The Gamble

by Alice Ward

  “Stop it,” I mumbled to myself as my hands shook slightly. I wasn’t going to make it through a night with him in the same room. I wanted to experience him far too badly. Even if it was only one time. One night.

  Closing my eyes, I let my head drop as I took a few shallow breaths. I was being ridiculous, but trying to convince myself of that was virtually useless. My brother had been right earlier that day. I was a rock unless Zek showed up... then I turned into a bundle of nerves.

  I didn’t want to let him win. But was he really trying to? He was just being himself and relaxing as best he could while we awaited the doom that was lingering just up ahead. The next few days, weeks and months would be hard at best, and unbearable at worst.

  He had already lost so much. His company was temporarily closed down, and the stock had plummeted from the last time I checked. For a man who thrived on success... he had to be hanging on by a string.

  After splashing some cold water on my face, I patted it dry and steeled my resolve. No more freaking out. No more letting Zek Kellington inadvertently force panic on me. I was my own woman, and I had lived a million lives from the time he hurt me last.

  I pushed on the door to the restroom and almost plowed over a little old lady. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay, dear.” She smiled and moved back, letting me out as I lifted my head and walked back to the table.

  Zek glanced up from the menu, the lighting in the room making him impossibly handsome. “I thought I was going to have to call in the National Guard. I was worried that maybe you fell in.”

  “Ha, ha, mister.” I took my seat next to him and pulled my napkin into my lap. “What did you order to drink?”

  “I didn’t. I wanted to wait on you.” He handed me a wine list. “You pick what you want. This one is my treat.”

  “No, I’ll get it. We’ll hit my company with the expense. It’s a business trip, anyway.” I took the list and scanned it.

  “I want to buy you dinner. Don’t deny me. You already do far too often.” He winked and picked up the menu as I let my eyes run over him. The well-defined line of his jaw begged for my lips to run along it, his muted pink bottom lip stealing my fantasies next.

  “Red wine okay?” I sounded a little out of breath, and I hated it.

  He looked up at me as his eyebrows bunched for only a moment. “Yeah. That sounds great.”

  I sat back and let out a soft sigh before taking the time to glance around the room. “This place is interesting, for sure.”

  “I’ve heard a lot about it.” He smirked and put the menu down. “I’ve never been, but their steaks are supposed to be legendary. Do you want to share one, or are you going to take one out on your own?”

  I laughed and shook my head. “No. We can share one.”

  The waitress came, and Zek ordered everything, but paused between each item and glanced at me as if to get my agreement. I waited until the woman had left to press my arms to the table and look up at him.

  “You know that you need to be incredibly careful with what you say in the interview tomorrow morning, right?” My heart began to race inside my chest as he licked his lips and turned his heavy gaze onto me.

  “I know. Would you rather I remain quiet and let you do the talking? I don’t mind.” He sat back and tilted his head a little as his eyes moved across me. The pleasant look on his face left me feeling beautiful, as if he enjoyed what he saw when he looked my way. I could only hope that was the case, and yet I knew his heart. He wanted so much more than a pretty face in his life.

  “I think that might be best. I’m not yet aware of your guilt or innocence on the trading case. I think it might be a good thing that I remain ignorant for now.” I had my doubts about his innocence, but wasn’t willing to share those with him. That he didn’t offer himself up in the same light left me with little doubt as to whether he dirtied his hands in Jessup’s IPO.

  “Would me being innocent or guilty change whether you defended me?” He reached out and brushed his fingers along my arm, his eyes following his movements.

  I trapped his fingers against my arm and nodded. “I think it might. I’m not willing to discuss it just yet, so let me remained blind to the truth for now.”

  He chuckled as the wine was presented. “A lawyer who wants to remain in the dark. How intriguing.”

  “Perhaps not as much as you think.” I smiled and offered my glass to the waitress.

  The dark ambiance of the room was made more romantic by the flickering of candlelight and the soft music playing just in the background. It was almost too much with me sitting across from the handsome man from my dreams.

  “Are you worried that we’ll lose the case against Melissa? Is there anything that’s bothering you related to it?” His change of subject was a little surprising, but I was happy to go with it.

  “I’m not worried in the slightest. I want to go to your office after things settle down a little, and out to the cabin. I want to get the full picture to better understand anything they might throw up against us.” I swallowed the hot ball of nervousness in my throat and took a quick sip of my wine.

  “I’ll take you up to the office, and out to the mountains whenever you want to go. We might have to get the trip to the cabin okayed with the authorities. It would seem that they have a tight watch on my comings and goings.” He swirled the wine in his glass as his eyes remained on me.

  “I can make sure that happens. We’re going to win this case.” I pressed my teeth into my bottom lip and nodded. “We have no way to lose it now. I owe you a thank you for letting me push it.”

  “No, you don’t. I believe in you. I always have.” He pushed the bread basket toward me.

  “Then, when we were kids, why didn’t you say anything the day you left? I just need to know.” I took a roll and lathered it properly with butter before handing it to him. He seemed a little surprised by my offering, but took it nevertheless. I buttered another one for myself.

  “You deserved better than me, and I figured once you grew up that you would see me for who I really was, and leave. I honestly thought your affection for me was just part of a silly school girl crush. Are you saying it wasn’t?” He smiled, and my insides melted.

  “Not at all.” I picked up my wine and lifted the glass toward him. “To silly crushes. May they benefit everyone as much as this one is benefiting you.”

  ***

  We enjoyed dinner a bit too much, and laughed the whole way back to the hotel as each of us told story after story on my brother. There was a lot to share, and a huge handful of years missed between the two of us. He touched my back as he opened the door to the hotel and chuckled once more.

  “That story of you in college with that frat house will be one I’ll remember forever. I’m not fond of them taking bets on getting in your panties, but you showing them up?” He laughed again and opened the door. “Hot. It’s just fucking hot.”

  I moved in and turned to stand in front of him as he closed the door. “You think so?”

  “I know so.” He reached out and touched the side of my face. “I want to pay you back for taking a chance on me. I want to give you something to remember that all of your personal sacrifice and hard work was worth it.” His voice grew deeper. “If I could give you anything... what would you want?”

  My heart almost stopped in my chest as I stood there, looking at the one thing I wanted. I would never tell him in a million years, but I sure as hell wanted to.

  “I don’t need money.” I cupped my hand over his and pressed my cheek against the roughness of his palm, brushing my nose by his fingers. “I don’t need fame.”

  He moved closer, sliding his free hand around my waist until it gripped me tightly. “What do you need?”

  “Warmth?” I’d had too much to drink. I knew the moment things were going to go too far, but I couldn’t force myself to stop it.

  “Love?” He moved closer, turning us and walking me backward until my back hit the wall behind me.
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  “I don’t know about all of that. I want to feel needed, adored, worshiped.” I closed my eyes as his lips moved up my neck. “Not for anything more than pleasure.”

  “I understand so much more than you think.” He kissed my face just in front of my ear before licking it softly.

  I groaned and slid my hands around his waist, latching on tightly and pulling him in closer. “I want you.”

  “You’ve had too much to drink.” He sucked the flesh at the bottom of my ear into his mouth and my body flooded with desire.

  “I know. Take advantage of me.” I tugged at his shirt as he pressed the fullness of his thick body against me.

  “I want to.” He dragged his hand down my neck, over my shoulder, by my breast and down to my hip.

  “I need you too. I’ve wanted this for as long as I can remember.” I let out a soft cry as he slid his hands down my dress and ripped the hem up, pulling it up to my waist in one jerk and sliding his strong fingers around to grip my barely clad ass.

  “Your lust isn’t anything compared to mine, Alisa. Believe me.” He pressed his tongue to the base of my throat and ran his tongue up as his fingers slid into my panties.

  His strength was impressive as he picked me up and pressed me against the wall again. He urged me to wrap my legs around him, and he didn’t have to ask me twice.

  He moved to brush his nose past mine, and all hope was lost. Having his handsome face in front of mine left me with no reserve left where he was concerned.

  “God, I’m so fucking lost to you. Why?” I cried out softly as he ground against me, his thick cock pressing against the softness of my center.

  “Because we were supposed to be together, and I fucked it up. You know it would have been good. So good.” He pressed his lips to mine as his fingers slid against my wetness, one finger pressing deep into me as my breath lodged deep somewhere in my throat.

  There was a moment where I knew I had to push him away, or I would never recover. It was the thought that passed by just before desire to undulate my hips and ride his finger like the needy whore I was consumed me.

  I released myself to the fact that he could have anything from me that he wanted. We could figure out the rest in the morning.

  “So hot, Alisa. Let me lay you down and press my mouth to you. I want to taste you.” He licked at my mouth as he jerked his finger in and out of my body.

  I nodded and tightened my legs around him. “I want that.”

  “Of course you do, baby.” He chuckled low in his chest and moved us to the bed, laying me down and running his hands up my body, dragging the dress with it to reveal my white panties and matching bra. “I imagined red. This is much better. So beautiful.”

  Closing my eyes, I lifted my hips and tugged on his shirt as he groaned and made his way down to his knees at the edge of the bed. He licked at the side of my panties as his fingers dug into my thighs.

  “Zek. Fuck.” I squirmed and reached for my panties, needing to pull them back, but he popped my hand away.

  His tongue flicked along the tiny triangle covering me, and I cried out in frustration. Between the liquor and finally knowing that I was about to have the object of my lust between my legs for the night, I was hungry and demanding about it.

  “Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you.” His teeth pressed against my mound, and I arched my back and let out a shaky cry. “That’s it, Alisa. So incredibly sexy, baby. Tell me what you want. You want me to lick you here?”

  His finger dragged down my center as I shook. “Under my panties. Take them off. Please, just take them off.”

  “Of course.” He tugged them down, sliding his hands down my thighs to my knees, parting my legs and pressing soft kisses all around my need, but never giving in to me.

  “Zek. Stop fucking around and take me.” I glanced down and almost lost myself at the sight of him memorizing the most intimate parts of my body.

  The sexy smirk on his mouth left me coming undone. “You want me to make love to you, Alisa, or am I allowed to fuck you tonight?” His voice deepened, his tone darkened.

  I jerked back, crying out again. “Fuck me. God, please. Just fuck me.”

  His hand slid up my body, his fingers wrapping around my throat tenderly as he whispered something and pressed his warm mouth to my swollen flesh.

  It didn’t take but a few minutes, and fire burst deep inside of me, spreading out and teasing every nerve ending I had. I jerked and lifted up off the bed, letting myself drown in the deliciousness of it.

  Zek licked and sucked at my flesh until I pushed at his shoulder, begging him to stop.

  His tongue moved across his lower lip. “So delicious. I’ve wanted to do that all of my life.” He worked on his shirt and dropped his slacks and underwear as I crawled backward on the bed and pulled off my dress. I worked on my bra as he took a few seconds to roll on a condom before crawling up on the bed, but my eyes were only for him.

  His body was magnificent, so much better than anything I could have imagined on my own.

  I reached for him and pulled at the back of his neck as I moved to my knees. “My turn.”

  “Next time. I want to feel you wrapped around me.” He settled on top of me and pulled my knee up to the side, locking his thick arm under it and opening me wide. “If I hurt you—”

  “I’m not a girl. Shut up and fuck me.” I pulled him down and pressed my lips to his as he pushed himself inside of me.

  The groan that left both of us left me dizzy. I gripped him tightly and worked to suck on his tongue as he pushed again.

  He broke the kiss and locked gazes with me. “Almost there. Your body’s so tight. I love it.” He pushed once more, and I could feel just how incredibly large he was. I was completely filled and stretched to the limit.

  Moving down my body, he sucked one of my nipples into his mouth and started his assault, his thrust slow and deep.

  I moaned over and over, unable to help myself from expressing the intensity of his touch. My nails scored his back as he moved back up and made love to my mouth, his hands careful, his tongue soft and wet.

  The lower half of our bodies looked nothing like the top as he fucked me harder and harder. I screamed his name as I came, breaking the kiss and letting every part of me dive into the extreme pleasure he brought.

  “That’s it, baby. So beautiful. Come hard for me.”

  I arched my back and rode him from beneath as he gripped my hips hard and worked me through it, only intensifying the high. His words were sensual, his hands greedy, and his mouth hungry as he licked and bit at me while we fucked throughout the night.

  “More,” he grunted against my chest as he pressed into me again. “I wanna hear you come one more time. At least once more.”

  “Turn me over,” I whispered against the damp flesh of his neck.

  He moved back and I reached for him, missing his warmth immediately though I was the reason for its loss.

  His fingers dug into my hips as he rolled me over and pulled hard on my ass, forcing me to my knees as I slid my arms above me and curved my back as far as I could.

  “Fuck. You’re so far beyond anything I deserve, Alisa. Tell me you won’t run from this tomorrow. I’m not going anywhere. I want you in my bed every night. In my life—”

  “No!” I moved to my hands and pressed back, taking his cock back inside of me as I gritted my teeth and spoke with the fear that pumped through me. “Fuck me, and no more talking about anything else. I want this right here.”

  His hand slid up my spine, then back down to my ass. “Alright. Whatever you want.” He gripped my hips tightly as my upper body collapsed back on the bed.

  I closed my eyes, taking in every sensation as I let him have his way with me. When he collapsed, spent, I fell asleep underneath him, his warm body covering me, his smell staining me, his love destroying me.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Zek

  Two days later…

  The meeting with the Security and Ex
change Commission was a blur, but Alisa handled most of the business anyway. I couldn’t seem to get my mind off of the sex we’d had the night before. I wasn’t an addict, but she had the power to quickly turn me into one. She’d done a good job of playing off the tension pumping through her the next morning when we’d woken together. I knew then that she had only bent, but hadn’t even come close to breaking.

  There had never been another woman I fit so well against, who gave me every ounce of what I needed in the bedroom, but she had. She was on my mind nonstop over the days after our trip to Austin. She’d feigned busyness with the trial and a few other cases, and where I knew it was true, I also knew that a lot of her ignoring me had to do with the feelings laying untouched between us.

  How could I offer her the world when I wasn’t sure if I’d have a shirt on my back in a few months? I’d picked up the phone a million times over the last two days, just wanting to hear her voice. Sleeping was out, and drinking was my go-to vice, though nothing dulled the desire I had pumping through me when I even began to think of her.

  I woke just before my alarm that morning, knowing it would be a long day due to having to meet with the press at ten. They were relentless, and I had finally caved to their desires. I wanted so badly to show the public that I wasn’t at all the monster I was being painted to be.

  Nothing about me had changed. I was still the man that half the city invested their money in and believe in from the on-start. The stories that were published over the last few weeks left me nothing like the man I’d built myself to be.

  “Today we set that straight.” I glanced in the mirror and smoothed down my shirt and tie. Some part of me knew that I should have involved Alisa or Lizzy in the press conference, but I wanted the public to see me as a man who could stand on his own. Besides, no matter how many times I analyzed it, I was still alone. Alisa had been avoiding me, and I guess by not reaching out, I’d been avoiding her too. I just didn’t need to hear that she regretted giving herself over to me for the night.

  My body hardened painfully as my mind danced through the long sweaty night, her cries for another round never leaving me for a minute. I almost didn’t think I’d be able to keep up, but about the time I felt like I couldn’t thrust again, she collapsed, sated and emotionally whipped. I held her while she cried and kissed her sweet face more times than I could count as she slept against me.