Page 145

TATE

It’s been an hour, and there hasn’t been one sight of the woman who seemed to snatch more of my attention than anyone ever has before.

I’m two beers in, a hundred dollars down, and have not won one single hand.

I could blame it on the lack of sleep, the fact that I’m not home near as much as I’d like to be, or any number of things really.

That’s not the case. My mind is everywhere else, and it has to do with the brown-haired beauty who was supposed to be here, but as the night wears on, it doesn’t look like she’ll be making an appearance.

“All-in,” Deke replies. He’s going to be taking all our money.

“Fold,” I reply. I have shit for a hand, no use in attempting to salvage it right now.

“Draw,” Joey, another one of the subcontractors we all work with, responds. That leaves one last person. Hard to tell what he has going on with the sunglasses he’s got on his face.

“Call.” Well, shit. I didn’t expect that from Davis, that’s for sure. Usually, he’s the one who sits quietly, doesn’t say a word, and never wins either. Seems tonight will be different.

Joey gets a card from the deck, doesn’t like what he’s working with, and folds, leaving Deke and Davis to win the pot.

I block them out, my mind everywhere but at this table, thinking that the second Em walks through that door, if at all, I know what I’ll be doing.

Keeping that night quiet has long since come to an end.

It’s no one’s wedding now, and while I’m not sure about long term, when it comes to the two of us, I’m willing to see where things go without putting a label on it.

“Grabbing another beer. Anyone want anything?” I ask, standing up. Since I’m not playing this round, there’s no reason for me to stay seated.

“Yeah, another IPA,” Deke responds, looking stressed as fuck over a five-hundred-dollar pot. Not a shit ton of cash, just enough to make us all not want to lose either.

“Nah, I’m good,” Davis says, not looking up from the cards in his hands as we wait on Deke to figure out what the fuck he’s going to do.

“Beer for me, too,” Joey requests. He’s sitting back in his chair, relaxed, cool as a cucumber, probably because he’s the richest fucker here.

We’ve all worked our way to the top somehow.

Joey just had a leg up since he was born and bred into the oil industry.

His grandad’s dad formed the oil company they own.

He’s currently serving as Vice President.

That doesn’t mean his family didn’t make him work from the bottom to the top, much like Deke’s did.

Davis is like me. We both started our own businesses, wanting to make a name for ourselves and doing just fine, too.

I may not be a millionaire; I’m not hurting either.

I walk towards the kitchen. The table is set up off the living room in Deke and Kelsey’s house, an open concept with a shit ton of remodeling they did in order to keep this small patch of private beach for themselves.

They went out and up in respects to the house itself, along with some kickass upgrades.

I make it there and move to the beverage and wine cooler they integrated into a small bar area off to the side when I hear the talking of two hushed tones, feminine in voice, one that has stuck with me for months on end, the deep rasp, desire-ridden, hungry little mewls I heard through the night.

“Kelsey, calm your tits. You’ve already broken girl code. Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve done.” I smirk to myself as I pop the top of our drinks, being the nosey fuck that I am when it comes to Emily.

“Whatever. Come on, you’re already an hour late.

Which means you need to catch up on drinking.

” Interesting turn of events, it seems. I figured when Deke mentioned Em would be here, it was more of a heads-up than anything else.

Seems like after that small little snippet of conversation, we might both be after the same thing.

I grab the beers in both hands, disposing of the caps in their trash can, and head back to the men.

There’s no need to let Em or Kels in on the fact that I heard what they were talking about.

I figure that will happen sooner or later.

I’m just hoping it happens soon, as in tonight.