Page 7 of The Billion Dollar Bet

She did and was somewhat grateful that he had perceived her discomfort and assisted her. Now she needed that orange juice because her throat was parched.

“If you will excuse me,” she said. “I was on my way to the bar.”

“No worries, Barry will fetch whatever you need. Wont you Barry?”

The eldest of the lot stepped forward and bowed slightly. “At your service madam.”

“I’m sure you have better things to do than to fetch my drink.”

“Actually, not.”

“Then orange juice it will be, thank you.”

The three walked away, leaving her in the company of Devin who seemed much too pleased for her taste. There were several sets of eyes on them, including those of Cameron who was standing among a group of researchers and businessmen. As he watched her, she couldn’t help but think that it was indeed he who had recommended her for the grant. What was his angle? Was he that desperate to get into her good graces that he would do her such a favor?

Devin must have seen her stare in his direction, because he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Her back came up against him and she was surprised at the strength of his frame.

“What are you doing?” she asked, elbowing him.

“That professor wants you, but I know he’s a married man.”

“How do you know that?”

“Oh, the ring mark on his left hand. Men like that remove their wedding ring when going out alone.”

She twisted to face him, hoping he would loosened his arm. All that happened was that her breasts now pressed into his chest. Cassie stepped back putting distance between them. But she had to admit that she liked the warmth exchanged between them and the heat reflected in Devin’s eyes. But she could not allow herself to be distracted by a man, especially one such as this fellow.

“What are you doing here anyway,” she asked. “Are you making a donation?”

“I hate such gatherings as much as you do, but I was compelled to be here.”

The others returned with the drinks and she took her orange juice. While she took her sip she watched Devin’s eyes as they watched her. He was trouble, she could see the mischief in his eyes and wondered what shenanigans he had planned for the balance of the evening.

Chapter 6

Some time earlier…

“Why does Devin’s mom always drag us to these things?” Troy complained. “There are no women here.”

Barry disagreed as his eyes scanned the room. “I see plenty of women.”

“These socialite girls are boring as hell. I’m talking about real women.”

Carter ribbed him. “You need to stop visiting the strip club, Troy. It’s warping your view on women.”

“Yeah, right. Like you been warping that stripper down by Club Dynamite?”

“That is different. Ginger has class. She is saving up enough for college.”

Devin was bored stiff that he was tempted to start a fight in order to get some action going. The music was classical, which was putting him to sleep. The champagne was light on alcohol and the food was bland. He could hear some kind of discussion taking place about climate change and that teenage activist that won the Nobel Prize.

He would much rather be dealing a hand than stand around listening to these so called intellects talk about the amount of money they made on the stock market or how much percent their company grew in the last quarter. Devin sneered at the old snob McKinley whose toilet paper company had been around since the stone age and yet, his company profits was chicken feed compared to the money Devin made each minute on the stock market.

He might have skipped college, but when it came to making money he was known as the whiz kid. Brokers came to him for tips and he could smell the market decline a hundred miles away. He knew when to sell and when to buy in bulk. Like now, he was standing there listening to McKinley talk about buying stock in his paper making division. Devin knew that paper use was on the decline and that anyone foolish enough to trade on paper was wasting their hard earned money. Investing in technology was the way to go and not just any old tech, but futuristic gadgets.

He’d just about had enough of old McKinley’s financial blabbering when she came into view. The room suddenly became bright and his doldrums flitted away.

Dr. Cassandra Melody. Her name alone sent shivers down his spine. Without much conscious thought he started moving in her direction. He was halfway across the room when a man accosted her. The way the man stripped her with his eyes infuriated Devin. He could also see that Cassandra was uncomfortable and needed a way to escape.

---