by Nella Tyler
He obliged. First with the tip of his tongue, and then his entire mouth enveloped my nipple, swirling his tongue around it, teasing, cycling, and then lathing it with his warmth. I pressed him closer, felt him suck, then felt the tongue flick up and down, and then suck again. Flames of desire shot through me. I grasped his head close to me, cradling it in my arms.
He moaned low in his throat, and it was all I could do not to moan in return. Suddenly, he lifted his head, looked up at me, smiled, and then paid equal attention to the other breast. He used his fingers to keep teasing the nipple that he had just relinquished while he began to repeat the suckling, flicking, and circling motions with his tongue that he had done on the first one.
I didn't know what to do with my hands. They were stroking his back, the side of his face, tangling in his hair. My palm ran against the side of his face. I wanted to cry, scream, and laugh, all at the same time. In a matter of seconds, I had pulled off his own shirt and placed my hands on his chest, my fingers feeling the hard nodes of his small nipples. And then we were lying on the couch, me beneath him, our hands exploring as much as we could.
Impatiently, I unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, while he tucked mine down. I don't know exactly how it happened, how we divested ourselves of our shoes and socks, pants and underwear, but all of a sudden we were both naked, warm skin pressed against warm skin. I was on fire, wanting him to get closer…ever closer. I repositioned myself to make it more comfortable for him as he nestled his hips between my thighs, and then, much to my surprise, his lips left my breasts and began to trail along my abdomen. As his tongue got closer to my bellybutton, he pressed himself downward along the couch, while at the same time pressing my knees upward and apart.
Oh my God. His head disappeared between my legs and I felt the most wonderful sensations running through me as his tongue repeated the process on my most private of parts with the same attention he had given my breasts. The sensations thrumming through me were exquisite. I grabbed the side of his head, tried to grasp his hair, tried not to pull too hard. I lifted my hips up slightly, wanting him to take in as much of me as he could.
I gasped in surprise when his tongue dipped deep into my slit, and then in the next moment, his mouth had encompassed my clitoris, sucking, tugging, and then pulling away slightly. He blew gently and then suckled again. He repeated this process over and over again until I was crazy with desire. Sounds were escaping from my throat that had I not known were mine, would've believed they were coming from someone else.
Everything felt hot, electric, and delicious. He began to moan, the vibration of his lips against that most private part of me nearly sending me over the edge. My hips began to rock upward automatically, wanting to take him as close to me as I could. Then, his tongue stroking, lapping, and locking around my lips and clitoris, he took me to my peak. I clenched my teeth, threw my head back, and swallowed the scream that threaten to issue from my throat as I felt the most powerful climax I ever had surge through me. My internal muscles clenched in a rhythmic orgasm that had me seeing white lights.
My internal muscles were still clenching rhythmically when I felt him lift himself up, situate himself between my legs, and then plunge his hard shaft into me. Deeply. My tight pussy clenched his penis and he groaned, eyes closed, his own head thrown back. His hips moved, he pumped a couple of times, and it was then that I remembered that I wasn't protected. My eyes flashed open an alarm and I glanced down at him. Watching his cock pump into me, nearly all the way out and then in again, I realized he had donned a condom. I had no idea when he done that, but then again, I’d been wrapped up in my own passion. Nevertheless, I was pleased that he was taking precautions. That showed me something – proved something to me.
Once again, he began murmuring, his eyes closed, and a slight smile curving his lips upward. He had said he loved me. Did he mean it? His hips began to move faster, and I met every one, lifting my hips up every time he surged upward. I pulled him deeper into me, as deep as I could manage. I cupped his buttocks with my hands, and then reaching between his legs, I grasped one of his balls, massaging gently. That seemed to do it and took him over the edge, as well. Suddenly, he stiffened, and his pumping motions shortened into fast contractions. Then, it was over.
He collapsed on top of me, his chest covered with a fine sheen of sweat, his heart thundering fiercely, in accompaniment with my own. His head nestled in my shoulder and I felt his breath on my neck. Finally, after several minutes of silence, he rolled onto his side, but nearly fell off the couch. I tried to grab him and we both laughed when he crashed to the floor. I looked over the edge of the couch at him and saw him smiling up at me. My gaze passed over the length of him. Oh my God, what a glorious body he had. Broad chest, six pack abs, a narrow waist. His penis was still erect, but as I watched, it slowly began to soften. It wiggles a little bit, thanks to my attention, and as I looked at him, Ben watched me with a grin.
Without an iota of embarrassment or self-consciousness, he peeled the rubber off his penis, then quickly stood and headed to the bathroom. I was graced with the sight of his glorious buttocks. When he came back into the room, he did so confidently, a smile on his face. He stared at me, still lying naked on the couch. If he was bothered because I hadn't responded to his claims of love, he didn't show it.
"How about a picnic and a movie?"
He was standing there completely naked in front of me, and he was thinking of a picnic and a movie? I realized that it might be a nice thing to do with Ben. It was nothing special, nothing extraordinary, nothing designed to impress me. Just a date like normal people had.
I thought about it for a minute. Nothing fancy, nothing extravagant. Maybe he was trying to show me that he could do things that didn't cost a lot of money, that were pleasant, somewhat old-fashioned, but provided enjoyment nevertheless.
Reaching for my clothes, I agreed. "Okay, that sounds like fun. Just give me a few minutes to change." As he began to pick up his clothes, I passed him and headed toward my bedroom. I closed the door and then leaned against it for several moments. Oh my God, what I done? Was it so easy for me to forgive someone? What quirk about my personality made it so difficult for me to be mad at someone, even if they deserved it?
I quickly jumped in the shower, in a way hoping that he would join me, but he left me alone in privacy to get cleaned up and changed for the day ahead. I wasn't sure how the day was going to turn out, but I needed to know sooner or later whether Ben could change, or at least, keep his word and not just focus on trying to impress me. He should know by now that I wasn't one who would succumb to the things that many other women did. I just wanted to be with a guy who was honest, genuine, and down to earth.
*
The day passed relatively quickly, and I did have to admit, as late afternoon approached, that I was having a good time. After we left my place, we stopped by a sandwich shop, got some submarine sandwiches, some chips, and some sodas. We ventured toward the beach and just hung out there for a little while, eating our sandwiches, talking, and watching other people. I loved to watch the waves come in, and while I still kept my guard up, I was beginning to feel a little more relaxed. We didn't talk about the lovemaking session we had just had. We didn't talk about what had brought him to my door in the first place.
After we hung out at the beach for a little while, we went and saw movie. It was an action thriller with Tom Cruise and I did enjoy it, although I felt distracted through great part of it. My mind was humming with a variety of thoughts. I got the distinct impression now that Ben knew I was certainly not a gold digger. At the same time, I was rather disturbed with how easily I had been able to forgive him. What did that mean? What could it mean? And then, toward the end of the movie, which I couldn't even remember five minutes after we walked out of the theater, it hit me.
Could I be falling for him? Could I be falling in love with Ben? The thought scared me and excited me at the same time.
By the time he brought me back to my apartme
nt, I allowed him inside, but told him I didn't have anything to offer him to drink, which I wasn't about to do anyway. When I drank, I did things I couldn't hold myself responsible for. Besides, we had already made love once today and I wasn't about to do it again. Not because I didn't like it, but because I needed to keep myself focused.
Besides, I had to tell him something. Something that I had avoided talking about all day. Something that he had avoided, as well. As he stood in my apartment, I reached for his hand. We stood facing each other in the space between my door and my couch.
"Thank you for the nice day, Ben. I had a lot of fun," I began. It was if he could sense what was coming next, so he didn't say anything, but merely nodded encouragement. I just blurted it out. "I don't want to help you cheat, Ben.”
He nodded. "I understand, Maggie, and once again I want to apologize for even suggesting it. It's okay. Just for a bit of fun, I might go ahead and do it anyway."
"But why?” I exclaimed, my heart thudding with uncertainty. “Why even risk it? You’re already rich. Why would you want to even try to get away with cheating…which I kind of suspect you've been doing all along, haven't you? Have you been counting cards?"
He shook his head. "I'm sorry I asked you to get involved, Maggie," he said. "And the last thing I want to do is get you into trouble, so I'm not going to answer that question again, which I believe I already have. And I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to do. You've made up your mind, and I respect you for it. I hope you don't think less of me for asking or for having a bit of fun."
Well, I still didn't understand how he could think that cheating was fun. Was it just a lark to him, to see if he could get away with it? It wasn't just a matter of getting banned from the casino. He could be arrested. He could be required to pay back all of the money he earned from the casino. They kept tabs, you know. I was sure he knew all that, as anyone as experienced with gambling as Ben was, would know all the house rules.
“I'll never mention it again, okay?"
With that, he gave me a gentle kiss, told me that he had had a wonderful day, and then turned and left. The door closed softly behind him and I stood where I was for several more minutes, just thinking about him. I hadn't gotten any indication of what he was really thinking. Would my decision not to help him damage what we had managed to salvage of our relationship?
I didn't want to lose him, and he hadn't bugged me about cheating again, but that had me thinking – how far was I willing to go to keep them? He had told me that he loved me. But how could I possibly love someone who wanted to cheat like that? If I really loved him like I believed I was beginning to, where did that leave me?
For the first time, I felt tempted. It would be nice to have money. It would be nice to have nice things. It would be nice not to have to worry about where the next dollar was coming from, or what I would have to put up with to get it. Then, I realized what I was thinking and shook my head.
What was I thinking? I sat down on the couch, stunned. Was I even considering helping him? Was I even considering the idea of helping him to break the law in order to be with him?
*
I tossed and turned all night because I was so confused. Why would I even consider helping Ben? He had all the money in the world. Why did he need more, and most importantly, why did he need more through cheating? I waffled back and forth. I wanted to be with him and at the same time, I wanted to put boundaries on our relationship. But wasn't a relationship all about the all or nothing? If I invested in any kind of relationship, I wanted no in-betweens.
I couldn't believe that I was even considering of doing anything illegal, but at the same time, I didn't want to lose him. Was it worth it? Could I count on him for the long term? He'd told me he loved me, but what did love mean in Ben's vocabulary? For all I knew, they were just words.
What would happen if I did help him cheat, I was caught, he was caught, and we were put in jail? At the least, I would lose my job at the casino and most likely be blacklisted from working in any casino in Atlantic City, perhaps the entire country. I didn't know exactly how that worked, and I didn’t really want to find out, either. I couldn't deny that the temptation of having extra money wasn't there because it was. However, I also had to stop and think.
Even so, for the first time in my life, I considered breaking the law in order to be with someone and definitely get everything that I had ever wanted in life. I couldn't quite understand why I was thinking this way. He was just a guy, a handsome guy at that, but just a guy. I had no inkling of what kind of relationship we had. Was it purely sexual or something more?
My mother would be shocked to learn I was even considering doing something dishonest. Other than a couple of little mishaps when I was in elementary school, I had always tried to be an honest person. It was that very honesty and trust that had made me so angry with my first husband when he betrayed me, not once, but twice. I expected everyone to treat me the way I treated them. I expected everyone to be as honest with me as I was with them.
I couldn't figure out what kind of game Ben was playing. I still couldn't understand why he felt the urge, or the need, to cheat. He won often enough, didn't he? I was positive he didn't cheat every time, so he was obviously good at the game. Why take a chance? Didn't he care about his reputation? And to ask me implied that he didn't much care about my reputation.
So, despite the makeup sex we had just had earlier today, I found myself once again in a conundrum. There was no doubt about the fact that Ben and I had a definite sexual connection. When I was with him, it was like everything else went out the window, even my good judgment. But cheating? That was something I shouldn’t even be willing to consider.
The risk of getting caught was certainly not worth the reward. Besides, even if I did help him cheat and I did make more money, what was I supposed to do with it? Deposit it in my bank? How was I supposed to explain that? So, what did I do with it? Stuff in my mattress? Somebody was bound to notice sooner or later that I had nicer things, was wearing nicer clothes, or had upgraded to a new apartment.
No, someone definitely would notice. Call me naturally suspicious and wary now, especially in light of my past, but I had a feeling that I wasn't the only one who would notice. The casino world was not one in which everybody trusted everybody else. That's why there were so many cameras, so many security guards, and so many pit bosses. Everyone was watched every second. I had been in the surveillance room once. I had been astounded to find no less than twenty monitors set up, their camera angles encompassing every part of the main floor of the casino. The only place cameras were not mounted were in the restrooms themselves.
No. It was a crazy idea. Plain and simple. I shook my head and muttered to myself as I got ready for bed. You’re nuts, I told myself. Yes, it was nice to imagine having better things than I did, but again, nothing material was worth the risk of getting caught.
Did I owe Ben anything? No. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more frustrated I became. I had to stop this. No, I would not cheat.
I would not. Could not. Even if it meant losing Ben.
The Billionaire’s Bluff #4
Chapter 1
By the time I got to work and clocked in, I had changed my mind yet again. I couldn't. I couldn't do it. I had to admit that I had been tempted for a while and even had considered it, but then I scoffed, shook my head, and told myself to think things through. Cheating was against everything I stood for, not only in my recent life, but in my past life. Cheating was cheating. It didn't matter whether you cheated on your spouse, on your taxes, or at the casino. It was a lousy way to get ahead. I knew myself well enough to know that if I ever cheated like that, it would eat me alive.
So, with my thoughts focused on just doing my job, I approached my Blackjack table, changed out with the dealer there, and began my shift. I saw Ben walk into the casino a little while later looking much better. He was once again wearing a pair of slacks and a long-sleeved dress shirt; his hair was neatly combed and
his jaw was clean-shaven. He smiled and sat down at my table. I looked at him, smiled politely, and was just about to deal the first hand when suddenly two security men approached Ben from behind. One of the security personnel placed a hand on his shoulder. My eyes widened with astonishment, as did the others at the table, as Ben glanced over his shoulder and then calmly spoke.
"Yes, can I help you?"
"We'd like you to come with us, please," the guard said.
"What's this all about?" Ben asked.
"Please come with us," the guard said. "We don't want any trouble."
Ben glanced at me, at the others around the table, and then shrugged as he stood. I watched him, walking calmly between the two guards as they made their way through the crowd of gamblers, tables, and slot machines toward the bank of elevators on the other side of the large room. My heart was pounding in horror as he was escorted into an elevator. I watched the doors closed and then glanced around my table. It seems the players were just as surprised as I was, but I knew that I quickly had to get things back on track.
I shrugged, smiled, and spoke. “Shall we play?” Nods all around. Ben was forgotten, as far as they were concerned. I couldn’t say the same for me.
My mind was spinning. What happened? What was going on? Why had they taken Ben away? No one was asked to go upstairs unless they were in trouble. I felt sick. In fact, as the minutes passed I began to feel more nauseated than ever. My hands trembled and I felt the blood drain from my face. I began to feel cold sensations run through me and my head pounded. I began to see spots. Oh no, not a migraine! I knew that I wouldn't be able to control myself for the remainder of my shift, so I gestured toward the pit boss. He approached me, and turning slightly from the players, I told him that I was sick and had to leave. He took one look at me, believed it, and took a step back. He certainly didn't need to get sick.
