secret and no one seemed to think she was some horrible person. As a matter of fact, they seemed to regard her as Jack had all weekend—with admiration.
This realization caused all the tension to leave her body. The love she received in return for her public admission? That sent her soaring into the clouds. The pull of the casino was no more. She was free, at least for today. She had to tell Jack. He might not “want” her or to take their relationship further, but he’d been an integral part in helping her find her strength and he deserved her thanks.
Kamaria left the dais, then ran out of the ballroom. She stood in the middle of the hallway looking every which way for Jack. She remembered he had mentioned something about a possible problem in the casino. Maybe he had gone there. She jogged down the stairs leading into the casino without any thought. Just past the entrance to the poker pit, she could see a number of the security staff, Jack included, wrestling a man to the ground. Curiosity got the better of her as she inched closer to the tussle. Too close, actually. A wild arm flew out of the melee, sending her flailing backward. She stumbled a few steps until she walked into an unoccupied chair and plopped down on it heavily.
The dealer at the table took her sitting there as a sign that she wanted to play. He held out his hand to take her bet. “Welcome to the table, little lady! How much are you playing for today?” She held her hands over the table, almost like she was covering a hand of cards. “No, wait…”
She looked up and saw a disheveled Jack standing behind the dealer. His chest heaved up and down like he was out of breath. But his eyes shone with utter disappointment.
Jack came around the table. He hoisted her up by the arm. “I leave you alone one time… Did you really just walk out on your speech to come in here?”
“Yes, I did. I…”
“Kamaria Wilson, I’m going to have to ask you to leave the premises. Immediately…”
A single tear streamed out of the corner of her eye. Now she understood why Jack dismissed her suggestion about spending a few more days together. It could never work out between them. Not as long as he made his home here in Las Vegas. He would always see her as an addict who needed a babysitter.
She swiped the tear away with the back of her hand. “You’re right, Jack. I don’t belong here.”
Yanking her arm free of his grasp, she dashed out of the casino toward the elevator bank. She smashed the button repeatedly until the door opened. Her heart hurt, not because of Jack’s knee-jerk reaction to what he saw, but because she had no say in how “what could have been” ended. Just like every other major change in her life. The end of her life as a professional gambler. Leaving Las Vegas in defeat instead of victory. Allowing herself to fall for Jack, a man she could never have, had been a bad bet.
She entered the elevator that would take her back to her suite with her head hung low. Her legs trembled. She slid down until she was sitting on the elevator floor. She cradled her head between her arms and opened her mouth to sob. But nothing came out.
Now that the pull of the casino was gone, she felt completely empty.
Chapter Eight
A few weeks later, Jack was back doing “just one more favor” for Ben, filling in for one of the guys who had called in sick. They had just caught some guy counting cards. Jack was in the process of throwing the scumbag into a metal folding chair in the security office.
Ben had to grab Jack by the shoulders to haul him off the guy. “Whoa there, Alderisi. What bug crawled up your ass?”
Jack yanked his shoulder out of Ben’s grasp. He shot both Ben and the perp an evil eye. “He lied to me,” he ground out between clenched teeth. “I don’t like it when they lie.”
Ben was now standing between the two men, with one hand on each man to keep them apart.
“You, asshole. In the chair. Now.” Ben pushed the perp down into
This realization caused all the tension to leave her body. The love she received in return for her public admission? That sent her soaring into the clouds. The pull of the casino was no more. She was free, at least for today. She had to tell Jack. He might not “want” her or to take their relationship further, but he’d been an integral part in helping her find her strength and he deserved her thanks.
Kamaria left the dais, then ran out of the ballroom. She stood in the middle of the hallway looking every which way for Jack. She remembered he had mentioned something about a possible problem in the casino. Maybe he had gone there. She jogged down the stairs leading into the casino without any thought. Just past the entrance to the poker pit, she could see a number of the security staff, Jack included, wrestling a man to the ground. Curiosity got the better of her as she inched closer to the tussle. Too close, actually. A wild arm flew out of the melee, sending her flailing backward. She stumbled a few steps until she walked into an unoccupied chair and plopped down on it heavily.
The dealer at the table took her sitting there as a sign that she wanted to play. He held out his hand to take her bet. “Welcome to the table, little lady! How much are you playing for today?” She held her hands over the table, almost like she was covering a hand of cards. “No, wait…”
She looked up and saw a disheveled Jack standing behind the dealer. His chest heaved up and down like he was out of breath. But his eyes shone with utter disappointment.
Jack came around the table. He hoisted her up by the arm. “I leave you alone one time… Did you really just walk out on your speech to come in here?”
“Yes, I did. I…”
“Kamaria Wilson, I’m going to have to ask you to leave the premises. Immediately…”
A single tear streamed out of the corner of her eye. Now she understood why Jack dismissed her suggestion about spending a few more days together. It could never work out between them. Not as long as he made his home here in Las Vegas. He would always see her as an addict who needed a babysitter.
She swiped the tear away with the back of her hand. “You’re right, Jack. I don’t belong here.”
Yanking her arm free of his grasp, she dashed out of the casino toward the elevator bank. She smashed the button repeatedly until the door opened. Her heart hurt, not because of Jack’s knee-jerk reaction to what he saw, but because she had no say in how “what could have been” ended. Just like every other major change in her life. The end of her life as a professional gambler. Leaving Las Vegas in defeat instead of victory. Allowing herself to fall for Jack, a man she could never have, had been a bad bet.
She entered the elevator that would take her back to her suite with her head hung low. Her legs trembled. She slid down until she was sitting on the elevator floor. She cradled her head between her arms and opened her mouth to sob. But nothing came out.
Now that the pull of the casino was gone, she felt completely empty.
Chapter Eight
A few weeks later, Jack was back doing “just one more favor” for Ben, filling in for one of the guys who had called in sick. They had just caught some guy counting cards. Jack was in the process of throwing the scumbag into a metal folding chair in the security office.
Ben had to grab Jack by the shoulders to haul him off the guy. “Whoa there, Alderisi. What bug crawled up your ass?”
Jack yanked his shoulder out of Ben’s grasp. He shot both Ben and the perp an evil eye. “He lied to me,” he ground out between clenched teeth. “I don’t like it when they lie.”
Ben was now standing between the two men, with one hand on each man to keep them apart.
“You, asshole. In the chair. Now.” Ben pushed the perp down into
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