Page 68 of Devil's Iris
“There!” Maximo points, and we all follow his finger to the center of the room where, sure enough, four women are gathered around the roulette wheel, their dresses and hair a riot of colors. I immediately zero in on the golden-red strands that belong to Leni.
She’s sitting next to Elira, and Christ, the contrast is stunning. Elira’s red hair is bright, while Leni’s is softer. Everything about her is softer, and seeing her here feels like watching adove in a den of vipers. I’m moving before I even decide to, my brothers falling into step beside me.
Rafael gives a nod towards someone in the crowd. Probably one of his men keeping watch over the women. That’s the only reason I let Leni go with the girls this morning—knowing Rafael’s obsessive need to protect Emily would extend to the whole group. The man doesn’t take chances.
“Red twenty–three!” Leni’s slurred voice rings out as we get closer. My brows shoot up.Is shedrunk?She drops a chip onto the table, nodding like some wise oracle who knows the universe is about to bend to her will.
“Feeling lucky?” Emily’s voice carries the same telltale wobble, if not worse.
“I’m a bride in Vegas. Iamluck.” Even slurred, Leni’s voice carries this adorable overconfidence that sends warmth shooting through my chest, followed by pure amusement. She’s watching the wheel spin with the kind of rapt attention usually reserved for religious experiences, her eyes wide and glassy but sparkling with genuine excitement.
“That’s the spirit, Leni!” Gianna claps her hands, bouncing in her seat.
We’re standing right behind them now, but none of them have noticed us yet. Then Elira glances back—the only sober one—and when I press a finger to my lips, she grins and turns back to the action.
“If it does land on red twenty–three, I’m buying us all another round of drinks. Sparkling water for our pregnant princess,” Gianna announces, leaning forward like she can will the ball to cooperate.
The wheel slows. The ball clacks against the slots before dropping into black eleven.
They groan in perfect unison, and I can’t help it—my mouth curves up at the corners.
“Nooo!” Leni wails dramatically. “I was robbed. This thing is clearly rigged against brides.”
I’ve never seen her like this. Free, happy,drunk.A chuckle slips out before I can stop myself, and suddenly four pairs of eyes are on us. Leni’s go comically wide as she spots me.
“We talked about this, Rafael,” Emily slurs, wobbling to her feet. “You weren’t supposed to crash our party. Girls only.” But she’s already looping her arms around his neck, planting a sloppy kiss on his mouth that contradicts every word.
Elira and Gianna practically launch themselves at their husbands, wrapping around them like they’ve been gone for years.
Leni stumbles to her feet, blinking blearily at me, but a small smile plays at the corner of her lips. “What are you doing here?”
“Couldn’t let you have all the fun, now could I?”
Her glassy eyes light with mirth as she circles her chair, then she just melts into my arms. Like she belongs there. A shiver runs through me as her weight settles fully against me, those soft breasts pressing into my chest.
I wrap my arm around her, leaning down to kiss the top of her head, and her scent—champagne, strawberries, andher—clouds my brain.
Fuck.
When I glance up, Rafael’s signaling that they’re leaving, so I nod my understanding. We’ll follow soon, once I figure out how to get my very drunk fiancée back to her room.
“Just how much have you had to drink?” The words come out choked because she’s trying to climb me, her hands fisted in my shirt, and my body’s responding in ways that are completely inappropriate given her current state.
“Don’t know. Lost count somewhere around cocktail number… what comes after five?” She’s playing with the buttons of my shirt now, looking up at me with those incredible eyes. In her heels, she doesn't have to tilt her head too far, but she’s swaying on her feet badly enough that I tighten my grip on her. “You’re so hot it’s actually unfair. Every woman in this place probably wants to kiss you.”
Christ.
A cute little frown crosses her face, and she actually turns to glare around the casino to scan for threats. “I’m going to stab anyone who tries.”
I chuckle, even as my heart does something complicated and painful. She’s too fucking adorable for her own good. “Lucky for everyone here, I only want one very drunk, apparently very dangerous Leni. Come on, let's get you to your room.”
She giggles, then presses a sudden, unexpected kiss to my jaw that leaves my throat tight and my body frozen as I stare down at her flushed face.
“Like that?” Before I can answer, her gaze drops to my lips, and she’s leaning in with clear intent. “Or like this?”
Fuck. Fuck. My heart hammers so hard I’m surprised it doesn’t crack my ribs, but I manage to get my hands behind her knees and lift her before she can close the distance—effectively stopping her from kissing me and probably saving us both from making a mistake she’ll hate me for tomorrow.
“Don’t do anything you’ll regret when you sober up,” I warn, remembering how she avoided me the days following our last kiss. And she wasn’t even drunk then. “You regretted it the last time.”
