by Lying Eyes
Her voice dropped and her eyes did, too. “Max, you didn’t have to go to all this trouble just to apologize.” She quickly turned around to really absorb their surroundings. “I mean, look at this place.” Her arms were wide as she spun around in a circle.
Spotting the first bottle of Cristal, he retrieved the bottle and popped the cork within a few seconds. Reaching for the first flute he saw, he poured a glass. He chuckled when he handed it to her. “So, that’s what you think I’m doing—apologizing?”
“Aren’t you?”
“Absolutely not.”
She looked puzzled.
“Remember, I’m impossible. Male-chauvinistic and arrogant as hell. We voted on it and it’s unanimous.”
“You are and we have.”
“The worst.” He took a drink.
“You owe me an apology.” She wanted one, obviously.
“Really?” He seemed all the more amused as he took his glass and tilted it in her direction. “To us.”
“I’m serious. I’m pissed the hell off. The gal during the tournament kind of did it for me.”
“Then get over it because I have a lot planned for us. Starting right now.” He moved closer to her then and draped his lips over hers like they simply belonged there. His tongue searched out a taste of sweetness but she pushed him back and almost ruined the moment.
“Audra, I’m not the arguing type. I fucked up with the…girl-thing.”
“Ohhhhh,” she enunciated and went in for the kill. “This is the way you start an apology? And it wasn’t a girl-thing, it was a whore-thing. There’s a bit of a difference.”
“I didn’t lay a hand on her.”
“You had your lips on her,” he reminded.
“Barely—and only for show.”
“I’m sure—and the show part was just for me, right?”
“Jealous little number, aren’t ‘cha?” He chuckled.
“You have no idea. When it comes to you...” She stopped herself but he caught the implication and rolled with it.
“I sure as hell hope so.” He placed his glass out of the way and stalked forward.
“Why, Mr. Reynolds. You sound like you’re planning on sticking around.” Her face dropped into a solemn look as soon as she said the words. “I’m sorry, Max. I…don’t want to ruin this and I’m not asking you for anything.”
He stopped her run away emotions with some of his own. His closed fist ran over the length of her face from chin to ear and back again before he cupped the back of her neck, bringing his mouth over hers in an instant.
“You taste sensational.” He remarked before he dropped down on one knee. “I’m sticking around, if you’ll have me.” He reached in his pocket and brought out a ring box.
“Oh, Max,” she whispered.
Chocolate never looked any better than what he witnessed in her eyes. Fluid and warm, he was terrified she might cry with the moisture filling the corners.
She’d already started to shake her head, indicating she might say no but he planned to change her mind.
“Audra, just hear me out.” He hoped he could spit out everything he needed to say so convincing her to say ‘yes’ wouldn’t be a problem. “This world is a lonely place. I live a lonesome life, not in the sense of being without people because you know how it is in these casinos, there’s always someone around. There are enough warm bodies to fill the four walls of any casino but it’s not enough. After holding you in my arms, it’ll never be enough because there’s only one woman who can fill my heart. Audra, there’s only one you.”
“Max …”
“Let me finish.” He gripped the ring box all the tighter. “My life has purpose and meaning with you in it but without you, Audra, I’m not sure if it ever will. I have a large net worth, a huge house out there somewhere just waiting for me to buy it, a couple of cars, and a couple of boats, and a wealth few can enjoy but without you…it doesn’t mean anything. And I’d gladly give it all up to spend the rest of my life loving you.”
She looked pale—snow white—and all the more beautiful. But she didn’t say yes and the longer he looked at her, the more he wondered why.
As if it dawned on him all at once, he fumbled with the lid and showed her the ring and it was a beauty. He called in the right favors with the right jeweler and the most fortunate VIP host in the city delivered it expecting a promise—which he received—Max’s business.
“I want you to be my wife, Audra Alexander. I don’t know what I can give you, outside of everything money can buy but I know you have my heart and I’ve never been so mesmerized by anyone in my entire life.”
“You don’t waste time, do you?” Tears now spilled. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not because he was still unable to read the woman.
“I’m older than you so my life expectancy from here forward is shorter than yours.” He gripped her hips and moved his lips to her belly. “Besides, you my dear have missed out on far too much lovin’ and I want to remedy that little problem as soon as possible.”
“You do?”
“Sure do. I believe in making up for lost time.”
“Max…we’ve only been together a few days, two weeks tops. This is all happening so fast.”
His eyes seemed to light up at her chosen words. “So, at least you’re ready to admit we’re a couple?”
“Yeah.” Her voice held sincerity. “And I don’t need a ring to make me realize I would go completely crazy without you.”
“I do.”
The way he enunciated the two words shocked them both. “And I need it on your hand now.” He took it from the box and slid it on her left hand. “Do me the honor, Audra. Please be my wife.”
“Max…you don’t understand. I come with baggage. Maybe it’s different than yours but it’s there all the same.”
“Audra, do you trust me?”
She hooked a forced smile. “I guess—yes, I do.”
“All of your father’s debts are taken care of…” He stopped himself and then continued, “Consider it a wedding gift.”
“That’s one hell of a wedding gift.”
“I forgot to tell you, I’m kind of a rich fellow.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of assumptive and very cocky.” She giggled.
“Yeah, but you already knew all that.” He winked.
“I don’t need your money, Max. You should’ve let me handle Smoke and his crowd. They’ll come after you now and it’ll be my fault.”
“No, I don’t think so,” he promised. “It’s a long story and I’d rather save it for another day. I don’t want anything to ruin this moment. Just know, Smoke is going away and he’ll never bother you again. He won’t have the chance because I’ll never give him one.”
“What have you done?” She looked like she just sliced her own throat.
“I took care of your problem.”
“You don’t know that.” She spoke the words barely above a whisper.
“Yes, sweetheart, I do.”
“How?”
“You said you trusted me,” he reminded.
“That was before I realized you were suicidal. Obviously, you like living on the edge.”
“I like the idea of living with you.”
“Max, you shouldn’t have…”
“I know what I want and I want to take care of you. This was a man’s business and something you shouldn’t have had to deal with by yourself.”
“It wasn’t your problem.”
“I made it my business and it’s taken care of because I don’t like to leave problems unresolved. It’s handled…now, if there aren’t any other objections?” He grinned.
She only hesitated for a couple of minutes. “I have bad habits.” After the squeaky revelation, her demeanor shifted and her playful tone resurfaced. The one he’d grown to love.
“Like?”
“For starters, I have this unquenchable habit of watching one of poker’s finest play cards until all hours of the morni
ng.”
“You do, huh?”
“Yes, and I don’t think I can break it just because I get married.”
“Hmmm…I see where that might be a problem.” He stood then and pulled her to him. “What else?”
“I like to spend too much time in bed. Whenever I’ve played grueling tournaments, I can stay in bed for two or three days at a time. Usually, that means movies and room service.”
“I’m lovin’ this idea of marriage, I should’ve thought of it sooner. Like two years ago,” he growled.
“And I’m hopelessly in love with a poker player—he’s my obsession, really—and I’m not sure there’s room for anything more.”
He studied her face. “You do love me, don’t you?”
“I suppose the tells were there from the very beginning.”
“Yeah, they were,” he admitted.
“You read me like an open book, huh?”
“Sure did.” He lied.
“Always knew what to expect?”
“Never fooled me once.”
“No surprises?” She was disappointed.
“None,” he informed.
“Well, then it’s about time for one.” She looked around at their posh surroundings and an idea came to her mind at once. “I’ll marry you on one condition.”
“Name it.”
“I’ll only marry you if we can do it right now. Today.”
“Done.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Audra?” He pecked lightly on the door and waited for another random ass-chewing.
“Max, not now.” Her voice sounded tired, exasperated.
“I know, honey. I know. Soon.” He felt his lips twist up in a smile he simply wished he could share with her. His hand jiggled the little round door handle but it was most definitely locked.
“Is sex all you ever think about?” It sounded like she moved away from the door and then back again. “I mean really, is that it? If it is, then I have a feeling you better marry two of us because—”
“Since you asked—yes.” He propped his forehead on the door. “And I have an insatiable appetite for one leggy brunette with big boobs and a beautiful smile.”
“Then I’m not marrying you.” She made the mistake of peeking out to glare at him and he pushed his way inside.
“The hell you’re not. You’re not standing me up now with all of our friends on standby.” He grabbed her damn-near nude body and wrapped his arms around her, folding her into his chest. “Stop wiggling, you’re going to get me all hot and bothered.” His thighs bunched and knees bent as he struggled to place her hot little pussy right over the swell found easily imprinted in his pants.
“Oh, no you don’t…” She tried to release the hold he already had on her waist but the movement she used only helped, rather than impeded his progress. “And our so-called friends are who?”
His fast hands worked for progress. He had her fastened under lips, grip, and hips as he moved her to the bed. “The media. They’re all the friends we need in this business.”
“Oh, you’re good.”
“Are you just now noticing?” He tried to fake disappointment.
“Max, it’s bad luck to see your bride before the wedding.” His kisses only smothered out a lame attempt to refuse him.
“I don’t believe in luck.”
“Oh, I forgot. How silly of me. It’s all skill, right?”
“You tell me.” His hands moved over the length of her body and caught under the scant string holding her thong together in one place. His fist clenched, his wrist popped and he dismissed the lace as if he never existed.
“Nice.”
“Yeah. Nice doesn’t even start to describe this hot little body of yours.” His fingers worked with the front latch of her bra and he at least had the decency to unsnap it rather than rip it to shreds along with her panties. By the time she was completely nude, laughter shook them all over the bed.
“You think this is funny, huh?” He began to tickle her.
“Stop! Stop it now. Everyone is going to hear us!”
“Let them listen. I don’t give a damn. You think they don’t know what we’re going to do here later on tonight?” His lips moved across her breasts and down to her pussy where he quickly showed her how quickly he controlled the one he loved.
She pushed herself up on her elbows and slid high against the headboard. “Stop this now, Max! I’m really upset here.” She enunciated her words as she tried to sip in some measure of air. “I want to do things the right way, for once.”
“Sweetheart, there’s nothing wrong with what I have in mind.” His gaze moved over her and he took a deep breath in, contemplating it, just for a second before he slid down her belly and squared his shoulders in between her thighs. “Okay, here’s the deal.” He moved his hot breath right above her pelvic area to speak a language his woman needed to understand.
Only a glance stolen and he was certain he was going to win regardless of the reasons she gave to the contrary. “I am going to have a taste of you. If you want to save the best for last and you think you can postpone this until after the ceremony, then I’ll go back to my room and wait for you to finish whatever it was you were doing in here before I convinced you to open the door.” He licked his lips and gave her a wink. “Do we have a deal?”
“Max…”
“Good. I thought so.” He sank into a man’s position and took what he wanted before giving her everything she so completely deserved.
“Oh, dear God, Max…” She fell back against the feather pillows and closed her eyes and just like he knew he would, he convinced her in a matter of minutes what she really wanted from him.
“I wanted to wait until we were married!” Her hips rose higher and higher. “Oh babe…”
She wasn’t exactly convincing.
And he wasn’t exactly making it easy. His tongue slipped over her folds and sipped in her moist space with the determination to make a very good impression.
“Max, please. Wait.”
It was a chore, but he softly blew across her pussy and then pushed himself away from her. “Okay, I’ll wait until after the ceremony.” He rose over her and kissed a nipple before he headed back out to greet the guests. He didn’t think she’d let him leave and he was right.
Pulling her thoughts together but unable to respond with a leap to stop him, she tempted him with words instead. “You don’t mind to wait?”
He pointed to his cock and laughed. “I can wait but some things can’t.”
“Then come on over here and take care of me before I change my mind.” Her finger crooked in a come and get it gesture.
“You’ll never have to ask me a second time.” He knelt down beside of her with his tongue falling right into place once again. With a swipe to the left and one to the right, he watched her. “Audra, if it’s any comfort at all, I’ve been all but married to you since you arrived in Las Vegas.”
“I know, Max. I know.” Her breathless words told him of the sleek pleasure she eagerly waited to ride.
Losing his pants and shirt, he climbed closer and she waited on his kiss. She expected it and definitely craved it, but instead of filling her mouth, he consumed her breast and her back arched with every lick. He loved her nipples and the way he worked her into such twisted despair kept her body writhing under his touch.
“Wet, aren’t you, sweetheart?”
She moaned and nodded but did she dare speak? She was afraid to talk now, scared it would all but stop the show and she didn’t want him to stop. Yes, he knew what she needed and he understood how to give it to her just like she wanted it.
His hand went to her precious little snatch and he felt for himself. “Ah yeah, Audra. Just me and you, sweetheart. Just me and you.” His finger slipped inside as his other hand fisted his cock. “Open up for me baby.”
She shifted her weight and spread her legs but then it hit her. “Max…wait.”
Ready, waiting, and hornier than he’d ever been
in his entire life and he had to stop now? Now, when he wanted to penetrate her more than anything he thought he’d ever want in his life? He cursed himself. “Damn it. I don’t want this.”
Her eyes flooded and threatened the dam was ready to break. “What?”
“No sweetheart, I don’t mean you. I mean…” He reached for the condom in the nightstand. They were strategically placed in every room because he intended to fuck her several times in each of them but now, he felt so damn guilty for going to the trouble. He wanted inside of her without barriers, without regard, leaving their life and sure, maybe even their future to chance and chance alone.
“Max?” Audra studied his face. “We’re going to make babies until you can’t stand the sight of a bottle and I’m ready to start whenever you are.”
“But like you said, it’s only been a few weeks and I know you need time. The age thing, the time factors, and everything else, I can wait.” Damn it he needed to shut up, his greedy little engorged head all but peeked inside her tight little cave anyway.
“I’ve had time to think about it. Lots of time.” She kissed his cheek and pulled him closer. “Now, if you don’t mind. I’d really like to fuck my husband.”
“You would?”
“Yeah, I would.” Her body didn’t allow him time to reconsider. She bowed her back and grabbed his. “And I don’t want a rubber or anything else to keep you away from me.”
And he didn’t either. He sank into her folds with a push and a moan. Releasing a sigh of relief, she pulled him into a new layer of ecstasy. Her knees were bent and she rose up on her elbows just long enough to latch onto his mouth in a sexy-hot kiss.
Then, it was a race for the finish. Guests were waiting. Greedy desire took them and a new way to love found them giving and taking, searching and leading. Each stroke was more pleasurable than the last, each moan louder than the first, each kiss only sweeter than the next because he promised one more would always linger on his lips.
“You’re mine now, sweetheart. Mine forever.” He kissed the top of her head and pulled her against his chest. She was his, he’d embedded a piece of himself deep inside and he planned to do it again and again before their honeymoon was over.
“I’m yours.” In a matter of minutes, there wasn’t any denying it. The screams of pleasure escalated until he was truly afraid they’d kept their guests waiting just so they could witness the consummation of true love.