Calling Her Bluff (What Happens in Vegas) (7 page)

BOOK: Calling Her Bluff (What Happens in Vegas)
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“This is torture,” she hissed. She raised her head so their chins touched.

“That’s the idea, sweetheart.” He wedged his hand between their bodies, reaching down to tease her clit between his fingers.

“What if…” He shifted his stroke and she gasped. A few labored breaths later, she continued. “What if I say the safe word?”

Dammit. He stopped and studied her face. Her eyes shone with mischief. He narrowed his eyes at her. “That’s not gonna work this time.”

He nuzzled the length of her neck as he picked up the pace. Her sweet body arced again, tightening its seal around him. He responded with a flick of her right nipple. He had already figured out that one was the more sensitive of the two. She mewled her surprise. If she thought she could goad him into coming first, she had another thing coming. He had no intention of losing this round.

“Promise me.” By now, he had her legs around his waist with every thrust hitting its mark. “Promise you’ll still be in my arms when I wake up.”

“I promise.” And then her body shivered in surrender. Pulsing, clenching, dragging him over the edge with her in a shattering release.

A few seconds later, she smiled up at him. “I should be bad more often.”

“Don’t push your luck.” He smiled against her skin. “I’m pretty sure you won’t be sneaking off to go anywhere tonight.”

Kamaria sighed. “Not. Funny…”

“Fine.” He jiggled the chain between her cuffs with his fingers. “I won’t do this again.”

“The hell you won’t.” She slipped out of one of the cuffs and laced her fingers around his hand. He was happy to see her enjoying the intimacy between them. Finally.

He settled beside her. She snuggled up against him, a leg thrown across his hips, her head tucked beneath his chin. Her heart thudded against his. It was a while before her breathing slowed and her pulse settled.

“Tell me something I don’t know about you.” Her other hand found its way to his back. Score. He shifted and turned off the bedside lamp so she couldn’t see his smile. His little gambler might not realize it, but she craved their intimacy as much as he did.

“I’m originally from Pennsylvania. My mother and my Nonna are still there. My baby sister is getting ready to graduate from college. Family means everything to me.”

“What about your dad?”

That question made him hesitate. Would the truth make a difference to her? He decided to go for it. “He’s dead. He ran up some gambling debts with the wrong people and…you know.”

Her toes stroked his leg. “I’m sorry. And then someone like me pops into your life.”

“Yeah. But you’re different. You’re actually
trying
to get better. It’s one of the things I like about you.” He reached over and stroked her face. “It’s one of the things I
really
like about you. I know it’s tough. And I know this doesn’t make any sense, but I’d like to get to know you better, support you any way that I can.”

There, he’d said it. The truth was, he was beginning to have all kinds of feelings about her. A slight catch interrupted the even rhythm of her breathing, but she was otherwise quiet.

“You don’t have to say anything, Kamaria. I broke the ‘it’s over when someone gets caught up’ rule. You win.” Not that he was going to allow a few silly rules spoken in the heat of the moment to stop him from pursuing what he wanted. But, seriously, her silence was killing him. After a few seconds of deafening quiet, he had the sinking feeling that he’d overplayed his hand. He threw the pillow over his head.

“I…I like you too.”

He swiped away the pillow. “What was that?”

“I said I like you too.”

He cupped her face between his hands. “Are you serious?”

He felt her nod her head as he leaned in to kiss her. Her tongue met his in a desperate duel. This kiss was just as intense as the one they shared earlier. But this time, they were on the same page.

He butterfly kissed his way down her neck, finally landing on the hollow of her collarbone. She rewarded him with a moan when he traced the line leading to her shoulder with his tongue. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He sank his weight onto her torso just enough to hold her there.

She could go over-think why falling for him was a mistake later. “Seriously, you made me forget about all the temptation waiting for me outside that door. I feel like I’m using you.”

Jack pulled her closer, tucked her on her side and draped an arm over her waist. “Then use me. I already told you, I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’re too nice for your own good. You’ve purposely made it too hard to not get attached to you.”

“That was the idea, sweetheart. Now get some sleep.”

Kamaria wiggled her butt against his still hard cock. “What about you? I’m down for round two.”

“Tonight was all about you.” He rubbed her hip. “Just don’t tell Chastity.”

“Not all of my business is Chastity’s business.”

Jack kissed her earlobe, causing her to shiver. “Good. Now go to sleep.”

“Yes, Mr. Alderisi.”

“Mm, I like the sound of that.”

W
hen Jack woke up, Kamaria was nestled against his side with her head on his chest. He grinned. Right where she was supposed to be.

He played with one of her locks that had fallen from her updo style. The expression on her face was the most serene he’d seen on her since they met. As much as he wanted to pursue this thing between them, he was beginning to see the toll that being in Las Vegas was taking on her.

Jack tightened his arm around her waist and gave it a quick squeeze. The best thing to do was make the most of this weekend, and then let her go home. But he didn’t want to do the “right” thing anymore.

The truth was, he didn’t want to let her go. He had to figure out a way to keep her close. She had mentioned something about living in Arizona. One state over. That was close enough, right?

She wriggled against him. “I really want you, Jack.”

Jack fumbled for a condom on the nightstand. He pressed it into her hand. “Ride me.”

Kamaria smiled in acknowledgment. “As you wish.”

She made quick work of rolling the condom onto him. With the morning light streaming through the window, she looked the happiest he’d seen her since they met. He had to catch his breath as she lowered herself onto him. She pressed her hands into his chest, leveraging herself over him, joining them in one smooth glide. His breath shuddered out of him as she sucked the underside of his jaw.

She leaned forward and began sucking his earlobe. “I like the way you fill me.”

She ground herself against him, circling her hips. Her figure eights around his cock felt better than any massage he’d ever had. He reached for her, but she was too quick. She grabbed his wrists and pinned them to his sides.

And then, she squeezed him. Like a damn clamp.

Jack never heard himself moan like that before. Could this woman be any more perfect?

“Yeah. I’m close too,” she purred into his ear. Her vice-like hold on his cock eased. “But I’m not done with you yet.”

He gave a short nod in response. Kamaria sank her full weight on him again. He cursed. The further he delved into her softness, the more his control slipped. He squeezed his eyes together. Then, she cried out as her core fluttered around him.

He gripped the sheets to keep from joining her. His control was slipping by the second. “Stop moving.”

She stilled halfway up his cock. “I’m sorry I came so fast, Jack. That’s never happened…”

He felt her thighs tremble as she readjusted herself.

“Please.” His eyes flew open. Did he just whimper?

She looked as overwhelmed as he felt. The sunlight streaming from behind her made her post-coital glow turn golden. Her brown skin glistened with sweat, making her look like a bronze goddess. How could this woman be real?

He let go of the sheet to touch her. Oh yes, her warm, slick thigh was very real. He continued on to palm the soft flesh of her belly. Its slight give made her more real than any of the rail-thin showgirls on the Strip. He tweaked her nipple. Her breasts jiggled against the rise and fall of her chest as she struggled to regain her breath. Those were most definitely real.

“Jack, my leg. I can’t…” She slipped back down his length.

“But I can.” He rolled her over onto her back, sinking himself back into her depths. He shifted his angle. She clutched his forearms.

“There,” she breathed. “Right there.”

Them, together like this… God, it felt like home. He began moving. Slowly. Deeply. Tenderly. Taking care with each stroke to return to that same spot, to her “there.”

His teeth gnashed together. Every muscle in his body tensed. If he relaxed, even a little, there would be nothing left to curb his release. He closed his eyes. He wanted to last for her. Hell, he wanted to last forever.

This moment felt like a turning point. The linchpin he needed to convince her that just this weekend would never be enough. Her mouth opened. Her bottom lip quivered. She pulled on his arms. He quickened his thrusts, complying with her unspoken request.

Her eyes rolled back. Then, dammit, she squeezed his cock and wailed as she came.

Her unexpected movement sent him over the edge. As the last of his control exploded, he could see it all with her—a wedding, babies, growing old together, everything. Those images—each one all too real. He cradled her head as he filled her with all his possibilities.

Their ragged breaths became one as he continued to plank himself over her. His biceps trembled from the exertion, but he was in no rush to break their physical connection. If only he had the power to stop time. There was no way he’d be satisfied with just this weekend now, but there was no way he would ask her to stay longer. He looked at the clock. Her speech was in little over an hour.

And just like that, good old responsible Jack was back. He rolled onto his side and broke the connection. “C’mon, it’s getting late.”

He stood, swept her into his arms, and carried Kamaria into the bathroom. He pushed the sliding door open, then turned on the water to its full spray strength.

Only then did he loosen his grip as he carefully placed her into the shower stall. He caressed her face. “Don’t move.”

He returned to the sink and rifled through the cabinet until he found a shower cap. He carefully covered all of her hair with it until the elastic band was secure around her hairline. “I saw how long it took you to twist and style your hair yesterday. I’ll be damned if I get it wet again.”

He guided her further into the shower. Then Jack unhooked the showerhead and proceeded to wash his woman. He had to chuckle to himself about those rules she had established. Hold back his emotions? Hell, he broke that rule on day one.

When he was finished, he twisted the knob to turn the water off. He turned his back just long enough to snatch a towel from the rack next to the shower. Then he got down on one knee and proceeded to carefully towel off her body. He paused to take extra special care of her breasts, lapping up any water droplets with his tongue. He felt her entire body shudder under his attentions, causing Jack to smile around her taut nipple. Her arms cradled his head. She didn’t need him to shield her from temptation. She needed him to create a safe space for her to figure out how to deal with her demons on her own.

He swept her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom where he gently plopped her down on her bed.

He stood before her. His cock was ready for more. “I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you.”

Kamaria smiled saucily up at him. “You’re not playing by the rules.”

“I never was.” He coaxed two more orgasms out of her before she reluctantly evoked their safe word again.

K
amaria played with a few strands of his hair between her fingers. In a quiet voice, she said, “Thank you.”

“For the sex?” He stroked the length of her spine with his fingertips. His lips then followed in their wake. The delicious sensation made her shiver. “The pleasure was all mine.”

“Well, thanks for that, too. But no, thanks for understanding. I might joke about it, but those poker tables downstairs were calling me like a siren’s song. I’m too weak to fight it on my own sometimes.” It was the first time she admitted so much out loud. Saying so felt like a cinder block had been lifted from her shoulders.

“That’s my job.” Jack crawled down the bed on his hands and knees to her feet. “That’s why I’m here.”

Kamaria took a quick glance at the clock on the nightstand. “Ugh, we really have to get going now.”

“Mm-hm.” He took her foot into his hands. It looked like a toy cupped between his huge palms. Jack began kneading her sole with his fingers. Kamaria licked her lips. She could definitely get used to having this man around for the long haul. She quickly pushed that thought from her mind. Her life was such that she could pick up and live anywhere she wanted. Well, anywhere but here in Nevada. And Jack lived here.

Just enjoy the moment.
She lowered herself from her elbows down to the bed. She had a tendency to over-think a good thing. She needed to break that habit. Starting now.

He proceeded to “help” her put on her shoes. Using his hands and tongue, he started at her feet, working his way up her legs and beyond. After he got her off, he pushed himself to his feet and retrieved her dress she had selected for the day. He lowered the dress carefully over her head. “That crazy agent of yours will have my head if I make you miss your speech.”

“I’d much rather stay in bed with you.” Kamaria bit her lip. “As a matter of fact, I’m thinking about extending my stay. I believe I owe you two more days together.”

Jack stood up with his back to her. Each movement emphasized the definition in the musculature on his back. And then there was his ass… Chastity had been so right. He had a perfect ass.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” He flicked on his shirt. “C’mon. Let’s get you downstairs.”

Chapter Seven

T
he volume in the medium-sized ballroom increased the moment she and Jack stepped into the room. The chatter sounded like double the fifty or so people already seated. Since this luncheon was sponsored by an online book club that had recently featured her work, she knew the reason most likely had to do with both Jack’s striking resemblance to the cover model on her book and the way they’d disappeared from the book signing the day before.

“I saw them running away from a screaming stampede…” She felt her cheeks warm at that wisp of loudly whispered gossip. She couldn’t help feeling that more than one person in the crowd was speculating, with some accuracy, of how she and Jack had spent their evening. They must all think she was some kind of delusional celebrity who pumped her self-esteem by dragging around some boy toy.

Jack bent to whisper in her ear. “I need to stay here by the door.” He tapped his security earpiece. “We’re all on alert that some known troublemakers just entered the casino.”

“Fine,” she murmured. What was his deal? She admitted her feelings, just like he wanted, and now
he
was pushing her away. She felt like such a fool. Yeah. It sucked. But she was a big girl. And she’d get through this day and then the rest of the conference and then she’d haul her ass far, far away from Vegas.

Focus. If only the room wasn’t so cheery, so yellow. A few readers she recognized from the book signing, before everything went crazy, called out to her. She drifted over to greet them, hoping that the fear gripping her insides didn’t show on her face. She was happy to see a pile of four or five books stacked at each place setting. She handed each of them a postcard with a free digital download code on them to add to their convention swag.

“Where’s your cute friend from yesterday?” one of them asked.

So not the way she wanted to start the conversation. “He’s, uh, working.”

“Too bad. You two made such a cute couple. You need to hold onto him.”

“Thanks.” Even strangers had an easier time of accepting her relationship with Jack than she did. Kamaria lifted her chin and continued to swing her hips in what she hoped was a casual stroll around to the other tables.

“Girl, can you believe it? The casino still smells like cigarettes, wet dog, and a pre-teen girl’s perfume drawer!” What the…?

She slowed her pace to catch more bits and pieces of conversation as she passed. She began to realize that all the whispering had less to do with her and Jack and more with some craziness that had gone down the previous night.

She smiled as she stopped to sign books for some readers who had been missed due to the mob at the book signing. But on the inside, she was a total mess. Her stomach felt like it was full of butterflies. A lump formed in her throat. She hated public speaking. She hated being the center of attention. Why in the world had she agreed to give this speech? Oh yeah, that’s right. Chastity had talked her into it. Kamaria really needed to fire her.

Then she almost stumbled when she could hear bells ringing and people shouting from the casino. She felt her palms dampen. Her throat instantly went dry. That ever-present invisible vice tightened around her chest. She rounded her lips into an O and sucked in a gasp of air. She instantly went from a mild case of stage fright to feeling like she was kneeling before a chopping block.

Deep breath in. Slow breath out. Keep it together.

She pulled Toni, the president of the book club sponsoring the luncheon, by the arm. “Is it possible to close the door to block out the noise from the casino?”

“Oh yes, we’ll be closing them soon. We’re not scheduled to start for another fifteen minutes.” Toni waved her arm toward the tables. “As you can see, only half the attendants have arrived.”

Kamaria gave her a tight smile. “Of course. Thank you.” She was doomed.

She looked around for Jack. He stood by the door, as promised, speaking to one of the more flirtatious convention attendees. The unnaturally pale woman was stroking his arm with her hand. Kamaria clenched her own hands into fists. Yes, there was no official commitment between the two of them. Yes, she had been the one who insisted on an emotion-free, no-strings-attached “sex only” relationship. But, this vampiric woman, in her almost-nothing outfit—really who wore a skirt
that
short—touching Jack? Kamaria didn’t like it. And, she didn’t like that it affected her so much. But she had no right to say anything. Jack would be free to do whomever he wanted once the convention ended tomorrow. It wasn’t like the little skank would have a chance to bed Jack anytime soon anyway. It was his job to be attached to her side until she checked out in the morning. In all honesty, the woman was doing little more than making a fool of herself.

That didn’t stop Kamaria from wanting to scratch the woman’s eyes out.

She turned her back to that non-drama and stepped onto the dais. Once seated, she took a deep breath as she forced herself to review her note cards. Her eyes began to glaze over the words she had scratched out about throwing caution to the wind and living your dreams. None of it felt true anymore.

One reader scrambled in as they were closing the ballroom doors and yelled, “I won five hundred dollars at poker!” Everybody cheered but Kamaria. Her hands became clammy again. The ever-present tight band around her chest made her breaths short. She stared off in the direction of the door. But beyond Jack. She needed to get in the casino while the tables were hot.

Toni tapped her on the shoulder. “Are you ready, hon?”

She jerked her head back into the present. She must have zoned out for more than a few minutes. She got that way sometimes when the urge to gamble was strong. She poured herself a glass of water.

The book club president’s brow creased with worry. “Are you all right, Ms. Wilson?”

She swallowed a gulp of water. “I’m fine.” She smiled at the woman, but on the inside her heart was racing. “I think I have a little stage fright. There sure are a lot of people here.”

Toni gave her shoulder a squeeze. “You’ll be fine. If it helps, just remember that most of the men in attendance are in their underwear. Literally.” The woman giggled at her own joke. Kamaria forced a laugh. Little did Toni know that hard pecs and sock-enhanced boxer briefs weren’t the only things she craved right now. She wanted Jack by her side.

“Okay, sugar. You’re up.” The book club president went up to the podium to call the room to order. She didn’t hear any of the woman’s remarks nor her introduction. The muffled cheers coming from the casino kept her enraptured. Luckily, Chastity was right beside Kamaria to nudge her out of her daze.

“Hey, Mari. You don’t look so good.”

Even Jack, who had pried his eyes away from his female admirer, was now looking at her with concern in his eyes. How sweet of him to start acting like he cared again. Kamaria tossed her note cards to the side. She pushed herself to her feet. “I’m fine.”

She stood behind the microphone for a moment. She cleared her throat. “Sorry, I’m not much of a public speaker. For those of you who follow me on social media, you know that I do my best talking with a keyboard.”

That quip generated a few laughs. Kamaria felt some of the tension in her neck loosen. “I wanted to speak to you today about going out on a limb to live your dreams and all that stuff…”

Her eyes went back to the doorway again. Jack was still there but he was no longer looking in her direction, but at the floor. He had his finger to his ear, like he was blocking out her voice. His head whipped toward the hallway. Then, he ran out. Her heart plummeted. Using a man as her security blanket was the stupidest thing ever. She was on her own now.

She swallowed. She returned her attention to her audience. Everything she planned to say evaporated from her mind. She looked over to Chastity, who was on the verge of popping up to rescue her. She held up her hand. “No, Chastity. I don’t need you to save me anymore. I got this.”

She adjusted the microphone, as much out of nervousness as the need to adjust to her short stature. “The truth is…I shouldn’t be here. In Las Vegas, I mean. I have a gambling problem. My grandmother raised me on her own after my parents died. There were days when there wasn’t enough money for food. I started playing poker in high school as a way to keep my grandma’s belly full and her medicine cabinet stocked. When you grow up like that and you can make a thousand dollars in a few rounds of cards, there’s no such thing as winning enough. I always needed ‘just one more’ hand.

“My ‘just one more time’ obsession caused my grandma to die alone. When the hospital called to tell me that Grandma was dying and asking for me, I was here in Vegas playing ‘one more hand’ of poker. That was three years ago. I hadn’t played again until yesterday.

“My grandma loved reading romance novels. I started writing my own books to honor her in light of the horrible thing I had done. For some strange reason, you wonderful people chose to read those books, over and over again. I don’t deserve the attention and accolades you as readers have bestowed upon me.

“So, today I stand before you as the recently crowned bestselling author that you all made me. But the plain old truth is my name is Kamaria Wilson…and I’m a gambling addict. Standing here with that casino floor mere footsteps away is killing me, you guys. But it was important to me to thank you, the readers, for supporting me like you have. I love you all. Thank you.”

To her amazement, everyone stood and applauded. A sense of acceptance filled the room and embraced her. She had revealed her shameful secret and no one seemed to think she was some horrible person. As a matter of fact, they seemed to regard her as Jack had all weekend—with admiration.

This realization caused all the tension to leave her body. The love she received in return for her public admission? That sent her soaring into the clouds. The pull of the casino was no more. She was free, at least for today. She had to tell Jack. He might not “want” her or to take their relationship further, but he’d been an integral part in helping her find her strength and he deserved her thanks.

Kamaria left the dais, then ran out of the ballroom. She stood in the middle of the hallway looking every which way for Jack. She remembered he had mentioned something about a possible problem in the casino. Maybe he had gone there. She jogged down the stairs leading into the casino without any thought. Just past the entrance to the poker pit, she could see a number of the security staff, Jack included, wrestling a man to the ground. Curiosity got the better of her as she inched closer to the tussle. Too close, actually. A wild arm flew out of the melee, sending her flailing backward. She stumbled a few steps until she walked into an unoccupied chair and plopped down on it heavily.

The dealer at the table took her sitting there as a sign that she wanted to play. He held out his hand to take her bet. “Welcome to the table, little lady! How much are you playing for today?” She held her hands over the table, almost like she was covering a hand of cards. “No, wait…”

She looked up and saw a disheveled Jack standing behind the dealer. His chest heaved up and down like he was out of breath. But his eyes shone with utter disappointment.

Jack came around the table. He hoisted her up by the arm. “I leave you alone one time… Did you really just walk out on your speech to come in here?”

“Yes, I did. I…”

“Kamaria Wilson, I’m going to have to ask you to leave the premises. Immediately…”

A single tear streamed out of the corner of her eye. Now she understood why Jack dismissed her suggestion about spending a few more days together. It could never work out between them. Not as long as he made his home here in Las Vegas. He would always see her as an addict who needed a babysitter.

She swiped the tear away with the back of her hand. “You’re right, Jack. I don’t belong here.”

Yanking her arm free of his grasp, she dashed out of the casino toward the elevator bank. She smashed the button repeatedly until the door opened. Her heart hurt, not because of Jack’s knee-jerk reaction to what he saw, but because she had no say in how “what could have been” ended. Just like every other major change in her life. The end of her life as a professional gambler. Leaving Las Vegas in defeat instead of victory. Allowing herself to fall for Jack, a man she could never have, had been a bad bet.

She entered the elevator that would take her back to her suite with her head hung low. Her legs trembled. She slid down until she was sitting on the elevator floor. She cradled her head between her arms and opened her mouth to sob. But nothing came out.

Now that the pull of the casino was gone, she felt completely empty.

BOOK: Calling Her Bluff (What Happens in Vegas)
9.16Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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