Zephyr's Promise

16

Why the hell would she wear that? If she's trying to make me lose my mind then mission accomplished. Undoubtedly I know she isn't and even that bothers me too. Why am I not worthy of her attention? Why did it seem that any other woman would be desperate for me if they were in her situation? Yet even though it is clear she is attracted to me it doesn't influence any of her decisions. It is just another thought in her head. As if I were anyone else.

Now's not the time Atlas.

If I could I would have. It isn't as easy as it sounds when she's standing so close to me.

A tug on my suit jacket pulls me back to reality. "Sorry." Sheepishly she apologizes. "I've never been good in heels." Her honesty sets something free within me. None of these women would admit that to me easily. They have been trained to be perfect little Barbies. Nile is still untainted by this world, it makes her real to me. Fuck if that isn't refreshing.

Sitting at the nearest craps table I pull her into my lap. My arms tighten around her in warning. The box person looks between Nile and I until a dealer subtly tells him to let it go.

The first two rounds I play with Nile sitting stiffly in my lap. It isn't until one of my hands caresses her knee that she relaxes into me.

In the fourth round I let her take over and holy shit she won. Without thinking I squeezed her knee in congratulations. Fuck if I didn't want to do more than that.

Shifting I set my sights on the very douche I came here to keep an eye on. Jasper Costa. Since last seeing him he's grown his hair out. It reaches past his earlobes. Instead of dressing up he wears a simple button down with the first two undone. I would wrinkle my nose at him if it weren't exactly something he'd do. He always loved attention. Always.

"Where's your drink?" I ask her when the table ends the final round.

"Here." She shows me the glass that is more than halfway empty. "Want some?"

"Are you sure you want to share with me?" I teasingly ask.

With her eyes low, giving away how intoxicated she is she looks at me. "Maybe you're right." She says looking down at her drink. "I don't know where your lips have been." She mumbles the words trying to keep them to herself but I hear her clearly.

"You're worried about who I've been kissing?"

"I am." She sighs. Turning to face me she pushes both legs on either side of my thighs.

She doesn't even realize what she's doing. Her thighs press themselves into me and it's all I can do to not moan. She's just that fucking good. Every second around her I become more desperate for the little crumbs she throws at me. Only hoping that at some point it will be enough to knock me out of this trance. It never is though.

"Is that any of your business?" Outwardly she rolls her eyes and I find myself wanting to make her eyes roll back for a completely different reason.

"If you're putting your lips on my glass then yes." She is determined to defend herself. "Men like you aren't always cautious about the women you let kiss you."

"Men like me?"

"Yes." She demands. "Rich, powerful, can have whoever they want. Sexy..." Shyly she turns away. "Men like that. Like you aren't always careful I guess. Then again.." Slightly I nod in an attempt to get her to continue. I didn't want her hiding anything from me even if it seemed slightly silly. "For some reason I do trust you."

Slowly she raises the glass for me to sip. When it reaches my lips she tilts it up and I catch the contents before she lowers it back down. Nile doesn't notice but I do. All eyes are set on us. Every person in Reno is watching us.