Page 49 of Sparks Fly
Our food comes and the wine continues to flow. I must give Luke credit, he knows a good wine. My dinner was delicious, I went for the linguine, with yellow cherry tomatoes, Sicilian red shrimp, and lemon olive oil. Filling but still light, and definitely room for dessert.
Once we were finished,Creed leads us out of the restaurant, and I don’t miss the way his hand hovers over the small of my back causing my breath to catch at the back of my throat.
Rue steps beside me, linking her arm through mine again as we walk down towards the casino.
“Is there something going on between the two of you?” she whispers as we move ahead slightly, and I shake my head.
“No, nothing, just being nice.” I cast my gaze over my shoulder and see his eyes on me whilst Luke and Zach talk. Griffin is nowhere to be seen.
“I think he might have a thing for you,” she whispers again, and I laugh at her words.
“Don’t be silly, I think he feels bad because of Royce… maybe? Maybe he thinks I am sad or something.” I shrug and my steps falter as we stand at the entrance of the casino.
“Where first, gents?” Creed’s voice crashes through me and I stand to the left, still with Rue glued to my side.
“Roulette table.” Luke rubs his hands together.
“Roulette it is.” Creed beams, nodding his head for us to follow.
“Ever played roulette before?” I whisper to Rue.
“Nope.”
“Ditto.” I give a weak smile as we follow the guys to the table.
We wait for a space and after a few minutes, Creed sneaks in, dragging me and Rue with him.
“Hit me with a number, Anaïs.”
I freeze.“Er.” I look at Luke, silly smirk on his face, one hand resting on the edge of the table.
“Don’t overthink it.” He nudges his shoulder into me, and I laugh nervously.
“Seventeen.”
“Five hundred on seventeen.”
Snapping my head to look up at him, eyes all wide as sheer panic courses through my body. “Oh my God, Creed, no.” I place my hand on the top of his arm, and he laughs.
“I feel like you’re my lucky charm.” He winks.
The croupier calls out and the table spins before the ball is dropped and I swear everything moves in slow motion. My heart is thumping hard in my chest, nausea swarms in my stomach and all I can do is watch as the ball bounces then rotatesaround the table. Squeezing my eyes shut, my fingers dig into his arm until I feel fingers grabbing my wrist from the other side. Opening one, I look at the table and see the ball nestled in seventeen.
Holy shit.
“Told you, Ace, you’re my lucky charm.” He chuckles, throwing his arm around my shoulder and pulling me into him, his head dipping as he places a kiss on the top of my head.
“Who needs a lucky rabbits foot when you’ve got her on your arm, aye Lexington.” Zach chuckles and Luke nods, agreeing with his colleague.
I try my best to ignore that way my skin prickled when his lips brushed through my hair, the way my heart hack hammered in my chest.
“No letting you go, Ace,” he mumbles before kissing the top of my head again.
No letting you go, Ace.
That damn nickname has butterflies swarming in my stomach, and truth be told, I am terrified.
Creed
