“I knew I recognized you!” Kirkman smirks. “I just knew it!”
As the elevator door slides open, I take Dahlia by the elbow and hold her back, allowing the rest of the group to board without us.
“Wait, you're not coming?” Kirkman asks, holding the door open with his palm.
I raise a hand to wave them off. “No, you go on ahead. Stan’s got you, and Melanie can get you set up in the room. I'll see you after the show.”
I hold Dahlia's elbow until the elevator doors close and instantly she slumps against me. It's not a lot, but it's just enough.
“Well, that was unexpected!” she stage whispers.
“You did exceptionally well,” I smile. “I knew you would.”
She shakes her head. “I don't understand! You just threw me in there with those girls… and then Kirkman… what's going on?”
Glancing up at the LED display, I see that the elevator is already halfway to the penthouse. I go ahead and press the call button, knowing it will complete the trip before coming back for us.
“Well, Stan needed an extra set of eyes when he was escorting those ladies. You just happen to be here… so I assumed you'd be the right choice. You have a problem with that?”
She sniffs, straightening. “Course I don't have a problem with that.”
“And, naturally, I wanted to see how you'd react under pressure.”
She glances at me sidelong. “And how did I react? Did I pass your little test?”
“Flying colors,” I shrug. “Exactly what I expected of you.”
“Well, good,” she huffs. “But not exactly what I was expecting after your whole honesty speech, August. Can we keep the surprises and ambushes to a minimum, please?”
Leaning over, I bury my lips in her hair and inhale the sweet, vanilla scent of her. “Fair enough.”
Relaxing, she looks over my shoulder toward the casino floor. The jangle of slot machines and crowd noises float on the air, muted but still significant.
“You know, I've never been to a casino before. It looks like fun.”
“Really?” I ask her. “You never came here? Not even for your twenty-first birthday with Bunny or anything?”
She smiles, nudging me gently with her elbow. “No, never. Bunny asked me, but I wasn't sure I'd like it. But now that I'm here, it is kind of exciting. Sort of like a Disneyland feeling.”
“Why don’t you call her?” I suggest.
The elevator doors ding and then slide open again. She looks up at me, surprised, as we enter.
“Call her? Seriously?”
“Sure, why not. I bet she will love the VIP experience. Kirkman does throw a helluva party.”
I thumbed the penthouse button and turn toward her. Dahlia inhales, a small smile playing across her full lips. I take a half step toward her and she backs up against the mirrored wall of the elevator car. Smoothly I reach down and pick her up, wrapping her thighs around my waist. She hooks her ankles behind my hips, grinding against me immediately, bringing me to sudden, dizzying arousal.
“Slow down,” she breathes, panting. “I can’t keep up.”
“Try harder,” I growl in response, pulsing my hips against her panties. “You can do it. You have to.”
When the door slides open, I walk out with her legs still wrapped around my waist, pulling the access card from my back pocket. The door to my left opens with a click and I walk her inside, kissing her deeply, so hungry for her that I think I could do this all night.
The lights go on in the suite automatically, illuminating the tasteful, elegant furnishings. Everything is cream on cream with a light blue accents and pewter finishes. I barely register them as I carry her into the bedroom, but then I force myself to slow down. Angling forward, I lay her on the bed and stand back. She blinks at me shyly, raising her hands to partially cover her face and push her hair back where it got tousled over her bright blue eyes. Reflexively, she draws her knees up and pulls them together.
“No, stop,” I tell her, holding her knees apart. “I want to look at you.”