But when I remember the amount of care that Leon put into our date last night, the way I felt comfortable watching a movie with him, it’s hard to stop the butterflies from swarming my belly. He hasn’t even made a move. Not a sexual one, at least. I’m hardly against having sex with him, but yesterday was deeper than that. No matter how much I told myself that opening up to someone would be daunting, with him, it feels logical.
My stomach rumbles with hunger, and I realize my fridge is empty. Grabbing a quick shower and throwing on some comfy clothes, I head to the store.
As always, I’m hyperaware of my surroundings and all the people passing me by. The butterflies soon turn to unease as I try my best to be invisible to others. The feeling is less pronounced when I’m in a different city, easing with the time I spend in it, before reappearing. But here, in the place where he still lives, it’s hard to escape it. There’s no way I’d be sticking around for so long if I wasn’t looking for Sophie. I started strong, searching theneighborhood for her, but these days, I only leave home for the casino and the occasional trip to the store. Sophie would be proud to hear I’m turning into her. That familiar pang starts in my chest, the ache of missing her hitting me deep. I pass by a brunch place I notice every time I go to the store and stop in my tracks.
I gave Sophie so much shit for avoiding life because of fear, and here I am, doing the same thing. On a deep inhale, I walk my ass through the door of the bistro.
It smells as good as I’d imagined. Like overpriced avocado toast and iced mochas. It’s also adorable, with mismatched chairs and solid wood tables. I order an avocado toast and an iced mocha and find a seat at the table furthest from the windows. Robbie is a cop, so I spent quite some time terrified of him using his job to find me. It took Sophie almost a month to assure me there’s no way for him to set an alert that lets him know if a CCTV in the city recognizes my face. I wouldn’t have believed her either if she hadn’t hacked into the city’s security system and tried to do the same thing, just to show me it was impossible. If she couldn’t do it, Robbie definitely couldn’t.
My shoulders relax at the memory. The city has two million people in it and I’m miles away from both his precinct and his home. Our previous home.
My food arrives, and I dig into it. I haven’t had a proper breakfast meal since I left Vegas, and there, I mostly lived off room service. Hotels were closer to the casinos I frequented, and renting an apartment would only make it easier for someone to find me. It’s not like I couldn’t afford to live in hotels; I was racking up money night after night. Unfortunately, more money meant more attention on me, so I had to be resourceful and change hotels more often than not.
It’s funny. A caged bird will feel free if she gets let out inside an apartment, and this is similar. My freedom has a steep price, but I would never go back. I’d never go back to roaming the streets and shops and restaurants with a fake smile on my face andcoming home with dread weighing my body down. I eat my meal and pay for it, checking my phone for the time.
There’s still plenty of time until it’s appropriate for me to be at a casino. Maybe I can go buy some clothes? Or a new crystal? One to bring me some clarity?
Eight hours later, I’m walking into the Petrovic Casino feeling like a million bucks. Today’s shopping spree cost me almost a week’s worth of poker winnings, but I don’t regret it for a second.
Excitement dances on my skin as I greet the familiar guards and make my way onto the lavish casino floor. It’s truly a stunning place. My gaze tracks the cameras, conveniently hidden on the vaulted ceilings, and my lips turn up. Is he looking at me now?
Get a grip, Alex. He’s a serious man with a lot of work to do. I doubt he has the time to stare at the security feed, waiting for you to arrive.My mind reasons with my heart, bumming it out.
But as I reach the bar to order a drink, a large palm lands on my shoulder. I suck in a breath, my body recognizing his touch.
“Mr. Petrovic,” I say with a smirk, and his eyes darken.
He clears his throat. “Maybe you should call me that more often.”
“Maybe you should earn it.” My tongue darts out to wet my lips, and his eyes follow it.
With a slight shake of his head, he turns to the server. “A cranberry vodka for her, the usual for me.” I fight a smile when I sense him close, whispering under my ear. “With how the back of this dress looks on you, I’m afraid to see the front.”
This time, my smile is inevitable. I take my sweet time turning around, and his eyes trace my form hungrily. They stop on the low V showcasing my breasts and fabric snatching my waist. They trail over the golden fabric as if they’re trying to get me naked by sheer force of will. It took me three stores to find it,but it was worth the time and the money. The dress fits me like a glove.
“Let me apologize in advance,” he says, and my brows furrow.
“What do you mean?”
“For ruining this dress. There’s no way I’ll be able to go slow.”
I gasp. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Wanna bet?”
I grab the drink the bartender placed on the bar and take a long sip of it. “You know what? I might just be in the mood for a good bet.” I wink at him and head to a poker table.
His palm brushes my shoulder blade, turning me toward the back rooms.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” he whispers again, his voice now lower and more strained. “You can’t walk in here looking like that and expect to be left to the prying eyes of the vultures out there.”
“But…I came here to play poker,” I protest, though I counted on making him feral with this dress.
“We can still play. But I’m the only one who gets to see you in this dress.” He practically growls the last few words, and the vibrations harden my nipples.
Within seconds, we enter his office, which he promptly locks behind us.
“Not feeling risky today?” I tease, alluding to the time he ate me out while the door was unlocked.
