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“Three super fun weeks,” she added, shifting slightly so she could wrap an arm around my neck.
Fuck me, she smelled like citrus and rose and if she kept wiggling her ass like that, we were going to have bigger problems on our hands than trying to pull this off. The glittering romper she wore showed off her thighs as she sat perched on my lap, and it took all of my willpower to keep from skimming my thumb across her bare skin.
I kept my arms around her but my hands on the table as I waited for the next hand to be dealt. I folded the next few, happy when the sixth hand gave me a couple of lower connecting cards I could actually play.
“What’s the buy-in?” Aspen asked, the first question she’d asked in the twenty-or-so minutes she’d been here as we threw in our chips.
Doyle laughed. “More than you can afford, sweetheart.”
“Don’t,” I said with lethal clarity, “evertalk to her like that.”
“Fuck off, Crossland,” he said, waving me off. “You’ve been on me since day one. What more can you do?”
“A lot,” I assured him. “Back off or you’ll find out.”
Doyle rolled his eyes but focused on his hand.
“It’s an invite-only game,” I explained in a softer tone to Aspen. “But you’re here now. Want to play my hand?”
“Not with those cards,” she said, and Ethan and Gareth laughed.
“In that case,” Gareth said. “Raise.”
I groaned, but called because of the draw Asher dealt on the flop.
“Oops,” Aspen whispered into my ear, concern lining her face.
I smoothed my free hand down her back in reassurance. “All good,” I said. “I promise.”
To my surprise, she relaxed into my touch, and then laughed when she spotted Jesse across the room, making himself at home with Daisy, Brynn, and Alex.
Asher dealt the turn, and I missed my straight draw again, but called Gareth’s bet in case I hit on the river. Ethan called too.
“Oh,” Aspen said, as her phone chimed in the small clutch she carried. “It’s my sister. I’ve got to take this, babe,” she said, pushing off my lap. “You’ll come dance with me later, right?” She motioned to Jesse, who reluctantly got up and followed her toward the door.
“Definitely,” I said, more than a little shocked she’d set a timer. Thirty minutes had flown by. I didn’t realize I was hoping she’d lose track of time with me and want to stay longer. “Tell Craig I said let you back up,” I said. “In case you get tired of dancing.”
She winked at me, then blew me a kiss for good measure. I couldn’t help but smile as she and Jesse headed out.
I cleared my throat and focused on the hand, which had paused because Asher hadn’t dealt the last card yet.
“We playing or..?”
“Bullshitshe’s your girlfriend,” Wes said.
I shook my head. “Did you not just see her?”
“She looked pretty into him,” Brynn said in my defense, and I nodded my thanks to her.
“Anyone can look into someone in the beginning,” Wes countered. “Doesn’t mean it’s a relationship.”
I sighed, but shook my head.
Ethan contemplated for a few seconds before a wicked smile overtook his expression.
Oh fuck.
“Put your money where your mouth is, Cross,” Ethan said in a mocking tone. “Three months of monogamy with Aspen,” he continued.
