Rascal (Rascals Book 1)(46)

Then her phone rang, and she looked at the screen.

“Shit.” She got up and ran over to the door. Poking her head out, I saw her call to someone. “I am so sorry,” she said.

Her friend, Kelsey appeared in the doorway. “No sheet masks tonight?” she asked, holding up a pink bag that seemed to be overflowing with beauty products.

“I totally forgot,” Alex was telling her. “I came down to get us some food, and then the guys were playing poker and I lost track of time.”

Chase whistled to catch their attention. “Come on, next hand. I need my good-luck charm if I’m going to give Dante the whooping he deserves.”

“In your dreams,” Dante taunted.

Alex and Kelsey exchanged looks. “We don’t want to intrude on bro time,” Alex said, hesitating.

“Fuck bro time,” Chase said, demanding. “I’m on a hot streak, I can tell.”

They looked at each other again, and then Kelsey shrugged. “Sure, why not?” They joined us at the table, Alex snuggling in next to me again as her friend loaded up a plate with food.

“I love a woman with an appetite,” Chase told her.

Kelsey snorted with laughter. “Oh yeah?” she teased, and she stuffed a whole slice of pizza in her mouth, making sauce drip down her chin. “Still doing it for you?” she asked, chewing in his face with her mouth open.

Chase groaned, and pushed her away. “Gross.”

Kelsey laughed merrily. I was beginning to like this girl, but I should have known Alex would have great taste in friends.

“Now, can we get back to the game?” Dante interrupted, looking impatient. But just then, another intruder walked in.

“Oooh, game night,” Hayley said, sailing into the bar without knocking. “I love poker.”

“You hate poker,” I reminded my sister. “You think it’s a mean game.”

She pulled up a chair next to Dante, who ignored her.

“It is,” she told me. “But I don’t mind it when you guys are mean to each other.” She waved at Kelsey and Alex. “Hi, girls.”

They immediately had a round of hugs and kisses and cooing over each other’s hair.

“This is becoming an estrogen fest,” Sawyer muttered.

“Ain’t it great?” Chase quipped.

“You better be nice, or we’ll start talking about our periods,” Hayley teased. All the guys stopped and winced, and the girls burst out laughing.

“Come on then,” Alex said with a grin. “Are we going to play, or not?”



It took a few rounds before it became clear that Alex was not a terrible player. Not by a long shot. She was a full-on hustler, and after almost losing everything, she wiped the floor with all of us. Three times.

“I thought you weren’t any good at poker.” I stared at her in disbelief as she swept another armful of M&M chips into her pile. “Didn’t you say you would need help with the rules?”

“Did I say that?” She blinked at me innocently. “I guess I didn’t.” She tossed an M&M in the air and caught it in her mouth with a crunch.

“Trickster,” I accused, trying not to laugh.

“Sore loser,” she shot back, a smile on her face.

“Children,” Dante interrupted. “Are you going to fight or are you going to play?”

“I’m out this round.” I threw my cards down with a shrug.

“We’re running low on beer,” Liam noted, and I nodded.

“I’ll go grab some in the back.”

I was pulling a few six-packs off the shelf when I heard the sound of heels clicking on the hardwood floor. I turned to find Alex there, looking like my hottest fantasy. She had taken her jacket off, so it was just her in her pencil skirt and a silk blouse. One that I was pretty sure I could see the outline of her bra through. Alex leaned against the doorjamb, one leg propped up on the wall, her black heels only adding to my fantasy.

“Need some help?” she asked, coming over to me.

“Oh yeah,” I told her, before pulling her into my arms.

I kissed her, spinning her so she was pressed up against the storage shelves. Her hands were all over me, and mine were all over her. I had seen her last night, had fucked her last night, and yet I couldn’t seem to get enough of her. I wanted her all the time. I was obsessed.

She moaned against my mouth as I dragged my hands up her sides and cupped her breasts. I could feel her nipples through the thin lace of her bra and the thinner silk of her shirt. I was about ready to shove her skirt up to her waist so I could fuck her against the shelves when I heard someone call out.

“Where the hell is that beer?”

I pulled away from Alex, both of us laughing.

“Guess we should bring them what they want,” she said. “Before they come looking for us.”

I sighed, drinking in the sight of Alex looking thoroughly kissed—her hair a mess, her lips swollen, her eyes at half-mast. I wanted to take her upstairs and finish what we started, but I was also having fun watching her hustle my friends. There was something undeniably hot about a woman who was good at cards.

“Guess we should get back,” I reluctantly agreed, letting go of her and grabbing the six-packs I had come for.

We headed back into the room, and though no one said anything, it was clear that everyone knew what Alex and I had been doing in the back room. I didn’t care.