We make it to the room, and I hand him a twenty telling him thank you, all I want is a shower and a bed, in that fucking order. Too bad I need to be down at the preliminary table in the next hour. I grab a change of clothes, and head into the walk-in shower, this may be the best part of the whole damn place. There are three shower heads and a bench along the wall. I start the shower and strip down. I’m bone tired, deep into my soul from all of the poker tours. They’re taking a toll on my mind, body, and soul. At the age of thirty-five, I’m ready to find someone and settle down, maybe put this career to rest and maybe only do some tournaments during the summer.
What I really want is roots, I don’t even own a real home, just a condo on the beach. I have all this fucking money and nothing to show for it, except for money in the bank.
I finish showering and dressing, walking back into the room and see my suitcase open and my clothing inside it. Yea, I’m going to have to start re-evaluating my life and my career. I take one last glance at what is my normal, an empty hotel room, and head down stairs for the first of the high-stakes poker games I’ll have for the next week.
We’re usually set up in a private room for the duration of our tournament, but Vegas being Vegas, they wanted to try something new to draw a bigger crowd, so here we are sitting out in the open, while people come over and watch.
I’m seated in my chair, my signature sunglasses on, a cigarette dangling from my lip, it’s unlit. I bring my lighter to my cigarette and cup the flame surrounding it, once it’s lit, I watch the embers burn and take a deep inhale of the nicotine. My vice, besides gambling, is this right here. I sit back in my chair, taking each inhale and exhale to find my calmness while the dealer starts passing out cards.
I’m surrounded with nine other men. Once today is over we’ll be down to seven of us, each day dwindling until there’s three left. The other men have vices or what I like to call superstitions. My main one being my smokes and my sunglasses. The one to my left has a woman rubbing his shoulders, as if he’s stressed before the game even starts. The other one to my left is fidgeting, his leg bouncing up and down and his hand never calming down and tapping on the table. Fuck, this is going to be a long week.
I’m glancing at my cards when I hear a laugh, it’s vibrant and deep. My eyes go to the laugh, and the body that’s attached to it. She’s a fucking bombshell, long chocolate brown hair, curves that have my cock already starting to grow. I want those hips in my hands, her body curving into mine. As if we have a gravitational pull and she senses me staring at her, we make eye contact. She stops dead in her tracks, her friend still holding her hand and walking, but this knockout, fuck she stands still. Our gazes never wavering, I nod her way asking her to come and sit in on this deal with my silent directives. She looks at me questioningly and then starts heading my way with her friend in tow.
Her beauty doesn’t stop at her dark hair or her luscious curves, she has full pouty lips, eyes that glisten and sparkle in the brightest green I’ve ever seen, beautiful and crystal clear. Once she takes a seat, I grab the attention of the waitress that is serving the gamblers our drinks and ask if she’ll do me a favor and see if the beauty that just knocked my dick in the dirt, would like something. I’m hoping like fuck during a break I can get to know her. I want her, in every way fathomable. With just one look. I’m gone for her.
Chapter 3
Natalie
I felt eyes on me and not in the creepy-stalker type way either. When I stopped in my tracks and yanked Sophia back, she almost toppled over but I steadied her. She saw where my eyes wandered and immediately knew who I was looking at. He’s drop-dead gorgeous, make your knees weak, that kind of gorgeous. After he gives me a head nod, I follow his lead. Sophia and I sit down and he’s directly in front of me. He’s built, not overly so, but his arms. My God, they are what women’s dreams are made of. He has black hair, some greys at the temples, and I can see him smirk when he sees me gawking at him. His sunglasses hinder my view of his eyes, but I can see the crinkles and laugh lines that surround them. I blush crimson, Sophia nudges me and I finally turn my attention from the handsome gambler to her.