For a moment she glared at me, then spun on her heel and grabbed her purse from the bar before storming back over to the table. The flush of her cheeks made it even harder to control my errant dick, and I couldn’t stop the smirk that rose to my lips as she continued her tirade. That fiery spark would be so much fun to enjoy later. Even with all of her talking, I still knew she would end up spending at least a few hours in my bed. She had yet to consider the one thing I could hold over her any moment I wanted to.
“I’m out of here.”
She turned and almost made it to the door before I spoke up, not once letting my voice rise. There was no need to yell. Everyone in the place knew when I addressed the room, it was the end of all other conversation.
“That’s fine.” She whirled around to face me. She’d thought it was over. How very wrong. “Charlie, Dean, take Mr. Wasden out and remind him of why we don’t bet beyond our means.”
The flush in her cheeks disappeared almost instantly, drawn from her face at the realization of what my words meant.
Charlie and Dean walked over from where they were sitting at the bar. Both men were huge, more imposing than anyone else in the room, and her eyes never left them as Charlie reached out and wrapped his hand around Wasden’s bicep.
“No!” Theresa tried to install herself between the men and Ray.
“No?” I asked innocently. “You said you were leaving. Wasden still owes me two grand.”
“You can’t hurt him.”
“I can do whatever the fuck I want. Ray knows the rules. He has two choices: pay his debt, or deal with the consequences.”
“Consequences?”
“Yes, consequences. What do you care? You said you were leaving.”
I turned my attention back to Charlie and Dean. Wasden’s face was white as a sheet. His eyes pleaded with Theresa to stay. As twisted as it might have seemed, I found a sick sort of satisfaction in watching it all play out.
“I was. I am.”
I watched her hair flick behind her as she turned for the door then I nodded at Charlie, who flicked his wrist, pulling Wasden’s arm back until a distinctive snap echoed around the room. Ray screamed, the sound pitiful to anyone’s ears. Theresa’s head snapped around.
“Holy shit.” She glared at me. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Oh, little one, that list is entirely too long to get into right now.” I gestured toward where Wasden lay sprawled on the floor, clutching his arm to his body and rocking back and forth. “Now do you mind getting out of the way. Since you’re not coming home with me tonight, I need to finish up so I can find someone who will.”
“Oh my god.”
She scanned the room. Maybe she was looking for a friendly face, or perhaps some indication of what she was up against. Either way, she wasn’t going to find an answer she liked. Her choices were simple: leave alone and the boys would kick the shit out of Wasden, or leave with with me and the sniveling rat would only be nursing the broken arm he’d suffered so far.
Endless minutes seem to pass while she stood there, deciding what to do. Eventually she raised her eyes to meet mine. In that moment I knew I’d won. I always won. But this victory? So much sweeter.
“I’ll do it. I’ll go with you. For one night only.”
I nodded, trying and failing to keep the smirk from my face. “One night.”
Something told me this wouldn’t be the same monotonous ride I’d been on every time I brought a woman home. This woman had spark and I knew that if I could get her to let her guard down, she’d willingly climb into my bed before the night was through.
“Thank you, babe. I will make this up to you. I swear.” Wasden, ever the pathetic fool, whimpered at her feet, his tear-streaked face bloated and blotchy. How he had ever hooked this one was a mystery.
“You,” she snarled, “will never come near me again.” Her foot shot out fast, no one in the room expecting it, and connected with its target—right between Wasden’s legs.
Every man in the room twisted their bodies in a way that would protect their nuts, just in case she should she decide to continue her rampage. Wasden clutched at his groin with his good hand. I’d be surprised if the man was capable of ever getting his dick to stand up again after a shot like that.
She picked up her purse from where it had dropped to the floor and turned to face me. “Let’s get this over with. Just don’t make me stay here.”
I glanced at my watch. Still time for dinner. I wasn’t in the business of raping women and if I wanted to slide between her legs, I needed to wine and dine her a little bit. I held my arm out. “Let’s go.”
By the end of the night, she’d be mine.
CHAPTER 2
Theresa
Ignoring the groans of pain that echoed around the room, I looked at the arm being offered to me. This man had just won a night with me in a poker game. Never in my life could I have imagined those words would run through my brain. It was fair to say my life had been colorful thus far, but this was all very Indecent Proposal, but without the Hollywood cast and with a healthy dose of WTF.
The man who’d won a night with me in a poker game.
How in the hell did I let myself get into these situations? I was about to leave with the man who just had his man break Ray’s arm. And I knew it had to be broken because not one person in that room could have missed the sound of it snapping. My stomach lurched. I had to be certifiable if I thought this was a good idea.
Glancing at his proffered arm one last time, I swallowed back the bile that had risen up my throat and looped my arm through his, my fear of what would happen if I didn’t go much greater than my fear of what might happen if I did.
The man exuded power; from his tailored suit to the grace with which he carried himself. And yet, that was all a façade. There, below the surface, if one looked hard enough, you could see the flicker in his eyes, the danger simmering there. Behind all of his carefully erected borders was a man who was used to getting his way and I’d stake my life that when he didn’t, he was a force to be reckoned with.
He glanced down at my arm, then back up to my eyes. “Dinner?”
With no choice but to agree, I nodded, unwilling to chance talking in case my voice cracked. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he scared the hell out of me with his cold, calculating manner. The thought alone made my knees tremble. Thankfully, I was holding onto him.
He led us through the door and into the front of the bar. Once the door was firmly closed behind us, we made our way down the narrow hallway until we reached the end where we stepped out into an average looking nightclub. The dance floor took up the majority of the space, with a stage for the DJ to one side. A bar surrounded the other three sides of the dance floor. All the walls were black, letting the lights moving through room reflect off the paint. In one corner there was a stairwell, blocked by a rope and a bouncer. It led to a balcony that looked over the dance floor.
The people in the place were completely oblivious to the fact that illegal gambling tournaments happened right under their noses, every day. Ray had to have a special key to get into the room, not to mention the money to afford the buy-in at the table. How he had gotten it was beyond me. Apparently tonight hadn’t been his first night, but it was the first time he’d taken me along.
He’d promised drinks at a nice bar, which, in fairness, they’d had in the back, and dinner at a fancy restaurant, which I hadn’t had. None of his promises included a night with an absolute stranger.
My stomach growled at the thought of food and I clenched my abdominals, praying he wouldn’t hear it. He maneuvered me through the crowds, his arm dropping to my waist, his fingers pressing in slightly as if to hold me in place. Not that I was going anywhere; I was far too terrified.
As our pathway narrowed, he placed me behind him, using his body as a shield. Just as we reached the doors he stopped suddenly, and I almost walked straight into the back of him, only just managing to save myself the embarra
ssment. While I rocked back on my heels, he turned and pulled us into a small alcove off to the side, lit by a small wall lamp. In the low light I was able to see his sharp features for the first time and was struck by how classically handsome he was.
“Miller,” he said simply.
I waited for him to elaborate but he said nothing else, choosing instead to stare at me as if I were some kind of exhibit. I was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of self-consciousness. Closing my eyes, I felt rather than saw his eyes travel over me, my body fighting to suppress a shudder under his scrutiny. When moments of silence had passed he said, “Miller Hawes. In case you were wondering what name to call out later.”
Had he just assumed I’d be climbing in his bed tonight?
No reason to piss him off right now, Theresa. Tell him your name.
“Theresa,” I replied.
“Theresa,” he said quietly, as if to himself. Almost like he was testing the sound of my name on his lips. Another moment passed before he nodded once and then we were moving again, this time out of the door and into the cool night air.
We walked to a semi-private parking spot close to the front. There sat a sleek, black sports car, likely more expensive then everything I’d ever owned put together.
Miller let go of my arm and opened the door. “How does Italian sound?”
“I love Italian.” My voice didn’t have its normal strength but I wasn’t lying. Whether I liked it or not, I was stuck with him for the rest of the night and I needed to find a way to make the best of the situation.
The door closed behind me. Miller walked around the front of the car, his movements sleek, graceful, like that of a panther. In the wild, the smooth demeanor could make one forget the danger the panther posed. Many a prey had fallen victim to the panther’s spell, mesmerized by the hypnotic way they prowled. I’d do best to remember that tonight, in this scenario, Miller was the predator, and I was most definitely his prey.
Miller started the engine and I forced myself to keep my eyes focused on the road ahead of me. There was no doubt he was attractive, not that attractive was a good description, gorgeous fit better. But I didn’t need to give him any ideas by checking him out on the drive to the restaurant. I was in way over my head already.
“Why are you nervous?” His voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I glanced over and noticed him peeking at me out of the corner of his eye.
“I’m not.” I lifted my chin and pursed my lips. We both knew that wasn’t true, but I refused to sound weak in front of him.
“Then why is your leg bouncing up and down? Not to mention you keep fidgeting with the strap of your purse.”
I looked down and saw my hands doing exactly that. Stupid nervous energy. Dropping my purse as if it were on fire, I clasped my hands together and forced them to stay still in my lap. I noticed the corner of his mouth rise up in a smirk. Irritation bloomed as I realized he found the whole situation amusing. Of course the bastard would think this was funny. He didn’t lose anything in this arrangement. I’d found out that my boyfriend was a complete bastard, whose ass was so getting kicked out of my apartment the moment I got home. Then I had to watch them break his arm, and while I thoroughly believed he deserved the kick to the nuts, I don’t think I needed to know how violent then man beside me could be. A shiver of fear ran down my back.
I snuck a peak at him. If I’d met Miller in a club or a bar, I know I would have given him a second look—even a third—hoping to catch his eye. With his dark hair and eyes, combined with the strong jaw, Miller was unlike any man I’d ever seen. I shook my head.
I’m an idiot.
This was exactly how women in the horror movies got taken and left for dead. Instead of running the other way, the dumb girls always ran toward the danger. And my dumb ass actually climbed into the car willingly. I gave Miller another quick glance, and while everything I had seen and heard thus far this evening pointed to me being in deep trouble, something in the back of my mind told me that he wouldn’t hurt me. That I wasn’t in physical danger. I wasn’t sure why I believed that, but I did.
It helped that a room full of people had seen me leave with him. Miller didn’t seem like the type of man to leave witnesses behind if he planned on hurting someone.
I realized I was beginning to play things out in my head like some bad slasher movie/mafia plotline, but in the time since I’d left home and moved across the country, I’d made a few bad decisions, but this one took the cake. If I made it home tonight, I would thank every deity I could think of.
My eyes continued to dart back and forth between the road and Miller’s profile until we reached the restaurant. I was surprised when we pulled into the parking lot of La Tratoria. It was one of the most exclusive Italian restaurants in the city; expensive and hard to get into. A thought jumped to the front of my mind.
My head whipped around. “Did you have plans tonight?”
He watched me for a moment. “Besides playing poker for a few more hours, no. Why?”
I gestured to the building in front of us. “If you don’t have a reservation, how in the hell do you expect to get a table? This place books out months in advance.” Not that I’d ever considered going. I couldn’t afford to order a soda in a place like this.
He winked at me and stepped out of the car, quickly rounding the front to open my door. “It helps when your brother owns the place.”
I stepped out of the car and followed Miller inside.
“Mr. Hawes.” A pretty blonde stepped out from behind the podium, her face wreathed in a smile. “It’s so good to see you again.”
For a brief moment, I felt a spurt of jealousy. She was thin, with long legs and cleavage that most women would kill for. And there she was, flirting with my date. On the word date my brain snapped back to reality. Miller Hawes was not mine, and he was definitely not my date. He was stuck with me for the night because Ray was a dipshit.
“Kate. How are you?”
Her smile widened. It was hard to miss the way her eyes wandered down his body. “I’m good. Would you like your regular table?”
He reached back and took my hand, pulling me up to stand next to him. “Do you have anything a little more private?”
For the first time since we’d walked through the door, her gaze landed on me. Given her perusal of Miller so far I expected to see annoyance or jealousy, but neither of the two emotions were there in her eyes. Instead I saw pity.
Why would she pity me? There was no way she could know about what had happened at the bar. There had to be another reason. Curiosity won out over annoyance, but I just wasn’t rude enough to ask about it. Not that she would tell me, anyway.
“Of course. Let me see what I can find.” She glanced over her board and finally picked up two menus. “I have the perfect spot.”
She led us to a table in the corner: quiet, semi-private, and hidden by a half wall. Once we were seated, she handed us the menus and gave me one more brief glance before walking back to her post, but not before making sure to slide her hand all the way down Miller’s bicep. What the hell was wrong with some people? This woman had no idea that we weren’t dating. I was about to say something, but then I reminded myself that I wasn’t his date, either, and I had no right to confront her.
Frustrated by my idiocy and feeling stupid over almost embarrassing myself, I focused on the menu in front of me; at least, until a man stepped up to the table. He had honey blond hair, and behind his glasses were the most brilliant green eyes I’d ever seen.
“Miller, I didn’t expect to see you tonight,” the man said, smirking down at us.
“Slow night. I figured we’d get something to eat.”
The man glanced in my direction and held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Ashton. Miller’s brother. And you are?”
I smiled and took his hand. It was hard not to—the man’s personality was infectious. I did notice that Miller never mentioned why we were together. “I’m Tess.”
“Tess?” Miller asked. “I
thought your name was Theresa?”
“My friends call me Tess.”
Ashton let out a small chuckle before composing himself. “It’s nice to meet you, Tess. I apologize for my brother. His manners aren’t always the best.”
Miller’s eyes narrowed, but they were still focused on me. “Nice, asshole.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too.”
For a moment, Ashton’s eyes focused solely on me. Then he glanced once at his brother and back at me again. It was like he was trying to figure out a puzzle of some kind. After a moment, he cleared his throat.
“Miller, could I have a word?”
Miller nodded and stood, following his brother over to the bar.
So there I was, stuck in a restaurant I could barely afford an appetizer in, much less a whole meal, by myself, with a man who’d won me in a poker game.
Instead of focusing on the mess I was in, I decided to watch the brothers. So different, yet so alike. Both tall with lean muscular frames, that’s where the similarities ended. Ashton was as light as Miller was dark. Even their eyes contrasted: Miller’s chocolate brown to Ashton’s green. I wondered if their personalities were just as different.
The longer I watched, the more heated the discussion became. Hands were flying, mouths turned down at the corners. Time seemed to pass rather slowly while they argued. It felt like all eyes were on me; like I didn’t belong.
And they were right. I didn’t.
None of that helped me feel any more comfortable than I had since we’d left the bar. Tearing my eyes away, I picked at the corner of the menu, my eyes not focusing on the words that swam in front of them.
Finally, Miller returned to the table, his jaw clenched. I was afraid of the answer, but I couldn’t stop myself from asking. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s fine.”
Miller leaned back in his chair, his attention on the menu—entirely too much attention for someone who had eaten here plenty of times before.
House Rules Page 2