by Lying Eyes
Audra felt like the wind was knocked out of her. She fully expected that fourth two to come down and knock her dreams of a world championship to the wayside but instead, the man she admired most, the man who wanted the bracelet just as much as she did, was going home.
He walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek. “Congratulations, Audra.” He started to move on by her to collect his earnings but first cupped her neck and whispered in her ear. “I want you to win this thing now.” He winked and then released her.
“You played your pair horribly,” she remarked.
“Then if that’s the case, make sure it wasn’t for nothing.”
“Did you—”
“Absolutely not.” He handed her an answer before she fully asked the question. “I came here to win. Don’t make me sorry I lost to you.” He gave her a tight squeeze and walked over to the area where the presentation of earnings took place. Audra watched him with curiosity as he accepted his winnings of over three million dollars and noticed he looked back at the final table, just once, before he was ushered off to the side where the media waited.
“We’re down to three players, and Audra Alexander has just eliminated Max Reynolds and moved to the head of the pack with sixty-six million and some change!” The announcer’s red cheeks swelled as he wiped his brow and moved only closer to the final table.
Stan smiled. “I sure didn’t see that one coming.”
“Of course not.” The one who remained indifferent now seemed rather bitter. “Not everyone here had her advantage.”
Audra let it slide. She didn’t give a damn what he thought. She was in the money, she had the lead and she was headed for the bracelet and the mountain of cash placed strategically in the center of the table behind them, just to remind everyone it was waiting for someone to claim it. The money was hers. With Max out of the way, her fate was sealed.
A few moments later and the kid next to her pushed Stan all-in. Stan took the pot in the end. For the next hour, the money changed hands back and forth and back and forth. Blinds were posted, players folded and no one made a bold all-in play, surprisingly enough.
Max took a seat beside of Franco and it was enough for her to know he fully supported her winning it all. She felt a broad smile tug at her lips about the time she heard the kid next to her state he was all-in. Audra zoomed in on Stan for a second. He wasn’t going to play it. She could feel it in the air. He didn’t have anything in the hole so he wasn’t going to go and she didn’t need to do it but she called it anyway.
She called, stood and walked over to stand by Franco and Max now staring down at the table where three kings fell from the dealer’s fingertips. A Queen of Spades fell on the turn and everyone held their breath.
Audra walked back over to the table and made a sigh of relief. She had a Queen too, making her boat full of those pretty ladies all but good. Her opponent’s Ace-ten didn’t carry the needed weight and third place was awarded. Stan was happy and Audra was almost ready to celebrate.
The crowd went wild. Audra did a little dance move and wanted, oh how she wanted, to jump—leap, really—right into Max’s arms. He turned his back to her as if to ward her off before she had the time to think about it. Once she was seated again, she saw the pride and all sorts of disruptive emotions washing over his face.
She settled back into her chair and gave Stan a fair enough warning. “Are you ready to concede and let me call it a win?”
Stan nodded. “I never argue with a lady.” Several bloggers jotted down the exchange of conversation, though minimal, and the beginning of the end was well underway.
Chapter Seventeen
“It’s four o’clock here in Las Vegas and we’re heads up…” The announcer continued to fade in and out over the next hour. Audra held such a strong lead ahead of Stan that she didn’t need to play in order to win. The blinds would do the trick for them unless he really made some bold plays and had the cards to back up whatever move he decided to make.
Max watched everything she did. Stan looked like a push-over but the old man had been in this game long before he was ever born. He was considered a mild-mannered individual but when he played poker, like Max, he played to win. But Max held a lot of confidence for an Audra Alexander finish. He placed a large enough stake in the win, though he wasn’t going to admit it to her. She might always think it but she would never know for sure. In the end, the win meant more to her than it ever meant to him.
Worrying over the outcome wasn’t really necessary now. Audra had her bracelet, she had the win, all she had to do with her lead was bide her time and not get in a hurry. Stan would be ready for her if she decided to call a raise and go. A few women came over to congratulate him and he did his best to dismiss them in a hurry, but it wasn’t quick enough to see what he apparently missed.
“Stan Taylor is all-in and Audra Alexander has made the call!” The excitement was unbelievable now. Stan went over to stand beside of Audra and Max moved closer, too. Franco said something to Max but he didn’t hear him and didn’t really care. Audra had the kings. Stan held the aces.
He shook his head. Audra could finish Stan right here but if not, she’d still have a marginal lead to keep her with a small advantage.
The flop was pretty. Ten, Jack, and Queen of Hearts never looked so beautiful until of course, the turn didn’t provide anything to help either player and the river card offered just enough for one.
“It’s an Ace of Hearts and with Audra’s kings, one with a lot of Hearts, she’s going down in history as the first woman to ever win the World Series of Poker! And what a way to claim her fame! She’s going out with a royal flush!”
Franco squealed, more like a woman than a man but Max didn’t care. He hugged him anyway. He tried to quickly rush to her side but the thick crowd didn’t split or give enough to allow it.
The cheers, the ripples of cries, and the commotion—holy hell, the uproar of activity—Max had never witnessed anything like it before in his life, and he’d witnessed a lot of money presentations throughout his lifetime. The crowd seemed anxious to get a piece of Audra.
“Max!” He heard her call for him and he leaped over the rail that separated the players from the crowds, which actually only provided a small barrier. People were everywhere and divisions that might typically keep spectators separated from the players now didn’t serve any purpose whatsoever once the winner was announced.
The media circled around her and security guards moved in closer. Hands touched her, pawed all over her and he saw the terrified expression wash across her face. It was fright like nothing he’d ever seen in a woman’s face before and he pushed, heaven help him he tried to get closer. “Max!” She continued to scream with the panic now driving her voice.
“Stan! Get over there!” He pushed his way through the crowd and saw Stan rush to get there too, but for some reason, the layers of people refused to move away from her and his efforts continually pressed him in another direction.
“Max!” Now, the squeal wasn’t so laced with panic, instead it held a gleeful tone.
Then, suddenly, he saw her, lifted high above the crowd with a bottle of champagne in her hand spraying it in his direction. “I won!” she excitedly told him when he reached her. “I won!” she told him once more as a few men released her into his arms.
“Yes, sweetheart, I think you did.” He kissed the top of her head as the first of several rounds of flashes captured one photograph after another.
“Do you know how much?” she chirped.
“I’d say a little over ten million.” Max didn’t act impressed but he was.
Reporters inched closer, flashes began to annoy—because they existed everywhere—and slaps on the back were followed by one too many handshakes. Audra found Stan and congratulated him on his multi-million dollar win too, and then jumped into Franco’s waiting arms as she moved closer to the door. “I’m rich now, Franco.”
“Yes, I think so.” He grinned.
“Like n
asty with money,” she told him.
“Dirty with it,” he agreed.
She turned back to Max. “Can you believe it? Where will I spend all this money?” She threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek, laughing excitedly as she did.
He took a deep breath and pulled her closer. “I’m sure you’ll think of all sorts of places. I don’t doubt it. You are, after all, a woman.” He noted the obvious by staring at her breasts and caught an elbow in the rib when he lingered too long.
Someone asked them to smile for pictures and she quickly reached for him wrapping her arms around his middle. And that’s when he knew, without any reservations, he played the hand he lost for the best possible outcome. Now, he had a hand to play for on a more personal level and he knew precisely how and when he was going to make his move for it.
* * * *
They didn’t go to their suites alone. It was nearly noon before they were able to break through the wall of people and make a race for it but there wasn’t any privacy found when they arrived on their floor. Microphones were in their faces, cameras flashed and nosey questions were asked. It wasn’t a hidden fact now that Audra and Max had rooms side by side and by the layout of the hotel, it was quite easy to see the rooms were adjoining.
By the time she darted behind her closed door, she was truly exhausted and Max still tried to please the crowd. He thanked everyone for their interest in him and in the new World Series of Poker Champion but he begged for some down time and a little consideration. He took the time to explain what a poker player goes through during the events and asked for a little peace and quiet, suggesting Audra would likely be asleep before they found their way back downstairs—an inconspicuous hint. Audra leaned her back against the door and listened to the way he responded to each question asked.
She released a long sigh of relief and slowly stepped out her black pump-me-up shoes. She realized then how long she’d been in those damn heels and cursed her choice. She was just about ready to head for the shower when she heard a squeal outside the door. “Say that again, Mr. Reynolds. I don’t think I heard you right the first time.”
Audra pressed her ear to the door. “I said, I have big plans for Ms. Alexander and if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get those underway.”
* * * *
She was waiting in his room.
He stripped off his shirt. “How’s it feel to be rich?”
“I don’t know.” It didn’t take him long to understand her focus wasn’t one fixated on his obvious sex appeal. She kind of looked pissed off, and if her tone didn’t give it away, her pouty lips certainly provided the clue.
True to form, he ignored it and let his shirt fall to the floor, still in pursuit. He sat down on the edge of the bed. “Get over here.”
Her arms crossed in front of her and she let her lips form a pout—something he wasn’t opposed to when he deserved it.
“You’re an ass.”
“Well, yeah. I’d have to agree, but you were warned so I can’t feel too sorry for you. What did I do this time?”
She stomped toward him. “Well, let’s see. Where do you want me to start?”
“I don’t know,” he stated thoughtfully. “How big of an ass am I?”
A sound of pure frustration ripped through the room. He couldn’t help but smile.
Her sexy little finger pointed in his direction. “You’ve been digging into my past and trying to find out anything you can about me. Then, you hire a…a…whatever she was…to make me think you are most definitely a male whore only to play a ridiculous hand at the final table and give me everything I wanted on a silver platter.”
Her palms were on either side of her hips. “I wanted to beat you—because I could, you know—fair and square. Oh, and that’s not the best part. Now, the media is standing outside of our rooms with their ears pressed to the door to see if we’re rockin’ The Rio.” She gritted her teeth and then reminded him again, “You are an incorrigible ass!” She went way overboard with the enunciations.
“Then why are you in my room?” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to sit on his lap. She fought—not hard enough, but he still gave her a kiss for the forced effort.
“I’m serious, I’m pissed at you.”
“You don’t get to be pissed tonight, baby.”
“It’s daylight so it’s okay, really.” Sarcasm worked.
“I don’t give a damn if it’s high noon or midnight, I’m going to bed and you’re coming with me.” He pulled her closer. “And probably in more ways than one.” He chuckled.
“No. I’m not.” She stood up and placed her hands on her hips. “Max, I have a right to remain angry here.”
“Fine, suit yourself.” He walked over to the door and opened it. A bellman came into the room like he not only belonged there but like he’d been waiting for the door to open just anytime. Max’s lips turned up even more. “But the bed you’re sleeping in tonight is one of the finest—mine. Get packed. We’re moving.”
Audra glanced at the bellman and then back at Max. “Are you insane? I’m not going anywhere with you right now.”
He ignored her and reached for his wallet. Before he pulled out a few bills and handed them to the man waiting for a lover’s quarrel to end, he added more fuel to the blaze standing behind him. “I don’t have a problem sending our luggage out first if you can’t wait to have me but Audra, please have some class, we have company.” He sneered, just for effect before he snagged his shirt from the floor and tossed it over his back. He wasted little time in leading Audra straight to her room.
Before he shut them off from the man with the brass cart, he glanced at the older chap’s nametag. “Go ahead and load my stuff up, Tom. I’ll get Ms. Alexander ready and then we can get her squared away while you’re here.”
The older man took his tip, nodded and thanked him.
After they were alone, Max leaned up against the wall with his hands placed behind his back. His ankles crossed for balance and he quickly glanced around him to see how much packing she would need to do—not much. “You must’ve thought you would be the first one out. Already packed?”
“Don’t kid yourself. I came here to win and I—”
“Won—yes, you certainly did—and it was without any help from me.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it!” She frowned. “There was no way either of us could steal the lead so you made the decision to combine our stacks and you did it without talking to me first!”
“Oh, be reasonable, Audra. What motive would I possibly have to let you win? Come on!” He acted bored. He twisted his shoe and crooked his head to check out a new scratch on the side of it. “Now, you’re the reining World Series of Poker Champion and I’m ready to celebrate.”
As he watched her look for another way to draw him into the argument he refused to have with her, a sudden change of thought made him instantly aware of everything. He was going to make a sudden change of plans. “I planned to move us upstairs, but on second thought, I have another idea.”
“Great! Like the idea you had when you slipped some hooker a thousand dollars to make me jealous? Super. I can’t wait to find out what you have in mind this time.”
Before she started packing, he gathered her in his arms. His hand swiped her hair away from her face. “If you’re mad at me, then you have to give me a chance to make things right.” He kissed her, just a light skim across her lips but it left her hungry for more, something her eyes wouldn’t allow her to deny. He must’ve had steel in his balls to leave her unsatisfied but he did. Reaching for his phone, he gave her a wink. “This is my city and you’re going to see the best this place has to offer.”
* * * *
She was mad—but not that mad. It was easy to forgive and forget when you were standing in the middle of the Vegas version of Hugh Hefner’s pad.
“I thought you might like it.”
“How’d you pull this off?” She looked around and decided she liked the word posh now
that she truly grasped the meaning.
“I have the money.”
“I’m sure but…”
“You have the money…”
“Max, I know but don’t you think this is a bit much? I mean come on…think of the crowds who frequent this suite.”
“Think of the people who’ve had sex in this suite.” He pointed out.
“Nice.” She blinked her eyes sarcastically.
“I think so.”
“Stop it, I’m serious here.”
“So am I.” He looked around. “Three bedrooms and over nine thousand square feet, I’m sure there’s been plenty of opportunity for it regardless of the guest list.”
Audra glanced around. It was hard to miss the bunny emblem of the pool. “This is too much, Max.”
“No, it’s not. Besides, I get something out of it.”
“You do?”
“Sure, I do.” He chuckled. “I can’t wait to show you the spinning beds.”
“You like to think the world is just at your feet and I guess it really is, isn’t it? You can buy it and place it there. Anything you want, you just snap your fingers and a host will get it for you. Clap your hands and they’ll cough up a suite with champagne on ice in every room…”
“How’d you know?”
“I know you.”
“You think you know me Audra, but you don’t know the real me. Then again, you’ve changed me—everything about me…until I don’t recognize myself.” His eyes turned dark, hazed over by the midnight more than the blue, and as if to break up the strained moment of silence, he quickly turned the conversation back to the suite. “I assured them we’d gamble here after a few hours of rest and if we don’t, I’ll give them their twenty-five thousand a night—no pressure.”
She swallowed tightly. “Twenty-five thousand dollars a night?” She looked around the room. “I can’t stay here. There’s no way.” She shook her head.
“Why?”