She just nodded and started up the stairs, hearing Casey on the phone ordering their breakfast. The low rumble of his voice gave her goose bumps.
This was where the real danger was. He was charming and she liked charming men. She liked the way they worked a little bit harder to make her feel special. But in the end, would Casey leave her with a broken heart like her father had?
Sure, he’d promised she wouldn’t be out of a job, but that was just his word. She was counting on his honor to compel him to do what he’d promised.
What if he didn’t?
And why was she borrowing trouble?
Why couldn’t she just say thanks for the clothes that would save her from having to order something from the casino shops below herself, or wear last night’s dress?
She took a shower and avoided looking in the mirror as she dried her short hair. Sami always said that Talia’s weakness was thinking she could save everyone, when in reality, she was looking for a way to save herself. But Sami believed that everyone was doomed to fall for the very weakness they were trying to avoid.
She went into the other room and found Casey waiting for her. He’d showered in one of the other bathrooms and was dressed for the day in a pair of blue pants and a powder blue shirt with a tie. The blue made his eyes seem even bluer than they normally were and her heart beat a little faster.
No matter how careful she’d tried to be, she knew it was too late. She was already falling for this man. He owned a place in her heart, whether this worked out or not.
“Breakfast is ready. I had them wait to set it up until you were done,” he said.
“Thank you,” she said. She had dressed in the bathroom and wore a pair of wide-leg white pants with a slim-fitting bandeau top that left her shoulders bare.
“You look good,” he said, coming over to her and her pulse picked up.
She was a goner. Why this man, especially when he was so much like her father?
“You’re just missing one thing,” he said.
“What?”
“This,” he said, pulling a small Tiffany-colored box from behind his back. He handed it to her.
She took it and opened it. It was an olive leaf vine pendant. She shook her head.
“An olive leaf?” she asked. Could he have thought of anything more perfect? It was exactly what she needed to see this morning, when she felt so vulnerable.
“Well I figured I should offer you something to say the clothing was meant for your convenience, and not because I thought you’d be back. Honestly, I want everything to be perfect this time and I feel like I screwed up. I am sorry.”
That.
That, right there, was why she was holding out hope, putting her faith in Casey. “I love it. And it’s okay. It was nice to have something to wear this morning.”
He took the box from her and moved around behind her to fasten the pendent necklace around her neck. Then he leaned down to kiss the spot at the base of her neck where the necklace rested.
As he took her hand and led her to breakfast on the balcony, talking to her about his dreams for the casino and how he wanted to shape Las Vegas for the future, she knew there was no turning back. She’d fallen for this man.
The man who had picked out clothing she’d love and taken the time to give her an olive branch, to make her more comfortable with what had transpired between them. She knew he wasn’t playing a game with her. And she so badly wanted to believe he was falling for her, too.
…
Last night had given Casey a glimpse into the kind of life he’d always craved. It had always been just out of his reach before he’d met Talia. But here she was. And this morning, he’d realized that he needed to make a few changes if he was going to make a life with her. He’d never let himself dare to dream he could find someone he could trust, a woman who would get both parts of him—the billionaire and the street kid. But Talia more than got it—she’d lived it, too.
He’d definitely need to get some food in his kitchen, so when she stayed over, he could cook for her. Ugh. He also needed to learn how to cook, at least have some idea of the basics.
It was like when he’d been invited to the high-stakes room for the first time. He’d realized his skills with the cards could only take him so far. He’d been a street rat with no polish and that had been evident in the way he’d talked and acted.
But he’d learned and adapted then, and he could and would do it again, for Talia.
She was squinting and he realized that the morning sun was shining directly on the balcony. Luckily, he’d had some sunglasses sent up with her necklace. He signaled the waiter who he’d asked to stay so he could refill their coffee mugs and juice glasses.
“Yes, sir?”
“Would you mind grabbing Ms. Spencer’s sunglasses from the console table in the living room? They are in the Tiffany case.”
As soon as the man left, Talia arched one eyebrow at him in that way she had that let him know she thought he was being autocratic. “Do you want to keep squinting?”
She shook her head. “You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”
“Not really,” he admitted. “But I’m learning.”
She leaned back in her chair, taking the sunglasses from the waiter when he returned. Casey dismissed the man, realizing that she’d been careful not to let her guard down while he was there.
Once they were alone, she glanced out at the strip. “Tell me more about your childhood. You grew up here?”
“Yes. But unlike you, my parents weren’t addicted to gambling,” he said. “My mom started working as a stripper then got addicted to meth.” She’d given him up when she realized a kid was holding her back. He’d been four, so he scarcely remembered her and he’d learned when he was eighteen that she was dead. But that wasn’t a story he was going to share with Talia.
It didn’t fit with his image. Being a street rat was one thing. Admitting that he’d been a boy that no one wanted, a kid that had been left behind like trash…that wasn’t what he wanted her to know about him.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Casey. That’s rough. Is that how you ended up in a foster home?” she asked.
“Some people find me difficult,” he said blithely, hiding from the truth with a glib phrase. Anything to keep her from seeing the scars that he hadn’t realized, until now, he was still carrying.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “If it wasn’t for Gran, I think I would have ended up in a home. My mom washed her hands of my dad when I was about ten. She left to go back east and she wanted me to go with her. But I couldn’t leave him alone and Gran was vulnerable. She’d believed everything Dad told her.”
She put her hands in her lap, twisting her fingers together. “I remember thinking Mom couldn’t leave our family. She wouldn’t. But she did. She divorced my dad and got married again six months later. I hear she has a new family. She sent Gran a card last year.”
“But not you?” he asked.
“Nope. I wasn’t expecting it. She’d told me I was dead to her the day she drove away.” She arched both eyebrows at him. “Not what you were expecting to hear, I’m sure.”
But it sort of was. Talia had a heart of gold. He didn’t have any trouble believing she’d been unable to leave someone she loved. It had been evident from the moment he’d met her at the grocery store. She’d been running an errand for her grandmother that would make her late for an interview for a job she wanted, but still, she did it.
She put those she cared about first.
And he knew that he wanted to be the man who put her first. He needed to be the one she turned to, not because she expected it, but because she didn’t. He tucked that bit of knowledge away for later.
Just like this morning, when he realized that she’d taken his gesture of having clothing for her as ego and surety that he’d have her in his bed again. But she didn’t know that through his entire life, and with every hand he’d ever been dealt, he played like he would win. Because he had only ever had his stre
ngth of will and his belief in himself.
Everything he had in his life had been hard won.
“I’m sorry,” he said. Her mother’s actions must have hurt her. He’d cried when he’d learned his mom had died and they’d had no relationship at all. “It doesn’t matter what they do to us, we always love our parents.”
She nodded. “We do. So many times, I thought about walking away from Dad or locking him out of Gran’s house. But he was my dad and Gran’s son and neither one of us had the heart to do that. So instead we took him back in, pretended he’d changed, and then cried on each other’s shoulders when he proved us wrong.”
She took a sip of her juice. “That’s one reason why I’m so excited about the kids’ programs here at the casino. I realize that most people won’t bring their families with them to Vegas, but some won’t be able to help it. The children deserve something better to remember than just sitting in the lobby.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” he said, realizing that Talia’s childhood was still very much with her. And that she was trying to ensure that no child had the experiences that they both had.
…
Over the next few weeks Talia learned that Casey was so much more than just a poker player. She started spending more time at his place and he’d invited her to work with his interior designer to make the penthouse more homey. He admitted he only need a bed, a well-stocked bar and a poker table to be happy. While a part of her thought they were moving too fast, it also sort of felt right.
They were figuring out their life together and each day, her feelings for him grew a little stronger. Like this morning when he’d come with her to Silver Sneakers to see Gran and her friends.
“It’s not going to be…an intense workout,” she warned him.
“That’s okay. You go Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and I want to see what it’s all about. This is part of your life,” he said.
She got out of the car in front of the community center at the Glen View Senior Living Community just as Gran wheeled to a stop in her golf cart accompanied by three of her friends—Mona, Lee, and Tonya. The license plate on the front of Gran’s golf cart had been a gag gift that read ‘If you don’t like the way I drive, stay off the sidewalk.’
“Hi Gran,” Talia said as she got out of the car. “This is Casey.”
“Hello, Casey,” Gran said. “What do you do for a living?”
“I co-own the Jokers Wild Casino,” he said.
“Do you gamble?”
“I am a poker player by trade, but think of myself as a businessman now,” he said.
“Well, you’re good-looking enough to make a killing, no matter what you do,” she said, looking him up and down coldly. “These are my friends.” Gran introduced Casey to them and as the group moved into the community center, Talia caught her grandmother’s arm.
“Gran, don’t do that. Casey is a nice a guy.”
“Sorry, lovey, but you’re not the only one who protects the ones she loves,” Gran said. “Good thing he’s here today. It’s kickboxing so he’ll know I’ve got your back.”
Talia hugged her grandmother. “You’re not kicking anyone. Doctor Franklin would kill us both and your bones can’t handle it.”
“If it comes down to it, I’ll double up on my calcium drink for a few days,” Gran quipped.
She shook her head. “It’s going well. In fact, why don’t you come over for dinner tonight and check it out for yourself.”
“I will,” Gran said. “Now enough lollygagging. I want to be in the front to make sure that he can see my skills.”
Talia just nodded as they entered the room. Aiden, the instructor, was in his late twenties and had been coming to Glen View for the last five years. He did a good job of teaching the class to the level of the participants. His grandparents lived in the community. He’d been worried about their mobility, which had motivated him to start teaching the classes.
Casey came over to stand next to her and she switched positions, so he was behind Gran. “She wants you to see her moves so you know she’s got my back.”
He nodded. “Don’t worry, I’m definitely not taking any chances with her.”
“Sorry she’s so—”
“Don’t. You have nothing to be sorry for. From the moment I met you, I saw you taking care of everyone. It’s good to know you’ve got someone in your corner,” Casey said.
Then he pulled her close and kissed her with that odd fierceness she’d noticed lately in his embraces. His lovemaking had even become more intense. “I hope that your grandmother will notice she’s not the only one looking out for you.”
Her heart warmed and she knew the truth was that she loved him. She’d been hiding it, keeping it carefully buried because she was so afraid to trust her own judgment. But today, when she saw him move up next to Gran, working out with the other seniors instead of poking fun at them, as one of her boyfriends had done when he’d learned about the classes, she knew there was no sense in denying it.
Casey Waltham was a good man. He might be a gambler but he had shown her that he wasn’t a man to throw everything and everyone aside just for the thrill of winning. At the end of the class, Casey invited all of the ladies to join them for lunch at a nearby chain restaurant that Lee had a coupon for.
Lee took couponing very seriously—she wouldn’t buy anything for full price. Casey thanked her for saving them some money, even though she knew he didn’t need to. She just saw the goodness in him—something she seldom encountered in gamblers.
Her father would have tried to get Lee to give him the money the coupon was worth or sold it to another diner for half the value so he could get cash to use at the casinos. And granted, Casey didn’t need the money, but he was just so much the man she’d always secretly hoped to find.
A part of her worried she might be fooling herself. How could she not, after a lifetime of being shown that her judgment couldn’t be trusted? But by the time they said goodbye, even Gran was joking with him.
When they got to their car Casey was smiling. “That was…one of the best workouts I’ve ever had.”
“Not even close to intense. I’ve seen your body. I know you work out harder than that,” she said.
“You like it,” he said. “But I was serious. I had no idea that seniors could be that much fun.”
“What about your grandparents?” she asked.
“I never met them. I don’t even know who they are,” he said.
And that sealed it. She loved him. She was never going to look at him and see a man who could hurt her again. In Casey, she could sense the same emptiness that she had felt all her life, magnified by a thousand. And she wanted to be the one to show him he wasn’t alone anymore.
Chapter Twelve
“Yo, Case, do you have an opinion about the high-stakes championship or not?” Dare asked. “It’s sort of your part of the company, so some response would be nice.”
Casey glanced over at his friends. They were sitting in the boardroom, just the three of them talking about plans for next month’s poker championship. He’d lobbied hard to get the event at the Jokers Wild Casino.
He gave Dare the finger and then pulled the tablet with the information on it closer to him. He’d been distracted for days by Talia. He was pretty sure that he wanted to ask her to move in with him, maybe even marry him. But what did he know of relationships? Hell, he was still feeling his way through being a boyfriend. How was he going to nail becoming a husband?
But he knew he wanted her in his life for good, not just until she had enough money and experience to move on. He knew that was still one of her goals. She’d told him the other day that she’d always dreamed of living somewhere else. That’s how she’d said it—somewhere else. Not a specific city, or state. Just not Vegas.
And his life was here. He didn’t want to be anywhere else. And he knew that the only way he’d get her to stay would be to marry her.
“Casey?”
It was Nicholas this time.<
br />
Fuck. He had to start paying attention.
“Sorry. I’m distracted.”
“Does this distraction have a bob haircut, long legs, and works in the social media department?” Darien asked sarcastically. “Listen, dude, we get it. Nick and I have been there, too, but we need to make sure that you are one hundred percent here. We don’t know the poker scene. That’s sort of what you bring to the table.”
“I like it better when Rio sits in for you,” Casey said.
“Yeah, well, too bad. You need someone to knock some sense into you. This girl is great, but we need you here,” Dare said. “Women are a dime a dozen.”
The bitterness in Darien’s voice wasn’t a surprise to Casey. Dare had been used hard by the only woman he’d ever loved and it had left him…dangerous. He knew very well how his friend felt. He even understood it, to a certain extent. “Talia is different.”
Nick crossed his arms over his chest. “She seems very nice.”
“They all do at first,” Darien said. “I’m not giving you shit just to be an ass. I’m just looking out for you. I don’t want to see you taken advantage of. You two are as close to me as Rio. We’re brothers. But the truth is, if you want to trust her, that’s up to you. Nothing we say will change your mind. That doesn’t change the fact that we need you focused on the poker championship.”
“Fair enough,” Casey said. He wanted to argue with Dare. Talia wasn’t the woman who’d used his friend and made him into the hard-ass he was today. But that wasn’t going to get them anywhere. Darien was hardheaded—nothing was ever going to change his mind.
“Plans are moving forward, and I have had the staff sent to a training class. The company that sponsors the event is coming in next week and we’re doing a walk through. Talia’s team has put together a special promotion where our loyalty club members can swipe their cards. If they get one of the participant’s logos, they get a sponsored prize. I’ve asked Talia to come to our meeting next week to talk about the promotion,” Casey said. Talia was becoming more than a community manager—she had been a sounding board for his ideas. One of the things he’d learned about her was that she had graduated with a certificate in both marketing and hotel management. She had been helping him come up with ways that would make it easier to implement his ideas.
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