The Gamble, page 5
I walked down to Tom’s bar to grab a drink and realized that she hadn’t skipped out on the party. Sophie was playing pool with Ethan. Claire, Keri, and Derek were up at the bar drinking and watching Sam Quinto’s football game.
My heart skipped a beat. She wore skinny jeans, ankle boots with a spiked heel, and a form-fitting black, long-sleeve shirt. Her blue hair was curled, and she looked like she had stepped out of a magazine shoot. Once again, my pants became very uncomfortable.
When I walked into the room, she was leaning over the pool table, about to take a shot.
“Phil!” D shouted.
She scratched the ball and looked up at me.
“You didn’t!”
Her head jerked over to Ethan. “Shut up, E.”
“Did you just scratch on the black ball?”
“Really, E, rubbing it in doesn’t suit you,” she coolly shot at him.
“Can everyone just take a moment and remember that I just beat Sophie playing pool?” Ethan held his arms out in a victory stance.
She swatted him on the arm. “Ha, ha!”
I caught her eyes and slightly nodded. She didn’t give me any sign that she was mad or not mad at me… She looked at me like I was a complete stranger.
Seriously? I fucked her all night long, took her to a sex club, and even ditched her bodyguards, and this is how she’s going to play this?
“Phil, you want me to get you a drink?” Claire offered.
“I’ve got it, but thanks.” I walked over and went behind the bar. “Anyone need a refill?”
D slid his empty beer bottle down the bar. “Hit me up, Phil.”
I grabbed a beer and slid it down to him.
Sophie came and sat down at the bar. “I’ll take a vodka tonic with a lime.”
“No pinot today?” I tried to tease her, but it came out flat.
“Nope.”
Ethan came and sat down between Sophie and Claire. “Grab me a beer, Phil?”
I finished making Sophie’s vodka tonic and handed it to her. Her fingers grazed mine a bit. I tried once again to find something, anything in her eyes, but they were emotionless.
I grabbed Ethan and myself a beer.
“Where did you two run off to last night?” Ethan asked.
I looked at Sophie, but she stayed quiet.
“Just for a walk,” I finally said.
Ethan peered at me. “Then why did you need Jack’s key?”
“Phil showed me his creepy basement,” Sophie jumped in.
I threw her a grateful glance.
“Silence of the Lambs one-hundred percent, huh, Soph?” Ethan grinned at her.
A moment of sadness passed through her eyes, and Ethan suddenly had the same sadness in his. She blinked back tears and turned her head.
He put his hand on her shoulder and didn’t say anything.
What the hell is that about?
I looked over at Claire. She glanced nervously at both of them. I caught her eye and furrowed my brow at her, but she just shook her head.
Sophie got up and went into the bathroom.
I looked at Ethan. “What was that about?”
“Nothing.” He grabbed his beer, took a big swig, and looked back at the television screen.
Claire got up, kissed him on the cheek, walked over to the bathroom, and knocked on the door. “Sophie, can I come in?”
Sophie let her in.
“Ethan, what the hell is happening right now?”
“Now’s not a good time to get into it, Phil.”
I sighed. “Is she okay?”
He shifted in his seat. “She’ll be fine. But why are you two acting like you hardly know each other?”
I blew out a big breath.
“Yeah, you guys raced out of the party last night together, and now you look like total strangers,” Keri chimed in.
D turned, didn’t say anything, but raised his brows at me.
I looked at Ethan. “I don’t know. I thought maybe you could tell me. She stormed out of my place around six a.m.”
“What did you do to her?” Ethan accused me.
My head jerked back and I glared at him. “Seriously? It’s automatically my fault? I don’t even know what I did, but it’s all my fault...because I’m obviously a total jackass? Is that how we’re going to play this?”
D and Keri exchanged an uncomfortable glance.
Ethan took another long sip of his beer and let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, man. I just get overprotective of her.”
I gave him a pass and nodded. “It’s all right.”
“So, what's going on between you two?” Keri asked.
“Honestly, I don’t know what happened. Everything was good... No, scratch that—it was fucking perfect, and suddenly she was putting on her clothes and leaving while giving me the silent treatment.”
Ethan let out a soft laugh. “That sounds like Sophie. If it makes you feel any better, it means she likes you.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” I looked at Ethan like he was crazy.
Ethan grinned at me. “Nope. Otherwise she would tell you what you did to piss her off.”
“Well, that’s fair.”
“Hey man, all’s fair in love and war.” Keri gave me his cocky grin.
I rolled my eyes. “This is exactly why I don’t do relationships.”
“You don’t?” D raised his brow at me again.
Yep. He would think I couldn’t handle just casual sex. “No, I don’t.”
The guys all stared at me like they didn’t believe me.
I laughed and looked at Keri. “You think you’re the only one who knows how to do casual?”
Keri held up his hands. “Hey man, I’m trying not to do as much casual.”
I raised my eyebrow at him in disbelief. Keri James was the player of all players. “Oh, really? Why is that?”
He shrugged. “It’s getting old.”
“Yeah, well, my morning reminded me why I only do casual,” I told him.
The guys all looked at me again in disbelief as Sophie and Claire came out of the bathroom.
Ethan caught Sophie’s eye. She looked away.
Tom popped his head into the barroom. “Dinner’s ready.”
We grabbed our drinks and started to head out to the main room. Sophie glanced over at me and hung back a bit. I waited for everyone to leave.
“You okay?” I cautiously stepped closer to her.
“Yes. I’m sorry about earlier this morning.”
“I’m sorry for whatever I did to offend you.”
“Phil, you didn’t do anything wrong.”
I stared at her, not sure if I should push it or not.
She stepped closer and put her hand on my arm. “Honestly, you didn’t do anything wrong.”
She looked so vulnerable, and the same pain that was in her eyes at the club was present. And I just wanted to take it away from her. As much as I just rattled off about casual, I pulled her into me, bent down, and kissed her. Her arms flew around my neck, and the smell of cherries, tonka, and cedar filled my nostrils.
“You always smell so good, Petal,” I whispered to her.
“So do you. I think of how you smell all the time.”
I smiled at her. “Really?”
She softly laughed. “Yes.” She kissed me again and grabbed my ass, pushing me into her body.
My body started to respond to her, and I groaned. “I would rather take you home, but we better get out of here before they come after us.”
She smiled at me, and I kissed her head. I put my arm around her and pulled her into me as we walked down the hall. She snuggled further into my body.
When we got to the dining room, Claire gave me a wink. My phone rang.
I groaned when I looked down. London was calling again. I motioned for her to sit, and I walked out of the room.
“Andrew, I’m about to sit down to Thanksgiving dinner.”
“We missed a situation.”
I sighed. “What’s that?”
“Carlotta Ensign.”
My gut dropped. “What about her?”
“She leaves for Toronto tonight, and her guys don’t have clearance anymore.”
“What? How the hell did you miss this?” My pulse throbbed in my neck.
“We’re trying to figure it out, but she’s supposed to fly out at eight p.m tonight.”
“Who do we have that we can transfer?”
He paused and slowly said, “That’s the thing. We don’t have anyone.”
I closed my eyes. “How is this possible?”
“It’s the holiday over there—”
I cut him off. “Yes, Andrew, I’m fully aware it’s the holiday over here.”
He didn’t say anything.
I sighed. “We have guys in Canada, correct?”
“Yes.”
“I want your top guys in Canada put on her as soon as she arrives. And double the coverage.”
“Double the coverage?”
“Yes, I said double it.”
“But what are you going to do about security between the USA and Canada?”
“Don’t worry about it. You make sure there aren’t any issues with the Canadian team.” I hung up.
Tom walked in. “Phil, everything okay?”
“This hack is causing a lot of issues, and the London team doesn’t know their ass from a hole in the wall. We need to clean house over there.”
Tom nodded. “We will then, but not today. What’s going on?”
I snorted. “Sophie’s leaving for Toronto tonight at eight, and she can’t take her security.”
Tom looked at me in alarm. “What?”
“I know. How do you miss that? As I said, it’s time to clean house over there. I’m over these morons. This is messing with people’s lives,” I snapped.
Tom scanned my eyes and nodded. “Okay, I promise you we will, but we can’t do that this weekend. Let’s think of the solution for tonight.”
I started pacing. “I already have… Well, part of it. I’ve doubled the top agents over in Canada. She’ll be covered once she’s there, but she can’t have any security on her commercial flight over on her plane, which isn’t good enough.”
“No, not with her stalker issues.”
“And why the hell does her label have her on a commercial flight, anyways?”
Tom shook his head. “That right there is a one-way ticket for her to be mobbed.”
“Exactly.” I took my glasses off and rubbed my eyes.
“Phil, I think you need to take a break. When was the last time you slept?”
I ignored him. “We need to figure out her security, and we don’t have a lot of time. She’s got a hectic schedule tomorrow.”
“We will. Let’s just take a minute and think.”
I stopped pacing and turned toward Tom. “She needs security.”
“We will figure it out, and she’ll have it. What’s going on with you two, anyway?” Tom peered down at me.
I shrugged my shoulders. “Honestly, I don’t know. Whatever it is, it’s casual.”
“Really? It doesn’t seem that casual.”
“What do you know about casual?”
He laughed. “Good point. I didn’t know you knew a lot about that either, to be honest.”
“You don’t know a lot of shit about me.”
Crap, why did I say that?
Tom’s head jerked back in shock, and he looked at me in question. “Phil, did I do something to upset you?”
I let out a big breath. “Sorry. Just tired. Lots of bullshit with this entire merger. I’m over it.”
He slowly nodded. “Okay. No worries. Phil, let’s eat dinner and think about this for a bit. We’ll figure this out.”
“She has to have security, Tom.”
He nodded again and patted my back. “I know. Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out. Let’s go eat.”
We walked back into the room, and I sat down next to Sophie. Liv gave me her What’s wrong? look. I just shook my head. She turned and gave it to Tom as well.
Sophie leaned into me and whispered, “Is everything all right?”
I put on a fake smile. “All good.”
She looked at me like she didn’t believe me and put her hand on my thigh. I grabbed the mashed potatoes from Meg and plopped some on my plate.
The entire dinner I tried to figure out how to solve the dilemma. Through the course of the meal, Sophie snuck glances at me. Everyone was talking and laughing, and I kept my fake smile on my face with my head spinning over possible solutions.
Sophie grabbed my hand under the table and started to rub her thumb over it. I gave her another fake smile but could tell she wasn’t buying it.
She has to have security, and I don’t trust those idiots in London to handle the Canadian side.
We finished dinner, and I looked at the time. There was no way she was going on a commercial flight, and especially not without bodyguards.
“Tom.” I motioned for him to follow me into his office. “The only way I see this working is if I go with her. We can’t have her get off a plane in Canada and assume London sorted the security. If we take the jet, the security can stay on the plane and not get off, then reroute directly back here. I’ll get off the jet and make sure Sophie’s guards are there when she sets foot on Canadian soil.”
“Makes sense. Phil, why don’t you let me go with her? I think you need a break."
Guilt hit me hard. I was a total shithead for my nasty comment earlier. Tom was one of the best guys I knew and my closest friend. I spent more hours with him than anyone else.
I shook my head. “No. I appreciate the offer, but I’ll go with her. And I’m sorry I snapped at you before dinner.”
He smiled at me. “Already forgotten. I’ll get the flight plan situated. But Phil, you need some rest.”
I gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks. I’ll go tell Sophie, and I’ll get some tonight. Promise.”
Tom nodded and picked up his phone.
I left the room to find Sophie. She was sitting on the couch with Ethan and Claire, and I sat down next to her.
She turned toward me. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
I sighed. “Your bodyguards are part of the hack. They can’t set foot off the plane in Canada. We’ve got guys on the ground in Canada who will take over once we get there.”
“‘We?’”
“I’m going with you to make sure everything is properly sorted before you set foot off the jet.”
“You don’t have to do that. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“Soph—” Ethan looked at her.
“Ethan, stop worrying all the time. Seriously, you’re stressing over nothing.”
“No, it’s not nothing. You have very serious security issues.” He glared at her.
I cleared my throat. “Don’t worry, Ethan. She isn’t going alone.”
Ethan nodded to me. “Thanks.”
Sophie rolled her eyes. “This is ridiculous. You don’t need to ruin your Thanksgiving and come to Toronto. If security is supposed to be in Canada when I step off, I’m sure they’ll be there.”
Daggers flew from my eyes to Sophie. I stood up. I was done with this conversation, and walked over to Liv and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks for dinner. Everything was great.”
“Phil, make sure you get some rest, okay?” She looked at me, concerned.
“Don’t worry. I will.”
She looked at me like she didn’t believe me.
I went around the room and gave everyone my goodbyes and walked back over to Ethan, Claire, and Sophie. I bent down and kissed Claire on the cheek and nodded to Ethan.
I looked over at Sophie. “You’ve got ten minutes to be in the car. I’ll see you there.”
She gaped at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Claire trying not to laugh.
I was pretty sure Sophie was used to always getting her way, but I wasn’t going to cater to her every whim. Security wasn’t anything to mess around with, and she had some very serious issues going on.
It didn’t take long for me to get in the elevator, through the lobby, and to my car waiting at the curb. I immediately put my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. I had only gotten an hour of sleep since the previous day, and I was exhausted. I didn’t want to be going to Toronto, and especially not with someone who wanted to fight me about it. But there was no way I wasn’t going to make sure she was fully protected and safe.
A few minutes passed, and the door opened. I didn’t have to open my eyes. Sophie's cherry, tonka, and cedar scent filled my nostrils, and her warm body radiated next to mine.
Her hand pushed my cheek so I faced her.
I slowly opened my eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“You seem to be saying that a lot to me lately.” It was a dickhead thing to say; I knew it.
She smiled at me. “I know. Thank you for going with me.”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
“I deserved it.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Yes, I did.”
I didn’t say anything. There was no more fight left in me.
“Did you get any sleep?”
“An hour.”
She pulled my head into her chest. “Rest.”
I inhaled her scent deeper. As tired as I was, her perky breasts were inches from my mouth. I took my finger and traced her breast through her shirt, then saw her chest start to rise and fall slightly faster.
Oh, fuck it.
I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her over so she straddled me.
She gave me a surprised look, then quickly smashed her lips into mine. Her tongue pushed its way into my mouth.
She tasted sweet like brown sugar, and I pushed her head into mine with one hand while the other hand grabbed her ass—her round, pert ass that twerked in front of millions and had lived in my fantasies before I met her, then haunted my dreams ever since.
As her knees dug into the sides of the car and slid down on my thighs, she began to grind her lower body into my cock.
I groaned. I quickly pulled her shirt off her and released her bra so her breasts were right in front of my mouth. My finger traced her fullness, and my tongue darted out of my mouth to circle her areola. Tiny whimpers escaped her as my lips gently enclosed her breasts.
She unzipped her pants and quickly slid them off, then unbuckled my belt and unzipped my trousers. I lifted my hips off the seat, and she slipped them down to my ankles.
