Page 27 of Spreading Her Wings

She didn’t move away from me when I walked towards her, placing my hands on her hips and tugging her body against mine. “You lookincredible.”

Katie shivered when I ran my nose along her jawline, inhaling the sweet floral scent of her perfume. For a second, she relaxed against me, allowing me to trace my fingertips along the exposed skin on her back. “Auston, you need to get ready.”

“Why? All I want to do is undress you.” I felt for a zipper on the back of her dress until she slapped my hand.

“Stop it. No.”

I raised my eyebrow at the woman, laughing when she placed both hands on her hips and popped one to the side. “You are adorable when you’re trying to be angry, kitten. You know that?”

She let out a small, exasperated growl. “It took me an hour to look likethis. I am not letting you ruin it. Now go!”

“Yes, ma’am.” I grinned at her, stepping back slowly. “If you’re inthatdress, I’ll do anything you tell me to.”

“Then behave.” Even as her voice grew strict, she bit back a smile that told me the butterflies going wild in my stomach were doing the same in hers.

I winked at her, turning and pulling my gray short-sleeve shirt onto my shoulders and buttoning up to the one I left open at the top of my chest. While I put on my cologne and just enough gel in my hair to stop it from falling in my face, I couldn’t take my eyes off Katie applying bold lipstick in the mirror. She rolled her lips together, making a small pop when she separated them, and my mouth went dry.

It took all of my restraint to allow her to walk out of the hotel room and not smudge her lipstick by throwing her against the wall in the elevator. The leather dress she wore creased slightly with the sway of her hips when she walked, emphasizing the curve of her ass. With each step, my pants grew more uncomfortable. By the time we were walking into the main part of the casino and towards the roulette table the rest of my friends stood around, I was having to adjust to avoid appearing obscene.

“About damn time!” Logan chided the moment we were within earshot.

I rolled my eyes, but Katie giggled, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Do youseehow good I look? It was worth the wait.”

She didn’t give him room to argue before settling against the roulette table in front of me and looking at the bets the others had placed, throwing her same bet on red and the green zero. I chuckled at the shock on her face when Ash followed behind her with a bet on the same zero.

“Oh, comeon!You too?” Logan groaned from next to me.

Ash shrugged. “I mean, it’s worth a shot. You saw how it paid out earlier.”

“Always the one to join the bandwagon.”

I laughed, slapping my hand against Logan’s back. “Bro, relax. I’m with you. These guys are going to throw away their money betting on zeroes every round.” When I said it, Katie turned her head up at me, scowling.

Ash scoffed. “Orthe four of us will get a big payout, and you two will keep losing on your random number choices.”

“Sosensitive.” Logan laughed, his eyes lighting up when Ash’s cheeks turned a frustrated maroon.

“If I’m so sensitive, let’s bet on it, then. If this next round is a zero, you buy dinner for the group.” Ash crossed his arms. He was always the one to let his competitive nature get the best of him. You can’t challenge him or he’s going to do exactly what you told him not to do.

“Deal.” Logan was confident, placing his stack of chips on a random selection of red and black numbers.

The dealer tossed the white ball, and it whirled around the wheel that turned in the opposite direction. When it bounced against one of the diamond-shaped ridges and slowed, it rolled into the slot for the black eleven.

“Booyah!” Logan yelled, throwing his finger in Ash’s face. “Dinner is on you, baby boy!”

Ash rolled his eyes, a frustrated glare etched in his face, but he didn’t deny it. He picked up his chips, tucking them in his pocket and turning towards the restaurant. “So, who’s hungry?”

Logan let out a roaring laugh, wrapping his arm around Ash’s shoulders. “Oh, I’m starving.”

They laughed, leading the way to the restaurant with the rest of us close behind. I weaved my fingers with Katie’s, tugging her into my side as we walked.

The leather dress hugging Katie’s curves looked even more intoxicating under the flashing lights of the club we were in. She swayed her hips effortlessly to the music as she danced against the bar in front of her, the soft spot behind her knees tempting me with each rock. I wanted to bite the sensitive skin and listen to her gasp, feeling the way she would shiver.

“Six shots of Hendrick’s,” Logan ordered with a pat on Ash’s shoulder. “Are you getting sick of betting on that zero yet?”

As the bartender poured the shots, Ash shot him a glare, surely recalling the way Logan had danced at the roulette table after dinner when there were still no zeroes. “Consistency is the key, Logan. That’s how you get the biggest payout. You just wait.”

We grabbed the shots, and Katie grimaced before she’d even brought it to her lips. “What’s wrong?” I asked, brushing my lips against her ear.

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