A man dressed in a white shirt and a black vest, typical casino uniform, takes the briefcase with money, placing a chip case into my hands. Leon turns me toward an empty seat, but I’m still dumbfounded by everything that happened.
“A-are you playing, too?”
He huffs a laugh. “No. I’m not nearly goodenough for this game.” He winks, stepping right behind me, close enough that I feel his breath on the back of my neck. “Let’s go, sweetheart. Time to show them what you’re made of.”
My skin prickles, his words burrowing themselves deep inside of me.
“Gentlemen and lady, please place your bets,” the dealer announces.
With a deep sigh, I take my seat at the table. Leon’s right. This is what I dreamed of. Playing the best of the best. I’m not about to squander the opportunity.
CHAPTER 42
Leon
Iwatch the game with rapt attention. Better said, I watchherwith rapt attention. She’s a nervous wreck as they start, but only a few hands in and her facial features are already relaxing. The furrow of her brows disappears, and her poor bottom lip gets a break from her teeth. After her first winning hand, her eyes are practically glowing, a hint of a smile adorning her beautiful face.
The rest of the players watch her as well. I’d like to think it’s strategic, to find her tells, but I doubt they could call her bluff by staring at her delectable cleavage. I inhale a deep breath to keep calm. This is for her. My need to have her all to myself doesn’t matter right now. All that matters is getting that hint of a smile blown up to full force. Giving her a chance to do something she always wanted.
I know she wanted to be a professional player. Who doesn’t want to be the best at something that they’re passionate about doing? I also know she never let herself dream big enough to think that was an actual possibility. I can’t tell her everything yet, but I can give her this. A taste of something that will become an actual possibility, if I have any say in it.
“Damn, that was well-played,” one player comments after amonstrous hand she wins. Her face brightens as she mutters a ‘thank you’.
Pride blooms in my chest. I knew she was special, but knowing how much these words mean to her coming from someone who is a regular at a final table of any major tournament, makes me even prouder.
She soon comes into her own. Her apprehension disappears, and she plays the way I know her to play. Ruthless. Hand after hand, her stack becomes bigger. The other players shake their heads and rub their chins, wondering what the hell is happening. The few hands she loses don’t make a dent in her massive stack. I make sure she grabs a few appetizers during the hands she’s not invested in.
Dom sits on a stool next to me, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
“She’s good, isn’t she?”
“She’s…” He clears his throat. “More than good.” My brows lift as I glance at him and notice his discomfort. He shifts his weight on the stool. “I kind of feel like a lot of this is my fault.”
“You think?”
He lets out a huff. “You know what I mean. I only wanted to protect you and the information didn’t work in her favor.”
“I know.” I lift my glass up to him, gesturing for him to pour his own. He does, and we clink our glasses. My gaze lifts to his. “You did what you thought you had to do and you did it to protect me. But don’t get me wrong, if I even catch a whiff of you being unpleasant to her or her feeling uncomfortable in your presence, if you ever try to imply something,anythingabout her, you’ll find yourself out of a job. Is that clear?”
“Crystal clear.” He nods and we both down our glasses.
After a few hours of play, and two players who got their stacks cleaned out, they decide it’s time to call it a night. Alex’s eyes are glowing as the dealer counts the chips in front of her.
“Where did you learn to play like that?” one player asks her,placing a hand on her shoulder. It’s a friendly gesture, but my fists still tighten, and my spine straightens.
“Online, mostly,” she responds politely. “And watching players like yourself.”
“You obviously have a lot of experience in live games, too.”
“I do, yeah. But only in smaller casino games.”
“That’s a shame. You should try out a tournament or two.”
She shoots him a warm smile, but her eyes drop. “Maybe.” I approach them, stepping to her side.
“Anyway, it was a pleasure to meet you and to play with you.”
“You too.” She shakes his hand.
