All In: A Vegas Reverse Harem Romance

by Cassie Cole

  “That’s what I thought,” he said again.

  “Dick,” I muttered under my breath.

  Now it was just the two of us.

  “We’re ready,” Bryce said in a calming tone. “We’ve been gathering info on this guy all game. We just have to pick our spot.”

  With only two of us left, the ante was raised to $1,000 per hand. My stack was at $27,000; Baldy was at $33,000.

  “It would help if we could take the lead and push him around,” Bryce said. “Let’s play conservative until we have our hand.”

  The next hand I didn’t have much. Fold. The hand after that was the same. Fold. The third hand I was dealt a King and a Two.

  “Raise $5,000,” Baldy said, tossing his chips lazily.

  Since our strategy was to be conservative, and my hand wasn’t particularly strong, I prepared to fold. But before I could Bryce started yelling in my ear: “He’s bluffing! Call him! No matter what you have, do it now.”

  I wished I could show him what I had. My chip stack wasn’t so high that I could afford to throw away $5,000 on a bad hand. “Call,” I said.

  The flop came out:

  2c - 7h - Jd

  The Two of Clubs gave me a pair, but neither the Seven of Hearts nor Jack of Diamonds helped me. I winced at my weak hand compared to how big the pot had grown.

  “Raise him.”

  I tried to keep my shock off my face. I only have a pair of twos! I wanted to ignore Bryce’s advice, to fold and wait for a better hand. But the only way this worked was if I trusted him. After all, I had only been doing this for two days. Bryce was an expert.

  “Raise $2,000,” I said, laying out four colorful $500 chips.

  “Raise $5,000,” Baldy said.

  Shit. This was getting serious.

  “Call him. I’m positive he’s bluffing.”

  That was half my chip stack gone if I called. I doubted I would be able to recover if I lost this hand. And to go forward with what I had…

  “Call,” I said.

  The dealer waited for me to add my chips to the pot, then revealed the turn card:

  2c - 7h - Jd - 4h

  I still had a pair and nothing else. There wasn’t a possible straight or flush combination yet, though we still had to see the river.

  “Go all in.”

  I almost choked on my own tongue. The others looked at me, even Baldy for a split second. I took a sip of water to cover, buying time so Bryce could change his mind. If I went all in and lost everything would be over. We still had hours to go before the heist.

  “Do it!” Bryce said. “Go all in! Now!”

  “I’m all in,” I said in a small voice.

  Some gasps went up in the crowd behind me. Baldy stared down at the table as if he stared hard enough he could figure out what the next card would be. He was scratching his fingernail, but that might not mean much. It could just be a nervous tick. Who wouldn’t be nervous when this much money was on the line? I had a trail of sweat running down my back that made my dress stick to my skin.

  Baldy didn’t say anything, he only tossed his cards away face-down. Folding.

  “Fuck yes,” Bryce said, more relieved than victorious. “Hell fucking yes.”

  I slowly leaned forward to scoop up my winning. “That’s what I thought I said loud enough for everyone to hear. Baldy pretended not to notice, but the dealer’s calm facade was penetrated by a tiny smile.

  I had a big lead on him now: $37,000 to $23,000.

  His entire playing attitude changed now that he was behind: he wagered much more conservatively, losing his ante again and again as he folded to the smallest pressure. It was easy: all I had to do was raise a little bit to push him out. I could afford to be aggressive. He couldn’t.

  And when he did finally land a good hand and try to win some money back? I folded. It was easy money.

  Finally, when I was at $49,000 and he was at $11,000, he went all in before seeing the flop. “He’s got something, probably a face card pair,” Bryce said. “Call him if you have a King or Ace.”

  I carefully raised the corners on my two cards so only I could see: King of Diamonds and Ten of Clubs. I agreed with Bryce’s logic: if I called him and lost I would still be in the lead. This was a good opportunity to knock him out.

  “Call,” I announced.

  The buzz of the crowd rose as Baldy emphatically flipped over his cards. Two Aces stared up at me.

  “Shit,” Bryce said.

  I flipped my two cards over, drawing a sigh of relief from Baldy. Right now I had the losing hand. I needed a miracle.

  “Uh oh,” said the announcer on the speakers. “We’ve got some excitement over at table 14! A potential table winner could be seen on this hand, but it’s an uphill battle against pocket Aces…”

  Baldy stood, so I did the same. The dealer leaned over the table to arrange my two cards, then did the same for Baldy. The crowd noise rose to an excited din as the dealer revealed the flop.

  10d - 9s - 9h

  For a split second I got excited: now I had two pair, Tens and Nines, which beat a pair of Aces! But of course he had two pair as well: Aces and Nines. I pursed my lips and hoped nobody had seen my brief moment of elation.

  “We need another Ten,” Bryce said.

  The dealer immediately showed the turn:

  10d - 9s - 9h - Jh

  Damnit, I thought. The crowd noise rose another octave. I crossed my fingers under the table—literally crossed them like a little kid. There was no time to think about anything more as the dealer immediately showed the river, and I focused all of my willpower on a Ten, any Ten, just please give me the full house.

  10d - 9s - 9h - Jh - Qc

  I winced. No Ten for me. Baldy straightened like he’d been hit with a cattle prod.

  “And she nails the inside straight on the river!” the announcer roared, as excited as a Mexican soccer announcer. “Pocket aces aren’t good enough today as another one bites the dust!”

  The dealer gestured toward me. “Straight wins the hand, and the table. Congratulations, ma’am.”

  Straight. I’d hit a straight!

  The crowd cheered behind me but I barely heard it thanks to the voices in my ear piece.

  “Fuck yes!” Eddie said.

  “I’ll be damned.” That was Xander’s drawl. “You never see an inside straight like that.”

  “You did it, Sage!” Eddie said. “You’re past the first round!”

  “What happened to no radio chatter?” Bryce asked.

  “Don’t be a party pooper. This is a valid exception.”

  I tuned them out and extended my hand to Baldy. “Good game.”

  He totally ignored me. Never even made eye contact. He whirled and left the table without a word, disappearing out of view.

  “That’s what I thought,” I couldn’t help but say. The dealer showed a small smile.

  On the speakers the announcer was saying, “And another winner moves on to the next round. Meanwhile over at table 4 it looks like Carson is making his move on the flop with a possible straight flush showing…”

  I felt light headed as people congratulated me: the dealer, one of the bros who had stuck around to watch by the drink cart, a few of the crowd members above waving and trying to get my attention to pose for a picture. A tournament handler came up and shook my hand.

  “You’re welcome to wander around the casino before the next round, or you can hang out in here. Just don’t wander too far away that you can’t hear the announcement on the casino speaker.”

  “How long until the next round?” I asked.

  He glanced at his clipboard, then his watch. “Maybe an hour?”

  “Thanks,” I said, first going straight to the drink cart to get some water. I had cotton mouth all of a sudden. I guzzled half the bottle of water and allowed myself to think about what had just happened.

  I’d done it! I survived the first round of the tournament!

  Adrenaline was making the lights extra
bright, and I tasted copper in the back of my mouth. I needed to get some fresh air where it wasn’t so stuffy. I didn’t think I was having a panic attack, but I didn’t want to find out the hard way.

  I exited out into the main casino, swapping the noise of the tournament announcer for the noise of slot machines and coins clinking.

  “Look to your left.”

  I turned my head and saw Xander pushing through the crowd, exiting out the audience door. He grinned at me and said, “This way.”

  I wanted to hug him but knew we didn’t want to appear too friendly in public since everything we did was on the surveillance footage, which would likely be reviewed after the heist—if all went according to plan. I followed Xander around a corner until we were wedged between two big slot machines.

  Finally he grinned down at me. “I’m so proud of you!”

  He started to hug me but I put a hand out. “I want to hug you, but I have to pee really bad.”

  “Oh shoot, sorry!”

  I went to the nearest bathroom—which, ironically, ended up being the one by the stage and the special hallway where our heist would occur in just over four hours. I practically knocked over a drunk woman as I pushed into the first stall.

  Ahh, much better.

  Now that I was away from the chaos—and was taking care of my most basic needs—I could absorb everything. That was insane! I’d just made it past the first table of a huge poker tournament, eliminating my four opponents. The rush was incredible, and that wasn’t even thinking about the money. I was still trembling from the excitement of going all in, winning the hand on the last card and forcing Baldy to tuck his tail between his legs and run away in shame.

  I waited until I stopped shaking to leave the stall. The face looking back at me in the mirror seemed much calmer than I felt. That was good. Still, I wished I could splash cold water on my face without ruining my makeup. I was all jittery.

  Xander was waiting outside in the hall. “Now can I hug you?”

  “Yes please.”

  I folded into his chest, and all of my anxiety melted away. He smelled like leather and oil, and his fingers snaked through my hair to rub my scalp. It was a wonderful reassurance that I wasn’t in this alone. We were all a team working together.

  “Let’s get away from the crowd,” Xander said.

  He lead me out of the bathroom hall and around the corner toward the front of the stage, then ducked underneath a curtain under the stage itself. We had to lower our heads as we walked underneath the metal crosswork before emerging back stage where all the equipment was. He led me up six steps to the stage itself, though we were in the back corner where we were mostly hidden.

  I’d expected there to be more excitement going on here, but it was deserted. I guess Xander’s show was so routine now that nobody needed to arrive until right before the show, which was still two hours away.

  “Things are looking good for the rest of the plan,” he whispered. “I’ve finalized my part of distracting the guard in the hall. It’s gunna work, Sage. I know it!”

  “Good, because I’d hate to go out there and win the tournament for nothing.” I poked him in the ribs. “Any news on Eddie’s part?”

  “He’s still workin’ on it. Keep your fingers crossed.”

  “Hey, if I’m going to wish for any luck it’ll be related to the poker tournament.”

  “Not sure you need luck,” he said. “You’ve seriously never played poker before?”

  “Just what I’ve learned in the last two days.”

  He shook his head in wonder. “Guess you’re a natural. Just like with the guitar.”

  The guitar. I’d forgotten about it.

  “Speaking of that,” I said, “you told me the guitar you gave me was a spare one you had laying around.”

  “Oh,” he said. “Yeah. I did, um, say that. Because it’s true. It was an extra guitar, I have lots of them. Why?”

  I raised an eyebrow and stared at him. Within seconds he withered under my gaze. He would make a terrible poker player, I decided.

  “Okay,” he sighed. “Bryce and I were at the guitar center to talk to my guy about the delivery when I saw it. A beautiful six string with fresh lacquer and rhinestone studded frets. I thought it would be perfect for you. I’ve got an eye for instruments. Sometimes they call to me…”

  “They call to you?” I said.

  “…and as soon as I laid eyes on it I pictured you with it across your lap, playing it on stage, and I knew I had to buy it for you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth, but it honestly wasn’t—”

  I kissed him to shut him up.

  Kissing someone for the first time didn’t always go the way you expect. I’d had my fair share of awkward first kisses. But Xander’s lips molded perfectly against mine, my head tilted up toward him as I pressed against him, and without hesitation he put his hand on my lower back and pulled me against him in that special, wonderful way.

  Soon we were making out. I pushed him back against a stack of expensive looking equipment, almost knocking it over but not caring one bit.

  “Don’t you need to get back soon?” he said, out of breath.

  “I’ve got an hour.”

  “Are you sure…”

  I clamped his jaw shut with my hand. “I’m a nervous wreck. I’ve just won my first table at my first poker tournament and every second that goes by I feel a little more anxious about what’s next, not to mention what we’re doing tonight if all goes according to plan, and there’s enough adrenaline in my veins right now to cover a lifetime of roller coaster rides.” I leaned in close. “I need to burn off some steam. Can you help me do that?”

  The grin he gave me told me everything I needed to know.

  He picked me up with ease, spun me around, and deposited me on top of the nearest box of sound equipment with my legs hanging off the side. Bryce was saying something in our ear piece so Xander quickly removed his and shoved it in his pocket along with his ring. I ripped mine off and handed them to him.

  Xander grabbed my legs with both hands and spread them, pushing forward until his jeans brushed against my inner thigh. I wiggled on the crate to hike my skirt up over my ass for him, which also allowed me to spread my legs more.

  We weren’t completely hidden here since a sliver of casino was visible, but that only accentuated things while we kissed.

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  Xander

  I spread Sage’s legs—her smooth, voluptuous legs—and paused at what I saw. “No panties?”

  She removed my cowboy hat and tossed it aside. “They just get in the way.”

  “Can’t argue with that.”

  I kissed her again while her fingers worked their magic on my jeans, hastily unbuttoning and unzipping and revealing the parts that mattered. Her fingers on my manhood felt so good I wondered if I would explode then and there.

  Without hesitation she gripped me by the base and guided me in, up and down and then deeper. She was so wet that there was little trouble as I pushed harder, an inch deeper each time.

  Holy fuck. This was really happening. Here in the casino where anyone could walk up.

  “Hurry,” she said, squeezing her legs around my waist.

  I didn’t need any other command. I couldn’t have held back if my life depended on it. The only thought in the world was how good her pussy felt, lips wrapped tight around my shaft as I pulled back and thrust forward again.

  She leaned back on her elbows and let her head go slack, eyes closed as she savored our act. Sage rocked her hips forward in time with my strokes, both of us fucking one another in perfect synchronicity. Faster and faster we went until I was gripping her thighs and biting my lip to keep from screaming as I came inside her, filling her with my seed.

  Her eyes widened as she watched my pleasure, mouth agape and breathing heavy. Her smile said she wanted more.

  I wished I could have stayed pressed between her legs for hours, her high heels digging into my ass as she demanded I stay inside h
er.

  Yeah. This was what I wanted. What I had wanted all this time working on the heist, giving Sage rides to her gigs and teaching her to play the guitar. I’d been dreaming of how she felt from the inside.

  She blinked up at me through those eyelashes, and finally released her legs.

  She giggled as I helped her down from the box. Holding hands, we went down around the front of the stage and into the bathrooms to clean up. We managed to come back out at the same time, bumping shoulders in the hall.

  “Excuse me, ma’am,” I said, dipping my hat at her.

  “No, excuse me,” she grinned. She bit her lower lip, teeth digging into the red lipstick.

  God, I want to kiss you for a few more minutes. Or hours.

  Before I could, Sage cocked her head. “Oh shit. That was an announcement for the poker tournament!”

  “I thought you said you had an hour?”

  “That’s what they told me!”

  She rushed off as fast as she could in her heels, her plump ass bouncing tremendously underneath her dress. I watched her until she was long out of sight.

  I leaned against the wall of the hallway and sighed. You know how you built something up in your head so much that when you finally got it, it wasn’t as amazing as you expected?

  This was nothing like that.

  Sage was everything I’d imagined and more. A tight little package of woman I wanted to wrap my arm around and hold close. I was still hungry for her even now, minutes after our quick backstage rendezvous. I wanted to take her back to my apartment and make music with her, stealing kisses between songs.

  I wanted so much with Sage.

  I reached into my pocket to check the time and something fell out with my cell phone. An ear piece.

  Not just my ear piece, I realized with horror.

  “Aww, shit,” I said.

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