Page 56 of Wanting More
Thinking of what he said earlier, Sapphire frowned and pressed further. "And you play with murderers?"
Something that felt a lot like worry settled in the base of her stomach as she imagined the two men playing with dangerous people. Maybe even people like those bikers that had tried to come for her at the motel that night. The dark worrying feeling spread at that thought.
As if sensing where her thoughts were going, Hayden answered. His tone was gentle and casual as if he were talking about something mundane and trivial. "We used to have a much more dangerous lineup of regulars. Now, not so much. Mostly businessmen, locals, and a few wealthy players who make the special trip on special games."
"Still sounds dangerous," she urged, trying not to let her voice raise and betray the wave of emotions suddenly plaguing her.
The thought of something happening to either of them…the thought made her a little sick.
"Only when people try to cheat me," Joel purred.
She stared back at him with silent shock before a coy smile broke out over her lips. He was teasing her. Like a hand being offered to the drowning, he pulled her from her anxious thoughts and back on solid ground. Immediately, years of unspoken training watching her mother endlessly flirt with one man after the other kicked in, and Sapphire's eyes softened as a spark of challenge sharpened her smile.
"Is that a veiled threat?" she purred back at him.
Like a cat, Joel's pupils dilated at the provocation.
"Only to cheaters. Are you going to try and cheat me again, darlin?" His voice dropped low like smoke.
Sapphire could feel the tension in the room changing and knew she should steer it back, but she refused. "And if I did, what are you going to do,UncleJoel?" Emphasizing every syllable of the title he hated.
Joel's eyes narrowed, and he sat up straighter in his chair, bringing the view of the hard rise of his firm pectoral muscles back into full view. His body seemed to swell under the atmosphere that was settling around them. Even Hayden shifted in his chair next to her and took another pull of his beer as if needing something to occupy himself with. She could feel both of their gazes on her, and it felt…good.
Something fiendish flashed in Joel's darkening gaze, and Sapphire felt her body stiffen at the forewarning.
"I can always pull you across this table, dearniece, and lay you across my lap and take you to task." His voice, which was normally filled with mischievous laughter, transformed itself before her. Each word turning deeper and huskier until it felt as if she was wrapped in dusky starlight.
Hayden choked on his beer while she could feel the hot flush under her skin burning its way from her neck to her ears.
"Hayden wouldn't let you," she managed to whisper despite the tightening in her chest.
Completely absorbed into whatever this feeling was surrounding them, Joel raised one dark golden brow in blatant challenge. "Are you sure about that, my sweet little goldilocks? What ifUncleHayden here decides he needs to double down on your punishment. I wouldn't blame him, hell, I'd watch."
The screech of Hayden's wooden chair sliding across the wooden floorboards blessedly punctured the balloon of tension that had been threatening to pop.
Standing like a giant statue, Hayden didn't meet any of their eyes as he announced his intentions. "I'm getting more drinks. Let's watch TV."
Sapphire nodded weakly and hurriedly sat down the Uno cards she had been clutching for dear life in her hands. Avoiding Joel's gaze, she watched Hayden's stiff back as he opened the fridge and grabbed two more beers and one pink wine cooler.
Earlier that night, they had brought home the drinks and told her she could only drink the wine coolers with them at the house. That was fine by her. Sapphire had never been a big drinker. Growing up, she had seen her mother drunk far too many times to count and never thought much of the recreation.
Taking her wine cooler, she made her escape behind Hayden and followed him to the large sectional. For the briefest second, she considered sitting on the other side of Hayden, where the couch made a sharp L turn just so she wouldn't have to be next to Joel, but she reconsidered it. Maybe it was because of the fact that Joel had taken his beer and followed closely behind her to the living room, and she could feel his silent presence behind her, or maybe it was because she didn't want to lose out on this heart-thumping feeling of being overwhelmed by them. It was crazy, and her heart felt as if it were going to explode, but she could not let this go. She wanted to be surrounded by their attention as much as she could, even if it meant flirting on the edge of disaster.
Carefully, she lowered herself to the couch on the left side of Hayden while Joel came to sit down on her left side.
An awkward silence settled over them despite the sounds of the TV in front of them. Cautiously, Sapphire sipped the sweet peach-flavored drink as she glanced around the large loft space of the room, avoiding both men's gazes.
It was nighttime out, and for the hundredth time, she reminded herself to try and find some curtains in the spare store rooms on the third floor. With the old lamp she had found for the living room, it didn't feel as exposing in the room as it had before. With the bright fluorescent lights, the room at night just felt like a beacon for all to see even though she knew no one could see onto the second floor unless they were standing in the gym that they owned across the street. But it still felt odd with any sort of lights on and the dark windows at night.
"Have you heard from your mom yet?" Hayden spoke, braving to break the silence first.
And just like that, the odd overwhelming tension that filled her like a balloon dissipated.
"Yeah," at the thought of her self-centered mother, Sapphire took a long drink from the wine cooler. The tart, bubbly drink tasted good. Licking her lips, she stared at the half-empty bottle in her hand. "Actually, she called me on the day of the incident at the school. I had been talking to her on the phone when those girls came in."
"Like a bad fucking omen," grumbled Joel.
God, it was sad how right he was. "Yeah, I guess," she murmured.
