“No.”
“Okayyyy.” She draws out the word as her smile grows. “I can bring in some of the gogo dancers if you want entertainment.”
“No.”
“There might be a magician I can call to do some card tricks.”
I shake my head, and she sighs. “This is going to be a long night of you sulking on the couch if you don’t give me some idea of what you want.”
“You take a lot of liberties for someone who doesn’t know me.” I take another drink and watch her walk around the room touching the backs of the velvet chairs.
“Did you pay for this room just so you could get me alone?” I love the directness of her question, and I nod. “Then I want to make sure it’s worth my time.”
“How much would you have made out there tonight?” I raise my chin in challenge.
“Three thousand dollars.” She pops off with the number so fast I think she surprises herself.
“Okay.” I take out my wallet and place a black card on the table. “Swipe that for whatever you want.”
She steps closer and eyes the card and then me. “Right now?”
“If you are here to work, then let’s make this a transaction. I want your undivided attention without the thought of how much you’re missing out on.” I push the card toward her. “Go tell your boss how much you want and then come back to me.”
Her eyes widen, and I have the overwhelming desire to grab her and pull her to me, but I don’t move a muscle.
“Rogue,” she whispers, and I get harder at the sound of my name on her lips.
“Ember.” I call her by her real name so she can’t mistake my meaning. “Your ass is mine tonight. No matter the price.”
She opens her mouth and then closes it again as she looks up and then back at me. She leans close and drops her voice. “There are cameras in here. I can’t…do anything.”
I feel a smile tug at the corner of my lips. “You’ll do whatever the fuck I like.”
She swallows hard, and her fingers twitch at her side.
“Now go be a good girl and get paid. Then come back in here and give me my money’s worth.”
I wait for a long second before she picks up the card and slips it into the front of her corset between her tits. “I’ll be right back.”
Chapter Five
Ember
My whole body hums as I make my way across the casino floor. My legs and hands feel shaky with excitement and something else I can’t name. What the hell was that? I should have been livid. Hell, I should have smacked him. He wanted to buy me like an escort who does more than what’s advertised.
Although my head is doing one thing, my body is having an entirely different reaction. I’m more turned on then I’ve ever been in my life. I’m wet, my nipples are hard, and I can feel the flush on my face. Did he see it too?
He wants me so bad he seems pissed about it. Then he told me I could take whatever amount I wanted. I shouldn’t, but I’m going to. I want him to pay for it and then have his way with me. I lick my lips, wondering if he’ll kiss me first. Am I really about to do this? Where are these freaking thoughts coming from? If someone had told me this morning I’d be doing this, I would’ve laughed.
I look around for Neil, and I don’t see him anywhere. I see Stevie, the assistant manager, standing off to the side talking to one of the cocktails girls. I wait for her to go before I walk over.
“I need to run this card for five thousand.”
He lifts his brows. “Five thousand?”
“That’s what he said.” I shrug like it’s no big deal, and Stevie runs his eyes up and down me. Why does everyone keep doing that? This outfit must have magical power.
“All right.” He takes the card from my hand and runs the tab payout.
I’m not sure how we’ll even be able to do anything with the cameras in the room, and I clench my thighs together, getting more turned on at that thought. Will we have to sneak around or go somewhere else?
“Cherry!”
Neil snaps my name from behind me as Stevie hands me back the card and the money. I slip the money into my pocket, then turn around just as Neil gets to me. He grabs me by my arm, surprising me as he pulls me off to the side. I almost trip over my heels in the process but manage to find my feet.
“What the hell?” I jerk my arm out of his hold and rub the place where he grabbed me. He probably left a bruise.
“What did I tell you?” I take a step back, needing some space from his anger. Holy hell he’s pissed. I’m so getting fired. “This isn't a pay and play casino, and you should know better than to go around selling it.” He glances down to my thighs and then looks back up.
“Am I fired?” I’m not going to stand here and be yelled at just so he can fire me. I can feel my face turning redder by the second.
“No, but you’re going home for the night and tomorrow I want you in my office first thing to talk about your punishment. Be here twenty minutes before your shift.”
Punishment? Like a write-up?
I hold up the credit card. I’m guessing he’s not going to let me go back to give it to Rogue. I knew there were cameras in the room, but I have no idea if they could hear us too. He grabs the black card from my hand.
“Amber, you’re taking Cherry’s private room,” Neil calls out to the passing waitress.
A weird jealousy hits me, and I clench my jaw to keep from saying anything.
“Awesome.” She winks at me as she takes the credit card from Neil. “Oh, a black card,” she coos, fanning herself with it.
Neil grabs me by the chin, making me look up at him. Amber looks at us funny but walks off toward the private rooms. Neil has crossed too many lines, but what can I say? If he heard everything that was said in the private room between Rogue and me, then he could fire me on the spot. I have to put up with this because I need this job. It took me two months to find it and then get trained. I can’t go without working that long again. My savings are all dried up, and I’m flat broke.
“Go home,” he orders.
I jerk back when he tries to brush his thumb against my bottom lip. He glares at me for a moment before I turn and walk as fast as I can in heels off the casino floor. I pass by the poker room and see all of Rogue's friends staring.
My eyes sting with tears, and I don’t know why I want to cry. It has to be a mix of everything. Being caught and then Amber taking my room sent me over the edge. I’m never going to see Rogue again, and Neil just put his hands on me. I’m pissed off, and all my emotions are on edge.
This might be for the best. I lost all rational thought around Rogue, and I can’t put myself in that kind of position.
I stop at my locker and grab my purse. I send Diamond a text to let her know I’m leaving early. I’m going to have to call for a car since I rode with her.
As I walk out the back exit, I take out my phone and call for a car. Being at the casino, it doesn't take long for one to show up. I open the door to get in, but a feeling makes me pause. I should go back inside the casino and give Rogue my number or something. I can’t leave like this, but what if I walked in and he was in the middle of doing something with Amber? I know she’ll take him up on the offer. She picks up random shifts over at Scuttlebutt, and nothing is off limits there.