Chapter 9

The High Roller is packed, considering it's Sunday night. My original plan was to pop into Spades to see if Annika magically appeared. It worked last night, but Ward and I don't even make it past the dance floor before I spot her. She's with the same asshole who came to scoop her up when she could have been thanking us for rescuing her.

I need that woman for a very specific purpose. Her having a boyfriend genuinely complicates things. I like life uncomplicated, which might be why I'm nearly thirty-five without a wife or any bonds.

Ward snorts, elbowing me in the ribs. "I'm going to guess seducing her into doing your bidding is out of the question."

My head tilts, watching as her mouth falls open. That fucking security guy has his fingers buried in her pussy.

Seriously?

Right out on the dance floor for anyone to see? It's not exactly unusual in the High Roller. The majority of the patrons are here for the omegas, after all.

"Money, it is," I agree. "Come on. Let's make ourselves known and see if she's feeling thankful for us interceding last night."

There are beautiful women everywhere, but my eyes stay glued to the omega from Spades.

I can only see the side of her face as she grins up at her boyfriend. He spots us weaving through the sweaty bodies lining the dance floor, and his eyes narrow as his jaw clenches. He palms her ass, making a show of pulling her closer. One of his hands is still between them, accessing her cunt from the front.

He nuzzles his cheek to hers and gets close to her ear, likely saying something that she wouldn't be able to hear without the close proximity.

Grady nips at her ear and smirks at me and Ward as we approach at a slight angle. He removes his hand from her sex and spins her around until her back rests against his chest.

His tattooed hands land on her thigh and stomach as his face appears over her shoulder. He bumps her head until she spots us.

Annika's head tilts as her plush pink lips fall open.

Ward snorts. "Tell me you wouldn't kill to see that face when she was on her knees for you."

Her eyes narrow, and it manages to make her even more attractive. My cock thickens against my thigh as her chest heaves.

"I got your name last night." Grady pulls his hand off her middle to point at me. "But you and I didn't have the pleasure." He gestures toward Ward.

"Ward Fuller," he says, eyeing Annika from the top of her head down to the rounded pair of heels she wears. "We've got a proposition for you. Would you like a drink?"

"You hear that, baby? They've got a proposition for you." Grady laughs.

Ward hooks his thumbs in his suspenders.

I sigh.

I really dislike that man already.

Ward grabs us drinks from the bar, and we meet at one of the circular booths. I slide in, and Ward takes the edge as Grady takes the other side. He pulls Annika to rest in his lap, spreading her thighs over his.

I can see the creamy tops of her thighs, but her dress covers all the good parts. I could tilt my head to get a better view of exactly how spread open she is. I'm guessing Ward has a slightly better view, but her dress and the tabletop also block most of his line of sight.

I glance down as her heels bump the back of the wooden booth.

Grady has her feet trapped behind his calves as his fingers tease up her inner thigh.

I suppose some people get off on exhibitionism. However, that's not the purpose of this meeting. Although, my voyeuristic side is threatening to make an appearance with the way her mouth gently parts as she wiggles in the asshole's lap.

"What's the purpose of this little get-together?" Grady asks, grabbing his beer off the table. He takes a swig as his eyes bounce between me and Ward.

I don't know why he thinks he's in charge.

Annika's head rolls around his chest, and he chuckles, bringing the drink to her lips. She takes a sip that has me licking my lips like a total creep.

"I have a proposition for the lady," I say, clearing my throat and meeting her eyes.

Annika snorts. "I feel like you have highly unrealistic expectations of who I am if you're referring to me as a lady."

Ward chuckles.

I bet he is eating this up. He knows how flustered I've been since last night. I truly can't remember the last time a woman declined my advances, let alone refused to grab a drink with me.

"Well, we already know you snore like a truck driver and curse like a sailor," Grady muses, bending to kiss her cheek from behind.

Her nose wrinkles as she slaps the hand he has wrapped around her middle. "You're lucky I like you."

"Right, if we could get back to our transaction?" I ask, making eye contact with one right after the other.

"For being a successful businessman, you're really floundering here, princess," Ward says in his slightly Scottish accent.

Annika gasps, leaning forward a bit. "What did you just say?"

"Ahh, I call the boss princess." Ward tosses a thumb in my direction, like there was some question as to who he was speaking about.

"Of course, sorry. It reminded me of something someone used to call me," Annika mutters, looking like she wishes she had kept her mouth closed.

"Mmm," Grady murmurs, cupping her tit. "We'll definitely be talking about that later when we're alone."

My cock throbs at the sight of her nipple poking through the thin fabric of her dress. Her pheromones flood the air with her sweet caramel scent, and it's not helping me stay clear at all. Especially considering her pheromones seem to be trying to convince my system that she's an omega in need of an alpha.

I exhale heavily and breathe in through my mouth. This meeting needs to commence, so it can be done before I start acting like a feral alpha.

"I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend for the next month," I blurt out, catching sight of his other hand working her pussy under her dress.

"Well, way to just come right out and say it," Ward says with a snort.

"I will, of course, pay you for your time. I was made aware of your skill set, and while I have no interest in outing that to the world, I am in need of your assistance." I grab my whiskey, taking a liberal swallow.

"What skill set is that?" Annika asks with wide eyes.

"Your ability to count cards," I say matter-of-factly. The grimace that crosses her face has me lowering my voice to continue. "I've heard you're highly accurate at picking up on cheating. As good as I am, there's one person I've never managed to best."

"You're getting ahead of yourself," Ward mutters to me. He gestures to Annika. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with us."

Grady's jaw flexes with his displeasure. "Where, exactly, did you hear that tidbit of information?"

"Someone who owes me a favor." I don't disclose sources. That's bad business. "He has a lady friend that recommended you."

"Well, I'm sorry to have wasted your time," Annika whimpers, writhing against Grady as he gets back to his ministrations. "But I'm already in a relationship. I can't pretend to be your girlfriend for a game, let alone a month. I am willing to consider overseeing a game at your request, but that would be the extent of what I could offer—" Her entire body shakes as she gasps, "Yep, right there."

"That won't work." I sigh. "I need you to appear to be a serious romantic prospect, or I'll never be able to get you into the game to begin with."

"Now I'm intrigued." Grady chuckles darkly.

I give him a dubious look. "You can bring your boyfriend and stay at my home until the job is complete. I'm also open to negotiating a sum you consider fair."

"Stop teasing, or I'm going to drag you up to one of the private rooms and climb right on your cock," Annika snaps, glaring over her shoulder at her alpha.

Grady chuckles, but he looks between Ward and me. "Her heat is right around the corner. You caught us on our day off, and I did promise to make her come as many times as her tight little body could handle."

The music is so loud, it should be impossible for me to pick up her light gasping moans, but I swear my hearing just amped up several degrees as a direct result of being able to hear her sexy sounds.

"Grandpa's looking a little hungry," Grady murmurs, nipping at the omega's ear. "You can come over and drink down her sounds."

Annika's eyes fly to Ward, and she nods wildly as she licks her lips.

"Grandpa?" he scoffs, shoving himself out of the booth. He walks around, sliding in at Grady's side while I'm still trying to determine when I lost control of this conversation so fully.

Annika grabs a handful of Ward's shirt and suspenders and tugs him to her.

"Fifty thousand dollars," I offer as Ward stares into her eyes.

Grady chuckles darkly, and it makes me ache to strangle him. There's nothing funny about this situation.

"You could probably negotiate." Ward brings a hand up, running his fingers over her cheek. "Take him for at least a hundred grand."

"What the fuck?" I ask and cringe. My tone sounds petulant to my own ears.

"A hundred grand per person?" Grady asks, licking down Annika's neck. She's still staring at Ward with her plush lips gently parted.

My cock throbs painfully as her chest rises and falls with rapid movements.

Ward dips his mouth to hers, but she dives to meet him in the middle.

"I'm almost jealous that I'm not you right now," Grady says to me. "It's a good view, isn't it?"

"Harder, please." Annika's muffled plea escapes around Ward's tongue.

Huh.

There have been a lot of times I vaguely considered murdering my oldest friend, but now seems to be the closest I've come to following through.

My fists clench as Ward's tongue dances in the air with Annika's. Her hand moves to his shoulder, pulling him closer.

Grady smirks, and I glance away. However, my eyes seem to act of their own volition as they circle back to the begging omega.

She sobs into the kiss, and her entire body tenses.

Grady palms one heavy tit as his other hand works under her dress, and I can't force myself to look away from the faces she makes.

Her creamy caramel smell floods the air, making my nostrils flare.

Good God, it's extremely potent.

She's extremely potent.

My instincts are convinced we need to scoop her up and get her somewhere safe.

Somewhere away from all other alphas, because she's my omega to breed. Her whimpering moans actually have goose bumps breaking out down my arms.

My dick is sticky and leaking. It's a ridiculous response. She's not mine, nor do I have any type of invitation. And yet, all I can think about is inviting myself in.

Ward continues kissing her as her body shakes against Grady's chest.

This is officially the most bizarre business transaction I've ever attempted to negotiate.

That, or the sexiest.