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sexy legs there."
    Jake sighed and forced himself to play along. "Yeah, money might buy some time." He shrugged. "I don't know, though. The better looking they are, the more trouble they bring."
    Brad nodded. "Got that one right. I met this hot little number a year ago--hell, next thing I knew she'd got me to spending most everything in my savings and once I even thought about selling my bass boat." He shook his head, a chagrined look on his face. "Can you believe it--my bass boat? What the hell was I thinking?"
    Jake held in a smile. Lifetime companionship with a hot little number versus a bass boat. He could definitely see where the problem would lie. "So what happened?"
    "She took off with a lawyer from New Orleans. He had a ton of money and no fishing habits." Brad smiled. "It was a near miss."
    Jake nodded in agreement. "That it was." He inclined his head toward sexy legs. "That's exactly why I might look at those legs from across the room, but don't want to be any closer than this or know any more about the woman attached to them than I already do."
    Brad looked longingly at the legs again and sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Anyway, St. Claire would probably kill us for messing with the help, especially if he thinks it will affect our playing. Damn shame, though."
    Jake just nodded. Yeah, right. Avoiding women seemed like the best idea in the world when he considered the collateral damage Mark's disappearance had caused. Damned if he was going to put a woman and child in the same position as Mark's family. Damned if he was going to put them in the same position as he and his mother had been all those years ago.
    "Hey." Brad jabbed him in his ribs again and broke into his thoughts. "She's turning around. Check it out."
    Despite his better judgment, Jake looked over at the set of legs just as the owner swung around. Jake tried to put on his poker face but knew he was giving everything away.
    St. Claire walked around her and continued across the casino floor, pointing in Jake's direction. The vision with the legs walked beside him, an aggravated look on what was an otherwise gorgeous face.
    Her features were strong, high cheekbones, wide-set eyes that he was positive were going to be light green before he even saw them. Her hair was a black, glossy mass, all twisted on top of her head, small tendrils brushing the sides of her cheeks and her neck. And the rest of the body--wow. Curvaceous hips were offset with an ample chest in a perfect balance of flesh. The waist was tiny and as they closed the distance, Jake could see that the firm and muscular condition of her legs extended to all other parts of her body.
    He'd bet she even had a six-pack, and for some ungodly reason, he had an overwhelming desire to see it.
    "They're coming this way," Brad said, yanking Jake from his thoughts. "Guess I better get back to my station."
    Jake watched as Brad hustled over to his table, casting sideways glances at the woman while trying to appear he wasn't looking at all. And for the first time that day, Jake could hardly fault Brad for acting like a teenage boy. He needed to get a grip on his own thoughts and focus on the game.
    He looked up just in time for St. Claire and the woman to step in front of his table. He gave them a nod and St. Claire pointed to him. "This is Jake McMillan," he said to the woman. "You'll be working his table. Jake's a ringer from Atlantic City."
    The woman turned to St. Claire in a flash. "You hired a Yankee to deal to Silas?"
    St. Claire paused for a moment, and Jake could tell this was an angle he hadn't thought of. One that didn't please him to think of now. Damn the woman. She was going to get him removed from the tournament before he even got started. Trouble. Women were always trouble.
    "I don't really have Yankee tendencies," Jake said, trying to smooth things over and convince St. Claire and the woman, who obviously pulled some weight with the casino owner, that he was the right man for the job. "I don't