by Carew, Opal
She walked to the bar, where Quinn opened a circular-shaped bottle with a gold cap and poured the amber liquid into a glass.
“Would you like something?” he asked.
“I think so. I’ll just take a look.”
“Pour me what you’re having, will you, Quinn?” Austin asked as he headed over to join them.
April found herself drawn to the fancy bottles. One was shaped like a faceted crystal, another with a seductive curve and tall teardrop-shaped stopper. The one that grabbed her attention was a tall, slender, tapered bottle with a liquid inside that was a lovely rosy red. She removed the crystal cap and poured some into a stemmed liqueur glass.
Quinn raised an eyebrow. “You’re being adventurous.”
She took a sip. It had a citrus flavor. “Why do you say that?”
“It’s quite strong.”
She shrugged. “I could use something strong.”
Austin chuckled. “Couldn’t we all?”
“Cheers,” Quinn said as he raised his glass.
April and Austin both clinked against it, then sipped. She finished hers, then poured another.
“Let’s play poker,” she said and walked toward the game table.
Austin and Quinn joined her, and soon Austin was dealing out the cards. All her anxiety about what would happen during the game seemed unfounded. They simply bet chips and played their hands, though the men carried on a good-natured banter.
April wasn’t giving them much of a challenge. She hadn’t played poker much and kept losing. Austin could read her face too well for her to bluff. She played with gusto, though, betting them up in hopes that her two kings or three tens would win, only to find Austin had a full house, or Quinn four of a kind. Her stack of chips had dwindled to about a quarter.
“I’m going to run out of chips soon,” she said as she tossed in her ante. “I don’t want to leave you without a third player, so should we ask for some more?”
“Sure. No problem,” Quinn said. He walked to the house phone and dialed. “Alan, would you send up some more chips? Yes, a hundred should be fine.”
“He’s sending a hundred chips?” April asked Austin.
“No, that’s the dollar value of the chips.”
A thought spiked through her alcohol-muddled mind.
“Dollar amount? Are you paying for the chips?” A hundred dollars seemed excessive for a stack of chips. Even these lovely, high-quality ones.
“Not exactly,” Quinn said as he returned to the table and sat down. “The casino takes a percentage of all gambling that officially takes place in the hotel. Since this is a private game, and the players settle up between each other, the casino takes a percentage of the chips delivered to the private game rooms.”
Her stomach twisted. “So I’m guessing the hundred you referred to isn’t a hundred dollars.”
Austin smiled and shook his head. “No. We each started with a stack that represented a hundred grand.”
“And so we’ve been betting real money.” Her stomach coiled so tightly she thought she’d throw up.
“Don’t worry about it,” Quinn said. “We never expected you to pay your losses. That’s why we didn’t mention it.”
She leaned back in her chair, chewing her lower lip. She stared at the chips she had left. A quick calculation told her she’d lost the equivalent of about $70,000.
Oh, God.
“April, it’s not a problem,” Austin said. “We wanted you to be part of the game, and we understand your circumstances. It’s not like either Quinn or I are worried about money.”
She frowned and turned her gaze to him. “Let me ask you this. If I had come away from the game with more chips than I’d started with, would you have given me the winnings?”
“Of course,” Austin said.
“Then I was playing with real money.”
A knock sounded at the door. Austin got up to answer it.
“Oh, God, that’ll be the new chips. That’s going to cost you even more money. Austin, just tell them we don’t need them.”
But Austin was already signing the paper the man handed him. He returned with a new stack that he placed in front of her.
“Look, we’re not going to force you to be in further debt because of a casual poker game,” Quinn said firmly. “So just relax and enjoy the game.”
“I can’t.” Her hands were trembling now. Her head was foggy, and she had trouble thinking. All she knew was that she wasn’t comfortable with them just forgiving her debt.
“I have to find a way to pay back my losses, but…” She shook her head, feeling panicky. “I don’t know how.”
“Sweetheart,” Quinn said softly, “take a deep breath.”
She drew in a lungful of air, then released it slowly.
“Now, just think about it. We didn’t tell you that we were playing for real money. That means you shouldn’t be held accountable for the debt you racked up. If you were, we would feel that we’d taken advantage of you. And all this for an amount of money that means nothing to us. So please…”
He slid his hand across the table to hers and squeezed it. She glanced at him, and his eyes glowed with compassion.
“Let it go. We’ll forget the debt and move forward.”
The panic faded. What he said made sense.
She nodded. “Okay. But I can’t play anymore.”
“That’s unfortunate. I don’t think any of us wants the game to end yet.” Quinn leaned back. “Let’s think about this a different way. We all have different resources. Austin and I have a lot of money, so we’re happy to risk that. What are you willing to risk?”
“What do you mean?” She’d already made a deal to give him what he wanted. Sex. And Austin, too, even though he didn’t know it yet.
“Keep in mind that the money isn’t a big risk for us. I’m not asking more from you. All I had in mind is something like you granting the winner a request when you lose.” He smiled. “And if you think about it, that might even help with the previous arrangement we discussed.”
“What arrangement?” Austin asked.
* * *
April’s gaze darted to Austin, then back to Quinn. He was going to tell him now. Butterflies fluttered through her stomach.
“April and I have a special agreement, but I’ll tell you about that a little later. What do you think, April?”
She nodded. She didn’t want to end the game for Austin, and if this is what Quinn wanted, then she wouldn’t say no.
“Does this work for you, Austin?” Quinn asked.
“I’m happy with keeping April in the game. But what do you mean by requests?” Austin asked.
Quinn shrugged. “Anything you want. You might dare her to down a shot, or ask her a question like you did over dinner. It’s pretty open-ended.”
Austin chuckled. “I was worried you meant something like strip poker. With her luck, the girl would be freezing in no time.”
April bit her lower lip as her cheeks heated. She wasn’t sure where Quinn was going to take this, but clearly Austin had no idea that’s exactly what might happen.
* * *
Austin was a little uncomfortable with the idea of April paying off her losses by granting requests, since he had no idea what Quinn had in mind. But Quinn was protective of April, so he wouldn’t have her do anything sexual in front of Austin.
Quinn dealt out the next hand of cards. After a few rounds of betting, Austin won with three fives.
Quinn leaned back in his chair with a smile as Austin raked in his chips.
“So, what’s it going to be?” Quinn asked.
Austin glanced at April speculatively. She stared at the table, probably nervous about what he’d ask her to do. He thought back to truth-or-dare questions from college, grasping for something.
“Tell us about your first kiss,” he said finally. “Set the scene for us. Tell us things like where it happened. What it was like. How you felt about it.”
April’s gaze flickered to Q
uinn, then to Austin. She leaned back in her chair, and her hands curled around the armrests.
“He was walking me home after a party. There was a full moon, and we were holding hands. We took a shortcut through the park, and halfway through, he stopped and pulled me to him. He slid his arms around me and drew me close.”
Her gaze had drifted, and she now stared into space. It was as though she were reliving that moment. Her voice grew soft.
“He didn’t rush it. He kissed me gently at first, moving slowly on my lips, his fingers gliding through my hair. Then it turned more passionate.”
Her eyes had grown wistful, and she drew in a slow, almost quivering breath. Then she shook her head as if dragging herself from the memory.
“This was in college?” Quinn asked, his eyes narrowed.
She nodded.
So Quinn was the first man to kiss her?
Austin’s gaze turned to his friend’s face and could see that clearly he hadn’t realized it. And the thought disturbed Quinn.
“It sounds like you’d rate that kiss pretty high,” Austin said.
“Of all the kisses I’ve had in my life, that is the most special.”
Silence hung over the room. Finally, Quinn sat forward.
“Let’s get on to the next hand.”
* * *
Damn, Quinn hadn’t known that he’d been April’s first kiss. She’d been in college, for God’s sake. Who knew she’d never kissed a man before that?
He sat back in his chair and watched as Austin dealt the cards.
But thinking about it now, with all he’d learned about her background, it made some sense. She’d been abandoned by her own mother. She’d never had anyone in her life to take care of her. To love her. It made sense that she might have kept men at a distance, her lack of trust in others making her believe, even if only at a subconscious level, that she would probably get hurt.
Why the hell had she let him kiss her, then? Especially only hours after meeting him?
“Quinn, your ante,” Austin said, dragging Quinn’s attention back to the table.
Both of them had thrown in their chips. Quinn grabbed one from his stack and tossed it in with the others, then picked up his hand. He had two fours with a king high. He tossed the other two cards and got back another four and a king. Exhilaration rushed through him, but he kept a tight rein on his expression.
After a quick round of bets, Quinn laid down his full house with a smile.
He didn’t want to push Austin into this too fast. Austin had challenged April with a truth or dare that any college student might have tried. Quinn could work with that.
“Describe the bra you’re wearing, April.” He gave her a slow smile. “And I want details.”
He’d already seen it, and they both knew that, so it would be clear to her that he was doing this for Austin’s benefit.
“Um … it’s a coral color and has thin black ribbon woven into the edges.”
When she didn’t continue, Quinn prompted her. “Is that all? Is it underwire so it lifts your breasts nice and high? Is it a three-quarter cup? Or maybe a half cup so it reveals most of your breasts?”
Quinn saw Austin lean forward in his chair. His friend was obviously envisioning April’s round, firm breasts in a half bra, her hard nipples exposed and peaking forward.
“No,” she said quickly. “It’s not … uh … it’s three-quarter.”
“So if you showed it to us now, we’d see a nice swell of your breasts.”
“Uh … yes.”
“What else?”
“Um … it’s made of lace. And I think there’s a little bow on the front.”
“Show us.”
April’s gaze darted to his.
Austin jumped in with, “Isn’t that going a little too far? That sounds like strip poker to me.”
“Not at all.” Quinn smiled. “She doesn’t have to take off her dress to show it to us.”
She could take off the bra and slide it out from underneath her dress. It always amazed him when women did that.
“It’s all right, Austin,” April said.
She then surprised Quinn when she slid her fingers into the deep V of her dress and tugged a bit of the bra forward, exposing the coral lace and a small bow in black satin ribbon. The sight of that small amount of lacy undergarment, which was supposed to be hidden, along with her breasts swelling from the widened neckline, made his cock tighten.
From the hunger in Austin’s eyes, it was having the same effect on him.
April dealt the next hand. Quinn had three aces, but decided to toss two of them. He wanted Austin to win next to see what he would do.
Austin won the hand and gazed at Quinn speculatively. Then he gestured for April to lean in close and whispered in her ear. She nodded, then stood up and approached Quinn. When she was beside him, she rested her hand on his shoulder and leaned in slowly.
Had Austin told her to kiss him? He waited in anticipation as her lips moved closer, but they stopped by his ear.
She whispered, “Austin wants you to tell me the color of your underwear.”
The softness of her breath against his ear made him long for her lips to nuzzle against him. Fuck, he wanted to get on to having sex with her. To watching Austin have sex with her.
But he knew he had to ease Austin into this. He wasn’t sure quite how to tell him about the arrangement, so ramping things up seemed the best approach.
Quinn laughed and nodded. “All right. Sit on my lap and I’ll tell you.”
He rolled his chair back, and she sat on his thighs. He curled his arm around her waist, his body reacting to the feel of her warm body so close.
He turned her sideways on his lap and leaned in, nuzzling her temple.
“My underwear are charcoal black,” he whispered, “and are snug boxers. So snug that when my cock swells like it is right now, since I find it so sexy when you’re on my lap, that it stretches the thin cotton.”
He brushed his lips against her ear, noting her quickening breath.
“Now,” he whispered, “go back to Austin and sit on his lap just like this, and tell him exactly what I just told you.”
As she stood up, Quinn knew that on his next win, he was going to push Austin to the limit.
9
April stood up, her knees a little shaky, and walked toward Austin. He gazed at her with curiosity, probably wondering why she wasn’t just relaying the information out loud.
When she reached his chair, she stopped. How was she going to get on his lap with his chair facing the table?
“Help the girl out and push back your chair, Austin,” Quinn said.
Austin rolled back from the table, and April timidly sat down on his lap and curled her hands around his neck.
Austin’s arm circled her waist, just as Quinn’s had done. Being so close to him sent a quivering awareness through her.
“Quinn wants me to whisper it to you.” She leaned close to his ear and lowered her voice. “He says that his underwear is charcoal black and they’re … um … tight. So tight that when his cock hardens like it did when I was sitting on his lap, that it … uh … stretches the fabric.”
April could feel Austin’s cock swell against her thigh.
“Okay,” he said a bit stiffly. “More information than what I asked for, but Quinn is always very thorough.”
Quinn laughed. “I could show them to you if you like.”
Austin raised a hand. “No. I’m good.”
Austin’s cock was still hard and pressed tightly against her. Her insides ached at the thought of touching it. Of gliding her fingers along its length, then squeezing gently.
She stood up and walked back to her chair.
* * *
Austin drew in a deep breath. After Quinn had made this crazy suggestion to have April perform requests for them, Austin had decided to use this opportunity to tear down Quinn’s barriers so that he’d realize how much he wanted April and act on those feelings. Unfortunate
ly, Quinn had decided to tease Austin by having her do things to excite him.
And it was fucking working.
Why was Quinn playing with him like this?
Austin tried to will his aching cock to calm down. Fuck, if this kept up, he would fall prey to the potent desire building up inside him and turn this game around to get what his body wanted.
But he couldn’t do that. It wouldn’t be right, and it would screw up his friendship—and his partnership—with Quinn.
It was Quinn’s turn to deal, so he picked up the deck and distributed five cards to each of them, then tossed in his ante. Austin and April followed suit.
After distributing additional cards and a quick round of bets, Quinn laid down four kings. He ignored the pile of chips he’d just won and turned his gaze to April, his eyes gleaming like a predator’s.
“April, come over here,” he said.
April stood up and walked toward him. Austin watched as Quinn gestured for her to lean closer and whispered in her ear.
April nodded.
“Austin, I’d like you to stand up for this,” Quinn said.
“Okay.” Austin stood up, wondering what Quinn was up to.
April drew her shoulders back, and her gaze shifted to Austin’s. A transformation came over her as her stance seemed to soften and her eyes grew sultry. She glided her hands down her body slowly. His heart pounded as her fingertips brushed the sides of her breasts. She continued following the gentle curve of her waist and down until her hands disappeared in the fullness of her skirt. Then she walked toward him.
Actually, it was more like she floated in a billowy cloud of soft fabric swaying around her hips and glistening blond hair cascading over her shoulders. Her movement was fluid and graceful, but oozing with sexual allure.
As she got close, her hands glided up her sides again. He held his breath, watching her fingers. Would they glide over her full breasts? Would she lift them? Squeeze the two mounds together, showing him more of a swell in her deep neckline?
