A number of kills existed for every person at this table except for me. Well.
Not directly, anyway.
“Drinks’er here!” Alec’s announcement broke the moment, and we all grabbed for the scotch sitting on the tray. Alec tipped the waitress a 20 dollar chip, and we all brought our glasses together in a ‘cheers’ devoid of any words. Just a silent appreciation for each other and the alcohol we were about to consume.
Demitri and I stayed for another hour at the table, grumbling and cursing Alec as he lost more of Demitri’s money. Rebecca stepped in after Alec was six thousand in the hole and in one turn, won half of it back.
After that hour, the scotch was sitting heavy in my head and I turned into Demitri, leaning against his chest. “Do you guys have a room for tonight?”
“We do.” His hand slipped along the small of my back, securing a hold around me with warmth in his eyes. “Do you wanna go up?”
“Only if you plan on ravishing me once we get up there.”
A dimple dented Demitri’s cheek as he pulled a closed-lipped grin.“You know I am good for more than sex, right?”
I tweaked a teasing simper. “Are you though?”
“I’ll have you know I’m a connoisseur of random and purposeless knowledge.”
“What’s that good for?”
Demitri thought it over. “Jeopardy. I’m very good at Jeopardy.”
I chuckled, maneuvering in my seat to face him head on. “Okay, shoot. Give me your best random fact off the top of your head.”
Demitri watched me as I tipped my drink back, sipping back the bitter alcohol.
“Men are more likely to abuse alcohol, but women are more likely to die from abusing it. Fifty percent more likely.”
I scoffed. “Of course we are. Because women can’t get a fucking break in this world.”
He sucked the corner of his bottom lip in between his teeth thoughtlessly and batted his eyes in a slow dance at me. “If I could give you my liver, I would.”
“I don’t want your liver. I want equal fucking treatment from a substance that shouldn’t even have an opinion on gender.”
I stared down at the liquid left in my glass, wishing it could grow ears so I could give it a piece of my mind. How fucking dare something I love so much be sexist. Of all things to be. That was so, so rude.
“Well,” I let the remains of my drink pour down my throat, burning my insides raw. “Fuck that statistic and fuck sexist booze. And while we’re on the topic of fucking things, I’d like to put myself on that list.”
“Is that meant to be the romantic line to get into my pants tonight?” Demitri quirked a dark brow, mirth riding a fine line across his kissable mouth.
“Well…” My knees pointed out towards the rest of the casino as I twisted in my chair. “I’m sure I could find someone else to take your place if you’re not into it—”
My voice cut off with a squeak as Demitri yanked my body back to face him, a smile running up my cheeks as he dragged me close. “Now you’re just being mean. You’ve gotta learn to play nice sometimes, Red.”
“Why?” Coasting my lips beneath his, I extracted the tremble through his body I was after. “Kindness is a symptom of weakness.”
“Only if people are assholes and take advantage of it,” he rumbled against me.
“Everyone takes advantage of everyone. It’s the human condition.”
His cinnamon scent reeled my mouth back in for a proper kiss, but Demitri pulled back. Not enough to leave me, but enough for him to observe me, the little space between his eyebrows knit together in all seriousness.
“I would never take advantage of you.”
There was more in his gaze, words and sentiments I didn’t understand and didn’t want to either. All I wanted was to be numb.
“I really wish you would.” Pushing myself up from the stool, I flushed my chest with his. “In your hotel room. Now.”