Up The Ante

by Trebelhorn, PJ

  “I’ve left a pair of shorts and a T-shirt on the counter for you if you want something to wear other than what you had on yesterday,” Ash said, speaking loud enough to be heard over the water. “Are you sure you want to go into town to have breakfast?”

  “Have you looked in your refrigerator lately?” Jordan chuckled as she reached down to turn the water off. She opened the door to the shower and accepted the towel Ash held out to her. She held it to her face for a moment and then put it around her shoulders, trying not to pay attention to the way Ash was looking at her body. If she did, they’d end up right back in bed again and probably starve to death. “What were you planning on making? There’s one egg, and I couldn’t find any bread or bacon. I used what you had last weekend. Don’t you ever shop for groceries? I mean, if you were planning on this happening when you made dinner for me last night, why in God’s name didn’t you pick up any other food?”

  “I wasn’t thinking past last night,” Ash told her with a slight smile.

  “We can go by the hotel so I can put on my own clothes. Not that wearing yours isn’t enticing, and just a wee bit erotic, but my shoulders are a little broader than yours.” Jordan dried off quickly and put Ash’s T-shirt on to prove her point. She might as well have been wearing a child’s shirt it was so tight in the chest and shoulders.

  “Mmm,” Ash said with a nod, her eyes fixed squarely on her chest. “Your breasts are slightly larger than mine too.”

  “Slightly?” Jordan shook her head and smiled at her in the mirror. When their eyes met, Jordan had to grab the counter before her legs gave out. “Don’t look at me like that.”

  “You didn’t seem to mind it last night. Or this morning, for that matter.”

  “We weren’t trying to do anything standing up then.” Jordan turned to face her and tried to keep her hands from shaking. She wasn’t entirely sure if it was from wanting to touch Ash, or the MS. Or lack of food. Maybe it was all three. She took a step toward her. “And for the record, I want you to look at me that way when we’re in bed.”

  “So noted.”

  “Spoken like a true cop.” Jordan escorted her out of the room and closed the door so she could get dressed in peace. She couldn’t think when Ash was around, and that wasn’t good. She needed to make sure Ash knew where they stood before things got truly out of hand, if they hadn’t already.

  When Ash wasn’t standing in front of her, or flat on her back underneath her, everything was so clear in Jordan’s mind. But when they were together, Jordan had trouble remembering why she needed to keep things casual between them. But things were already beyond casual. How could it not be with Ash? She should have known better than to give in, but she was in, and she had no desire to get out.

  “You are so screwed, Stryker,” she said to her reflection. “You need to grow a pair and learn to say no to her.”

  But it was so easy to say yes. To just close her eyes and forget anything existed outside of the moment and the two of them. Because when she was with Ash, that was all that mattered. Just them. The thought of leaving Vegas and never seeing her again threatened to make her physically ill.

  “Then don’t think about it,” she said. “At least not until you have to start your tournament tomorrow. Just enjoy it for what it is and deal with the aftermath later.”

  God, if it were only that simple.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Ash leaned back in her chair when the waitress brought their plates to the table. She’d been craving the waffles she was looking at, but when she saw Jordan’s eggs Benedict set in front of her, she considered whether or not she’d be able to distract Jordan long enough to switch their plates. Knowing she’d never get away with it, she spread the butter liberally over her waffles before drowning them in syrup.

  “Are you sure you don’t want some waffles with all that syrup?” Jordan teased her when they were alone again.

  “Shut up and eat your damn breakfast.”

  “Ooh, testy. You covet my food, don’t you?”

  “Fuck you,” Ash said, trying to be serious but failing miserably.

  “Later you can fuck me all you want.” Jordan spoke quietly as she leaned as far across the table as she could. Ash squirmed in her seat at the sexy tone of her voice and the arousal that swept through her body with the visual Jordan’s words elicited. When Jordan sat back she cut a piece of egg and English muffin and held the fork out to Ash. “But for now, have a bite.”

  Ash didn’t wait to be asked twice. She leaned in, closed her lips around the food, and pulled it off the fork, all while holding Jordan’s gaze. She was amazed as she watched Jordan’s eyes grow incredibly dark.

  “Hello, ladies.”

  Ash looked up and saw Jan standing next to their table. She glanced at Jordan and was surprised to see recognition in her features.

  “Jan,” Ash said with a nod. “What are you doing here?”

  “I was walking by in the casino and saw you two sitting here,” she answered. “I thought I’d come and say hello. How are you, Jordan?”

  “Very well, thank you.”

  “I heard you won the no-limit hold ’em tourney, congratulations.”

  “How do you know each other?” Ash tried hard to not show her jealous side, but Jordan’s smirk told her she wasn’t succeeding.

  “Well, we met at the bar last Saturday night, although Jordan doesn’t remember much about it from what I understand,” Jan said, her smile a little too feral for Ash’s liking. “And I ran into her last Sunday night outside Starbucks.”

  “I was there hoping you might be there,” Jordan told Ash. She reached across the table and covered Ash’s hand with her own.

  Ash smiled when she saw the maneuver had the desired effect. Jan looked at their joined hands before looking at each of them and nodding, her expression unreadable. She left without another word, and Ash let out the laugh she was holding in as soon as she was far enough away she couldn’t hear.

  “She wants you in the worst way,” Ash said, pulling her hand away and going back to her waffles.

  “I don’t want her.” Jordan stared at her until Ash finally met her eyes. “I don’t want anyone but you. She did try to pick me up, but I told her I wasn’t interested.”

  “Jan’s a friend, but the woman tries to pick up anything that has a vagina.”

  “Oh, ouch,” Jordan said with a wince.

  “I’m sorry. Did I bruise your ego?”

  “Bruise? I think you may have crushed it for good.”

  “You do know you’re not just anything that has a vagina , right? You are so out of her league on so many different levels.”

  “Nice save, Ms. Noble.” Jordan’s eyes flashed with what Ash could only call desire. “Hurry and eat your breakfast so we can grab a few things from my room and get back to your place. If we’re fast enough, the bed might still be warm.”

  *

  They never did make it back to Ash’s house, instead finding the hotel room bed to be quite satisfactory. Jordan was on her back, Ash’s body draped across hers, and Ash’s head on her chest. Ash was asleep, but Jordan couldn’t clear her mind enough to allow sleep to claim her.

  Jordan closed her eyes, trying not to let Ash’s exhales mere millimeters from her nipple affect her. It was a losing battle. Ash stirred slightly, an arm going around Jordan’s waist and holding onto her tightly.

  She was elated to have Ash back in her life, back in her bed. She was the only woman Jordan had ever loved, but that wasn’t something she’d ever told anyone. She allowed her hand to move in slow circles on Ash’s back as she stared at the ceiling.

  She tried to put herself in Ash’s place. Would she want to get involved with someone who had a disease like MS? An illness that could potentially rob her of her functionality, of her ability to communicate? The answer surprised her.

  If it was Ash, it wouldn’t matter.

  But how could that be? Why would anyone want to enter into a relationship with someone who might o
nly have a handful of years left to be self-sufficient? Even if she were willing to do it if Ash was the one who had MS, it wasn’t something she could ask of her. Ash deserved a partner who was whole, and who would be whole for many years to come. She sighed and tried to untangle herself from Ash’s arms and legs.

  “Don’t you dare think about leaving this bed,” Ash said against her skin. “You’re so warm.”

  “I need to go to the bathroom. Surely you wouldn’t deny me that, would you? I don’t think the maid would be very happy if I wet the bed.” Jordan kissed her forehead before Ash finally rolled off her and settled in to apparently go back to sleep. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise.”

  Jordan went into the bathroom and did what she needed to do. After she washed her hands she set about getting her medication ready to inject. Just as she was about to inject it into her upper arm, Ash tried to come in, but Jordan had locked the door. Ash knocked.

  “Jordan, I need to come in.”

  “Give me just a minute,” she called back. She could hear Ash grumbling on the other side of the door.

  She quickly did the injection and hurried to put everything away. She gave the counter one more look to make sure she hadn’t missed anything before unlocking the door. Ash pushed past her and ran to the toilet.

  “What took you so long?” Ash asked.

  “I didn’t know I did.” Jordan left the room before Ash had an opportunity to press the issue. She pulled on a pair of shorts and a shirt just as Ash came back out looking disappointed.

  “You’re dressed,” she said, an adorable pout on her lips. Jordan pulled her close and kissed her but pulled away before it had an opportunity to become passionate.

  “I am. And you should get dressed too. I want to take you to dinner.”

  “Where?” Ash seemed pleased by the prospect.

  “Anywhere your heart desires.”

  “Then can we go back to my place? I didn’t check to make sure Trixie had food and water before we left this morning.”

  “Absolutely,” Jordan said. “Wouldn’t want the little fuzzball to start hating me.”

  Jordan sat on the foot of the bed and watched Ash as she got dressed. She needed to do something. It was getting too easy to fall into a routine with Ash. It was time to tell her she’d be going home soon. She really wasn’t looking forward to that conversation. She smiled when Ash stepped into her shorts wrong and almost fell over. Jordan reached out to steady her, and Ash ended up in her lap.

  Hell, they could always talk tomorrow, right?

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Jordan didn’t do nearly as well in her second tournament as she’d done in the first. She was eliminated halfway through the second day. It didn’t bother her nearly as much as she thought it would, and she gave credit to Ash for that. Or maybe it had something to do with the six-figure check, her winnings from the first tourney, sitting in the safe in the lobby. Either way, she was okay with losing, as long as it didn’t translate into a loss during the Main Event.

  It was the Fourth of July, and Jordan was waiting in Starbucks for Ash’s shift to end. She’d worked the morning shift so they could make it to Mark’s grandmother’s house for her picnic and to watch the fireworks. Jordan was surprised at how easily she was fitting in to things in Vegas, and in Ash’s life. She still hadn’t had the dreaded conversation with Ash, and the more time that went by, and the more comfortable she felt, the harder it was for her to separate herself from everything going on around her. This felt right to her on so many levels, but she knew she had to put the brakes on. Soon. Just not on the Fourth of July.

  But if not today, when? The big tournament, the Main Event, started the next morning, and although she didn’t start playing until Monday, Ash was going to be working longer shifts because of the influx of people in the casino. She took a drink of her coffee and decided she would just have to make the time to have the conversation. It wasn’t like they were spending a whole lot of time sleeping.

  “Hey, you,” Ash said into her ear.

  She tried not to show how the low, sultry voice affected her, but the goose bumps on her arms gave her away. She smiled and turned in her seat to look at Ash.

  “Hey, yourself. I was just waiting for my date to show up, but maybe I’d rather spend the rest of my day with you. If we hurry, we might make it out of here before she shows up.” She lifted her eyebrows suggestively and Ash laughed. That beautifully wonderful laugh that made Jordan feel all warm and gooey inside.

  “You really want to risk her being angry with you?” Ash asked as she took a seat. Jordan glanced under the table at the long, toned legs Ash’s shorts revealed. Definitely not work attire, so obviously she’d changed in her office.

  “Wrap those incredible legs around me and I won’t care how angry she gets.”

  “Fuck, Jordan,” Ash said under her breath as she looked around.

  “Yes, exactly.” Jordan glanced around too, but there was nobody close enough to hear their conversation. She smiled as Ash crossed her legs and looked rather uncomfortable at being in public.

  “Do you have any idea how hard it’s going to be to get through the rest of the day?”

  “Mmm.” Jordan nodded. “Hard being the key word.”

  “Jesus.” Ash stood abruptly and towered over her. “Let’s go now so maybe we can leave early.”

  “Early? It’s the Fourth of July.” Jordan stood too and they walked out of Starbucks side by side. “There’s no such thing as leaving early on the Fourth or New Year’s Eve, because the whole point of the festivities is they take place at night.”

  *

  “Jordan, this is Kelly Osgood,” Ash said when he came to greet them, beers in hand. She took one and tipped the bottle in thanks before taking a drink. “We call him Oz, but don’t make any wizard jokes, because he’s really sensitive.”

  “So noted.” Jordan held a hand out and he shook it with a nod.

  “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Jordan,” he said.

  Jordan looked at Ash, an obvious question in her eyes. Ash didn’t really want to admit she’d talked about Jordan with Oz, or anyone else for that matter, but it looked like she was going to have to now. Perhaps she should have said something to him beforehand.

  “Finally?” Jordan asked.

  “I’ve heard so much about you over the years, it’s just nice to be able to put a face with the name.”

  “Really. Interesting.” Jordan put an arm around Ash’s waist and pulled her close, her lips just inches from Ash’s ear. “So you’ve talked about me a lot, have you?”

  Ash nodded and tried not to let on that the warm breath in her ear was turning her on. She turned her head and gave Jordan a quick kiss on the lips.

  “He works with me, but he’s also a friend. We talk.” Ash shrugged, hoping Jordan would let it go. Oz was the only one she’d told that she’d been in love with Jordan when they had their affair.

  “I brought a date,” Oz said as he looked around. “I don’t want to leave her alone for too long or else somebody else might try to pick her up. I’ll catch up with you guys later though, all right?”

  “Sure,” Ash said.

  “Nice to meet you, Oz,” said Jordan. They stood there in silence for a few minutes, Jordan looking like she was uncomfortable being around so many people she didn’t know.

  “Come on,” Ash said, taking Jordan’s hand and leading her toward the house. “I’ll introduce you to Mark’s grandmother.”

  She said hello to a few people on the way, and introduced Jordan to some of them. When they finally made their way onto the back porch, Ash opened the screen door and walked in. She’d been there so many times in the six years she’d been in Vegas she was beginning to feel like family. She had to admit it was nice to feel like she had a family again.

  “Sherry?” she called as they stood in the empty kitchen.

  “I’m in the living room,” came the reply. �
��Damn desert heat’s going to be the death of me. I can’t stay outside for very long at all anymore. Thank God for central air conditioning.”

  “Don’t think you can survive the Vegas summers without it,” Ash said. Sherry stood from where she’d been seated on the couch and Ash allowed herself to be enveloped in a hug. Sherry was a large woman, close to Ash’s height, but she weighed a good fifty pounds more. When they stepped back from their hug, Sherry eyed Jordan.

  “And who is this?” she asked.

  “This is Jordan Stryker. Jordan, this is Mark’s grandmother, Sherry.”

  “That’s not possible,” Jordan said, looking truly perplexed. “Mark would have to be ten for that to be mathematically possible.”

  “Oh, she’s good,” Sherry said with a laugh and a wink for Ash. She pulled Jordan into a hug and planted a kiss on her cheek. When she backed away, she placed a hand on Jordan’s cheek. “And one hell of a looker, too. But if you ever hurt Ashley, your good looks won’t keep you out of trouble with me, understand?”

  “Perfectly,” Jordan answered, looking a little frightened of what this woman might do to her.

  Ash watched the exchange with interest. She realized long ago that the people she’d met since moving to Vegas were the only family she needed. Sherry was a mother figure even though she was only fourteen years older than Ash. Sherry had only been thirty-two when her grandson was born.

  “Do you know Mark?” Sherry asked Jordan.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Good. Follow me.” Sherry led them back into the kitchen where she took a plate of hamburgers and chicken breasts out of the refrigerator. She shoved the plate into Jordan’s hands. “Take this to him and tell him it’s time to start cooking.”

  Jordan nodded and glanced at Ash before hurrying out the back door. Sherry motioned for Ash to follow her back to the living room where they sat side by side on the couch.

  “I think you’ve put the fear of God in her, Sherry,” Ash said, not able to keep from laughing.