Tristan had spent the past hour checking out the private betting rooms. He was even up a little, considering he’d been playing some high stakes. The perfect kind of gambling—here he didn’t have to assume any of the risk. As part of the VIP package, Bella had provided gambling money. After all, he had to look the part.
When he opened the door to the suite, it smelled fantastic. “Wow, you cook?”
Syn’s smile was bright and sunny. “Hey.”
He grinned. “Hey, yourself. You look happy.”
“Well, I figured we could have a late lunch. I had this fantastic kitchen and I wanted to test it out at least once.”
He laughed. “Yeah, me too. But somehow I think we have different ideas about the definition of try it out.”
She laughed and shook her head. “You’re incorrigible.”
“And sexy. Don’t forget sexy.” As automatically as if he’d been doing it for cameras, he swung an arm around her and twirled her into a dance. “One thing I want to make a habit.”
She scrunched her nose. “Oh yeah, what’s that?”
“This.” He kissed her deeply. No preamble, no lead-up. Just fused their mouths together and tried to sate some of the hunger for her.
When he released her, she blinked sleepily. “Okay, you should always do that when you see me.”
“Done. Though it could make for the weird and awkwards around the office.” Her smile faltered and he realized what he’d said. Damn it.
She recovered quicker than he did. “You’d miss me calling you Silver Spoon too much.”
“I think of it as a term of endearment.” He swatted her on the butt. “So, what’s making my mouth water?”
“I hope you like Cuban. I made this shrimp and rice dish I had at Cubana Libre in Miami. I harassed the chef via email for ten months before he’d give the goods on his recipe.”
“Somehow I can totally see you doing that.”
She shrugged her slim shoulders. “So I’m a little persistent. Nothing wrong with that.”
“Not a thing. It’s probably why I like you.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “You mean it’s not my ass?”
Tristan laughed. “Okay, admittedly, that might have a little to do with it. But if we’re being serious, it’s your snarky and persistent attitude, then your laugh, then your ass.”
“Wow, that ass ranks third, huh? I have to say I’m surprised.”
“Oh, really? And what is it you like about me?”
She stirred something on the stove, and her smile turned serious. “That you surprise me. Just when I think I have you figured out, you switch it up again. It keeps me guessing. Those eyes of yours don’t hurt either. And, well, your abs. I hope you don’t mind, but I plan on doing a load of laundry on them later.”
“As long as you do the load naked, I’m not really bothered.” He took a position on one of the stools at the island. “Do you cook for your sister a lot?”
“Not so much anymore now that she doesn’t live with me. She has her own place close to campus. The only time she comes home to my place now is to do laundry or to go grocery shopping.”
He frowned. “Grocery shopping, not my thing.”
Syn hitched a thumb and pointed at the fridge. “No worries, we’re well stocked.”
“You know you didn’t have to cook. We’re in Vegas with world-class restaurants on every corner.”
Syn shrugged. “I don’t get to cook much for people, and cooking for one is so dull. I made more of an effort to be home for family dinner when Xia lived with me, but I guess little sister had to grow up sometime.”
“I hear they do that.”
“You know, I don’t even know if you have siblings.”
“I have a brother, Taylor, and a sister, Tawny.”
“Oh, the T names. You were that family.”
He coughed out a laugh. “Yes, my mother’s name is Trista, so you can imagine how my name came about. Then it was a tradition, so...”
Syn clutched a hand to her chest as she laughed. “I am so sorry.”
“Yeah, me too.” Man, she was so pretty. Putzing around the kitchen in her bare feet and apron was not something he ever pictured her doing. It seemed she could surprise him too. “So, how long till lunch?”
“About twenty minutes. Give or take. Would you like me to make you a drink?”
“Wow, that is very fifties housewife of you.”
She laughed and tossed a towel at his head. “Don’t go getting used to this. I expect you to be a cabana boy, peeling my grapes later.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Is that a euphemism? ’Cause, done deal. So how about I steal my kisses now since after lunch we should do some work.”
“I might not be opposed to that.”
Tristan stalked over to her with a grin and she backed up. He kissed her deep, loving every moment of being with her. Picking her up, he sat her on the counter, stepping between her legs. It wasn’t long before he was sliding his hands under her blouse and she was dragging his shirt off his back.
What was it about this woman that always made him lose complete control of the situation?
“Tristan.”
Mmm, the way she said his name made him hard. “Yeah, baby?” She tasted like sweet and spice and he slid a hand between the two of them. Through the denim of her jeans, he stroked his thumb over her sex. And she bowed into him.
“I need—”
A sharp ringing sound broke through the sexual fog.
She tore her lips from his. “Damn, that’s my sister Xia’s ringtone. I need to get that.”
Even though sexual frustration clawed at him, he dragged on his T-shirt and then gently set Syn back on the floor. “We’re going to pick this up later.”
“Promises, promises,” she muttered.
He tried to give her a bit of privacy for her call, but he couldn’t help overhearing Syn’s part of the conversation. “Yeah...relax, I know it’s due...working on it...ever let you down before...I’ll make it happen. You will graduate, I promise.”
She was paying for her sister’s tuition? Concern for her burned in his gut. She had been serious about looking after her little sister. While for him, his job was about getting ahead and earning respect, for her, it was about survival.