Page 25 of Isla

“Hi,” a gravelled voiced man said as he sat beside me. His scent was strong, but of tobacco and whiskey, not typical alphas smells but definitely overpowering all other smells around us.

“Hello,” I replied and smiled.

“Can I sit here?” he asked.

I nodded.

The dealer did her thing with chips and money, and I glanced around the room, wondering if June had found Bronwyn and hoped they didn’t leave me here with this man.

I picked up my cards and smiled, raising my gaze and my eyes locked onto the man who was standing on the opposite side of the table.

I glanced around the room and behind me, wondering exactly who he was looking at, and my gaze landed straight at the eyes of the man again. Then I realised he was the same man who sat opposite me yesterday. Maybe I should apologise for my rudeness.

His inky black hair was tidy, cut short, and I wondered if he was staring into space at first, but then I could see he was looking at me, and he didn’t look away.

I finally blinked when his beautiful lips curled up as he gave me a slow, sexy smile. I smiled back.

“Miss?” the dealer said.

How did it get so quickly to me?

My face warmed as the dealer grabbed my attention. I’d already forgotten my hand in my fluster and flashed them to my face to assess them again. This time, my hand was lousy. I held a two and a nine. The house was showing a king.

I had no choice but to take another card. The dealer threw me a king and I couldn’t believe my luck.

“Stand,” I said.

The guy who stood ahead of me grinned at me, obviously noticing how flustered I was because of him. But he was on the opposite side of the table and my mouth gaped as I realised the cookie smell was back again.

It was him.

No wonder I was imagining riding him.

I was ranting about Noah and looked a mess. At least now I looked and hopefully sounded in a better state.

The dealer uncovered their second card—a ten.

“Another grand lost,” the man next to me said casually, throwing his cards down on the table.

A freaking grand.

“Probably why I’m winning,” I said. “I’m betting low.” Not that I could afford to bet any higher. I stretched out my arms and dragged my winnings in front of me. I was betting so low the man in the sky was probably using me for a bit of player winning.

“Would you like to come to the bar and get a drink with me?” the man next to me whispered in my ear.

I glanced around the room, wondering where the girls were. I could see them in the distance, bouncing around a slot machine with drinks sloshing in their hands.

I turned my attention back to the guy. “Sorry I’m with friends.”

There was a growl ahead of me, and I met the gaze of the man again.

I wanted to blow out a breath, but I also wanted to look cool. He had that air of importance. Dressed in a business suit, he was too old to be single and I expected he was there on business, and now blowing caution to the wind.

He was definitely an alpha, and it was a hard choice between him and Harrison, of who was the sexiest man I’d seen in Vegas. He looked me up and down, stroked his salt and pepper stubble. I guessed him to be in his mid-thirties, possibly older, considering there was silver on his jaw, the black of his hair showed no sign of grey. Regardless of his age, he was an extremely good-looking older man.

He stood tall with one hand in his pocket as his other hand tapped against his thigh. Thighs that were thick against the fabric of his slacks.

My eyes lifted, and I blinked hard, trying not to focus on the hammer between his legs. My eyes lifted again to his well-fitted jacket that covered his wide chest, shoulders, and arms. The top button was undone, no tie today. Now I could see his tanned and corded neck.

---