Page 48 of The Billionaire's Temptation

“I’ll raise you,” Levi announced, tossing several more poker chips into the center of the table. He wasn’t paying much attention to the game because he kept wondering what Clarissa was up to. His mind kept picturing the gentle, seductive sway in her hips as she’d walked away from him earlier today.

“Three of a kind,” Ian Montrose announced, looking proud of himself.

Ian and his cronies were at a different table, but Levi was close enough to listen in on the conversation. So far, the five men had only discussed golfing scores and their mistresses. Levi was disgusted by their attitudes. If he was ever lucky enough to get a ring on Clarissa’s finger, he would never…!

Startled, he looked at his cards, then at the other players around his table. Ring? He’d accepted that he wanted Clarissa in his life long term, but a ring? A ring implied marriage and forever! Was that what he wanted from Clarissa?

“Yes!” he snarled aloud, startling the others around his table.

“Are you in?” one of the men asked.

Levi looked at his cards. He had a full house and the poker chips in the center of the table totaled about a hundred thousand dollars. That would be enough for a nice ring for Clarissa, he thought, then added more poker chips into the center. “I’ll raise you five thousand.”

Three of the men immediately folded, chuckling at the loss of ten to twenty grand in one hand. They all acted as if the loss wasn’t significant, but Levi knew that one of the players was in financial trouble. The guy hadn’t paid his membership dues in two months, but kept a mistress in an apartment in one of the most expensive locations in Philly. He was also aware that the man had accepted a few suspicious shipments over the past six months. Matteo was concerned with what those shipments contained, which was the only reason the guy hadn’t been kicked out of the club yet.

Levi pretended to study the remaining player, but he already knew that the guy didn’t have anything in his hands. His cards were worthless, just like his businesses. The guy was desperate and it showed.

“I’ll raise you another five,” the idiot announced, laying his cards down on the green felt table, looking smug.

Levi tossed another chip into the pot, startling the man. Yeah, the idiot thought Levi would fold under the pressure. “Call,” Levi said, then spread his cards out on the table. The full house mocked his opponent, whose jaw went slack with shocked horror.

The other men at the table laughed, impressed with the play, but Levi was more focused on the next table. Ian was saying something about…?

“We’ll have her completely under our control,” Montrose was saying. He glanced at his watch and chuckled. “Very soon.”

The other men, all unethical bastards, chuckled along with Montrose, and Levi made a mental note to double those men’s membership dues going forward.

However, at the moment, there was a new feeling of urgency. Montrose had glanced at his watch when he’d remarked he would gain “control”. Of Clarissa? They’d been discussing “the new bird on the market”.

He looked over at Sean, who was sitting at the bar, sipping his scotch. Very subtly, Sean nodded, confirming Levi’s suspicions.

“And that’s the end for me, gentlemen,” Levi announced, pulling his poker chips closer. No way would he allow these jerks to steal even a single chip from him. Emily came over with a wooden box. “Sir,” she said, offering him the box, not even looking up as Levi dumped the chips into the box. Emily strolled away, her back ramrod straight.

“Such a shame that you changed the uniforms of the staff,” one of the men said, causing everyone else to chuckle their agreement. “The skimpier outfits were more…enticing.”

Levi didn’t pause to roll his eyes. “Hopefully, the efficiency and professionalism of the staff has compensated for the lack of voyeuristic pleasures,” he replied, standing up and giving the men a nod. “Have a good night.”

Then he turned, leaving the gaming room with as much casualness as he could muster under the circumstances.

“What the hell are they planning?” he muttered as he stepped into the backroom.

He wished that Clarissa hadn’t sent Lance home for the night already. Still, Levi pulled his cell phone out and texted the man. Levi suspected that something bad was going down at Clarissa’s house. He wasn’t sure what, but his gut was telling him that it would be bad.

Thankfully, Lance texted back almost immediately that he would head to Clarissa’s house, but warned Levi that he was about thirty minutes away.

Levi was closer, but not by much. He texted Matteo, letting him know what was going on. Before Levi pushed his way through the doors to the kitchen, heading to the back of the club where his car was parked, he received a message from Sean.“Will stay back and listen for more details.”

Levi nodded, stuffed his phone back into his pocket, and jumped into his car. Pressing his foot on the accelerator, he sped away while still trying to reach Clarissa on her phone.

“Pick up!” he snarled as he shifted into a higher gear, speeding past two cars.

Clarissa smiled as she slipped between the sheets. They were soft and perfect and she wondered how many bedrooms she’d include in the design to her new house. Definitely, she’d have a “carriage” house, where Martha and Joe would live. They’d lived in Art’s house for so long and there was no way Clarissa would put them out on the street when she moved into her own place. She’d have to ask Martha and Joe if they wanted their own place or space within the house. Clarissa would build whatever they wanted. She was already thinking of them as more than just employees. Martha and Joe had become parental figures at a time when she really needed a friendly face.

And Mandy! Goodness, Clarissa hoped that Mandy was back at her own place, drafting her resignation letter. The plan was for Mandy to remain in her current role to monitor the transfer of data. Neither of them believed that Ian Montrose would allow an ethical transfer of the account.

But with Mandy on “the inside”, Clarissa was confident that Montrose wouldn’t be able to pull any stunts. The woman really was excellent at her job and already knew everything there was to know about Clarissa’s businesses.

Hmmm…that was interesting, she thought as she stared up at the ceiling. “When did I start to think of the businesses as my own?” she whispered into the darkness.

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