“Maybe not now, but back then, when you were just my student, I wasn’t sure how you felt. I couldn’t risk being inappropriate with you.”
“But now you can?” I tease.
“No.” He turns serious. “Really, I can’t risk it, Becca. But for whatever reason, I’m starting to care less and less about the consequences.”
“And what would the consequences be for this?” I stand up and extend my hand. He stares at me like he’s trying to work out what I’m thinking, but then he takes it.
“To answer that question, I’d have to know what you’re planning on doing with me.”
I look down and smile, then lift my eyes to meet his. “Or to you.”
“Or that,” he agrees, coughing. “Come to my room? Have a drink with me.”
“I should get back…”
“Will it really matter if you’re gone another five minutes?”
“Wow, you work fast.”
I frown when he laughs, then widen my eyes. Fuck. I said that out loud?
“Trust me. I don’t.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“Yes, you did. But it’s okay, right? Since I don’t do anything for you. You said yourself you think you’re into girls.”
I swallow, feeling hot for a moment.
“I…never said that you don’t do it for me.”
His eyes gleam. “Oh, so, I do then?”
“I never said that either.”
I lead him over to the elevator and press the button. His fingers entwine in mine as he stares at me while we wait, the tension building between us almost too much to handle. I take his hand and place it on my back, then press myself against him. He grunts as my stomach presses against his, and again when my thigh accidently grazes over his semi-erect cock. He lets out a laugh. I raise my eyebrows at him, wondering what’s so funny.
“Sorry, I just thought to myself that I hope I’m not misreading this situation. And then I realized how stupid that sounded.”
“Still, it can’t hurt for me to make it clearer,” I whisper in his ear.
I run my hand firmly over his bulge and use my other hand to tilt his face to mine. My heart pounds as my lips inch closer to his. All I want is that connection, to feel his mouth against mine so I know that what I felt last time was real.
He jerks forward, closing the gap between us. His warm lips press against mine as he kisses me roughly. I slide my hand out from his crotch and laugh as his face falls.
“We are in public,” I remind him.
He nods, his eyes twinkling. “That’s exactly why I’ve got my back against the wall. I’m onto you, Becca.”
I laugh at that, and then I cradle his face in my hands, enjoying the feel of his stubble against the tips of my fingers.
“Maybe you can come back to my room instead—”
I stop when he suddenly backs away and stares at something behind me.
“Grammy?”
I turn around and scan the foyer. Liam shoots past me so I quickly follow him as he stalks past the service center, over to the entrance of the casino. My heart sinks when I see Grammy arguing loudly with two security guards, who have a tight hold on her arms.
Oh no.
“What did she do?” Liam asks when he reaches them.
“Do you know this woman?”
“She’s my grandmother,” he explains through clenched teeth.
“Then maybe you should consider keeping a closer eye on her.”
“What’s she done now?” Liam speaks quietly. His defeated expression a sign he’s been through this before.
“She entered a private, high-stakes poker match with some very important people and tried to entice them into changing the game to strip poker.”
I clasp my hand over my mouth and turn around, doing everything I can to keep myself from laughing. I know it’s not funny and I hate myself for finding humor in something so sad, but I can’t help it.
I guess Liam was right. She does have a gambling problem.
“Fuck. Not again.”
My eyes widen. “Again?”
“I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to ask her to leave the hotel,” the second guard says.
“Is that really necessary?” Liam growls. “She’s a ninety-six-year-old woman, for God’s sake. Surely you can show some leniency?”
“I’m sorry.” The security guard shrugs. “I sympathize with you, I really do, but we have a strict policy when it comes to disruption of other patrons.”
“Please,” Liam pleads. “One night. That’s all we need. We will be gone tomorrow.” They exchange a look. “She has dementia,” he adds. “By morning, she won’t even remember this. Half the time she doesn’t even remember me.”
And that’s what gets them. My heart aches for Liam, because the pain I see in his eyes is real. I can’t even imagine how hard that must be for him. For someone you love to not even recognize you? Now I feel even worse for laughing. The two officers exchange a look, and then the first one sighs.