Big Shot(19)
The little tease batted her lashes at him. “I’ll try not to.”
She went to work putting the bottles of beer into the tub to fill with ice. Since Wes was done torturing himself, he went back downstairs to the basement that he’d turned into a man cave about a year ago, complete with a home theater system and a dedicated area set up for their monthly card game. He’d purchased a custom-made poker table with built-in chip racks and drink holders, and he started setting up for the game while listening to Natalie as she moved about in his kitchen upstairs.
At seven thirty the doorbell rang, letting him know that the three other guys had just arrived together via Uber, since there was no telling just how much alcohol might be consumed over the course of the evening. Wes bounded up the stairs to let them in, but his too-efficient hostess beat him to it. Good thing he’d told the guys that Natalie would be handling the refreshments and anything else they needed for the evening because of the bet. However, her outfit would undoubtedly cause an initial stir, and he prepared himself for the backlash.
She’d just opened the door as he came into view, enabling him to catch each man’s response to Natalie’s sexy ensemble. Max’s eyes widened in surprise, Kyle gave her an appreciative once-over—the f*cking *—and her brother, Connor, stared at his sister in confusion, which quickly evolved into disapproval.
Connor’s brows snapped together in a frown as he addressed Natalie. “What the hell are you wearing?”
Her fingers played with the ruffled hem of her short dress in a self-conscious gesture no doubt designed to gain her brother’s sympathy. “Wes requested a maid for tonight’s game—”
“Not a maid. A hostess,” he corrected, but the less derogatory term didn’t seem to make any difference to Connor, who’d shifted that unsettling gaze on Wes that spoke a loud and clear what the f*ck, dude?
“I’ve got your appetizers in the oven,” Natalie said in a cheerful tone. “You guys head downstairs and get settled in, and I’ll bring everyone an ice-cold beer.”
She spun around, causing her flouncy skirt to swirl way too high and expose way too much thigh as she returned to the kitchen. Once again, Wes was privy to each man’s response as they watched her retreat. Always the respectful gentleman, Max’s features were amused. Kyle was intrigued, and Connor was now openly glaring at Wes as the trio walked inside the house.
“Are you f*cking serious, Wes?” Connor said in a low, hissing voice as they all headed down to the basement. “I can’t believe you made my sister wear that ridiculous costume. It’s so short you can almost see her ass, and her boobs are falling out of that nearly nonexistent top.”
Wes opened his mouth to issue a reply—mainly that the outfit hadn’t been his idea or suggestion—but Connor wasn’t done with his rant.
“I know she lost the bet and the two of you are constantly trying to one-up each other, but objectifying my sister like that is not cool, man.”
Kyle snickered at the reprimand Connor had just delivered, and Wes shot his instigating friend a dirty look. He thought about defending himself, but at this point, he was certain that Connor wouldn’t believe him, anyway, if he told him that his sister was yanking his f*cking chain or, rather, jerking his dick. It certainly felt that way.
So, he let it go, hoping that Connor would calm down after a beer, or two or three.
The poker table was set up for their regular game of Texas Hold ’em, and after everyone was settled in their seats, Wes dealt the first two cards. They all picked up their hand, checking what they had before tossing out their initial bet. He placed three more community cards face up on the table just as he heard Natalie coming down to the basement, along with Kyle’s low, muttered Jesus that prompted Wes to glance up to see what had captivated his friend’s attention.
Voluptuous tits and gorgeous legs, that’s what had Kyle so enthralled. Max’s and Connor’s backs were to the stairs, and they were both studying their cards, but Wes and Kyle had a direct view of the temptress descending the stairs, carrying four longneck bottles of beer—two in each hand. It was like watching one of those slow-motion movie scenes as her long hair billowed around her shoulders and her breasts bounced in time to each careful step she took in those impractical high heels.
“Damn,” Kyle said beneath his breath, prompting Connor to glance across the table at him to see why he’d cursed.
At least Kyle was smart enough to immediately look down at his cards, and it was a good thing, too, because Wes didn’t want to have to gouge his friend’s eyes out for ogling Natalie’s finer assets. And when the hell did he become so possessive about a woman who wasn’t even his? He was fairly certain the answer to that question was the moment he’d kissed her on the Centennial Wheel and she’d opened her warm, sweet mouth and kissed him right back . . . not as a friend but as a woman who was as hot and hungry for him as he was for her.
Yeah, that kiss had been a game changer, causing a definite shift in their attraction, and he couldn’t deny that despite every reason he had to keep his mouth off of hers and his dick tucked away safely in his pants, it was getting more and more difficult to deny just how badly he wanted her.
As they placed another round of bets based on the cards in their hand and on the table, he revealed another card while Natalie set a bottle of beer in each of their drink holders that were built into the table. As she rounded behind him, he realized what a f*cking fantastic hand he held—five cards of the same suit—and anted up once again.