and things started to click into place for him. "that's what you do. you don't take jewels. you're an information thief."

"ah, i prefer the term...information retrieval specialist."

his jaw nearly dropped.

"it sounds better."

he could only shake his head.

"it does. it sounds a lot better than thief."

"the cops are after you in texas." he freed her and stepped back. "hell, you're wanted and that bounty hunter-"

"i'm not wanted because i haven't been caught before!"

his gaze pinned her. he'd caught her.

"you were the first," she allowed, obviously reading his thoughts. "no one else ever held me."

"then the others were idiots."

she looked away from him. "maybe."

he just couldn't figure her out. "you were hired to do a job. you didn't do it...because you saw a wedding photograph."

"i just changed my mind, that's all."

lie. "you'll pay for that one," he promised her.

she tensed.

he didn't go to her and collect. not yet. she'd revealed good information to him, and he just had to work this situation out in his mind.

casinos...it was about the business. his business. someone wanted him to crash and burn financially.

hell, there was quite a list out there for that. when it came to the casinos, drake didn't exactly play nicely. playing nicely wasn't part of his vocabulary.

but jasmine was afraid of the person targeting him, and drake didn't think jasmine scared easily. he knew that she didn't.

so it was business, and it was personal.

he watched her. waited. narrowed down his enemies. someone tied to the casino industry. someone who would be willing to destroy a man's life in an instant. someone he'd recently pissed off...

luckily, that list was fairly short. at the moment. "maxwell case," drake threw the name out as a test.

her chin notched into the air. "is that name supposed to mean something to me?"

he was on her in a flash. "that's lie number three. collection time." his mouth sank on hers. damn but he liked her taste. liked the way she gasped and arched against him. liked the sting of her nails along his shoulders.

his tongue thrust into her mouth. he savored her. he wanted to taste every single bit of her. he'd gone too long without a woman. need rode him hard. only...

it wasn't need for just any soft, feminine body beneath his. it was a dark, aching need for her. jasmine.

his head lifted. "he's the one who sent you after me."

she didn't speak, but she stubbornly shook her head.

"the arrow used to be another casino." a rundown dump that needed new life. a spot that had been ripe for the picking. "case wanted the place. i bought the casino before he could. found out the sob's bid, and i took it." when vegas was supposed to be case's domain. screw that shit. drake took what he wanted.

and he'd wanted vegas.

"i took what was his, and now he's trying to take what's mine."

she gazed up at him with wide eyes.

"that's why you told me to head down to new orleans. he's trying to take my casinos from me. the bastard thinks he can run me out of business."

her lips pressed together.

"not happening." he marched for the door. "no one takes what's mine."

"can i...can i go now?"

"go?" he repeated as he turned back to her.

her hands twisted in front of her. "you think you know everything, so you don't need me now."

he stilled. "on the contrary, i think i need you very much."

"i don't understand."

the woman's eyes could bring a man to his knees.

but drake bowed for no one.

"good thing your bag is packed, princess, because we'll be leaving for new orleans soon."

her jaw dropped. "you're taking me with you?"

"i wouldn't dream of leaving you behind."

fear flashed in her eyes. "you should, though. you need to leave me."

"no." because he had plans for jasmine. so many plans. "i'm not letting you go."

no one takes what's mine.

drake's words echoed through jasmine's head. he'd sounded so fierce and determined.

but drake was wrong. this wasn't just about his casinos.

it was about his life.

maybe...maybe if she played things just right, she'd survive what was coming.

perhaps they both would.

then drake would think that she was worthy enough, then he'd help her. he'd-

"coming?"

she schooled her expression before she glanced up. drake was back in the doorway. the guy hadn't gone far at all.

"you really should leave me behind." she was trying to be fair. "i told you that before. you don't want the kind of trouble i can bring to your life."

"ah, jasmine, you don't know the kind of trouble that i am." he flashed her a tiger's grin. "but you'll be finding out. very, very soon..."

a shiver slid down her spine.

he slipped into the arrow. headed inside as easily as could be. the security guards at the front of the place didn't notice him-mostly because they thought he was one of them. getting the guard's uniform had been too easy.

he made his rounds, like a good security guard would. then he went to the area that interested him the most.

"heard there was some action here last night," he murmured when he saw the two uniformed men near the vault.

one guard grunted. "damn smoke bomb."

this time, it wouldn't just be about smoke.

but the guard to the right frowned at him. "you aren't supposed to be here. you're not part of the usual rotation."

ah, so security had been stepped up.

"let me see your credentials," that guard barked. "because i don't know you."

now both guards were eyeing him with suspicion.

he raised his hands. "you don't know me because i'm the new guy on the team." he flashed a friendly smile. "but don't worry, i'm getting out of here. just wanted to see where all the cash was kept. curious, you know."

his smile and easy attitude should have reassured them. but one of the guards was pulling out his radio. dammit.

"i need the chief," the guard snapped. "there's some guy down here who won't-"

"i'm already leaving," he murmured as he edged away. hell. this wasn't part of his plan.

he turned his back, intent on getting out of there.

but one of the guards grabbed his shoulder.

he stiffened. "wasn't supposed to go down like this," he murmured, but a smile pulled at his lips.

sometimes, violence was the best answer.

he turned around and attacked.

chapter five

jasmine had her nose pressed to the window as the plane landed.

"first time in new orleans?" drake asked her, curious. this woman carried so many secrets.

"first time on a private jet." her right hand was tight around the armrest. "and this plane is lush." her tone was admiring.

the plane bounced a bit as it landed.

jasmine glanced his way. he wondered if she'd be afraid or if-

a wide smile winked her dimples. "and, yes, this is my first time in new orleans, so i want to see everything."

that smile was going to cause serious problems. carefully, drake shifted his position. a smile shouldn't make him that aroused, that fast.

but hers did.

when they were clear, he unhooked his belt.

jasmine began, "my bag-"

"it's being taken care of." everything would be taken care of now.

jasmine nearly skipped down the runway. an interesting trick, considering that she was wearing stilettos.

"i've heard this city is magic." she was tugging on his arms. "i want to see the quarter. i want to eat beignets at midnight."

he pulled her to a stop. "it's close to midnight now." but new orleans wouldn't be sleeping. the jazz music would be drifting in the air, and the place would be alive with people filling the streets.

that smile was still on her face. the one that made him want to think she wasn't a thief. that she was just a woman he desired.

but i know better.

he also knew how to get her to lower her guard.

"can we get beignets?" jasmine asked him quickly. "at that place along the riverfront? i've heard people talk about it."

he nodded.

her smiled beamed even more.

he didn't speak again until they were in his car and his driver-slash-security detail-was leading them through the city.

"you know," drake finally mused as he carefully watched her, "most women get this excited over diamonds, not beignets."

"i'm not most women." and she was back to having her nose pressed to the nearest window. she stared out at the city as if it were the most amazing sight that she'd ever seen.

he kept his eyes on her.

his driver, matthew, dropped them off near the riverfront.

"i hear jazz!" jasmine exclaimed excitedly.

that was because a man was playing a saxophone less than ten feet away.

jasmine hurried through the crowd and stopped near the man. then she just listened, apparently spellbound, as he played.

drake kept watching her.

she was a puzzle he couldn't quite figure out. what was real with her? the enthusiasm and happiness she was showing now? or the tricks she'd shown back at the arrow? the lock picking. the seduction.

he put money down for the musician and led jasmine toward her beignets. when she bit into one, powdered sugar slid over her upper lip.

his gaze locked on that lip.

jasmine moaned. "incredible." she devoured the beignet, licking her lips, savoring the sugar.

"sweet," drake muttered.

her gaze slid to his. "you should...have a taste."

he leaned toward her and licked away the soft powder near her upper lip.

her breath caught. "drake..."

he pulled back. stared at her.

"thank you."

drake didn't like it when she thanked him. he didn't want her gratitude, not for buying her a simple beignet. he wanted...her.

thunder rumbled in the distance. her head turned at the sound, and she stared out at the river.

"we should go," he told her, aware that his voice sounded gruff. "a storm's coming." he could smell it in the air.

"i've never minded a storm."

no, she wouldn't.

they stood there, staring at the water, as the raindrops began to fall.

then, because he couldn't help himself, because he wanted her and he was going to take exactly what he wanted, drake turned jasmine in his arms. he kissed her. tasted the sweetness on her lips. tasted the rain.

tasted desire.

her hands wound around his neck as she leaned into him. she was kissing him eagerly, seeming to hold nothing back.

good. because from that moment forward, there would be no stopping or holding back.

not for either of them.

he had a house in the french quarter, one away from the wildness of bourbon street, and he took her there. his driver was close, and he picked them up quickly. within minutes, they were heading down the lane that would take drake to his house.

then jasmine is mine.

jasmine...now that they were in the car, she was back to staring out the window. and he was watching her. drake...liked watching her.

her hair was wet around her shoulders. her clothes clung tightly to her body.

he wanted her naked.

he'd have her that way.

when they reached his house, he hurried from the car.

"it's incredible," jasmine whispered as she stared up at the house. illuminated by faint porch lights, the victorian stood strong in the surrounding darkness. "gorgeous."

he caught her fingers with his. the rain was still falling, but jasmine didn't seem to care. she was laughing as they hurried inside.

for a moment, he almost wanted to laugh, too.

he took her upstairs. pulled her against him. the wet clothes let him feel every inch of her body. tight nipples, pebbled hard.

from the cold?

from need?

he stared into her eyes. "i'm going to fuck you."

her lashes flickered. "you could try making love to me."

his jaw locked. "this isn't about love." emotions didn't enter into the equation for him.

sadness swept over her face for an instant. he wondered if she'd pull back. if she'd try to play him.

instead, her hand slid over the stubble that lined his jaw. "maybe one day, you'll change your mind. maybe one day, you'll love someone."

he caught her hand. held it in a too tight grip. "i want to fuck you. now." he couldn't be more clear.

her wet hair slid over her shoulders. "then what are you waiting for?" the sadness was gone, and he wasn't sure if it had ever really been there. he just knew he had the woman he wanted in his arms, and drake wasn't going to wait any longer.

he stripped her. peeled those wet clothes from her body even as she kicked away her heels.