the hall. “I can’t do this. I can’t lose your money.”
“It’s okay. I have more.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Then, how about this? I play this hand.” I was already eagerly nodding before he finished. Smiling like he was indulging me, he rested his forearm on the wall next to my head. “But if I win, I make you come. That’s the deal.”
My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach, but my vagina had a different reaction. If we had still been sitting with his hand on my thigh, I wouldn’t have been able to hide my reaction.
“What?”
“You said no one hurt you.” It was then I realized he was still obsessing over my confession. “There’s only one other thing that makes sense.”
“Do tell.” I rolled my eyes, but he never lost his serious expression.
“No one ever made it good for you. You can’t miss something you never enjoyed.”
He patiently waited for me to admit that he was right. And he was…just not about me. Needing something to do with my hands, I placed them on his chest and toyed with the sterling silver clip on his tie. It’s where I kept my gaze when I whispered as low as I could, “I do enjoy sex, Loren. I like it very much.”
I felt his muscles tense underneath my hand, and when I looked up, I found his brows dipped and his beautiful face twisted in confusion. “Then why—”
The air I’d inhaled shuddered out of me, making him abandon the question he’d been ready to ask. “I told you…if I start, I can’t stop, and…”
“And?” he prodded at the same time pressing his hips against mine when I fell silent. He seemed so desperate to get inside my head. Even though he’d done nothing to earn my trust, I still felt the need to let him.
“And no one’s ever been able to keep up with me.”
Loren’s pupils seemed to dilate as his dick grew harder and larger against me. I could feel his heart racing almost as fast as mine. “Oh, baby fawn, it’s your lucky day.” Before I could respond, his large hand gripped my ass tight enough to bruise. “Because when I start, I won’t stop until long after you’ve had enough.”
My reaction was visceral.
His promise melted into my skin, burrowing through bones and seizing my heart, gut, and lungs until it set me on fire. I wanted it that much.
Unfortunately, I was wiser now.
“I’m sure you really believe that, Loren, but I played this hand before and lost everything,” I said, speaking the language a gambling addict would understand. “You already hate me when I haven’t given you a reason. If we sleep together, you’ll finally have one.”
He stared down at me a long while, turning over my words before tossing them away. “Try me.”
A frustrated sound slipped from my lips. “I can’t, Loren. Did you forget we work together? It’s too messy.”
“Sex usually is. With me, it most definitely will be.” I didn’t respond. When it became clear I wouldn’t fall for his bait, he sighed and straightened before taking a step back. “Wait here.”
I stayed put as he told me, which was easy since I couldn’t trust my legs right now. I needed to find a bathroom to clean up. Removing my thong wasn’t possible, thanks to my decision to wear this dress. It didn’t matter because Loren returned moments later.
“Let’s go.”
He barely looked at me before starting down the hall and effectively ending what I still maintained was not a date. I also realized this was the second time in a single day that I turned him down. I refused to feel guilt when I knew I was doing the right thing.
The disappointment? That, I allowed myself to feel.
If Loren and Braxton had intended to hide whatever happened between them, they were doing a shit job. To start, it was hard to ignore them disappearing inexplicably only to return hours later. Together. I was still obsessing over the vision Braxton made in that sequin dress and whether she’d worn it for Loren.
Houston was still at their throats even though it’s been two days. He knew they’d been up to no good too, but what pissed him off was knowing there was nothing he could do about it.
Of course, the only one who seemed guilty was our guitarist. Loren just ignored the problems he caused, as usual, while giving Brax the cold shoulder.
It was Friday night in Vegas, and we were backstage at the T-Mobile Arena. Braxton