After I paid for dinner and left a more-than-generous tip, we headed to the high-roller room. The Bellagio held one of the most famous high-roller poker tables in all of Vegas, and it was my favorite place to be. Top-shelf bourbon. Cigars. Men with deep pockets willing to risk it all over cards and beautiful women clad in the finest fabrics. Even though Sam looked like a vision, she would be sorely underdressed for this occasion, and it would be interesting to see how she molded to this environment.
“Guess she left her jewelry at home,” one of the women said.
“Her shoes are a bit scuffed. Where did she think she was going? The park?”
The catty women, dressed in the finest diamonds and rubies this world had to offer, were already throwing Sam snide remarks. I sat down in my seat and anted up, then found a few cards being thrown my way. There were beautiful women sitting in the laps of powerful men as a cigar was passed my way. Their eyes were prowling for their meal of the night as a woman with a very impressive rack bent over and lit my cigar.
But not before she placed her tits on my shoulder.
“A big cigar for a big boy,” the woman said.
“Thank you for the light,” I said with a grin.
I saw Sam sit down in the corner as women began to hit on me. They continued their cutting remarks, making jokes about her frizzy hair and the hair stubble on her leg. I could tell she was annoyed. Her lips pursed together, and her eyes drifting along the room. But I was glad she was pissed. I wanted her to feel the pressure of the kind of life I led. If she thought she could get away with calling me a mistake, then she, herself, was mistaken.
Sleeping together wasn’t a mistake. But if she really wanted to compare mistakes, then she would soon understand the sore thumb she stuck out as in my life and how completely unprepared she was to follow me around everywhere and keep herself under wraps. People were staring at her. Breaking her down. Men were grimacing at her because of how out of place she was, and women kept giggling over how angry she looked.
She didn’t fit in with a place like this.
And if she was going to keep her head above water, then she had to understand the standard she would be held to.
The standard I would hold her to if this was going to continue distraction-free, even if I was nothing but a mistake to her.
Chapter 16
Sam
IF THIS WAS DEREK’S idea of a good time, then he was stupid. And even though I was with him, there was no way I had time to case every single person in this casino. There were way too many people outside, and there were way too many powerful people inside. I recognized most of the men sitting at the table, and their eyes were all on me at one point in time. It gave me time to get a good read on them since most of their poker faces sucked, but any one of them had the potential to be a hired killer.
I knew why Derek was doing this, and it only served to do one thing.
I kept thinking about our encounter as the scantily clad women kept throwing cutting remarks at me. If the only thing they had going for them were their big tits and making snide remarks about the one-day stubble on my legs, then I was golden. I wasn’t sure what they were trying to do, but I guessed it was their form of trying to make me jealous. Women were pouring themselves over Derek, trying to get him to bet more while they pressed their tits into his face. Trying to get him to drink more as they sat in his lap.
Trying to get him to take one of them home for an exorbitant price.
There was tension between us, that was for sure. The dinner was a great example. I figured he would try to pull something like that, try to take me out and show me what he could give me if I kept sleeping with him, but I wasn’t falling for his stupid little ploys. Deep down, he wasn’t any different from any other playboy who tried to get what he wanted with his money. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t had many partners. It didn’t matter that he treated them with whatever respect he felt he had.
All that mattered was the tantrum that came after when he didn’t get his way.
And I was watching Derek’s tantrum take place.
The poker game ended, and I was relieved. I could get him out of this place and get us back to an area that was more confined and easier for me to control in case something happened. In case someone tried to attack him or make their move on him.
But when Derek approached me and offered me his hand, the tension switched from anger to sexual. I looked up at him, refusing his hand as worry dripped from his eyes. I cast my glances behind him, watching as everyone filtered from the room. Some of the men had women on their arms for the night and some of the women were waiting around to see what Derek would do. I scanned the room, making sure nothing had been laid for Derek to walk right into before I made my way in front of him.
“You’re spending most of your time watching the crowds,” he said.
“Did you expect me to do anything else?” I asked.
“I just figured you’d have a good time out tonight.”
“I’m babysitting a toddler throwing a tantrum because I called our little encounter a mistake. Hardly what I would call fun.”
I felt him still beside me, and I looked up to see anger bubbling in his eyes.
“Don’t get angry because I can pinpoint you. It’s my job. I’m your bodyguard, Mr. Steele. Not your pleasure doll.”
“You should gamble a bit while we’re here,” Derek said. “Get rid of some of the tension you’re holding in your shoulders.”