Page 62 of Heartless

“Both of us,” she agrees.

I watch as she walks out of my room, closing the door behind her.

I groan, already regretting kissing her because I know deep in my soul that the kiss was just the beginning.

15 – ONYX

“Another gin on the rocks, please,” I ask, holding my glass out to the bartender.

“You keep hitting those too hard, and you’ll need someone to carry you back to your room,” a voice to my left says.

I turn slowly and take in the whiskey brown eyes, the full, bold red lips, and the thick, long, brown hair. Pretty nut-brown skin on display by way of long legs peeks from a short, black lacy dress. Long legs end in four-inch stilettos.

She’s discarded the professional appearance and work attire that she’s been sporting since we’ve been in Vegas for a look that’s far sexier and more seductive.

“How do you know how many I’ve had?”

“I was watching you sitting at this bar for the last couple of hours while I had dinner with a few of the team members.”

“You stalking me?”

“No, I just happened to spot you in here. When I went to the restroom after about forty-five minutes, I noticed that you were still sitting here. When they were leaving to go to the casinos, I spotted you still here. I ordered my drink at the other end of the bar to see if you’d even notice that I was there, but you didn’t. Looks like you’re struggling tonight,” she says, toying with the umbrella in her drink.

“Struggling?”

“Onyx, you seem to be struggling with a personal issue.”

“Really?”

“I know a man who’s excellent at what he does, pulls people in with his magnetism, leads them to do great things, yet has a distance to him and a sorrow that lurks in his eyes. I know the man that you were, and I knew when things were off with you. Something’s off with you tonight.”

“What makes you think that?”

“The blatantly expensive cigars and drinks you splurged on for the team two nights in a row, last night and the night before.”

“I wanted my team to enjoy some of the finer things that life affords me. I don’t see the crime in that.”

“There’s no crime. You just were never a flashy person, and I don’t get the sense that you’re like that now. It seems that you’re just on some random ‘I-don’t-give-a-fuck-about-nothing’ shit. I was just hoping that while we were here, you would let go of your cares and worries and have fun when you weren’t working hard as hell.”

I turn to the bartender who hands me another glass of gin. I take it down and turn back to Sharla.

“I’m having as much fun as anyone, Sharla.”

“Clearly not at the moment. We’re in Sin City where you should be having the time of your life. Leave your problems behind and live a little. Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” she says in a sultry tone. “Instead, you’re drowning your sorrows in a glass of gin and not interacting with your team at all.”

Her Southern accent is thick and sexy. The attitude dripping from her is appealing and tempting.

“What’s it to you?”

Shrugging, she says, “It’s everything to me. I see a very handsome, intelligent, and charming man sitting at a bar alone drinking his cares away. I’m tired of the casinos, and I’m bored.So why not have a little fun by stirring up trouble with a married man?”

She says the last two words with a bit of disdain as she points at my ringless, left ring finger.

“Forgot it on the nightstand up in my room.”

“Sure,” she says disbelievingly.

“You always pick with married men?”

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