A Dream for Daphne (Blossoms #15)

Prologue

T he sounds and lighting were stimulating Daphne’s brain like never before.

Her eyes were darting around and trying to take it all in. Maybe absorb some of it for luck.

It wasn’t working because she hadn’t won a darn thing.

She moved away from the slot machine at Foxwoods Casino to try her chances at another one.

Luck was something she never thought she had, but lately, it seemed to be bopping her on the head like a game of Whack A Mole. Only she was getting hit more than popping back down.

All good in her eyes!

And anyone who thought getting bopped on the head was good had some serious confidence issues.

She knew. It was hard to break away from it.

But she was trying.

She was in a new state, living in a wonderful remodeled cabin within walking distance of the water. All by herself too.

She had never lived on her own. What a wonderful feeling it was.

Not to mention, for once in her life, she wasn’t working multiple jobs. Just one.

She was a nanny and it was awwwwesommmmme.

But it was also a lonely life when she wasn’t working.

She had no friends here. No social life.

She pulled up her big girl panties and decided to come to the casino and blend in enough to feel as if she wasn’t sitting home channel surfing and trying to stay awake before crawling into bed at ten.

Before this move, she wasn’t even getting home from her second job before eleven.

But here, she knew no one other than her brother, Aster, and she lived in a remote area with only the owners on the property in the distance.

Walking around some now, Daphne found a slot machine that was calling her name and took a seat. A server came around and she ordered another wine and got back to playing her games.

Ten minutes later a man sat down next to her.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hi,” she said back. He was cute.

Dark hair, a rough growth of beard on his face, his brown eyes smiling along with his friendly grin.

“Having any luck tonight?”

“Not really,” she said. “But I’m not spending much either. I don’t have it in me.”

She might be making more than she ever had before and had very few living expenses at her new job, but she wasn’t going to waste money foolishly either.

She just couldn’t do that knowing how precious every dime had been to her in life.

“Been there and done that,” he said. “I’m Abe.”

His hand went out and she took it in hers. “Daphne,” she said. No reason to give her last name.

“Do you come here often?” he asked, putting some tokens into the machine next to her. She would have pegged him as a card player if she had to guess.

“Virgin experience,” she said. He’d let out a cough and then laughed, so she added, “Just killing some time on a Saturday night.”

What an idiot she was to use that choice of words.

“I know that feeling well,” he said, grinning.

This time she noticed the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes though.

“Sometimes I need a distraction,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows and taking a sip of her wine.

What the heck was wrong with her?

She wasn’t sure where her mind was going. She’d never done anything like this before.

Struck up a conversation with a stranger, then flirted with him.

But he was cute and right there in front of her. Why not?

She didn’t know who he was and he didn’t know her.

It’d been so long since she’d talked with a man that she wasn’t working for or serving at one of her old waitress jobs.

Sex? Let alone a kiss?

Good Lord the thought of how long that had been was depressing.

He held his beer up to her, then turned back to his machine.

“Distractions are a good thing too,” he said after a few seconds.

Daphne had figured their conversation was done and it was probably for the best.

Guess she was wrong.

She turned back to see his smirk. This time it was reaching his eyes. His dark soulful eyes that were appraising her. Maybe he had to think about it some before he replied.

There was interest in them for sure now. She looked down and didn’t notice a ring on his finger.

Which meant nothing most times, but she still glanced.

A minute later, her machine went off and she won about eighty dollars.

“Woohoo,” she said. “I’m in the black right now.”

“That’s better than most do for a night here,” he said. “Did you only come here to play?”

It was the way he said that. To play.

“Yeah,” she said. “A treat for myself.”

He laughed and she knew the smile filled her face.

Maybe there was a double meaning there and she was slightly shocked to even know those words came out of her mouth.

“Treats are nice too,” he said, his eyes lighting up with amusement.

The two of them sat there chatting back and forth about nothing substantial but both laughing over silly things while they played the magical slots that were kicking their butts. When his tokens were out, he got up and stretched his long legs.

It was then she noticed that he had some nice biceps in his fitted black T-shirt. Her eyes traveled down to his tan shorts and his calves had some excellent tone to them too.

Abe was clearly a man who worked out or had a job that helped build up his body.

Right up her alley.

She liked a guy who took care of himself.

“Ready to move on from me, huh?” she asked with her head angled. She had to be lonelier than she thought. Or maybe it was nice to play someone who was more confident than she normally felt.

“Just need to get some more tokens,” he said. “Don’t leave.”

“Or I can call it a night too and be happy I’m in the positive.” She hit the button on her last game, lost, and stood up too.

She hadn’t realized how tall he was until she was next to him. She’d put him a few inches over six feet. She was barely five foot four.

“Positive works for me too,” Abe said, looking at his watch. A big sturdy working man’s watch. “Where to? The bar, another floor to play some more games...or a private room?”

She hesitated a few seconds. “A private room meaning with a bed?”

“I’m not highbrow enough for any other kind of private room here,” he said, laughing.

Her brother would kill her if he knew what she was about to do, but she also had to do something for herself and said, “Lead the way.”

He put his hand on her lower back, her body erupting with tiny fingers full of arousal like never before.

She might regret this later, but for now, she’d never had anticipation this great.