Goddess of Vengeance - Jackie Collins [96]
‘Little prick is about the right description,’ Venus murmured succinctly.
Why is it, Alex thought, whenever a woman gets mad at a man, the first thing she goes for is the size of his dick?
Growing impatient, he glanced across the packed casino. ‘What’s your game of choice tonight?’ he asked.
‘I was thinking roulette,’ she said, as her bodyguards blocked a steady stream of excited autograph-seekers.
‘Of course you were,’ he replied. ‘Nothing like a game of chance to get the juices flowing.’
‘Hmm . . . don’t think I need a round of roulette to do that,’ Venus replied, with an almost imperceptible nod toward Jorge.
Alex gave a low chuckle.
‘I think the three of us should have dinner tonight,’ Venus said, fluttering her hand on his arm. ‘Since Lucky is all tied up with Lennie, the least we can do is try to amuse ourselves, don’t you agree?’
‘What about the boy from Ipanema,’ Alex asked, motioning toward Jorge. ‘Does he speak?’
‘Not a lot,’ Venus replied. ‘But then again he doesn’t have to.’
‘Will he be joining us?’
‘I promise you he’ll sit quietly.’
‘Okay, Venus, we’ll dine. I got nothing better to do.’
‘Where?’ she asked, delighted she’d convinced him.
‘Asian.’
Venus smiled knowingly. ‘Naturally.’
Chapter Thirty-Five
Peggy was big on charm, she’d used it all her life to get her own way. The King had fallen under her spell, and then poor old Sidney Dunn, who’d given her the lifestyle she’d desired. Sidney had worshipped her. Peggy’s little secret – lots of flattery and charm mixed with excellent oral sex – could keep a man very happy indeed. Sidney had never had cause to complain, or look at another woman, Peggy had made damn sure of that.
Sometimes, during her years with Sidney, she’d yearned for the days and nights of her youth. Wild sex with Joe Piscarelli. Parties. Recreational drugs. Her one night with the infamous Gino Santangelo. Not to mention the fervent admiration of so many men as she’d paraded across the stage half-naked.
The King had sometimes enjoyed the company of two or three women at a time. Since they were all his wives it never really bothered Peggy; she’d quite enjoyed the softness of another woman’s lips and the silkiness of their skin.
None of this she had ever revealed to Armand – he would be shocked. Her son was quite a mystery, not the warm and nurturing man she had hoped he would turn out to be. Armand had a cold personality, and a certain disregard for women that she could not understand. Surely she was the perfect role model? She’d always been an elegant presence, always available for him.
But no, Armand did not appreciate all that she’d done for him over the years.
Earlier Fouad had called and informed her of their move, and said that they might be staying in Vegas longer than expected. He’d also wanted to know why she’d asked about Gino Santangelo. ‘I thought it was someone I knew,’ she’d lied, keeping it casual. ‘But I was mistaken. Wrong name.’
Fortunately for Peggy, her charm worked on other people, and after starting up a conversation with Paige Santangelo in the beauty salon, she soon had Gino’s wife’s attention as she chatted about New York and what an exciting and vibrant city it was to live in.
‘We had an apartment in New York once,’ Paige mused, a tad wistfully. ‘However, my husband, who’s quite a bit older than me, decided we should live in Palm Springs – so that’s where we’ve stayed. It’s a little boring.’
‘You’re fortunate your husband is still alive,’ Peggy said, playing the sympathy card. ‘I lost my dear Sidney a year ago. He was twenty years older than me. I have to say it’s been quite hard being by myself, but with the help of my son and dear friends, I manage. I do not mean financially – Sidney left me set for life. But women of our age, alone – it’s not easy.’
Before long the two women found they had plenty in common. After a while Paige asked Peggy if she would care to