Chapter 9
9
Patrick
A shley looks as if she’s going to faint and I hold her curvy form closer.
“It’s fine,” I reassure in a deep voice. “I liked what I saw.”
Her eyes are literally beginning to cross but then she closes them and takes a deep breath before opening those blue eyes again.
“So you saw,” she states baldly. “Everything.”
“Everything,” I confirm in a low voice. “I saw the laser measuring device, and how you took the dimensions of the room. Then I saw you examine the crystal chandelier, and how you dropped to your hands and knees, and well ... you know what happened next. I saw everything,” I confirm.
The beautiful blonde looks faint once more.
“Oh my god,” she whispers. Then her eyes snap open. “But how did you see? Were you spying on me from a video feed? They don’t have cameras in the betting rooms, or at least I don’t think so! Do you know someone at the hotel? Oh my god, are you linked to management?” she sputters with disbelief.
I shake my head.
“I was sitting in a corner of the room. It was dark, and I’d come to do the same thing as you. Actually, I’ve been to that particular suite before, but I figured I’d reacquaint myself with it, for much the same reason that you were there: to get the lay of the land. It’s not cheating. I just like to know where I’ll be, how the seats are positioned, where the dealer will be standing, and how the servers will approach. I don’t like to be startled, and especially not when I’m balls deep in a high stakes game of cards.”
The young blonde stares at me, licking her glossy lips unconsciously.
“So you were there the whole time,” she says in a shaky voice.
“I was,” I confirm. “I got there maybe twenty minutes before you arrived, and had already gotten my bearings. I was sitting in a dark corner, silent and motionless, just letting the atmosphere seep into my bones. Imagine my surprise when you showed up.”
“Oh my god,” Ashley moans, dropping her face into her hands. “I can’t believe you witnessed my dirty acts!”
I shrug, a smile playing about my lips.
“It was debauched, but I liked it,” I intone. “I figured out what you were doing pretty quick, and then when you added the scene with the diamonds at the end, I have to say I was intrigued. In fact, I was determined to meet you for real after witnessing that little act,” I add with a devious smile.
“But how ?” Ashley cries, dropping her hands to gaze at me again. “How did you get into the room?”
I shrug.
“It’s easy. I know Christian Degas, the owner of the casino. It’s not like the layout of the hotel is a mystery either. Using one of the maps they provide guests, I figured out where the staff hallways and entrances are. You did the same thing, right? It’s not hard.”
Ashley shakes her head, biting her plush bottom lip.
“No, I didn’t use publicly available information. Or rather, I did,” she corrects. “I went to the county assessor’s office and asked to see the blueprints for the Degas. They don’t let you take them home, obviously, but anyone can ask to look. I committed the blueprints to memory, and figured out all the back passageways on my own.”
“And let me guess,” I add in a low growl, still rubbing soothing circles on her narrow back. “You’ve pieced together the layouts of all the casinos on the Strip.”
Ashley’s cheeks bloom with color again, and it’s the cutest thing. She’s young and innocent, and I love having her curvy weight in my lap as her big breasts tremble and heave mere inches from my chest. I love having that soft rump pressed against my hard tool, and at that moment, it twitches from the proximity of so much beautiful female. But Ashley’s too distracted to notice, and gazes into my eyes once more.
“I have scoped out all the casinos,” she admits in a low voice. “It’s just something that I feel is my professional responsibility. This isn’t a game, you know. This is real life.”
I can’t resist any longer. This woman is gorgeous, intelligent, and so damn clever that I have to kiss her. My head bends forward and I press my lips against the soft curvature of her cheek, worshipping her sweetness.
“Of course,” I breathe. “Our jobs are demanding.”
She nods, her pupils dilating as she stares back at me. Her nose is petite and dainty, and that plush pout sets off a small, but stubborn chin.
“It is the job,” she repeats. “Are you going to report me for my actions?”
I shake my head, pressing another heavenly kiss to her slender throat.
“No, not at all, sweetheart. Like I said, it’s not cheating to get the lay of the land, and besides, I was doing the very same thing. Not with the diamonds, of course, but getting a spatial feel for the premises. But I have to add that the gems aren’t worth as much as you think, baby girl. They’ll get you a handsome sum, but probably much less than you anticipate.”
Ashley shoots me a quick look.
“Are they diamonds though? I haven’t gotten them assessed, but I thought as much. They didn’t look like crystals when I held them up to the light because they flashed and sparkled much more than cut glass. But who would do that? Why would someone commission a chandelier made of precious jewels?”
I smile ironically.
“They’re diamonds because Christian Degas is a rich fuck who can do whatever he wants. It happens when you have too much money. But even he’s not so stupid as to use mined diamonds, honey. That chandelier would be worth millions, if not billions, and he’s got a ton of chandeliers hanging all over his hotel. No, the answer is lab created diamonds, sweetheart. I understand he owns a lab somewhere and grows this shit for fun, and then decorates his hotel with the fruits of his labor. Like I said, the rich fuck has too much money on his hands,” I shrug.
“Lab created?” Ashley asks in a slow voice. “I’ve heard of that before, but I’m a little confused as to what it means.”
I shrug.
“I looked into opening a lab myself a couple years back, so I happen to know the business. Basically, lab-grown diamonds are synthetic diamonds. Mined diamonds take billions of years to form within the Earth’s crust, as intense heat and pressure cause carbon to crystallize into a lustrous gem. But now, the process is mimicked in a laboratory, and you can “grow” a diamond in mere weeks. It’s remarkable what human ingenuity is capable of.”
Ashley blinks with surprise.
“But are lab-grown diamonds real?”
“Absolutely,” I affirm. “There are no physical differences between lab-created and mined diamonds. The internal structure is the same, and the lab gems shine and sparkle with fire, just like anything that comes out of the earth. The difference is in the supply, of course, and the price. Now, we can create diamonds just as brilliant as the originals within weeks. You can manufacture them, cut them, and sell them, and ninety-nine percent of the population wouldn’t know.”
Ashley looks blown away, her perfect pink lips parting in a glossy “O.”
“Wow,” she murmurs. “I’ve heard of synthetic diamonds before, but I’ve never seen one in real life. I had no idea.”
“They’re everywhere these days, and no one can tell the difference,” I quip. But then I correct myself. “Actually, scratch that. Scientists with special equipment can scan the rocks, and there will be some slight differences between lab-created and mined. But the naked eye definitely can’t detect any variance, and even a jeweler’s loupe is unreliable. From what I understand, natural stones carry trace amounts of nitrogen, whereas the lab grown stones have none.”
“Okay, yeah, I wouldn’t be able to detect nitrogen with my eye,” Ashley murmurs, an astonished expression on her pretty features. “I don’t even know what I’d look for.”
“That’s it exactly,” I chuckle, pressing another affectionate kiss to her cheek. “The stones can’t be differentiated because the chemical structure is the same. But yes, these new suckers are revolutionizing the industry because now, humans can make diamonds on demand. Suppliers can sell them at far lower prices, and that’s why the diamonds you snuck out of the Degas aren’t going to go for much. Have you tried pawning them yet?”
Ashley blushes again, shaking her head.
“No, because I haven’t had time. But I was only going to sell them to help the other girls in my ballet troupe,” she says quickly. “We’re all unemployed, and it’s been hell. Some of the girls have picked up work, but it’s fair to say that a hundred percent of our dreams have been dashed. Quite a few of the ladies are receiving food stamps, not to mention unemployment assistance if possible.”
“I see,” I hum thoughtfully. “So it’s a fucked-up situation.”
“ Very fucked-up,” the curvy girl confirms, suddenly looking immeasurably sad. “I only took the diamonds to help my friends. They deserve better, and this Christian Degas person seems to have so much! He would never miss them. Besides, if he’s into ballet ...”
“We’ll see,” I growl, taking the hint. Then, I turn her chin so that I can kiss those tender lips. “Christian is an asshole, don’t get me wrong. But maybe even an asshole can be persuaded to help a troupe of beautiful young ballerinas. In the meantime, I want to claim my prize, sweetheart. You put your curves on the table, and now, it’s time to make good on that bet.”
With that, I dip my head to run my tongue in a tantalizing line along Ashley’s generous décolletage as she gasps and clutches my broad shoulders. But the curvy girl is now relaxed. Gone is the fiery, demanding, angry young sprite who showed up in my suite. She’s still fiery and demanding, don’t me wrong, but she’s also heated, soft, and willing ... and I intend to possess what rightfully belongs to me.