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“WHERE ARE WE GOING?”
“The place where bad decisions are always made — the casino.”
“Are you calling me a bad decision?” She asked.
“I haven’t figured that out yet. You could be a bust or the best gamble of a lifetime.”
“I’m not sure I follow.”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
In record time, we arrived at the casino. I parked in the VIP lot and walked in like I owned the place. I was greeted by a few familiar faces.
“Mr. Nash.”
“Ernest.” I nodded my head at the blackjack dealer. “You’re looking well.”
“As are you. It has been a while since we have last seen you. We were starting to worry that you had lost your love for the cards.”
“Never.” I grinned in response. “I might be financially savvy but there’s always a little wiggle room to gamble. I mean, that’s what life is all about.” As I spoke, I wrapped my arm around Lily’s slender waist and reeled her in so she was pinned between me and that table.
“Welcome.” He offered her a smile. “Will you be joining us tonight?”
“She’ll be playing on my behalf,” I said. “And let us hope that she’s a lucky one.”
“Mind filling me in on what’s going on?” She asked.
“We’re going to play a game. All or nothing.” I reached into my back pocket and retrieved my wallet. It was thick with cash but I ignored all that green in favor of my bank card. “Ten grand.” I said, handing the card to Ernest.”
“Did you just say ten grand?” Lily sounded like she was about to choke.
“I did.”
“Why do you need ten thousand dollars?”
“To gamble with, of course.”
“Don’t you think that’s a little excessive?”
“Perhaps but I believe if I were to propose to a certain someone on a whim, I’d get her one heck of a ring.” In order to whisper into her ear, I leaned forward. Our bodies were pressed together. There wasn’t a single inch between our skin. I could feel the heat radiating from her body. My hands itched to explore every crevice of her body.
“I don’t believe I follow.”
“You’re going to play a single hand of blackjack with that ten grand and if you win, I buy you that engagement ring and we go along with this crazy story of yours. If you lose, well, I guess it’s back to the drawing board.”
“Are you crazy?” She exclaimed. “I can’t make a single bet of ten thousand dollars. That’s insane!”
“Take it or leave it.”
“That’s a down payment on a tiny home!”
“This is the big leagues, Lily. It’s either go big or go home.”
“I can’t...”
“Sir.”
I looked up and Ernest stood beside us with a marble clipboard in hand. Attached to it were my bank card and a copy of my receipt. I signed the bottom of it and returned it to him.
“Here you are.” He slid a black chip across the table stamped with $10,000 on both sides of it.
“So, what will it be, Lily? Will you take this gamble or will you leave empty handed?”
She hesitated.
I pressed the chip into the palm of her hand. “Don’t let this opportunity slip you by. It’s once in a lifetime.”
“Can I have some water?”
I studied her face. Tiny beads of sweat decorated her hairline. She was nervous.
“How bad do you want me?” I whispered, my voice low and husky. “Show me.”
Her fingers tightened around the chip. “Okay,” she said, nostrils flaring as she remembered to breathe. “What do I do?”
“Put your bet on the table,” I instructed.
She did as she was told and immediately, Ernest began shuffling the cards. While he did so, I fetched a couple of hundred dollars from my wallet and exchanged for chips.
“What are those for?”
“Ernie’s tip.”
“Tip?”
“If you win, he gets a slice of the pie, so to speak.”
“Oh, okay.” She held onto the edge of the table with such strength that her knuckles were a deep shade of white. “That makes sense — I think.”
“Is this the first time you’ve been in a casino?”
“It’s the first time I’ve had so much on the line.”
“Relax,” I whispered. “If you want me then the cards will work in your favor. Trust me.”
“Good luck,” said Ernest.
He dealt the cards and lo and behold, Lily landed herself an ace as her first card.
“Excellent.”
Then time seemed to slow as Ernest came around with her second card.
“And blackjack!” Before I could stop myself, I had picked her up by the hips and spun her around and around. I could see the surprise written all over her face but especially in the way that her eyes threatened to bug right out of her face.
I stopped and placed her down on a nearby stool.
“Looks like we’re going to get married.” I couldn’t keep the grin off my face.
Stepping forward, I made room for myself in the space between her legs. Naturally, she wound her legs around my waist and we gravitated around each other like there was no one there to watch us.
I was drawn to that pretty face of hers like nothing else. There was no way I could have resisted the call of her lips.
And then, it happened. We collided together in an explosion of emotions. I had held them back for so many years, dampened behind a self-imposed dam. But now, the flood gates had been opened.
Hungrily, my lips danced against her, eager to commit that sweet honeysuckle taste to memory. When that wasn’t enough, I grabbed her by the back of the neck as if we could get any closer.
To my pleasant surprise, her tongue slipped inside my mouth, exploring all on its own.
Arousal stirred within me but I couldn’t take her here even though I was tempted to do so.
Regrettably, I pulled away if only so we could breathe again.
Her face was bright red. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as a means of distracting herself. “Wow...”
“Looks like I owe you a diamond ring.”