Page 176 of Charming Deception

“It’s Savannah. I should take this.” He gets up and leans to kiss me on the forehead. “I’ll hit the men’s room on my way back,” he tells me as he cups the back of my head. “Order dessert if you like while I’m gone.”

Then he kisses me on the mouth, unexpectedly, and I melt.

As he walks away, I wave at him with my fingers, ogling his butt.

Then I remember his brother is still sitting at the table with me.

In fact, he’s watching me.

I smile at Damian, and sip my wine.

He smiles, much more slowly than I do, never taking those cunning eyes off me. Yeah, he just caught me staring at his brother’s ass.

But hey, he owns a sex club, right? He knows what’s up.

And now my face is probably fuchsia.

“So,” I say, “hospitality. That must be an interesting line of work.”

“Yes. Playing host to people is always interesting. But hospitality goes two ways. Making sure people who are welcome feel welcome. And making sure those who are unwelcome… don’t stick around.”

Well, that felt ominous.

I can’t help thinking that when he said that while staring at me, he’s talking about… me?

“I see.”

Point-blank, he asks me, “Are you after my brother’s money, Megan?”

“Of course,” I say, leaning my chin on my palm and not missing a beat. If he can be an ass, so can I. “Why else would I be with him? Clearly, he has nothing else to offer.”

A slow smile spreads across Damian’s handsome face. It’s annoying, really, how handsome he is.

Then he laughs. Somehow, I’ve charmed him. This man is twisted or something.

He’s a game master. I remember now; that was what Jameson said about him.

“You’re surprising, Megan Hudson.”

“You don’t like me,” I venture.

“You’re a beautiful girl. And you seem very sweet. But you’re a stranger to me.” He tips his head in the direction Jameson disappeared. “To him, too.”

“We’re still getting to know each other, that’s true. It’s been… a whirlwind romance.” I sit back and study Jameson’s brother as he studies me. “Maybe you’ll get to know me, too.”

“I know your brother,” he says lightly. “I know things you probably wouldn’t want to know. We used to have problems with him at some of the bars we own. Did Cole tell you that?”

“I know all about my brother’s struggles. He knows he’s made mistakes. And he’s worked hard to get his life and career back on track.”

“Maybe you do know.” He cocks his head thoughtfully. “But that was all back before he and my brother decided they were best friends, wasn’t it.”

I don’t know what he’s implying, other than that he distrusts Cole, just like he distrusts me.

“And do you know why they became best friends?” I ask him, sadly desperate for intel, still a little curious about how Cole and Jameson got so close.

“Trust,” he says simply. “Cole told Jameson something no one else did.”

“And that was…?”

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