“Thank you, I will.”
I enter through the sliding glass doors onto the main floor of the casino. My ears register the silence before my eyes notice what’s wrong. There’s soft music playing, like usual, but it lacks a background of dice rolling and chips clacking, combined with the murmur of the gambling crowd. My eyes trail the room, noticing it’s empty. The tables are all there, nothing’s really changed, but there are no people. In the back of the room, where the pokertables are, I notice a figure sitting at one of the tables and recognize him immediately.
My stomach flips, the way it normally does whenever it sees Leon Petrovic. The closer I get, the more my heart races, noticing his handsome face, that dangerous smirk and the way his suit fits him. Though I definitely prefer him naked, it’s always a special delight to see him in a suit. He rises as I approach, landing a kiss on my neck. My skin prickles all over.
“What’s this?” I ask.
“I got tired of sharing you with others. I thought I’d close the place for tonight, so we can play one on one. Like the old days.”
My insides flip. “That is so romantic.”
“Not really.” He shrugs, playing it off. “I just wanted to fuck you on top of one of these, and I couldn’t do that with people around.”
A cackle breaks free, my lips pulled wide. “Is that so? I was hoping for a game.” I flick the few chips strewn over the table.
“Don’t worry. We’re playing. I hope you brought enough money, because I’m planning to ruin your ass.”
“After or during poker?” I taunt.
The smirk he shoots me tells me just how much he likes the idea. “Stop being a tease.”
I drop into the chair, making sure my dress isn’t in the way. “What if I don’t have any money?”
“That’s okay. I’ll give you the chips, and you can pay me off afterward.”
“You’re really confident you’re winning this, are you?” I shake my head.
“Oh, I’m definitely winning this.” He winks, and moisture pools between my thighs.
“We’ll see. Deal the cards.”
He places a stack of chips in front of both of us. Judging by the colors and the height of the stack, I’d say there’s about twenty grand in each. My eyes stick to his hands as he deals the cards withswift precision. I imagine those hands on my body, and it doesn’t help me focus on the task before me.
It shows in my game because he wins the first few hands. His smile only grows bigger, and my competitiveness follows suit. I win the next one, but my stack is still dented.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Show some teeth,” he comments, making me scoff.
Another hand won, and I’m back on track. He deals the cards for the next one, and I lift them just enough to take a peek.
King-Queen suited.Perfect.
I raise, and he calls my bet. The flop gives me a pair of kings, and I rejoice on the inside, keeping my poker face on the outside. He calls every bet, up to the river. There are plenty of options on the board, but I’m pretty sure my pair is still the best one. I bet, and he thinks for a moment before slipping his hand into his pocket. Bringing the hand back, he pushes his chips all-in.
I notice a red twinkle among the chips and let out a gasp. It’s a ring. My brain doesn’t have time to process until he says, “Come on. Go all-in with me.”
My ears buzz with the wild thud of my heart. My tongue darts out to wet my suddenly dry lips. “What if you win?” I whisper.
He lets out a chuckle, shaking his head.
I push my stack all-in, and it feels like the most important call I ever made. He flips his cards over with a confident smirk, revealing a seven-two off-suit. Commonly known as the worst hand in poker.
Tears well in my eyes as I gesture to his chips. “Is all this mine?”
“Everything is yours, sweetheart. Whatever you want, it’s yours.”
My breath stuck in my throat, my hand extends to where the ring lays. I pick it up with two fingers, choking on a sob. It’s a stunning ring with a giant, diamond shaped rock in the middle of it.
“Is that…is that a red beryl?” I stutter out. He dips his head. “They’re practically impossible to find.”
