Hustler (29 page)

Bending down to his level, I speak closely to his ear. “If you ever talk about Penelope like that again, it’s going to be my fist to your fucking face next time. Got it?”

Needing some space, I stand and head back to my mug which I left on the counter. Casually, I take a sip and wait for Graham to collect himself.

Standing, but keeping his hands on his knees, taking deep breaths, he looks up at me, malice clearly registered across his features. “You know my hotel is one of the only hotels that will actually allow you to play poker anymore, right? You need to start treating my staff and
me
with respect. You don’t own this property, Gavin. I fucking do.”

Honestly, his threat has no effect on me. Poker has become a task, rather than a game, I get off on. I don’t play for the challenge, because there isn’t one. I’ve played recently because I wanted to be closer to Penelope, but now that I have her, I have no urge to hit the table again.

Graham approaches the counter, still bent over slightly in pain. His voice is stern as he talks. “I’m serious Gavin, you have to stop bringing my staff up here to be your play things for the night. Penelope is good at her job, the players like her, if you fucked this up—“

“I didn’t fuck anything up,” I cut him off.

“Really? By the looks of it, you once again stuck your dick where it doesn’t belong and put her job at risk.”

“It’s not like that,” I say with irritation.

“You’re fucking delusional. This is a huge conflict of interest, and for what? One night?”

I slam my mug on the counter, causing it to shatter and spill coffee everywhere. I rest my hands on the counter, my heartbeat pounding against my chest. “It’s not like that,” I repeat. “I fucking
like
her, okay?”

“What?” Graham presses, confusion in his word.

Throwing my hands in the air in frustration, I pace the kitchen as I shout, “I fucking like her, Graham. This isn’t some one-night stand for me,
I like her
.”

Defeated, I walk to the span of windows in my living room and take in the quiet of the morning below. Silence stretches between us as Graham processes my confession.

Hell, I try to process it as well.

For as long as I’ve known Graham, he’s only ever seen me as one person, a hustler, in the high roller suite and in the bedroom. I’ve never expressed feelings for a woman, let alone cared about one. I’ve been his wingman, the guy he’s counted on when it comes to banging anything with two tits and a pussy. This new side of me is just as much of a shock to me as it is to him.

The silence in the room is broken by a loud thud. Turning toward my bedroom door, I see Penelope sprawled across the floor, one shoe in her hand, the other on her foot, laying in the doorway of my room.

“Shit,” she mutters as she slowly slides back across the floor, trying to hide herself and her obvious peeping.

The sound of skin rubbing against the floor echoes through the space as she continues to attempt to hide herself. The movement only pushes her dress up to her waist causing the bottom of her ass to peek out.

“Christ,” she swears quietly, pulling on her skirt and doing a spin move on the floor to work past the doorframe and back in the room.

I hope to God she’s much smoother when it comes to performing for La Magie.

Turning to Graham, I say, “Get the fuck out.”

Crossing the room, I grab Graham by the arm and escort him to the entryway, blocking Penelope from view. I don’t need him getting an eye full of my girl.

“This isn’t over,” Graham spits out.

“It is,” I answer back. “There is nothing to talk about. This isn’t some fling for me. Hurt Penelope and her job and I will make it my mission to make sure your dick never sees another vagina again. You have my fucking word on that.”

“You’re an asshole, you know that? You expect everyone around you to do your bidding without so much as batting a fucking eye.”

I turn Graham around as I shove him out of my door. “No, I don’t actually. But I expect my
friend
to understand that this is the first woman I’ve ever even remotely cared about. Don’t fuck this up for me, Graham.”

Realization crosses his features as what I’m telling him finally begins to sink in. And what I think is going to be a mutual understanding, turns Graham into the smiling dickhead he is.

“Oooo… Gavin’s in love!” he teases.

“I will literally shove my fist through your skull.”

“The hustler has been hustled himself. How cute. Shall I inform the press?”

I know he’s teasing me, it’s obvious by the humor in his tone, but it still grates on my nerves, more than ever.

“You have three seconds to leave before I plow you in the balls.”

Wiggling his eyebrows, he says, “Kinky. I like it.”

“You’re done.” I slam the door on his face and lock the top deadbolt. He has a key to my place but at least with the top lock engaged, he won’t be able to get in.

Turning to my bedroom, I survey the situation. The door is wide open from Penelope’s fall but she’s nowhere in sight. She’s most likely hiding from embarrassment. If I wasn’t so mad about Graham barging into my apartment and running his mouth, I’d probably be chuckling, enjoying the view of Penelope trying to crawl across the floor to hide herself, ass hanging out of her dress.

Feeling a little more light-hearted, I retreat to my room, looking for the girl in question. Just as I suspect, she sits tucked in the corner, her hands to her head.

Leaning against the wall, I cross my arms over my chest and say, “Get a good ear full?”

She perks up from my presence and rests her legs on the ground, straight out in front of her and smooths her dress. Picking at a piece of lint, she says, “I don’t know what you’re implying.”

“Is that right? Because from where I was standing, it looked like you were eavesdropping on my conversation with Graham, lost your balance and fell through the doorway.”

She pauses and looks up at me, her chin held high. “Funny thing.” I get ready for an onslaught of lies. This should be good. “I was putting my shoes on and just so happened to lose my balance, causing me to fall forward, through the door and into your conversation. Imagine that.”

“Yeah, imagine that,” I reply, lifting a skeptical brow. “How convenient that it happened during a time in the conversation that was silent, as if you didn’t think you could hear us anymore so you leaned just an inch closer.”

She bites her bottom lip and looks at her lap. “Yeah, weird huh?”

Striding to her, I lift her up by her arms and stand her up. With my index finger, I lift her chin, forcing her to look me in the eyes.

“Penelope, when are you going to learn that I can read you like a fucking book when you lie?”

She’s silent, her eyes searching mine right before she says, “Umm… you like me?”

I can’t help it, a bark of laughter flies from my mouth at the sweet, innocent way she asks that question. She knows I like her, I practically shouted it to the entire hotel, but she still wants to hear it from me while I look her in the eyes.

“What’s so funny?” she asks, swatting my bare chest.

“You,” I smile down at her, pulling on the hem of her dress and quickly lifting it over her head, exposing every inch of naked skin. I scoop her up in my arms while she kicks and protests and bring her over to my plush bed.

I toss her in the middle and then climb on top of her, making sure to settle the blankets over us, enveloping us in a cocoon of warmth.

I straddle her body, my arms on either side of her head, holding myself up on my forearms to keep from crushing her. My arousal starts to grow as her hardened nipples dance lightly across my chest.

I’d bet my hand that she’s wet right now, that if I reached between her legs and felt that delicious pussy of hers, it would be ready for my cock. No doubt in my mind.

“Get off of me,” she says, not sounding the least bit serious.

“Do you want to hear it? Do you want to watch the words comes out of my mouth?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she says, turning her head away from me.

Stubborn fucking woman.

“Look at me, Penelope.”

She doesn’t move.

“Penelope…” I warn.

Nothing. How could there be something more enticing to look at on the wall than the man straddling her? Knowing how to really get her attention, I pull the card she hates.

“Do not make me ask again, Miss Prescott.”

Her gaze snaps to mine, fury in her eyes.

Bingo.

A knowing smile crosses my face while she stares daggers up at me. “Don’t call me that.”

“Got you to look at me, didn’t it?” I say as sweetly as I can right before I kiss her nose. The crease in her brow unfolds at my affectionate display. “Did you overhear our conversation?”

“Maybe,” she winces.

“Do you believe what I said?”

The corner of her mouth perks up, a smile wanting to escape. “I can’t really recall what I heard.”

“Let me refresh your memory,” I say, placing incredibly soft, slow kisses along her jaw, lingering on her skin just enough to make her squirm beneath me with every press of my lips. “You heard Graham questioning my actions, he acted like a dick by bringing up my past, and I confessed my feelings for you.”

Breathlessly, she asks, “And what might those feelings be?”

In between kisses, I answer her. “I. Like. You.”

It feels stupid saying such menial words to a woman who’s made me feel things I’ve never felt before, but to me, those three words mean more than anything I’ve ever said to another person.

I like you
, it seems too simple, right? Not to me, though. It’s taken someone incredibly special to put me in my place, to challenge me, and to make me want affection, not just sex, but straight up affection. The press of another human’s palm against my heart, the feel of a warm body against mine at night, a simple hug that goes further than any quick fuck in a bar bathroom.

She’s made me want a relationship.

Cupping my cheek with a bright smile on her face, she replies, “I like you too, Gavin. A lot.”

Nuzzling her neck, I say, “You better fucking like me.”

Just as I’m about to work my lips down her body, my phone sounds off, alerting me of a text. Taking a quick peek at the preview, I see a message from Graham.

Graham: Audition tomorrow at nine. I put a good word in for her.

Graham might be a giant prick and a douchebag at times, but he truly is a good guy and can act like an actual human being at times, showing his sensitive side when it matters. Now I kind of feel bad for punching him in the stomach.

Wait… Nope. Check that, he deserved it. No asshole will ever talk about Penelope like that, not when she’s sharing my bed.

“What is it?” she asks, noticing my momentary pause in the perusal of her delicious body.

“Nothing,” I shrug it off, kissing her again, this time, lowering my head down to her breasts. I play with her nipple, lapping at it with my tongue before nibbling on it, causing her to lift her chest in pleasure. In between licking, I say, “Just an audition I was able to score.”

“An audition?” she asks in between breaths. “For what? What are you auditioning for?”

“I’m not auditioning for anything. It’s for you, for La Magie.”

In rapid movements, my head is lifted off her chest and directed toward hers so I’m forced to make eye contact with her. Damn the woman can be strong when she wants to be.

“What are you talking about?”

“My baby wants to work in La Magie? My baby gets what she wants,” I answer, quickly pecking her on the lips. “Graham has a friend in production, I asked him to make the call. There’s an audition for you tomorrow at nine. He put in a good word for you.”

“You’re kidding!” she says, shooting out from under me and sitting up on her knees.

Looking at the empty space below me, I say, “Uh, I would appreciate it if you got back underneath me. Kind of was in the middle of seducing you.”

“Now is not the time for that,” she says excitingly, clasping her hands at her chest. “You seriously got me an audition? They’re expecting me?”

Knowing I won’t be able to get her pinned down to the bed and between her legs until I answer her questions, I roll over and prop my head up with my hand. “Yes. This could be it, baby. You might start in a small position, but I know you’ll be able to work your way up.”

“I don’t care if I stand there and hold up a stupid banner, it’s a foot in the door.” She climbs on top of me and I watch in enjoyment as her tits bounce around above me with her movements. “Gavin, I can’t tell you how much this means to me. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me, baby.” I rub her thighs with my hands. “I’m just happy to see that smile on your face.”

She shakes her head in disbelief. “You’re making it very hard for me to keep your devilish charm at a distance.”

“Good.” I give her my best smile. “It’s my plan to sweep you off your feet.”

“Words I never expected to hear you say to me.”

Words I never expected to say to anyone.

**NELL**

“You better be laying in a ditch dead somewhere, calling me this early,” Page’s groggy voice mumbles through the line.

“If I were dead in a ditch, how would I be calling you?” I snicker.

She lets out a pained groan through the phone. “Too early to use brain power.”

My eyes dart to the clock on Gavin’s bedside table. “It’s already ten. That can hardly be considered early, Page.”

Another groan. “I had a shitty day at work yesterday. One of the assholes decided to try and cop a feel, and had the nerve to get all butt hurt when I decided to slap him in the face. Needless to say, I won’t be working for
that
washed up rock star anymore.”

“Oh, honey,” I murmur sympathetically. “You got fired? I’m so sorry.”

“No worries, I still have the other douchebags I work for to keep me paid. But I was feeling sorry for myself so I came home and drank all the wine because my roommate wasn’t here to console me.”

I inwardly wince at my epic fail as a friend. “I’m sorry, Page.”