“What the fuck? Was it necessary to throw that in there?”
“I was trying to help. I thought it would scare him off.”
Stopping a few steps before we reached Natty, I glared at Akari. “Obviously, your plan backfired.”
“It was worth a shot.” She shrugged. “At least, it’s out there now. Not like you would have shared it with him voluntarily.”
“You don’t know this.”
She rolled her eyes and then muttered, “Bullshit.”
“I’m going to ignore you now. I have work to do.” Turning to Natty, I waited for her to hand me her customary account of the totals currently in play at the tables.
“The take’s better than we could have expected.” Natty passed me a red envelope.
Opening the flap, I pulled out the paper and read the number.
Sixty-nine-point-three million, without the inclusion of the buy-ins.
Well, okay then.
Simon definitely was about to get a prime view of how I operated.
Glancing in his direction, my breath hitched.
He leaned an elbow on the bar top and held a tumbler of red-tinged liquid, Penny’s special reserve Firewater I’d stocked for tonight.
He’d taken off his suit jacket, throwing it over the back of his chair, and rolled up his shirtsleeves, revealing the tattoos on his arms as well as the defined muscles that disclosed he wasn’t a man who sat behind a desk but one who used his hands more often than not.
And those hands of his.
How the hell was I attracted to his hands? Maybe it was the strength in them as he’d held my wrists.
This man had my mind a twisted mess, and now I was in a fuck-ton of trouble.
He studied me as a predator stalked his prey. It was as if he wanted me to have a false sense of safety, all the while knowing there was nowhere to escape.
Anyone who glanced in his direction would know he’d staked his claim on me. And for some insane reason, it aroused me.
Dear God. Did he have to look at me like that?
“Who is he?” Natty asked. “I’ve never seen a man twist you up like this.”
“Her asshole fiancé,” Akari answered for me.
She coughed. “Her what?”
“You heard right.” Akari moved in next to me. “Our girl is engaged.”
“Wait.” Natty set a hand on my arm, but I kept my gaze on Simon’s. “Less than a month ago, you were complaining about needing a man who you couldn’t scare away. And now you’re getting married. That was fast.”
“That’s the understatement of the year,” Akari added.
Simon lifted the tumbler to his lips and then swallowed the spirit down before cocking a brow in challenge.
Fucker was in a stare-off with me.
He wanted me to look away.