Mono seemed calm on the outside but underlying anger was showing in his eyes. ‘I won’t be here in the morning. I’ve given them long enough to come up with what they owe me.’ He summoned his guards to take it out of their hides and the guards moved toward them. Cassie could see this was not going to end nicely.
‘Wait!’ She put her hand up and sexily walked over to the table, lifting her tight skirt slightly so she could lean on it, looking Mono directly in the eye. The split was up to her thigh and her boobs spilled teasingly from her top, showing just a little lace from her low-cut bra. His eyes roved over her body without expression but certainly not with distaste.
‘How about you and I play a real game of cards, sugar and if I win, my friends and I all walk out of here owing you zip,’ she said with a rather sleazy drawl.
‘And if I win?’ He seemed slightly amused.
Cassie moved her hands gently off the table and ran them slowly over her hips and down her thighs, straightening her dress and talking quietly. ‘Then all bets are off, we take you down and you walk out of here with nothing but a headache from being thrown against that back wall,’ she said, smiling sweetly. She looked sideways at Kayden and he winked so she knew he was okay with it.
‘And who, may I ask, out of you lot, will be tough enough to throw me against the wall?’
She walked a little closer, slowly, so as not to startle him and as she did she ran her finger on the table then put it in her mouth and sucked it sensually, closing her eyes as if she were enjoying more than just the finger. Seductively pulling it from her lips she opened her eyes and grinned. ‘Um—that would be me,’ she said again, so honey-smooth that it even surprised herself.
He threw his head back and laughed. It was a truly amused laugh so her plan to seduce him into a game felt inevitable. ‘Because you amuse me I will play the best out of three hands,’ he gestured to his guard who pulled out a chair for her. ‘Drink?’ he said, clicking his fingers to the bar person who practically ran to him to see what he wanted.
Cassie smiled back. ‘Shot glass, rum, straight up,’ she said.
He sat back in his chair and she was thinking that maybe the guys had better get ready for plan B. This one was a challenge and so far with his poker face she had been unable to read him. But she still had a few tricks up her sleeve to thaw out Mr Freeze. She pulled the clip out of her hair and shook the long locks out, letting the curls fall sexily around her shoulders. Still there was not an expression she could pick, yet as she shook her head slightly, there was a definite glint that flickered in his eyes. Gotcha, she thought as she searched his poker face for anything else.
He leaned back, watching her antics. ‘This may be the conman getting conned. I’ll be watching you, lady, so no tricks.’
‘No sleeves,’ she said, lifting her hands up. ‘Are you telling me a little five-foot nothing female has you running scared?’
‘Not at all. I’m amused that you’d think you would even be good enough to play against someone like me but it is your boys’ funeral not mine if you lose.’ He shuffled the cards.
‘I would like to request a new unopened pack, not that I don’t trust you but neither of us then have reason to believe the other has cheated.’
‘Fine,’ he said, annoyed again as he summoned a new pack that he quickly pulled the wrapper from. ‘Any other requests before we start?’ he asked sarcastically.
She sculled her drink and put the glass in front of him, at the same time gesturing for him to drink his. ‘Yes, one last request. Keep them coming unless of course you’re unable to handle a couple of drinks with your opponent.’ She smiled, angel-like.
He looked at her for a minute and must have decided against what he was going to say and downed his drink, knocking on the table for two refills.
Cassie won the first hand, tossing another shot down and gestured for him to do the same. He was a bit moody and so she thought she would lull him into a false sense of security and let him beat her in the next round.
‘Mono,’ she smiled. ‘You have an extremely pleasant accent, South African isn’t it?’ She tried to sweet-talk him.
‘Shut the hell up. Your pleasantries won’t get those impudent fools from getting what’s coming to them,’ he said, concentrating on his cards.
‘And your sweet-sounding voice will not stop what is coming to you,’ she said gulping down yet another, motioning for him to keep up. He drank and slammed the glass against the wall. It shattered as it hit the tiled floor, the sound breaking through the deadly quiet room.