by L. P. Dover
“I don’t know if you knew this, but I didn’t just have one sister, but two, both younger. One is an undercover detective and the other was a rising beauty queen, literally. She was on her way to becoming Miss USA. The day before she was supposed to leave for the pageant, her friends threw her a party. She and my sister were on their way home when she swerved off the road to avoid a deer. Her car flipped and rolled into a ravine. I wasn’t far behind them in my car so when I saw the accident, I tried to help.
“The car caught on fire, but I knew Braylen was dead. Brooklyn, on the other hand, was still alive. It took me forever to get her out, and just as I did, the car burst into flames. I got most of the damage shielding Brooklyn, but she too was burned. For years after that, my parents blamed me for Braylen’s death. They were angry with me for not getting her out.”
“But you couldn’t. You said it yourself, she was already dead. It makes sense you would choose Brooklyn.”
He laughed, but it wasn’t meant to be humorous. “Braylen was their favorite. They didn’t want to accept she was gone.”
“Are they still mad at you?”
Turning around, he smiled down at me. “You’re cheating. That’s another question.”
“It’s actually a part of the original one,” I countered.
“Well then, no, they’re not mad at me anymore. It took them a while, but they came around.”
“I’m glad. I bet that wasn’t easy.”
He set two more cards down and shook his head. “It wasn’t. But now it’s my turn.” This time, he dropped the deck of cards onto the table and brushed his thumb across my lips. “If I tried to kiss you now, would you let me?”
He tilted my chin up, bringing his lips close to mine. I could feel his breath and see the raw heat in his eyes. All I had to do was give him the answer and seal my fate. “I would say yes, but I can’t. Not until I get one final answer from you.”
“Which is?”
“Last night, when you left and didn’t come back until dawn, did you sleep with anyone?”
He stared at me and then dread settled into the pit of my stomach when he nodded. “I did,” he answered.
Anger boiled in my veins, and I pushed him away as hard as I could. “You son of a bitch. Get the hell away from me.”
“Aylee, let me finish. It wasn’t like that.” He wrapped his arms around my waist to hold me in place, but I elbowed him in the side.
“Let me go!”
He growled in pain and even more so when I elbowed him again and rushed toward the door. The thought of him being with another woman made me furious. I was even more disgusted that he wanted to have sex with me the day after. “Dammit, Aylee, stop!” he shouted.
My hand touched the knob and before I could turn it, he grabbed me around the shoulders and tackled me to the floor. I tried to fight him off, but he held my wrists above my head, his body pressing into mine. “Let me up or I swear to God I’m going to cut off your balls and make you eat them.”
“Now that I have your attention, you can listen to what I have to fucking say.” I turned my head, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing I was hurt. “Look at me, Aylee,” he commanded.
“Fuck you.”
Tightening his hold, he held my wrists with one hand and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. “My God you have a temper. One way or another, you’re going to listen to me. I did not fuck another girl. I slept with someone, but I didn’t fuck her.”
“You expect me to believe that?” I spat.
His mouth pulled back into a smile and he moved closer, lips almost touching mine. “You need to believe it, considering the fact I slept next to you. I’m actually insulted you don’t remember.”
Eyes wide, I gasped, my body relaxing beneath his. I thought I dreamt about him in my bed, but I was wrong. Or maybe I subconsciously knew all along.
“You remember don’t you?”
Pursing my lips, I rolled my eyes. “Talk about being a creeper. Maybe it’s you I should be afraid of.”
He chuckled low and whispered across my lips, “You should definitely be afraid.” Letting my wrists go, he brought his mouth down on mine.
My mind was telling me to stop him, but I could only focus on the taste of his lips and the way his hands felt on my body. The next thing I knew, my shirt was off and his mouth was on the mounds of my breasts.
“You have no idea how bad I’ve wanted you.” Pulling my bra back, he flicked his tongue across my nipple, forcing a moan from between my lips. Spreading my legs with his knee, he pushed his arousal into me and rocked.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and for a split second he tensed when I touched his scarred skin, but relaxed when I bit down on his ear. Our bodies rubbed together and that delicious ache I’d longed to feel again surfaced. My breaths came out in rapid pants and I held onto him tight, but he stopped and looked down at me.
“Before we go any further, is this what you want? I don’t want you waking up in the morning thinking this was all a mistake.”
“It is what I want, but I don’t want to be another notch on your belt. What if you wake up tomorrow ready to move on to the next thing?”
With heat-filled eyes, he reached behind my back and unhooked my bra, sliding it off my body. My skin broke out in chills as he lowered his lips to a nipple and sucked. “That’s not going to happen, firecracker. You keep me on my toes. I’m not letting you go, not until you want me to.”
I smiled and bit my lip. “I’ll let you know.”
Hoisting me in his arms, I giggled and kissed my way up his neck as he carried me into his bedroom. Tossing me onto the bed, he basically ripped my shorts off before sliding out of his pants. I shivered at the sight of his cock and ached to feel him inside me. He chuckled at my distress and prolonged it by kissing his way up my thighs, watching me the entire time. When he spread me wider, I held my breath until the first touch of his warm tongue across my clit made me jump.
“You like that?” he asked, licking me again.
“Very much so,” I moaned, moving my hips against his face. With his mouth on my sweet spot and a finger inside me, I was in heaven. I didn’t realize how much I missed the passion of intimacy. I’d never really had it before.
As Jason crawled up my body, I trembled in anticipation. I was glad he couldn’t hear the pounding in my chest. It almost felt like I was having sex for the first time. He buried his face in my neck and kissed his way up to my lips, opening me with his tongue. “Do I need to wear a condom?”
“I’m on the pill,” I moaned, arching my back as he massaged my breast.
Leaning down, he bit my nipple and growled, pushing the tip of his cock into my opening. I sucked in a breath and waited for him to slam into me, and when he did, I screamed out his name. His body slapped into mine and I countered by thrusting my hips up into his. Growling deep in his chest, he dug his fingers into my hips and bit down on my neck. “Holy, goddamn shit, you’re going to make me come so fucking fast.”
I didn’t care because I was about to explode all around him. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I could feel my insides clench and my orgasm build. “Harder,” I begged.
He sat up and pulled me with him. With his knees spread he held me tight against his body and pounded into me so hard the bed slammed into the wall. “Fuck,” he shouted. Grabbing my ass, he held me tight, bouncing me hard on his cock.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pushed my breasts in his face as I threw my head back. My clit was now rubbing against his skin, making my release come quick. It was so strong my eyes rolled into the back of my head and my toes curled. With my pussy and hips spasming uncontrollably, Jason sped up his thrusts.
Grunting loud, he jerked and twitched, his warmth spilling into me. Breathing hard, he pressed his forehead to mine and kissed me. “That felt so fucking good.”
“That it did,” I said, smiling lazily.
Eyes sparkling, he lifted his brows. “Want to do it again?”
“I really don’t like this idea,” I growled, getting into my car. For the rest of the week, I tried to convince her to back out of this plan, that I could handle it on my own, but she fought me at every turn.
Huffing, Aylee rolled her eyes. “We’ve been through this. You have to let one of the other men win, Jason. I’m going to leave all of my playing to you.” The thought of intentionally losing a game so she could be thrown into the hands of another enraged me. It wasn’t in my blood to lose.
“I know,” I grumbled, gripping the steering wheel. “Keep your phone on you at all times. If I sense any trouble, I’m coming in after you.”
She laughed and grabbed my hand, locking her fingers through mine. I loved the sound of her laugh. “There’s not going to be any trouble, I promise.”
Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do to get her to stay at the hotel. She was determined to do this and I’d come to realize there was nothing that was going to stop her. Even if I physically tried to apprehend her, she’d find a way out. She was that smart and determined.
We got to Drake’s house all too soon and already my blood was on fire. Now that Aylee was mine, I didn’t want any other man touching her. Out of all the cases I’d worked, this one was the hardest. I looked over at her in her emerald green dress and the way her tits moved up and down as she breathed. “Are you sure you don’t want my coat?”
“Trust me, I don’t like wearing this shit, but you know I can’t cover up.”
We got out of the car and headed for the door, passing only a handful of cars in the driveway. Drake’s house wasn’t nearly as big as Will’s, but it was down the street and in the same neighborhood. The door opened as soon as we got to it and there stood Drake, smiling wolfishly at Aylee.
“Welcome,” he announced, pulling her inside. “Would you care for a drink?”
She chuckled. “Already trying to get me drunk?”
“Not at all, darling.” Then he looked at me. “How about you? Whiskey? Bourbon?”
“Whiskey.”
“Coming right up.” He sauntered off and motioned for us to follow him. The hallway opened up to a ballroom of sorts, where a man played the grand piano and there were gambling tables everywhere with dealers.
“He has his own little casino,” Aylee whispered.
“And how much you want to bet he pays the dealers to rip everyone off?” I held out my arm and she took it.
“Then I guess you don’t have to worry about trying to lose.”
Drake poured up a whiskey and handed it to me. “Got you a double. You look like you need it.”
“You think?”
He chuckled. “I figured you needed to get loosened up before the game. Are you playing tonight, beautiful?” he asked Aylee.
She shook her head. “I’m going to let Jason play on my behalf. I was afraid you all would clean me dry. Besides, I don’t have millions of dollars to hand over.”
Drake’s eyes went wide. “Well, aren’t you a feisty one. I like that.” He patted me on the shoulder. “Just don’t get sore if you lose tonight. Agreed?” He held out his hand and I shook it, wishing I could punch him right in the nose.
“Agreed.” Unfortunately, there were no other women in the room, so all eyes were focused on Aylee as he led her to a chair and helped her sit.
“Avery, right here,” Drake called, patting the seat beside his at the poker table. There were only four of us at the table even though there were other men in the room. Clearly, they weren’t invited to join. Across from me sat Chazz with an eat shit grin on his face. To my right was Drake who drank his Bourbon like it was water, and then to my left was Mark, his expression unreadable.
The dealer took his place and shuffled the cards. “Gentlemen, are you ready? No chips will be allowed tonight. Strictly cash, or whatever it is you want to bet.”
“Hell yeah,” Chazz exclaimed, slamming his hand on the table.
I glanced quickly at Aylee who smiled and winked at me. At least I didn’t have to worry about her being ready for this. If I’d detected any hint of fear, I wasn’t going to let her go through with this. I would drag her kicking and screaming back home to Maine.
The dealer passed around our first two cards and mine were more than pathetic. I had a two and five of hearts. Drake threw in a hundred dollar bill and instead of folding like I knew I should, I put a hundred in as well. Chazz and Mark followed suit. The dealer then put down the three card flop and much to my surprise ended up having two heart cards in the mix. If the last deal turned out to be a heart, I would have a flush. It was no surprise when Drake upped his bet to one thousand dollars. Reluctantly, I did the same and so did the others.
Smiling, the dealer dealt out the last card. Fuck me. It wasn’t a heart and I was left with nothing but a pair of fives. Drake checked and I followed suit so I wouldn’t have to up my bid. The other two checked and the round was over; Chazz won the pot. “Good round, gentlemen.”
Round after round we played, gambling nothing but high bills. I actually won a few hands. Aylee watched the game like a hawk, studying the players. I knew the time was going to come when the real gambling would begin. The men were feeling me out, waiting for the perfect time to strike. It’d been two hours and still no request for Aylee.
Unfortunately, by the way Chazz was drinking, it was only making him bolder. He took a sip of his liquor and glanced at Aylee over his shoulder. “Why aren’t you playing tonight?” he asked, slurring the words.
Drake cleared his throat. “She decided to give her playing rights to Avery.”
He frowned and finished his drink. “I see. What a shame. I was really hoping to see you in action tonight. Maybe there’s still a way.”
She perked up and smiled. “Oh yeah, how’s that?”
Chazz stood and circled her like a hawk ready to strike its prey. “Why don’t you be the prize for the next game? Sure money’s great and everything, but nothing can beat the feel of a woman’s touch.”
“Surely, you can have any woman you want. Why do you have to gamble for me?”
This time Mark spoke up. “Because you’re beautiful and not like the women he’s used to. Not to mention, you’re taken, which makes it all the more alluring.”
“Eh, she’s not exactly taken, are you kitten?” Chazz said, sliding his finger down her arm. “Women like you always choose the highest bidder.”
She glanced quickly at me before facing him, forcing a smile. “Not all the time, Mr. Davies. But in this case, I’ll accept the challenge, on one condition.”
“Name the terms,” Drake called out.
Moving her arm away from Chazz, she stood and swayed her hips as she walked over to the table. “Whoever wins gives me the money in the pot. That’ll be my payment for the night. Do you all agree?”
We all nodded. Instead of going back to her seat, she sat down at the table to watch. The dealer passed out our two cards and I ended up with a king of spades and an eight of diamonds. Drake tossed in a thousand dollars and I did the same. Mark, on the other hand, raised it to three thousand. We all had a choice to make, either put in three or fold. Nobody backed down. The flop was dealt out next which ended up being a seven of diamonds, nine of hearts, and a six of clubs. I was close to getting a straight.
Drake put in another two grand and when it came to my turn, all eyes were on me. Grinning from ear to ear, I pulled out five thousand more dollars and threw it in the pot. Aylee’s eyes went wide and her lips flattened to a thin line. She wasn’t happy, but I had a plan.
“Damn, son, you came to play,” Drake noted, throwing in his five grand, followed by Mark and Chazz. The chance of getting a straight was slim, but my plan was working. I knew they would give it all for a night with her. The dealer laid down the last card and to my surprise it was a ten of diamonds; I had my straight. “All in,” Drake exclaimed, tossing a wad of money into the pot.
“How much is that?” I asked.
He smiled wide. “Twenty grand. I’m sure your litt
le morsel is worth that and much more.”
That she was, but I had no choice. Releasing a heavy sigh, I looked over at her and pushed my cards away. Chazz almost choked on the contents in his glass. “Are you seriously folding?”
I nodded once and sat back, folding my arms over my chest. Mark folded as well and pushed his cards to the side. Chazz, on the other hand, was happy to toss his money in. They flipped their cards over and it was no mistaking who the winner was. Drake had a full house and Chazz had a three of a kind.
“What the fuck,” Chazz growled.
Drake stood and pushed the money toward Aylee. “Here you go, beautiful. I hope this satisfies you.”
Batting her eyelashes, she glanced up at him. “Not as much as you will. I’m sure of it.”
He bit his lip and devoured her body with his eyes. Looking down at his watch, he grabbed his empty glass. “I do believe it’s time to call it quits for the night, gentlemen. If you wouldn’t mind seeing yourselves out, Miss McFadden and I are going to excuse ourselves.”
Aylee stood and winked quickly before grabbing her purse and leaving the room with him. If anything happened to her, I was never going to forgive myself.
“You have a beautiful home,” I told Drake. The paintings on the hallway walls were absolutely breathtaking, no doubt the taste of his wife or an interior designer. It made me wonder where his wife was this evening.
“Thank you. The years have been good to me,” he replied with pride. He was actually a good looking man with his coiffed brown hair and hazel eyes, dressed in his expensive suits. On the inside was where he was a disgusting rat bastard.
I turned my head, rolling my eyes. “I see that.” At least my purse was ten pounds heavier—compensation for risking my life. “Where are you taking me?” I followed him up the steps to another hallway, where he opened one of the doors and ushered me inside.
“My bedroom, beautiful. You must keep Avery a happy man for him to keep you around for as long as he has.”
“We work well together, Mr. Blackwell. I can’t say I’ve had that chemistry with any other man.” I walked into the room and as soon as he shut the door behind me, I reached into my purse and pulled out one of the tiny syringes. “I would love to have a glass of wine,” I said sweetly.