Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Iwatch with amusement as Lailani inhales her burger. She’s not like other women. She doesn’t pretend not to be hungry.
“You got a little something…” Picking up a napkin, I lean over and wipe the sauce from the side of her mouth.
Lailani lifts a shoulder. “I’m messy. You definitely shouldn’t date me.”
“I’m not afraid of making a mess,” I tell her. If she’s trying to turn me off, it’s not working. In fact, I find her even more endearing now. “I’m gonna try not to take it personally that you don’t want to date me, though.”
“It’s not you. I don’t date anyone,” she says.
There’s usually two reasons women don’t want to date. One, they’ve been hurt by a man in the past. Or, two, they’re more into dating women than men.
“Who is he?” I ask, because I’m pretty sure Lailani isn’t a lesbian. I’ve seen the way she looks at me.
“Who is who?”
“Whoever hurt you. What’d he do? Give me a name,” I say, more convinced that someone has fucked with her.
“No one. I just prefer to focus on myself. I don’t need a man in my life to be happy,” she replies.
Huh, maybe I was wrong?
“Are you gay? I mean, I’m not judging if you are. I’m cool with whatever people do.”
“You think because a girl doesn’t want to date you that means she’s gay?” She eyes me from across the booth.
“Well, yeah.” I smirk. “I’ve got mirrors.”
“And an ego, it seems.”
“It was a joke.” I lean back in my seat, throwing an arm over the top to get a better look at her. “So, you’re not gay and you haven’t got a traumatic past that’s making you swear off men. What is it about me that turns you off from dating me, then?”
“Your my boss’s business partner and friend. Like I said, it’s a conflict of interest,” she insists.
“Fine. I’ll have Louie fire you.”
“Oh yeah, because I’m really going to go on a date with the guy who got me fired from a job I happen to need.” She rolls her eyes.
“I wouldn’t do that. But seriously, what harm could possibly come from me taking you out on a date?” I try again.
“I’ll think about it.” She smiles at me. “You know, you’re annoyingly persistent.”
“I’ve been told that once or twice.” I lift a shoulder.
After we finish eating, I walk Lailani out to the street where she calls for a car. I offered to give her a ride home and she declined. I figured I wouldn’t push her. She’s holding back, and I need to take smaller steps to win her over.
I stroll back into the Wild Card a few minutes later and go straight up to my penthouse apartment.
As soon as I enter, I do a quick walk-through to make sure nothing has been moved or touched.
It’s a habit that started when I was young.
Everything in my home has a place, and I notice if something isn’t in that place.
Some would call my apartment sterile, empty, cold.
I like it that way. I’m not one for clutter. I have the necessities, and they’re more than enough. Okay, I have more than the necessities. I don’t go without. I just don’t do… junk.
Once I’m satisfied everything is where it should be, I head to my bedroom and straight into the shower. Where I strip down, turn on the hot water, and step under the spray, enjoying the burn on my skin. Then, squirting some shower gel onto my hand, I fist my cock and close my eyes.
There’s one face that pops up in my head.
It’s always the same face. Lailani. I’ve never done anything more than chat her up before tonight.
I have no idea what made me take her out now.
I’ve wanted her for months and chosen to stay away.
The last thing a girl like that needs is to be swept into the darkness that I live in.
I imagine her on her knees in front of me. Water dripping down her face, down her naked breasts. Her lips parted, waiting and willing to take me. My hand strokes over my cock while I imagine it pumping in and out of her mouth.
“Fuck.”
I pick up speed. I can almost hear her moans, feel the back of her throat. She lets me fuck her rough. Hard. The good girl isn’t always good.
I smirk at the thought of ruining her innocence as my fist continues to pump faster. My balls tighten and spasms of pleasure run up my spine. I finish with Lailani’s name on my lips, squirting my cum all over the tiled wall.
I love my job. Most days. Today, I’m counting down the hours until I can go and get Lailani for our date.
The date she never actually agreed to go on.
Now that I’ve decided I want her, I’m not going to let her get away.
I was going to make reservations at some fancy-ass restaurant but then thought dinner at my penthouse would be better. More intimate and private.
Being spotted with her in public puts her at risk. People saw us together last night. If I were to take her out for a second night in a row, everyone would know she’s not just a friend. Which makes her a target. I could put men on her, but that would probably scare her off even faster.
I’ve never dated before. I’ve never wanted to.
But with Lailani, it’s different. I don’t just want to fuck her.
I want to keep her. Which is the exact reason I’ve stayed away from her for so fucking long.
She scares the shit out of me. That, and there’s the whole what I do for a living thing that I have a feeling she will not be okay with.
Like right now, for example, I have two fucking assholes in the basement of the Wild Card. Each tied to a chair with their mouths duct-taped closed because I got over hearing their screams. The door opens, and Louie and Carlo walk in.
“Did you stop for a dinner date or something?” I ask them. I’ve been waiting for an hour for their asses to turn up.
“I had other things to do,” Louie responds.
“How is Charlotte?” I smirk at him.
Carlo glances between us. “Who is Charlotte?”
“Louie’s girlfriend. He took her up to the pool last night and got all worked up that I saw her in her underwear,” I explain.
“Fuck off. She is not my girlfriend,” Louie grunts, a stupid smile appearing on his face when he adds, “Yet.”
“Is he having a stroke?” Carlo looks to me.
“Probably.” I scan Louie from head to toe before nodding towards the fuckers in the chairs. “What are we doing with these two?”
“What’d they do?” Louie asks me.
“Counting cards,” I tell him. No one cheats in our casino and walks away scot-free.
Louie closes the distance and the two guys physically shake with fear. I’ve already worked them over, their faces bruised and cut. Louie positions himself behind the chairs and throws me the peace sign, indicating that he wants two of their fingers.
With a nod, I walk over to the table and grab the reciprocating saw. As I approach the first asshole, his eyes widen and he shakes his head back and forth.
“Hold him down,” I call out over a shoulder as I wait for Carlo to press the guy’s hand flat against the armrest.
While I start cutting through the flesh, Louie reaches around and removes the tape from the guy’s mouth. His screams echo off the walls of the empty room.
“I love the sound of pain.” Carlo sighs. “Think you can scream louder?” he asks the guy as I start on the second digit.
It’s always worse for the other guy, the one who has to sit there and watch, knowing what’s coming for him next. He’s got time to build up fear and anxiety before we get to him.
I pluck the two fingers from the floor and sit them on the guy’s lap. “I think you dropped these.” I smile at him and then walk over to his friend. I know for a fact that these two jerks, along with everyone they know, will never try to cheat our casino again.
“Got plans tonight?” Carlo asks when we’re all cleaned up and finally walking out of the basement.
“I do,” I tell him.
“Who? Or what?” he presses.
“When did you become my mother?” I counter.
“It’s called being a friend, asshole. Forget I asked.” He shakes his head. “Louie, you and me and a bottle of whiskey.”
“Can’t. Got plans,” Louie says.
“Charlotte,” Carlo and I say at the same time before Carlo adds, “I want to meet this Charlotte.”
Louie doesn’t respond. He just keeps walking away.
I head to the elevators. I need to shower and get ready for this date. What the fuck do you do on a date?
Shit, I probably should have put more thought into this.