Maverick
Hannah digs her teeth into her bottom lip as she stares hard at the slot machine.
“This is the last of the cash I set aside to gamble with,” she mutters. “Maybe my luck will turn for the better.”
“You deserve that,” I tell her.
“You’re sweet, Maverick.”
She smiles at me, and my pulse picks up.
And then, she proceeds to stare at the machine for the next few minutes.
I put my hand on her shoulder. I’m not sure if I imagine it or not, but I think she shivers.
“We can move to a different set of machines if you’d rather,” I say.
“I’m fine. Here goes nothing.” She slides in the last of her chips.
And…
Nothing.
“No way!” Hannah bangs the slot machine in frustration as it takes the rest of her money.
“I’m glad you only allowed yourself to gamble fifty dollars total,” I tease her.
“I know, right? You’ve done well, though, Mav.”
That’s the first time she’s called me Mav, and for some reason, the sound of it rolling off her tongue gets me going. Unable to stop myself, I put my hand on her lower back as she steps away from the machine.
I’ve only spent the same amount she has, but I’ve made back double that. And that’s where I’m stopping. I didn’t sign a contract in the pros to gamble it all away. “What do you want to do now?” I ask. “My treat.”
Hannah doesn’t answer as she stares past me. Her face has gone pale.
“Hannah?” I ask her. “Everything okay?”
“Craig’s here,” she says in a flat tone. “He’s watching us.”
I shift until I see him in my periphery. And something inside me snaps. Seeing the effect he has on Hannah irritates the fuck out of me.
“Let’s show him something he won’t forget,” I whisper to her. “Do you trust me?”
She turns so our faces are inches apart. “Yes,” she whispers back. “What do you have in mind?”
I put my hands on her shoulders and gently turn her so her back is to him. “This.”
Leaning closer, I cup her face so my index finger touches the corner of her mouth. Then, I bend down and cover my finger with my mouth.
When she grips my bicep in response, I cup her jaw with my other hand and press my body against hers. From Craig’s angle, it looks like we’re kissing.
And Christ, do I wish we were.
Hannah’s floral scent mixed with lemons permeates my senses. Her body is soft and fits perfectly with mine. I go to withdraw my finger so I can kiss her mouth. But she abruptly goes completely still, almost like she’s stopped breathing.
Worried I’ve taken things too far, I pull back and glance over her shoulder.
The fucker is storming toward us.
