Poker Face: A Small Town Romance (The Beaufort Poker Club Book 1)

by Maggie Gates

  Maddie laughed and it sounded like wind chimes. I swore to myself then and there that I’d do anything to hear that sound as much as possible before I went to my grave. It was the fastest dinner I’d ever eaten, and not just because I wanted to get to the aforementioned dessert. The wine was gone, and our plates were cleaned off. It was refreshing to be in the company of a woman who enjoyed food. I’d had just about enough of taking socialites out on fake dates only to have them pick at a sorry excuse for a salad or tell me that they were on a juice cleanse.

  Seeing Maddie eat was foreplay. I had watched her knife cut through the steak like it was butter. She speared it on her fork and brought it up, opening her mouth and wrapping her lips around it, slowly dragging the prongs between her teeth. The woman was making love to each bite and it had my blood simmering.

  I loaded the dishes into the dishwasher and swiped a towel across the countertops. There wasn’t much left to clean since I tidied up as I went. Maddie was out on the balcony nursing her second glass of wine. I pulled the bags she had brought in and stole a peek at what she brought over for dessert. Dirty girl, I thought to myself, smiling as I put one of the bags back in the refrigerator.

  Maddie walked back in and set her half-empty glass on the marble island. “This house is stunning. Usually, beach rentals are super kitschy.”

  I smiled and lifted the bottle to give her a refill, but she waved it away. “That was all Astrid. She sets up my accommodations for me. I only have the rental for a little while longer, but I’m looking at buying a property out here.”

  Her eyebrows raised, “Really? Here?”

  I shrugged and pulled out a tumbler from the cabinet and poured myself two fingers of bourbon. “I like it here. Revanche is here. Makes sense to get a property. If I acquire any more restaurants in the southeast this can be my home-base.”

  Maddie’s lips quirked in a stifled sort of smile. “Ah, yes. Luke who oversees business acquisitions. I forgot about him,” she teased.

  I set my bourbon down and caught her around the waist, trapping her between the unforgiving kitchen island and my arms. “You’re one to talk, Maddie who likes to bake.” Maddie pushed back against the island like she was trying to escape. Her long ponytail swished back and forth, teasing me. Taunting me.

  “I want to be clear about something, Madeline,” I said, lowering my voice to a husky whisper meant to intimidate. I pressed closer, dropping one of my hands and skating it up her thigh. “You are with me, and you will not be sleeping with anyone else. Are we on the same page?”

  Maddie’s breath seemingly disappeared. Her eyes closed as my mouth lingered at her cheek.

  I slid my hand from her thigh, up the curve of her ass, to the small of her back. I pulled her closer, pressing her hips to mine and grinding my erection against her. “Do you trust me?” I asked.

  Maddie gave me a timid nod.

  I rested my other hand on the crook of her neck, letting my thumb graze over her throat and up the line of her jaw. “Do you trust me to make you feel good?” I murmured.

  She nodded.

  I tightened my grip and held her head firmly in its place. “Answer me.”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  The sun was on its way down and the colors seeping in through the windows painted her in flaming oranges and reds. Dark shadows cast through the curtains, shrouding me in black. “If you want me to stop—you tell me, and I will. Do you understand?” Her knees quaked and I wrapped my arm around her waist to hold her up. “Do you understand me?”

  “Yes.”

  23

  ———

  MADELINE

  “Walk down the hallway and go in the last room on the left. Stand at the foot of the bed and wait for me,” Luca commanded before leaning down and pressing a kiss to my throat. My brain was telling my feet to move, but part of me wanted to know what would happen if I didn’t. “Madeline,” he warned. Luca’s grip tightened just a hair and suddenly I was really thankful I had listened to the girls’ advice. “Tesoro, fai come dico.”

  I didn’t want to walk away from him. I wanted him to keep whispering sexy things in Italian in my ear all night long. “What?”

  “Do as I say, Tesoro,” he said in a low timbre that had heat quickly pooling between my thighs. I pinched my legs together for a little relief, but it never came. “Last door on the left. Go on.” Luca stepped back and nodded toward the hallway. “I’ll be right behind you,” he soothed as if he knew I was just a little nervous.

  I peeled myself off the kitchen island and headed down the hallway. “Last one on the left,” I whispered to myself when I arrived at the door to the master bedroom. I flipped the light switch, but nothing happened. The sun hadn’t completely set yet and I could make out the shadowy outlines of the furniture. I felt around the lamp on the bedside table. The dial clicked, but the light didn’t turn on. “Um, Luca?”

  “I told you to wait for me at the foot of the bed, Tesoro.” His growl came out of nowhere and I jumped at the sound, a nervous squeak escaping my mouth.

  “Oh God—you really are a serial killer, aren’t you?” I tried to make it sound like a joke, but there was a tremor in my voice that was a dead giveaway. I heard the rustle of Luca moving around the room and then a soft glow when he turned on the light in the master bathroom and cracked the door. It wasn’t much, but it was enough that I could make out his face. I let out a little sigh of relief. I had been curious about what sex like this would be like, but I had never trusted someone enough to let go of my control and experience it. In a weird way, I did trust Luca.

  “Tesoro, fai come dico.” This time when he told me to follow his order, I did. “Face the bed,” he said from somewhere behind me. I heard the quiet rustle of a paper bag and assumed that he found the dessert I brought. He set it aside before moving to stand directly behind me. Luca brushed my ponytail off to my right shoulder and trailed his knuckles down my bare spine. “Bellissima.”

  I shuddered at his touch and wobbled in my high heels. He steadied me with a strong hand on my waist, pressing a gentle kiss to the nape of my neck and I hummed in satisfaction. Luca was a walking, talking contradiction. Soft and strong. Smooth and rough. Suave and raw. He pushed one side of my dress off my shoulder and then the other, letting the fabric pool where it clung to my hips. Luca tucked his fingers into my dress and pushed it the rest of the way down. It fell to my feet and he stood in front of me and took my hands, helping me step out of it.

  I stood perfectly still in my lingerie and heels as Luca circled me like a hawk. Sparks skittered across my skin at his obvious appraisal. The backless nude corset covered in black lace made my tits look fantastic. Crisscrossing bands of black connected the bustier to my matching thong. The lingerie paired with the heels made me feel like a warrior. Whatever nerves I’d had at the beginning melted away into a powerful feminine confidence. I lifted my chin and enjoyed the feeling of his gazing assessment on my body.

  Luca knelt in front of me and helped me out of my heels—A small act of trust. When he rose, he pressed his hand to the small of my back and urged me onto the mattress. “Go on.”

  I scooted back against the mountain of pillows and watched him. Luca toed off one leather loafer and then the other. He took off his suit jacket, opening the closet and taking his time as he hung it up. The anticipation was killing me, but he wasn’t done. Luca unbuttoned the sleeves of his dress shirt and rolled them up to his elbows, first the left and then the right. He looked me dead in the eye when he unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt, loosened his tie, and slid it out of his collar. He made getting undressed better foreplay than a drawer full of toys.

  I was going to die if I didn’t have an orgasm STAT.

  Luca prowled toward me, crawling across the bed on his hands and knees. He was at me with his tie in hand before I could even blink. He set it aside, grabbed my hips and yanked hard, pulling me to the middle of the bed. He straddled my waist and grabbed my wrists as he pinned them above m
y head. The silk tie was soft when he bound my wrists together. He tested the snugness by looping his finger between the tie and my wrists, showing me I could get out if I wanted to, before tying the loose tails to the metal rungs of the headboard.

  He was unnervingly quiet as he surveyed his work. I wanted to squirm—to get some relief from the mounting pressure in my core—but he sat firm.

  “Here are the rules, Madeline,” Luca began. “You don’t get to orgasm until I say so.”

  “Oh—okay?” I chewed on my lower lip and laid there, a helpless bundle of anticipation.

  Luca leaned down and gripped the sweetheart neckline of the corset top in his hands. “I just want to say, you look sexy as hell in this little number and I’m truly sorry to see it go.” And then he ripped it right in two like it was nothing. He grabbed the black straps that were tethered to my panties and pulled them apart, repeating exactly what he had done the first time we’d had sex at the restaurant. History was repeating itself. Here I was—completely naked—and Luca was still fully clothed. Hopefully this time I’d get a better peek at what was underneath all those designer suits.

  I blame the adrenaline rush on what came out of my mouth. “That’s twice now that you’ve completely ruined my underwear.”

  Without warning, he spread my legs and trapped them open with his knees. Luca let his fingers tease my folds, spreading my wetness around. “Is it?” He feigned ignorance. His hand left my pussy for a split second before a harsh smack lit up my clit and had me writhing beneath him. I gasped and struggled against the restraint, but the startling pain turned to an overwhelming pleasure when his fingers returned and soothed me with a gentle touch.

  He left my body for a moment and climbed off the bed, returning with the bag from Revanche. “What do we have here?” He mused as he unloaded all the containers onto the nightstand. “Chocolate ganache. Whipped Cream. Berries.” He pulled out a container and frowned when he couldn’t immediately identify it. “What’s this?”

  “Saffron-honey mousse,” I croaked

  A wicked smile crossed his face. “The same kind you made for the competition?”

  “Yes,” I replied breathlessly.”

  I heard the crack of the plastic as he pulled off the lid and crawled back on the bed. “You know, I fantasized about licking this off your body,” he chuckled to himself. “Now I get to.”

  The cold mousse against my skin made me shiver the moment he smeared a line of it on my breast. He pressed his finger against my lips, and I swirled my tongue around, licking the remnants of the creamy mousse off it. Satisfied, Luca leaned down and captured my nipple with his teeth, nipping and pulling at it until I was squirming beneath him. He released it, licked the mousse off the swell of my breast, and kissed me hard. The sensation was magic. The sweetness of the honey, the savory saffron—tasting it on Luca’s mouth was other-worldly. He painted the valley of my breasts with dark chocolate ganache, burying his face there before bringing the taste back to my lips.

  Every touch, every taste was something new and the pleasure only grew. The near-blackness of the room meant that everything was a surprise.

  Pleasure.

  Pain.

  Sweet.

  Tangy.

  Cold.

  Warm.

  Luca had me gasping and aching at every touch. Staving off an orgasm was going to be harder than I thought and he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to make it happen.

  “Luca,” I whimpered against his mouth as he worked my clit with his thumb, slowly stroking my G-spot with two thick fingers, bringing me to the edge over and over again. “Please.”

  “What do you need, Tesoro?”

  “To finish.”

  Luca’s chest rumbled as he pecked my lips, the lingering taste of the raspberry he had eaten still clinging to his tongue. “Patience.” God, he was going to kill me with just his hands and that wasn’t how I wanted to go out. If I was going to die because of an orgasm, Luca’s cock had better be involved.

  My shoulders ached from being tethered to the headboard, my pussy throbbed with need, and he began to slow his movements. “Luca!” I yelled in frustration, pulling at the tie.

  “Trust me,” He coaxed quietly in my ear. “Breathe.”

  I closed my eyes and forced myself to relax. My lips parted ever so slightly as I sucked in a shallow breath. Luca’s fingers surged deeper, and I cried out in ecstasy. I strained against the tie that bound my wrists. My back arched and I tried hard to pull my knees together, but Luca kept me positioned just how he wanted me. My body was chasing an orgasm that I knew I couldn’t let myself have and the torture was exhilarating.

  Luca pressed his thumb against the tight rosette of muscle hidden between my cheeks and I gasped. “Relax. Breathe,” he soothed as he tested it with a teasing pressure. All too soon, Luca removed his hand from my pussy, held my thighs with a punishing grip, lowered his head, and swirled his tongue around my aching clit.

  “Oh—oh God, Luca!” I begged, “Please!”

  One hand left my thigh and he used it to drive his fingers hard into my pussy, working the inside of my sensitive body while he devoured me on the outside. My legs trembled and my arms were exhausted. Every scrape of his stubbled jaw against the soft lips of my pussy had me begging for relief—For release.

  “You’re the best fucking thing I’ve ever tasted,” he growled as he licked up my slit and sucked hard on my clit. I was ready to take my chances and kamikaze toward my own end, but the second I made the decision to risk whatever delicious sort of punishment he had in the back of his mind, Luca bit down on my clit, making me squeal. “Don’t you dare, Madeline,” he warned, reading my mind as he rose back on his haunches and left me teetering on the brink of storming off and finding wherever the hell he hid my vibrator. Luca quickly popped the buttons of his dress shirt through the holes and stripped it off. He grabbed the back of the neck of his undershirt and pulled it over his head. His muscles rippled with every motion and it had me edging on coming apart just looking at him. His sleeves of tattoos made him look dangerous, but the tenderness in his expression made me feel safe.

  He stood on the edge of the bed and stripped off his pants and boxers. His erection sprung free and for the first time, I saw Luca in all his brutally masculine glory. “Oh my God,” I whispered, swallowing my nerves. He was all man. Wide shoulders, a grid of abs that shouldn’t have been humanly possible, a dark trail of hair that led down from his navel all the way to his hard manhood. A pearl of wetness dotted the tip and I reveled in the satisfaction of making him ache for me just as much as I wanted him. Luca straddled my hips and untied my wrists. I whimpered when the strain against my arms and shoulders released, groaning quietly as I pulled them down to my sides. He reached over and pulled a condom out of the nightstand, tearing it open and rolling it on his thick shaft.

  “Hands and knees, beautiful.” Luca grabbed my waist and flipped me to my stomach without warning. He manhandled me so easily and in some weird, twisted way I loved it. Kneeling behind me, he jerked my hips higher until I was ass up and face down. I heard the spank before I felt the sting—the sharp smack followed by a blinding heat and burn. He massaged the place where his handprint marked my cheek and worked away the bite of pain. He reached between my legs and flicked my clit at a staccato rhythm as he positioned himself at my entrance. “Deep breath. Don’t come until I say so.”

  I didn’t even have time to think, much less breathe, before he surged inside of me. “Luca!” I screamed.

  He plastered his giant palm on my chest and lifted me up so that I could grab onto the rungs of the headboard. He wrapped my fingers around the cool metal and covered my hands with one of his as he thrusted deep inside. He set a grueling pace and with every snap of his hips, he pushed me further and further to the point of no return. He squeezed my hand around the headboard and grunted, “Hold on tight.” With swift motions, he grabbed my ponytail and jerked my head back. His other hand left mine and snaked around my hips. He beg
an to roll my nipple between his fingers, and I cried out in elation.

  “I—I can’t,” I mumbled. “I’m—gonna—”

  “No,” he growled in my ear. He released my pebbled nipple and smacked my ass cheek. There was no soothing massage this time. Two more spanks and I was teetering on the edge. Every time we would sink into a comfortable rhythm, he would change his ministrations, the angle, the position—drawing out my orgasm until it was excruciating.

  “Luca,” I moaned.

  “Say it, Tesoro,” He snarled.

  “Luca—”

  He wrapped his arms around my ribs and pulled me all the way upright on my knees. He plastered his chest to my back and powered hard inside of me, leveraging with his knees and tree trunk thighs to hit my G-spot with every stroke of his cock. Being wrapped in his arms, being filled by him—it was the best feeling in the world. It was safe and terrifying and comforting and thrilling.

  Luca dropped one arm and toyed with my pulsating clit and I nearly crashed over the edge. “Please,” I begged on a whisper. “Please.”

  He pushed in hard once, then twice, and a third time. Luca used the arm around me to give my nipple a sharp twist. The other hand flicked at my clit with perfect synchronicity to his thrusts. “Let go, beautiful. Let me see it,” he commanded.

  Every sensation, every touch was piling on top of each other. I went rigid as my inner muscles clenched and squeezed around his heavy shaft, crying out in ecstasy. Luca’s hips jerked once and then twice as he unloaded into the condom. As the last tremors of my orgasm ripped through my body, I fell forward toward the pile of pillows, unable to hold myself up. Luca caught me in his arms and pulled me back against his chest, murmuring sweet nothings in Italian against my skin.

  24

  ———

  MADELINE

  Luca held me in his arms longer than anyone ever had, kissing my shoulders, my neck, the sweet spot behind my ear. When he finally pulled out, I felt empty. He disposed of the condom in a little trash can by the bed and sat against the enormous pile of pillows, showering me in an endless string of praises. He pulled me down to sit in his lap. “How are you?” He asked, gently tugging my hair out of the ponytail and massaging my scalp with his fingers.