"Bennett, Cherie - Sunset Island 011 - Sunset Paradise" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bennett Cherie)

A second later her head started to loll on her neck and her body began to slip down the banquette.
"She's going into hydrochloride shock," Carrie said urgently, grabbing Sam to keep her from slipping under the table.
"Right," Emma agreed. "We've got to get her up to the room."
"Oh, yes, by all means," Nigel said, hastily moving so that Sam could slide out of the booth.
"Do forgive our rudeness," Emma said as she and Carrie helped Sam from the restaurant.
"ButЧ" Nigel began.
"Ta-ta!" Carrie called back to them.
When the three girls were far enough away from the restaurant to be sure they couldn't be seen, Sam straightened up. "Let's make a run for it!" she whispered, and all three ran toward the casino, laughing so hard their sides hurt.
"That was genius," Carrie gasped to Sam between fits of laughter.
"Hydro-what shock?" Emma asked, cracking up all over again.
"It was the first thing that came into my head," Carrie said, tears of laughter in her eyes.
"I just couldn't stand them another sec-
ond," Sam said. "I had to think of something. God! That sexist story about the headmaster's nieceЧthat guy is a pig."
"Hey, you were the one who said they were nice this afternoon," Emma reminded her.
"I was wrong," Sam admitted. "They were crashing, bloody bores," she added, imitating their accents to perfection.
"I just hope we don't run into them later," Carrie said, peering around the corner nervously.
"Oh, I don't even care," Sam said, tightening the ribbon in her hair. "I say it's time to hit the old casino!" She headed for the door.
"This place is like its own little world," Carrie said wonderingly as they walked through the gaming room.
Loud music from a rock quartet on a stage in the far corner blasted through the casino. Nearby were the sounds of coins clinking in the slot machines and the shouts of adrenaline-fueled gamblers when they hit their number. Bright neon lights flashed crazy patterns on the walls, the floor, their faees.
"I love it," Sam breathed. "I really love it."
jcumma and Carrie exchanged looks. They didn't want her to love it too much.
"So where do we begin?" Carrie asked.
"We get coins for the slot machines," Sam said.
"But it's aЧ" Emma began.
"A sucker's game," Sam finished for her. "I know that- My book on gambling says it over and over. But I've always wanted to try it. Come on, we'll only play for a few minutes. Look at it as entertainment."
They stood in line and exchanged ten-dollar bills for quarters, then walked over to the slot machines.
"So how does this work?" Carrie asked.
"See how there's different kinds of fruit showing in each window?" Emma said, pointing to the row of three boxes that at the moment showed a plum, an orange, and some cherries. "You put in the quarter and pull the lever. The fruits spin around. If you get three matching fruits, or cherries in windows one or three with anything else, you win." She pointed to the win chart printed on the machine. "Three cherries is the highest."
"I like this slot machine," Sam said, pulling up a stool behind them. "It's all dollar signs instead of fruit."
"Hey, I won!" Carrie said as the machine spit two quarters out. "This is fun!"
The three girls played for a while, losing more than they were winning, but winning enough to keep going for a while.
"Hey, I just got three wild cards on this machine," Sam called out. "What does thatЧ"
But the rest of what she said was drowned out by the noise that followedЧfrom hundreds and hundreds of quarters belching out of the slot machine.
"Oh my God!" Sam cried, jumping up.
Emma and Carried hurried over, and a crowd quickly surrounded Sam. The coins overflowed from the tray below, and she started scooping them into a plastic bucket.
"How much did I win?" Sam asked in a daze.
Carrie peered at the win chart on the machine. "You just won five hundred dollars!"
"I'm rich!" Sam shrieked, scooping up bucket after bucket of coins. "I knew I'd have a knack for this! I just knew it!"
"Congratulations," came a low voice with a sexy French accent from somewhere behind her. Sam turned around and stared into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. The rest wasn't bad, either. He looked to be in his mid-
twenties, with a baby face and sensuous-looking lips. He wore a perfectly cut tuxedo, and a huge diamond ring glinted on his finger.
"If winning makes you look this way, you must do it more often," the man said.
"I'd love to!" Sam exulted, her eyes shining.
"Allow me to introduce myself," the Frenchman said. "I am Jean-Claude Chan-tilly." He brought Sam's hand to his lips.
"I'm Sam Bridges, and these are my friends, Emma Cresswell and Carrie Al-den," Sam said, dazzled by the Frenchman's suave manners.
"Sam?" he asked.
"Short for Samantha," she explained.
"Charmed," Jean-Claude murmured, inclining his head. "You would like to turn your coins in for chips, yes?" he asked Sam.
"Oh, you mean chips to gamble with?" Sam said. "Yeah, sure."
"Allow me," he said, and snapped his fingers. Instantly two men in dark suits appeared at his side.
"Please turn these in and bring the chips back to us," he ordered, picking up the buckets of coins and handing them to the men.