Page 28 of Jackpot Joker

Ihate the way this man looks devilishly handsome today. Hell, every day. Dario walks ahead of me, and my eyes can’t help but take in his muscular ass in his painted-on pants.

Stop it. Stop looking at your client’s ass. It doesn’t matter that it’s complete perfection. While you’re at it, stop looking at the biceps bulging underneath his shirt. And his slightly stubbled profile. And don’t you dare think about how good that would burn between your thighs.

Fuck, I need to get laid.

My thoughts of Dario’s sculpted body come to an abrupt halt when I crash into him. “Shit.”

His brilliant, and of course, perfect, smile gleams. “If you wanted me to hold you in my arms, mio toro, all you had to do was ask.”

I quickly pull away from Dario’s touch, brushing off the fact that his hands on me send some sort of electric jolt through my body. My entire body. And yes, I mean my pussy. “Why did you stop?”

He blinks his eyes at me, and they’re as mouthwatering as the hazelnut spread they match. “I asked you a question, and you never answered. I stopped to check on you.” He leans down to whisper in my ear. “And I couldn’t help but notice that you were checking me out.”

A breathy laugh escapes me, but I manage to recover quickly. “Gross, truly.” His smirk tells me he isn’t buying it, so I pivot. “I was simply taking in how stunning this place is compared to Angelo. It’s much more my style.”

“Is that so?” His smile spreads into the same one the serpent must have given Eve. “What is it about Demone that draws you to it?”

I swallow the ball currently stuck in my throat. He’s a serpent indeed with the way his tone has me ready to forgo all my inhibitions and ask him to take me to one of the suites here; I have no doubt they’re as gorgeous as the rest of the place. “The color scheme,” I manage to stammer out. “I like the blacks and reds.”

Dario steps closer to me, wrapping his arm around my back and pulling me into him, and I bite the inside of my cheek so the whimper dying to escape stays right where it should. “If the darkness is what you like, Miss Baker, then you’re in luck.”

He brushes past me, and I ignore the shiver running down my spine. I hate how my body reacts to this man as much as I hate his inability to be serious about anything. Following him, we reach the elevators that are, to no surprise, black. When we step inside, the soft red glow paired with the low beat of the elevator music is suggestively seductive. I wait for Dario to press a button to take us to a different floor, but instead, my eyes track his movements as he scans a black card with a foiled red pitchfork over what appears to be a keypad. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” Dario says, stepping back with a smug smile.

I open my mouth to berate him for not being forthcoming, but the elevator begins to descend, the shock stealing my voice. I look down at the ground beneath my heels, and my mind races. Dario may be a bit of a joker, but his promise of darkness has a lump growing in my throat.

When I finally reach the courage to try and speak again, the elevator doors open, and I jump as Dario steps in from behind me and whispers in my ear. “Welcome to Inferno.”

The music follows us as we exit the elevator and cross the black marble floors. The beat is strong and feels like it’s thrumming through my entire body, making my core throb in need. I follow Dario to a black counter placed directly in front of thick double doors, where I also notice a keypad. A thin woman with a blonde bob and red painted lips greets us.

“Mr. Caruso, it’s a pleasure.” I don’t miss the way his eyes rake over her body and can’t help but roll my eyes, certain these two have hooked up before. Not that I give a single damn.

Give her your phone,” he orders me.

I cross my arms in defiance because how fucking dare he? “Why should I?”

He leans into me and tucks a stray golden strand behind my ear, then lifts my chin so I can look in his eyes. “There are rules here that must be followed. You can trust me.”

I snort and don’t miss the way his face falls. It’s brief. Had I blinked, I’m certain I would have missed it. Feeling guilty, I pull my phone from my jumpsuit pocket, another reason to love these things, and hand it over.

His lips tilt up gently before he turns back to the woman. “We will need black bands today, Valentina.”

She gives a small nod and smile, handing over two silk strands. Dario grabs my hand and slides the gentle fabric over my fingers and palm until it sits on my wrist. He pulls at the black bead until the fit is snug. When he releases me to put his own band on, I ignore the way my body misses his touch.

“What are these for?” I ask.

Dario steps to the double doors and scans his card once more, looking down at me as they open. “Our safety.”

My throat catches, wondering where the hell he has brought me. What if this is some underground gambling ring with seedy mafioso types where the game ends in a shootout when one of them realizes they’ve lost all their money? What if it’s an underground fighting ring where people place bets on who will win in a match where only one person can walk away victorious?

A deep inhale helps me brace myself for whatever I’m about to walk into. As I follow Dario through the doors, I’m surprised by the same deep bass of the music as a myriad of bodies writhe against each other.

When a woman accidentally bumps into me, I notice her top has been pushed down so her breasts are bare and on display for everyone to see. My eyes gawk, but she smiles, apologizing for her clumsiness, then turns back to her partner, who leans down to hopefully help her pull her top back in place.

“Did you see that?” I ask Dario, but with the music so loud, he continues walking, no doubt unable to hear my question.

I bend and twist my body, a dance all of my own, as we continue through the place. Cages are suspended throughout the space, and I blink rapidly when I see a woman dancing in it, a man kissing her neck and dipping his hand in the leather pants she wears. I gasp and turn away, following Dario until he finally stops at a bar.