6. Olivia
OLIVIA
Olivia could hardly believe this man.
He wore a pair of slacks and a nice shirt made of the kind of material that spoke of money Olivia had never dreamed of. The way he’d thrown down five thousand dollars, more than a month’s salary for Olivia, on a random number spoke to wealth, too.
But that wasn’t the interesting part. The interesting part was the way his blue eyes, the color of the ocean in southern California, were fixed on her, as though she had some important role to play in how his evening would unfold.
The interesting part was the way his lips quirked into a smile, and the quiet confidence that exuded from every pore.
Olivia had wanted to take an evening off from her regular life. An evening with this man would certainly be different from her regular life. It might be enough to make her forget her employment mess and uncertain future.
But still, Olivia hesitated. She never did things like this. She hadn’t even been on a date in years — and this certainly felt like a date. Or something.
Practical, planning Olivia would have grabbed a few drinks at the bar and walked around a bit before heading back to her hotel. But practical, planning Olivia wouldn’t have quit her job today, and this Olivia had done that.
“I don’t even know your name,” she said, stalling for time.
“I’m Leo,” the man said, holding out a hand.
Olivia noticed that he didn’t mention a last name.
She took his hand, and they shook. His grip was firm, but not crushing, and his palm was warm and dry.
As their eyes met, they both held on a fraction of a second longer than Olivia would have in a business interaction.
“I’m Olivia,” she replied, leaving out her last name as well.
“Olivia,” Leo repeated. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Now, will you be joining me this evening?”
“I…” Olivia laughed softly. “Yes. Sure. Why not?”
“Perfect.”
Leo was on his feet in a heartbeat, and took hold of her hand. He turned to the croupier. “You must have another room for the real high rollers.”
“Of course, sir.” The croupier raised a hand, and a waitress came over.
“Please, follow me.”
Still holding Olivia’s hand, Leo led her on a winding path after the waitress.
They passed slot machines and a red sports car on a rotating platform that was one of the potential prizes.
They passed men and women, young and old, sitting around poker tables with expressions of focus, joy, or despair.
They passed the bar, where Olivia had been planning to go.
Finally, the waitress ushered them through a door in the back into a smaller room.
Olivia noticed the difference immediately.
There were only three poker tables here, instead of the dozens on the main casino floor.
A live singer stood in one corner, crooning a jazzy tune.
The air smelled like fine whiskey and something else Olivia couldn’t quite place.
The food offerings here weren’t shrimp cocktails and colorful drinks, but oysters, fine alcohol, and caviar.
The clientele were different, too. They all wore tailored clothes, fine jewelry, and the kind of posture that spoke of money. Olivia felt out of place, but Leo squeezed her hand and led her to one of the tables.
“Would you like to play too?” he asked.
“No, thanks.” Olivia shook her head. “I’m not very good at cards. I’d rather cheer for you today.”
“Very well.”
The croupier dealt. Leo peeled his cards up, with Olivia peeping over his shoulder. Olivia schooled her expression into neutrality, and the game began.
It quickly became clear that Leo had no real need of a good-luck charm — and that his talents had been wasted at the roulette table. He won three hands in a row without breaking a sweat.
“We should celebrate,” he told Olivia. “A glass of champagne, perhaps?”
“That sounds great,” Olivia smiled. Leo flagged down a waiter and ordered two glasses of the casino’s finest champagne. Then he stood, holding out a hand to help Olivia to her feet.
“We should sit out a hand or two while we enjoy our drinks,” he said. “Give someone else a chance to win.”
“That does seem sporting,” Olivia said, winking.
They crossed to a table at the end of the room and sat, just as their champagne appeared.
Olivia knew it wasn’t a good idea to mix alcohol with her pain meds, but tonight was all about enjoying herself, so she took a sip.
The champagne was sweeter than she expected and pleasantly bubbly.
“Do you come here often?” Leo asked.
Olivia laughed. “No. This is my first time in Vegas.”
“Really? I never would have guessed.”
“Thank you, I think.” Olivia sipped her champagne again. “How about you? Do you come here often?”
“Not often.” Leo raised his glass. “But when I do, it’s always worth my while.”
Olivia had many questions — about how Leo could afford to gamble with such high stakes, about where he lived, about who he was when he wasn’t a high roller. But something told her it would be better to steer away from serious conversations right now.
“Tell me,” she said, “what are my duties as a good-luck charm, exactly? I feel like I’m just sitting and watching you play.”
“Are you bored?” Leo asked. “There are many other things we could do this evening.”
His tone was mildly suggestive, and Olivia’s heart rate spiked. She had trouble looking away from those piercing blue eyes.
“I’m not bored,” she replied. “I just want to do my job well.”
“Then you’re already succeeding,” Leo smiled at her. “Just being here is enough.”
“I can do that,” Olivia smiled. “How did you get so good at poker, anyway?”
“It’s just math. And I’ve always loved math.”
“Not me,” Olivia shuddered. “I was fine until about fifth grade, and then I was lost.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“You don’t know me,” She smiled.
“Not yet, but I see how intelligent you are. And I hope to know you better soon.” He winked, and Olivia laughed.
“Now you’re really just flirting with me.”
“I am.” Leo nodded once and lifted his glass again. “Why wouldn’t I? You’re beautiful. Smart. Not to mention good luck.”
Olivia’s heart skipped a beat. It had been a long time since anyone had talked to her like this — in fact, she wasn’t sure it had ever happened.
The guys she’d dated before had mostly wanted to talk about themselves, not compliment her.
She sipped her champagne to avoid having to answer, thinking of other, safer, topics of conversation.
They chatted easily for a few minutes. Soon, Olivia realized they’d drained their glasses, and Leo raised his hand to order another.
“Oh, I shouldn’t.”
“There’s no pressure from me,” Leo said easily. “But I’m throwing all caution to the wind, and I won’t judge you if you do, too.”
“In that case…” Olivia smiled as she accepted another glass of champagne. She wasn’t a big drinker, and hadn’t been since her college days, but another glass with this handsome stranger couldn’t hurt.
“Shall we go back to the table?” Leo suggested.
“Sure.”
They returned, and Leo was dealt in again. When the dealer asked Leo what he wanted to do, he leaned over to Olivia.
“What do you think?” he whispered into her ear. His breath was warm and sent pleasant shivers down her spine. It was all too easy to imagine him leaning a little closer and nibbling at the curve of her earlobe…
Olivia tried to focus. She leaned towards him and whispered, “Call.”
He won that hand, too, and the pile of chips in front of him grew. The next game, he lost to the woman sitting next to him.
“Perhaps we need our own bet,” he suggested.
“What do you have in mind?”
“If I win this next hand, I’d very much like to kiss you.”
Olivia smiled. “If you win the hand, I’ll let you.”
“Then I’d better focus.” Leo turned back to the table, his eyes narrowing as the next hand arrived. He glanced at his cards but didn’t show them to Olivia this time. The round began.
“Blinds, please,” the dealer said. The first two players pushed their chips in.
“Raise,” the player to Leo’s right said. She pushed in a stack of chips, and Olivia nervously folded the edge of her dress. That player, in her fancy suit and expensive earrings, looked like Leo’s biggest competition, and Olivia very much wanted Leo to win. She wanted that kiss.
“Call,” Leo said easily.
The player to his left reraised. The next two folded, Leo and his competition to the right called the raise.
The dealer spread the flop, and Olivia looked from the cards to Leo’s face, hoping to get an idea of how well he was doing.
His expression gave nothing away as the game continued.
Olivia forced herself to take deep, slow breaths and not imagine what it might be like to kiss this man, should he win.
Oh, please, let him win so I can find out.
The player to Leo’s left shifted in his seat as he bet the minimum.
Seeing his weakness, the lady pounced and declared, “All in!” She pushed her stacks forward and they spilled across the felt.
Leo seemed supremely unfazed. He didn’t even look at his cards.
Olivia could hardly breathe. She had no idea what that huge pile of chips could be worth.
The moment stretched out, the tension building.
Then, with a steady wave of his hand, Leo called the bet.
He idly pressed his stake forward to join the messy pile on the table.
The player to his left swallowed hard, and folded.
There were only two left: Leo and the woman to his right. Olivia crossed her fingers.
Finally, the moment came. The woman flipped her cards, then Leo turned his over, tantalizingly slowly, one at a time. The woman sighed, and Leo stood as the dealer confirmed his win.
“That’s it, I’m cashing out,” he said.
“Now?” the dealer asked. “It looks like you’re on a winning streak.”
“Now,” Leo confirmed. “I have more important things to do.”
Then he held out his hand and pulled Olivia to her feet. She stood and followed him out of the high rollers’ room and onto the main casino floor. He led her away from the action and into a quiet hallway where they were alone. Then he turned to her and flashed that smile of his.
“It looks like I won,” he said.
“It looks like you did,” Olivia agreed. He was very close to her — close enough that she could have leaned forward and been in his arms. She could feel the heat of his body and smell the masculine scent of his cologne.
She could see the dusting of five-o’clock shadow across his firm jawline and the flecks of green and gray in his blue eyes.
Almost involuntarily, her tongue flashed across her lips.
“I feel like there was something I was supposed to do if I won,” he said, his voice casual, though his blue eyes were locked on hers. Olivia was almost vibrating with anticipation.
“I think there was,” she agreed. Her voice came out a little breathless.
“But what was it?” Leo asked. He tapped one long finger against his own broad lips as if in thought. “What. Was. It?”
“Kiss me,” Olivia breathed. That was all the encouragement Leo needed.
In a heartbeat, he’d closed the distance between them, gently pushing Olivia against the wall behind her and lifting one hand to her chin to tilt her face back.
The other hand went to her lower back, pulling her against him, and then he was kissing her.
It was the kind of all-consuming, passionate, knee-weakening kiss Olivia had only read about in romance novels.
She was glad for the wall behind her and Leo’s strong yet gentle grip on her, or she might have collapsed to the ground from the sensations that washed over her.
The first kiss was tender, exploratory, and when Olivia responded, the second kiss became more intense.
Leo claimed her lips as though he’d been waiting all day to do so.
Olivia gasped slightly as he deepened the kiss further.
The hand that had been on the side of her face slid into her hair, pulling her towards him.
Olivia wrapped her arms around Leo’s shoulders, pressing herself against his firm chest. She wanted to do nothing else but kiss him for the rest of the night.
Maybe longer. Her breath came in short gasps, and she tasted champagne and the promise of something on his lips.
And then, as quickly as it had started, the kiss ended. Leo smiled down at her, and Olivia found herself smiling back.
“Good thing I won,” he said casually.
“Agreed,” Olivia said.
“What’s next?” Leo continued.
“I get the feeling this night is just getting started,” Olivia replied.
“Then we’d better get more champagne.” Leo held out his arm, Olivia took it, and they headed back towards the casino floor.
Olivia felt almost giddy. She’d hoped to forget everything and step out of the ordinary tonight, but this had more than exceeded her expectations.
Leo ordered a bottle of the champagne they’d been drinking, and they headed deeper into the casino.
All Olivia knew was that she never wanted this night to end…