Chapter 4

Jaxon

He slumped in his chair, not liking where this conversation was going. Anyone who didn’t consider gambling as a real-life disease had never witnessed a family member devoured by it.

His brother, Rhett gambled on everything. It was how their games with women had started. Back then their wagers involved non-monetary things.

They both hated Sunday dinner with their parents. No matter where they were in the world their parents expected them to be there. So one of their bets dealt with the other going to Sunday dinner for the both of them. 

But in the past three years, the stakes had shifted to large amounts of money. Lately, Rhett had been on a winning streak with their bets, doing all he could to win and then rushing off to any casino to gamble it away.

“Let’s place six figures on the bet with Mia,” Rhett suggested.

Shock hit Jaxon. “Six figures? Have you been doing drugs these days?”

“It’s not too much for you. I know it. You save more than an animal preparing for hibernation.”

“It’s the smart thing to do when I’d rather not work. I won’t bet six figures on a woman, no matter how delectable she may be.”

“Anything lower would be boring.”

“Or the fact is that you need six figures.”

Rhett averted his eyes. “Who said I needed it?”

“Do you need it or not?”

With his thumb, he smudged a circle on the surface of his watch. The more seconds passed by, the more Jaxon's heart increased its beats in his chest.

“I’m a little low this month, Jax,” he admitted.

“How low?”

“I haven’t been able to pay things.”

He placed his hand under the table and formed his fingers into a fist. “What things? Why don’t you elaborate?”

“Because I don’t want to hear a speech.” Rhett slumped in his chair. “I just need some help.”

“Like a counselor for gambling addiction?”

“No. I need money.”

He realized his brother always needed money these days. 

“How much?” He asked.

“Six hundred thousand.”

In their world six hundred thousand wasn’t a big thing for him to ask of him. He could transfer it to him with a few flicks of his finger on the phone. The problem was that Rhett has been borrowing more and more these past months. The total had reached well past a million.

“Don’t tell me you already blew away your whole summer’s allowance? The funds just hit our accounts last week.” Jaxon's voice rose in the restaurant. The couple next to their ended their conversation and peered their way for a few seconds.

“I may have taken a bigger risk than I should have this past weekend in Las Vegas.”

So he’d changed up his usual stomping grounds and shifted to Las Vegas. Jaxon wondered what the reason was. 

“Are you telling me that you played poker until the point where you emptied out your bank account?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t go that far, but my account’s seen better days.”

Not this crap again.

They had been through his mess last year. If I

Jaxon totaled up all the loans he had given him, it would be several millions. Their parents kept them on a huge budget. 

If they went too far and spent it all before the next quarter deposit, they didn’t care and expected them to figure out a way to make it until the next payment. 

And frankly they shouldn’t have had to care, their accountants gave them more than half a million each quarter, which was more than enough to pursue their passions. 

Yet, Rhett always lusted for more money, women, clothes, everything. Even before his gambling, he was broke before the next allowance deposit. He spent money like he lived, fast and hard. He was never satisfied, never truly happy in any given situation, except their female games and gambling.

Now his spoiled behavior was getting the best of him.

“Let’s bet six hundred thousand that I get her in bed before you,” he said.

“No.”

“You didn’t even think about it.” He held his hands out.

“If you win, what will you do with the money?”

“Go have fun.”

“Where?”

He raked his fingers through his blond hair. “Wherever the fun is at the time that I’ve got the money. What’s your problem?”

“You lost a lot and it was quicker than normal. That’s my problem. You still owe me from last year and now it looks like I’ll be footing the bill for all of your exploits this summer.”

“I know. I know. I’ve learned my lesson from last weekend. From now on I’ll be making smaller bets.”

“You shouldn’t even be betting at all.”

“Oh really?” He crossed his arms. “I shouldn’t bet on things besides these wagers with you?”

“This isn’t about us? This is about you having an addiction.”

“Oh please,” he hissed. “You’re addicted to this game we play with women as much as I’m addicted to the feel of cards in my hands as I sit in a casino. Admit it.”

Jaxon glanced at the front of the restaurant and spotted Mia. She stood there waiting for the hostess to check her name in the book and show her to their table.

His brother continued saying stuff, probably things about me that would make him feel less worried about himself. Either way, he ignored it all at the sight of her.

On the beach, she’d exuded beauty in her conservative one-piece bathing suit. Although the swimming outfit covered a lot, he still spotted those thighs from several feet away and then gazed up at that wavy hair that swayed back and forth in the light ocean breeze.

Something about that moment made his heart pause for a few seconds and stare at her longer. He hadn’t even told Rhett to follow me over, he just headed her way with the urge to hear her voice. 

Inside, he hoped she’d be the woman for them this summer, someone to stir up the monotonous things that happened day to day in his life.

Once she called Rhett out on his weak photography line, he knew she was perfect, the best distraction for the summer. The truly intelligent ones always gave them an increased challenge. They weren’t so easy to fool and made the game last weeks longer than others.

Tonight, this dress wrapped around her thick frame in strips of metallic colored satin, bronze cupped her breasts, gold caressed her hips, and silver formed further down until it ended at her knees.

As she patiently waited by the entrance and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, an odd sensation coiled within him. He'd never experienced it before. He wouldn't say it was magical. It wasn’t love at first sight. 

This was anticipation and lust in its purest forms.

And Jaxon was excited, his one wish to explore these feelings with Mia.