Night comes all too soon, and Marisa drifts to sleep after only three fairy tales. With my mind all over the place, I am thankful for the reprieve.
With the chaos of the day I haven’t given myself time to think of Caldwell, but as I finish applying lotion to my legs while readying for work, I silently beg not to run into him tonight. I have to get focused on the game and, more important, on the players, not on some high roller.
A game can be won or lost based on giving away or reading a tell, and I gave up too much to Caldwell too quickly. He could read me. That shit stops now.
—
I begin my shift in a daze. With every tip, I mentally calculate my bills. It isn’t long before I feel the burn, the sting of someone watching me. I glance around the casino floor to find him. “Call me Caldwell” resounds in my head, and I squeeze my legs together as I instantly ache for him, remembering when I called out his name.
He smiles and winks before turning back to his game, the chips lined up in front of him showing he’s clearly winning. Knowing he is here, I feel like the temperature has gone up about a hundred degrees.
So much for not ever seeing him again.
Of course, I couldn’t be so lucky. No, I am still stuck in the life of hard knocks and probably always will be.
Desperation fills me, making my chest tighten in anxiety. I don’t make it five steps before he is beside me.
“You okay?”
“Fine,” I mutter, trying to make my way to another table.
“Got a room here. Why don’t you come by and have dinner with me?”
I look up at him, and for a moment, I get lost in the depths of his blue eyes. He uses this to his advantage and takes my hand, but I jerk away as though he’s burned me.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
He trails a finger over the name tag pinned to my left breast. “Hailey, calm down.”
“I have to work,” I whisper, then take off to the back to give myself a moment.
His touch ignites something inside me that I never thought possible. Desire? Could it be? It’s all new. I have never allowed myself to feel anything. My life has been a repayment—never before have I experienced excitement and, dare I say, sensuality.
Pushing through, I continue my shift, completely distracted by him at every turn. When I make a call home to check on Marisa, Jamie laughs at me and my frustrations over Caldwell.
“Girl, live your life, for the first time ever. It’s one night. Have your time and leave his ass in the morning before he gets up. I got Ris Priss. You haven’t ever had a chance to fuck around. Once, babe—just once fuck him and know that Monte definitely doesn’t have the scale tipped in his favor.”
I get off the phone in shock. No way can I freely fuck around. Then my mind immediately goes back to the feeling of his mouth on me, and I tremble as I make my way back to the floor to finish my shift.
As I clock out, my mind is on removing this outfit and getting into some sweats. Preoccupied, I am unaware of his approach, and I stumble as I try to get out of his path. When he extends an arm and holds me up by my biceps, I automatically tense at his touch.
His eyes search mine, and shamelessly, I can’t hide my expression. I didn’t tense because I am afraid of him. No, Caldwell’s touch has the ability to make my heart skip a beat, then break into a thundering rhythm that makes me feel like it could burst right out of my chest. His presence is undeniable, his pull magnetic. He consumes me without even trying.
Without a word, his lips crash against mine, and the second his tongue invades my mouth, I start thinking of his mouth on other places. Then the noise around us dissipates, and the only thing I can think of is the sensation of his lips against mine as his tongue dances deliciously in every corner of my mouth.
He nips, he sucks, and he laps as we somehow make our way to the elevator and then to his room. It all happens so fast I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to try. Clothes are flying as he electrifies me further with every touch. My shirt: gone. My skirt: gone. His shirt now lies on the floor, with buttons scattered everywhere. My nipples are so tight that, when the air hits them as he removes my bra, I feel like I could explode with desire. He backs me to the wall, and I moan.
Needing contact, needing him, I wrap a leg around his and practically climb him as he encircles my head with one hand, messing my hair up, while his other scoops my ass and I wrap both legs around him.
Ecstasy. He hasn’t even fucked me yet, and I am in pure ecstasy.