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Willow
Laying the cards down with utmost pleasure, I look around the table. “Read ‘em and weep, boys.”
My grin is obnoxious as I pull the pot of chips to join my others. I’m up thousands of dollars at this point in the night, and I have every intention of winning the rest.
“For fuck’s sake, Willow. Remind me why the hell I invite you to steal my money?” Alfred says, in his thick Boston accent, slamming down his cards.
“Oh, don’t be a poor sport. She’s here because we like her more than you,” Chuck says, laughing with a nod my way as he collects everyone’s cards to reshuffle.
Alfred grunts as I stack my winnings. The room is dimly lit by a bright light hanging overhead, so when the back door opens, and he walks through it, light filters in behind him. He’s tall, dark, and baby-faced, but something about him draws my attention. His eyes lock on mine as he walks up to our table and takes a seat with another man. They both look like rich wall street types, dark suits, expensive watches. A look of confusion wrinkles his brows. We’re at a private club, and women are generally not allowed back, but I have an open invitation to join these rowdy old men any time I like for poker. It’s a pastime, and I enjoy the thrill of the win every now and then.
Chuck greets the two men, welcoming them to the table. They both nod their greeting, throwing tall stacks of one-hundred-dollar bills on the table. The baby-faced guy looks at me with a cocky grin as he stacks his chips. His mocking smile fades when he looks down at my overwhelming piles on the table. It’s cute, and makes me laugh to myself. There’s nothing I like more than putting a cocky pretty boy in his place.
The cards are dealt out in front of us. I’m feeling confident about my hand already, so I toss in a thousand dollars in chips.
“Fuck me!” Alfred grumbles. “I fold.”
“Fold,” the blonde preppy guy that came in with Baby-face says, laying his cards down.
“I’ll call and raise another five grand.” Baby-face throws in his chips, and Chuck folds.
I see his five grand and add another five grand just because I can, and I’m curious how confident this guy really is. Part of me wants to break him, picturing how handsome he would be on his knees in front of me. It might be his big hands or his big alpha aura, I’m not sure, but his dark gaze is getting to me. I shake the ridiculous thoughts away and raise the bet. We go back and forth, matching bets for a few minutes, neither of us giving in, and I admit, the heat between us rises with each round.
Finally, he pushes all his chips to the center of the table while I’m still stacked and comfortable.
“Looks like I’m all in, beautiful. How about I show you mine, and you show me yours?”
I smile confidently and roll my eyes. I lay down my four-of-a-kind at the same time he lays down a full house. He looks back and forth between our cards. Surprising me, he smiles an adorable dimpled smile and nods in defeat. I simply shrug, then rising from my chair, I bend over, giving him a good view of my cleavage in my push-up corset as I rank in my winnings. His eyes immediately lower from my face, and I let a victorious laugh slip through my lips. The buddy that came in with him leans over and whispers in his ear as he continues to stare at me, now licking his lips.
“Sweetheart, you’re going to bleed us all dry again tonight, aren’t you?” Alfred groans.
I look over at Alfred and shrug innocently as Chuck deals another hand. We play for another hour, and baby face buys more chips. He wins a few, but I still come up on top by the end of the night.
“Alright, folks, I’m calling it a night. This old man needs to get home before his wife files for divorce,” Chuck says, ending the game for all of us.
Sitting back, I stretch my arms as I catch the eyes of the preppy boys across from me. I cash out with everyone else and lock my cash in a bank bag, planning to take it home and deposit it tomorrow.
“Great game tonight, boys. See ya next week.” I nod at the old guys and wink over at the preps before I sling my purse over my shoulder. As I walk through the club, a few of the dancers wave my way, recognizing me from the weeks before. Becoming friends with Alfred opened many doors for me, and though he bitches, I know he’s started trusting me more and more. I like it when he invites me to these exclusive places and asks my advice on things most men wouldn’t. The man has become my fairy godfather, and I won’t take it for granted. Every ounce of knowledge I learn from him, I put to use or lock away in my vault of secrets.
As I pass by the bar and turn into the dark hallway, a hand wraps around my elbow, and on reflex, my response is to turn around and punch the motherfucker that dares to put his hands on me. Instead, with my fist still in the air, I come face to face with dimples, and his dark eyes bore into me with a fire that leaves me breathless. We stare at each other for a long moment before he pulls me close, slow and tentative, and puts his mouth next to my ear. The music in the club is loud, and I barely hear his words.
“You took all my money; do I at least get to know your name?” His words are gentle and teasing, and goosebumps rise from his warm breath on my neck.
Our cheeks rub against each other, and for the first time in my life, I appreciate a man with a close shave. He’s not my usual type, but I can’t deny I’m attracted to him. His arms are thicker than I thought, and I lean into him just a little, catching the smell of his musky cologne.
“Willow,” I say in the most sultry way possible against his neck, right under his ear, too short to get closer. He pulls my body closer, so there’s nothing between us. The firm grip surprises me and sends shivers up my spine. My mouth parts, and I know I’m panting softly. This guy looks gentle, but he’s all alpha, which does crazy things to my lady parts.
“That’s a beautiful name, Willow. To match the beautiful woman you are.”
“Thank you…” I let it sound like a question as I tilt my head, bringing my lips a little closer in a tease before pulling away when he tries to take them. He laughs softly, and I can feel his warm breath against my face.
“Archer. My name is Archer, and I really think you should come home with me tonight.”
I’m not shocked at all at how forward he is. Archer is clearly a man who gets what he wants; too bad for both of us I promised myself no more boy toys. With a sly smile, I arch back up to his ear, my face brushing against his while I whisper against his skin.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why is that? Because I can promise you, it would be an orgasmic idea for the both of us.”
I moan and grab a fistful of his dress shirt, pulling our bodies flush together. “Honestly?”
I feel his slow nod against my hair as he answers my question.
“I don’t think you can handle me, Archer.”
Using those as my parting words, I slip out of his tempting arms and back away slowly. Taking in the utter shock on his face, I turn, proud of myself for resisting such a sexy temptation.
I push through the outer doors of the club and take a deep breath of the cool night air. My Camaro is close by, and I climb in, fighting the urge to run back to him. I remind myself that I’m focusing on my business and not on sex this year. My body might hate me, but my heart is giving me a big high five as I speed away, heading toward my apartment.
