Page 28 of What Happens In Vegas
Chapter 11
Quinn wanted to focus on the cards. Good God, he’d had a hard time leaving the suite. Memories floated across his mind: Bonni sitting naked in the bed, her breasts begging to be kissed. Her soft moans last night as he discovered her secret spots. Her responsiveness to his touch. The sounds she made when she orgasmed . . . how the hell was he supposed to focus? But he had to.
The onlything he could do was push her out of his mind. Forget how sexy she was, and how wonderful she looked, lying all caught up in the sheets on his bed. He needed to concentrate. He could fuck up the first elimination round, and that would be a disaster.
Quinn lifted the edge of his cards and kept his face blank. Lady Luck was being kind to him today. If he screwed it up, he’d only have himself toblame. From behind his dark glasses and under the shadow from the brim of his baseball cap, he watched the other players. Unlike the others, who chose a more casual style or dressed to conceal their tells, he chose to shieldhis face only with a cap and sunglasses, maintaining a more professional appearance with tailored slacks and a crisp shirt, open at the neck. He pulled the brim of his capa little lower, casting his face deeper in shadow. Some tournaments, he’d forgo the hat entirely, but he didn’t completely trust himself to keep his emotions hidden today.
He had pocket aces. Quinn rolled a chip along his knuckles, for drama, then put it down. He pushed his entire stack of chips into the center of the table, and the crowd watching gasped. He was all in. Two players threw theircards down, folding, and his last opponent called. He and Quinn revealed their hands, and the crowd erupted. Relief swept through him. He’d won.
He let out a big breath, sat back in the chair, stretching his cramped body, and looked around for his brother, Landon, seeing him in the back corner. He stood up, stretched again, and indicated to his brother to meet him outside the casino after Quinnhad finished the necessary paperwork.
‘One down,’ he told Landon. ‘I was warned this was going to be a tough tournament.’
Landon clapped him on the back. ‘You had it, but what was distracting you?’
Quinn was surprised that Landon had picked up on it. He shook his head. ‘Nothing. Didn’t get much sleep last night.’
He wasn’t ready to tell Landon about Bonni. He’d get on his ass about her. Landonalways expected women to have hidden agendas. If he found out about Bonni distracting him with her sexiness, Landon would immediately assume she was a gold-digger planted by one of Quinn’s competitors. His brother eyed him for a moment and then let it go.
‘I’m glad I was able to fly out for this. It’s been too long since we’ve hung out,’ Landon said, and checked his watch.
With Landon establishedin San Francisco, and Quinnbasically a nomad, following the games, they mainly kept in touch through video-chatting and on-the-fly texts. Quinn nodded. ‘You got that right. Let’s grab a bite.’
Landon looked around then pointed to a classy-looking restaurant. ‘Definitely in the mood for steak.’
As they headed across the floor, Quinn found himself scanning the crowd. Checking the faces . . .for her. It didn’t go unnoticed.
‘Who are you looking for, Quinn?’ Landon’s tone was suspicious.
Shit.‘No one.’
‘Don’t bullshit me. You are clearly checking out the crowds. I know you’re not in debt to loan sharks because I manage your portfolio. Is it a deranged fan? Dammit, Quinn, I told you that you should hire a bodyguard.’
Quinn grunted. ‘It’s not a deranged fan. I don’t know where youget these ideas, numb-nuts. I’m not as popular as you think I am.’ He slid his phone out of his pocket to check again if Bonni had texted him, trying to hide the motion from Landon.
‘Excuse me if I want to avoid having to pay ransom for your stupid ass. So, if it’s not a stalker, it’s a woman. Same thing, I guess.’ The hostess at the podium of the restaurant raised her eyebrow at that, but Landonflashed a smile and the woman noticeably thawed, leading them to a table with a view of the casino via one-way glass.
Quinn picked up his menu, hoping his annoying older brother would let it go, but Lady Luck had clearly abandoned him now that the poker game was over. ‘So who is she? She must have been pretty good to have you knotted up at a game.’
The implication that the only reason he wasinterested inBonni was her skill in bed didn’t sit right with him. Okay, true, they haven’t had any in-depth conversations yet, but he’d seen the care and concern she’d shown for her friends last night, and enjoyed their banter in the elevator and while snacking. He’d been hoping she’d come see him play because he wanted to know her beyond the bedroom.
‘Fuck off, asshole. I’m hoping to see heragain tonight.’
‘Whoa, two nights in a row? Now that’s different.’
His brother was giving him a hard time. And Landon continued to bust his chops throughout their appetizers and steaks. Quinn let it roll off his back (his brother had so few joys in his life) and debated whether he should text Bonni.
The two brothers finished off their steaks. Landon put down his fork and placed his napkin besidethe plate. ‘That hit the spot.’ Sitting back in the chair, he rested his arm on the back of the seat beside him.
‘How did you manage to get the time away?’ Quinn asked his brother.
‘I’m CEO, I can do whatever I like.’ Landon smiled. ‘But Mom was also on my case about finding a date for her next charity gala. I decided a little vacation would do us both good.’ He reached for his glass and finishedoff the Italian red.
‘How long you staying for?’ Quinn checked his phone again. Still no text from Bonni.
‘Thought I’d stay and watch you win.’
Quinn smiled. ‘I figured.’
