Page 104 of Wicked Little Game
Her skirt is a bit too short and too tight, but I would lie if I said that she doesn’t look smoking hot in it. Still, I keep my hands on her thighs, pulling the fabric down whenever she squirms too much in my lap. That body is only for me to see.
Ruby feeds the slot machine in front of her as if her life depends on it. She looks too cute doing it, and it’s not my money that she’s burning, so I’ll let her have fun.
Technically, it’s going to be our money from tomorrow on, but she has more than enough either way.
Her eyebrows are slightly scrunched together, and she’s biting down on her lower lip. As if she’s sure that she’s able to control the machine in front of her if she tries hard enough.
It doesn’t matter how many times I look at her; it doesn't matter if she just woke up in the morning or if she’s all dolled up like she is right now; I just can’t get enough of her.
“Won the jackpot yet?” Max’s voice comes from behind me, a grin on his face.
“Guess I did,” I mumble before Ruby turns around to press a kiss on my lips.
“Hm?” she asks, nosy as always.
“Nothing, darling,” I say, grabbing Max’s shoulder the second I see him opening his mouth to repeat what I just said. I love Ruby, but there are certain boundaries, and getting all sappy in a casino is one of them.
She and Max are a dangerous combination. Over the last months, and especially during my move into her house, Max used every opportunity to spend time with us.
He’s like a brother to me, and I was more than happy for his and Logan's help, but it feels as if he and Ruby were separated at birth. Their shared brain cells turn into something concerning as soon as they are in the same room and while I thought they were firecrackers on their own, they continue to have Logan and me struggling to keep them under control.
It’s not like they couldn’t defend themselves. I’m more worried about the people they cross paths with.
“Come on, let’s go back to our room before you spend your entire inheritance,” I say with a laugh as I lift a protesting Ruby up from my lap. She stops arguing with me soon, probably knows I’m right. I wrap my arm around her waist as I get up, draping my leather jacket over her shoulders.
Of course, she did not bring her own jacket even though I told her to, but I don’t want her to get a cold. The way she looks with it on makes me want to drag her into one of those dimly lit corners.
But before I can act on it, she spots Logan and Rockwell at one of the blackjack tables, rushing over to them with Max.
They win an obscene amount of money before we all decide that it’s best to end when things are going well and make our way out of the casino. She smiles at me, resting her head against my arm as we wait for the elevator.
I think this is what people mean when they say they found their home in a person.
The next morning,I wake up alone in the huge hotel bed. A look in the ceiling mirror confirms what I already know. Nervousness is plastered on my face and I roll my eyes at myself. And at the damned mirror.
Ruby insisted on booking the Belaggio’s presidential suite and I’m not entirely sure if the mirror is a permanent fixture or if it was a special request of hers. I’m not complaining. It really came in handy last night when I put her in every possible position. And I’m hard again. Good job, Sam.
The suite is huge. Ridiculously so. Way too big for two people. Max shared that sentiment and put his bag in the second bedroom the minute he saw it, while Logan and Rockwell got separate rooms, like normal adults.
I’m pretty sure Logan had a few other reasons too, but again, Ruby is happy, and that’s all that matters. Apart from that, it gives me a bit of time for myself. And Lord knows I need it on this trip.
The last months were filled with things I’d either sworn myself to never doagainor to never do in the first place, this trip being no exception. On some days, the old Sam comes through again. Seldom, but still.
The version of me who needs quiet and a glass of liquor. Ruby knows about it. Senses it whenever I’m shutting down again. Cuddles against me and is just there. No talking, which surprised me at first. I think everything that hadhappened changed her too. Not in a bad way; it just feels like we both finally can be vulnerable with each other.
Blaring music, interrupted by giggles and laughter, tells me where to look for her. She and Max had watched Hangover—in preparation, they said—and I fear that I’ll run into a tiger when I go to the bathroom. Or that Max is sporting a pretty face tattoo from now on. That would be hilarious, even though I’m sure that Rockwell would yell at him until he cries.
Thankfully, no tiger is waiting for me in the bathroom. Just a mess of clothes, make-up, and two half-empty glasses of champagne. Ruby has an interesting influence on everyone around her.
I’m taking a shower that’s more of a fruitless attempt to calm my nerves before I go looking for her.
The music that comes from Max’s room is loud enough to make the door vibrate on its hinges, and I wonder if someone already called at the desk to complain about us. I bet my girl paid enough money for no one to give a damn about it.
I knock, wait, and knock again after no one reacts. My nerves get the best of me after a few more minutes and I open the door, only to be almost hit in the face with it by Max, who jumps in front of Ruby as if he’s shielding her from bullets. He accidentally slams his elbow right into her face, and I have to laugh so hard that my towel almost slips from my hips.
“Sam, get the fuck out,” he yells, all panicky. “It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding!”
“But I just want to see—” I reason with him, but I don’t stand a chance. He’s taking the job of being Ruby’s bridesman rather seriously.
