Lucky Break (2 page)

Her gaze slid up to her face, perfectly made-up eyes, and the dark red gloss coating her lips. Having traveled the world as a top-notch event planner had its perks. She’d learned from the very best makeup artists how to do her face to show whatever mood she wanted. And tonight she wanted sexy.

A soft tap sounded on the door. “Come in.”

Nina’s smiling face peeked around the corner before she waltzed inside in a skimpy red mini dress. “Look at that. We match! I guess great minds do think alike.”

Lucky grinned. Nina hopped on the bed, her smile wide. She studied Lucky’s outfit with approval. The sparkle of mischief in Nina’s eyes made her more than a little wary. Dammit, but she needed to get out. She needed to unwind. Heck, after the way her last relationship had ended—with a level of drama worthy of a daytime Emmy nomination for best soap—she needed to have fun. Anything to revive her libido and the lashing it had taken when she’d found out Nick got his ex-girlfriend pregnant, all the while telling her he wasn’t ready for kids or a long-term-commitment.

Oh, but let’s not forget how he’d been ready to play her for the other woman. Swift anger made her blood boil in her veins. She tamped down the surge of fury that tried to shove its way to the surface to rile her. This happened every time she thought of his lying, cheating ass. If only shit hadn’t happened in such a fucked-up way. Sadly, she couldn’t go back and change the past. And even if she could, she wasn’t sure she’d change her final actions.

She cleared her throat, swallowing at the dryness taking hold, and smiled. “So where exactly are we going?”

“Out.” Nina grinned. “I hope you don’t mind if Max and his friend hang with us? He was acting all sad, and I just couldn’t say no. In fact, we’re going to join them at a different party right now.”

Oh, what the heck? She’d probably end up drinking in a corner and drowning her sorrows in some apple martinis anyway. She leaned back on the dresser, gripping the edge of the wood. Nina was way too excited. That was usually a dangerous sign.

“So why didn’t Jazz and Kaylani fly up with you? I miss both of them. Can’t believe I haven’t seen them since Alex’s wedding.”

“They had last minute details to take care of before joining us.” She placed her tube of lip gloss in a patent leather clutch along with her cell phone. “You know Jazz loves coming back to New York. And Kaylani misses you guys like crazy.”

Her sister Kaylani was her assistant. But Jazz was…well he was a force all by himself. It didn’t matter that
Lucky Break
was her business—Jazz acted as though he owned the place. But Lucky didn’t care. His artistic skill with event design and turning plain old venues into something out of a dream were what her clients paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for. So if that meant dealing with a fun but eccentric artist, she was fine with that.

“We miss them too. I’m so glad you are thinking of moving back.” Nina leaned into one of the decorative pillows on the bed.

There was still a lot to decide before she moved back up to New York. She’d followed Nick the Dick down to Florida to help their relationship move forward because she could work from anywhere. What she hadn’t expected was that his ex-girlfriend would move down there too and continue to see him without her knowledge.

“Nina…” She licked her lips, hating to blurt out her hopes for a distraction, in the shape of a man, to her happy cousin. The last thing she needed was for her to think she wanted to get emotionally matched up with some guy.

“Is everything OK?” Nina frowned. She placed her small, shiny clutch next to her on the bed. A second later, she stood. The smile slowly slid off her beautiful face. “If you don’t feel like going out, we don’t have to.”

“No, it’s not that at all.” Lucky gulped. “After what happened with Nick, I need to…forget.”

Nina’s comeback smile was filled with determination. “Don’t worry. You are going to have a fantastic time. And if you find anyone that you think might help you forget, even if just for tonight, let me know, and I will be out of your hair.”

Her heart lifted at Nina’s words. Maybe that was what she needed. A single night to play. No commitments. No restrictions. No emotions. She swallowed at the words drifting through her mind. A one-night stand. Could she do it? Even if only to clear the slate on her sex life and forget the crap she’d been going through.

“You know, you might be on to something.”

Nina rolled her eyes. “
Chica
, trust me. I know what I’m talking about.”

* * *

Lucky stared at the private driveway filled with expensive cars. The house—one she was sure cost a pretty penny, with its imposing structure, Spanish-style design and gorgeous garden—screamed wealth.

“What kind of event is this?” She slipped out of the passenger side and into the warm evening air.

Nina flicked her dark curls back and handed her keys to the valet. “One of Max’s friends is a security genius. He owns a Fortune 500 company that does personal security for dignitaries, heads of countries, and super-rich people.”

Lucky gratefully accepted a glass of champagne from one of the waiters hovering around the lavish foyer. Thank God, because she needed something to help her relax. Live jazz music floated from another room. Her gaze took in the open floor plan. Clearly the owner loved having parties. Casino tables were placed around the floor, and people were playing craps, poker, and her all-time favorite: blackjack.

“I wonder where Max is.” Nina peered around the room, her gaze scanning the maze of bodies.

An empty blackjack table caught her attention. Heck, if she wasn’t going to get laid, she might as well enjoy herself playing a few hands. And she wasn’t referring to the type of hands she probably needed playing her body right about now.

“I’m going to go play some blackjack. I wonder if my name will hold its meaning tonight.” She started to stroll toward the beckoning table.

“Don’t clean out the house.” Nina giggled. “On second thought, go ahead. It’s all for charity anyway. I’ll be over in a few. Let me just find Max.”

Sliding past couples drinking, talking, and mingling, she made her way to the games section. As she neared the table, an electric sizzle slid over her skin.
Hmm.
Maybe it would be her lucky night.

She sat on the leather stool. The slits on the sides of her skirt revealed a lot more leg than she’d anticipated when she’d bought it, but she shrugged off the feeling of showing too much skin. A pretty young girl in a white dress shirt smiled at her, her blue eyes twinkling with enthusiasm.

“Good evening, ma’am. Would you like to try your hand at blackjack?”

She opened her mouth to reply but stopped when a man walked up behind the girl. Her breath caught in her chest so fast she almost choked.

“Go take a break. I’ll take care of this for a few.” His deep voice made a heated shudder crawl down her spine.

“Thank you. You’re the best.” The girl smiled warmly and strolled away.

He turned to glance at Lucky, pinning her in place with his steel-gray eyes. She was having a weird reaction to this man. Her skin felt tight, hot. The longer she met his gaze, the more she wanted to tear his clothes off. Talk about chemistry in the first degree.

“Would you like to play?” His low rasp slipped through her skin, heating her veins.

“Yes,” she replied, her own voice husky.

Things were about to get interesting. Who was this guy? From the way he was dressed—with a tux that fit to perfection and short, stylish blond hair—she knew he wasn’t hired help. Pure power emanated from him. The intense way he stared at her, dark and deep, made her hormones stand to attention.

She gulped but held his gaze. Sparks bounced between them.

He pulled out a card and placed it face down before her. He did the same for himself, and then added a second card facing up. It took her a second of mental manipulation to talk her fingers into not shaking so she could grab her cards and look at them.

Her gaze strayed from her perfect game to his hands. His big, sexy hands. Navy-blue cufflinks peeked from the sleeves of his jacket, and she shifted her gaze to his wrists. Shit, she was in trouble. Since when did she consider hands sexy? Maybe it was the long fingers with their neatly trimmed nails. Or it could be his smooth-looking skin, skin she kept visualizing contrasting against her own darker hue while his hands slid over her body. Whatever it was, it was making her dizzy with the need to touch him.

Licking her lips, she continued to work her way up to his face. She stopped at his chin and mentally caressed his clean-shaven jaw. Blood pumped and thickened in her veins the moment her gaze connected with his.

“I’ll stay,” she whispered, hoping he didn’t hear the tremble in her voice. Wiggling on the stool, she tried to rein in the wild mambo of arousal in her pussy.

He lifted a brow. A sinful smile split his lips. Her stomach flipped. Entranced by his mouth, she became solely focused on mental fantasies of sucking his firm-looking lips. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he knew how to kiss. It was written in the way he stood, proud and in control. His posture heightened the notion that he’d be one of those men who’d fuck her into stupidity. She wasn’t a mind reader, but the sizzle that kept sliding over her skin told her he would be trouble and probably worth every second.

He pulled another card. She glanced down, having lost all interest in the game but unwilling to lose her perfect hand.

“The house calls at twenty.” He watched her intently. Heat swarmed her neck and face. Every place his gaze touched left a small fire stamp on her skin, dampening her panties.

Flipping her cards over, she smiled when he stared at her hand, his shock visible. “Twenty-one.”

Chapter Two

Jared studied the caramel-skinned, buxom beauty in front of him with undisguised appreciation. He’d noticed her the moment she’d stepped into the ballroom with Max’s fiancée.

He dealt a new hand without asking, unwilling to let her escape. She’d been the reason he told his niece to take a break. Sensuality radiated from each of her curves, and he wanted to get his hands on her.

She swiped the tip of her pink tongue over her plump bottom lip and frowned at her cards.

“It’s OK. Not everyone’s luck holds in these card games.” He wanted to smack himself after the words came out, but fuck if he wasn’t dying to hear her voice again. The husky tone had caressed his cock in a feather-light touch.

Her eyes were filled with amusement when she glanced up at him. “I know that.” She wiggled in her seat. His thoughts went straight to the gutter. “I don’t worry too much about winning.”

She flipped another perfect game. Her pouty lips tipped up in a sexy come-hither grin.
Fuck!
He wanted to kiss her, touch her. Hell, he wanted to slide his hands up and down every curve he saw. Of course, he’d probably end up getting smacked for being fresh. But he was damn close to believing it would be worth the sting of her hand on his face to kiss her, if only to get a taste.

“Nice, but it won’t last.” Desire thrummed through his body each time their gazes met. Arousal spiked and his cock hardened to an uncomfortable degree.

“Oh?” She lifted her dark brows and curled her lip in a cheeky grin. Challenge filled her eyes. “What’s your name?”

He grinned at the flash of fire he saw in her gaze. “Jared. Jared Thomas.”

She leaned forward, her breasts straining against her flimsy low-cut top. “Well, Jared, care to make it more interesting?”

Hell yes!
But first he needed to know who the sexy siren was that would be gracing his bed that night. “What’s your name?”

He watched her nibble her plump bottom lip before answering. “Luciana Rivas.”

Mastering the nearly overpowering urge to grab her by the hand and haul her out of there was not an easy task. He noticed her empty champagne flute and motioned a passing waiter to hand her a full glass. She took a sip of the bubbly. He watched her lick her lips again, lips he kept picturing wrapped around his cock, sucking him into her hot mouth. He leaned forward on the table, closer to her, and inhaled. The sexy, light scent tickling his nostrils made him think of satin sheets and sweaty bodies.

“What did you have in mind?” he asked.

Their gazes met. Arousal flickered to life in the depths of her whiskey-brown eyes. The longer they stared at each other, the brighter it blazed, beckoning him closer. His cock jerked in his dress pants, ready for action. Hell, he sure was glad he was behind the table, because no matter how good his poker face, he wouldn’t be able to hide that bit of evidence from her.

She shrugged. It was a dainty, sexy lift of her shoulders that pushed her breasts farther up her neckline. “You seem to be the expert here.”

He narrowed his eyes. She sounded like she was making fun of him, but she couldn’t possibly know he was anything other than a hired table attendant.

“I wouldn’t call myself a professional.” Oh yeah, he was a lying bastard all right. “But I have experience.”

Her gaze latched onto his lips and slowly traveled back up to meet his. He ground his teeth and fought the cock-hardening look she gave him. She licked her lips. “Let’s see if you’re right in your assumption that my luck won’t last.”

“What’s in it for me, gorgeous?”

She leaned closer. Their faces were only a foot apart now.

“What do you want?”

He wanted to close the distance, to taste her plump red lips, and allow her sexy perfume to fill his lungs. “Alone time…” He watched her eyes widen before he finished. “With you.”

The interest in her eyes grew, until her pupils dilated with arousal. She gulped but didn’t respond. He decided to taunt her into agreeing, into giving in to his wishes.

“It’s all right. It’s clear you’re going to lose anyway. I know the game.” He grinned, and because he couldn’t stop himself, he lifted a hand and caressed her cheek. Her skin was baby-soft and smooth.

Her eyes widened and then narrowed. “And if I win?”