The Gambler: Notorious, #2

By Molly O'Keefe

Ten years ago, I walked away from Bonne Terre. No explanations. No good byes. Leaving behind Juliette Tremblant who had no business giving her heart to the likes of me.

Now, I'm coming back to town a rich man to try and repair the mistakes I've made.

Juliette is not the heart-broken girl I left behind. She's Chief of Police and, she's in trouble – real trouble. And I'm the only one who can help her.

She might be immune to my wealth and my charm, but she can't resist my touch. The fire that burned between us is as hot and sweet as it ever was.

Can I convince her that gambling on us is a safe bet? Or am I all out of luck?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Molly Fader
• Release date: Oct 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393145707

Molly O'Keefe

Molly O'Keefe sold her first Harlequin Duets at age 25 and hasn’t looked back! She has since sold 11 more books to Harlequin Duets, Flipside and Superromance. Her last Flipside, Dishing It Out, won the Romantic Times Choice Award. A frequent speaker at conferences around the country she also serves on the board of the Toronto chapter of Romance Writers of America. She lives in Toronto with her husband, son, dog and the largest heap of dirty laundry in North America

Book preview

1

Ten years ago

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Juliette

---

July in Louisiana had us in its grip. The moon turned our skin to silver and even though it was a million degrees in The Manor’s sleeping porch I could not stop touching Tyler. I slipped my fingers along his ribs, over his chest and down the other side. Back and forth a thousand times. I lifted my fingers and sipped his sweat from my skin.

Babe, he breathed, panting a little. Which made me smile. This sex we were having – it was seriously aerobic. We are so good at that.

I laughed. The truth was – I had never in my life had sex the way that Tyler and I had sex. I’d never been touched the way he touched me. Or loved. So loved it sounded corny and ridiculous but he loved me so much I felt cherished. In the dirtiest way.

And considering he was Tyler O’Neill and his bad reputation in Bonne Terre had been secured when he was in high school maybe even grade school– I was happy he was as blown away by our sex as I was. And that he felt my love, too.

I cherished him and I wanted him to feel it. The guy hadn’t had a lot of cherishing in his life.

I spent hours already this summer trying to figure out why we worked like this. Why I lost all my weird little self-conscious idiosyncrasies. Why I was able to stay out of my head and deep in my body when he touched me.

Chemistry and trust was what I came up with. It was a powerful one two punch.

Like gold medal good, don’t you think?

World champs, I said, kissing the skin closest to me which happened to be his armpit. Which should have been gross, but no part of this man was gross to me. The boys I’d messed around with in college were nothing compared to Tyler O’Neill. Not that I was going to tell him that – the man had a swollen head already, being the first man to make me come.

I didn’t expect you out at Remy’s tonight. Tyler rolled slightly to face me. He brushed the back of his hands down my arm to my hand. He linked our fingers together. God. We could not stop touching.

The band sounded good, I said. Gatean on the trumpet was great.

Yeah, I think we’re getting that second set pretty tight. But still, Jules, you don’t have to be out there every night.

I told you, Ty, I said. If you’re out there. So am I. Isn’t that the girlfriend’s job?

Well, if the girlfriend is you I think the job is studying for the LSAT.

Tyler, that’s months away.

He ran the knuckles of our joined hands across my collarbones. It makes me nervous when you talk like that.

Like what? His fingertips brushed my nipple.

Like law school isn’t important.

Right now law school felt a million miles away. A problem to worry about later. I wanted to just be in this moment. This sweat-soaked, sex-fueled, happy as fuck moment.

It’s summer, Tyler, I said, which was the same excuse I gave my Dad when he asked me about studying and why I was out all hours. I’ve got the rest of my life to work.

I think, he drawled and dropped my hand so he could palm my breast. I took a deep breath. We’d just had sex. The orgasm had rolled through me and left me weak and with one touch I was ready for more. I’m rubbing off on you.

What does that mean?

You are the serious student, the girl with plans and the big future.

And you’re what?

Trouble, baby. He grinned but I knew it was just a show he was putting on. The whole town thought he was trouble. Too reckless. Too charming. Too lazy. Too O’Neill, for most people’s taste. But he’d shown me the real him.

And the real him was vulnerable. And smart. And so sweet he broke my heart all the damn time.

Well, I have an idea, I said, pushing myself up against his chest, because frankly, two could play this game and as much as he turned me on, he’d made it real clear that his hunger for me was non-stop.

And I liked that so much I could barely stand it.

What’s your idea? he whispered as my hand traveled over his chest and down the tender skin of his belly. Fuck, Juliette.

When I go back to school in September, come with me.

To Oklahoma?

Actually, I’m thinking about a transfer to Tulane. I’d already put in the paperwork, mostly just to see if it was possible. And it was. I hadn’t made any other moves because I wanted to talk to him. But I knew Tyler and he needed some roadblocks knocked down before he’d believe we had a future.

New Orleans? His eyes went wide and I knew I had him. This future I saw for us was possible.

We can get a place together. I’ll go to school you can play piano in the clubs. I wrapped my hand around his dick and he hissed, his eyes fluttering shut. You’re so good, Tyler, I told him. You just need a place bigger than Bonne Terre to get your start. Think about it, you could stop playing cards and just focus on your music.

You’re going to manage my music career too? he asked with that gorgeous half-grin.

No, I said with a laugh. I’m going to be busy with school and you can manage yourself just fine. But…you think it’s possible?

Possible? Baby? You and New Orleans? I mean… he shook his head. It’s perfect.

Tell me, I said, wanting to hear him dream a little, because he so rarely did. Growing up the way he had.

We’ll get one of those apartments above a bakery so it will smell good all the time.

Lots of windows.

You can pretend to grow plants.

I laughed because my green thumb was extraordinarily black.

I’ll bring you breakfast in bed, he said. And make your coffee.

I’ll order you dinner. Because I wasn’t much of a cook, either. I’ll put ice on your hands after your gigs.

We can get a dog.

A cat.

Both.

I laughed and kissed him. What do you think?

I think I love you.

I love you, too, I whispered. But then he put his hand over mine, so I stopped stroking his dick. But law school, he said.

I’ll worry about law school.

See, he shook his head. That makes me nervous. You’ve been dreaming about Law School since you were in Kindergarten.

Yeah, and some dreams don’t make it to adulthood. It’s natural.

I just don’t want you to give up law school for me.

I’m not giving up anything.

And what about your dad? He won’t like it.

You’re bringing me down here, Tyler. I’m a grown woman. I said. I make my own decisions. My own choices. And I choose you.

Yeah you do, he breathed. I didn’t have to ask about his family, thrown as they were across the country. Mom and Dad missing. Brother off at school. His sister and grandmother were in Bonne Terre and they were happy just to see him happy.

He let go of my hand, reaching for me and pulling me up over his body as he rolled onto his back. I sat up, shaking out my hair, bracing my hands on his chest. He grabbed my hips, rocking me forward so I could feel the hard length of his cock against my pussy. Another rock forward and his dick hit my clit, making me gasp.

Again. And again. He wasn’t inside me, just pushed up tight against me. Delicious hot pressure and I could come this way and he knew that. Just like I knew that he liked watching me come. Chemistry, right? I mean, we had it so good between us. So hot and sweet at the same time.

Just like that, Jules, he said. I reached up and cupped my breasts, pulling the nipples until the pleasure just turned towards pain. Look at you, he breathed, rocking me forward, harder. How did I get so fucking lucky.

Both of us, I gasped.

He rolled over, trapping me beneath him. In one hard high thrust he was inside me, so deep I could feel him in the back of my throat. So deep my eyes rolled back in my head. This is what I’ll give you, Jules, he whispered against my lips. Every night, every day, we’re together.

Yes, I breathed.

I’ll fuck you so good.

I was undone beneath him.

I held on as tight as I could and fell to pieces in his arms. And then held him, so in love it felt like a hunger, as he fell to pieces in my arms. And it was cheesy and romantic and I was not a cheesy or romantic person but I couldn’t pretend that it didn’t feel like home.

Like Tyler was the only home I needed.

---

You don’t want to stay? he asked, walking me to the shadowed front door of The Manor. He was in a pair of boxers and I was back in my dress from earlier in the night. Beneath the cotton I was sticky from sweat and come and Tyler. I needed a shower and a meal, ten hours of sleep. And then more Tyler. Always more Tyler.

Of course, I want to stay, I said. But Dad’s already in a tizzy when I’m gone so late. If I didn’t come home he’d have the entire police force looking for me.

I don’t want him finding you here. I don’t need the chief of police to hate me anymore than he does.

Hate is a strong word, I said.

And totally accurate. His grin cut through the shadows and I stepped forward to kiss him. Wishing he was wrong.

He’s just… protective, I said.

If I had something as precious as you, I’d be protective too, he said. Hey, he grabbed my hand. Did you mean it. The Tulane thing?

I already applied to see if my credits would transfer. They do. I just need to sign the paperwork and it would be done.

I mean… I could go to Oklahoma-

I laughed. There’s a shortage of jazz clubs in Oklahoma, Tyler. No. New Orleans works best for both of us.

Fuck, he breathed. Is this… I mean are we really thinking about this?

We really are.

We were twenty years old. Well, he was twenty-one. And maybe we were too young. Maybe it was a mistake, but it just felt so right. He felt right. And the future I wanted I saw with him in it.

I’ll call you later, I said and with one more kiss slipped out the front door. I felt him watching me as I ran to my car. Nearly midnight. Crap.

Dad was going to be pissed.

---

TYLER

---

The night felt like honey. Thick and sweet. A little sticky. Or maybe that was just me. I watched Juliette drive away and then went back inside to the kitchen. Between the club and Juliette, I was worn out in the best possible way. Like I’d spent hours working up a sweat doing the good work I was supposed to be doing. Music and Juliette. I mean, could anything be more perfect?

It would help if her Dad liked me. But The Notorious O’Neills and the Bonne Terre Chief of Police were natural enemies. My father was a con man and my mom was a thief. I won most of my money in illegal card games in the catholic church basement and had, before Juliette came home from college a grown-ass woman, taken some pride in being a thorn in Jasper Tremblant’s side.

The fridge opened with a pop and a sigh and I pulled out a bottle of ice cold Abita.

And now I was fucking his daughter. Loving her. And thinking about moving in with her. I mean…the guy was going to hate it. And the law school thing, if Juliette was really thinking about giving it up, that seemed like bad news. But if Juliette had faith we could figure it out, so would I.

There was a knock at the door and I ran back through the hallway to open it before Juliette woke up Margot or Savannah.

Hey, you forget your key? I asked, pulling up the door.

But it wasn’t Juliette standing there. It was Officer Owens – not a fan of mine, as much as I wasn’t a fan of his.

And next to him was Jasper Tremblant.

Is there a problem? I asked, feeling something cold snake through my body.

Son, come on out a minute, would you? Jasper said.

See, my gut said don’t do it. But this was Juliette’s father and if things were going to be different between us didn’t I need to help that happen? Didn’t I need to trust that him showing up on my door in the middle of the night wasn’t a bad thing?

So, I stepped out of the doorway and onto the old wooden porch. What can I-

Owen’s right hook knocked me sideways and his fist in my stomach pushed all the air from my body. Gasping, I fell to my knees.

Jasper crouched down beside me, his knees creaking as he did it. He wasn’t a young man and rumor was his health wasn’t great. That’s why he brought Owens to do the dirty work.

Let me tell you how this is going to go, son.

Stop. Fucking. Calling. Me. Son.

I wasn’t anyone’s son.

He stood up and I got Owen’s boot across my chin. I lay, spitting blood, trying to get my breath and wondering why I’d ever allowed myself to believe this was going to end any other way.

You ready to listen? Chief Tremblant asked.

Fuck you.

You god damn O’Neills, never know when to quit, do you?

He stepped aside and Owens stepped in with glee on his face.

Yeah, I thought. This seemed about right.

This is what you get for dreaming.

2

Ten Years Later

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TYLER

---

I was welcomed back to Bonne Terre the same way I’d been kicked out of it.

With a fist in the face.

I never did like you, Lou Brandt whispered in my ear while I spit blood into the dirt outside of St. Pat’s church. Or your family.

I rolled over and grinned, wincing slightly when my lip split and hot copper blood flooded my mouth. I’ve always liked you, Lou, I wheezed. And your wife.

Lou reared back, his steel-toed work boot poised for another conversation with my rib cage, but Gaetan Bourdage got a thick arm around Lou’s barrel chest. Come on, now, Lou, he said. Lou strained against Gaetan’s arm, his big fat head turning red and purple.

You’re trash, Lou snarled. You think winning all that money changes things?

No, actually, I said, checking to make sure I still had my back teeth. It just makes me rich trash.

You’re a fucking cheat! Lou cried.

Oh, shut up, I moaned. You’re a crappy card player, Lou. You always were and the ten years I’ve been gone, you’ve just gotten worse.

Lou strained against Gaetan’s arm with renewed fury. Someone should have shut your mouth for you years ago.

They tried, I muttered.

Go on inside, Gaetan said, his accent thick as the swamp air. This boy just ain’t worth it. If I didn’t know Gaetan, I might just be hurt.

Instead I searched for my cap, finding it trampled in the dust.

You’re right, Lou said, finally easing off. He spit and the thick glob landed in the dirt near my hand.

I reared up off the ground because spit? Really? But Gaetan’s gaze nailed me to the dirt.

Stay put, his eyes said. I can only save your sorry ass so many times.

Lou wandered back to the church and the Sunday night poker game that had been going on in the basement ever since the church had been built, and I hung my pounding head between my knees.

Welcome home, I muttered.

Whatchu doing back here, Ty? Gaetan asked. The old man crouched, his thick silver mustache trembling with anger.

A guy can’t—

No, Gaetan said, if that guy is you, then no. Boy! Gaetan pulled me up, and even though I towered over the old man, I was cowed slightly. Coming home had been a bad idea, but coming to the St. Pat’s poker game was just stupid.

But then I had a thing for stupid.

Whatever made you come back, I hope it was worth getting your face beat in. Gaetan pulled a red handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it over. I pressed it to my lip.

Beat in was a stretch, but I wasn’t about to get into it with the Cajun.

I don’t know, Gates, I said, instead. The look on everyone’s face when I walked in there was pretty priceless.

Priceless? Gaetan snorted. Every man in there thinks you cheated.

I bit my tongue and jammed my cap back on my head, trying hard to swallow down the urge that I’d spent the past ten years destroying. Of course, one night back in Bonne Terre and the need to defend myself came crawling back, like a kicked dog.

I didn’t cheat, I said, ready to go back into that church and fight anyone who said otherwise. Not tonight, not when I was a kid. I never cheated.

I know that, Gaetan said, scowling, his bushy eyebrows colliding to create a mutant caterpillar. But you took a lot of their money when you were a boy and they haven’t forgotten that.

The satisfaction of taking the money off those men who looked down their noses at my family, called my grandmother names behind my back and watched me out of the corner of their eyes, was still so sweet.

I couldn’t help but smile.

Gaetan cuffed me upside the head.

Hey!

You took their money ten years ago and now you come back a rich man to take more? Gaetan shook his head.

It’s a poker game, I said. The point is to take each other’s money.

You— Gaetan curled a hand in my shirt, pulled me down close to the old man’s height until I could smell the whiskey and peppermint on his breath. You have always taken too much. Always. Even as a boy you could never be happy with what you had. You needed what everyone else had, too. And everyone in this town remembers that about you. You shouldn’t have come back here.

I’d been telling myself the same damn thing the whole drive from Vegas to Bonne Terre, but hearing it from Gaetan, a man I’d always considered a friend, stung.

I know, I said.

Then why come back? Gaetan asked. You’re a rich man. A celebrity. You’ve got that girlfriend—

I snorted.

Fine, Gaetan said. No girlfriend. But why are you back?

I shrugged. I have to have a reason?

This isn’t about your mother snooping around these parts, is it?

I wished I could tell the old man, but I didn’t want to implicate my friend, should it come to that. Instead, I said nothing and Gates sighed.

You best not drive, Gaetan said, pointing at my head and I gingerly touched the swelling around my eye.

Lou was a crap card player, but the guy could throw a punch.

I glanced back at my beloved 1972 Porsche, its black paint melting into the shadows. She’ll be okay here? I asked, and Gaetan snorted.

Last car stolen in Bonne Terre was the one you stole when you left.

I doubt that, I said, reluctant to leave Suzy alone and vulnerable outside a place as unwelcoming as St. Pat’s.

Merde, Ty, it’s just a car.

Don’t tell that to Suzy.

Suzy?

Suzette, really.

Lord, Ty, you don’t change. I’ll watch her myself.

"Thank you. In that case, I might as