Page 37 of Jackpot Joker

Jasmine’s laugh has my spine stiffening. She’s smiling too much. If he knew her at all, he would know that’s not something she does. While her smile is beautiful, her scowls are equally so, and I crave them just as much. I crave her.

She looks like sin tonight, perched on a barstool in the center of the bar, as though she were trying to command the attention of everyone in this place. The black dress she wears wraps around her in soft folds, the gathered skirt puffing slightly above her crossed, creamy, thick thighs, making her legs look impossibly long. I bet they’d wrap around me nicely. The spikes of her black heels with red soles digging into me with every thrust.

One elbow rests against the black marble of the bar, the billowy sleeve pulling at her wrist as she playfully spins the stem of her martini glass, opting for that instead of another bourbon and Coke after I emptied her glass.

As much as her dress affects me tonight, it’s not the only thing. Jasmine is… different. Along with the smile that can’t seem to slip from her face, her shoulders are relaxed. Her voice is airy, that soft country twang of hers coming out a little more pronounced. She seems lighter. Happier. The way I wish I made her.

Jasmine shifts, causing the hem to ride up enough for the man she’s speaking with to track the movement. Cowboy Ben licks his lips in want. When he leans in to her and whispers something, she nods, then the two of them head toward the curtain that leads to rooms of desire and debauchery.

I’m on my feet, ready to go after her, but a hand grips my shoulder and holds me in place.

Chapter 19

Jasmine

The attention of two men has me on edge. While I’ve been flirting with the sweet cowboy, Dario’s eyes have lingered on me all night. It was an empowering feeling to see and hear him brush off the beautiful women who attempted to flirt with him, knowing he wasn’t going anywhere with them as long as I was there. Still, Dario Caruso is off-limits, Ben the Cowboy is available, and I need a night of pleasure.

Taking a deep breath, I silently beg my palms to not sweat in this man’s grip as he takes me down the hallway I previously ventured through. Now that I’m more aware of my surroundings, it’s very clear what this place is. People are in various stages of undress as we pass them. A man’s hand is unapologetically up a woman’s dress as she throws back her head and writhes against his touch.

We pass a sheet of glass; the room behind it is fully illuminated, putting a very naked woman on display. Her arms are restrained to the headboard of the bed she’s stretched out on. Her legs are spread so far it has sympathy pains crawling up my thighs. She doesn’t appear to be in pain, though. Instead, speakers pump out her moans of pleasure as she bows her back while the man she’s with runs his tongue up and down her body.

Heat rushes to my core as a flash of desire runs through me, and I’m confused by it. There’s no way I would be willing to put my larger-than-average body on display like the petite woman behind the glass. And there’s no chance in hell I would allow a man to restrain me.

No, the sudden arousal must be my sex drive telling me it’s been too long. Which is exactly why I’m here. With this man. A cowboy. Not a casino owner. I continue holding his hand, following slightly behind him as we continue down the corridor. I mentally pat myself on the back for basically ignoring room three when we pass it up.

When we’ve reached a door with the number five on it, Ben stops. “This is us, darlin’.”

I do a very good job of not rolling my eyes at the nickname he’s called me most of the night. Too many cowboy wannabes have called me darlin’ through the years.

He pulls his membership card out of his pocket and swipes it against the mechanism. When the black box lights up green, he pushes the door, and we step inside.

Ben walks in first, and when I enter, my jaw drops. He turns, noting my expression, and gives a charming smile. “Ain’t it great?”

It’s… different. Where the room Dario and I visited was clearly one where people enjoyed bondage, this one is for a much different type of kink. A mural on the back wall displays rolling hills and a barn with a fence painted in the foreground. Bales of hay sit in a corner of the room. A large blanket is strewn across the floor. On the wall hang several different types of rope.

“Why don’t you lie down on that there blanket and get yourself comfortable, darlin’?”

Ben walks over to the wall, and I make my way to the center of the room, where it looks like I’ll be getting down on the ground. I’m crouched down, unbuckling the thin straps at my ankles, when I feel a hand running through my hair. “I fucking love blondes.”

A nervous giggle escapes me, and I place my shoes to the side, just off the blanket. It takes me a little bit to figure out how to gracefully sit in this dress without my ass being on full display, but when I finally manage, I look up to see Ben with one of the coils of rope in his hands.

“What?” I gulp. “What’s that for?”

A smirk spreads across his face. “Well, every cowboy needs his cow. Now that I’ve got mine, it’s time I tied you up.”

What the fuck did he say?

“Did you just call me a cow?”

Ben laughs. “Now don’t go gettin’ all mad at me. I want a heifer, not a bull.”

Yeah, no. I stand back up. “This isn’t going to work. I don’t know what type of woman you’re used to, but the one you found tonight ain’t it.”

“What? Like you had other prospects?” Ben asks, a hint of disbelief in his voice. “You think any other man in this place wants a fat ass like yours when there’s plenty of free pussy up for grabs? Now get back down there and let me tie you up. I’ll make you feel so good you forget all about this.”

“Fuck you.” I reach down to grab my shoes, and Ben grips my wrist.

“I rented this room tonight, and it wasn’t cheap. Now you owe me a good time.”