Call My Bluff: A Las Vegas Themed Anthology

by Elizabeth Knox

  “I was just seeing if the poor bag had any stitching left after that round,” Spencer smirks, showing off a dimple in his left cheek. My face flushes.

  “Name’s Bryant.” He holds out his hand for me to shake. He has scars marring his knuckles and fingers. Fingers that could drive my body to the brink of ecstasy. A wanting need trembles through my body as I really look at Spencer. His powerful hands that could grip my hips hard while driving into me, his plump lips that could leave me breathless with one kiss, his smile that makes my panties combust.

  “I know who you are.” Shaking the thoughts from my head, I push my way past him and grab a towel resting on my gym back. I wipe the sweat from my face, chest and arms. Spencer’s eyes burn into my back and I turn around. He’s looking at me like a wounded puppy and I release a deep sigh. This is no way to treat a guest. “I’m sorry I have a lot on my mind. My name’s Ky,” I extend my hand.

  Spencer eats up the distance until he’s standing so close, I can smell his body wash, making my mouth water. He grabs my hand in a warm firm grip. “Nice to meet you, Ky. Would you like company?” I stare into his vivid green eyes and try to figure out his angle. It must be written on my face. “No pressure. I’m new here and would like to explore, but I don’t know where to start or what to do.”

  “Don’t you have to work out?” I blurt. Please say no. Please say no. What the hell is wrong with me? I need to keep my distance, but something about him confuses my head and my body.

  “It can wait if a woman as beautiful as you would like to join me,” Spencer offers me another smile. Words that make me melt.

  “I would,” I smile back.

  His lips widen and his green eyes light up, “Excellent.”

  “Meet me in the lobby in an hour.” I release his hand and step away.

  “See you in an hour.” There’s a look of longing etched on his handsome face, shining in his eyes. God, he will be the death of me. I swear I’ll combust of sexual frustration.

  I turn and walk out of the gym, running right into Keith. His hands grip my arms to stop me from falling on my ass.

  “Going somewhere?” There’s a hard edge in his voice as he peers behind me. He releases my arms and steps back.

  “As a matter of fact, I am. I won’t be needing your protection today. Take the day off and enjoy life,” I step into the hallway and push the button to the elevator. The gym is located in the hotel's basement, a place of privacy for those who want to work out with no one watching them.

  “What the hell are you doing, Kyanna?” Keith growls behind me. His breath fans across my neck, sending an unwanted shiver down my spine.

  “Back up, now,” I growl. Keith steps away and the elevator doors slide open. I step inside and turn to face him. “You need to know your boundaries, Keith. You are a bodyguard, not my father and definitely not my boyfriend. If you want to keep your job, you’ll do as ordered and I’m ordering you to take the day off.”

  The doors slide shut before he can say anything but by the rage burning in his eyes he won’t listen. The elevator ascends quickly and I release the deep breath I was holding. The air rushes out of my lungs and I lean back against the glass. I close my eyes and slow my beating heart.

  The doors open and I step out into my room, pushing all thoughts of Keith out of my mind. I lock the doors and head into the shower. Stripping off my sweaty clothes, excitement thrums through my body thinking about spending time with Spencer. There’s something about him that draws me in and I don’t even know him.

  I soap up my body, cleaning the sweat away. Emerald green eyes and muscular hands float into my head as I imagine Spencer in here with me, steaming up the bathroom. His scarred fingers working their way across my body, kneading my aching breast, traveling down further to my pussy. His mouth following his hands. I can’t help but tease my clit with my fingers, imaging it’s Spencer’s tongue. My legs tremble as my fingers work my clit, bringing my body to the edge. I come hard on my hand, images of Spencer’s powerful body hovering over me, pounding into me with everything he has.

  I’m in deep trouble. I haven’t even had a normal conversation with Spencer and he’s already starring in my fantasies. I need to cap this attraction off until I get to know him. He might be an asshole and looking for a quick fuck. Or he could know who I am and be trying to sleep his way to the top. It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened.

  I turn off the shower and dry myself off. Stepping out of the bathroom, I head to my walk-in closet. Rows upon rows of clothes and shoes are in front of me. Ranging from business to black tie, to gala. I head to the back of my closet where my comfortable clothes are, my feet sink into the soft carpet. I’m going with conservative instead of business and select my favorite pair of jeans, a red top and my favorite pair of running shoes. If we’re exploring the Strip, I want to be comfortable and high heels just won’t do it.

  I get dressed and step out of my closet. I fix my hair, drying and straightening the dark locks. Then I add a limited amount of makeup. Just enough to make my blue eyes pop and my lips shiny. Once I’m satisfied, I put on a little perfume and check the time. I have less than five minutes to meet Spencer. My heart skips a beat in excitement as I grab my small purse and car keys off the table in the foyer and push the button to call the private elevator. It dings and the doors slide open. I step inside and push the button to the lobby. The elevator takes me down at a rapid pace. My palms are sweaty and I wipe them on my jeans. Nerves flutter in my stomach when the doors open. I spot Spencer before he sees me. He’s wearing a pair of faded jeans that hug his ass, a black t-shirt that stretches across his broad chest and a pair of boots. He turns and offers me a huge smile that lights up his eyes when he sees me. Spencer crosses the lobby in quick strides until he’s directly in front of me.

  “You look beautiful,” Spencer says, grabbing my hand. He leaves a soft kiss on the back and releases it.

  “Thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself.” I blush and he smiles, showing me his dimple again.

  “After you,” Spencer gestures with his hand, letting me lead the way. We walk past my security team. Keith is front and center, glaring at us. I ignore him, push my shoulders back and walk out of my hotel and onto the Vegas Strip. The sun is bright and the warm air wraps around my body. People are already out and about, clogging up the Strip.

  “What is it you want to see first,” I turn to Spencer. He’s watching me with lust in his green eyes.

  Spencer shakes his head, “I have no idea. I could use a cup of coffee and some breakfast.”

  “Didn’t you use the continental breakfast the hotel offers?”

  “My mind wasn’t on food,” Spencer replies.

  “Oh,” my cheeks heat up at his words. “I know a great place to go to then. Follow me.”

  We walk silently down the Strip, past the other hotels, shops and people. Every once in a while, someone bumps into us, pushing me closer to Spencer. The quietness is bugging me, “So, what brings you to Vegas?” I already know the answer, but I want to get a feel for him.

  “My trainer set up a few fights for me here and I came in a heartbeat.”

  “Fights? Are you a boxer?” I ask.

  “MMA fighter. I live in Michigan but if things work out, I could see setting up something out here. There are more opportunities in Vegas than there is in Michigan.” His eyes light up at the thought.

  “Do you enjoy fighting? What makes you want to do it?” I stop walking and wait for him to answer. The people around us keep walking with their heads focused on their phones or talking to each other while stepping around us.

  “I love being in the ring. I love hearing the crowd chant my name.” Spencer stares off, lost in his head. “When I was a little boy, my dad took me to an MMA fight in our hometown. I saw first-hand how the men who did it had a sense of pride about them. The long hours, the training. And I was hooked. Been doing it ever since.” Spencer shrugs his shoulders. His green eyes land on me making me swallow ha
rd, “What about you? What dreams do you have?”

  “Well, my dreams are here. I grew up on this strip and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.” I need to change the subject before I spill everything to him. I’m not ready to go there yet.

  “We’re here,” I motion to the quaint little building nestled between two hotels. Spencer turns around and scans the building. He opens the door and the bell chimes above us. The air conditioning blasts me in the face and I shiver.

  “Are you cold?” Spencer asks with concern.

  “No, the A/C always makes me shiver. I’d rather have heat than the cold.” I walk to the counter and place my order. Spencer does the same. The barista stumbles a little when she looks Spencer over. I sneak a peek at him and he’s oblivious to her. He’s looking at everything around us, taking in the artwork and details of the place. Then his eyes land on me, taking my breath away. I can’t pull my eyes off him no matter how hard I try.

  The barista hands us our orders and we take them outside. There’s a park with an empty picnic table available. I head for it with Spencer on my heels. There aren’t many people out at this time. No kids are playing on the swing sets or sliding down the slide, playing tag. I take a sip of my coffee and look at Spencer. He focuses his emerald eyes on me making my heart skip a beat.

  “So,” I say and trail off.

  “So,” he copies me and I giggle.

  “Tell me something about you that no one else knows.”

  A wistful smile graces his full lips as he takes a sip of his coffee and sets his cup down. “Like what? I don’t have a lot of secrets. It’s hard to keep private life private when you’re in the eyes of the media.”

  “I know how that goes,” I mumble under my breath, take a bite of my bagel, chew and swallow. Spencer watches me and it makes my heart skip a beat.

  “What does that mean? What’s so important about you that the media has to tear you apart?” He isn’t looking for an angle, he honestly has no idea who I am.

  “I meant my bodyguards. They’re everywhere and I don’t have any privacy because of it. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a conversation with someone and Keith wasn’t lurking in the background giving them the death glare.”

  Spencer’s eyes harden as he looks around the park. I follow his line of sight and release a long sigh. Off behind the trees, hiding in the shadow is my bodyguard Keith. He’s staring at Spencer with rage in his eyes.

  “Son of a bitch,” I growl. My hands hit the picnic table, making our cups rattle.

  “What’s his deal?” Spencer asks. He pulls his eyes away from Keith and settles upon me.

  It’s now or never. I inhale a deep breath and ignore Keith glaring at us, “My father hired him when I was fifteen to watch over me. Now that he’s sick, I don’t have the heart to tell him how Keith keeps interfering with my personal life. I want his last few months with me as painless as possible.”

  “What’s wrong with your dad? Why do you need a bodyguard? You’re being cryptic, Ky.” Spencer’s jaw ticks and I need to tell him before he gets the wrong impression and leaves me sitting her wallowing in self-pity.

  “My father is Vance Del Marco. My full name is Kyanna Jade Del Marco.” I cast my eyes down onto my coffee cup nestled in my hands. “He was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer. When we received the news, he immediately went to his lawyers and had Jade Hotel and Casino signed over to me. I’m the reason you’re out here, Spencer.”

  “Wait, you’re telling me, you own the hotel and everything I’ve worked for to make it this far rests on your shoulders?” He blows out a long breath. “Wow. Uh, I don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything. I get it. I really do. You wouldn’t be the first to push me away because of who I am.” I settle my palms onto the tabletop, ready to leave.

  Spencer’s hands quickly cover mine, stopping me from leaving, “I’m not pushing you away, Ky. I’m shocked but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to explore this thing between us. I had no clue who you were when I saw you last night. It’s been driving me crazy.”

  “Really?” I raise an eyebrow and look at Spencer skeptically, trying to find his angle.

  “Really,” Spencer responds, squeezing my hands gently. “I’m attracted to you, Kyanna. That has nothing to do with what you own or who your father is. Trust me when I say I know what you’re going through. You don’t know who to trust, who to confide in. Who’s going to rip the rug out from under you.” Spencer takes a deep breath, “I’ve been where you are. I know what’s going on inside that beautiful head of yours. So, if you want to head back, we can and call it a day or,” he trails off with a hint of mischief in his eyes.

  “Or what?” I’m intrigued. Maybe he does understand. I do know I don’t want this to end between us. That I’m sure of.

  “Or, we can ditch that overprotective security guard of yours and you can really show me Las Vegas.” Spencer waits patiently for my answer.

  Do I want to do this? Do I really want to ditch Keith to spend more time with Spencer? I bite my lip and nod my head. “Let’s do it.” A genuine smile graces my lips and Spencer smiles back, squeezing my hands, sending a tingling sensation through my body.

  “Ok, we’re going to act naturally and get up. Follow my lead. I know how to ditch people like a professional.” Spencer releases my hands and grabs our cups of coffee and his untouched food. He stands up and spots a homeless person laying on a bench nearby. We walk over to him and Spencer hands him the food and his coffee. The gesture melts my heart. The man thanks him and Spencer turns his big body toward me.

  “Ready?”

  “Ready,” I respond with a nod of my head. I’m excited I get to spend more time alone with him, but I’m nervous he will decide I’m not the woman for him. Or he will use me and leave me heartbroken. But I need to do this. I need to see where this goes from here. If I don’t, I will always wonder if I let the one slip through my fingers because I was afraid.

  Spencer intertwines our fingers together, pulling me against his solid chest. I inhale his scent of sandalwood and my heart skips a beat. I peer up at him through my lashes. He’s staring down at me and swallows hard.

  “Follow my lead.”

  I nod my head and Spencer’s lips are so close to mine, I can smell the coffee on his breath along with the minty freshness of his toothpaste. It’s making my knees weak and my heart beat hard against my chest.

  Just when I think he will kiss me, Spencer looks up, breaking the bubble we’re in. “It’s clear. Now or never.”

  “Let’s go,” I respond breathlessly. He keeps ahold of my hand and we hurry out of the park and mix in with the Vegas crowd. I’m not sure where he’s taking me, but I don’t care at this point. All I care about is spending more time with Spencer without the watchful gaze of Keith leering around us.

  Chapter Four

  Spencer

  Kyanna’s warm, slender fingers wrapped around mine sends my heart into overdrive. The way she’s trusting me to get her away from her bodyguard brings out a protective side of me I’ve left dormant for so long. There’s something about that guy that sets my teeth on edge. The way he leers at her, the way his eyes linger a little too long on Kyanna’s body, that’s not being a bodyguard. That’s an obsession.

  I tug Kyanna closer to me when the crowd grows thick. She comes willingly and allows me to settle my arm around her shoulders.

  She looks up at me with a spark of mischief, “Take a right, I have an idea.”

  I follow her direction and we walk down a narrow alleyway. The sun is still beating down on us, the heat from the day sticking my t-shirt to my chest. It’s less crowded down here, but the last thing I want to do is let Kyanna go. She must have the same idea because she doesn’t move away from me. We’re surrounded by two buildings on either side of us and garbage containers every few feet. The scent of rotting garbage fills my nose.

  She leads me to a thick metal door on the left and tugs it open. We’r
e plunged into darkness and it takes my eyes a little bit to adjust. Kyanna doesn’t say a word as she leads me deeper into the darkness. I hear the distinct sound of cards being shuffled and chips moving.

  Kyanna turns to the right, taking me with her and stops at a door. She knocks three times and waits. I open my mouth to ask her what she’s doing but she shakes her head and puts a finger against her plump lips. I close my mouth and wait. A single knock returns, echoing through the dark hallway. Kyanna raises her fist and knocks one more time. A loud click vibrates followed by metal against metal before the door opens. A big burly man stands on the other side, looking me up and down with a sneer before his dark eyes land on Kyanna. A smile graces his bearded lips, revealing a missing tooth when he spots her.

  “Jade, I should’ve known it was you with that dainty pound,” he steps out of the way and allows us to enter.

  “Thanks, King. Just want to show my guy here the inside of Vegas,” Kyanna shakes his hand and we step into the room.

  “Jade, remember you’re not a part of this world anymore but always welcomed,” King warns.

  His threat sets my teeth on edge and I clench my jaw shut. Before I can say anything Kyanna pulls me away from King and further into the room. The sight before me is something I’ve never seen before. There are tables set up everywhere, covered with black tablecloths. Four people are surrounding each table with a dealer standing behind them. Each dealer doesn’t say a word as they wait for the players to tap or fold.

  “Today is Blackjack,” Kyanna whispers. “It’s an underground gambling circuit. The best of the best are here gambling away their money. It doesn’t matter down here if you come from a rich family or the other side of the tracks. If you have the money, you’re in. If they win, it’s not reported to the IRS. But the person who sets it up gets a thirty percent cut.”

  I look around at each table and see the designer suits mixed with those wearing jeans and t-shirts. “How do you know about this?”