Page 3 of Castle's Cards

“Wow. You’re the nurse?”

“I’m not a nurse.” Her brows pull together.

“Are you Addison?” I ask her, stepping a little closer. “The new poker hostess?”

She nods.

“Call me Addy. What happened to your lip?”

“You think this looks bad, you should see the other guy.” I smirk.

“You’re Mr. Castle’s brother, aren’t you?”

“I am. Carter Castle, at your disposal. Am I what you expected?” A smooth grin spreads across my face. She truly is beautiful.

“I suppose the fact that you have a split lip might in fact line up with Cassie’s description of you. How did she put it? ‘Can’t go a night without causing trouble.’”

I can’t help but laugh.

“Your bedside manner needs some work, sweetheart. Court isn’t going to let me back out there without some kind of patch job and I’m not ready to call it quits.”

“My experience goes as far as a first aid class I took last year.

“That’s it? That’s your medical expertise? Well, Cassie certainly has high standards, as evidenced by the fact that she married my brother.” The words are imbued with a sarcastic tone.

“Do you want my help or not?” Addy snaps and scrunches her nose. It’s oddly attractive on her. “Because otherwise I’d like to get back to work.”

“All right, darling, all right, you’re the boss. How do you want me?”

“What?”

Her cheeks pink up and she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. I smirk inwardly at her embarrassment.

“Do you have a first aid kit or something?”

“No, I was planning to make a paste out of grass and cheap liquor.” She gestures for me to follow her as she turns and heads deeper into the store room.

“Patch me up, Dr. Quinn.” I follow her.

A small burst of laughter escapes her. The laugh sends a strange warmth over my body. I can’t help my eyes from sinking to her ass as she walks away. When she turns around she catches me. I give her a wink.

Addy rolls her eyes as she leads me out of the alternate store room exit. The hallway we’re in is familiar and it’s not long until we arrive at the little apartment above the club. It is just as I remembered it to be, though more furniture has been added. And bookshelves. It looks like someone turned it into a miniature library.

“Sit down in that chair over there,” Addy points.

I do as she tells me, sitting in one of the plush chairs that faces a TV. She digs around inside a small cabinet and makes a triumphant noise when she finds what she’s looking for. She walks back over to me, first aid kit in her hands.

“Why are we in here?”

“We’re in here because it’s quiet. Now, lift your chin.”

Thin, warm fingers brush under my jaw and I watch Addy as she stands in front of me, almost between my legs. I want to pull her into my lap and feel her body against mine but I don’t reach for her.

“How did you get hired? I didn’t know Court was going to hire someone to work the tournaments – that was supposed to be my job since I’m the poker expert who brought the game into the club in the first place.”

Seeing her dismay, as if she thought I was criticizing her hire, I clarified. “Not that I have a problem with Court usurping my authority in the matter. I’m grateful that he, or Cassie, anyway, found you. You look like you will fit the bill quite well, and I am, if I do say so myself, a great boss,” I say, looking her up and down very appreciatively, definitely liking what I see.

“I went to school with Cassie a few years ago and she offered me the job,” Addy says with a shrug as her cheeks and chest pink up again as she feels my sexual gaze sweep over her.

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