Conceal

My fingers tap the table twice. “Check.”

The confusion in her stare is laughable. Her eyes are wide, nose scrunched, and even if we weren’t playing strip poker, I’d want to play with Willow every day, because watching her play has become my favorite pastime.

Who are you kidding? Being with Willow has become your favorite everything.

I know she has no clue what I’m talking about, so I clarify.

“You can bet, or you can check. If you check, we see the final card. And either you lose your pants, or I do.” This time, I allow my lip to tip up into a smirk.

“I guess I check then.” This time, I can’t read her. Her face is blank. All she does is give me a shrug.

For the last time, I place one card on the bottom of the deck and turn the last card. It’s the six of clubs. No way she’s winning this hand.

“I’m all in.”

“I guess since I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing, I’m going to have to call.”

“I have two pairs of aces and kings . . .”

“Does that beat me? I have three eights . . .” She throws her cards, showing that she has the eight of hearts and eight of clubs.

Motherfucker.

My mouth hangs open as I stare down at the table and at what just happened.

When I lift my gaze, her lips are parted into what I can only call a mischievous smirk.

“Beginner’s luck?”

“You are full of shit. You fucking hustled me.”

“You kind of deserved it.” She laughs before biting her lip and looking at me like a starved woman at a feast. “I’ve been working at a poker game for months. Did you really think I wasn’t watching, listening, learning? PS . . . your tell, you are smug as shit, regardless of your hand, but you also look to the right when it’s not that good . . .” She bats her eyelashes innocently at me. “Now strip.”

Without a second thought, I lift my hips and push my pants down as she watches. Then I grab my dick in my hand.

I’m hard as a rock. Watching her hustle me was the best foreplay ever. Her eyes widen with lust as I pump myself from root to tip.

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

The passion in her gaze is fierce, her body quivering with need. I don’t expect her to get up, but she does, and then she’s on her knees in front of me.

“You won,” I say.

“And you’re my prize.” She licks her lips.

Fuck yes. Best fucking loss ever.

Before I can say another word, her tongue sweeps against my hard flesh, licking the moisture that’s collected.

It’s fucking unreal.

She fucks me with her mouth, my hands pushing into her hair. With each swipe of her tongue, I get closer and closer to release. And then it happens . . .

I come undone.

* * *

I’ve been so wrapped in the perfect cocoon Willow and I have created for ourselves that I almost completely forgot about the party being thrown for my sister. It wasn’t until an hour ago when my cell pinged with a message from Grayson that I remembered.

In his typical manner, he reminded me, and I fired back an obnoxious remark telling him I knew . . .

The thought of admitting I forgot was not going to happen. Good thing for me, Willow and I had already shopped for my present.

It’s an impetuous decision to bring Willow with me, but she means something to me. Plus, she showed me she had my back when she stood up to Grayson. Since I have no choice but to go uptown for this dinner in honor of Addison, I decide to take her with me. I wouldn’t have a problem honoring Addison, but I’d prefer if it was on neutral territory.

Not at my brother’s apartment.

“You ready to go?” I ask her, and she looks up at me from where she’s applying a thin coat of lipstick.

It’s colorless but glossy, making her lips look sweet. Making me want to lick them.

“Stop looking at me like that.” She gives me a stern look, but it does nothing to tamp down my need for her.

“We could stay home.” The pupils of her blue eyes widen as she takes in my words. If she wants to say something about my choice of words, she doesn’t. Instead, she turns back to the mirror and stares at herself.

“Are you sure I don’t need them?”

She’s looking at her eyes. Eyes so blue it should have been a crime to cover them. I know why she did it, and I understand, but now that she’s with me, she has nothing to fear.

“We’ll take my car. We’ll park in his garage. We own the building. I manage the security. I can promise you; you are safe.” I move to walk closer to her, and when I’m standing directly behind her, I place my hand on her shoulder. “Do you trust me?”