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I pointed to Rick, then Lance. “Both of you, keep your underwear on. I’m taking my money and running.”
I pulled the pile of chips toward me and picked through them. Britni, who had perched herself at the bar, wandered over to help me. I caught the brief eye contact between her and Rick, then she looked at me and smiled.
“Good hand.”
“Thanks. It was about time. I’ve had crap luck all night.”
She stacked a tower of fives and slid them toward me. “That’s why I bowed out once the strip poker began. I’d be butt-naked in five minutes.”
Rick stood up, moving past the table and heading to the kitchen. He reached out to squeeze her shoulder. I wanted to smack myself in the head for not seeing the signs earlier.
I counted out my chip stack and pushed it toward Lance. “Four hundred and forty.”
Not bad for a night off work. Maybe I’ll quit The House and become a full-time player. Lance’s eyes met mine over the table, and he smiled. “Nice play.”
“Hard to lose with pocket aces.”
He stood, reached for the baseball cap that held our buy-ins, and started to count out the cash.
* * *
I watched my bare legs as they shimmered under the water, my limbs distorted by the hot tub’s churn. Beside me, Lance was quiet, his arms splayed out to either side, a cold beer in one hand. He pressed it against my neck, and I smiled. “That feels good.”
“I know. I’m tempted to jump in the pool to cool off.”
I tilted my head, considering it. “Nah. Too far away.”
He laughed, bringing the beer to his lips and tilting it back.
I watched the inside of the house, the figures of Britni and Rick moving through the kitchen, then disappearing into the living room. “You think they hook up?”
He chuckled. “Absolutely.”
I closed my eyes, enjoying the heat from the tub, the massage against my back. I contemplated loosening my bra, the underwire a bit uncomfortable, but left it alone.
“How’s your boy?”
I cracked open one eye. “Which one?”
There was the flash of white teeth in the dark as he smiled. “Oh, so it’s like that?”
I shrugged, closing my eyes again. “I don’t know. It’s a mess.”
“But you’ve seen Capece again.”
I wet my lips. “Yeah. He wants me to move to The Majestic, to a suite there.”
He started coughing mid-sip and leaned forward, setting his beer on the ledge and wiping his mouth. “What the fuck, B? And you haven’t said anything?”
I scissored my legs under the water. “I’m not moving in there. You know me and relationships. We hide from each other.”
“Huh.” The skepticism seeped through the word and I rolled my eyes, wondering exactly how transparent I was. He picked the beer back up and took a sip. “Must be nice, to have spare condos lying around.”
I snorted and looked over at him. “Oh yeah, because you need that?” I waved my arm in the air, gesturing to the empty pool deck. “All these women, everywhere. God, where are they all going to sleep?”
The water was unexpected, a splash of heat, and I sputtered, using my hands to force a wave back in his direction.
“Shit. Stop. Truce. Watch the beer.” He held it out of the way and waited for the hot tub to settle.
“Besides, you don’t have a wife you have to hide women from.” I sat up, moving away from the side of the tub and into the center of the space, skimming my fingers along the top of the water and watching the water spray. “Tell me I’m being an idiot by seeing him.”
Lance tilted the beer bottle to one side and eyed it. He was quiet for a long moment before speaking. “You’re being an idiot. But I can’t say, if I was in your position, that I wouldn’t do the same thing.”
He lifted his shoulders, the muscles bunching under his handsome face. “He’s a good-looking, rich, powerful guy. That’s not an easy thing for a girl to walk away from.” He set down the beer and lifted his hands, linking his fingers and resting them on top of his head. “But like I told you before, you need to be careful. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“I know.” Be careful. Don’t get hurt. I didn’t know if he meant my heart or my body, but I didn’t know how to protect either, short of staying away from Dario altogether.
And the last week had proved that I wouldn’t be able to do that. I was already, after just one sexual session, a hundred texts, and two sleepovers, in too deep. I could feel my fall, I just didn’t seem to have a way to stop it.
* * *
DARIO
Dario leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest and listening to the floor manager go through pre-shift. As the woman spoke, he let his eyes drift over the assistant managers, assessing each one as he moved. There was a position opening up at the north location, and he wanted to promote from within.
