over the crowd’s joyful cries.

  “Okay. For how long?”

  “Until you crap out.”

  Oooh, ‘crapping’ doesn’t sound good. Maybe I heard him wrong. “I’m sorry, until I what?”

  “Crap out,” Daniel interjected. “I’ll simplify it for you. You crap when you seven out.”

  Okay. Whatever that means. She threw the dice again.

  “Hard ten,” the stickman announced.

  The crowd, along with the buzz of excitement, grew thicker. Most of the newcomers hurriedly placed their bets. The rest of the throng watched her with the interest of an award-winning Las Vegas act.

  “You are doing excellent, Lori.”

  Her eyes flew to Daniel. He visually clung to each of her throws as if she controlled the universe. Funny, since she didn’t even control her life. Weirder still, for an introvert like her, being at the center of attention was becoming exciting. Intoxicating even. Maybe Daniel is right about taking a chance.

  When the stickman called “nine” on her next roll, a dozen more people drifted over to the table. She was beginning to feel like she was on a roll. She blew into her dice-laden right hand and tossed the little white cubes down the table.

  “Five,” the stickman called out. The crowd cheered louder.

  Lori was deaf to all voice except one.

  “Holy shit,” Daniel exclaimed, his eyes crinkling in amusement. He grabbed her hand and lifted it to his lips, giving a light lingering kiss.

  The kiss sent shivers all the way down her spine. He let her hand go, leaving her reeling in a heady daze.

  The stickman pushed the dice to her. She grabbed them and the tiny cubes once again flew down the table. They bounced and rolled as if in slow motion. Her gaze, however, was focused on Daniel.

  “Six!” the stickman called.

  “Dios mío,” Daniel’s soft voice crooned. “You did it, Lori. You really are my Lady Luck. Come on,” he said, taking her hand. “Let me get my chips. We’re leaving before the seven hits. Although somehow when I’m with you, I’m not sure my luck will ever run out.”

  A different croupier handed Daniel a gleaming tower of red chips. Grinning, Daniel showed the impressive pile to her. “All this is because of you.”

  “I can’t believe it,” she gasped. “How did you get so many?”

  “Simple. I won every time you rolled. Follow me, I’m heading to the cashier.”

  She trotted behind him, his long legs striding faster. His six-foot stature dwarfed her five-foot-one frame. Matching his stride wasn’t easy, especially wearing uncomfortably high heels. “How much money do you think you won?”

  “Around thirty thousand.”

  Her head swam. “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope.” They approached the gold-gilded windows of the cashiers’ cages. “You made everyone at the table very happy tonight. The people who bet with you, anyway. Which included me. As for the people who bet against you, well, that poor decision lies with them. Give me a second to cash out, and I’ll let you know precisely how happy I am with you.”

  “Good Lord, it’s almost too much money,” she marveled.

  He shrugged. “It’s more about feeling like a winner than receiving the actual amount.” He picked up her hand and kissed it again. “I’d like to win time with you. Care to join me for a night out on the town?”

  A smile broke out across her face. The last time she’d been asked out by somebody this handsome, and this interesting was . . . not since second grade. “I’d love to, Daniel. Can you give me a minute before we go?”

  “Of course. I’ll be waiting right here.” He turned his attention to the cashier. “A cashier’s check, please.”

  Lori hustled to find the bathroom, hoping not to bump into her mother. Ditching this party would make Mom plenty annoyed. Even downright angry. Lord, I need to work somewhere else. Lori’s mind spun around with excuses, weaving together different reasons why she had to leave. Not one was any good. Her mother already thought she was flighty and unfocused. Abandoning her mother—and the job—would seal the deal.

  Maybe Mom could magically overhear her thoughts, because her mother was headed straight for her.

  Chapter 5

  “Shi
t,” Lori cursed under her breath. It would be difficult to ditch Mom when she was standing right in front of her. Lori knew she should have been praying instead of dallying. Now there was no time to come up with an excuse. Damn. Timing is everything. Lori pasted on a broad smile, hoping to God that her mother’s bartender had been generous with the alcohol. “Hi, Mom. Looking for me?”

  “Yes. How’s the networking going?”

  “Good, I guess.”

  Her mother arched an eyebrow. “You guess? You don’t know? How many business cards have you handed out?”

  “None, okay? I told you I wasn’t going to hand out cards.”

  Her mother’s foot tapped rapidly against the purple carpet. “What exactly have you been doing with your time?”

  Lori reached for a half-truth. “Introducing myself.”

  “Well, that’s a start.” The foot-tapping slowed. “How many people have you met?”

  Lori coughed. “One.”

  “What? Lori, how many times do I have to tell you? You need to make many connections at these events. There are important people here. First, you seek out the biggest fish in the pond. Then you go catch them. Reel ’em in.”

  Lori’s eyes rolled. “If I’m a fisherman, you should have loaned me a different outfit. Pants with waders.”

  “Lori, I swear, sometimes I think you will never succeed in business. At least not in my business. While you’ve been wasting time with God-only-knows-who, I’ve been networking. Now go over to the Orlands and greet them. They’re standing over there.” She pointed to the far side of the room.

  “I was in the middle of talking to somebody—”

  “Whoever it is can wait.”

  Lori’s hands clenched. “Mom, I am not a child. I am not merely your employee. You can’t order me around like a servant. I’ll do what you want but I first need a few minutes to say good-bye to someone.”

  “I’m asking you to talk to the Orlands now. Go.”

  Lori’s heart pounded in her chest. Was it her mother’s secret passion to embarrass her? Or did her mother simply love barking orders at her? Temper flaring, cheeks flushed with heat, bitter thoughts whirled through Lori’s mind. “Mom, you’ve got to separate our business relationship from our personal relationship. Unfortunately, I don’t meet your high expectations either way. Nobody can.”

  “That’s not true.”

  Lori put her hands on her hips. “No?”

  Her mother blanched. “Are you talking about your father? You leave him out of this. He didn’t abandon us because of the way I treated him. He simply couldn’t handle the pressures of life. He ran off to Spain so he could shack up with a young floozy. His ridiculous way of coping with a mid-life crisis. Hardly my fault.” Her mother’s breath hitched.

  “I was not talking about Dad.”

  “Sure you weren’t. He accuses me of being a monster, too.”

  “I’m not acc—”

  “All I want to do is make life better for the people I love.”

  “Mom,” Lori said gently, "some people would call that controlling.”

  Her mother’s eyes twitched, a precursor to the tears Lori knew was coming.

  Lori’s guilt kicked into high gear, like a bicycle spinning out of control, traveling downhill on the most difficult terrain of all. “Never mind,” Lori mumbled. “Say what you wanted to.”

  “The Orlands are standing in the center of that crowd,” her mother said, pointing. “I’m not being dictatorial. I’m merely being advantageous. Go talk to them while you have the opportunity. Afterward, you can hang out with your new friend.” Her mother coughed. “Take the whole night off, if you want.”

  The guilt was too strong to fight off. “All right, but after I do this for you, I’m done for the night,” she reaffirmed.

  “Absolutely,” her mother promised with a happy clap of her hands. “Fabulous. Have a lovely evening, honey.” She managed to walk two steps away before doubling back. “Are you sure you don’t want any more business cards?”

  “Mom!” Lori hissed.

  “Okay, okay,” her mother replied, hurt etched deep in her voice. “I just don’t want you to be caught empty handed. Assuming, of course, that you decide to network instead of goofing off with your friend. I’d hate to see you waste an important night. I always want what’s best for you.”

  Lori strode off to the Orlands, gritting her teeth. As if she didn’t lay on enough guilt. Mentally, she smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. What did I just agree to? Daniel will wonder where the hell I am. He’ll be plenty pissed at me, if he isn’t already. She glanced back to where he had been standing. The back of his head was barely visible through the heavy throngs of happy revelers. It looked like he was still speaking to the cashier.

  Lori picked up her pace, navigating through the masses. The faster she could get this confounded task off her to-do list, the faster she could get back to her night out with Daniel. What they would do together was almost as intriguing as the man himself. Would they go to a fancy restaurant? Dance at a nightclub? A night out in Las Vegas, especially with a handsome, interesting man like Daniel, would be a dream come true.

  His willingness to splurge would make her bank account grateful, although she would offer to pay for herself. She’d hate to have him think she merely wanted a free night out. She crossed the ballroom, smoothing away the pissed-off expression from her face. Ty and Cat Orland were truly nice people; they didn’t deserve her negative attitude. She breathed deeply and quickened her pace.

  The Orlands were chatting happily to a growing crowd. They drew people to them like powerful magnets. An opening in the crowd finally appeared, a mystical porthole to success. The moment Lori stepped forward, however, a short, portly man with a pale face stepped directly in front of her. His move might have been merely bad timing if he hadn’t deliberately elbowed her in the gut.

  In an instinctive move to protect herself, she twisted her body away from him. Lori’s small handbag took the force of the blow. The man’s half-full cocktail spilled on the purple carpeting, and onto her fuchsia dress. A long brown trail traveled from bust to butt. She gasped. The man did not notice.

  Cat Orland glanced over the man’s head to meet Lori’s shocked expression with sympathetic eyes. “Hello, Lori.”

  “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Orland,” Lori squeaked.

  “Henry,” Mrs. Orland admonished the man who caused the accident, “I understand you want to speak with us but look what you did to this young lady. Her lovely dress is ruined.”

  The man turned around and peered at Lori with narrow eyes. “You should watch where you’re going, missy. You spilled my drink.”

  “Henry Morsik,” Mr. Orland ground out, “I warned you that as long as you keep drinking I’m never going to return your calls. You need to apologize to the lady.”

  “For what?” Henry Morsik demanded. “She made me stain my brand-new tie. She owes me five hundred dollars for another one.” Without waiting for a response, the man stormed off. The crowd, perhaps wanting to escape the uncomfortable scene, followed suit.

  “I can certainly clear out a room.” Lori sighed. “I’m sorry for creating drama. I only came over here to say hello. It was great working with you both. I really enjoyed the project.”

  “We enjoyed working with you too, Lori. Please feel free to use our first names,” Ty Orland said, offering a kind smile. He was much too polite to take notice of her darkening stain. How he was able to keep eye contact was a miracle. No wonder the industry views him as one of the classiest entrepreneurs in the hotel business. Or any business. Unlike Lori, Ty looked clean and freshly pressed. The tuxedo he wore enhanced his natural good looks.

  “Thanks,” Lori said. “How are you doing, Cat?” Lori asked her, smiling down at Cat’s baby bump. “Do you feel as good as you
look? I swear, you are practically glowing.” The compliment was an understatement. Cat’s silver maternity dress was flattering, formal, and festooned with sequins. Her blonde hair was slicked into a sleek knot and held into place with a comb bearing more sparkles. Lori wondered if her loaner dress looked half as good on her. Before the accident, anyway.

  “Yeah. Sure.” Cat laughed. “These days I look more oh no than glow. The only reason I’m halfway presentable is because of a two-hour visit to the hotel’s salon.”

  Ty gave his wife a gentle one-arm hug around her waist “Cat’s had a rough time with this second pregnancy. I’ve been after her to get some rest right from the start. Believe me when I tell you I was glad to call your mom’s firm. It was high time to have Cayne do the heavy lifting instead.”

  Lori became engrossed watching a man with such a tough reputation be soft and loving to his wife.

  “I admit my husband was right,” Cat said. “I’m sorry Ty had to spend months convincing me to let go of the reins.”

  Ty gave Lori a grin. “Can you imagine people say that I’m the workaholic with a control problem?”

  Cat gave her husband a playful punch, hitting him lightly in the arm. “Married people become more alike each day, huh?”

  “Guess so.” Ty captured his wife’s hand and bestowed a kiss. “Count me lucky.”

  Cat smiled warmly at her husband. “That makes two of us.”

  Lori fidgeted. From the way Cat and Ty were looking at each other, there was little doubt the happy couple wanted a little private time in their hotel suite. “I’m happy you were satisfied with the work. I’ll let my mom know.”

  “We already told your mother,” Ty answered. “She came over to say hello.”

  Lori’s smile tightened. Of course she did.

  “When it comes to hiring people, I’ve learned to trust my gut,” Ty continued. “In fact, I have another job lined up for your firm.”