Noah smiled at her. “They’re all full of possibility, sweetheart. I don’t think it much matters.”
A shiver moved through her when he called her sweetheart. She liked that, how affectionate he was. She pretty much liked everything about him. He’d been so patient when he’d taught her how to play blackjack. And the way he smelled…his scent was completely addicting.
Deciding the hell with it, she plopped her butt down in front of the next slot machine they passed by. She put in some credits and started playing, her gaze intent on the rolling screen. He didn’t say a word as she hit the max button. C
ould she win a huge jackpot quick? Doubtful, she told herself as she hit the button again. And again.
“I’m losing all of your money,” she grumbled, hitting the button yet again.
“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart.” He grabbed hold of her and turned her to him, pressing his mouth to hers briefly before letting her go. “As long as you’re having fun?”
She nodded, at a loss for words. His lips had a way of wiping her brain clean. It wasn’t normal. No guy had ever done that to her with a kiss. Ever.
“Five more minutes and we’re walking away from this machine.” He leaned in and dropped a sweet kiss on the tip of her nose. “We’ll find something else to do.”
His words were full of unspoken promises that made her shiver.
“Okay,” she murmured, reaching out blindly to hit the max button once more, her gaze still locked on Noah’s. He smiled at her, his hand curling around her neck, his other hand landing on her waist. He was going to kiss her again. She could tell by the serious glint in his gaze, the way his head descended. It didn’t matter if those guys at the table nearby were watching. She didn’t care. She desperately wanted to feel his mouth on hers…
The machine came to a clanging, noisy stop, drawing her attention, and she turned to look at it, staring at the row of red sparkly sevens across the front.
Holy. Shit.
“Sweetheart, you won.” Noah slipped his arms around her waist and leapt to his feet, taking her with him. He swung her around once, her legs dangling in the air as they both started to laugh. “You won, Nat! Look at those sevens!”
The slot machine was loud and flashing like a police car. She clung to Noah, her arms gripping around his neck as she stared at the slot machine. “Oh my God. How much did I win?”
A casino employee materialized out of nowhere, a polite smile on his face as he checked out the machine before turning to face her. “It appears you won twenty-five thousand dollars, miss.”
“What?” She gasped. No way. No freaking way did she just win that much money. “Are you serious?” she squeaked.
Noah’s arms tightened around her as he placed her on her feet. “Twenty-five G’s? Hell yeah, baby! That is fucking amazing!”
His enthusiasm made her smile. Twenty-five thousand dollars was probably nothing to Noah, but she appreciated his excitement. “This can’t be happening,” she protested, shaking her head. “I’m dreaming, right?”
She had to be. She was in Vegas all alone after being ditched by her friends, and somehow she ended up with one of the most famous rock stars. He let her gamble with his money and she won twenty-five thousand dollars.
Pure dream material. She tentatively touched her face, tempted to slap her own cheek, but she restrained herself.
Barely.
“This isn’t a dream,” Noah whispered close to her ear, just before he nuzzled her cheek. A shuddery breath left her at his intimate touch and she closed her eyes. “Savor the moment, Nat. I promised you the ultimate Vegas experience, didn’t I?”
She nodded, purposely keeping her eyes closed. What if she opened them and she discovered it really was only just a dream? She’d be so disappointed.
“And I always keep my promises,” Noah continued, his deep, rumbly voice making everything inside of her vibrate. Oh, she never wanted him to stop talking. She could listen to him for hours. For days. “Let’s go collect your winnings.”
Natalie popped her eyes open, turning to study his face. So close up, she could make out everything. The brilliant color of his gaze as they watched her. The sharp angles and planes of his starkly handsome face. His full lips and the light stubble which covered his cheeks. “But I thought you wanted to play blackjack.”
“Nah. Tonight should be all about you.” He moved closer to her, pressing his forehead against hers. “If you could do anything tonight to celebrate your big win, what would it be? What do you want, Natalie?”
You. The word streaked across her thoughts, leaving a permanent imprint. She should tell him she wanted him. No one else, just him. He was fun. Sweet. Sexy as hell.
“I want a hot fudge sundae,” she said instead, feeling immediately like an idiot. It was her nerves and the alcohol talking. If she was more confident, she’d tell him exactly what she wanted.
But she wasn’t. So she’d have to settle for hot fudge and vanilla ice cream.
They were in one of the finest restaurants the hotel had to offer. World-renowned chefs were in the kitchen right now, slaving over their dishes, creating some of the most delicious meals known to man.