Page 16 of Casino King

“What does that mean?”

Staying quiet, Alec just takes another sip of his drink as his eyes move to take in the darkening bruise around my eye. I lift my hand to it and turn away.

“You don’t have to hide it from me, Tessa,” he says, his voice strained from concealed anger. “You’re fucking beautiful, bruise or not.”

A blush spreads up my neck and I keep my eyes on my lap.

“Look at me, mia bella rosa.” The term of endearment rolls off his tongue in perfect Italian, making my heart beat a little faster and my body flood with heat.

I risk a look back over at him and see his eyes have softened, making him look a little less like he’s ready to kill at any given moment.

“You don’t ever have to hide from me.”

Biting my lower lip, I give him a small nod and keep my head raised, not letting myself shy away from him. I want to be the blooming black rose he sees on stage right now, not the closed off Tessa I am every other minute of the day.

He rewards me with the slightest of smiles. Just the lift of the corner of his lips, but it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. Mix that with the way his eyes seem to see into the deepest parts of me I don’t let anyone into, and my chest tightens. I feel my nipples harden, the thin satin fabric doing nothing to hide my reaction to him.

His eyes dart down, and the little smirk on his sexy lips grows by a fraction while his dark eyes swim with desire.

I’ve never had a man look at me like this, like I’m every fantasy come to life and he wants to devour me whole. The longer he stares, the heavier my chest feels, and the more the silk starts to feel like it’s too tight. Too suffocating. He could rip it from my body right now and I wouldn’t protest. I should, but I wouldn’t.

Tearing my eyes away, I look at the unlit fireplace in front of me and sip my water, needing to calm down.

“Don’t worry, Tessa,” he murmurs, low and hypnotic. “I won’t touch you until you’re ready.”

My head spins. My vision blurs.

Clearing my throat, I stand on shaky legs, realizing though, that the pajamas and silk robe leave the entirety of my legs on display, and I can feel his eyes burning my skin with their heat.

“I…I think I’ll try going back to sleep now.”

“You sure?” he taunts. “I thought we were just getting started.”

“With what?” I ask, my slight fear evident in my voice.

“With me answering your questions.”

“You answered enough.”

“If you say so,” Alec says smoothly, his hypnotic voice making me look back at him. He appears so relaxed in the way he’s sitting and watching me – leaned back, legs apart, elbows resting casually on the arms of the leather chair. But I can see the underlying current of his prowess. He’s ready to strike at his prey at any moment. And right now, that’s me.

“You look scared, bella.”

“Should I be?” I ask, sounding braver than I feel.

“I’d never hurt you,” he says, and I hear the sincerity of his words. “But everyone else…” He lifts one shoulder slightly. “They don’t get the same assurance. Especially if they hurt you.”

I shouldn’t find that so flattering, and yet I do. I know he’d never physically hurt me. I can feel that. But hurt me in every other way…that’s what I’m afraid of.

“I don’t need protection. I’ve been on my own for a long time and I’ve done just fine.”

“Just fine isn’t good enough for someone like you.”

Turning the water bottle in my hands, I look past him and out the windows, forcing a deep breath. “You don’t really know me,” I say softly.

“Goodnight, Tessa,” he says as a reply, with a gleam in his eye that says he might know more about me than I think.

“Goodnight,” I whisper, walking back down the hall to my room for the night. I crawl right under the covers and curl into a ball on my side, pinching my eyes closed.

---