Lucky Baby

by Layla Valentine

  Unable to keep myself off him for longer than a few seconds, I flop right onto his chest. His mouth meets mine right away, and he holds my face gently as we kiss.

  “Ride me,” he whispers against my lips.

  I uncertainly lean back. I’m don’t have much experience with what he’s requesting. The few times I’ve tried it, I’m pretty sure I just ended up embarrassing myself.

  There’s a passion in Jay’s eyes, though, that makes me not want to back down. It makes me what to do whatever he asks of me, and more. Walk through fire? Sure. No problem. As long as Jay Hammond is waiting on the other side of the flames.

  I situate myself above him and slide his warm length into me. He fills me to the brim, taking up each available inch of space and stretching me wide. Gently taking my hips, Jay guides me back and forth, showing me how to rock on him.

  Looking down into his eyes, I see a calm passion there. I push a little harder, and Jay groans in pleasure. My own good sensations are back. Before long, I’m riding him with abandon, our labored breathing becoming music to my ears.

  Once again, the tension coils deep inside of me and releases as if a button has been pushed. I orgasm for a second time, pleasure flying all the way into my toes and fingers. Jay calls my name and grabs my ass as he drives me against him. Moving fast, he lifts me off him and reclaims his spot on top. I’m locked down again on the bed, trapped beneath him and loving it. Our hands are everywhere, our mouths unstoppable. Jay pummels deep into me and then pulls out, his hot release splattering across my stomach.

  With a thick gasp, he buries his head against my shoulder. I turn my face into his hair and take in the scent of his sweat. After showering, it took us all of ten minutes to become dirty again.

  There’s a sharp knock on the door. I start, and move to sit up. Jay rolls away from me with a laugh.

  “Room service. Talk about perfect timing.”

  He jumps out of bed and snatches up a bathrobe before putting it on and closing the double doors behind him. From somewhere nearby, a phone buzzes. I sit up and look for the source, finding my purse on a small chair in the corner. Opening it up, I discover a text from Willow.

  How’s it going there? Are you still planning to come back, or has the Far East stolen you?

  “If you only knew,” I mutter.

  Staying is tempting, I write back. I had a big fight with my parents.

  The little dots on the screen dance as Willow types her reply.

  What else is new? Are they trying to marry you off to a Chinese businessman now?

  I laugh aloud. Thankfully, my parents have never really meddled in my dating life, but if they were to meet a rich man who had an interest in me, I’m sure they’d at least try to get me to go out on a date with him.

  No, I respond. We just had yet another argument about my future. Are your parents ready to adopt me yet?

  Once again, she responds right away.

  Girl, you know life here isn’t as good as it looks… Enjoy your trip. Miss you!

  I start to type another text, and then stop. I was going to tell her about Jay, but I’m not quite ready to yet. This relationship, whatever it is, has existed in a bubble. I’m not ready to let it pop and allow others in.

  Hearing from Willow has me thinking about what things are going to be like when I’m back in New York. I remember that Jay told me he doesn’t really have a home. So, really, being from the same country has no bearing on us ever seeing each other again. Just because we grew up relatively close to each other doesn’t mean we’ll find our way back to the same proximity.

  My heart rate picks up and I swallow hard. I’m still standing naked, holding my cellphone in my hands, but I can’t stop staring into space.

  What is going to happen between Jay and me? Last night was amazing…this morning was amazing…so how am I going to be able to let that go? Are we really going to keep in touch? Would he be able to visit me when he’s in New York? Will I fly out to see him in other cities? Will he even want to do those things?

  I’ve always been a relationship type of girl. One night stands have never been my thing.

  Suddenly, I feel like an idiot. How could I just fall into bed with Jay without thinking about how it would make me feel afterward? I hoped that it would be amazing, yet I also knew that the more amazing it was, the harder it would be to let him go when I step on that ferry to Hong Kong. For a long-term kind of person like me, it’s a catch-22.

  I know that I should just relax. I should enjoy whatever time I get to have with Jay, and then let it go. I’m lucky to be here with him.

  But the way he touches me, the way he kisses me…the way he looks at me like everything I say is important. I don’t want to let those things go. I’d be crazy to let those things go.

  And I don’t think I should have to.

  The double doors open, and I drop my phone on the chair. Jay comes in carrying a tray loaded with croissants, a bowl of fruit, and a French press filled with coffee.

  “Is that what you’re wearing today? If so, I like it.”

  I look down at myself and realize I’m still naked. Even though I’m standing in front of a guy who’s already seen me completely nude, I still blush.

  He sets the breakfast tray down on the end of the bed and comes over to me. The warmth of his smile and gaze draw me in, even before his arms do.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispers into my hair. “Damn, you’re beautiful.”

  I close my eyes and inhale deep, wishing there really was a way to make one moment last forever.

  Chapter Seven

  Lauren

  We spend the whole day in bed. It’s something I’ve only ever done when I’ve been sick; my parents always frowned at ‘lazy days,’ and college had me too busy with schoolwork to even think of taking a day off.

  After breakfast and coffee, which somehow we manage to make last for well over an hour due to all our chatting, Jay and I flip through the TV channels on mute. We pretend to be the people on the shows, adding our own dialogue and yapping at each other about subjects entirely out of context.

  By the time we’ve laughed ourselves into a fit, it’s impossible to keep my hands off him. Evidently, he feels the same about me. Drawing me into his arms, he cuddles me close and kisses me.

  For the longest time, our lips move against each other’s. He doesn’t make a move to touch me anywhere else, and I don’t try to push the next step either. We’re happy just kissing, like two fourteen-year-olds who have finally been allowed to go out on a date. It’s sweet and intimate…and makes my fears from earlier come rushing back.

  I remind myself that I can’t think about the future. Instead, I roll out of bed and take my second shower for the day. When I come back into the bedroom, the dress my mom bought me is laying out on the bed—along with three other ones.

  “What are these?” I ask, going forward and touching a bright red, sleeveless gown. All of the dresses are gorgeous.

  Jay buttons up his cuffs and winks at me in the floor-length mirror.

  “I thought you might want to wear a different dress tonight. It’s up to you, though. You looked amazing in the floral one.” He grins. “Hell, you look amazing in my T-shirt. Maybe you should wear that to the casino.”

  I duck my head in embarrassed pleasure and inspect the dresses more carefully. There’s a black one with a plunging neckline and sequins along the hemline. I turn the collar and look at the tag—and have to suppress a gasp.

  My mother has a habit of spending money on clothes made by the most famous designers, but for Jay to splurge and buy me several of them is a completely different deal entirely. And exactly when did he have time to order these dresses? While I was still asleep this morning? When he went out to grab us a late lunch? Surely, he didn’t pick them out himself. Did he get a woman at the counter to do it for him?

  Instead of asking him any of these questions, I pick up the slinky, black one and try it on. It’s a perfect fit, with the cowl neckline dipp
ing nearly to my navel. Jay steps aside from the mirror and I admire my reflection.

  Maybe it’s the dress, or maybe it’s the way Jay is looking at me, but I’ve never felt sexier in my life.

  He pulls on his black jacket and loops his arm around my waist. “Forget this fucking game. I think I’d like to make other plans.”

  I snort. “Right. You’re going to pass up the biggest game of your life to roll around in bed with me?”

  “I don’t think I would regret it.”

  Something about the tone of his voice tells me that he’s being serious.

  “Don’t we have to go?” I breathlessly ask.

  Jay glances at the clock on the wall, his thumb rubbing a circle over my shoulder.

  “I can be a little late.”

  “You can’t,” I laugh, but he only buries his face in my neck, making the muscles all down my back shudder with pleasure.

  “Right—how about I make sure we get there right on time?” he questions, his hands dipping lower and pressing against the small of my back.

  I rub my nose against his shoulder. I can’t respond. His touch is making me delirious. I probably wouldn’t know my own name if someone asked me right now.

  Jay’s hands find their way around my hips and to the front of my dress. Beneath the silky fabric, my body practically screams with desire. Taking a handful of bunched fabric, he pulls the dress up, exposing my thighs.

  “Jay,” I whisper.

  His mouth grazes mine. “Yes?”

  There’s nothing else to say. Right now, his name is everything to me. I could repeat it until the end of time and never get tired of hearing it.

  His lips press against mine, his tongue gently flicking at my teeth. As we kiss, his fingers trail along my panties, and I jerk at the soft touch, putting my weight against him. If I don’t lean on him, I’m going to fall down.

  Our kiss deepens, and Jay pushes my panties to the side. A strong thumb presses against the top of my mound and I whimper into his mouth. His lips drag along the curve of my mouth and across my jaw as he turns me around. I’m a rag doll, having turned over all control of my own body to someone else.

  With him at my back, Jay walks me forward a couple steps until we’re at the wall. Taking my hands in his, he guides my hands to the wall. The surface is cool against my palms and cheek, a sharp contrast to the warm body pressed behind me.

  His mouth sucking eagerly on the back of my neck, he yanks down my panties and pushes the dress the rest of the way up to expose my ass. My hips respond instinctively, grinding back against him.

  There’s the sound of his pants unzipping and then the tip of his cock brushes past my ass, against my inner thigh. Just feeling it so near my opening makes me tremble. I push my ass back farther, and Jay nudges my legs open more.

  With one swift move, he enters me. His length slides in all the way, claiming each inch of what’s available. Ecstasy fills me up, making my fingers curl and my back arch.

  Keeping me pressed between him and the wall, Jay continues to drive into me from behind. His thrusts come faster, each one drawing more pleasure out of me.

  With one hand pressed against mine, pinning them to the wall, and the other clinging to my hip, he nips at the back of my neck. The confusing mixture of pleasure and pain only makes everything more exciting. I’m feeling wilder by the second, like a woman who can’t be controlled or contained.

  The tingly feelings deep in me build, layering on each other and becoming stronger every second. With a cry that I can’t hold back, I unravel in ecstasy. A second later, Jay pulls away from me, spins me around, and pushes me to my knees. I realize that neither of us want him to make a mess on my dress, so I take him in my mouth just has he’s about to come. He groans as he explodes in my mouth.

  Pulling back, he sighs in pleasure.

  “Normally I’d apologize for having to be so quick…”

  I giggle and press a finger against his lips before he can go on. From there, it’s a mad rush to clean up and get out the door. Yet, somehow, we still enter the elevator at the exact time Jay meant to leave.

  He’s called a car and it’s waiting for us by the time we get downstairs. I feel like royalty as we walk through the lobby. Eyes fall on me and Jay, and two women whisper and giggle while staring at him.

  Is this what it would be like to be with him all of the time? Jay is one of the most attractive men who’s ever walked the earth. It’s hard to imagine he doesn’t receive attention like this wherever he goes.

  The Venetian Macau is even more packed than it was yesterday, and it’s obvious that many people here recognize Jay. He keeps his hand pressed against the small of my back as we push our way toward the front doors. Cameras flash and, dazed, I realize that people are standing off to the side taking pictures of him.

  Is he famous in this world?

  There’s no way for me to tell for sure, but the signs are pointing to a strong yes.

  Still slightly overwhelmed by everything that’s happening, I focus on putting one foot in front of the other, and allow Jay to steer me through the crowded casino.

  The tournament is poker, and the place is jam-packed with people and television cameras. People wait in line to talk to Jay, while I hang back uncertainly. No one pays me any attention, and I like it that way. Fading into the background and watching everything happening has always been what I’m most comfortable doing.

  “It’s time I head over there,” Jay suddenly says, turning to me and giving my hand a squeeze.

  I tighten my fingers on his hand, aware of all the eyes on us. How does being in public together make him feel? Is it all right to kiss, or is that a bad idea, because I’m not his girlfriend?

  I plaster a smile on my face. I want Jay to win tonight. That’s more important than my silly worries.

  “Good luck,” I tell him, kissing his cheek quickly.

  “Thanks,” he says with a quick grin.

  With that, he takes his seat at the table. Petit is already there, glowering over at Jay. The rest of the players range in age, and all of them are equally serious-looking. Jay has already set me up with a space not far from the rope surrounding the table, and I take my seat alongside the other spectators. There are family and friends, reporters, and poker enthusiasts in the crowd, and the energy is electric. I’ve never experienced anything like it.

  The whole scene is a world away from my life in New York. For the tenth time, at least, I marvel at the crazy turn of events that brought me to this casino. With a camera turned in my direction, I could very well be on TV right now.

  Thank God I touched my makeup up after we banged against the wall.

  I suppress a laugh over what it would be like for my parents or Willow to turn the TV on and find me on a sports channel, and then turn my focus on watching the game. Jay is calm and collected—the perfect example of a suave professional. Petit, on the other hand, trembles with nerves. He shoots daggers at the other players as the cards are dealt. Apparently, the ‘elite’ don’t pay any attention to maintaining a good poker face.

  I’m so nervous for Jay that I must have held my breath for nearly half the game, even though I often don’t really understand what’s going on. Most of the players have low-brim hats or sunglasses on to hide their faces, with the exception of Petit and Jay.

  Jay doesn’t need to hide his expressions. He doesn’t show them at all. Through every second of the game, he’s calm. Petit, on the other hand, is probably too vain to even think of hiding his face.

  Even though I can’t follow every single move, I understand the basics of what’s going on. Two players fold. Jay calls a raise, which makes me take a sharp breath.

  The woman sitting next to me leans in close. “I love your dress,” she whispers.

  “Thanks,” I whisper back. She’s wearing a dress that’s fit for a Hollywood red carpet, so it’s nice to see that I didn’t overdress at all.

  “Who are you here for?” she asks.

  “Him,” I
reply, nodding in Jay’s direction.

  “Ah.” She smiles. “Jay Hammond. A living legend.”

  Living legend? If I had any doubt as to whether Jay was a big deal at the card tables, it’s now completely evaporated.

  The game goes on, each hand seeming to take longer than the last. There are buzzing whispers from behind me, but the room is surprisingly quiet. All of these people are just standing or sitting, waiting.

  Petit’s upper lip curls in Jay’s direction, but Jay acts as if he doesn’t even notice the surly Belgian. Pride swells in my chest. Petit may be from the upper crust, but Jay is from the streets. He knows how much to show, and when to show it. After spending just twenty-four hours with him, I’m convinced that he could intimidate a grizzly bear with that cool stare of his.

  I’m lost in my thoughts, wondering just how long these games usually last when, suddenly, Jay lays his cards flat on the table. A cheer goes up from the crowd, and Petit bares his teeth like a wild animal.

  And Jay just gazes back. If he’s won, he’s not acting like it.

  But then, all the poker chips are pushed his way. Jay’s face lights up, and an official-looking man steps forward to shake his hand. The room explodes with life and excitement.

  A voice comes on over the intercom. “Ladies and gentlemen, the game is over! That’s one million dollars, to Jay Hammond!”

  One million dollars. The number rings in my ears. That’s a lot of money to make in one night…a whole lot of money.

  The woman next to me claps excitedly. “Oh my God, he won! You must be so proud of him,” she shouts over the noise.

  I nod eagerly. I am proud. I just don’t know if I’m in the right position to show how proud I am.

  Standing up, I smooth my dress over my hips. I want to walk over to Jay, to part the crowd around him and wrap my hand in his, to kiss him and tell him he’s the most amazing guy in the world.

  But we barely know each other—despite everything we’ve shared and done over the last day and night. Maybe his winning all of this money has changed how he feels about me. Maybe I was nothing but a woman for him to blow off some steam with before the big tournament.