Page 42 of Betting Blind
“I was thinking… When we get back to town, maybe I could introduce you to my mom. Of course, only if you’re okay with that. She can be a hard-ass, but she’s a softy once you get to know her.” A shadow eclipses his face, spiriting away the smile that was resting on his lips, and I swallow thickly. “Gordy, our lab, likes to pretend he’s the guardian of the house, but he’d be putty in your hands with a couple of treats.”
High-pitched pings and bells sound from all around us as I wait for him to answer me.
“Um…” Running a hand through his hair, he glances away, shifting his weight back and forth.
An icy blanket of rejection settles over me, and I attempt a laugh to keep things light, but it sounds scratchy and wrong. “I-I’m sorry, that was a silly question.”
“Cassidy,” he says weakly, but his silence is answer enough. I smile tightly before turning from his pleading gaze. Juliana said that maybe he would surprise me, but she was wrong.
My cheeks burn and my head spins as I make my way across the casino, back to our hotel room. The kisses, the sweet touches, and everything in between—it’s as if he wants the perks of being with me withoutactuallybeing with me, and it’s terribly pathetic that I once thought I could go along with that.
I unlock the door to our room and slide my back down against it, forcing it shut. Leaning my head back, I close my eyes and replay the regret storming in his eyes. “That went well,” I say aloud, scrubbing a hand over my face.
After several minutes, I loll my head toward the closet where the dress I’d picked out with Jules beckons me. Standing, I trace my fingers over the crimson material as an idea begins to brew. If he wants to deny the pull between us, so be it, but I’m going to give him a little hell. I undress quickly and slide the dress over my head before smoothing the curve of my waist with my hands, making sure it’s fitted in all the right places. The short length showcases my long legs, stopping a few inches below my ass.
The top crisscrosses above my breasts, leaving an ample amount of cleavage showing without giving away too much, and the thick straps cross their way down my back, forming an X between my shoulder blades.
It’s simple and classy, revealing yet teasing—and it’s exactly the mood booster I need.
Juliana eventually finds her way back to the room and by the time I finish applying some light makeup and teasing my curled hair, she emerges from the bathroom a whole new woman. I give her a slow clap and whistle. “Damn,mamacita! Me likey.”
She’s in an all-black, short, sequined dress, which is the perfect contrast to my bright red ensemble. Her heels have big, neatly pressed bows on the backs, and her hair falls in big, loose curls.
Her jaw drops when she sees me. “Jack is going to piss himself when he sees you like that!”
I decide not to tell her about the embarrassment of my exchange with Jack, crinkling my nose instead. “I certainly hope not.”
My sparkly silver heels carry me to the fridge where I remove two mini-bottles of champagne, and Juliana raises a brow. “Oh, you’re ready to party-party!”
She jumps up and down, clapping, and I pop the bottle tops before handing her a drink. “To a night of craziness.”
I take a large gulp of the bubbly beverage and relish the buzz that rushes from my stomach to my entire body. Tonight, the four of us will enjoy each other’s company as friends and coworkers before the uncertainty of tomorrow scoops it all away.
“Let’s have some fun.”
Chapter 20
Cassidy
Jack’s throat bobs uneasily when he spots me stepping off the elevator. It may be the champagne, but I’m disturbingly thrilled by his reaction. A tiny piece of me wants him to feel something—anything—through these barriers he insists on keeping between us.
Derrick’s eyes slide straight to Juliana when she shimmies her way out from behind me. The poor sap cranes his neck, staring after her as she struts her stuff right past him to a slot machine, popping a twenty-dollar bill into it.
Oh boy.He’s got it bad.
I step over to Jack, who’s brooding beside one of the giant concrete fountains in the lobby. “Hey.”
“Hey,” he replies, stuffing his hands into the front pockets of his pants.
The maroon V-neck he wears compliments his bright blue eyes, and his tattoos are on full display, seductively curling their way up his arms. When I get an eyeful of those strong legs clad in dark jeans, I suppress the urge to nibble my lip. He looks downright fuckable.
Raw desire floods his gaze as he trails his eyes along the curves of my cherry-red dress. They linger on my bare legs a moment before flicking up, and I greet him with a satisfied smirk. I think I’ll enjoy torturing him a bit.
“Cassidy,” he murmurs and I pause a moment, giving him a chance to explain what he wants—what heneeds—but the words never come.
“Don’t worry about me, Jack. I understand,” I fib a touch too sweetly, and I get a raised brow in response. I brush past him, lightly connecting my hip with the front of his body and barely hiding my smile in time when I hear him groan. This ought to be fun.
Twenty minutes and a lot of walking later, we finally enter the MGM hotel. I roam my eyes over the enormous space, searching for the entrance to the nightclub that’s hidden away in the back of the building. “Heels may not have been the greatest choice,” Juliana hisses.
