Page 6 of A Lot Like Love
“Okay. I finish at eleven,” she said, reaching over for the empty bottles and giving him the perfect view of her backside. Her jeans were tight, hugging curves that dipped into long lean legs. “But just one drink, okay?”
Ryder winked as she turned to go. Something about Chloe was getting him all twisted in knots, and the sooner he got her alone, the better. She was the kind of challenge he lived for; hearing her say yes was all the sweeter given the times she’d said no.
“Maybe you could have a drink with me instead, sweetheart, huh? Whadda ya say?” Parker reached out and slapped Chloe on the butt, laughing his head off and reaching for her a second time.
Ryder jumped up and shoved him back, putting himself between Chloe and Parker.
“Easy,” Ryder said, glancing at Chloe to make sure she was okay. “You want to impress her? How about you play me again?”
Parker was getting drunker and drunker, which meant he was going to get lazy. Ryder had already taken most of his money, and now he wanted to make sure he bet him out of every last dollar.
“You think you can beat me again? How about we play for the girl?”
Parker’s high-pitched laugh made Ryder want to smack his head in, but he didn’t. His fists were bunched at his sides, anger pulsing through his veins, but he kept it in check and touched Chloe’s back to gently push her away. The sooner she was out of Parker’s sight, the better. He didn’t mind getting into a fight to protect a girl, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to initiate one with Parker if he could help it. Their bad blood ran deep, and it wasn’t just Parker he’d have to knock out if things turned bad.
Ryder glanced at Chloe again as she paused a short distance away. He should have been chasing her, not another game of cards, but she didn’t finish work for another couple of hours and he was high on winning. It was time to teach Parker a goddamn lesson.
“Kid?”
Chloe could wait. It was time to prove to all the assholes seated around him that no one beat him—not in the ring, not at the card table. Not ever. And anyone who talked to a woman like that deserved to be humiliated.
“Ready to play, or you sick of losing already?” Ryder asked, dragging his eyes away from Chloe and settling back into his chair. “You might need some more cash. Aren’t you out already?”
There were a few nervous chuckles around the table, then a series of scraping sounds as a few chairs were pushed out, a couple of the guys leaving before things got too heated.
“Sorry guys, I’m done,” one of the men said.
“Yeah, I’m out, too. Good luck.”
A few of them just shook their heads but stayed seated.
Ryder grinned. “Let’s play.”
“Hey pretty one,” Parker called out, banging his fist on the table and waving his arm. “New pack of cards and another whiskey. Now.”
Ryder was annoyed about the way Parker had just spoken to Chloe, but called out for a drink, too, downing the whiskey in one swig when she brought it over, the liquor burning a fiery path down his throat and into his stomach. He could make it up to her later—once he’d won. It was time to win some big cash and send this idiot packing.
“Let’s do this.” Adrenaline pumped through his body, more toxic than a drug in his veins.
Parker broke the plastic and took the box out, sliding out the cards and starting to shuffle them.
“No,” Ryder said, motioning for Chloe not to leave and touching her wrist. “Let her shuffle and deal.”
Parker shrugged. “Know how to shuffle some cards, sweetheart?”
“Sure.” Her voice was soft as she glanced at him, calmed Ryder like only a woman could. She didn’t seem to care about Parker, or if she did she was good at ignoring him. “How many do you want me to deal?”
“Five each, we’re playing straight,” Ryder told her, not taking his eyes off his rival. For all he knew Parker was trying to play him, had asked Chloe to deal as a distraction, and he wasn’t going to be duped. “How about we get started with thirty grand.”
The other guys nodded, faces serious. There was serious money on the table right from the start now—no more joking around.
The cards were dealt and Ryder ran his fingers across them, breathing steady, not even looking at them straightaway. He forced all thoughts of Chloe from his mind and focused only on the game, on the cards that he had to play, that would decide his fate. There were only four of them playing now, and he watched each man’s face, took his time to study them.
Ryder fought the urge to grin as he slowly lifted the corners of his cards up, relief hitting him like a ton of bricks. He’d been confident, but now he was starting to relax. The hand wasn’t a home run, but it wasn’t half bad either. It wasn’t about the desire to take another man’s money, for him it was all about the thrill of the game, it always was. Although tonight it was also about knocking Parker down a peg.
“I raise ten grand,” Ryder said, staring Parker straight in the eye, not letting anything else distract him. He blocked out everything else—the noise of the bar, the beautiful woman standing beside the table—his eyes on his.
“That all you got?” Parker asked.
