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I reached up to tuck my hair behind my ear and simultaneously removed the communication piece.
Work no longer mattered. I had other plans. Sliding the equipment into my clutch, I weaved through the crowd.
Sam sat with the rest of the Kings in the center of the room. Each brother hosted a table with their wife. Sam, who had an empty chair next to him, was the exception.
Had he expected me, or was it for someone else?
Then I caught a smirk on Danika’s lips and knew she’d arranged it.
I hadn’t given her a single detail of my plan at the gallery. And I’d waited until a few hours ago to accept Sam’s invitation.
How she’d guessed I would show up tonight, I’d never know. Then again, Wonder Girl knew things others only dreamed of learning.
Sam shifted in his seat, directing his attention entirely on me as that familiar pulse of energy surged between us.
Heat filled his amber irises, as did that one emotion I tried so hard to ignore for far too long.
Love.
My heartbeat drummed in my ears, and my stomach fluttered with nerves like nothing I’d ever experienced in my life.
The weight of attention I garnered as I moved through the room and toward Sam sat heavily on my shoulders. I’d spent my life in the spotlight, and scrutiny never bothered me.
Except tonight, I felt as if I had everything on the line.
I held Sam’s hypnotizing stare until I reached the back of the empty seat at his table.
“Mr. King, is there room for another player to join your game?”
Sam scanned me exactly as he’d done all those years ago. He assessed everything about me—my face, my clothes, my jewelry. His pupils dilated and heated, turning his irises into rings of gold as they lingered on my wrist and ears.
“Of course.” He took a sip of his drink and then gestured to the vacant seat. “However, I should warn you. We’ve entered the high-stakes portion of the evening. Buy-ins are steep.”
“I’m sure you know I can cover any bet level.” Sliding into the chair next to him, I shifted, letting the side of my leg brush against his.
“At this table, the stakes aren’t monetary.”
“I see. And what exactly are we playing for?”
“We work in favors and such. What can you offer in that realm?”
“Well, that’s complicated.”
“I can navigate complicated.”
“What I have to offer is of great value, especially to the Kings. One in particular.”
Something flashed over his face. I wasn’t sure if it was shock or longing. Then, just as fast, it disappeared.
“Go on.”
Taking a deep breath, I knew it was now or never.
I reached forward, took the tumbler from his hand, and immediately he grabbed my wrist, blocking my movement.
The table suddenly grew quiet, giving me the exact reaction I’d expected.
Many people in this room were regular patrons of The Library. They knew Sam and I were beyond acquaintances. The rules of The Library stated that what anyone saw or heard there never left the club. And when I’d walked out of a room with him, no one said a word.
