Page 17 of Gambler's Conceit
These clothes are going right into the trash as soon as I find something to change into.
I don’t need any memories of Caleb Spade, of the way he’d touched me and made me call him Master, of the way he’d touched my cock…
I shove those thoughts away. I make small conversation with her the rest of the way down, steadily edging away from the guard as the elevator continues to fill with people.
By the time we get to the lobby, there are at least four people between us, and I make my casual goodbyes as I head in the general direction of the gift shop.
The guard quickens his stride to catch up to me, and I curse that I haven’t already lost him.
The gift shop is bustling with people though. I start doing the usual browsing thing, rifling through goods. The guard meets my eyes and parks himself by the entrance.
Damn. If he’d come inside, I might have been able to slip out and into the crowds without him noticing.
I pick up a cigarette lighter and absently pocket it, touching more of the knicknacks to make it look like I’m just an undecided shopper.
A tall man with tan skin picks up a coaster from the same shelf I’m rifling through.
“If you’re going to shoplift, you probably shouldn’t do it right on camera,” he says in a low voice.
“Wanna show me how to do it then?” I ask him, bumping my side against his. “If you’re such an expert and all.”
“Nah. I don’t want to get kicked out of the casino entirely. Already pushed my luck today.” He turns to look at me, and I get a good look at his handsome face. Latino, black hair, with high cheekbones and intense eyes. The scar doesn’t do anything to detract from his hotness.
“Are you a gambling man?” I ask him, smirking. “Because I’d love to make a bet with you.”
He raises his eyebrows and smiles back. “Yeah? I don’t generally bet with somebody without knowing their name first.”
His eyes rake over my body, and I shift so he can get a better view. When his eyes land on my face again, I lick my lips. “Seven. And what should I call you?”
“Havoc.” He holds out his hand for a handshake.
I take his hand, squeezing it tightly, and press in closer to him. “There’s a man over by the door who can’t keep his eyes off of me. I bet…” I consider how best to put the words. “I bet you can’t keep his attention off me long enough for me to meet you at the bar down the strip.”
Havoc huffs a small laugh. “Nice try. Who is he really? A bodyguard your rich father set on you?”
I pout at him. “So what if he is?” I ask, leaning into the lie. “You get him out of my hair, and I’ll make it worth your while.”
Havoc rolls his eyes. “You got twenty grand on you? Should be nothing for a guy whose father can afford private bodyguards.” He glances over at the security guard. “I’m not getting into a fist fight for anything less.”
“A fist fight sounds a little dramatic,” I say, huffing out a laugh. I stretch, catching the way his eyes take in the sight of my body, and offer my sweetest smile. “C’mon. It’ll be easy. Just distract him, I’ll get out of here, then we can meet up for an intimate little chat.”
“Fine. Only because I want to see how you get past him.” Havoc walks over to another section of the store and fiddles with the products there. I frown, but move toward the clothing aisle so I can grab one of the sweaters.
Havoc then walks to the front of the store and brushes against a group that’s leaving the store. I’m not sure what he did until the group walks through the entrance.
The store’s alarms go off, and all attention turns to them. Even Caleb’s guard walks over to check out the commotion. While his gaze is on them, I slip just behind him, resisting the urge to bolt. I quickly pull on the sweater I’d picked out, tugging down the hem of it in a hurry as I lose myself in the late night crowd.
With all the people milling about the casino, it’s easy enough to stay away from the guards. I resist the urge to run for the entrance, and it pays off. Everyone is too busy to pay attention to me as I simply stroll out the front door.
The outside of the casino isn’t any quieter than inside, but at least the air is moderately fresher. I take a deep breath and make my way toward the closest cab.
“Where are you going?” a familiar voice asks.
I yelp, startled, and spin around to face the source of it. My heart drops into my stomach as I see Caleb’s man Vortex standing there, irritation in his otherwise handsome expression. “For some air,” I say, making a show of taking another deep breath. “It’s stifling in there, don’t you think?”
Vortex rolls his eyes then grabs my arm. “Well, hope you enjoyed your deep breaths. Let’s go, kid.”
This isn’t even fucking fair.