Though he was a good friend, as the owner of the casino, he was technically my boss. However, his comment about my tardiness had nothing to do with my employee status. His sly grin suggested that he’d heard I’d left with a woman the day before and he was digging for information.
“Gossiping, Drew? Does your wife know you grew a pussy?”
The smile vanished from his face and he stood to his full height, which would be intimidating to most people. Except, I was an inch taller and had known him since we were frat brothers in college. And, I’d chosen my words specifically to get a rise out of him.
“I don’t ever want to hear you talk about Autumn and pussy in the same fucking sentence. I don’t care whose pussy you’re referring to.”
As I expected, he hadn’t bothered to defend his manhood, making me laugh. I would have given him shit for being so whipped but after meeting Lia, I wasn’t one to talk.
Drew narrowed his eyes and glared at me when he heard my chuckle. He’d given me the exact reaction I’d been going for, and he knew it. Unfortunately, my plan to distract him and change the subject backfired.
“Knox mentioned that the woman you left with was sexy as hell.”
Rage burst inside me, spreading like wildfire and turning my vision red. I didn’t give a shit that Drew’s head of security was also a good friend, I just wanted to blacken his eyes so he couldn’t ogle my woman. I clenched my fists and snarled, “You tell him that he better keep his eyes”—my tone turned deadly—“and his hands off my woman.”
Drew smirked. “That’s what I thought.” He tossed the chip into the air before catching it and turning towards the door. I silently followed him out, rolling my eyes at myself for my overreaction. I wasn’t normally one to lose my cool, but when it came to Lia, I wasn’t fucking around. I had a feeling that this possessive streak would only get worse until it was completely clear to the world that Lia belonged to me. I needed to get a ring on her finger as soon as possible.
Drew started towards his office but spun back around and shoved a card into my hands. “The jeweler where I bought Autumn’s ring,” he explained as he once again headed in the opposite direction. I glanced down at the thick card stock and smiled before tucking it into my vest pocket.
The casino was fuller than usual for a Saturday afternoon because of the Poker Championship. Every seat at my table was already taken when I arrived to relieve the current dealer. I introduced myself and opened up a fresh deck of cards. The next couple of hours went quickly despite my eyes watching the clock, counting down until I could see Lia again.
The players shifted occasionally but I didn’t pay much attention. Until I felt a hot, tingly sensation on the back of my neck and the smell of apples and vanilla drifted my way. My head snapped up, and my eyes locked with beautiful gray ones.
Lia slid into an empty seat, a cute little smirk on her face. I winked at her before my eyes swept over her and my smile melted into a frown. She looked fucking gorgeous in a sheer, spaghetti-strapped, flowy tank. And, before she’d lowered into her seat, I’d clocked her short, leather skirt. Too fucking short. I glanced around the table and saw the eyes of every other man admiring what belonged to me. A low growl of warning emitted from my chest before I could stop it.
I glared at each one until they stopped staring at my woman and concentrated on their cards. My mood had officially soured, and it had a clear effect on the table because the rate of turnover greatly increased. There was one guy who braved my attitude for longer than the others. I hadn’t liked the way he’d watched Lia, so I concentrated my possessive anger on him until he finally gave up like the others.
If I hadn’t been so wrapped up in staking my claim, I might have noticed that Lia was getting angrier by the minute. When I finally glimpsed her face, I knew I was in a shit-ton of trouble.
Chapter 5
Lia
I shifted in my seat, and aches in muscles I’d never used before reminded me of everything Becket and I had done last night. The soreness was worth the mind-blowing pleasure, though. Thinking about all of the orgasms he’d given me soothed my temper, but not completely since he was ruining my fun. With his growling at each and every guy who picked his table to play at, I couldn’t get into a groove because the players kept changing. Although, I had to admit that I wasn’t sorry when he finally scared away a man who’d watched me a little too closely, his gaze so intense that it made my skin crawl.
Still, if anyone other than Becket had been the dealer, I would’ve gotten up and found a different table. But that damn chemistry between us kept me in my seat and playing. It hadn’t stopped me from giving him the evil eye whenever his displays of possessiveness scared off another player, though. I knew exactly when he finally realized I was irritated with him. He flashed me an apologetic grin and behaved for the next few hands—right up until another male player sat down next to me and got treated to Becket’s surliness.
It was hell on his tips too because all of the guys he scared off were in too much of a hurry to slide any chips his way. Not that it mattered much to him since he was a part owner in a hotel and casino with his brother. This job was for shits and giggles more than anything else. Which was a good thing considering the look on Drew Lennox’s face when he prowled towards our table near the end of Becket’s shift. I’d played in enough tournaments at his casino to recognize him, but I hadn’t really talked to him except when he’d congratulated me for winning a couple of times.
“Uh oh, it looks like you’re in trouble with more than me,” I warned Becket in a soft voice before Drew got too close.
Becket looked over his shoulder and shrugged. “Eh, he’ll get over it.”
Judging by how quickly Drew’s frown was replaced by a sly grin when he reached the table and his gaze landed on me, it wasn’t hard to figure out that Becket was right.
“Now I understand why the pit boss on duty keeps grumbling about you scaring off the customers,” Drew chuckled. “I guess I should be thankful you didn’t piss on my floor to mark your territory. I’d hate to have to replace the carpeting in here again and there’s only so much a steam cleaner can do.”
A burst of startled laughter bubbled up my throat as Becket glared up at his friend and boss. “Seriously? It’s not like you’ve got much room to talk considering how you acted when you met Autumn.”
“True.” Drew shrugged his broad shoulders and rolled a poker chip back and forth over his knuckles. “But I don’t think it’s me you’ve got to worry about giving you a hard time over this. Your woman looks like she’s about ready to wring your neck, and not because she wants to wrap her legs around it and—”
Becket jumped out of his seat and took a threatening step towards Drew, who didn’t look even the tiniest bit worried as he smirked. “Turnabout is fair play, man. That’s what you get for using the word pussy and my wife’s name in the same sentence earlier.”
The smile wiped from my face, and I flashed a death glare Becket’s way. He quickly moved around the table and pulled me up and into his body. “It’s not like he made it sound. All I did was ask if Autumn knows that he’s turned into a pussy.”
My anger left me, and my cheeks filled with heat as I melted into his embrace. “Oh.”
“Don’t be embarrassed, sweetheart. You can be as territorial about me as you’d like.” His lips titled up into a satisfied smirk. “Especially since it means you can’t be too pissed at me over scaring off a few men who were too busy checking out your legs and tits to pay attention to their cards.”
“A few?” Drew sputtered. “From what I heard it was every guy who dared to sit at your table while your woman was there, including one who was old enough to be her grandfather.”
“He sure did,” I confirmed with a giggle.
Becket’s arms tightened around me. “Hey! That grandpa had some smooth lines.”
“He really did,” I confirmed.
“I can see why the two of you hit it off so quickly.” Drew moved closer to us an
d held his right hand out to me. “I’m Drew Lennox, Becket’s friend who, for some crazy reason, lets him deal here instead of making him work in his own damn casino.”
I reached out to shake his hand and smiled when Becket tugged it away after about a millisecond. “Nice to see you, Drew. I’m Lia Carrington.”
“Ahh, now I know why you looked so familiar. You’re the Cornelia Carrington. The queen bee of the poker circuit everyone’s been talking about the past few years.”
“Like Knox didn’t already tell you exactly who she was,” Becket muttered. “You just introduced yourself like that because you were trying to give me a hard time.”
Drew shrugged. “What are friends for?”
Becket pointed at his uniform and swept his hand towards the table where he’d been dealing. “I’m working, which makes me your employee right now.”
Drew pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “Fine, then I’ll be friendly while acting like your boss. Go on. Get out of here and spend some time somewhere else with your woman before all my customers end up playing at your casino instead of mine. Your brother would never let me hear the end of it.”
“Thanks, man.” Becket patted Drew on the back before grasping my hand and leading me towards a door labeled “Employees Only.”
I slowed my steps and tugged on Becket’s hand. “I’m not supposed to go back there with you.”
“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine, sweetheart. We’ll be in and out before you know it. I just need to go to my locker and grab my cell phone,” he assured me.
I pointed up at the black dome on the ceiling above the door. “It doesn’t matter how quick we are; security is going to notice me walking in there with you right away.”
He dropped his hand to my ass and glared up at the camera. “I have no doubt that Knox, the head of Lennox security, already knows you’re standing here with me.”
“Are you sure?”
Becket waved his employee identification card in front of the security panel on the wall next to the door. When the light flashed green, he reassured me, “There’s no need for you to be worried. Knox would’ve deactivated my card if he wasn’t okay with you coming back with me for a minute, and I’m sure he knows Drew would’ve stopped us if he wasn’t cool with it too.”
“If I get dragged into his office to be questioned, you’re the one I’m going to blame,” I muttered as I followed behind him.
“Nobody’s dragging you anywhere,” he promised. “Knox knows better than to lay a hand on what’s mine.”
Whoa. I knew that what was happening between us was only a short-term fling. I certainly wasn’t going to forget that just because he made a comment about us not being temporary while he was fucking me. Everyone knows guys say things they don’t mean in the heat of the moment. But, I really liked the sound of Becket calling me his. He was even hotter when he was being all possessive over me.
When the door shut behind us, I felt the need to correct something Becket had said earlier. “I wasn’t upset with you earlier because you were acting like a jealous caveman.”
He tilted his head to the side, and a lock of dark hair fell on his forehead. I lifted a hand and swept it back up, sighing when he pressed his head into my palm. “Then what was bothering you, sweetheart?”
“You kept scaring away all of the players who knew what they were doing,” I grumbled. “It messed with my game and kept me from winning big, even when I was on a hot streak.”
“I’m sorry for fucking with your mojo, Lia. That wasn’t my intention, but I can see why it would bother you since gambling isn’t just a game to you. Between owning a casino and my love for dealing, I understand better than most people that it’s business for you.”
I swallowed down a lump in my throat at the rush of emotion I felt at his words. He got me, better than anyone else in my life. “Thank you for understanding. It means a lot to me.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” He brushed his lips over mine. “Now tell me; how can I make it up to you?”
I smiled up at him. “You already did with your perfect apology.”
His dark eyes took on a wicked gleam. “What if I want to show you how sorry I am with actions instead of words?”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing Drew cut your shift short. Now you have plenty of time to figure it out.” And I couldn’t wait to see what he came up with.
Chapter 6
Becket
“Becket, I can pay for this myself,” Lia argued when I snatched the dress she’d just tried on out of her hands. It was pink and a little frilly while still being sexy as fuck. I laughed and held it high over my head so she couldn’t reach it, even on her tip toes. She glared at me, making me smile wider, before dipping my head to claim her lips in a lingering kiss.
When I pulled back, I nodded in satisfaction at the dazed look in her eyes and used it to escape to the register where I paid for the dress before she caught up to me.
“You have to stop buying me things,” she grumbled. “I don’t want or need your money.”
I slipped my arm around her waist and kissed her temple. “I know, sweetheart.” It was refreshing to be able to buy her things knowing she didn’t simply expect me to spend money on her like other women would. “I have to make up for being such an ass by spoiling you.”
Lia heaved an exasperated sigh but melted into my side. “I didn’t think you were going to make it up to me like this.” Her voice was so low I almost didn’t hear her and when I looked down at her beautiful face, I almost laughed at her adorable pout.
Tightening my arm, I curled it to bring her front flush with mine. Then I lowered my head and whispered in her ear. “This is only the first part of my apology, Lia. Next, I’m going to take you to a romantic dinner.” I slowly dragged my tongue up the shell of her ear, smiling when I felt her shudder. “Then, I’m going to take you back to my place where I intend to make you come so hard you’ll be seeing stars, over and over until you’ve forgiven me.”
“I already forgave—” she stopped suddenly and rolled her eyes. “Why am I arguing?” Her hands glided from my sides down to cup my ass. “How about we skip all the other stuff and get to the orgasms.”
I laughed before placing a quick kiss on her lips. The clerk handed me my credit card, reminding me that we weren’t alone. I quickly put it back in my wallet, then led Lia towards the shop’s entrance. Once we were back outside, I backed her into a corner and placed my hands on the wall on either side of her head.
“As much as I like the sound of that, and believe me, my dick is rooting for that option.” I pushed my hips into her so she could feel how much I wanted her. “This isn’t just about sex, sweetheart. We are more than that and I’m going to prove it to you. You were made for me and I’m not letting you go. Let me spoil my woman with romance and orgasms.” I grinned and winked at her.
Lia swallowed hard and a sweet pink blush stole across the apples of her cheeks. “Okay,” she finally whispered.
“Thank you,” I replied as I brushed my lips over her soft ones. Straightening back up, I grabbed her hand and guided her out onto the busy cobblestone walkways of the outdoor mall we were shopping in. She allowed me to take her to a couple of other stores and buy her a few small things. Our last stop however, I put my foot down and informed her that I would buy every-fucking-thing in there if I wanted to and she wasn’t to say a word.
Her eyes darted around the space, taking in all the bits of silk and lace. Pink once again dusted over her face and after a moment, she nodded.
By the time we walked out, she carried one stuffed, black bag and I toted three more. I felt like my smile was glued on my face, until I noticed another man looking Lia up and down before giving me a sly smile and a chin lift.
My fists clenched and I took a step towards the fucker with a death wish. Lia must have caught the interaction because she ran a soothing hand down my back and leaned into me, washing away most of the anger.
“Let’s get this stuff
in the car, then go to dinner,” she suggested softly before going up on her toes to kiss my cheek. “Thank you for today. I know I argued, but this was very sweet, Becket. You definitely made me feel spoiled.” My attention was successfully diverted, and she became my sole focus once more, returning the smile to my face.
As was the norm for a summer day in Las Vegas, it was insanely hot. Which turned out to be a double-edged sword. When we reached the car, Lia ditched her shirt, leaving her in a tight, spaghetti-strapped, yellow tank top. It molded to her amazing tits, putting them on display, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, when she turned to throw the shirt onto the backseat, I got a glimpse of the back. Or what could barely be referred to as the back. A tangle of straps held the two sides together, baring way too fucking much of her golden skin. Somehow, the top seemed to have shrunk her jean shorts and now they showed off miles of long, gorgeous leg.
She looked amazing and sexy as hell.
And every man who looked at her would think so too.
We weren’t parked far from the hotel, so we’d decided to walk there so she could change and grab an overnight bag. Then we would make our way back to the car and drive to the restaurant near my house where I’d made a reservation.
That plan wasn’t working for me anymore.
I stepped in front of her, shielding her behind my body. “Let’s take the car to the hotel so we can leave from there.” I spun her around and ushered her into the front passenger seat of my Porsche before she could argue, then rounded the hood to the driver’s side where I slid in. I mentally patted myself on the back for adding tinted windows to the car when I bought it.
I glanced at Lia as I started the car. She was staring at me like I had two heads. “Just made more sense,” I said defensively, even though she hadn’t yet spoken a word.
She raised a single brow and pressed her lips together. “You sure it had nothing to do with all the skin I’m showing?” Her voice wobbled and my heart froze. Fuck, had I made her cry? I stole a quick glance in her direction and blew out a breath when I saw her lips tipping up at the corners. She was fighting not to smile and the wobble in her voice had been caused by her attempt to stifle her laughter.
Vegas, Baby: Complete Series Page 9
