Page 42 of Casino King

“Tessa.” She smiles wide, showing me a set of perfectly straight, white teeth. “Hi, I’m Katarina. Or Kat. Either is fine.” She shrugs casually.

“Hi,” I manage to get through my tight throat. “It’s nice to meet you,” I add with a nervous smile.

“I love your outfit,” she comments right away, eyeing what I have on speculatively.

“Oh, well, it’s actually–”

“Don’t worry,” she interrupts with a knowing grin. “I already know it’s from my closet in the guest room. But I don’t care. I promise,” she assures me. “Please feel free to wear whatever you want. All of it is just stuff I’ve bought when I’m down here but never get to wear. But I would say we should go shopping together some time.”

I can’t afford anything I’m wearing, so I know shopping with her will just involve me watching her buy everything while I trudge along for the ride.

“Katarina,” Alec interjects, his voice firm. “I couldn’t stop you from coming here, but don’t think I won’t tell you to leave.”

“Relax, Alec,” she sighs, rolling her eyes. “I’m being nice. Don’t hog her when she’s the first girl to give one of my brothers a chance. Although I don’t know why,” she adds, muttering that last part to me.

“Kat,” he warns, his voice dropping to a chilling tone that would have any grown man shaking, but not his sister.

“Fine,” she huffs, and I see her face drop when she turns from him. Her carefully crafted mask she wears slips before she rights herself and smiles at me again. “It was nice to meet you, Tessa. I hope I get to know you. It can get a little too testosterone-y when you’re with Carfano men for too long. So, I’ll be around to take you away from them any time you want.”

“Thank you,” I say with a little laugh.

“Now,” she says, clapping her hands together and facing Alec. “I hope you’re throwing me an over-the-top birthday party.”

“I wouldn’t think you’d be happy with anything less,” Alec tells her.

“When’s your birthday?” I ask.

“In about a month. Oh! Please come to the party!” Her eyes widen and then dart to Alec. “I mean, if you’re free. No pressure.”

“Sure.” I smile.

“Okay, so I’m going to go. There’s a poker table with my name on it.”

“Kat,” Alec warns again, rubbing his jaw.

“Don’t worry.” She winks. “I won’t take all the casino’s money. See you later for lunch?”

Alec nods and opens the door for her. When he closes it, he turns to me and stalks forward, wrapping one arm around my waist and gripping the side of my neck with his other hand.

His lips capture mine in a kiss that has me bending backward at its force and intensity.

He has the ability to make me go from thinking too much, to my mind being a series of fireworks detonating and showering embers down through every inch of my body.

Licking the seam of my lips, he delves into my mouth, on a mission. I don’t know how he knew, but meeting his sister was a lot for me, and he’s taking away all of that doubt I had in a matter of seconds with this kiss.

It scares me how well he can read me, but not at the same time. I’d like to believe that I can read him too, but he’s hiding something. I can sense it. I can see it in his eyes. Right now, though, I don’t care. I don’t have the ability to care when he’s kissing me like this.

Alec tightens his hand on my neck and I moan into him. My hands slip under his suit jacket and grip his shirt at his hips, pulling him closer, needing an anchor before I completely drift away from who I am.

Tearing away, he presses his forehead to mine and breathes in the air passing between us.

“It’s just us, Tessa. Okay?”

I don’t know what he’s referring to exactly, but I like the way that sounds.

“Okay,” I whisper, and he pulls back just far enough to look into my eyes. His are shining darkly – two pools of mystery and danger I want to jump into and dive all the way down to the bottom of. I have a feeling the bottom doesn’t exist, though. Alec Carfano is an endless black hole of secrets I want to wade in until I’m fully bathed in it all – my body soaked through with everything he is.

“I have work all day,” he tells me, his hand sliding up into my hair. “Enzo will take you back to your apartment to pack a bag.”

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