Page 25 of One Night Gamble
He cursed and dropped his hand from her arm. “You would never have to quit. I’m not threatening your job. I’m just saying there is a spark, an attraction, between us. I thought a one-night stand would be enough. But it wasn’t. When you walked into the interview room the next day, I still wanted you. Everything I’d felt the night before came back—”
“That’s lust.”
“It is, but it’s also something more. I like you, Talia. You’re funny and sassy and sexy…and so much more that I haven’t discovered yet. But I want to discover it and I’m asking you to give me a chance to do that. We might not be together for the rest of our lives, but my gut says this is something special.”
Something special.
“Is it worth the risk?” she asked. How many times had her dad said similar words to convince her to give up her allowance? She had the feeling that they were both running from their pasts. She’d done it by never betting on anything, while Casey’s entire life had been made on the flip of a card. Could they ever find common ground?
“Yes. Because I’m not playing the odds or taking a chance on my lucky number coming up,” he said. “I’m putting my money on you, Brown Eyes.”
He gets me, she thought. He understood where she was coming from with gambling and that scared her. Maybe not as much as it should have, but it did frighten her. Because he tempted her. He showed her that he saw the real Talia.
“How is this anything but a gamble for me and no risk for you?” she asked.
He rubbed the back of his neck. She realized that he was tense. Even though he was putting on an affable front, she could see that he wanted her to cross that line. Wanted her to say yes to dating and whatever else may follow.
And she realized that she wanted it, too. She genuinely liked him and wanted to get to know him better. To find out how he’d started playing poker and what his life had been like before he hit it big. She reached out and touched his face because she knew there was no way this could continue. And though she was tempted to ignore the fact that her dad’s gambling had essentially ruined her childhood, she couldn’t help remembering how she’d felt walking into that final interview and seeing him there. Her one-night gamble could have ruined her chances at this job she was coming to love.
Her life only worked when she stayed focused.
But he turned his head and kissed the center of her palm, causing sensation to shoot up her arm. She shivered. There was something so electric about the attraction between them. Even when she was across the room, he drew her to him. Now that she was standing next to him, ignoring their chemistry was almost impossible.
…
Talia’s words echoed in his mind. She was spot on, which didn’t surprise him. If he’d learned one thing about it her, it was that she had no artifice. Which was probably why he was willing to risk everything for her. He had never—never—been lucky at love. He’d had more one-night stands than he should probably admit to, and his emotions had never really been engaged.
But with Talia, he felt something. He didn’t know how to define it, he only knew it was more than sex. And he wasn’t ready to walk away. Not yet.
He remembered the first big poker game he’d sat down at. He’d spent every penny he had to enter the competition and there was a moment in the third round when he could have walked away with a modest prize.
This felt like that moment.
Casey had always valued himself and knew he was worth the risk. He thought he was smart—not like a genius, but smart enough to know when to take a chance and when to back down. And Talia…she was definitely worth the risk.
He had his own losing streak behind him when it came to relationships. In fact, other than spending time with Darien and Nicholas, he was pretty much a loner.
“What are you thinking about?”
“What you said,” he admitted. “That if I ask you to take a chance, I have to be willing to take one, too.”
She tipped her head to the side, showing off that long neck, and his libido went into overdrive. His growing erection urged him to do whatever it took to get her back in his bed.
But he wanted more than sex.
He wanted more than a second night hookup.
He wanted Talia.
All of her. And that meant putting up big money, so she wouldn’t feel like she was the only one putting all of her chips in.
“If it doesn’t work out, I’ll go back on the poker circuit and manage my part of the casino from the road. In effect, you won’t have to see me, so you will be able to keep your job and your life the way it is right now.”
She blinked and then shook her head. “That’s not right.”
“Well I’m hoping this doesn’t turn into something we both want to walk away from,” he admitted. “The truth is…I can’t let you go.”
She bit her bottom lip, and he closed his eyes. He definitely didn’t need to focus on her mouth and remember how soft and inviting it had felt beneath his. Hell, he could barely walk by the table in this foyer without thinking about coming in front of his mirror.
