The Return of the Rebel. Jennifer Faye
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She was no longer too young for him. In fact, the reasons he had to keep her at arm’s length became more muddled the longer he was around her. It was best to end things right here. After all, it wasn’t as if the man was going to fire her over this.
THIS COULDN’T BE HAPPENING.
Jax was her whale?
How was she supposed to have anticipated that? The last time she’d seen him, he barely had two coins to rub together. And now he was an important player in Las Vegas. How exactly did that happen?
Cleo’s gaze shifted between the men. Neither of them seemed to notice that she was in the room. Did they think they could decide her future without even so much as consulting her? She wasn’t about to let that happen.
“No other host is needed.” Both men turned. She leveled a determined stare at each man before continuing to make her point. “Mr. Burns, you misunderstood what you overheard. Jax and I are old friends.”
Her boss turned a questioning gaze to Jax. “Is this true?”
Cleo begged Jax with her eyes to back her up. After all, he owed her.
As the quietness stretched on, Cleo shifted her weight from one foot to the other. What was Jax thinking? His silence was even worse than any words he could say. She had to do something, anything, to keep from being canned for arguing with a MVP. Jax? A whale? The world could certainly be a strange place at times.
Cleo turned to face her disapproving boss. “We both come from the same small town in Wyoming.”
Mr. Burns crossed his arms. “And do you always treat people from your hometown with such hostility?”
“I wasn’t—”
Her boss’s bushy brows arched. “I know what I heard.”
“But you misunderstood—”
“Enough.” Mr. Burns’s hand sliced through the air. “I will deal with you later. Go wait for me in my office.”
She hated being dismissed as if she was a child. She hated the thought of walking away with things unresolved, but she didn’t want to make things worse... But then again could they get any worse? It was almost a certainty that when Mr. Burns joined her it would be to dismiss her. Not even a full day in her new position and she was being fired.
As she started for the door, her thoughts turned to her family. Even before learning of her family’s financial problems, she’d made plans to transfer to the casino floor. She was bored senseless working in the accounting department. To think she left the family ranch because the work was isolating and she’d ended up taking a position where she spent her days alone in an eight-by-eight cubicle where silence was the status quo.
But then one day out of the blue her brother had called. She’d been so happy to hear from a family member. She hadn’t heard a word from them since the funeral.
However, Kurt hadn’t phoned with the intent of mending fences. He had news—bad news. The ranch was in arrears on its mortgage. And considering her Ivy League tuition was in large part the reason the ranch had been mortgaged in the first place, he thought she might want to help save their heritage.
The news totally blindsided her. Never once in her life had she imagined that the family had money problems. And to know that she was about to be condemned for yet another Sinclair tragedy was not something she could let happen. She could not change the past, but going forward, she hoped to bridge the gap with her family.
Her fingers gripped the cold metallic door handle. One thought rose above the others: Sinclairs do not give up. No matter what.
Her grandfather had taught her that the first time she’d gotten thrown from a horse. If you wanted to succeed, you had to get back in the saddle and ride. That’s what Sinclairs did—roughed things out.
She leveled her shoulders, released the door handle and turned. “Mr. Burns, you’re right.” His eyes lit up as though he was shocked by her bold confession. But before he could utter a word she rushed on. “Jax and I were having a disagreement. However, at the time I had no idea he was your special guest. I merely thought he was—”
“Here to check up on her for her big brother.” Jax stepped between them to gain Mr. Burns’s full attention.
At last, Jax found his voice, but why now? What convinced him to finally come to her aid?
The answers would have to wait. His motives paled in comparison to her losing her job and letting her family down...again. At the moment, she didn’t have much choice but to go along with his fabricated story.
“That’s right,” she chimed in, trying to sound as genuine as possible. “And I didn’t want Jax reporting back to my family about what I’ve been up to since moving away.”
Surprisingly Mr. Burns’s lips lifted at the corners as amusement danced in his dark eyes. “Let me guess, your family doesn’t know that you’ve been working in a casino and they wouldn’t approve of it.”
This time she didn’t have to lie. “That pretty much sums it up. They are old-fashioned in their beliefs.”
Mr. Burns’s eyes narrowed. “Then unless you’re planning to find another job, I suggest you treat all of Glamour’s guests with a pleasant demeanor.”
She forced a smile on her face. “Of course. It was just a mix-up.”
Mr. Burns turned to Jax. “The question still remains... Would you like me to assign you another host?”
He rubbed the dark scruff on his jaw. “No. Cleo and I will be fine. And we have some catching up to do.”
Mr. Burns’s gaze shifted between them as though making up his mind. “If that is your wish, Cleo will remain as your host. I have you set up in our most exclusive residence.” He handed Jax the key card. “The bungalow should provide you with the privacy you’re seeking. Cleo can show you the way. Do you need anything else?”
“Not at this time. I’m sure if something comes up Cleo will be able to take care of it.”
Mr. Burns nodded. “But remember, I’m just a phone call away.”
“Thank you.” Jax extended his hand to the man.
After they shook hands, Mr. Burns moved past her, pausing long enough to say softly, “One more slipup and you’re done.”
A cold chill ran down her spine. The man had it in for her ever since the episode that occurred shortly after she’d started working in the accounting department. She’d pointed out some irregularities in his expense account, which were subsequently rectified.
Still, rumors were circulating that the only reason Mr. Burns had agreed to the promotion was because it was an all-or-nothing proposition. Either she was successful at endearing the high rollers to gamble at the Glamour Hotel and Casino or she was out on the street. And without a good reference, no other business on the strip would touch her.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Jax is well cared for.” She pasted on a smile, hoping it would suffice.
“I would expect nothing less.”
The irritating note of superiority in Mr. Burns’s voice grated on her razor-thin nerves. If the man hadn’t been so eager to please Jax, she would be out on the curb right now. The fact she felt indebted to Jax ate at her.
With the door firmly shut, Cleo turned to Jax. Her mouth moved but the words wouldn’t come. At last, she ground out, “Thank you.”
His brows rose in surprise. “You’re welcome. But the part I don’t understand is why your brother didn’t mention that you are working here in Vegas—”
“You’ve been talking to Kurt?” The thought left her unsettled.
Jax