Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 55860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
“Never even bought a scratch off ticket,” she says, stubborn chin lifting.
“You came here willing to play whatever game we set up to see if you can win. Because the stakes matter to you.”
“If you put it that way, I sound like an idiot,” she says, “because you should never gamble anything you can’t afford to lose. Isn’t that what they say?”
“I don’t have time for Instagram advice, so I wouldn’t know,” I toss back at her.
“You keep saying we. Whatever game we set up. It’s you though. This isn’t a group decision. You said it’s one guy and he’s at Disney World or some shit, so you have to make the call.”
“He’s got prostate cancer, the surgery’s today. I made him take a week off,” I grumble.
“He must be important to you, since you look pretty disgusted with this whole place but here you are.”
“I see where you’re going with this. It’s not a bad gambit but it won’t work on me. I wouldn’t sacrifice much for the guy that runs this place. I consider him an old friend, but I wouldn’t try and work off sixteen large on his account, and I wouldn’t face down somebody who can get away with crimes all day long and hope for their mercy either.”
“Then why do you care if I ever forgive you?” she asks, finally picking up the words I wish I could take back.
“I don’t. Why would I?”
Her little laugh is barely an exhale, and so close I can feel her warm breath on my face, but the sound is bitter as hell.
“You lie worse than I do. That’s got to be bad in your line of work,” she says.
“I don’t have much occasion to lie. What you see is what you get. I don’t try to hide who I am or what I do,” I say.
“Then why’d you just try to lie to me? You think I’m dumb enough not to notice?”
“No,” I say quickly, again not sure why I want to reassure this total stranger that I don’t have a low opinion of her intelligence. “I don’t know why I said it,” I finally admit.
“Ah, you were embarrassed, and I caught you out,” she says, a small, sly smile curving her lips.
“What wouldn’t you do to help your old man?” I ask because I’m dying to know.
“I don’t think it’s smart to answer that,” she says, faltering for the first time. “Gives you an unfair advantage.”
“I already have the advantage. And no, I don’t own a strip club. If I did, I wouldn’t tell an amateur over twenty-five to go dance it off for tips.”
“I’m twenty-four!” she says hotly and I give her my shit-eating grin because I got a rise out of her again. It rankles her, I can tell by the way she straightens up and backs away from me. “Anyway, I have tables to take care of. Or I’ll never be out of debt to you.”
“Maybe I like having you owe me something,” I say, my tone a seductive challenge.
“I don’t agree till I know the terms.”
“Do you have another job to support yourself? Anything you can sell to keep the wolf from the door?” I ask, irritated by the concern I reveal when I pose the question.
“I came to you. I’m at the wolf’s door, I think, in this scenario,” she says. I like the image of myself as her wolf, of inviting her in.
“You’re not Little Red Riding Hood,” I say, giving myself the excuse to look her up and down as if I’m actually comparing her to a fairy tale kid and not staring because I want to do it. She can’t help it. Indignant or not, she licks her lips, stands up straighter, chest out. I want to do a lot of filthy things to her right here and now.
I think she knows. Instead of shying away, rushing to the bar to grab a tray of drinks, she lingers near me, her eyes darkening. I don’t let myself wonder about that. She wants to save her dad’s life, and I have no intention of being something she did to try and rescue him. I don’t operate that way. If she wanted to offer freely though, I’d probably break my leg jumping up to volunteer.
Standing, I nod toward the bar as if telling her to get back to work. Then I barricade myself in the office to get some work done. I tell myself I’m not hiding from her but even I know that’s bullshit.
3
SERENA
Heat slides up my entire body. It’s like I am standing under a blast furnace, only instead of warm air it’s blowing pure pheromones all over me. I’m breathing hard and my skin tingles. So much sensation centers between my legs, slickness coating a mostly neglected area of my body.