Read Keeping Her Guilty Secret (Forever Yours Trilogy) for Free Online

ruckus. Max sat at one of the roulette tables, a wide grin on his face.
    What was he doing here? Curious, she went over and joined the growing mob surrounding him and, heaven help her, just one glimpse of him dressed in a Hickey Freeman traditional black tuxedo with a crisp white cotton shirt had her heart pounding. He was easily the most handsome man in the place.
    He placed another, rather large, bet on the table. The croupier spun the black ball opposite the moving wheel. A hushed silence fell over the group while the ball jumped and skipped. It lost momentum and landed on a number.
    “Lucky seven,” the dealer cried.
    The crowd erupted with another roar of cheers.
    Max gathered his winnings along with the three stacks of chips in front of him and handed all of them to the man standing beside him. “My donation to the college, Jerry,” he said.
    Jerry scoffed. “Too bad this isn’t real.”
    “I’ll make a contribution worth the total winnings.”
    Jerry’s eyes widened. “But, there must be at least ten thousand here.”
    Max grinned. “Lucky for the school.”
    His eyes caught hers and his expression sobered.
    “Hello, Nicole.”
    Cool. Aloof. Good. Much easier to resist. “Hello, Max.”
    “What are you doing here?”
    She wondered the same about him. “Kate studies art here at the school. What about you?”
    Jerry grinned and clapped Max on the shoulder. “Max here is an alum of the business school.” He extended his hand toward her. “I’m Jerry Thorndike.”
    Nicole shook his hand. “The college president?”
    “Yes, that’s me, and you are?”
    She smiled. “Nicole Bradford.”
    “It’s nice to meet you, Nicole. How do you know Max?”
    “My sister, Ashley, is engaged to Max’s brother.”
    Jerry winked at her. “Well, if your sister is half as lovely as you, then Reed is one lucky man.”
    Max growled. “Lay off, Jerry, or I’ll tell your wife.”
    Jerry waved off his threat. “I’m a notorious flirt, but she puts up with me because she knows I’m head-over-heels in love with her.”
    Her smile widened. “That’s so sweet.”
    Max scowled, grabbed her hand and turned to leave with her in tow. “Later, Jerry.”
    “Hey, wait a minute. I wasn’t through—”
    He stopped and glared down at her. “You shouldn’t flirt with him. He’s a married man.”
    “I wasn’t flirting. It’s called being nice. And, what business is it of yours anyway?”
    Color invaded Max’s cheeks.
    Jerry laughed. “Nice meeting you, Nicole.”
    She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a little wave. “You, too.”
    Max glowered. Which of them he was more annoyed with, she wasn’t sure.
    “Are we going to see you on Thursday, Max?” Jerry asked.
    “I’ll think about it.”
    Nicole’s eyebrows furrowed. “Think about what?”
    “The guys are getting together to play over at Jake’s place on Thursday night. Jerry asked me to join them.”
    Ah . . . A friendly game of poker with the boys. “You and Jerry must go way back.”
    He nodded. “Since freshman year of high school.”
    “Are the other guys friends from high school, too?”
    “Yes. I can’t believe they’re still playing together. I thought the group broke up after Jimmy got married.”
    Broke up? “Why do I get the feeling you’re not talking about getting together for a game of cards?”
    His belly laugh had another wide smile spreading across her face.
    “No, I was talking about the band we had back in the day.”
    “You were in a band?”
    “Yes.”
    Nicole let out a loud snort. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t seem the type.”
    He arched up an eyebrow and stared down at her, an arrogant expression on his handsome face.
    The look would have had most people retracting the statement they’d had the audacity to make and apologizing profusely. Not her. The haughty expression made her grin. Again. “What did you play?”
    “Guitar. Sometimes drums.”
    She regarded him thoughtfully. “Yes, I can see