by Vella Day
“I’m game.” Elise had brought a hundred dollars with her to use as fun money. Other than Blackjack, she didn’t understand any of the games, but she figured she’d watch a bit, and if she felt comfortable, she’d gamble.
“It’s this way,” Samantha said, pointing past the gambling tables.
This casino was nicer than the one where they were staying. In the foyer, instead of lights decorating the ceiling, this one had glass sculptures in the shape of flowers. Down one corridor were several mini dioramas decked out for the season with pumpkins, bats, and ghosts.
In the middle of the hotel was the casino where the low ceiling lights bathed the whole room in an amber hue, giving the place a warm and cozy vibe. Elise was totally in awe of the sensual and exciting aura that permeated the gaming hall, but she had to stop oohing and aahing and just walk.
Slot machines were interspersed between the gambling tables, and bars appeared at random. Some of them were packed with glamorous women and older men, while others sat closed. Perhaps those opened only late at night.
Above each table was a sign with the names of the games, most of which she’d never heard of. The most intriguing sounding one, however, was Bucking the Tiger. She might have to investigate what that game entailed after the show.
As she moved toward the escalators in the back, she couldn’t help but notice some of the dealers had no one at their tables, while others had a ton of gamblers and onlookers. One of the unique elements of the casino was that all the dealers wore animal outfits ranging from tigers to lynx to panthers. She could stay here for hours and watch, but she had a show to attend.
Suddenly, lights flashed above one of the slot machines, and the excitement drew her in. A trio of older ladies in front of the slot machine raised their arms and screamed. If Elise had been in their shoes, she’d have acted the same way.
When she finally returned her attention back to her friends, she’d lost sight of them. Oh, shit! A sign above her said Mane Event with an arrow pointing toward the escalator, and she inwardly smiled at the pun.
Hurrying across the marble floor as fast as she dared, she had to be careful not to slip. Damn high heels.
Once she reached the upper level, new signs led her to three sets of auditorium doors. The male revue show was sandwiched between a magic show and Lana Devoe, one of the hottest singers around. In front of the El Tigre auditorium sat a cardboard cutout of ten hot men in skimpy outfits, and she breathed a sigh of relief that she was in the right place.
About twenty people were lined up at each of the three entrances, and even though she didn’t see Regina or Samantha, it didn’t really matter as she had her reserved seat ticket in hand. As Elise headed to the line with the cardboard cutouts, she spotted her friends—or at least their pink and lime green shirts and their long blonde hair.
Elise fingered her ticket and shifted her weight from side to side as she edged closer to the door. No one was behind her, and she hoped she wasn’t late. When she finally reached the man taking the tickets, he smiled, ripped it in half and handed it back to her.
“The leopard will show you to your seat,” he said.
A leopard, how cute was that? A young woman, dressed in a cat outfit, guided her into the dark auditorium and marched her to the third row from the stage. “It’s the fifth seat in.”
Because the show was about to begin, the lights had already dimmed, and Elise needed a moment for her eyes to adjust. When she found her seat, she let out a breath and turned to her left and then the right, expecting to have her friends, Regina and Samantha, chastise her for being slow. Only neither of them was there. That was odd, but perhaps Regina hadn’t been able to buy all three seats together. It didn’t matter. After the show, they could compare notes.
The music began and Elise settled in for a great time. When the curtain rose, a handsome man in a cape was standing next to a box big enough to house a human, and two beautiful women dressed in tiger outfits were next to him. What the heck? Where were her hot men? Only then did she see the sign above the man stating he was Nikolai, the Royal Master of Magic.
Well, damn. She’d landed at the wrong show. No wonder her friends weren’t sitting next to her. Elise pulled out her ticket to check what was written on the front, but it was too dark to see. The concierge must have given Regina the wrong ticket because the attendant at this show didn’t even blink when she handed it to him. If she left now, though, there would be no guarantee there’d be any seats left at the male revue. Besides, her ticket was torn in half. Well, happy birthday to me. Not.
Elise sank back against her seat and decided she might as well enjoy herself. After fifteen minutes of seemingly impossible magic tricks, she had to admit Nikolai was pretty fantastic. He’d levitated a woman, cut another one in half before putting her back together again, and changed a man into a tiger. Now that was spectacular.
“For my next act,” Nikolai said, “I’m going to hypnotize one lucky lady from the audience. She’ll believe she’s living out her fantasy, when in reality I will be teaching her how to do the Argentine Tango. Do I have any volunteers?”
Spotlights crisscrossed the crowd and Elise looked behind her to see if there were any waving hands. Nope. Not a one. They better pick someone fairly young since the Tango was no easy dance. She’d tried it once and failed miserably. She had two left feet, which might be why she would rather watch a show like Dancing with The Stars, than dance.
When a bright light flashed on her face, she blinked, and shielded her eyes. The older lady next to her placed a hand on her arm. “They picked you, dear, go on up.”
No way in hell. She’d make a fool of herself. One, she didn’t believe in hypnosis and two, she’d look like a damn idiot doing the Tango.
The same girl in the leopard outfit who’d escorted her to her seat, stood at the end of the aisle. “Come this way, please.”
When the four people to her right stood and everyone began clapping, Elise had little choice but to go up. Thank goodness the light was dim or else they’d see her red face. When this was over, she was going to kill Regina and Samantha for losing her in the crowd.
The leopard lady ushered her to the stage where a chair materialized out of thin air. Thankfully, it faced the magician and not the crowd. To help gain some control, Elise sat down then rubbed her sweaty palms on her skirt. Given the man’s immense talent, he could probably tell that her heart was about to burst. If she’d been put in a space capsule and sent to the moon, she wouldn’t have been further out of her comfort zone than now.
“What is your first name, dear?”
“Elise.”
“Well, Elise, you have nothing to be afraid of. I just need you to relax.”
He might as well have asked her to do the Tango, because that might have been easier. She inhaled deeply. “I’ll try.”
“In order to make sure you aren’t distracted, we’re going to blindfold you. Is that okay? You aren’t claustrophobic, are you?”
Fortunately, she didn’t have issues with that. Nothing was going to happen while she was on a stage in a room with hundreds of people. “No. I’m good.”
The leopard tied a scarf over her eyes, and to her surprise, her pulse slowed.
“I want you to picture your safe spot. On a count of three, you will only hear my voice and then the fantasy will begin. Nod if you understand.” Elise nodded, though she doubted she could be put under. “Wonderful. I’d like you to look down and tell me what kind of shoes you are wearing.”
That was an odd request, especially since she was blindfolded, but she would answer anyway. “Sandals.”
Wait a minute. She’d walked in wearing her black pumps, yet somehow she pictured herself wearing something more casual.
“Excellent. And where are you?”
Elise let her imagination take over. He wanted to know her fantasy and she’d give it to him. “I’m at the beach, reclining on a lounge chair with the sun beating down on my face.” She loved the warm weather an
d her toes in the sand.
“Very good.”
The man’s voice was low and soothing and soon Elise became so relaxed, it was as if the floor had opened up below her, and she was floating on a wave. Her breathing slowed and her arms and legs didn’t seem to be part of her body anymore. Air kissed her face, and except for the lack of squawking seagulls and the waves lapping on the shore, she could almost be convinced she truly was on some sandy beach.
Strong arms lifted her from her mythical lounge chair. “Come with me.” The silky smooth voice was deep and sensual, and she could almost picture dark hair kissing his shoulders. He’d be bare except for a loincloth.
Her head lolled against his hard chest and she let out a sigh. If she’d been able to command her hand to move, she would have touched him. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t real; this was her fantasy and she wanted to enjoy the next few minutes to the fullest. His feet pounded on a hard surface instead of the soft sand, and a second later, she was placed on something very comfortable.
“Keep the blindfold on for another minute, okay?” he asked though it sounded more like a command than a request.
Despite her curiosity, Elise wanted to obey him. “Okay.”
A door closed and she pushed up on her elbows, trying to focus on her surroundings, listening for Nikolai’s voice or some whispers from the audience, but her mind zeroed in on some unidentifiable tune that surrounded her. Okay, she definitely wasn’t on her fantasy island anymore. Perhaps Nikolai had put on background music while he readied them for her dance. Given she had to wait, she might as well relish these moments of pure bliss.
“You can take the blindfold off now.” Her mystery man’s voice came out muffled as if he was behind a closed door.
Excited, she did as he asked. Whoa. She wasn’t on the stage any longer or on a sandy beach for that matter but rather in an incredibly lavish suite. A large mural of lions and tigers filled one wall while vines, waterfalls, and monkeys were painted on another. Had Nikolai surrounded her with portable walls to get her in the mood to dance? His choice of décor hardly matched her idea of Argentina.
Elise pinched herself to see if she was still dreaming, and a sharp ache tripped up her arm, hitching her heart. Sure, Nikolai said her fantasy would seem real, but this was almost creepy in its level of reality.
The door on the other side of the room opened and her heart nearly stopped. An orange and black striped tiger entered, and Elise scooted back on the bed and clutched the blanket. Holy crap! Yes, she loved cats and always fantasized about snuggling up with a tiger or a lion, but the intensity in this tiger’s eyes jacked up her heartbeat to near bursting.
She held up a hand. “Just stop right there.”
No surprise, the tiger didn’t listen. He kept easing toward her, acting as if he wanted to eat her—or else he was grinning at her. Reason intruded. Las Vegas had a ton of circus animals and one had probably become loose—that or this animal-themed casino had a pet tiger. Her muscles relaxed a little at that thought.
“Nice kitty.”
The cat placed a huge paw on the bed and tilted his head to the side but didn’t jump up. Okay, this dream wasn’t fun anymore.
Think of another fantasy!
She wanted that strong man who’d carried her in here again. Then she wanted that same tall, virile man to make mad, passionate love with her. She gobbled up romance novels like they were candy and yearned to feel the heat between her thighs and have him push her over that climactic edge so fast and hard that time stood still. Was that too much to ask?
With his head still cocked to the side, the tiger closed his eyes. Not wanting to anger the beast, Elise eased off the bed away from the animal. Her gazed darted around the room looking for a place to hide. Aha. A door on the far side of the room had to lead somewhere—a bathroom, a closet, or perhaps a hallway. If she could close the door, she should be safe. A tiger couldn’t turn a door handle.
Faster than she’d ever moved before, she darted to her place of safety, pulled open the door, and jumped inside. The moment the latch clicked close, she sagged against something soft, but her heart still pounded wildly.
“Elise, why did you run?” said her fantasy man.
Was he kidding? Why did I run? Because a wild animal had been just about ready to have me for a snack.
Wait a minute; that voice was human, and once that registered, her blood pressure returned closer to normal.
“Is he gone?” She wasn’t sure how that was possible in the three seconds since she’d locked herself in the closet, but maybe the big cat had been a figment of her imagination.
“I’m the only one here.”
Because the man sounded like the one who’d carried her in there, Elise twisted the doorknob and pushed it open an inch. What she saw made her heart stop.
2
“Ah, you’re naked,” Elise said. Even though she averted her gaze upward, heat raced up her face.
“I am. Isn’t that what you wanted? This is your fantasy.”
Don’t tell me he can read my mind? Of course he could read her mind. This was her dream, created in her head, but it damn sure felt real. She let out a huge breath and stepped into the room.
As long as she was directing this fantasy, she might as well do what she wanted. “It is. I have to say, you’re better than I ever pictured you.” Sure he had broad shoulders and ripped abs, but his face was like that of a god—green eyes with dark brown hair that had enough of a wave to make her want to wrap her finger around each curl and inhale his scent. In the past, she’d always been drawn to men with deep, chocolate brown eyes, and thick, dark hair, but not anymore.
Apparently he was pleased with her comment, because her mystery man stood taller and his cock jutted out large and proud. Oh my.
“Do you want to touch me?” he asked.
He could see into her head. “Yes.”
Elise kept telling herself this wasn’t real, but her feet hurt and her stomach was fluttering uncontrollably. She sure could use those comfy sandals she’d imagined earlier right about now. Elise inched her way toward him, her gaze returning to his erection every few seconds.
Erection! That was it. She’d been thinking about the male revue show and this was her way of compensating. Wouldn’t Samantha and Regina be jealous when she told them how she had been able to explore one of the men—more or less? Only which one was he?
“What’s your name?”
“Max.”
“Is that short for Maximum?”
He chuckled. “How about I let you decide?”
“I think I’d like to get to know you first.”
What was she doing? Max wasn’t real. Hell, once Nikolai snapped his fingers, or whatever hypnotists did to break a person out of a spell, he’d no longer exist, so why waste her precious time asking about him? Because I can’t help myself.
Elise stepped closer to her dream man and her vision blurred—or else her eyesight was failing her. She could have sworn his hair turned a lighter shade of brown, actually bordering on orange, and thick hair had popped out on his chest. That was some cool magic trick.
Max must have lost his patience because he closed the gap between them and cupped her shoulders. Warmth immediately streaked down her arms. “Don’t be afraid of me,” he said. “I’m here to fulfill your every wish.”
His words couldn’t have been more perfect. Emboldened by his positive comments, she ran her fingers down his chest, loving the softness of his hair that covered his pecs of steel. “You have a nice body.”
Smooth, Elise, real smooth.
“So do you.” His fingers undid her blouse buttons with little effort. The odd thing was that she had no desire to stop him—that is, until he exposed her bra.
She immediately stepped back and pulled one side of her shirt over the other. “No, I don’t.” At least Brent had said she didn’t.
His smile lightened his eyes. He was truly a beautiful man. “Let me be the judge. I think you are perfect.�
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Now she knew this was a dream. “Then thank you.”
Elise kicked off her shoes and the relief was intense. After slipping the shirt from her shoulders, she let her top float to the floor, and his eyes widened. When he licked his lips, Elise glanced down at her bra. Damn. It was white—a plain old boring one.
“You have beautiful breasts.”
Her subconscious sure was doing a good job of bolstering her ego. “Thank you.”
Max was naked, so it only made sense that she should be too. It went without saying that he would love her body because this was her show. All she had to do was let her subconscious rule and she’d be flying higher than any rocket ever could.
The music changed to a slower, more sensual beat, and the lights dimmed. Good job, Elise. She must have conjured up this seduction so many times that her mind knew what she liked to hear.
Her skirt was stretchy and slipped easily over her hips.
Max whistled. “Sweet. Do you need help with your panties?”
Last night, her friends had given her a few pairs of sexy underwear as a birthday present. Thankfully, Elise had picked one with an animal print to wear tonight. How appropriate was that? “Sure.”
Max dropped to his knees in front of her and inhaled. “I can’t get your scent out of my head.”
She laughed. He glanced up at her and tilted his head, looking a lot like that tiger that had come out of the bathroom. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything,” Max reached up and caressed the waistband of her panties. When he dragged his fingers across her ample belly, his eyes lit up even more. What she wouldn’t give if all men appreciated her shape.
“Did I see a tiger in here, or was that my imagination?”
“It’s your dream. He was here if you wanted him to be.”
She guessed that answered her question. She’d wanted something warm and furry to hug and a tiger had appeared. Perhaps she could conjure him up later—much later, after she made love with Max.