Page 43 of Targeted By Desire

Nodding, I released my light hold on her waist and let her rise from my lap.

All of the men’s eyes followed her as she strutted off towards the bar.

Louis rose from his seat and, for a moment, I thought he was going to follow her. Instead, he crossed the table to lean by my side. “She’s spectacular,” he told me, keeping his eyes on her. “You’re a lucky man.”

“Thank you.”

“You ever think about having her play in a real game - with real money?”

I raised a brow. “This ain’t real?”

He scoffed. “This is amateur hour. I’m talking about playing with pros - ones with enough money to buy that woman the diamonds she deserves.”

“Diamonds, huh?” I pretended to muse. “You can count us in.”

“Tomorrow night, when you come, go to the back door. Knock three times and let them know Louis sent you.”

“Will do. Thank you.”

He patted my shoulder. “Ditch the table and enjoy the rest of the night with your lady. You two need to save your stamina for tomorrow.”

Rising from my seat, I motioned to the dealer for my cash out ticket. He filled out the slip for the cashier and sent me on my way.

I weaved through the small crowds of people to meet Maria who was walking over with glasses of brown liquor in each hand.

“Invite secured,” I told her as I took one of the drinks.

She smiled. “Cheers,” she murmured, clinking her glass against mine.

We both threw our drinks back and drank it all in one gulp. I almost laughed at the sour look on Maria’s face as the alcohol burned her throat. Scrunching her nose, she shook off the sensation and set her drink down on the closest table.

How much longer do we have to stay? She returned to signing.

“Another hour or so. They’ll have forgotten about us by then. How about you play some slots or something?”

Do you have slots money? She held out her hand for emphasis.

I put the cash out slip in her hand. “Here. Have fun.”

Grinning, she shimmied off towards the cashier’s counter. I followed close behind her, still aware of the male attraction her looks gathered. Sure, Maria could take care of herself, but I needed to be mindful of the role we were playing. The other patrons assumed we were a couple, so we needed to act like one.

After trading in the slip for cash, Maria and I headed towards the rows of colorful slots. I took a seat on the stool and pulled Maria onto my lap.

She slipped a twenty dollar bill into the machine and waited for the machine to restart itself. Her eyes roamed as she did, taking in the view of the patrons milling around the venue.

Suddenly, her eyes stopped their cruise, finding something of interest. Rather than amusement like I expected, daggers formed in her eyes.

Instead of wasting time questioning what she saw, I turned my head to follow her gaze.

A face I knew well but haven’t seen in a few days was standing on the other side of the room. Her long braids were pulled into a high ponytail, leaving the natural angles of her face exposed. A silk sapphire blue halter top with a plunging neckline hung over her torso, and a pair of black flare pants hugged her thighs. Stiletto heels peeked out at the hem, emphasizing her long legs.

Damn, the thought raced through my mind before I could catch it. She is stunning.

But what the hell was she doing here?

There was no way in hell she could’ve tracked us down. The number I used to contact her was impossible to trace, and no one - besides Ares - knew where we were.

I wanted to believe this was some type of coincidence, but there were no blocks on her calendar for a trip to Vegas. If there were, I would’ve known. I would've prepared.