Page 80 of Luxe

I didn't know what she was doing but I matched her stack of chips and fanned the cards in my hand. Two cards were pulled from my hand and slid, face down, across the table to her. She dealt me two cards and then dealt one for herself.

"Well?" she said, gesturing at my sack of chips.

"Raise, $500." Threw the chips into the middle.

"Raise, $1000."

"Raise, $1200.”

"We could do this all night, or are you going to put your money where your mouth is." She threw a $50,000 chip into the pile.

I eyed her, I only had about $39,000 but I was going to be damned if I didn’t see this through. "All in."

"That's more like it."

She spread her cards out.

Three sevens.

I nodded. "Nice, but not as nice as a flush.” I turned mine over. “Diamonds are so pretty don't you think?"

She grinned, and stood up, handing me a business card. "Call me. I have a proposition for you."

On the card was a name, “Ananya” and a phone number.

The next day, sitting in my new, completely empty apartment that I'd bought with money I'd had to ask my Dad for, I called the number and my life has never been the same.

Ten rounds later, I have a grudging respect for Kylian that I didn't expect to have. He’s bold and restrained in equal measure, already doubling his investment and all the while keeping his eyes trained on me the entire time.

Annie is seated next to me and that seems to have given her some confidence as her game picks up and she even manages to win two rounds, with, no doubt, a small concession by Kylian when he folded during one round when it was the only two of them left. She'd given him the biggest smile of relief as she'd dragged $3000 worth of chips into her pile. He winked at her and she audibly sighed. It didn’t help with my training her but it helped with her confidence which can be just as important.

The beautiful older woman sitting next to him has also been trying to draw him into conversation the whole time, despite me throwing her daggers every time she reaches out and touches him on the hand or the shoulder. He brushes her off each time, politely, and one time even gestured across the table to me, as if informing her that he was taken.

But it is just as I'd predicted, women throwing themselves at him, left, right, and dead center.

There must be something in my expression, because during one shuffle, he gets up out of chair, hands in his pocket, strolling over to me. Then, pulling me to my feet, he kisses me. Sweetly at first, then with his whole body, wrapping his arms around me, with one hand tangled in my hair. I'm not sure how long the kiss lasts but when he finally pulls away, everyone at that table and some at the surrounding ones are staring.

"I think that should do it, don't you?" he whispers into my ear before helping me back down to my seat and then returning to his, with a big lusty wink when he gets there.

Blondie huffs and pulls away from him, sulky as she picks up her cards with a scowl. The next few rounds go by uneventfully, until the man wearing a novelty cowboy hat, sitting on the other side of Kylian, and I get stuck in a betting war after everyone else has folded.

"Big bet for a little lady,” he growls when I raise again. “Your pretty boyfriend here give you some pocket money after you let him do dirty things to you?"

Kylian puts his hands on the table and is about to jump out of his chair, but I stare him down. Sit down, I mouth.

He grits his teeth, but stays perched on the edge of his seat in case he's not happy with what else the man is about to say.

I make a show of checking my hand again as I say, “You know, most men would treat a ‘little lady’ with a little respect. But I guess you're not a man. How about a side bet to make things a little more interesting? If I can guess what you're holding, you give me whatever's in your left pocket.”

He downs the rest of his beer and snarls at the idea, but too drunk to be able to refuse. "Fine. But if I guess what's right, I get a little of what you're giving Pretty Boy here."

Kylian stares at me across the table, his anger palpable. I have to ignore him and focus if I want this to turn out the way I hope it does.

I shrug, pretending I’m not totally disgusted at the idea of him touching. "Deal. Everybody here is a witness.”

He licks his lips, like he’s already imagining the things he wants to do to me. Enjoy it while you can, sleazebag. “You’ve got a full house.”

I feign a look of shock. "Wow, what a good guess. My guess for you, is two pair. One face card, one not."

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