“Okay. But don’t say that I didn’t warn you when youlose.”
“I won’t say aword.”
When the hand is over, I drag my winning chips into my growing pile. I’m up a grand after about fifteen minutes. I could be up a lot more if I weren’t playing to maintain a lowprofile.
“You were right, littlelady.”
I shrug. “I had a good feeling about thatone.”
I could sit here and casually win ten thousand over the next hour, but I don’t think that I can put up with this man’s advice in myear.
“I feel like my luck has come to an end. I’d better cashout.”
“You don’t have to go sosoon.”
I push away from the table and stand, straightening my dress. “I should. I’d hate to lose what I justwon.”
He slides a stack of chips in front of me. “Put your money away and stay a while longer. You can play on mymoney.”
This isn’t a first. I’ve had plenty of men slide chips in front of me to keep me gambling at their table. And they all want the same thing. “And what if I loseit?”
He shrugs. “It’s not a big deal. Plenty more where that camefrom.”
Tristan is still in his meeting and probably will be for a while yet. If I don’t stay on the casino floor, I’ll be left to entertain myself some other way. May as well spend my time doing something that I enjoy. “Allright.”
* * *
It’s almost midnight.Tristan’s meeting has run much longer than expected. What kind of business meeting carries over into the night likethis?
He could be with another woman. If he is, there’d be nothing that I could say about that. But if he’s fucking someone else, I’d have plenty to say about that. I may owe him a debt, but he doesn’t wear a condom, and he owes me monogamy until this is over. He has no right to put my safety in danger by sleeping around with other women while we’re havingsex.
I push all of the chips in front of me over to Craig, the man I’m on a first-name basis with now. “This has been fun, but it’s time for me to call itquits.”
“You can’t quityet.”
“It’s late and I’m reallytired.”
Craig leans over and places his hand over mine. “You should come up to my room,” hewhispers.
I ease my hand away from his. “Ican’t.”
“I think that youcan.”
“I’m here with myboyfriend.”
Craig smiles. “There hasn’t been anyone to come by once and check on you all nightlong.”
“His business meeting ran late, and I was on my owntonight.”
“Then he is a fool for leaving you on your own tonight. I would never leave you to fend for yourself in Vegas, not even to tend tobusiness.”
Yeah,right.
I feel the touch of Tristan’s hand on my upper arm before I hear his sexy Cajun accent behind me. “Bebelle.”
I twist on my stool. “Tristan… what are you doinghere?”
“My associates and I were walking the casino floor and I saw you. It was impossible to miss the most beautiful woman in the place.” He kisses the side of my face. “But I see that you found someone to keep you company in myabsence.”
