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Celeste’s expression became watchful. “You’re that sure?” she asked silkily.
Wizard didn’t like the calculating way she was looking at him, but there was no chance he could back down with most of the club listening.
“I’m that sure,” he boasted, “as long as my ace in the hole gives me a heads-up.” He stared meaningfully at Doom.
Doom folded his arms across his chest. “How?”
“By getting me Natalia’s work schedule. And information about how she met the loser I saw her with today.”
Doom frowned. “Why do you need to know that?”
“She won’t let me into her restaurant, and even if she did, she’d have the Yeti waiting to take my ass out. I need neutral territory. She must’ve met the loser somewhere for him to ask her out. I need that information.”
“How she met him won’t help you.” Doom shook his head.
“Let me be the judge of that.”
“She met him on Bumble.”
“You’re right; that won’t help.”
If that was true, Wizard would have to devise another plan, and he had liked that one. It would have required the least amount of effort.
“I’m not going to catfish her,” Wizard said, thinking aloud as he slid his empty mug toward Kat again. “I’ll figure it out myself. I always do.”
Wizard grinned when Kat returned the refilled mug. “I’m very inventive, aren’t I?”
“Yes, you are.” Kat licked her lips suggestively.
Feeling his cock harden at the way Kat licked her lips—and still imagining Natalia—he took a drink while mentally slapping himself. He needed sleep more than he needed his cock sucked.
“I don’t know, Wizard.” Celeste didn’t sound convinced. “Natalia seemed pretty uptight when she was here.”
Wizard narrowed his blurry gaze at her. “You’re doubting me?”
“More like skeptical,” she amended. “How about a small bet?”
Wizard wasn’t so far gone that he couldn’t sense a trap in the making.
“Wizard …” Doom interrupted. “You’ve worked three twelve-hour shifts, and you’ve drunk three beers in fifteen minutes. Get some sleep before you make any bets with Celeste.”
Wizard ignored the warning. “What kind of bet?”
“Something that should be easy for a man of your talents.” Celeste lifted her hair so Wizard could see her clover tattoo. “You had no problem convincing me to fuck you, Doom, and Puck the first night I came to a party.”
“Leave me out of this,” Doom snapped.
“He can choose anyone else in the club to take your place,” Celeste readily agreed. “It doesn’t have to happen the first time she comes here to party, either … as long as it’s before the bedrooms are assigned. If I win, I get first choice of the new bedrooms.”
Fuck. Wizard didn’t need anyone to tell him that he had willingly stepped into the trap. Still, he would be damned if he backed out in front of the club. He tried to think of a way out, but his sluggish mind refused to cooperate.
To buy himself time, he lit another cigarette.
“What do I get if I win?”
“Anything your little heart desires,” she purred.
Wizard felt the noose Celeste had looped around his neck loosen.
