The Gamble

by Alice Ward

  “Right,” Talen agreed. “We do.”

  I leaned my head against the cushion, feeling very tired. “Okay. So let’s just start there.”

  Talen was silent for a few minutes. I waited to hear his response, hoping that he would agree with me. I wasn’t about to let him walk all over me, but I knew I could be a bit nicer than I’d been. This situation wasn’t entirely his fault.

  “Dinner tomorrow night,” Talen suggested. “We can talk more then, okay?”

  “Sounds good.” I tried to smile, but I was glad he couldn’t see me. The smile was weak and all my trepidation would have shown in my eyes.

  “I’ll text details. Have a good night. Um, I mean morning.” There was actually a bit of humor in his voice. We seemed to be making some progress.

  “Good whatever,” I said, really smiling this time, and hung up.

  I set the phone down and laid back on the couch. With my eyes closed, I tried to remind myself why this was a good idea. I would have to see Talen again, and I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I had to believe it would be worth it. I thought about the money and how much it would mean to my mother. She would be able to move into a stable environment where she would always have someone around to help her. That, more than anything, was my motivation.

  When I sat back up, my eyes fell on my painting again. It looked even more beautiful the longer I gazed at it. I could see my pain and sadness reflected in every color. There was an undeniable desperation in each brushstroke.

  And as I stared at my reality as told on canvas, I began to cry.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Talen

  Dani’s phone call took me by surprise. When she stormed out of Le Jean, I never thought I would hear from her again. I fully expected to get served with divorce papers in the next couple weeks. Instead, she called me and apologized. She still sounded slightly angry, but she admitted to being partially at fault. She was right. We both needed to be nicer to each other if our fake marriage was going to work. I hated that she continued to challenge me, but also appreciated her strength. Dani wasn’t the kind of woman who would roll over and play dead. She could hold her own against me and anyone else.

  I picked her up with no real plan in mind. I was dressed casually. The last thing I wanted was a repeat of our last attempt at dinner. I thought Le Jean might have been too much pressure for her. She was just now ready to work things out, and I didn’t want to scare her away again. So, this time, I wore jeans and a tight-fitting button up. I looked good without trying too hard. As I knocked on Dani’s door, I felt that same nervousness that overwhelmed me the last time I arrived at her apartment.

  Dani answered the door wearing a long sundress. She looked pretty in a simplistic way. I smiled at her and stood aside to let her out since she was clearly not letting me in. She smiled back and followed me to the car. Again, we didn’t say much as we climbed inside, but the air between us didn’t feel tense.

  “I didn’t plan anything for tonight. Is there somewhere you’d like to go?”

  “Um.” She looked surprised that I’d asked. “There’s a tiny little Italian place down the street. It’s a mom-and-pop shop, but the food is amazing.”

  “Sounds perfect.” I backed out of the parking spot and followed her directions to the restaurant. We arrived within five minutes. When we stepped out of the car, I scanned the outside of the building. The restaurant really was tiny, but it had a certain charm to it that was appealing.

  We walked inside. Dani led the way to an empty table without waiting to be seated. I assumed they didn’t have a hostess. I looked around, taking in the ambiance. The room was dimly lit, and the tablecloths were dark red. There were candles lit on each table. If I didn’t know better, I would have said this was the perfect place for a date, but I knew that wasn’t Dani’s intention. From the look of the menu, the food was going to be authentic.

  I ordered manicotti, and Dani ordered chicken alfredo. We both stuck to the simple things, each of us ordering a glass of wine to accompany our meal. I smiled when Dani ordered hers, glad that she was loosening up a little. I could tell from the way she nursed her glass that she was drinking to calm her nerves, but I didn’t care. I was just happy to see her relaxing again.

  “I’m glad you called,” I said. “Really, I am.”

  “Me too,” she said with a shy smile that was so attractive. “I felt bad about the way we left things. This situation is so screwy. It’s hard to remember that it isn’t all your fault.”

  “I know.” I wanted to take her hand, comfort her in some small way, but I didn’t think my touch would be welcomed. “I didn’t exactly make this easy for you, Dani.”

  “Hey, you didn’t force me into that chapel.” She laughed and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “That was both of us.”

  “I still don’t know exactly how that happened,” I admitted, still trying to sort through that night.

  “Me either.” She laughed again. “When in Vegas, right?”

  “Something like that.” I laughed back and took a sip of my wine while Dani finished her first glass. I ordered her a second one, and she thanked me.

  “So…” She drew out the word, her grin widening, causing my cock to twitch. “I guess we should come up with a backstory.”

  I relaxed a little. “We should.”

  “Well, since I don’t know these investors, what do you think we should say?”

  I thought about it for a second. She was right. It really should be my decision, but I was nervous. I was afraid to say or do the wrong thing.

  “I think we should say we met a few years ago. We met and became friends, but didn’t start dating for a while.”

  Dani nodded. “Where did we meet?”

  “Well, college is out.”

  “We could always say a strip club,” Dani teased. “Stick to the truth.”

  “Ha. Ha. Not funny.”

  “A little funny,” she argued.

  “Somehow, I don’t think my father would appreciate that very much.”

  “How about an art show?” Dani suggested. “We met at one of my art shows.”

  “You’re an artist?” I asked and realized how little I really knew about the woman across from me.

  “I am.” She looked down at her fingers. “Not a very successful one, but I paint.”

  “That’s amazing. Art show it is. We met at your art show and became friends. Then, we started dating a few months ago and just knew it was right. We got married privately, just the two of us because we wanted it to be intimate.”

  “Perfect.” Dani nodded. “That way no one will ask too many questions about it.”

  “Exactly. But we should decide where we did it. Maybe Paris? Or Rome?”

  “I don’t know.” Dani shook her head. “That may be too far-fetched. I mean, I’ve never even been out of the country. And aren’t marriage licenses public record?”

  She had a point. “Then where?”

  “The church of Elvis, of course,” Dani teased.

  I chuckled along with her, and soon, we were both laughing. It felt like back in the hotel room that Sunday morning. We laughed hard, and I watched as tears formed in Dani’s eyes. For the first time, I really believed we might be able to pull this off.

  We ate and talked, drinking wine while getting to know each other. By the time dinner ended, we were both slightly tipsy, and our story was set. We officially met at Dani’s art show, became friends, slowly fell in love, then got married. It seemed like the perfect story. I didn’t think anyone, except maybe my father, would be able to poke holes in it.

  “So,” Dani said. “There’s only one thing left.”

  “What’s that?” I asked while I paid the bill.

  “Why did we keep it a secret?” she asked. “We got married privately to protect our intimacy, but why didn’t we tell anyone right after?”

  “Maybe we were just too blissed out.” I shrugged. “Our love was just so strong that it overshadowed everything els
e.”

  Dani rolled her eyes. “If you think people will buy that.”

  “You don’t?”

  She laughed and placed a hand on my arm. I wasn’t even sure if she knew she was touching me. “It’s just so cheesy.”

  “People love cheese.”

  “Fair point,” Dani conceded.

  Once the bill was paid, we left the restaurant and headed toward my car. We climbed inside, and I started the engine to let the air conditioner work its magic on the sweltering evening.

  “Listen,” I said. “I know this is going to sound bad, but I was thinking. If we’re going to act married, then you should probably stay at my place for a few weeks.”

  Dani blinked. “What?”

  I gave her an apologetic look. “No one will believe we’re married if we live in separate apartments.”

  Dani stared out the window for a second. She was tipsy from the wine, and I could see the wheels turning in her head. She didn’t like the idea, but I knew I was right. This was the only way to be sure.

  I nearly melted in relief when she nodded. “Okay. That makes sense.”

  “I can take you there now,” I suggested. “Just so you can see it.”

  She lifted a shoulder. “Sure.”

  I smiled and pulled out of the parking lot.

  We drove through town, talking, and laughing together. Our conversation was easy this time. I didn’t know if it was the wine or just our new promise to be nice to each other, but I felt at ease with Dani in a way I hadn’t before. I no longer felt nervous or unsure of myself. I was glad to be with her, glad to be taking her back to my place.

  When we arrived at my building, I parked in the garage and led the way to my apartment. I lived on the top floor, so we rode the elevator all the way up. Dani’s eyes were wide when I opened my front door.

  “When you said apartment, I thought you meant something a bit more like mine. This isn’t an apartment.”

  I shrugged. “Sure, it is. Just a really big one.”

  Dani laughed and shook her head. Her eyes roamed around the entryway and living room. I saw my apartment through her eyes, and it did look huge. Once you made it out of the entryway, there was the kitchen to the right and three bedrooms to the left. My room, the master, was probably as big as her entire apartment, and the master tub was large enough to swim in. The guest rooms were much smaller but still nice. There was a guest bathroom down the hall. All of that coupled with the terrace was a lot to take in. I felt slightly embarrassed that I hadn’t warned her, but she didn’t seem to mind. If anything, she seemed impressed.

  “I should have known,” she said as we walked into the living room. “You’re rich, after all. I don’t know why I didn’t expect this.”

  I shrugged. “It’s nothing.”

  “It’s beautiful,” she said, her eyes connecting with mine.

  I stuffed my hands in my pockets to keep from reaching for her. “Thank you.”

  We stood together awkwardly. I thought about offering her a drink, but I thought the wine in our system was probably enough. The last thing I wanted was to get her drunk again.

  “Listen,” I said softly. “There’s one other thing I thought of.”

  “Yeah?” she asked, turning to face me.

  “When we kiss in front of people.” My eyes fell to her lips. “We’ll have to make it believable.”

  “Kiss?” Dani’s eyebrows shot up.

  “We’re married,” I reminded her. “Married people kiss. Hug. Touch.”

  “That’s true.” She licked her lips and I remembered the taste of them. Wanted to taste them again. “But, we’ve already kissed, remember?”

  “Not sober,” I pointed out.

  She nodded and kept her eyes on mine as I stepped closer to her. Part of me was telling the truth. I wanted everything to be believable. Still, a bigger part of me just wanted to kiss her. She looked gorgeous, and her lips had been calling to me all night. My attraction to her never faded, even when we were yelling at each other. As I wrapped my hands around her waist, I expected her to pull away, but she didn’t. She stepped forward, pressing her body against mine.

  Our lips touched lightly at first. I kissed her gently, not wanting to freak her out. As we kissed, I felt her body come alive beneath my hands. The kiss deepened, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. Her fingers found my hair as I slid my tongue into her mouth. She parted her lips for me, and I tasted the wine on her tongue. Everything about her, about this, was perfect.

  I knew we should pull away soon, but I couldn’t. Dani wiggled against me, and I could tell how badly she wanted me. She wouldn’t admit it, but I could feel it. I was hesitant to push things further, but I wanted her so badly. Our kiss became more passionate and my cock swelled in approval.

  Testing the water, I slid my hand down to her butt. At first, just my fingers touched, but when she didn’t pull away, I squeezed her gently. She moaned against my lips, and I took that as permission. In an instant, our kiss intensified. Dani’s hands tightened in my hair, and I gripped her ass so tightly that I could almost feel her skin beneath the thin fabric of her dress.

  We broke apart for just a second. Dani gasped as I lowered my lips to her neck. I licked her skin in long strokes, feeling her shiver against me. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to have her. Slowly, I led her to my bedroom.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Dani

  Talen held my hand and pulled me behind him as he led me to his bedroom. My heart was pounding, and my lips tingled from his kiss. I wanted him to kiss me again and never stop. I didn’t know if it was the wine in my system or just my attraction to him, but my entire body ached to be close to his.

  Talen turned and pulled me against his chest. We stepped into his room while his lips collided with mine again. He pushed me backward toward the bed, his hands roaming over my body. I kissed him hungrily, trailing my fingers down his chest. I could feel the curves of his muscles beneath his shirt, and I wanted to feel more.

  I unbuttoned each button quickly, shoving his shirt aside. It fell off his shoulders and landed on the floor. My hands returned to his chest. His skin was hot beneath my palms, and I wanted him more than ever. I kissed him harder, tasting his tongue and his lips. He groaned as his fingers pushed the straps of my sundress down my arms, and soon, the dress was a puddle at my feet.

  He pulled back, gazing down at me. “You’re so incredibly beautiful.”

  I stood before him in nothing but my bra and panties, but I didn’t feel exposed. I was excited and eager. Without prompting, I stepped backward and sat down on the bed. Talen looked at me with desire in his eyes. I stared at him for a second, taking in the sight of his shirtless body before he leaned down and pushed me onto my back.

  Climbing on top of me, Talen kissed me again. His hands tangled in my hair. I loved kissing him, but I was ready for more. I pushed him away, just enough that I could reach behind me, and unhooked my bra. Talen’s eyes traveled down to my bare breasts, and I saw another flash of desire. I grinned at the sight. He wasted no time. His lips found my chest, kissing every inch of skin he could reach. When he took my nipple in his mouth, I gasped and wrapped my legs around his waist. Everything he did felt amazing.

  My hands clawed at his back while his explored my hips. His teeth continued to tease my nipples, and I soon came completely undone.

  Talen pushed himself off me abruptly. He slid his jeans off in one swift motion, his boxers following close behind. Damn, he was sexy. His dick was erect and perfect. His body was muscular, and I longed to touch him again.

  He came back to the bed, but stopped at my stomach to place gentle kisses there while he pulled my panties down. Within the space of a few heartbeats, I was lying completely naked, exposed to his hot gaze. As his weight settled onto me again, his lips on my neck, I trembled with desire and need.

  Unable to take it anymore, I flipped Talen onto his back and straddled him. I feasted on his lips as if I were a starving woman, my body rocking
hard against his. I wanted to feel him inside of me. I rubbed my wetness against his cock, grinding against him slowly. Talen grew unbelievably harder as he reached for my breasts, rolling the nipples between his fingers.

  With a grin, Talen flipped me back over, pinning me to the bed. He licked my neck, and I shuddered. When his hand slid down between my legs, I lifted my hips to meet him. He played with me for a few seconds, his fingers sliding down my wet folds before circling my clitoris.

  “God, you’re so wet for me.”

  I stared into his blue eyes, losing myself completely. When his fingers sank into me, I sighed and pressed myself harder against him.

  “I want you,” I whispered and his nostrils flared.

  “God, I want you too.”

  Nothing existed beyond this room, beyond us as he kissed and stroked me to release.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful.” Talen dipped his head and took one of my nipples deep into his mouth. Then he moved lower, and lower still. He kissed my hipbones and thighs before hooking my legs over his shoulders and diving into my heat.

  I cried out and clutched at the blankets, arching into his mouth as his tongue swirled over my clit. I looked down my body and met his eyes as he licked and probed, stimulating nerve endings I didn’t know I had.

  Heat pooled between my thighs, growing hotter and hotter with every lick, every touch. A knot of tension tightened in my core, and I sank my fingers into his hair just to keep myself from floating away.

  Talen moaned against my clit, and the vibration shot through it as a finger sank inside me. I cried out and bucked against him, unsure if I could handle the double assault on my senses.

  “Oh, Talen. Yes, yes...”

  He added a second finger, then twisted them both, stroking some hidden part of me that acted like a trigger for my release.

  Pleasure barreled through me, and I came undone in time and space. I heard myself scream his name as I floated to a place that was unfamiliar.

  I shuddered, riding high on the ecstasy of the moment as Talen began to kiss up my stomach, scraping my skin with his stubbled chin. By the time he reached my breasts, I was sane again, my breathing returning to normal.