All-In (The Gamblers Book 1)

by Sarah Curtis

  Exhaling in a rush, thinking of nothing but the tingles that raced through her body, converging in one central location between her thighs, creating an ache that turned her mind to mush, she blurted, "Because you make me feel too much. Make me need too much. Because you turn me the hell on. Is that what you wanted to hear?" She panted in exertion as if she'd just ran a race. Her heart was sure beating fast enough to have had.

  His nostrils flared, and she wondered whether he could smell the effect he had on her. One of his hands left the wall, connecting with the bare skin of her knee before sliding under the hem of her dress to travel up the smooth length of her thigh, stopping a few inches from her heat. She may have whimpered. His lips found her ear again. "You turn me the fuck on, too."

  "Please back away," she whispered, her lips as close to his ear as his were to hers. "I don't have the will to fight you, and I can't... I need to concentrate. I need to do well in this tournament."

  "Why? Why do you need the money?"

  "Are you asking your question now? Do you forfeit dinner?"

  His breath left in a huff, and he pulled away to look at her. "No, damn it. Don't answer yet. I'll ask again later."

  A loud bang on the wall behind River's back startled her and pulled her back to her senses. The mood broken, Alec stepped back just out of touching distance. He looked over his shoulder at the closed banquet room doors before giving her his full attention again. His mask was back in place, hiding his emotions, but his icy blue eyes darkened the longer he watched her. "Promise you'll show up to this thing. Promise you'll bid on me and outbid anyone else who tries."

  "Why do you do that?"

  "What?"

  "Make me promise you things."

  He took a step closer so his fingers could trail down the line of her cheek, stopping when they reached her neck. His thumb brushed softly back and forth over her pulse. "Because I know you're a woman of your word. That you would never break a promise once you've given it."

  "How..." His touch was hindering her ability to speak. She cleared her throat and tried again. "How do you know that?"

  "I'm good at reading people."

  She knew that. She was good at reading people, too. And right now his eyes were telling her he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. And heaven help her, even after warning herself of the danger, she was actually thinking about it. She was finding Alec's allure irresistible, making it hard for her to fight against it.

  "I've got to go get ready for this thing."

  She gave a slight nod. "Okay."

  "You need to promise."

  She gave another small nod. "I promise to win you."

  At her words, his mood seemed to lighten, and a smile grew across his face. "And I promise you won't regret it."

  He was through the double doors before she fully regained her wits. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, resting her head back against the wall for support. His parting words were a lie. She was already regretting it.

  Twenty minutes later, after going back to her room to wash away the beach and change into a nicer dress, River was back in the hall, standing in front of the double doors leading to the banquet room. It wasn't too late to back out, but if she didn't go in, someone else would bid on Alec and win. Did she really want to let that happen?

  A trio of women rounded the corner, chatting and laughing. All appeared in their mid-to-late twenties, perfect hair and makeup with killer bodies in skimpy beachwear. The thought of any one of them spending the evening with Alec had her irrationally seeing red. With a boost of confidence, she grabbed the handle on the door and step into the room.

  Easily more than a hundred people were already in attendance, but the room was large and with the number of chairs set up at its center, she had a feeling more were due to arrive. A line was forming to her right where six people sat at a long banquet table signing in guests and handing out numbered stickers. River had never been to an auction, but she'd seen a few on TV so had a general idea of what to expect. Or, at least, she hoped.

  She stood in line for ten minutes before it was her turn. "Name?" a lady in her mid-forties with bright-red hair and a pleasant smile asked as River stepped up to the table.

  "River Kingston."

  "Can you spell that, please?"

  River spelled out her name as the lady, Clare her name tag read, wrote in block letters across a "Hello my name is" tag. Under her name, she wrote the number one hundred and thirty-two.

  Clare handed the tag to River, giving her another polite smile. "Bar is to the right," she said, pointing that direction. "The first cocktail is free with this ticket, and each additional one has a flat rate of five dollars." She gave River a small, admit-one ticket. "The auction will be starting in about twenty minutes, so please find a seat before then." Business concluded, she turned her attention from River. "Next in line, please."

  River stepped away from the table, making way for the woman already descending on her spot. She looked around. More people seemed to have filled the room in the last fifteen minutes, and the low-level hum from earlier was now a mid-level chatter. River took a seat on a metal folding chair at the end of the last row.

  A few minutes later, the giggling trio from the hall sat in the seats directly in front of her, drinks in hand, chatting and laughing. River tuned them out until she heard one of them mention Alec's name. She sat up in her seat, curiosity piqued.

  "Was he the tall, dark, and handsome one in the red trunks?" That was asked by the blonde on the far right. She was in profile, looking at the blonde sitting in the middle. The brunette on the far left was facing the middle blonde as well, so River had a full-face view of her. She was gorgeous and unfortunately, just the type Alec usually went for. Also, unfortunately, she seemed the most knowledgeable of all things Alec Throne.

  "Yes. They call him The Prince of Poker. He's like a gazillionaire, and it's said he lives in the top penthouse of one of the swankiest hotels in Vegas."

  "I don't know anything about poker, but he's definitely not hard to look at."

  The brunette waved her hand. "I know everything about poker. You can ask me anything."

  River internally rolled her eyes.

  The blonde in the middle spoke up for the first time. "I think he has a girlfriend."

  River's stomach did a flip. She hadn't been keeping tabs on the poker world as strictly as she had in the past and definitely hadn't been following all the news about Alec. Had she missed something? He'd never been one to have a steady girlfriend, but she supposed things could change. The question was, would he aggressively pursue her if he were already taken? That thought didn't sit well with her.

  The brunette's brows furrowed and her lips turned down in a frown. "I don't think I've read anywhere he has a girlfriend. Besides, why would he agree to the auction if he did?"

  River stopped herself from nodding at the woman's remark, but she silently agreed. The brunette woman made a good point.

  "I saw it in the tabloids last week." Middle blonde continued. River wished she could see her face to read her expression, but all she could see was the back of her head. "He's been seen with the same woman on multiple occasions. They even have photos to support their claim."

  The emcee arrived on stage, interrupting the rest of the trio's conversation much to River's chagrin. She really wanted to hear more about this mystery woman Alec was supposedly hanging out with. She made a mental note to do a Google search.

  A hush fell over the room as the announcer walked to a freestanding microphone set up at the right of the stage, and after fiddling with the height and tapping the head to make sure it was live, she introduced herself. "Hello, everyone." A chorus of hellos erupt
ed, and she waited for things to die down before speaking again. "My name is Jane Porter. I'm co-chairman for the Kids are Konsequential foundation, and I'm so happy to see everyone here today to help raise funds for such an important cause."

  A round of clapping ensued, and Jane held up her hands to quiet the crowd. "I know everyone is excited. Our Beach Bachelor Auction is the most anticipated event of the week and always raises the most money. Why, last year alone, it raised more than fifty thousand dollars. Do you think we can top that today?"

  More cheers erupted along with a few whistles, and this time Jane let them go longer before she once again held her hands up for silence. "Well then, let's get started. Bachelor number one hails from the lovely state of Kentucky and owns his own cattle ranch. Please welcome, Chad Summers."

  The emcee extended her arm to the left of the stage as a tall, blond, southern hottie stepped on stage. The crowd oohed and aahed in appreciation as he turned to walk down the T that led out into the audience. He was all elegance on top in a tuxedo jacket and shirt, but all cowboy below in jeans and polished boots. He even wore a large, silver belt buckle that was in serious danger of blinding someone if the light hit it just right.

  Jane read off her cue card. "When he's not in the office, Chad loves to spend time outdoors. He's a bit of a daredevil, ladies and into extreme sports." The crowd erupted with more whistles added with a few hoots and hollers, and Jane laughed wickedly, knowing where all the women's thoughts had gone. "So who's going to start the bidding?"

  A lady in the front row waved her hand wildly. "Five hundred!"

  "Five hundred going once..."

  "Six hundred," the shout came from someone in a center seat.

  A few more bids were shouted around the room until Jane declared someone a winner. "Sold to the last bid of one thousand five hundred. Please stand up and call out your number for our clerk. You may pay for and claim your prize at the end of the auction."

  As the hour droned on, River sat back in amazement as bachelor after bachelor was auctioned off, until finally, Jane declared, "Now, ladies, the final bachelor of the night, who needs no introduction, Alec Throne!" She waved her arm and Alec walked onto the stage.

  The women in the audience went nuts. If River had thought their antics were over-the-top with the previous bachelors, it was nothing compared to the pandemonium Alec elicited.

  She had to admit, he looked better than his usual perfection. Which she hadn't thought was possible. Alec in a suit was something special but Alec in a tux, wow. His white dress shirt was unbuttoned at the collar with the black bow tie untied and dangling around his neck. His hair was slightly disheveled, and his jaw held over a day's worth of growth. He looked as if he'd just gotten comfortable after a late night of partying.

  He looked like sex and sin.

  And River couldn't pry her eyes away.

  So engrossed in her scrutiny, she missed the next thing the emcee said but perked up and paid attention when a woman two rows in front of her made a bid of nine hundred dollars.

  She saw Alec's eyes scan the crowd, presumably looking for her, but he didn't appear to spot her tucked back in the far corner.

  Another lady bid one thousand. The bids were rapidly shouted, leaving no time for River to interject, so she sat back, figuring she'd save her bid until the auctioneer started the final countdown.

  "Ladies do I have a bid of twenty-four hundred? No? Twenty-three going once—"

  River raised her hand. "Twenty-four."

  The brunette in front of her turned in her seat, giving River a dirty look, and River tried to recall whether she'd heard her bidding on Alec. The brunette raised her hand while turning forward, and shouted, "Twenty-six."

  "Wow, ladies, did you hear that? Twenty-six hundred. Do I hear twenty-seven?"

  "Twenty-seven," River said, eyeballing the woman in front of her.

  Before Jane could speak, the brunette shouted, "Twenty-eight."

  "Twenty-nine," River shouted back.

  "Three Thousand!" the brunette woman yelled, glaring back at River.

  River jumped to her feet and glaring right back, raised her arm and shouted, "Ten-thousand dollars!"

  Chapter Five

  The brunette's mouth fell open, and the room fell silent. River found it hard to swallow as she looked around, finding all eyes on her. Holy cow, did she just bid ten-thousand dollars? She'd gotten so caught up in the moment, she hadn't thought before she spoke. Alec! In a panic, her eyes flew to the stage. There he stood, hands buried in his front pockets with a big grin on his face.

  "Um," Jane cleared her throat, making the microphone screech. "Ten thousand going once. Ten thousand going twice. Sold. To the woman in the back row. Please call out your number for the clerk."

  River followed the other winning bidders as they were taken to a door behind the back of the stage that led to a mid-size room. Jane and the clerk sat at a large desk, huddled with their heads together as the bachelors roamed the room. The entering women veered various directions, pairing off with the bachelors they'd won, and the noise level rose with the sounds of excited chatter.

  River stood rooted in the threshold, eyes darting, trying to find Alec. She spotted him, casually leaning back against a far wall, feet crossed at the ankles, and his hands shoved deep into the front pockets of his slacks. He'd removed his suit jacket and had rolled the sleeves on his dress shirt, looking even more disheveled than earlier on stage, and she found she couldn't look away. He was the stuff fantasies were made of, and she felt her cheeks heat recalling just how many of her fantasies he'd starred in.

  He beckoned her with a single digit, curling his index finger in the universal sign for "come here" and she found her feet moving of their own accord, gliding to him, only stopping when she was a mere foot away. The finger he'd used to beckon her hooked the collar of her dress, pulling her the last few steps until her front collided with his side.

  "You spent a lot of money for me."

  Her lips twisted into a grimace, and she averted her eyes. Her feeling of shame left a knot in her stomach as words of apology fell from her lips. "I don't even know what to say other than I'm so sorry. I honestly don't even know what happened. It's all such a blur. And that woman," her voice grew stronger, the retelling, reminding her of how frustrated she'd felt. "She wouldn't stop outbidding me. Before I knew I just... Well, I guess I got a little carried away."

  He tipped his head back with a bark of laughter before looking back down, capturing her chin, and directing her face to meet his. "I just hope I can live up to such high expectations. Ten grand is some pretty steep shoes to fill. Want you to get your money's worth."

  She gave him a wry smile. "Don't you mean your money's worth?" She gave his body slow sweep. "I don't think you'll have any problems."

  She watched his eyes darken as his head tipped closer. "Careful, sweetheart, or I might think you're flirting with me."

  "Now, you know me better than that, Throne."

  Whatever Alec was about to say next was interrupted by Jane. "Okay, ladies, I need you to form a line. After you pay, you'll be handed tickets to tomorrow's gala."

  River looked inquisitively at Alec. "Gala?"

  "What you were bidding to win." His eyes twinkled as they stared down at her. "Me and a black tie dinner."

  She had a few hours to kill before Alec was due to pick her up for dinner. She should have done the sensible thing—tour the hotel's surrounding area and get the most out of her few days vacation. But she didn't. Instead, she went up to her room to Google Alec on her laptop. She couldn't get the conversation she'd overheard about him having a girlfriend out of her head.

  She hadn't looked Alec up in a few
years, but as if by muscle memory, her fingers flew over the keyboard, typing out his name. First, she clicked on the images tab, and a pageful of pictures filled her screen. She hovered the cursor to enlarge the newer ones she'd never seen. Sure enough, a tall brunette was photographed with him in several pictures. She was flawlessly beautiful, and River couldn't help the weight of jealousy that sank like a stone in the pit of her stomach even though she knew, realistically, Alec wasn't hers so she had no grounds to be jealous. Although he'd sure felt like hers when he'd pressed her against the wall, claiming her mouth and branding her with his kiss.

  She scrolled down the page, taking note that other than the mystery woman, he'd never been photographed with the same woman twice. She couldn't help but notice they were all tall, dark, and exotic. The complete opposite of her less than willowy figure, blonde locks, pale skin, and girl-next-door cuteness.

  She started scanning for news stories and hit pay dirt at the bottom of the first page. She clicked on an article entitled, "Has the Prince of Poker finally found his princess?"

  Her name was Victoria Lee and according to the news article dated July tenth—a little over two weeks ago—they'd been seen together five times. A pure anomaly as far as the Las Vegas Chronicle was concerned, and River would have to agree.

  She skimmed the article, past Alec's background and previous achievements, only stopping to read when her eyes landed on Victoria's name. She was the daughter of some acclaimed architect River had never heard of, Mason Lee and a one-time sought after actress, Shannon Lee. The article went on to explain how Shannon Lee had thrown her career away, choosing to raise her daughter in a proper family environment and that now Victoria was following in her mother's footsteps, debuting in a film that would be releasing in the fall.

  Feeling slightly obsessed, River clicked out of the news article and typed Victoria Lee into the search engine. Again she clicked on the images first, this time finding more than just her done-up in an evening gown on the arm of Alec. There were a few candid shots of her. Shopping on the streets of Beverly Hills, dining at an outdoor cafe, and on-set at some studio. And some that looked professionally taken. A glamor headshot and a few with her parents. The one constant, she was just as beautiful in all of them.