Fortunes' Women: Mistress of Fortune

www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author

KATHIE DeNOSKY lives in her native southern Illinois with her husband and one very spoiled Jack Russell terrier. She writes highly sensual stories with a generous amount of humour. Kathie’s books have appeared on the Waldenbooks bestseller list and received a Write Touch Readers’ Award from WisRWA and a National Readers’ Choice Award. She enjoys going to rodeos, travelling to research settings for her books and listening to country music. Readers may contact Kathie at: PO Box 2064, Herrin, Illinois 62948-5264, USA or e-mail her at kathie@kathiedenosky.com.

This book is dedicated to the authors of the

FORTUNES. It was a real pleasure working with you

and I hope we get to do it again soon.

One

“Good morning, this is Sasha Kilgore, public relations assistant.”

“Hi, Sasha. Blake Fortune, here.”

At the sound of his smooth baritone filtering through the phone into her ear, Sasha’s heart skipped a beat and she had to remind herself to breathe. “Hello, Blake. What can I do for you today?”

“I need a favor, Sasha.”

Every time he said her name, a tiny little flutter in the pit of her stomach reminded her that she apparently still carried the remnants of a schoolgirl’s crush for the youngest of the Fortune men.

“I’ll do what I can,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound too eager. “What do you need?”

“You.”

“Me?” Her pulse raced and the room suddenly felt as if it had become a vacuum.

“I know this is late in the game to be asking about something like this, but I’m opening a new casino here in Deadwood toward the end of the month and I need your help coming up with a special PR campaign to kick things off. I want it to run though the summer to attract vacationers.”

It was completely ridiculous, but she felt a little disappointed that his call wasn’t of a personal nature. “Hotels and the gaming industry aren’t exactly my area of expertise.”

Why hadn’t he consulted his own PR director? Surely he had one. After all, this would be the third casino he’d opened in the past four years and she’d heard through the office grapevine that he’d recently formed his own corporation.

“Come on, sweetheart.” His use of the endearment sent a little shiver straight up her spine. “We both know you’re one of the best. Otherwise you wouldn’t be working for Dakota Fortune.”

She felt warm all over from just the sound of his voice. “So now you’re going to resort to charm and flattery?”

“Is it working?”

She laughed. “No, but it’s nice to hear.”

“Tell me you’ll help me out here, Sasha,” he said, his voice taking on the no-nonsense tone she was used to hearing from him. “My public relations director is out on family medical leave, helping his wife with their new twin girls and I’m up against a wall on this. Fortune’s Gold is opening in three weeks.”

“I’ve never seen the place and that makes it extremely difficult to come up with ideas that would work for you,” she warned.

“Not a problem. Just set a day and time and I’ll send my private jet to pick you up.”

“I could probably research your needs on the Internet, then—”

“You’ll get a better idea if you see the operation firsthand,” he said obstinately.

If there was one thing about the Fortune men that she knew as surely as she knew her own name, it was that they didn’t take no for an answer.

Sighing, she reached for her electronic planner. “The earliest I could possibly meet with you would be day after tomorrow. Would that be convenient or would the following week be better?”

“Friday’s great. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you. Plan on spending the weekend here in Deadwood, then we’ll fly back to Sioux Falls together on Monday morning.”

“That’s three days.”

“Your math skills are impressive.”

“And your persistence is annoying.”

His deep chuckle caught her off guard. To her knowledge, she hadn’t heard him laugh in years and she’d come to the conclusion that his brothers, Case and Creed, had been right when they’d insisted that Blake didn’t have a sense of humor. Apparently, they’d been wrong.

“Come on, Sasha. You’ll be able to get an idea of what my clientele experience while they’re here. That should help you come up with a more attractive promotional offer. And besides, it’ll be a nice little break away from the rat race.”

Oh, he was good. He knew just what to say and just how far to lower his voice to make her feel as if it really meant a lot to him for her to spend the weekend working on his promotion campaign.

“I suppose it would be nice to get away for a weekend,” she said slowly. “I just wasn’t aware that it would take that much time to research what you need and come up with a viable plan.”

“I thought since you’ll be here, you could go ahead and take a look at my other casinos and give me a fresh perspective on ways to promote those as well.” He paused. “But if it’s a problem …”

When his voice trailed off, she shook her head at how masterful he was at getting what he wanted. “No, no problem. I should be able to clear my calendar for the weekend.” Truth to tell, she didn’t have anything planned beyond cleaning her apartment and vegging out in front of the television for a Julia Roberts movie marathon on one of the cable channels.

“Then we’re set. I’ll have my pilot pick you up at eight on Friday morning. And, Sasha?”

“Yes.”

“Thanks.”

He made the word sound extremely intimate and caused the fluttering in her stomach to go absolutely berserk. But before she could get her suddenly paralyzed vocal cords to respond, he hung up.

“Who was that?”

She looked up at the sound of the familiar male voice to find Creed Fortune standing in her office doorway, looking extremely suspicious.

“It was your brother Blake,” she answered cautiously.

“Half brother,” Creed corrected tightly. “What did he want?”

It was a well-known fact that although Creed and Blake were brothers, they weren’t close. Far from it. At the best of times, they were barely civil and at the worst, openly hostile.

“His PR director is on leave of absence and Blake asked me to help him work up a campaign for the opening of a new casino.”

She concentrated on inputting her meeting with Blake into her planner. Why did she feel as if she were being disloyal to Creed? They had never been anything more than good friends.

“Are you going to help him?” From the disapproval in Creed’s voice, Sasha could tell that he thought she should have turned Blake down.

She nodded. “I see no reason why I shouldn’t help him with the grand opening of his new casino.”

“I can give you a damned good reason.” Creed shook his head. “The son of a bitch can’t be trusted. Hell, I’d trust a rattlesnake before I put any kind of faith in Blake Fortune.”

“That’s a horrible thing to say about your brother, Creed.” Being an only child, she’d always wanted a brother or sister and couldn’t understand anyone feeling such antagonism toward their sibling. “Whether you get along with him or not, he’s still part of your family.”

Creed grunted. “The worst part.”

Choosing her words very carefully, Sasha met his piercing gaze head-on. “You’re one of my best friends, Creed, and I place a lot of value on that friendship. But don’t ask me to choose sides. Whatever grievances you have with Blake are between the two of you. I have nothing to do with it.”

His mouth flattened into a straight line a moment before he nodded. “All I’m saying is, watch yourself around him, Sasha. He’s just like his mother. Bad news.”

Hoping to lighten the moment, she grinned. “He’d probably tell me something similar about you. Now, why don’t you go back to your office and do something productive while I get back to work?”

Long after Creed had left her alone, Sasha wondered what could possibly have caused the siblings to be at such odds. The two older Fortune brothers, Case and Creed, made no secret of the fact that they had no use for their younger brother. And from everything she’d seen and heard, the feeling was more than mutual. Blake had even gone so far as to leave Dakota Fortune, the multibillion-dollar corporation their grandfather had founded, to build his own empire in the South Dakota gaming industry. As far as she knew, he still maintained his shares of stock in Dakota Fortune and was a member of the board of directors, but had nothing to do with running the enterprise.

Leaning back in her leather desk chair, she stared at the entry she’d just put into her planner. It appeared the hostilities between the Fortune brothers were escalating and they expected those around them to choose sides in their battle of wills—something she had no intention of doing.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure how she was going to avoid it. She was good friends with one brother and the other brother had always had the ability to make her feel as if the earth moved whenever he looked her way.

Sighing heavily, she shook her head as she opened the browser on her computer and keyed in a search for casinos in the Deadwood, South Dakota, area. When war broke out between Creed and Blake it could very easily destroy whoever got in the way. She needed to keep that in mind and make sure that she wasn’t the one caught in the middle when it all came to a head.

Blake sat in the back of his corporate limo at the small private airfield just outside of Deadwood as he waited for his pilot to taxi his Learjet up to the tarmac. After talking with Sasha, he’d spent the past couple of days working with the contractors and decorators responsible for putting the finishing touches on his newest and most luxurious hotel casino yet.

He was determined to see that Fortune’s Gold was the premier place to stay in Deadwood and a welcome addition to his newly formed Fortune Casino Corporation. Along with the Belle of Fortune, his hotel casino decorated like an 1880s riverboat, and the Lucky Fortune, a family friendly establishment where parents could drop off their kids at a supervised indoor playground while they gambled without worry, he would be able to successfully offer something to suit everyone’s tastes and needs.

Mentally reviewing what still needed to be done, he concluded that he only had a couple of more details to nail down, then he’d have the rest of the weekend to concentrate on Sasha and his mission. He’d told her the truth about his PR man being on leave of absence because of his wife having a set of twin girls. He had, however, omitted that the man had only taken the time off because Blake had insisted on it. A promotional campaign for Fortune’s Gold wasn’t the real reason behind his calling Sasha or his wanting her to join him for the weekend in Deadwood.

When Blake had attended his oldest brother Case’s wedding reception back in February, he’d noticed that Sasha had been Creed’s date. Then, thinking back on it, Blake remembered seeing her with Creed at several functions and family gatherings over the past year. It was clear there was something going on between the two of them and spoke volumes of how special Sasha was to Creed. Blake knew for a fact that his brother was notorious for never dating the same woman more than a few times before he moved on to his next conquest. But Creed obviously felt differently about Sasha and that was what Blake found more than a little interesting. And quite useful.

Sasha had been a freshman when he’d been a senior in high school. Although they hadn’t been friends, Blake had a photography class with the shy auburn-haired girl and could have sworn she’d had a crush on him. To his recollection, they’d never spoken back then, but several times he’d caught her watching him, and when his gaze had locked with her pretty green eyes, Sasha had turned several shades of red and glanced away. But in recent years she’d apparently gotten over her schoolgirl crush and turned her attention toward snaring the middle of the Fortune brothers.

Blake smiled. It was past time he rectified that situation and reclaimed what was rightfully his.

When the pilot brought the jet to a halt several feet from the limo, then lowered the door, Blake got out of the car and walked over to offer Sasha his hand as she descended the built-in steps. The moment her soft, delicate palm touched his, a jolt of electric current zinged straight up his arm.

“It’s good to see you again, Sasha,” he said, dismissing the sensation as some kind of static electricity.

Once she was standing on the pavement beside him, he pulled her into his arms for a lingering hug. When he felt her slender body shiver against him, he concentrated on keeping his expression passive. No sense giving away his intentions before he had the opportunity to ensure their success.

“Did you have a nice, uneventful flight?”

Stepping back, Blake could tell his familiar manner confused her, just as he’d intended. Good. Throwing her off guard and keeping her there was exactly what he wanted to do.

“Y-yes, the flight was blessedly calm.” The slight blush on her porcelain cheeks was an encouraging sign and he was confident his plan was going to go off without the slightest hitch.

“I’m glad. At this time of year, turbulence can be a problem.”

The early April sun shone weakly through a bank of clouds, but did little to take the chill from the stiff breeze ruffling the soft auburn curls that had escaped the tight knot of hair at the back of her head. Turning her toward the limo, Blake slipped his arm around her shoulders on the pretense of shielding her from the wind and motioned for his driver to take care of her small travel case.

“Let’s get you into the car before you freeze,” he said, ushering her over to the long, black sedan.

She drew her coat a little closer as they walked the short distance. “It is rather chilly.”

Once they were comfortably seated inside the warmth of the limousine, it wasn’t lost on him that she scooted all the way across the bench seat to the other side. He clearly made her nervous and Blake had a good idea why. There was no doubt in his mind that bastard, Creed, had warned her to be wary of him.

“We’ll go on to Fortune’s Gold from here,” Blake said, deciding that work might get her mind off whatever poison Creed had fed her about him. “Then, after you get an idea of the type of clientele I want to attract, we’ll eat lunch at Lucky Fortune, tour that facility and end the day at the Belle of Fortune.” He smiled. “The Belle is where you’ll be staying this weekend.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea.” To his relief, she visibly relaxed and her pretty smile caused an odd feeling to grip the pit of his stomach. “I’ve been doing some research on Deadwood and your competition. After I tour your casinos, I’ll be better able to judge if my ideas will work, but I think I already have a plan in mind that I’m sure will fit your needs.”

“Great.” He made sure to give her his most encouraging smile as he reached over and took her hand in his. Giving it a gentle squeeze, he added, “We’ll discuss your ideas tomorrow morning, then have the rest of the weekend to relax and have fun.”

Her smile disappeared immediately and she looked as if she might bolt from the car. “Fun?”

If Blake could have gotten his hands on Creed at that moment, he’d have taken great pleasure in tearing his brother limb from limb. No telling what kind of outright lies and distorted half-truths Creed had told her about him.

“I thought since you’re here, you might like to try your hand at some of the gaming tables and tour a museum or two. Deadwood has several dedicated to the town’s old west history.” Thinking quickly, he added, “It might give you another idea or two for the packages I’d like to offer.”

She looked thoughtful a moment before she nodded. “You do have a point. Adding admission to one of the museums as part of a special on room rates and meals would be very nice.”

As his driver parked the car under the entryway at Fortune’s Gold, Blake opened the door and climbed out of the car, holding out his hand to help Sasha to her feet. “Then it’s settled,” he said, careful to keep the triumph from his voice. “We’ll check out a few of the sites tomorrow, then we can decide on the one that will enhance the deals I’ll be offering.”

When he escorted her through the front entrance of his soon-to-be open casino, he watched her reaction as she looked around at the opulent decor. He’d spared no expense in re-creating the elegance of a high-end Las Vegas establishment, while still maintaining the relaxed atmosphere Deadwood was known for.

“This is beautiful, Blake.” She walked over to touch the cool black marble countertop on the registration desk. “I love your use of black, gold and cream. It’s very striking and goes perfectly with the crystal chandeliers.”

He hadn’t counted on her enthusiasm pleasing him quite so much. “I’m hoping Fortune’s Gold will attract some of the high rollers from the midwestern cities who might not have the time to make it to Vegas, but could get away for a couple of days to gamble here.”

“I’m sure it will be quite popular as a weekend getaway.” She continued across the lobby to descend the two steps leading down into the sunken casino area. She nodded toward a variety of slot machines and gaming tables. “I see you have all of the most popular games and gambling devices.”

A loud noise on the far side of the casino, where several men were installing some of the decorative trim work, caused her to jump and Blake realized that she still wasn’t completely at ease with him. Maybe if he gave her a moment or two alone to collect herself it would help. Throwing her off guard was one thing, but her being a nervous wreck would be detrimental to his plans.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to find the foreman and check to see that everything is still on schedule.” He gave her his most reassuring smile. “I’ll only be a few minutes.”

“Of course.” She motioned toward the gaming tables. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just wander around here to get a better feel for the place.”

After talking briefly with the foreman, Blake retrieved a pass key from the main office, then went to find Sasha. When he spotted her, she was standing beside one of the many rows of slot machines and he couldn’t help but notice how attractive she was. In high school, she’d been nice looking, but that had only been a hint of things to come. The pretty teenage girl had grown into a strikingly beautiful woman with a figure that could tempt the most pious of saints.

“Is everything still on target for your grand opening?” she asked, clearly disconcerted when she caught him studying her.

“So far, so good.” Walking over to her, he placed his hand to the small of her back and guided her toward the elevators. “Ready to see the rooms?”

She stopped to give him a dubious look. “Is that necessary?”

He shrugged. “I thought it might give you a couple of ideas about accommodations for the package offers. I was thinking we could offer about three different options for our guests to choose from.”

Looking a little uncertain, she finally smiled. “I told you, the hotel and gaming industry isn’t my area of expertise. But touring the rooms does sound like an excellent idea and might help me make the offers more attractive for guests to bring spouses and children.”

“PR is PR, whether it’s for a casino or a corporation like Dakota Fortune,” he said, stepping back for her to enter the elevator. “It’s just a different market.”

When the doors whispered shut, she laughed and shook her head. “There’s a little more to it than that, Blake.”

Her soft voice saying his name did strange things to his insides, but he didn’t give it a second thought. He was on a mission, and the success or failure of his objective depended on him keeping a cool head and not letting emotion enter into the equation. It was the way he did business and it had served him quite well over the past four years.

When the elevator doors swished open on the top floor, Blake guided Sasha down a short hall to the executive suites. He’d known in advance which one he’d be showing her and made sure the housekeeping staff had it ready for her inspection.

“This is one of the suites we’ll be offering to the whales.”

“Whales?”

Fitting the key card into the lock, he opened the door when the light blinked green. “That’s the term used in the gaming industry for high rollers. They expect to get their rooms and meals free because they drop more than enough money in the casino to cover the costs, as well as make us a nice profit.”

“In other words, it’s incentive to get them to gamble in your establishment,” she said, glancing around at the expertly decorated rooms.

“That’s the idea,” he said, nodding. “With enough comps, they’ll be happy to stay here and gamble exclusively with us instead of visiting the other casinos.”

She walked slowly around the suite’s living room. “This looks like something I might see on one of the television shows about Las Vegas.” Turning to face him, she smiled approvingly. “I would think your whales will be quite pleased with this kind of complimentary service.”

Nodding, Blake walked over to open the French doors leading to the bedroom. “That’s what I’m aiming for. I want this to be the hotel for the wealthy when they visit Deadwood.”

“I haven’t seen the other hotels in town, but I think you’ve accomplished your goal. This is absolutely beautiful,” she said, wandering into the master bathroom. She stopped suddenly and her face reflected her astonishment. “Good lord, Blake. That tub is almost large enough to swim laps.” She shook her head. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bathtub that large.”

Walking up behind her, he placed his hands on her shoulders as they gazed down into the black marble Jacuzzi tub. “We’ll offer champagne and caviar for two, in case a gentleman and his lady want an intimate bath together.”

Her slender frame stiffened beneath his palms and she quickly stepped away from him. But not before he felt a slight tremor course through her and noticed a faraway expression cross her face.

“I—I think I’ve seen enough to know what you’ll be offering in the way of accommodations to your wealthier clientele,” she said, her steps purposeful as she started for the door. “Why don’t we take a look at the standard rooms?”

As he followed her across the living room, Blake smiled. Sasha was nervous all right, but in a good way. He’d bet a day’s take in one of his casinos that her reaction to his touch had more to do with the fact that she was still attracted to him than from anything Creed could have told her.

When he pulled the door to the Executive Suite shut behind him, Blake watched the gentle sway of her hips as she walked down the hall to the elevator. He smiled. His plan was not only going to work beautifully, it was going to be a pleasure for both of them.

He was going to seduce Sasha right out from under Creed’s nose. And there wasn’t a damned thing his older brother could do to stop him.

Two

By the time Blake’s driver delivered them to the entrance of the Belle of Fortune Hotel and Casino that evening, Sasha wondered what on earth she’d been thinking when she’d agreed to help him. Spending the day with him had played havoc with her equilibrium and only confirmed what she suspected after she’d talked to him earlier in the week. She was still attracted to him and, although it wasn’t the same as when she’d had a crush on him in high school, the fascination was still there just the same. Trying to deny it would be utterly futile.