Page 14 of No Limits

“Nothing. I mean not really, I guess. It’s just sad that you’ll never get to fuck me. Because there is no way you’re winning tomorrow.”

Chapter 5

Thenextmorning,Ryleewoke to the sound of a quiet knock on her door.

Rolling out of the comfortable bed, she padded barefoot to the door and pulled it open.

“Good morning, Ace,” Memphis said, holding a cup of coffee. “I wasn’t sure how you liked your caffeine, but there’s cream and sugar on the counter in the kitchen.”

She took the cup and inhaled the rich aroma before taking a sip. Black coffee suited her fine in the mornings.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “What time is it?”

He glanced at his smart watch. “It’s a little after seven. Staff will be here at eight-thirty to set up our game.”

She groaned as she took another soothing drink of the coffee. “Is there a gym in this place? I usually run before a game.”

He grinned. “There is. I just finished my morning run.”

She gave a curt nod and shut the door in his face.

Draining the coffee, she rummaged through her suitcase for her jogging shorts and a tank top.

After setting the empty mug on her nightstand, she laced on her running shoes and made her way downstairs.

Memphis sat at the table working on a laptop. She didn’t miss the fact that his gaze lingered on her legs before meeting her eyes. “Gym is in the pool house out back,” he said as he nodded his head toward the large sliding glass door in the main living area.

She was amazed by how quickly cleaning staff cleared all evidence of the BDSM party that occurred last night.

In the small gym, she hopped on the treadmill and set it for a mild incline. She didn’t play music the way most people did. Instead, she ran through game strategy and gave herself a mental pep talk—her routine before any big game.

Although she’d gotten a taste of Memphis Foster and wanted more, there was no way in hell she would throw this game. Winning mattered, even if it didn’t affect her tournament rankings. Winning a high stakes game gave her a rush she didn’t get anywhere else, and she was chasing that feeling today. After she won, she could still sleep with him if she really wanted to. Though she wouldn’t give in right away. Had to make him work for it. She shook her head and increased the speed on the machine. She had to get sex with Memphis out of her head or she was going to lose.

Her feet pounded the treadmill belt as various game scenarios flashed in her mind. By the time she’d reached four miles, she was convinced there was no way Memphis would win this game. She’d even drowned out Hunter’s words about Memphis not needing the poker lessons.

Back in the main house, Memphis hollered that breakfast was being brought in as she trudged up the stairs. In her room, she showered and changed into her favorite jeans and a faded t-shirt from her college days.

When her hair was dry and she felt ready to face her opponent, she made her way down to the kitchen. Breakfast was a spread that rivaled most Vegas buffets. But Memphis just shrugged it off as no big deal when she said as much while he filled his plate.

“I wasn’t sure what you would want to eat, so I asked the caterer to bring his full breakfast menu.”

She examined the spread and filled her plate with fruit, some scrambled eggs, and a small piece of ham.

As they were eating, there was a knock at the door and Memphis strode to the entry to answer it.

Hunter Novak strolled in, followed by two movers carrying a heavy box Rylee recognized to be a poker table in pieces. Behind the movers came two women in slacks and black button ups. They would be the tournament officials. Had he hired a dealer too?

“Morning, you two. This seemed like something I couldn’t miss, so I cleared my schedule and brought a couple of my casino staff with me,” Hunter said as he leaned across the bar and snagged a piece of bacon off a tray.

Rylee just rolled her eyes and finished the last of her fruit as she watched the movers unbox the table and set it up.

“You know we could have played at the dining room table, right?”

Memphis shrugged. “I wanted to give you as many advantages as possible. Playing on the type of table you’re used to should help your mindset.”

Andrew, Evan, Bryce, and Brandon came downstairs as the crew finished assembling the table. When did Andrew arrive? She assumed the other three spent the night because they were at the party last night, but she didn’t recall Andrew arriving. Not that she was paying attention.

“This really doesn’t seem fair,” she said as she watched the dealer stack chips.

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