by Diana Gardin
It takes me less than a second to strap myself into my seatbelt, and then I sit back and hang on for the ride.
We pull up to Bryn’s place, a big brownstone apartment building not too far from campus. She lives about three minutes from me, and we’re less than a five-minute drive to Uptown Charlotte. At this time of day, when the sun has just sunk below the horizon and night sprinkles stars over the city, the Charlotte skyline is radiant in the near distance. When I step out of Bryn’s BMW, I note the familiar SUV parked right beside ours.
Jaxon and Noah climb out of Noah’s Escalade, Jaxon’s eyes finding Bryn’s. She flounces over to him, and he opens his arms. Their embrace is so loving it feels too personal for me to watch, so I avert my eyes toward Noah. He’s leaning against the hood of the black SUV, watching me. As I move toward him, forcing my feet to make the trek, his eyes rove from my bare legs to my curved hips and narrow waist and up to the ample cleavage peeking out from the top of my dress. His eyes never make it to my face; they just drift back down once more.
I swallow my sigh. And plaster on the smile. The same one I use all day long when I’m charming my professors, and when I’m at home or at a chapter meeting with my sorority sisters. The smile I don when I’m with my mother at a charity event or sitting through a holiday meal with my extended Moroccan family.
The dutiful smile.
“Hey.” My voice is casual, non-committal.
His mouth tips up into an expression that matches mine, except that casualty is tinged with all-male lust. “Hey.”
Tearing themselves apart, Jaxon and Bryn stand before us.
“So where are we going tonight, boys?” demands Bryn. All of her thick, honey-blond hair tumbles over one shoulder, held fast by a band.
Noah shrugs. “There’s this place where the guys in our frat go to play poker and stuff.”
I narrow my eyes. “Bryn and I don’t play poker.”
Noah moves closer, dragging me toward him with an arm around my waist. “Doesn’t matter, babe. I play poker. Jaxon plays poker. You girls can come along for the ride.”
My entire body stiffens when he calls me babe. My father never calls my mother that, and I think it’s a ridiculous term of endearment.
My tone is clipped with my reply. “Well, then, babe…”
Bryn groans, knowing me well enough to smell my stank attitude a mile away.
I put on my best perky voice, complete with a fake southern drawl. “If you want us ‘little women’ to come along for the ride, and bring you big boys your beers and snacks, then I guess we’d better get going, right?”
I smile sweetly and head to the passenger side of the huge vehicle. I yank open the door and hike my dress up enough to get me up onto the step. I climb inside, closing the door behind me.
I can see Jaxon chuckling through the windshield, giving Noah a pat on the shoulder as his friend’s expression darkens.
I smile to myself. Pretty sure this relationship isn’t gonna last very long.
Noah climbs into the driver’s seat, slamming his door and starting the ignition. The big beast of a car roars to life, and Jaxon helps Bryn into the backseat before climbing in behind her.
Noah glances at me. “You good?”
I give him the smile and then aim my gaze toward my window. “Of course. Let’s do this. There’s alcohol at this place, right?”
Noah’s answer sounds relieved. “Yeah.”
“Then I’ll be just fine.”
Noah interprets this one hundred percent incorrectly, just as I expected him to. His eyes lighten with excitement as he turns the car around and pulls out of Bryn’s driveway.
He shoots me a quick, flirty grin. “It’s gonna be a good night.”
For who? I wonder, as I watch the urban oasis outside fly by in the darkness.
Four
NAIMA
Inky blackness cloaks the parking lot.
The velvety dark makes the hairs on my arms stand up in protest, my instincts swirling in a mad rush.
I sit in the Escalade, my eyes narrowing on the crop of warehouses sprawling before us.
“I thought you said we were going to play poker.”
My razor sharp words are aimed straight at Noah.
He glances at me, and then at the warehouses in front of us.
There’s a row of cars, expensive makes, parked on either side of the Escalade. So the place isn’t empty. But still.
Unease trickles down my back in the form of a bead of sweat.
“Yeah.” Noah rubs the back of his neck. “We do play poker here. There’s TVs and stuff, too, if you want to sit down and relax with your drink.”
I turn to stare at Bryn. “You been here before, B?”
She shakes her head where it’s nestled into Jaxon’s shoulder.
Okay, right now I need for her to stop being in love and pay attention.
“Bryn. Look at this place.”
She sits up and squints out the windshield. God, the girl needs glasses.
“What about it?”
A groan tumbles up from my chest and through my lips.
Jaxon reaches forward and lays a hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay, Naima. I know it looks shady, but Noah and I have both played here before. It’s all good.”
My muscles relax a little, because I trust Jaxon, but I can’t shake the feeling that I don’t want to set foot inside that building. And as I glance at Noah, part of what’s causing that feeling occurs to me like a hard, fast blow to the stomach.
I need to tell him the truth about how I feel. I think I thought that Noah would get bored with me after a while, but he hasn’t. And me letting him believe that we’re a real couple when I know we can never be…well that right there will earn me a true B card.
Everyone opens the doors to exit the car, but I grab Noah’s arm to stop him.
“We’ll catch up in a few!” I call to Bryn and Jaxon.
Noah turns steely gray, quizzical eyes to me over the console. His short hair, cut in the trendiest style, barely moves from the amount of pomade plastered into it. But his handsome face is chiseled and could be cut from stone. It makes most women swoon.
I’m just not most women.
I take his hand in mine, squeezing it with gentle force.
“So, this thing we’ve had going on…” I indicate the space between us with a hand. “…Isn’t really the best idea for either of us.”
Noah quirks a brow. His expression stays completely calm, the placating look in his eyes becoming almost amused. “It isn’t?”
Shaking my head firmly, I reply. “No.”
Noah sighs, like he’s dealing with a toddler. “Look, Naima. I get that you’re gun-shy about relationships. If you want to take this thing between us slower, it’s cool. I’m good with that. In fact, I think it’s a good idea. Gives you some time to focus on what you need from me and what I need from you.”
Wait…what? Is that what I said?
“Noah, that’s not what I—”
“Ny,” he interrupts. “Let’s just have fun tonight, OK? Everything else will work itself out.”
Flabbergasted, I shrug. I smear on my bored expression and climb out of the Escalade. Smoothing the extra-short skirt on my dress, I stride toward the warehouse.
Noah, an arm slung over my shoulder, leads me to an unmarked door. We join Noah and Bryn, who were waiting for us.
He pounds lightly on it with his fist, and the door opens immediately.
“Game on.” Noah’s voice is commanding, and the big, burly guy at the door sizes him up. Seeming to recognize Noah and the words he just uttered, he nods. Handing the guy a wad of cash, Noah holds out his wrist, and the big guy places a black wristband on it. Noah walks past him, grabbing my hand to pull me along behind him, but the burly dude stops me.
“She needs a band,” he reminds Noah.
Noah pauses, glancing at me. “She’s not gambling, man.”
I lift a questioning brow. Gambling? Like, for real? I assumed this would just b
e a stupid poker game among friends.
The bouncer shakes his head. “Doesn’t matter.”
Noah lets out a giant sigh, and behind us, Jaxon speaks.
“Don’t be a dick, Noah. She’s your date.”
Noah reaches into his wallet and pulls out some more bills. Glancing at me with something in his eyes I can’t decipher, he hands the money over. The bouncer fits my slender wrist with a pink band, which makes Bryn squeal a little behind me. “Pretty.”
Rolling my eyes, I let Noah pull me into the warehouse, but stop him as soon as we step inside.
“Friends?” I whisper, looking him directly in the eye.
He shrugs. “Sure.”
It’s not a huge space, but it’s broken off into three distinct sections. There’s a bar area, where a man stands behind the counter, along with cups and beer in a glass-door refrigerator. My eyes move toward the other side of the room, where several poker tables are filling up with players.
I recognize some kids from campus here and I wonder why I’ve never heard of this place before.
Swinging my gaze over the other side of the room, I see an entire wall of flat screens, showing an array of games varying from college football to the NFL to the MLB.
Guys and girls alike sit on the comfortable-looking couches, facing the TVs. From time to time, a hoot or a holler will go up about something that’s happened on the field, but most of the girls are just talking quietly or hanging all over their boyfriends, working desperately to keep their attention.
Enormous dudes who I’m assuming work as bouncers or security mill around, their gazes sharp.
I turn to Noah, my eyes widening. For just a moment, I lose my suit of armor due to my shock. “This is a gambling place. An underground one.”
He doesn’t look at me, but shrugs nonchalantly. “So?”
I want to punch him. Anger runs hot in my veins, forcing me to shove him, hard, with one arm. “You brought me to an illegal gambling ring?”
My voice rises, and several sets of eyes rivet toward me.
Noah throws the room an apologetic, “she’s with me” smile, and then grabs my arm, yanking me to a dark corner.
“Shut up, Ny. Like you said, this is an underground ring. The owner won’t appreciate you announcing it, or acting like you don’t wanna be here”
His voice lowers, and he pulls me closer, whispering in my ear. “Don’t. Embarrass. Me.”
I reel back, staring him down. “You should have told me where we were going. I’m no shy flower, but I like to know when I’m doing something illegal.”
Shoving away from him, I fold my arms across my chest. Without realizing it, I’ve accentuated my cleavage, and Noah’s eyes flit straight to the spot. His expression softens at the same time his gaze goes hungry.
“Look…I’m sorry. Want a drink? I’m gonna play poker, maybe you can sit on my lap while I get dealt in.”
My lip curls. I’ll sit on your lap just as soon as you grow a second pair of balls.
“I’ll take a beer.” I put on the smile. “Thank you.”
He backs away from me two steps, shooting me what he feels is a winning grin, before turning to head to the bar area.
As soon as he turns, I relax my face into its normal state of boredom. And then Bryn prances up to me, linking her arm through mine.
“So this place is rad, right?”
I toss her a sideways glance. “Sure. Illegally rad.”
She scoffs. “Oh, you’re not actually gonna make a big deal about that, are you? The guys play here all the time. It’s their money they’re gambling away. So I don’t care.”
I glance over at Jaxon, who’s taken a seat at a table. There’s an empty one beside him I’m assuming has Noah’s name on it. “Yeah, I guess. So we’re just supposed to sit here while they play?”
She gestures toward an empty couch. “And drink. And hang.”
She sounds way more enthusiastic than I feel. But I did agree to come out tonight. So acting like a spoiled brat isn’t doing my friend any favors. She tips her beer to her mouth and sips.
Noah returns, holding out a bottle of something dark and bitter. I accept it with the most genuine smile I can muster. “Thanks. I’ll stay right here and hang out with B while you guys play, okay?”
He leans over and plants a wet kiss on my cheek. At the same time, his palm finds one of my butt cheeks and I let out a squeak. When he squeezes, I try my hardest not to cringe.
It’s pretty difficult. A feat, really.
Bryn watches my face, biting her bottom lip as Noah saunters away.
“You don’t even like him a little bit, do you?” Her voice is bordering on a laugh.
Sighing, I shake my head. “Of course I like him. We’ve all been friends so long I like him by default. But God, don’t you think he’s an ass? Seriously? He just palmed my butt like it was a piece of meat.”
She leans to the side, looking behind me, before straightening again. “I mean, it is a super nice butt.”
I slap her arm, not too hard, busting into a laugh. “Well, I do squats.”
She giggles. “Yeah…you probably work way too hard on that ass. But even if you didn’t? That’s all Moroccan natural beauty right there. You’re barely even wearing makeup right now. And your face is flawless.”
I shrug. “Can’t beat these genes, baby.” I lower my voice, my tone going serious. “I told him we aren’t gonna be a thing, B.”
Her eyes widen. “Oh, I bet he took that so well.”
I lift my bottle to my lips, and as I do, a shadowy figure moves into the light a few feet away.
He’s tall. Definitely taller than my five-foot eight, and probably a little taller than Noah’s six feet even. His sandy-colored hair is just a little too long, curling around his ears and brushing the collar of the suit jacket he’s wearing. He’s young, but his attire makes him stand out. He’s professional, but something about his style gives him edge at the same time.
He turns, still surveying the room, and I find myself wondering what he’s doing here. He doesn’t fit the mold of the rest of the guys in the room throwing their parents’ money away. He’s not much older than the clientele in the room, but he looks like he’s lived longer. Broad shoulders fill out the jacket. I can tell that there’s a nice body under that suit.
And then he turns to face us, still taking stock of the room. My lips forms a round “O” around the mouth of the bottle. The bottle that I realize at that moment isn’t even opened.
“Great. Thanks a lot, Noah,” I mutter, pulling the bottle away from my mouth.
The guy’s face is…beautiful.
Not the kind of beautiful you see on guys in magazines. Not perfect and pristine, like Noah’s chiseled features.
No, it’s beautiful in a rough, hewn, imperfect way.
Deep-set green eyes the color of jewels. They’re perfectly clear, too, as they jump from place to place around the room. And there’s this little hump on his otherwise straight nose, like maybe it’s been broken before. His eyebrows are thick, a little darker than the sandy color of his hair.
And his mouth. It’s like it’s made for sin, the way his lips are plump and luscious and perfectly full.
My God.
The skin around his eyes is smooth, like smiling is something he never does.
Like me.
The minute I notice our only likeness in a sea of differences is the moment his gorgeous green eyes lock onto mine.
Lock, and stay locked.
Like, for a minute too long. And I take that minute to forget everything else in the room except for the fact that he’s staring at me.
And then he glances away.
I let out a breath I didn’t even know I’d been holding.
“What the hell are you staring at?” Bryan’s words drift toward me like they’re coming from a distance as she leans toward me, trying to see what I’m looking at.
My heart beats faster as I continue to watch the man now moving like a pr
edator to a different corner of the room.
“I think I just saw the devil’s apprentice,” I murmur aloud to Bryn. “And he’s hotter than sin.”
Five
ACE
“Ace.”
When X calls my name, I have to rip my eyes away from the most stunning girl I’ve ever seen.
There’re smokin’ hot girls in here every night the Ring is open. They’re always hanging all over the arm of whatever rich-boy douche brought them in.
But this girl…the air around her practically ripples with all the ways she’s different.
She’s not hanging on any dude. I mean, I’m sure she’s here with someone. But I can’t tell who, because she’s standing with another girl. She just put a beer to her lips, only to discover it isn’t open.
What asshat gave her an unopened beer?
“What?” My tone is irritated when my gaze lands on Xavier.
He nods toward the door. “Everyone’s in for the night. Thought I’d let you know that I’m gonna start making rounds.”
I nod absently. “Good. Let me know if there are any problems. Counts will be here in about half an hour to work in the office.”
He nods, scrutinizing my face. “You good?”
My eyes stray back to the girl who appears, in every single way, to be some kind of dark angel.
I toss my answer over my shoulder as I’m walking away from X. “I’m about to be.”
When I glanced away, she shifted positions. She and her friend are now sitting alone on an empty couch. Her long sheath of raven hair drifts down behind her, matching the dress and the fuck-me-now heels she wears. As I round the couch, I see that her perfectly smooth, almond-colored legs are crossed in front of her, that sexy dress riding high on her thigh.
“Goddamn.” The word slips out under my breath as I lock in on her.
Pulling a bottle opener out of my pocket, I slide into place onto the couch beside her.
She turns to face me just as I gently take the unopened beer from her hands.
Popping the top, I hand it back to her. Without taking my eyes from her startled ones, I lean back against the cushions.