Page 7 of One Night Gamble
“I’m Talia and this is Sami.”
“Casey,” he said.
He led them over to the players he knew, then left them to go for margaritas. When he glanced back at the group, he noticed that Sami was chatting animatedly with the others, while Talia sat away from the group, watching but not participating. He placed the order and then walked back to the group. As he approached, he realized they were talking about poker, as they often did. Gambling was a way of life for these men…and for himself.
Talia got up and walked out onto the balcony that overlooked Las Vegas. He followed her.
“You don’t like poker?” he asked, coming up behind her and standing next to her at the rail. The night breeze was warm and stirred her hair, making it dance around her face.
She reached up and tucked it back behind her ear, then turned to face him. “It’s not just poker. I’m not a huge fan of gamblers.”
“I’m a gambler,” he said, wanting to make sure she knew that.
“I suspected it. You have that charm and way of looking at the world that most gamblers do.”
“What way is that?” he asked.
She nibbled on her lower lip and he remembered their earlier kiss and how good she’d tasted. How right she’d felt in his arms. He was beginning to believe that maybe that kiss would be the only one they shared.
“Just your belief in fate. I’m sure you believe in luck, too.”
“I do,” he said. “But luck isn’t just good, you know. I’ve had a bad streak, where I couldn’t pull together a winning hand to save my life.”
She turned to face the lounge area, putting her elbows on the high railing. “What did you do?”
“Walked around my chair to change my luck,” he said with a wink.
She shook her head. Sure, it seemed cute that he would put any faith in an old wives’ tale, but what if he really believed it? Some people did, she knew.
This was crazy. She should thank him for the drink, the dance, and that kiss that she was going to remember for a long time and walk away.
She didn’t need another charming rascal in her life, making her think light of things like losing streaks and high-stakes gambling. She couldn’t ever be that detached anymore. She knew firsthand just what living that kind of life meant. And she wasn’t going to do it again.
“How did you start gambling?” she asked. She wasn’t sure that she wanted to know, but maybe it would help her decide what to do tonight.
He chuckled a little and looked decidedly uncomfortable. “I was always good at reading games and people.”
“What do you read about me?”
“That you don’t really like Vegas. Why do you stay here?”
She shrugged and nibbled on her lower lip. Keep it light. She could almost hear Sami standing next to her, telling her to be cool.
“Gran is here and so is Sami. Besides, I have a plan to use Vegas for what I can learn from it, and then get a job somewhere else…maybe in L.A.”
He didn’t say anything for a long moment, but then nodded. “You’re complicated,” he said. “But tonight, we are here to have fun. Right?”
Complicated.
The word lingered in her mind the way it had her entire life and she knew that it was time to make a change…well, at least for tonight. She took his hand and let him lead her to the dance floor.
The deejay played music that was slower and wove a sensual spell around the two of them. She forgot that he was a gambler. Ignored the fact that he was charming and had an easy smile. She couldn’t concentrate on anything except the way his hands felt against her hips as they danced to Shakira and Pitbull.
Complications didn’t matter when the end objective was fun. She had to remind herself of that. She could count on one hand the times she’d just let herself go and not worried about the consequences.
Sami and one of Casey’s friends started dancing as well, and it wasn’t long before Talia realized her friend was probably going to go home with the guy. She watched her friend over Casey’s shoulder and felt that pinprick of envy at the easy way that Sami moved through life. She didn’t spend all of her time focused on long-term goals.
At that moment, Casey’s hand moved against her waist and a feather of sensation went through her entire body, pushing her concerns to the back of her mind. She tipped her head to the side and looked up at him. He smiled down at her with a wickedness in his grin that sent shivers through her.
