Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“It’s also the color of all that money he has in his hand,” Jesse said, nudging her toward me.
She furrowed her brow. “No sex? No weird stuff? All I have to do is say I’m your girlfriend?”
“I promise,” I assured her. “You may have to sit on my lap.”
“As girlfriends do,” Jesse said, and I grinned at the guy.
“Thirty minutes,” I said. “That’s it. Then you can come back down here and dance all night.”
She still looked skeptical, so I handed her the cash. “That’s yours no matter what,” I said, hoping that would earn me some trust. “And I have food upstairs.”
Her eyebrows raised at that.
“Jesse comes with me,” she said.
Relief untangled the tension in my chest, tension I didn’t even notice until it was gone.
“Absolutely,” I said, taking her free hand in mine. “This way.” They followed me into the private elevator, and she and Jesse started whisper-fighting like I wasn’t there at all, her saying if we get killed it’s your fault, which really made me laugh.
“I’m Crossland McClaren, by the way,” I hurried to say as the doors opened and we headed back into the game room.
My friends immediately fell silent when the three of us entered, and I tried not to look too smug at the shock on each of their faces. “Everyone, this is Jesse,” I said, pointing to the girl’s friend, only then realizing I was an absolute idiot who didn’t ask her for her fucking name.
“Aspen,” she said, saving me the embarrassment as she waved to the room. “Food,” she said the moment she spotted the bar across the room. “Can I, babe?” she asked, falling totally into the role so quickly it took me a second to keep up. “I’m starving.”
“Of course, pumpkin,” I said, laying it on thick. She headed toward the bar, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off her luscious ass. The girl had legs for days. Even in sneakers she was tall and curvy, and I knew she would look even better splayed out beneath me.
As much as I’d like to make that happen after this whole debacle was over with, I knew better than anyone not to mix business with pleasure, and right now, she was technically an employee.
I sat back down at the table, and Asher dealt me into the next hand, which I folded just as Aspen came over to me a few minutes later, having satisfied herself with the snacks. I scooted back just enough to pull her into my lap, sighing softly when she settled herself there easily.
“How long have you two been dating?” Weston asked.
“Three weeks,” I answered before she could.
“Three super fun weeks,” she added, shifting slightly so she could wrap an arm around my neck.
Fuck me, she smelled like citrus and rose and if she kept wiggling her ass like that, we were going to have bigger problems on our hands than trying to pull this off. The glittering romper she wore showed off her thighs as she sat perched on my lap, and it took all of my willpower to keep from skimming my thumb across her bare skin.
I kept my arms around her but my hands on the table as I waited for the next hand to be dealt. I folded the next few, happy when the sixth hand gave me a couple of lower connecting cards I could actually play.
“What’s the buy-in?” Aspen asked, the first question she’d asked in the twenty-or-so minutes she’d been here as we threw in our chips.
Doyle laughed. “More than you can afford, sweetheart.”
“Don’t,” I said with lethal clarity, “ever talk to her like that.”
“Fuck off, Crossland,” he said, waving me off. “You’ve been on me since day one. What more can you do?”
“A lot,” I assured him. “Back off or you’ll find out.”
Doyle rolled his eyes but focused on his hand.
“It’s an invite-only game,” I explained in a softer tone to Aspen. “But you’re here now. Want to play my hand?”
“Not with those cards,” she said, and Ethan and Gareth laughed.
“In that case,” Gareth said. “Raise.”
I groaned, but called because of the draw Asher dealt on the flop.
“Oops,” Aspen whispered into my ear, concern lining her face.
I smoothed my free hand down her back in reassurance. “All good,” I said. “I promise.”
To my surprise, she relaxed into my touch, and then laughed when she spotted Jesse across the room, making himself at home with Daisy, Brynn, and Alex.
Asher dealt the turn, and I missed my straight draw again, but called Gareth’s bet in case I hit on the river. Ethan called too.
“Oh,” Aspen said, as her phone chimed in the small clutch she carried. “It’s my sister. I’ve got to take this, babe,” she said, pushing off my lap. “You’ll come dance with me later, right?” She motioned to Jesse, who reluctantly got up and followed her toward the door.