Read Let It Ride for Free Online

he said.
    “No. I’m meeting my friends in the bar.”
    “Then I’ll escort you there.”
    “Thanks,” she said. He cupped her elbow and led her through the lobby. Angelo Mandetti left the dealer and walked toward them.
    Deacon introduced them.
    “Piacere, amico,” Mandetti said.
    “What language is that?”
    “Italian. It means, ‘Nice to meet you.’”
    “Same here, Angelo.”
    “Kylie is meeting some friends in the bar,” Deacon said. “Want to start our tour there?”
    “Sounds good to me,” Mandetti said.
    They continued to the bar, Mandetti walking a few paces behind them. Kylie scanned the crowded room and then bit her lip.
    “What’s wrong?” Deacon asked.
    “They’re not here. I think I’ll head up to my room.”
    “Want to come with me?” he asked.
    “I don’t want to intrude.”
    “I’m just observing,” Mandetti said.
    “Then I’d love to,” Kylie said with a smile.
    Deacon tried not to let it matter that she’d been stood up by her friends. Or that he’d made her smile after she’d looked so sad. But it did matter, and not just because of the bet.

    Kylie tried to tell herself that obviously Deacon was after only one thing. But she knew it wasn’t true. As much as she didn’t want to risk her heart again. As much as she knew that Vegas was the ultimate adult playground and she shouldn’t buy into anything she saw here, as much as her mind told her otherwise, her heart was falling for the dark man with shadowed eyes.
    “This is our main casino,” Deacon said. “We have two rooms in the back that are visible from this floor for high-rolling poker games. Plus a few VIP rooms we keep on hand for whales.”
    “What’s a whale?” Kylie asked.
    “A high roller,” Mandetti answered. “Usually someone from out of town who has more money than he can spend in one week in Vegas.”
    Kylie noted many similarities between Deacon and the older man. They moved the same way. A certain lightness on their feet that spoke of an ease with their bodies, combined with a self-confidence that other men saw as almost a dare.
    “Do you gamble?” Deacon asked.
    “Not really. I played a few slot machines at the airport and in your lobby.”
    Deacon said nothing, which she noticed was his way. He was very quiet and didn’t reveal much of his life. All she really knew about him was that he’d grown up here and his mom had been a showgirl.
    “This is roulette, right?” she asked when they stopped near a green velvet table.
    “Yes. Want to play?”
    “I don’t know how.”
    “It’s easy. I’ll show you.”
    He motioned to one of the uniformed employees that Kylie had observed earlier just standing around. The man came right over. “We need some chips.”
    He handed the young man five one-hundred-dollar bills and Kylie felt her reality shift again. She’d never had five hundred dollars in her pocket, and certainly never had the money to waste on a game.
    “I’m not sure this is good idea. I’m really not that lucky.”
    “I am,” he said.
    Mandetti laughed. The employee returned, handing Deacon a tray of chips. Guiding her with a hand on her waist, he pushed her through the small crowd gathered at the table until she had a front spot.
    Deacon stood behind her, intimately pressed against her back. He set the tray on the table in front of her.
    “The lady’s feeling lucky, Ben.”
    “Ready to give the wheel a chance?” Ben asked.
    Kylie had no idea. Deacon took a stack of chips from the tray. “What’s your lucky number?”
    “I don’t have one,” she said.
    “Good thing I do.”
    Deacon placed the stack of chips on a black square with the number seven on it.
    “Now what do we do?” she asked.
    “Wait for the wheel and see if we hit pay dirt.”
    He stroked her arm and leaned over her shoulder, watching the wheel spin and the ball bounce and finally stop on a black square. She wasn’t wearing her glasses, so she couldn’t make out the number. But Deacon squeezed her