Page 12 of What Happens In Vegas
Chapter 5
Quinn was doing his usual ritual for the night before a tournament began: sitting at the bar and chilling with a drink. One of the highest-payout poker tournaments started tomorrow. And he planned to win it. His plane had landed a couple of hours ago and he’d headed straight to his favorite club to get himself into the Vegas vibe. He was here to try and woo Lady Luck. Again. She wasan elusive bitch and, when she was generous, it was good, but he also knew she could be equally tight-fisted.
Quinn gazed around the room, taking in the crowd. It was going on 11 p.m., and he knew he needed to get some rest, but he had tossed back his Scotch and was now ready for a second. He was far too wound up to settle down just yet.
The dance floor was packed, and no one intrigued him enoughto go and cut in. Quinn was one of those rare male specimens who actually liked to dance. His mother had made sure he and his brother knew their way around the dance floor. He hadn’t enjoyed it much as a kid, but he’d appreciated it when he discovered girls and learned that women loved a manwho could dance. He tapped the bar with his fingers, indicating that he wanted another drink.
They knewhim here. The barman placed a glass in front of him.
‘Thanks, man.’ Quinn wasn’t in a talkative mood.
‘You in the tournament?’ the bartender asked him.
Quinn nodded. ‘Yep.’
‘I heard it’s pretty tough this time.’ The bartender was chatty tonight.
Quinn shrugged his shoulders. ‘They’re all tough.’ He sipped his drink and turned back to the crowd.
A familiar song came on. One that women seemedto love and which usually led to a slew of drunk chicks trying to move seductively in sky-high heels. This ought to be interesting.
He sat back and watched the crowd. Then the sea of people parted and he saw her. Quinn froze, the glass to his lips. She was in the perfect position on the dance floor. A spotlight bathed her in its beam, the beads on her dress reflecting the light, shimmering andgiving her a soft glow. The thin straps clung to her shoulders and the sheath hugged her lean curves, ending high on her thighs. She had fantastic legs. He put the glass down and swallowed. Her skin was pale and a complete contrast to her dark hair.
Quinn was mesmerized. Lord, he wanted to unwrap and discover everything about her. The sensation of the silky dress beneath his hands, and the heatof her body . . . She was magnificent.
Quinn stood.
It appeared she was with friends. They were an attractive group of women and he was surprised no men had claimed them yet. Of the four of them, though,shewas the one who had caught his eye. Quinn smiled.
Theinherent grace in her dance moves, even as she nearly clocked her blonde friend in the eye with an enthusiastic hand wave, told himall he needed to know. She would be just as sensual underneath him. In his bed. He preferred not to pick up women the night before a tournament, as he didn’t want any distractions in the morning, but she intrigued him and he needed to meet her.
After about fifteen minutes the group of women bounced off the dance floor and up to their table. To have a table like that in a club like this meantthere was cash flow. He watched as his brunette beauty slipped a twenty to the security guy. If she had money, she wouldn’t be after his.
‘Those women –’ Quinn leaned sideways toward the bar and pointed – ‘what are they drinking?’
‘I can find out for you, Mr Bryant.’
Quinn sat back on his stool and kept his eye on the women. He didn’t want to lose track of them if they began to get ready toleave before he could play his hand.
‘Mr Bryant, they’re drinking house specialties and they ordered a bottle of Jack Daniels.’
‘Okay, send them over a round of the cocktails.’
‘Yes, sir.’
Nursing his second drink, Quinn saw the waitress take the tray of drinks. Leaving his glass and a sizeable tip on the bar, he moved to their table, but hung back until they were served. The waitress spokeand the woman he was interested in glanced around. He caught his breath when they made eye contact. Her eye color was hard to determine in the shifting light from the dance floor. But her eyes were expressive, almost a smoky grey, and he was snagged by them in a way he hadn’t thought possible. It was the first time he’d ever been rattled under the intense scrutiny of a woman and he was shocked whenhis heart actually did a double beat. It waslike she saw right through him, past his outer shell and deep down through the layers. But that was impossible. He never showed anything. A professional poker player needed the proverbial poker face, and he could keep emotion off his features with the best of them. She smiled and nodded. He returned the gesture. The other women all turned around tolook, but he saw only her.
Time to ante up.
Fredi said, ‘Looks like Bonni really does have a secret admirer.’
‘Oh my God. Bonni! I told you!’ Ava whispered.
‘Uhm, is it me, or did the sexual tension up in here suddenly getthick?’ Celia declared.
‘We’re all going to need oxygen soon,’ Fredi replied. ‘Come on, Bonni, invite him up.’
Bonni barely heard her friends talking. She was pinned tothe spot by this man’s stare. No one had ever looked at her like that before and it was paralyzing, in a wonderfully erotic way. Her breaths came more shallowly. Her heart raced, pumping her blood heavy and hot through her veins. This man gave her all the sensual feels. She forced herself to breathe, but she still couldn’t move a muscle.
