Page 6 of My Billionaire Casino Boss

“Did you date anyone at school?” I ask, and Eric stiffens, staring at me. “You were gone for four years, Lily. There had to be someone.” I knew firsthand how good she was in bed, though her brother won’t ever know that.

“Unlike the two of you, I don’t kiss and tell.” She slams the coffee down on the table, and I know I’ve gotten to her.

“I want to pretend that you don’t like boys, Lily. Give that to me,” he tells her, and then his eyes glint mischievously. “Unless you’ve gone the other way.”

“Pig.” She’s quiet throughout the meal, picking at her food more than eating it. She leaves for her shift a few minutes earlier than necessary, and I fight the urge to watch her walk away.

“Don’t ask her stuff like that. I don’t want to know,” Eric tells me, pushing away his empty plate.

“You have to accept that she’s a big girl, Eric.”

“No, I really don’t. I’ve been protecting her since she was born. I always took that so seriously, even when she drove me crazy,” he admits, and I nod in agreement. “Are you done? Let’s get out there so I can distract myself.”

We go to the car to get our clubs and hit the practice green. The sun is bright, and the air is crisp and clean as I concentrate on my short game. I remind myself how much I love being our here and enjoy the time to sneak in these games whenever possible.

I look from the course to the lake and my Casino enjoying looking at my empire. This is all mine, and I smile before teeing off at the first hole. It felt good straining my muscles as I show off a bit with my swing. I never went pro since I’m not that good, but I know what I’m doing out here.

Taking over the casino when the opportunity arose was the best plan for me, especially since I needed to invest an inheritance into something that would make money. Being so close to the mountain, I can always take time to enjoy the slopes and other outdoor activities here.

We stay out for a few hours before putting the boards back in our cars.

“Want to grab dinner and a drink?” Eric asks me, and I nod. We head to a seafood place and run into an old friend of ours. She’s more Eric’s type than mine, though I’ve always found her funny.

It’s nice catching up, and the food as always is incredible. The whiskey I enjoy with the meal warms me right up, and I order another, figuring I can hang out in my office if I need to sober up.

I’m feeling the adrenaline I get from a round of golf and it feels good to relax. Even though the woman is sitting beside me, she’s flirting with my best friend, and I don’t even care. Eric is eating it up and I watch them, thinking I need to get back in the game. I needed to stop thinking about Lily because nothing will ever happen with Lily again, and I have a life to live.

Eric runs to the restroom as we leave and I walk out, laughing with Kristen. Something makes me turn my head and I see Lily sitting with another employee, her eyes locked on me. It’s not Jacob, so I relax and hug Laura as she tells me goodbye, ready to leave with Eric. Pulling away from the hug, I hope Lily sees me. I wonder what she thought of it. More importantly, why do I care?

four

Just Adjustments – Lily

Thomasisajerkwhenever he’s around at work, but luckily, we both seem to want to avoid each other. The comment about not dating employees caught me and Jacob both by surprise and made me wonder if Eric put him up to that. Or if Thomas said it because he was jealous.

Jacob is nice, and I enjoy working with him as much as anyone at the casino, but it’s nothing more than that. And even if I had feelings for him, I wouldn’t want to date a coworker—too messy. Even more reason not to get involved with Thomas.

It’s easy to see everyone wants to have fun at work when the shifts end, but I’ve kept it to dinner so far. We get a free meal anywhere in the building, so why not? I go home when everyone else goes out to gamble or hang out at a club. I’m not sure why, but Ally is kind enough to remind me I was never into the party scene.

“You’re in Tahoe, Lily. There are bars and clubs all over the place,” she tells me after work one night as I stare at the silenced TV. “I go out more than you do.”

“You always have,” I argue, remembering studying alone at the apartment many times. “I’m not going to change who I am because of where I live. I talk to people all day at work.”

“How is that boss of yours?” she asks me, and I think about Thomas.

“He seems like he’s on edge a lot, but maybe that’s normal for him. Everyone acts surprised by it. I’m just happy he tries to avoid me as much as possible,” I tell her, reaching for my tea.

“Any potential at the hotel?” she asks, and I smirk to myself.

“You mean guys?”

“Unless you’re newly into girls. But I mean men. Not guys. We’re twenty-five now,” Ally insists, and we both laugh, knowing that doesn’t make that much of a difference. I don’t like going out. I am a homebody through and through.

“No, but I don’t work to meet men, Ally. It’s already complicated enough there,” I remind her, laughing. “Besides, Thomas said it’s against the rules. Remember?”

“Like he hasn’t tapped anyone there.” I don’t like that idea and stay silent for a moment, squirming. I saw the way the hostess looked at him when we had lunch together. How can I blame her? He’s gorgeous with those blue eyes and a chiseled, Greek god face. The problem is Thomas knows it.

“I haven’t heard about anything, and those people talk. They just say he’s well-known around the other casinos, and I saw it with him and Eric all the time when they were younger. It’s gross,” I tell her, wrinkling my nose.

---