Cloud Riders(118)

She shook her head. ‘Temper, Mono. I imagined you as a much better adversary than this.’ Cassie motioned for another drink as he dealt out the last hand.

‘You’re far too beautiful to be so damn annoying,’ he said and played his hand.

He then seemed in a better mood when he won the next round but on the final hand, after he flipped over his last card and she had beaten him, all his anger came back. He stood up, flinging his chair back. ‘What is your name, young lady?’ he asked.

She stood up, putting her hand out confidently to shake his hand. ‘Cassie. That would be Mrs Cassie Hunter.’

He stood glaring at her for a minute and a strange look come over his face as he finally took her hand. ‘Well then, Cassandra Hunter,’ he said, becoming calm. ‘It’s been very interesting meeting you although I can’t say I enjoyed it totally,’ he said, kissing her hand and staring into her eyes, trying to soak her in as if not wanting to ever forget her. ‘You and I will definitely be meeting again and when we do you must give me a chance to redeem my money,’ he said, letting go of her hand. With an air of arrogance he swept out of the room, not even taking the time to glance at anyone else, his guards following closely behind him.

Jason, Conor and Ethan were up like a shot, fussing over Cassie. ‘You were unreal,’ Jason said, thanking her at the same time as the other two.

Kayden came in and snatching Cassie off them while he gave the boys an I’ve warned you about touching my woman look. Cassie gladly fell into his arms. Totally wiped out and wanting to get the hell out of there, she had to wait for Woody to finish growling at the guys. And boy, was he going to town on them.

‘If Cassie hadn’t bailed you dip-shits out it would have been a blood bath and we may all have ended up either in hospital or dead! We don’t need this sort of exposure and you know it!’ He was yelling now.

The disciplining went on for a further few minutes with lots of cursing before they backed down and promised to behave. ‘I don’t even want to look at the idiots tonight,’ Kayden growled. ‘Guys take the winnings from the table and piss off out of my sight. We’ll finish this in the morning.’

‘No more bloody cards or else,’ Woody yelled at them as they bolted out the door, laughing and giving Woody the birdie.

Woody and Kayden hid an amused expression as they turned away, both knowing if they were still single, they would have been right there with them, looking for more bloody mischief and running a-muck.

Ella was impressed on the way back to the hotel. ‘Quite the little gambler,’ she said to Woody as they talked between themselves, Woody telling Ella about Cassie’s casino days.

Kayden was laying little kisses around Cassie’s shoulders and whispering how sexy she had looked when she ran her finger along the table and licked it. ‘I could have come over there and taken you right on that table it was such a turn on.’

She started to thaw out and giggle a little at his enjoyment.

Woody started to laugh. ‘Cut it out, Kayden. Don’t forget we’re here too. Find a room!’

Kayden replaced her strap on her shoulder and sat up chuckling.

‘I was trying so hard not to smile at her,’ Woody remarked. ‘She just about had the poor guy drooling. How he stopped himself from not bowing down and giving her his whole fortune at the end of it I’ll never know. I have to admit you were extremely entertaining, Cassie.’

‘Weren’t you scared just a little?’ Ella asked her. ‘I just about jumped out of my skin when he slammed his glass into the wall.’

‘You can’t let them intimidate you. I’ve seen worse behaviour and was expecting it because he was really very good. The only way I could think to rattle him was by making him drink with me. I had the impression he was not use to being told what to do but would have seemed weak to you lot if he’d refused me. I’m just glad it was only three hands. His eyes were the only part of him I could get a reaction. That was why I kept up the act to get something, anything, from him. He was a hard nut to crack I can tell you.’

‘But you let him win one. I saw that look you get when you do it to us,’ Woody eyed her.

‘Yes, I had decided that was best as I could feel his anger from where I sat. And yet when I did the final count of the cards afterwards, he would have actually won that round fair and square. I think I met my match in cards tonight,’ she admitted. ‘He may have actually won fair and square if we had kept playing.’

Woody was thoughtful. ‘Maybe a rematch would be fun to watch then.’

‘That’s not going to happen,’ Kayden snapped abruptly, sliding his arm back around her and looking out the window. He stayed quiet the rest of the trip. They pulled up at the hotel and he said goodnight politely but moodily and took Cassie up to their room. She knew he was pissed off because he’d even knocked back a nightcap with Woody which has never happened.