Marry Screw Kill(78)

We observe two more hands and Harlow is enthralled with the game, mesmerized by it. I tap her on the shoulder, breaking the table’s spell.

“Hey, remember me?” I ask. She laughs in a hushed manner.

“This game rocks,” she answers back, a sparkle in her eyes. I hope luck is in the air, because I would love to see her win. “Can I play now?”

“Sure, babe,” I say, and we find a table with a smaller group of players.

We sit side by side and Harlow bounces in her seat. “I am nervous and excited at the same time. You’ll help me, right?”

“I’ll be your unpaid consultant.” I wink and she throws her head back and laughs in pure joy. Seeing her like this is everything to me.

I lay a couple one hundred dollar bills on the felt-topped table. “One for each of us,” I instruct the dealer, tilting my head toward Harlow. The dealer is a woman, and that choice is on purpose. I want to avoid another distraction like the jerk at security. It’s official, I have gone caveman.

“You bet.” The dealer smiles wide at me. I glance at Harlow and see her frown. Maybe that smile was too wide and she’s going all cavewoman on me? I take her hand in mind and bring it to my lips.

“You’re here with me, and I’m yours alone for the night.” I turn to face the dealer. “My girlfriend,” I say with emphasis, “is new to the game, but I think she’ll be a quick learner.”

“Girlfriend?” Harlow whispers.

“What would you prefer?” I lean into her blond locks and let my words tickle her ears.

“Girlfriend works,” she breathes.

We play several rounds, and for the most part, she doesn’t need any help from me. Instead, it appears I might’ve needed her help.

“Well, I’m busted.” I watch the dealer’s quick hands pocket my chips.

“Really?” Harlow scans the felt in front of me. “So, I beat you, then?”

“Apparently, I am a better teacher than player.” I rise from my chair and stand behind Harlow. Putting my hands on her shoulders, I lean forward. “Mind if I watch over your shoulder?”

“Only if you whisper in my ear again.” She turns and smirks, and I continue to do as she asks.

Harlow wipes out after two more games, so we leave the Blackjack tables in pursuit of more fun. She drags me over to the slots, insisting on playing the penny ones. I shake my head at her silliness. Pennies? But I remember we are from two different worlds.

“This machine looks cool.” I cringe when she sits down at the Wheel of Fortune machine. She digs out her wallet and hands me a twenty. “My treat this time. Take a seat.” She pats the chair next to me, and I play along, because her smile tells me my plan worked.

At midnight, our luck runs out, kind of like Cinderella. Harlow played for a while on her original twenty dollars. Penny machines can stretch out the playing time, and make a person brain dead while doing it.

“Wanna come back again?” I pull out of the casino’s parking lot and see the garish neon sign in the rearview mirror, hoping she says no.

“Nah. I mean, I had a great time. I can at least say I’ve been to a casino, but I should’ve stopped while I was ahead. You know, at the Blackjack table.”

“When you can say that, you’re a real gambler.” I reach over and rustle her hair. It’s as soft as silk.

“You mean a true loser.”

“Yeah, that too.”

By the time we get back to the hotel room, I’m beat and ready to crash.

We change into our non-sexy pajamas and I turn off the lights, but feel like she wants to talk. So, I wait. And wait.

The hotel room is still and dark. I strain to hear anything from Harlow’s side of the bed, a small sigh or her quiet breathing—anything to let me know whether she’s awake or asleep. My body reacts to hers as an unnamed tension radiates between us. Some might call it body heat. I call it f*cking torture.

“Sin?” Harlow’s sweet voice cuts through the dark.

“Yes, Harlow.”

“I wonder if they have a room with two beds open tomorrow.” Yes, she’s feeling the same push and pull.

“It’s rough for me, too,” I confess.

“I want to touch you so bad.” Her voice rings with need.

I grit my teeth to keep me from saying something I’ll regret. “Uh huh.”

“How about this? Can we at least touch feet?”

We both break out in laughter and in that one second, all the tension is gone.





Chapter Thirty-One


Harlow



Over the last couple weeks, Sin has won my heart—all of it. Sweet and stubborn at first, he only allowed innocent toe touches under the sheets. We progressed to handholding. Then, finally, last night, we fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Now, I’m resting my head on his chest and nuzzling into his side. Hearing the steady beat of his heart gives me a calming sense of peace. Being held in his embrace is complete and total bliss. I have found a place I never want to leave.

Morning sun shines through the hotel curtains, but I don’t want to get up from the warm cocoon of his arms. I peek over at the clock on the nightstand. We only have a few minutes before the alarm goes off. Dammit.

I battle this needy struggle when he is near me. I feel him struggling too, but somehow, he triumphs over his desires. He hasn’t really kissed me since the day we were at the lake, and I long to have his lips on me again, kissing me until I’m so dizzy, I’m barely able to stay conscious.