Ace in the Hole Read Online Free Page A

you?”
    Christian’s gaze snapped to his, and all of a sudden heat sizzled between them. Belatedly he murmured, “Hell, even his wife is plotting his demise. To know him is to despise him.”
    “Well, isn’t this going to be a fun assignment.” And the sexual tension was back, thick and heavy between them. They had unfinished business to tend to, but it was strictly off-limits, and they both knew it. Dammit.
    He leafed through the senator’s busy itinerary for the next week. Looked up at Tucker. “Which venue are you the most worried about?”
    “Hotel ballroom where the big casino-night fund-raiser will be held. More sight lines than you can count, multiple access points, huge crowd, huge staff. It’s going to be a nightmare. The public is going to have full access to the senator. Not even rope lines to contain the crowd.”
    Stone winced. If it was even half as bad as the guy described, barring a full-on Secret Service-style team of a couple dozen guys, no way were they going to be able to guarantee Lacey’s safety. “How many warm bodies can you put on the job?” he asked Tucker.
    “I’ve got two security guys from the hotel lined up for Saturday night. And now you. The boss hates bodyguards and refuses to use them most of the time.”
    They were screwed. He crossed the living room to address the senator directly. “How bad do you want to stay alive, sir? Bad enough to cancel your appearance?”
    “I get a third of all the donations from this damned shindig. It’ll fund my television ads for months to come. I’m not fucking canceling. I’m paying a fortune for you to keep me safe and make this event happen.”
    “And I’m giving you my extremely valuable advice. Cancel your appearance. I don’t even need to see the venue to know you will be wide open to an assassination attempt.”
    “Isn’t it your job to take the bullet for me?” Lacey asked coldly.
    Christian’s jaw clenched so hard that the rippling muscles in the guy’s perfect face actually caught Stone’s attention. He pulled his gaze back to the truculent senator and answered evenly, “My job is to keep both of us alive, sir. I will not have done my job if I have to take a bullet for you. That is the last-ditch act of a failed security detail.”
    A shrug. “Not my problem.”
    He glanced over at Tucker, who rolled his eyes. The bastard had better be paying Tucker a fortune to put up with this shit. “I’m going to go downstairs and take a look around the ballroom. I’ll report back to Mr. Tucker after I’ve seen it.”
    “Whatever.” Lacey looked back down at his laptop, which was emitting the groaning, moaning, and flesh-slapping sounds of hard-core porn reaching its exquisitely classy cinematic climax.
    “I’ll show you the ballroom,” Christian volunteered.
    Stone swore mentally. He’d told the guy last night that he had no time for drama. He’d meant it. He did not have time for wistful, almost-lover banter in the damned elevator. Irritated as fuck, he spun and headed out. Christian fell in beside him. He lengthened his stride, emphatically not interested in conversation. Christian kept up easily, matching his stride, and he moved with the supple strength of a man who worked out vigorously. No doubt about it. We would have been a great fit physically.
    The elevator arrived and they stepped into the empty space, alone. Here it came. Stone braced himself.
    Christian spoke with contemptuous precision. “Lacey’s an asshole. Demands the impossible and throws hissy fits when he doesn’t get what he wants. He’s behind in the polls, and his fund-raising has been dismal this year. The voters are apparently catching on to what a bad joke he is. Don’t kill yourself to save him. He’s not worth it.”
    Stone arched one eyebrow sardonically. “Why don’t you tell me how you really feel?”
    A huff of reluctant laughter escaped Christian.
    “I’ve worked for worse,” Stone commented in commiseration as they stepped out