Blaine, Destiny - Lying Eyes (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Lying Eyes

  Before she made too much progress, she turned around with an answer. “And Reynolds, if you’re going to chase me, please try to remember a player always loves the element of surprise. And I’m an adrenaline junkie.” She nearly skipped each step before going inside her big, empty room where she immediately picked up the receiver to order room service.

  “Yes, it’s Audra.”

  The knocking came in a thumping sound over and over again. “Don’t order room service. I’m not taking no for an answer tonight.”

  “I’ll call you back.” She hung up the phone, slipped off her killer high heels and stumbled over her luggage before she all but fell right into the main door. She peered outside and shouldn’t have been surprised. He wasn’t in the hallway.

  Feeling frisky or maybe just plain dumb, she opened the door leading to the adjacent room. Her eyes narrowed but before she spoke first, he was ready for her.

  “What, tonight I don’t have to go to the front door?” He smirked. “If it’s going to be an ongoing requirement, I can, you know.”

  “Backdoor guests are best. Didn’t your momma teach you anything growing up?”

  He moved closer. “I promise you, my mother isn’t the woman who taught me anything about a backdoor guest.” His hand spontaneously went to her waist.

  Hers instinctively flew to his upper body where she quickly used his rock hard chest to move him back a few steps. “That’s not—”

  “The truth? Oh, yes it is. The blatant truth. Wanna know who and where?” He continued to tease.

  “You’re a perv.”

  “The worst of your kind.”

  “My kind?”

  “Yep. Ask any woman downstairs.”

  “Oh, so you’re a man whore?”

  “I can be, if the price is right.”

  “What’s the going rate?”

  “Audra, it’s a price you may just be all too willing to pay.” Then, he moved closer and plotted his first kiss. His lying eyes could fool most but a mouth held slightly moist and moving closer tends to give everything away.

  “You just won’t quit.” A dramatic sigh followed a quick push to the wayside before she strolled across her room leaving him there to salivate behind her back. She pulled her belt off and tossed it on the bed right as she turned around to face him. Paybacks are beautiful. She fluttered her eyelashes and let her fingers do the talking with one sexy little come-and-get-me-going motion.

  “Oh hell, woman. Tell me you’re serious?” He didn’t fall for her games. He smirked though, thoroughly amused by the challenge.

  “About screwing you?” She tried to look appalled. “In your dreams. I’m going out with some friends. I need to change.” She looked away from him. “And if you want to watch, I don’t mind. I figure you’ll use pocket mirrors to slide under my door anyway, so I might as well let you enjoy a few jollies and invite you in for a closer inspection.”

  “Liar.” He made a quick gesture to indicate he was coming inside, crossing the threshold from his room to hers. He backed up against the dresser and rested his palms against the flat surface. “You were ordering room service. I heard you. I think you just wanted to give me something to think about.”

  “Oh, you need something to ponder, huh? Why didn’t you just say so? I can give you something to think about.” She unbuttoned the first pearl on her blouse and held his gaze on a pure dare.

  His hand went to his black leather belt and he crossed his ankles. Damnation she saw what she was missing then. A bulge in just the right spot nearly damaged her for any other man. That’s right—confidence. He showed off plenty of it with what he had rising below the belt.

  “Okay, so I don’t want to play anymore.” She walked over to the wet bar and poured herself a glass of water. She sipped it slowly.

  “Ah now, come on, reconsider. I was starting to like you.”

  “I can see that for myself.” She placed her hand on the curve of her waist and tried to ignore Max’s growing, never mind showing, physical admiration. “I have to tell you something, Max. It’s an inconvenience to have you right over there.” Her head tilted toward the wall.

  “How’s that? I don’t think I’ve been noisy or anything.” He crossed his arms. “I’m all settled in and as content as the next fellow. I consider myself the perfect neighbor, if you want to know the truth.”

  “I’m sure you do.” She wasn’t going to win here. “Since you made the room request, I’m sure you’ll have a hard time processing this but I need a few hours of privacy after a long day. Reading people is exhausting business.”

  “Then give it a rest and quit trying so hard to study me.” He obviously thought the suggestion had merit.

  “Kind of hard to do.”

  “It wouldn’t be if you weren’t trying so hard to deny what you see.”

  The room fell quiet. The soft hum of the small refrigerator provided a slight noise inside the sparsely appointed suite.

  “Let’s go out. I’m guessing you haven’t been outside of this casino since you arrived. You need some fresh air. We can go downtown. Revisit history at The Horseshoe or watch the light show.”

  “The

  Freemont Street

  Experience?” She sounded more like a kid than a woman and instantly regretted it. “You’ve seen it?” He perked up, too. Her enthusiasm was contagious.

  She quickly regained her composure. “No, but you know, I’m sure I will. I plan to be here for awhile.” She flashed him her best digest-that grin and tried to regain some element of grown-up composure.

  “You’re insatiable. Always pushing a good guy to his limits, huh?”

  “In more ways than one.”

  He released a deep breath. “Just for that one, you’re going or else.”

  She tried to act bored. “Or else what?”

  He made a slow progression but he moved toward her all the same. “I’m going to throw you down on the bed there and see if I can find some way to please a woman who wants the only man standing in front of her to think she’s incapable of being satisfied.”

  Damn. He looked like he might mean it. Hmmm.

  “Is that a threat?” She batted her eyes.

  “The worst one I’ve made today.” He probably lied there. “And it’s also a promise.”

  “Is it?”

  He moved directly in front of her and took the glass from her hand. “It is. In fact, just to prove I never lie to a woman, I’m going to start with a long, lingering kiss.”

  He most likely saw her flinch because he quickly wrapped his arm behind her lower back and the sudden electricity inspired chills all over her body. “Careful now.” He held her tighter and suddenly looked very serious.

  “Don’t do this.” Her hands slammed against his chest but it was a reflex, a defense mechanism without any premise. “This is not a good idea.”

  Oh, he was so going to do this.

  “You have less than five seconds to give me one good reason why I shouldn’t.” His gaze fell to her lips. “And I’ve used two of them.”

  “Because…this can’t happen.”

  “The hell it can’t.”

  She tried to gulp for air, hang on for reasoning, because once she saw the urgency in his eyes, she knew she was in trouble. She stepped away from his grip but her little move only landed her flat against the wet bar. He yanked her forward with one smooth transition. His mouth caught hers as quickly as his body pressed against her every muscle. Hot, smooth lips took her through a gate of pleasure, and she parted her own before true hunger enticed them into a kiss worth remembering.

  Oh yeah, but this can happen. She closed her eyes and let him sweep her into the best smooch a man had to give.

  * * * *

  She didn’t look like she believed him, but hell’s fury she responded accordingly. He slanted his mouth over hers and boy howdy, the woman proved cards wasn’t the only thing she played well. She knew how to work a man.

  His tongue tapped the end of hers with a light wa
rning before he all but fell into the passion of a woman, and when he did, she rewarded pleasure for pleasure. It felt so natural to kiss her, so delicious to battle for the same lead, and even that only encouraged more and more favorable results. He bit at her lower lip after a long sultry excursion and she unleashed the power of a playful woman when her palms settled on his cheeks.

  She pulled out the stops when they met mouth to mouth. And he had to put on the breaks because if he didn’t, he wouldn’t play nice. He hated it but damn it all, a man understands a temptation larger than his own self-control. Stopping the act hurt him in a real bad place. The more he thought about what he potentially interrupted, the more he wanted to sink deeper into the throes of the act—practice, he thought, couldn’t perfect this—not unless she wanted to take it a step further. If he read Audra right, she wasn’t going to just climb right in bed with him.

  Simultaneously, he gently tugged her wrists and moved her hands away from his face. He swallowed stiffly as he studied her, trying, in part, to sum up her expectations but afraid he wasn’t going to make a quick assessment.

  Breathless kissing left her all but begging for it. Oh yeah, he saw the lust in her hazed over eyes. She blinked. That’s right baby, fight it. He mused over the way she tried to deny the chemistry between them and didn’t have to pause with wonder. He watched her struggle to bridle her runaway breathing.

  He decided comic relief might offer the best bet because he didn’t know if she looked offended or just somewhat relieved. “Never underestimate the player staring you down.”

  Her lip curved in an unquenchable smile. “Care to tell me how I undervalued a kiss?”

  “You didn’t but you might find a rude awakening if you don’t take me up on a dinner invitation. It’s just dinner and a light show.” He rubbed his lips back and forth as he considered kissing her again. He wished she’d just strip, bend and spread but somehow he didn’t think it was the time or place for fantasies and realities to come together for playtime. No, not yet. With a hard one waiting—waiting nothing—reaching for her, he had to run his own interference. It sucked really. Being a man had its ups and downs—sometimes at the same moment, and definitely with a lot of movement in both directions.

  “Okay.”

  “Okay.” He smiled and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. “I’ll wait over in my room. Let me know when you’re ready.”

  “So that’s it?”

  “For now, that’s it. But later tonight…no promises.”

  He watched her until he closed the door. The separation would give them enough time to figure out what they wanted to do about the raging hormones. He more or less made several decisions in one but what he wanted and what she would do, varied considerably, he imagined.

  Immediately, he felt the curse of unneeded space. He missed her and there wasn’t any way to fight the blasphemous act of drawing his own hand but a man’s gotta do what a woman fails to do. After he took care of a little man-business, he planned to change a few things—starting with his approach.

  Chapter Four

  He felt like a kid one minute and a dog in heat the next. Someone should shoot him for the wicked thoughts he continued to have about her especially since at times, like now, he admired Audra for so many of her youthful qualities. If someone offered to put him out of his misery of mixed, never mind untamed, emotions then he would forever owe them his gratitude.

  Acceptance came at a high price. Audra made him feel alive and it didn’t just terrify him, it intimidated him. A woman seldom gained the upper hand once he had his arm around her. Most of the time, he didn’t want to keep it there long so it really didn’t matter.

  Binion’s Ranch Steakhouse set the right pace from the beginning. Located high above

  Freemont Street

  , the stimulating skyline captured an incredible picturesque view and the candlelight dinner proved romance lingered among probable opponents. For the time being, the crowded Amazon Room was all but forgotten. Dinner wasn’t without an occasional reference to poker but he steered the conversation as far away from it as possible. He wanted to know more about her, at least from her point of view, and she seemed content to follow his lead from heavy flirting to just ordinary small talk.

  “So, you’re originally from the south.” No need to ask, he already knew far more than he should. He’d made enough inquiries and when necessary, paid for answers. He knew everything there was to know about her but there were some things he wanted to hear from her so he didn’t seem overly educated about her history.

  “How’d you know?” She dabbed her cute little mouth with the corner of her napkin proving every move she made was laced with sex appeal.

  “The accent for one.”

  “And?” The twinkle in her eyes showed mischief’s appearance.

  “You asked for it.” He leaned forward and glared right at her boobs. “Before you ask, yes, I am ogling and I won’t stop until I see you blush.” He loved to see the ripe pink tones color her fair skin. He liked it best when he said or did something to tint her cheeks quickly. “They just don’t make ‘em like you everywhere, lady,” he added.

  The embarrassment framed her face before painting her skin completely. “Are we still talking women or have you moved on to assets?”

  He growled. “I’m impressed, that’s all.” And quite capable of avoiding the question on the table.

  “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

  “No, trust me, I can’t afford to give just any woman a compliment like that one.”

  Laughter shook them both. “I believe you. It might lead you somewhere you never wanted to go.”

  “Are you tempted?”

  “Depends on where we’re going.”

  His lips twitched and he changed the subject. “Tell me something about your parents.” He realized her father was a sensitive subject.

  “What do you want to know?” Her chocolate eyes frosted over with a visible warning.

  “Anything you want me to know.” He then downplayed his interest.

  She cut a piece of asparagus and moved it to her lips, bit and chewed. She took an excessive amount of time to do all three. Carefully, she guarded what she wanted him to know about her family and she did it without speaking the first word.

  It taught him something about her, something he didn’t want to learn on their first date but he tucked the information away for later safekeeping, even though he didn’t necessarily want to do it. It was then he realized, even with her, he was always a poker player and always looking for that one tidbit of information that might give him an edge.

  Possessing an impeccable memory, he knew the flashback would reappear one day when he needed it most—her expression changed so drastically when he mentioned her family. Her eyes watered with regret and maybe even a little anger. The poker tables taught a man to use everything and this was the wrong topic of conversation because now he had the weapon he needed if he ever wanted to use it to shake her.

  “I’ve told you a little bit about my father so let’s just save the rest for another day.” She dabbed the napkin across her mouth and this time tossed it on her plate. When she dropped the linen cloth from her lips, he immediately noticed a frown was left in place of where a genuine full smile once lingered.

  “Tell you what,” he began, “I want to tell you about my family, so let’s start there.”

  It didn’t work.

  “Will you do me a favor?” She folded her hands under her chin as she waited for him to agree.

  “That depends. I’m capable of a lot of favors.”

  “You’re amazing. I mean it. How do you do that?” She leaned back in the chair.

  “What?” Perplexed, he leaned forward.

  “Without any effort whatsoever, you can bring thick sexual implications into everything.”

  “Are you offended?”

  “I don’t know,” her forehead creased with worry lines, dramatically induced of course. “Should I be?” The smile he l
oved slowly reappeared.

  “No.” He placed his napkin on the table too and nodded to the waitress. “Now tell me, what favor?”

  “Let’s talk about our family history another day.”

  “Ah-ha.” He pointed at her with an accusing finger. “You think I’m fishing.”

  “I know when I’m swimming with a shark and I don’t care if you are or aren’t—I don’t like the topic so I’m suggesting we table it for now.”

  “Consider it under the tablecloth until further notice.” His eyes fell to her chest and he slowly licked his lips.

  “There you go again.”

  “What did I say this time?”

  “Nothing,” she giggled.

  He winked. “I think I like the under.”

  “Then you’re with the right gal, ‘cause I like it on top.”

  “Now who has explicit implications?”

  “There’s a difference between me and you, I assure you.”

  “I can’t wait to hear this,” Max said.

  “I can jib-jab with you and not get my panties in a wad. You seem to have a different reaction to the err…”

  “Expressive foreplay?” He laughed. “You better believe it.”

  Her face turned beet red this time and he was satisfied with her reaction. The server approached and asked if they needed anything else.

  “Just the check,” Max informed.

  The waiter’s confusion was obvious. “Mr. Reynolds, your meal has already been taken care of for you. It was comped.”

  “Really?” He crossed his arms and acted surprise. “Imagine that. Comped? Who would’ve thought? I haven’t played here in a few years and I fully expected to pay, but you’ll never hear me complain.” Around the same time and not at all to his surprise, an executive host from player development came up and introduced herself.

  He noticed how she openly flirted. Normally, he wouldn’t have objected in the least. He would’ve bet on bedding her down in a swanky suite somewhere between midnight and daybreak but tonight, he wasn’t remotely interested. He thanked her for the free meal and she slid her card into his open palm.