The Love Game (The Game #1)(40)
Author: Emma Hart

“Game on,” Aston grins.

Ten minutes in, Aston is panicking as his pile of chips dwindle slowly.

“You have the shittest poker face I’ve ever seen,” Ryan announces. “And I’ve seen a lot, Aston.”

“Slot machines are just back in there if you want ’em.” I wink.

“Fuck off,” Aston says. “Slot machines are for girls.”

“And poker is for men who don’t wobble their bottom lips when they have a shit hand.” Ed laughs.

The rest of the guys join in the piss-taking and after a few minutes, I break it up.

“All right, guys, come on,” I wave my hand. “Give the poor baby a break. It’s not his fault the only card game he can play properly is f**kin’ Old Maid.”

The table roars with laughter, and someone clips me round the back of the head.

“The f**k?” I turn and Megan is standing there with her eyebrows raised. “I thought you were getting some waiter’s number.”

“I got it.” She waves a little piece of paper before tucking it into her purse. “But we got bored and want to do something else. Lila suggested hitting a club, either in or out of the hotel.”

I look at the guys, and they don’t object.

Ryan shrugs. “Sounds good to me.”

“You only say that cause you’re whipped, Ry.” Jake punches his arm.

Ryan shows his hand. “You’d say the same thing if you shared a bed with her. She’s a f**kin’ animal.”

Megan tosses a chip at his head. “Pigs! Do you think Lila discusses your sex life with us?”

“I know she does,” Ryan laughs. “You all discuss your sex life. It’s like a bunch of Granny’s being together at bingo.”

“You’re all just a whole lot hotter.” Aston winks at Megan, and she rolls her eyes.

“Can we go? These shoes do have a wearable time limit, you know.” She cocks her leg to show the bright blue pumps with daggers for heels. “And I think Aston’s had enough of you guys ripping on him now.”

We laugh and throw the cards down, deciding to call it even.

“Hey, Megan,” Aston slinks up beside her. “If those shoes get too much later, and you need a hand getting to your room, you know where I am.”

I clench my fists, watching as she turns to him and touches his chest, batting her eyelashes.

“Aston, honey, if I’m gonna get someone to take me to bed, it’ll be someone more qualified than you. Say, someone who can play more than just Old Maid. You think on that and come back when you’ve at least learned to play Go Fish, get that?” She beams and spins on her heels, stalking out of the poker room, leaving him staring after her dumbfounded.

“And that, my friend.” I slap his shoulder. “Is what happens when you try your dirty tricks on a girl with more class than a month of your bed-warming whores.”

“Because you’d know all about that,” he replies dryly, following us out to the main hall.

I spy Maddie, twirling a piece of hair around her finger and laughing with Lila. “Actually, I would.”

I walk up behind her and circle her waist with my arms. “Ready to go?”

“Mhmm.” She turns her head into me, and we all head to the floor that holds the Kahunaville party bar.

Chapter Thirty-Three – Maddie

The Kahunaville party bar is tiki. Maybe Hawaiian. Personally, I always thought they were the same – and maybe they are.

Or maybe that’s the wine already clouding my vision, so perhaps the margarita Megan just handed me isn’t a smart idea. I’ll drink it anyway because these girls have successfully corrupted me from the good girl I was a few weeks ago, to the semi-bad girl I am now.

I say semi-bad because I haven’t had sex yet. Glancing up at Braden next to me, I think I might have to remedy that tonight. Then we’ll have a pretty little Brooklyn Maddie and California Maddie with a dash of Braden Maddie all rolled into one.

What a delightful little package that’ll be.

I accept Lila’s hand when she holds it out to me to dance. My thoughts are getting morbid, and I won’t let my past ruin this weekend for Braden. He deserves a good birthday.

Servers dance between tables, swaying their hips and the flair bartenders throw cocktails shakers around. If I was ten years younger, I’d absolutely want to be a flair bartender when I grew up. But I am grown up – sort of. And it’s not really that great, is it?

Oh, sheesh. Apparently alcohol depresses me.

And makes me talk shit.

Shoot me.

I move with Lila to the beat of the music, and it doesn’t take long for Megan to join us, shaking her hips in a way that has every guy besides Braden and Ryan fixating their eyes on her. I giggle.

“Where’s Kay?” Lila asks.

“Not sure.” Megan shrugs. “I think she hooked up with someone doing a table in the casino. She said she’d text.”

“Check your phone,” I say. “Before we all get too drunk.”

Megan nods and reaches into her purse for it. “Yep, she hooked up with that guy.”

“A guy?” Lila and I say in unison. “A guy?”

“Yep.” Megan throws her head back and laughs. “Well, hey, she was right. She does like a bit of-”

“Bamboo stick?” Lila interrupts. I laugh again.

“Where do you come up with this?” I look at her.

“Well she can’t exactly say dick out loud here, can’t she?”

Megan smirks. “You just did.”

“Shit.” Lila covers her mouth. “So I did. Oh well, I am twenty-one.”

“For a weekend,” I whisper, and we all laugh.

“Are you compromising my girl?” Braden asks, stepping up smoothly behind me.

“I always compromise her,” Megan replies, unaffected. “You’re just never around to see it.” She grins, and I look away, knowing she’s referring to Play the Player.

Yeah, sorry, I kinda failed on the whole ‘don’t fall for him’ thing. My bad.

Braden brushes his lips across my ear. “Leave the compromising to me.”

He’s had whiskey, I can smell it – but he’s not drunk. Have we danced that long? Apparently.

His hand creeps around to my stomach, his fingers splaying outwards. His body presses against me. “Let’s get you a drink.”

I nod and silently allow him to lead me back to the bar. He takes me to a corner and, after ordering me whatever the hell a daiquiri is, sits me on a stool. He nudges my legs open and stands between them, one hand on the bar and another on my waist.

“Did you know that when you dance, your hips do this thing where they move?”