Holiday with the Millionaire
She hadn’t bothered with a jacket but the night air was warm and the lamplight in the street made the jewels and sequins on her dress send scattered lights all around them. She was like her own little kaleidoscope. The kind she’d pressed to her eye as a child. It made her heart flutter in strange little ways. It was like being the star in your own fairy tale.
Reuben’s hand was securely placed at the bottom of her spine and from the second they’d stepped off the ship things had seemed different. As if something had just stepped up a notch.
They entered the Salon Renaissance and had their IDs checked quickly. ‘I can’t believe people from Monaco can’t gamble here,’ she whispered.
‘Neither can I,’ he replied in a low voice. ‘But the law was made over a hundred years ago. They didn’t want to corrupt their own citizens but they’re happy to take money from any visitors.’ He glanced around as a famous racing driver entered the casino. ‘And remember the foreign nationals who reside in Monaco can come here.’
‘So I see,’ she replied, as she watched the racing driver and his model girlfriend, dressed in a slinky red dress, nod to the doorman and walk in like old friends.
The Salon Renaissance was sumptuous. Everything about the place spoke of opulence and money. There was a variety of gaming rooms all around them. Lara had no clue what was going on in any one of them.
Reuben gave a smile of amusement at the look on her face. ‘How about we go and get a cocktail first? Then I’ll get us some chips and we can look through the gaming rooms and decide what you want to play.’
‘I’m not sure about this,’ she murmured, starting to feel a little panicked. Someone like her could easily lose their entire year’s income on the turn of a hand of cards. She was completely out of her depth here.
They walked through to the bar. Like everything else it was elegant and immaculate. Lara poised herself on one of the bar stools. The biggest surprise was how busy the casino was. It was still early evening, but everywhere she looked she could see well-dressed people laughing and chatting as if visiting the casino was an everyday occurrence.
She shifted on her stool. The little jewels and sequins on her dress caught the lights from the chandelier above the bar. Thank goodness for the gold dress. Even if she had retrieved her original wardrobe she would never have had anything suitable to wear in here.
Reuben handed her the cocktail list. It didn’t even have prices listed and for once she decided not to ask. She scanned the list quickly. ‘I’ll have a mango daiquiri,’ she said with a smile. ‘I’d usually have strawberry, but it might be time to try something new.’
She lifted her gaze to meet his just as the breath was sucked out of her body as she realised how that might sound.
Nothing was lost on Reuben—he just had a way of acting way much cooler than she did. There was the tiniest flicker in his eyes. Then a little quirk as the corner of his lips turned upwards. His beer was much more straightforward, but once they had their drinks he raised his glass to hers. ‘To trying something new.’
Her hand trembled. The flirtation was definitely increasing, along the heat between them. Right now they could probably heat up the whole building on their own. She took a sip of the frozen daiquiri and tried not to groan with pleasure at the sharp and sweet cold sensation.
He held his hand towards her. ‘Want to have a look around?’
She nodded. There were doors to different rooms all around them. ‘Do you know where to go?’
He smiled and pointed with one hand. ‘The Hall of the Americas has blackjack, craps, American roulette and baccarat. The White Hall has slot machines. The Salon Europe has English and European roulette, stud poker and thirty forty.’
He might as well have been talking a foreign language. A vaguely familiar-looking woman walked past, glittering with diamonds, her face completely wrinkle-free. Hadn’t she won an acting award a few years ago? It was like being the new girl in school all over again. She didn’t have a clue where to go or who to talk to. Reuben was the only familiar factor in this whole scenario. She turned to face him. ‘Does anywhere play snap or gin rummy?’
He turned to face her, his hand automatically going to her hip. It made her feel a tiny bit more secure. Maybe he would find her lack of knowledge exasperating. Maybe he would get fed up with her and want to go and spend some time at the tables on his own. Her stomach was currently clenching as she watched him.
His fingers moved at her hip, pulling her just a few inches closer. She could almost see something flash in his eyes but it wasn’t the usual amusement or tease. This was something different. Almost a form of endearment. ‘You don’t know how to play any of these games?’