Text Appeal (25 page)

She took a step back just as his lips touched hers. “I’m not your girl anymore,
Chaz
.”

“Indulge me in the fantasy that I might be able to win you back.” His words were whispered. Emotions skittered across her face. He hadn’t lost her yet.

“Riley?”

Guilt masked her features as she swung around to Charlie.
Another point for Team
Chaz
.

Chapter Eighteen

Riley looked angelic while she slept. Her dark hair was mussed from their love making, her lips still swollen, but her features were peaceful. As he watched the steady rise and fall of her chest, something unfamiliar tightened his chest.

He should get back to his room and review tapes of competitors. UltimatePokerPowerhouse.net had made an offer, but it had been a low one, unsubstantial, barely enough to cover the entry fee. If Rick couldn’t work his magic and get Charlie a better deal, Charlie’s career would depend on a tournament win. Without it, he wouldn’t be able to afford to continue.

Even knowing what lay on the line, he couldn’t tear himself away from her. When he’d seen
Chaz
kissing her tonight, he’d felt something.

Primitive, territorial jealousy over seeing another man kiss the woman he was sleeping with—yes, but that was to be expected. And he’d felt that in spades. But he’d also felt something more. He didn’t want any other man touching her, true, but the bigger threat had been the way they’d looked at each other, the fear that she might feel something for this man that Charlie wanted her to feel for him.

He’d taken Riley to Tango to enjoy the thing she loved most, and he’d been too damn stubborn to let
Chaz
change his plans. Moving together on the dance floor had been as natural as flowing water. Riley’s body had rubbed against his as they danced, and her mouth kept him wanting as it hovered millimeters from the sensitive skin on his neck. Her hands had hooked into his belt, held him close—as if he wanted to be anywhere else.

Now she slept, sated after a night of fun, sex, and indulgence. He liked having her like this—sleeping, peaceful, tangled in sheets in her bed, not in some big hotel’s high roller suite or in a bed big enough to lose her in the middle of the night. He was sick of hotels. He wanted a home—not the sterile condo he owned in L.A. He wanted a house in Vegas, with a yard and a dog. He wanted a chance to get to know that cocky teen
who
was as sneaky as he was lanky and who knew far too much about women for his age. He wanted Riley.

I love you.

He hadn’t missed that she hadn’t said it again since the text. Was she afraid she’d scare him off? Hell, he hadn’t even replied. She had no way of knowing he gave a shit.

He brushed her hair back with his fingertips. His poker career was disintegrating before his eyes, and when it was over, Charlie Singleton would claim his birthright as just another nobody.

How could he tell Riley Carter he’d fallen in love with her when shame was just around the bend?

***

“You
gonna
start helping with the rent?”

Charlie filled a glass of water and grinned at Lacey. His sister sat at the kitchen table in her pajamas, looking none too happy about being awake. “Morning, Lace,” Charlie said with a smile. Normally he didn’t believe in smiling before eight a.m., but he’d slept with Riley in his arms last night, and it had felt damn good.

“You could at least get that shit eating grin off your face,” she said, yawning. “It’s too early for new love’s bliss.”

Charlie cast a glance at Riley’s bedroom door to make sure he and his sister were alone. “What makes you think I’m in love?”

She leaned back and crossed her arms. “Well, aren’t you?”

Charlie swallowed. “It’s complicated.”

Lacey unfolded the newspaper sitting in front of her with a knowing
Humph
.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

“Nothing.”
She snapped open the paper and thumbed through it. “You don’t need to tell me anything. I’m just your
only sister
and—” Her eyes went wide. “Oh, crap.”

“What?”

She turned the paper so he could see the picture that graced the front of the Society section.

“Oh. That.”

“Do you think Riley will be upset?”

Charlie shrugged. “She practically posed for the guy.”

“And the caption doesn’t bother you?”

Charlie snagged the paper from Lacey’s hands and read the caption.
Has Vegas’ Good Daughter fallen from grace to consort with ‘the Devil’?

He sighed. “I’m used to this crap, but Riley’s not.”

“Riley’s not what?” The beauty in question asked, sidling into the kitchen and making a bee-line for the coffee.

Charlie hadn’t even heard her emerge from the bedroom. “You’re not used to the bullshit press.” He handed her the paper. “I’m sorry about this.”

She scanned it quickly,
then
dropped it on the table. “If that’s their best shot at us, I think we’ll be okay.”

Us.
Charlie took her arm and pulled her to him, drawing her into his embrace before lowering his mouth to hers.

“Yuck!” Lacey said. “Hello, I’m thrilled for you two and everything, but it’s way too early to watch my brother suck face with my best friend.”

Charlie ignored her and kissed the woman he loved.

***

Charlie was waiting at Angela’s office door when she arrived at work.

Her dark eyes widened and her hand flew to her chest. “How’d you get back here?”

Charlie smirked. “You have a
very
sweet girl working the front counter.”

“Jesus.” Angela shook her head and unlocked her office. Entering, she hung her purse on the back of the door and straightened her suit before looking back to him. “I thought we agreed we’d let the lawyers handle this.”

Charlie raised his brows. “
We
didn’t agree on anything.”

Angela bit her lip, turning away from him again and heading toward her desk. She fumbled with papers there as she spoke. “Listen, I don’t want this to be a big deal. I really hate drama.”

“You sprang a grown child on me out of the blue. Did you expect me to smile, write you a check, and walk away?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t have a choice. Tony, he has college coming up and—”

“Does he go by that name? Tony?”

“What?”

Charlie shrugged. “It’s just that he told me his name was Derrick.”

She pulled back defensively and her face drew taut. “When did you meet Tony? Why did you arrange that without my knowledge?” She scrambled for her purse, pulling out her phone. “I swear, Singleton, you can’t pull this shit. My lawyer—”

“
He
found
me
, Angela.” He grabbed a frame from her desk and turned it so he could see the picture. Sure enough, “Derrick” smiled back at him. “He’s a good kid,” Charlie said softly, lowering the frame back to the desk.

“Charlie, you think long and hard before you make my son believe you’re going to be this great father figure he’s never had. You can’t just—” She collapsed into her chair and pulled a hand through her hair. “Think about someone other than yourself for a minute.”

Charlie clenched his fists. “Jesus, Angela.” He fought the sudden urge to hit something. “What the hell do you want? He’s my
son.
The boy deserves a father.”

She raised her gaze to meet his and her eyes were pleading. “And what about when you take off for months at a time, Charlie? Who’s going to be his father then?”

“You can’t keep him from me. Hell,
you
had the court come after me, and now
he’s
reaching out to me. Did it occur to you that
you
are the one making this more difficult than it needs to be?”

She didn’t respond, and Charlie let the silence stretch between them.

Angela spoke first. “Do you remember what you once told me about your father?” When he didn’t answer, she looked up at him, wetting her lips. “You said staying out of your life was the best thing he ever did for you.
Tony’s
a good kid. He has a bright future. Think about it.”

C
hapter Nineteen

Lacey’s out for the evening, so we have the place to ourselves.

Charlie dropped into a chair in the lobby of Grand Escape to answer Riley’s text. He couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips as his thumbs pecked out the message.
What do you have in mind?

Her message came quickly.
Any number of things that involve your hands and mouth would be just fine by me.

He grinned. He liked her way of thinking, but he wanted to woo her as much as he wanted to ravish her.
Let me take you out to a late dinner and we’ll go from there.

Dessert first, dinner later.

Shit.
To hell with good intentions.
Put on something from your collection to inspire me.

You’re really coming over?

What man could say no to that invitation?

“Hey, Singleton!”

Charlie looked up to see the
Griminski
, the surveillance officer, crossing the lobby, an envelope in his hand. Charlie stood and extended a hand. “How are things?”

“Same shit, different day.
You know the story,”
Griminski
said with a smile. He looked over each shoulder and lowered his voice. “Boss told me to destroy this, but I thought you might want it.” He squeezed Charlie’s forearm with nearly bruising force. “Tell anyone and I’ll get my ass canned, but I still felt like we owed you. Anyway, I can tell she’s important to you.”

Charlie looked down at the envelope
Griminski
offered. He could think of only one thing that could be inside. “Are you serious?”

The guy lifted his hands in innocence. “Anyone asks and I destroyed it. Understand?”

He nodded, thoughts of Riley, a negligee, and their personal sex tape tangling in his head. “I understand completely.” He took the envelope. “Thanks, Martin. You’re not bad.”

***

Charlie arrived at Riley’s door and waited as patiently as he could for her answer.

“I’m coming!” she called seconds before she cracked the door open.

“I was hoping you’d wait for me before doing that,” Charlie said.

Her eyes widened in approval at the sight of him.

He trailed his gaze over her body. She was wearing an old, yellow terry cloth robe. It was tattered, had a hole in the elbow and a torn seam. So how was it he’d never seen anyone look so sexy? Was it the flushed cheeks and bright green eyes…or the promise of what might be underneath that robe?