2. Emery
Emery
“You really should stay away from gambling.” I laugh when Hayes loses for the tenth time in a row.
“I should stay away from a lot of things, but what’s the fun in that?” He winks, and my belly does a somersault.
Good lord, this man is dangerous, and far too good-looking. Sharp green eyes that see straight through me. Dark-blond hair that is thick and a little messy. He smiles, and his gaze is as seductive as it is lethal.
When I searched out a random stranger at the bar to shake the guys following me, I didn’t plan on Hayes. But the second his stare met mine, it was like the universe wrapped a rope around my heart and pulled me straight toward him.
He’s a biker and trouble—that much is clear.
I don’t know what the patches on his leather vest mean, other than that he’s a bad idea head to toe. But damn if I don’t still feel weak in the knees from his kiss. He cradled me in his arms like he was going to own me, destroy me, and protect me all at the same time.
It was mind-altering.
Granted, I don’t have much experience. With how I was raised, I didn’t get the chance.
What little experience I do have, I got by sneaking around, and it never got very far.
Hayes is clearly my opposite. There’s no denying he knows his way around a woman.
His touch is gentle but purposeful. His eyes consume.
He’s this door to a world I’ve never known. A breath of fresh air. A flash of excitement.
Which is why I handed him one quarter after another, looking for an excuse to keep him around me a little while longer.
Unfortunately, his confidence didn’t quite pan out with the slot machine.
“That was my last quarter.” I look up at him, hoping my cheeks aren’t as red as they feel when I smile. “Guess you’re out of luck.”
“Am I?” he challenges, and my belly does a little flutter.
If I were smart, I’d walk away. End the night here, chasing this high Hayes has given me.
I’d disappear back into what is inevitable and accept there’s no avoiding what will happen tomorrow.
But glancing around, I still don’t see anyone tailing me, ready to drag me back to my uncle’s golden tower.
They either haven’t noticed I disappeared or haven’t found me yet.
“Something wrong?” Hayes steps closer, pulling my attention back to him.
“It’s crowded in here,” I lie. “Want to get some air?”
“My room has a pretty nice view if you’re into that sort of thing.”
“You have a room here?” My eyebrow hitches, glancing at the patch that tells me he’s from Las Vegas, so he’s not traveling from out of town. “Someone came prepared in case he got lucky.”
“It’s New Year’s. I’m drinking. Figured it was better to plan accordingly.” He winks, and I roll my eyes.
“How safe of you.”
“I’m anything but safe, freckles.”
“Freckles?”
His gaze falls to my cheeks as he takes another step closer. He lifts a hand, his fingertips brushing the apple of one, grazing so gently over my freckles that it sends a shiver through my whole body.
Growing up, I was self-conscious about my freckles. Kids in school would point them out and laugh. But Hayes traces them with such focus. Like he’s appreciating a work of art.
His smile climbs higher.
“What?”
“They darken when you blush.”
“It’s embarrassing.”
“No, it’s beautiful,” he corrects me, dropping his hand and stepping back. “So, about that view…”
I cross my arms over my chest, surprised that he doesn’t take the opportunity to stare at it. “How do I know this isn’t just some ploy for you to try and sleep with me? If I go to your room, are you going to try something?”
“Only if you want me to.”
Do I want him to?
My belly flutters at that thought. At the fact that I don’t think he’s bullshitting me right now.
Considering the men I’ve spent my life around, I shouldn’t be so trusting.
But there’s something about the way Hayes says exactly what he means, not sugarcoating it.
His honesty is refreshing. And when I look into his captivating green eyes, I believe he wouldn’t touch me unless I asked him to.
I pull my lower lip between my teeth, considering his offer. Knowing that, at any moment, I could be discovered because I’m standing in the middle of a casino.
If this were one of my uncle’s casinos, they’d have spotted me walking in the door. But even without this casino being his, his men are bound to find me soon.
“All right,” I decide, lifting my chin. “But I’m only going for the view.”
Hayes grins. “It’s a good view.”
“I’m sure it is.”
He stands up taller, and I have to crane my neck back at how he towers over me. He watches me like I’m the center of the universe. The smile brightening his eyes is so wide, it’s like I just made his night. It would be so easy for a girl to be mesmerized by a man like this.
He’s gravity, and I’m helpless.
Hayes waves a hand, leading me to the elevator. I don’t take my eyes off the casino floor as we pass through. Each stare has the hair on the back of my neck standing tall. Just because my uncle doesn’t own this particular building doesn’t mean he doesn’t have cameras here.
I can’t imagine what he’ll do if he finds out where I am tonight. But I had to get out. One last taste of freedom before he shackles me to the fate he’s decided.
My shoulders don’t relax until I step into the elevator. And even then, tension coils in my belly for an entirely different reason.
Hayes stands at my side, not touching me. Come to think of it, he hasn’t touched me more than placing his hand on my lower back to guide me through the crowd since he kissed me. He’s a gentleman dressed like a red flag, and it’s confusing.
With each ping—each floor—my heartbeat quickens. It isn’t until we reach the third floor from the penthouse that we finally stop.
“High roller.” I glance up and find him already watching me.
“One of the perks of being friends with the owner.” He shrugs, waiting for me to step out of the elevator first.
“So you come here often?”
“I like to gamble.”
Meeting his gaze, I suspect he’s not just referring to cards and slot machines. But I don’t dare ask him to clarify.
Hayes is a mix of calm and wild. Calculation and risk. I sense he’s a man who is willing to take chances. Maybe that’s why I picked him out of the crowd.
There’s a light in his eyes, like he genuinely enjoys living.
I can’t remember the last time I looked forward to waking up in the morning. That I could leave anything to chance. That I felt like I was making the decisions in my life.
He’s freedom, and I’m wrapped in chains.
Hayes stops at the end of the hall, unlocking his door and guiding me inside. One wall is all windows, offering a view of the Strip.
In a city filled with lights, there are no stars to be seen because of all the light pollution.
I explore the room, brushing my fingers over a couch as I pass. The leather smooth beneath my fingertips. A glass door leads to an oversized balcony, where a pool stretches out from the side of the building.
I pause at the windows to take it all in. It’s not anything I haven’t seen before. My uncle’s wealth has afforded me a very comfortable life. But when Hayes stops at my side, his gaze roaming the city below, something is different.
It’s special.
Having it all isn’t the same as having someone to share it with.
How did I never realize that until now?
I glance up at Hayes. His life couldn’t be more different from mine. I doubt we have much in common. He’s a live wire, while I spend my life walking on eggshells. Still, there’s something in his expression I recognize as he scans the city below.
He appreciates it like he hasn’t seen this view a thousand times.
When he glances at me, I realize I’m staring, so I quickly look away, opening the door that leads to the balcony. “You were right about the view. And this pool… how cold do you think the water is?”
Hayes follows me outside, watching me circle to the stairs that descend into the water. Vegas might be blistering during the summer, but it’s New Year’s. And this high up, there’s a breeze that sends goose bumps up my arms.
“It’s heated.”
I toe off my shoes at the ledge and dip a foot in the water, finding it warm. “Have you been in yet?”
“Hadn’t even been up to the room yet,” he confesses. “I met up with my brothers the second I got here tonight.”
I forgot he was out with people. “Do you need to get back to them?”
“Nah, they’re good.” He paces to the other side of the pool, glancing down at the water.
I hum, swirling my toe and trying not to stare at him. “Why are you still hanging out with me, anyway? You came out with friends tonight, and I’m sure there are plenty of girls who would fall all over themselves for a chance to spend time with you without making you place bets and work for it.”
"Maybe.” He shrugs. “But maybe I like it when there’s a little risk involved.”
“That I don’t doubt.”
Hayes’s smile grows. “What about you? Why haven’t you left my ass in the dust yet? Any man in that casino would have happily let you see their view.”
“Maybe,” I agree with a shrug. “But I like your company. Your presence is calming.”
His laugh fills the night, and it makes my entire body warm.
“What’s so funny?” My eyebrows scrunch.
“You might be the first person in my entire life to call me calming.”
“Chaos isn’t calming for most people.”
“But it is for you?”
My gaze moves to the city—to the towering buildings at a distance that have chained me my entire life. “Yeah, I guess it is. At least if there’s chaos, it feels like I’m still living.”
Reaching up, I push my straps down my shoulders, slowly shimmying out of my dress. I should probably be embarrassed, stripping down to my bra and underwear in front of a stranger. But this might be the last night of freedom I have left.
“What are you doing?” Hayes’s voice is gritty—deeper.
I look over and find his jaw clenched and his eyes heated. “Going for a swim. Care to join me?”