Stroke of Luck - Opal Carew Page 0,25
had mentioned of her, he had showered her with attention.
“What specifically did he do?”
“I don’t know. He listened to what I said. One time, he surprised me with a scarf I’d seen in a store window the night before when we’d gone out for a walk. I hadn’t even realized he’d noticed my interest. He knew I loved breakfast more than any other meal, so he’d often take me out to a pancake house in the evening so I could have breakfast for dinner. But mostly, he just always made time for me.”
“It sounds like you wish you were back with the guy,” Quinn said, his voice devoid of emotion, but Austin could hear a tinge of bitterness.
She shook her head. “Of course not. I realize how superficial those things are in the long run. And he didn’t really care. He just put on a good show.”
“But it gives a clue as to what you need in a relationship,” Austin said. “With your past, it’s important that you have someone who makes time for you. Who listens. Who shows that he cares. Because all of that has been wholly missing from your life.”
Quinn looked at his watch. “As fun as this conversation is,” he said dryly, “we should get moving. We have the poker game scheduled in about two hours and, Austin, you said you want to hit the casino first.”
Austin added a generous tip to the bill and signed it, then turned to April.
“You deserve to find a man who is everything you’ve dreamed of.” Then he took her hand and kissed it.
* * *
April stood up and accepted the arm Austin offered, curling her fingers around his elbow. A quick glance at Quinn’s cold stare made her want to shrivel into a ball. What did he want from her? He’d already told her he wanted to share her with his friend. Why would he care about such a trivial intimacy as her holding his arm?
Unless it was because he hadn’t given his permission.
She walked alongside Austin, and the heat of him so close set her stomach fluttering, his strong, muscular arm making her feel protected.
Austin was a good, sensitive man. The questions he’d asked, although uncomfortable, showed his insight and compassion.
They stepped from the relative quiet of the restaurant into the din of the crowds. As they walked along the carpeted floor, video screens blared with bright lights and flashing displays. The continuous sound of the machines and people’s voices bombarded her.
Quinn pulled his cell from his pocket and stared at the screen.
“That’s Johan,” he said. “He’s having a PR issue. Carl Veron is trashing the company all over the internet, and Johan is taking some interviews to set things straight. He wants to go over a few things with me before his first one in half an hour.”
“Do you need me to help?” Austin asked.
“No. You go ahead to the tables, and I’ll meet you there. The usual?”
Austin nodded, and Quinn hurried away toward the nearest elevator in his long-legged stride.
“Johan is our PR person,” Austin said.
“I gathered,” April responded.
As she walked by Austin’s side, passing people playing slots, blackjack, and other games she had no clue about, she wondered how people could stand sitting at these machines in the midst of the pedestrian traffic flowing around them. He led her past the machines, showing no interest in the crowded tables they were passing by.
“Where’s the usual?” she asked.
“There are VIP areas that are less crowded. Quinn and I have one we favor.”
They followed the flow of the crowd for a while, then he turned down a wide corridor. There were columns and plants and even a lovely fountain ahead. They passed by designer shops and restaurants as they walked. As they got closer to the fountain, which took up a long portion of the center space, a distinctive blond head caught April’s eye.
Oh, God, that was Sarah Piner and her husband, Jon, stepping out of Cartier’s. Just her luck that she would run into them twice in the same afternoon.
April’s body stiffened, and she slowed down. Sarah hadn’t seen her yet.
Austin tipped his head. “What’s wrong?”
She turned her head away from Sarah. “That couple. I don’t want them to see me.”
Austin stopped, turning toward her. His big body blocked Sarah’s view of April, but that wouldn’t last when she and Jon got closer.
“Really?” His lips turned up in a grin. “There’s an easy solution to that.”
The flare in his eyes caught her off guard, then she