The Love Game (The Game, #1)

CHAPTER Thirty-Two – Braden

Saying that being in a car with Maddie for eight hours would be a damn nightmare was the biggest f*ckin' lie I've ever said.
It's hell. Every motel we pass by I want to park in, rent a room and take her in there and not leave until tomorrow. Every. F*cking. Motel.
But I don't want to f*ck her. Oh no, not Maddie. I want to make love to her. I want to kiss every inch of that soft, golden skin, run my hands over every curve, and move inside her until she screams. Because I already know she does, and now I've admitted to myself that I feel something for her – and I mean really feel something for her – I want it to be more than a quick f*ck somewhere in a parking lot. I want it to be special. More than anything I've ever experienced.
She drops her bag at the bottom of the king bed in our room in Treasure Island and looks around. Mom offered to book me a suite, but somehow I knew this would be enough for Maddie. Judging by the look on her face, I was right.
“Is it okay?” I perch on the green chair in the corner.
She nods. “It's beautiful.” She smiles, one of her light smiles that makes me smile back.
I knew it would be. The understated browns and greens of our room are calming and exactly what she needs after the week she's had because of her brother. Me?
I just need Maddie.
“Wanna go grab some food?”
“Uh, sure. Can I change first?” She gestures to her sweatpants.
“Sure, go ahead, Angel.”
She pulls some clothes from her bag and heads towards the en-suite bathroom, stopping on the way to kiss the corner of my mouth. She walks away, her ass wiggling, and I smile as I watch her go. I stare at the place her ass was for a good five minutes after she's shut the door.
I shake my head and secretly wonder if she's a witch and has cast a spell on me. No, she's too pretty for that. I shake my head again.
Thank f*ck for this fake ID Megan managed to get, because I need a damn beer with this dinner.
The bathroom door opens, and Maddie steps out. I glance her way. The skin tight, black jeans she's wearing leave little to the imagination, and the hot pink top that flares from her boobs down makes me wonder exactly what's hidden underneath it. Her hair is piled high on top of her head with a few loose curls framing her face. She crosses the room, not noticing I'm practically drooling, and opens the mini suitcase. After some rummaging, she pulls out some black pumps with hot pink heels and slides her feet into them. She straightens, smooths her top in the full length mirror, and turns to me.
“Is this okay?”
I blink. Swallow. Shit. She looks f*cking beautiful. “You look f*cking beautiful.”
She smiles. “Thank you. Megan said to dress up, so....” She holds her hands out. “I dressed up.”
“I like you dressed up,” I mutter, walking over to her. I run my hands down her arms and take her hands, my eyes sweeping her from head to toe. “Yeah. I definitely like you dressed up. I like it a lot.”
She glances down then up at me through her lashes. “It's not too much?”
I shake my head and step closer to her, closing the distance between us. “No, it's perfect.” I kiss her softly. “Now I feel like I should be wearing a shirt.”
“Maybe you should be.” She smiles.
I grin at her and kiss her once more before turning away. I find a white shirt from my bag and a pair of dark jeans. I strip – no going into the bathroom like Maddie did – and change, feeling her eyes on me the whole time. I face her as I do up the buttons of my shirt, and her eyes are fixed on my chest. A small, smug smile graces my lips.
“Is my collar straight?” I ask, tilting my head back and exposing my neck.
“Mm? What?” She snaps back to it. “Oh, not quite.”
Her heels are soundless against the carpeted floor as she steps up to me and reaches up to adjust my collar. When she's done, she smooths her hands down my chest and kisses my neck, brushing her lips along the hollow of my collarbone afterward.
“Hey,” I whisper huskily. “None of that, or we won't be going for dinner.”
She smirks and steps back, letting her fingers trail down my body. “Stopping.”
I step forward. “You don't have to stop, Maddie, I'm just saying....”
“Well, I'm hungry.” She bats her eyelashes. “Where are we eating?”
“I was thinking Phil's Italian Steakhouse.”
She purses her lips for a moment. “Expensive.”
“And my treat.”
“You can't exactly take me for dinner on your birthday weekend, Bray.”
“Hey.” I step closer to her again, resting my hand on her hip and holding her chin. “You're my girl, so my birthday or not, if I wanna treat you, I'm gonna treat you, okay? And tonight I wanna treat you. You can pay for dinner tomorrow on my actual birthday.”
She sighs. “Well, okay, but you should know we're only going for pizza tomorrow night.”
Her eyes glimmer, and I grin at her. She smiles back. “Pizza is fine.”
“Good.” She leans up and kisses me. “Now feed me.”
“Yes, ma'am.” I take her hand and pull her from the room, slipping the key card into my pocket.
She leans into my side on the way down in the elevator. “Are the others meeting us there?”
“No.” I kiss the top of her head. “Dinner tonight is just for us.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” I squeeze her hand, and we step out. “See, I realized we haven't been for dinner yet, and according to Google that makes me a bad boyfriend.” I wink, and she laughs.
“You googled it? Really?”
I half-smile at her. “Only so it could be perfect for you.”
She stops laughing and leans up, touching her lips to my cheek. “It's perfect anyway.”
I stroke my thumb across the back of her hand. “Come on, let's get some food.”

~

The low light of Phil's Italian Steak House is perfect for dinner. Despite the place being packed – making me thankful I'd thought to book a table before we left college – there's something intimate about it.
Maybe it's because I've never really taken the time to be with Maddie before now. Maybe because it's finally more than just sex. I don't f*ckin' know.
But being in this casino now with everyone makes me wish we were back in the restaurant.
Maddie runs her finger around the top of her wine glass.
“Okay, Angel?” I put a hand on her back.
She looks up and smiles. “I'm fine. You?”
“Fine.” I kiss her quickly.
Megan powers through our crowd and takes Maddie's free hand. “I'm stealing her. Go be a boy and play poker or something!”
“What are we gonna do?” Maddie asks and shrugs at me.
“There's a hot bartender over there, and I want his number!” Megan laughs, and I shake my head. Aston's head snaps round and watches her as she leaves. My eyes flick between them – okay, between them and Maddie.
Aston better not have designs on Megan because I'll break his f*ckin' neck if he does.
The girls disappear into a throng of people, and I join the guys. “Poker?”
“Poker,” Ryan agrees, finishing his beer and putting the glass on the bar. We all move into the poker room to a mercifully free table. After sitting, Ryan signals to the dealer that he's got it. He deals in a way that only growing up in a casino can teach you. His smooth way with the cards means there’s no chance anyone other than the person the hand belongs to will have seen it. That's what you get when your Dad owns a casino in Atlantic City, I guess. You also get to deal at your own table if you know the casino owner, apparently.
“Game on,” Aston grins.
Ten minutes in, Aston is panicking as his pile of chips dwindle slowly.
“You have the shittest poker face I've ever seen,” Ryan announces. “And I've seen a lot, Aston.”
“Slot machines are just back in there if you want 'em.” I wink.
“F*ck off,” Aston says. “Slot machines are for girls.”
“And poker is for men who don't wobble their bottom lips when they have a shit hand.” Ed laughs.
The rest of the guys join in the piss-taking and after a few minutes, I break it up.
“All right, guys, come on,” I wave my hand. “Give the poor baby a break. It's not his fault the only card game he can play properly is f*ckin' Old Maid.”
The table roars with laughter, and someone clips me round the back of the head.
“The f*ck?” I turn and Megan is standing there with her eyebrows raised. “I thought you were getting some waiter's number.”
“I got it.” She waves a little piece of paper before tucking it into her purse. “But we got bored and want to do something else. Lila suggested hitting a club, either in or out of the hotel.”
I look at the guys, and they don't object.
Ryan shrugs. “Sounds good to me.”
“You only say that cause you're whipped, Ry.” Jake punches his arm.
Ryan shows his hand. “You'd say the same thing if you shared a bed with her. She's a f*ckin' animal.”
Megan tosses a chip at his head. “Pigs! Do you think Lila discusses your sex life with us?”
“I know she does,” Ryan laughs. “You all discuss your sex life. It's like a bunch of Granny's being together at bingo.”
“You're all just a whole lot hotter.” Aston winks at Megan, and she rolls her eyes.
“Can we go? These shoes do have a wearable time limit, you know.” She cocks her leg to show the bright blue pumps with daggers for heels. “And I think Aston's had enough of you guys ripping on him now.”
We laugh and throw the cards down, deciding to call it even.
“Hey, Megan,” Aston slinks up beside her. “If those shoes get too much later, and you need a hand getting to your room, you know where I am.”
I clench my fists, watching as she turns to him and touches his chest, batting her eyelashes.
“Aston, honey, if I'm gonna get someone to take me to bed, it'll be someone more qualified than you. Say, someone who can play more than just Old Maid. You think on that and come back when you've at least learned to play Go Fish, get that?” She beams and spins on her heels, stalking out of the poker room, leaving him staring after her dumbfounded.
“And that, my friend.” I slap his shoulder. “Is what happens when you try your dirty tricks on a girl with more class than a month of your bed-warming whores.”
“Because you'd know all about that,” he replies dryly, following us out to the main hall.
I spy Maddie, twirling a piece of hair around her finger and laughing with Lila. “Actually, I would.”
I walk up behind her and circle her waist with my arms. “Ready to go?”
“Mhmm.” She turns her head into me, and we all head to the floor that holds the Kahunaville party bar.