Dylan's heart hammered against his ribs for several minutes after he left Cassia's side to join his team on stage. He sought her out each time he looked into the crowd, but it was a full room and he couldn't be sure of where exactly the table had been. Or what had happened a few minutes before.
He lifted a hand and rubbed his face, feeling warm under the collar. Man, she must think he was a grade-A fool. She'd just been messing around and he'd nearly kissed her. He couldn't let it happen again. This was a temporary agreement, between friends. He had no business expecting any more from her.
Applause erupted as the general manager announced the final total for the charitable donation for the night. Dylan clapped his hands and smiled, glad the event had gone so well. Then he and the other players started to file off the stage.
Jake nudged Dylan with a hand. "Do you and your girl want to come play poker over in that corner?"
"I have to go find her."
Tristen, on Dylan's other side, laughed and slapped a hand to Dylan's shoulder. "You lost her already? Is that because you said the wrong thing?"
Dylan turned a scowl on his teammate.
"Or because you said nothing at all?" Tristen laughed at his own joke.
Jake rolled his eyes and shoved Tristen off-balance. "Don't listen to him, Sams. Go get Cassia and bring her over. We'll save you guys a couple spots."
Dylan nodded and wound his way through the crowd. He was stopped numerous times to shake hands, take a few pictures and sign a few autographs. Normally, he didn't mind. It was what was expected of the players at events such as this and it's how they managed to raise so much money. But when he stopped for the tenth time, within sight of the table he'd left Cassia at, he was ready to tear his hair out.
This time, when someone touched his arm to stop him, he had a difficult time not letting his frustration show. Then he realized it was a young woman and her friend, both smiling and insisting they take pictures with him.
"I'm just such a huge fan." The first one pressed up to his arm and stood on her toes to bring their faces closer together as she held her phone up with one hand. She snapped a picture before Dylan even had a chance to react. "Oh, you're not smiling!" She giggled, giving his arm a light smack.
"Oh, sorry." He cleared his throat and tried to smile.
"We have to do it again."
When she moved close again, she slipped an arm around his and turned her body so he felt her curves against his side.
Dear lord, what the hell is she doing?
He tried to focus on the phone and smile, but he caught sight of Cassia moving towards him. She spotted him there with the two young women and stopped. A second later, a smirk curved her lips and she strode forward.
"There you are, baby." She walked right up to his other side, slid her hand into his and put her other hand on his face, drawing him down to kiss his cheek. "I've been looking for you all over."
The girl on his other side dropped back, a sour look on her face. "Oh, is this your girlfriend?"
Dylan glanced at the girl before looking over at Cassia. Cassia grinned back, still holding tight to his hand, though her other hand had slid down to that top button on his shirt. She played with it, her fingers brushing the skin of his neck. Suppressing a shiver, he turned back to the young woman.
"Yeah, this is my lady, Cassia."
Cassia laughed and Dylan felt her warm breath. "Lady. I just love when he calls me that."
The girl offered them a tight smile, before she flipped her hair over her shoulder and wandered off through the crowd.
"Boy, Samuels. You are a sitting duck with these women, aren't you?"
Dylan laughed and nodded. "Thank you for saving me."
Cassia hadn't let go of his hand yet but she moved back so he could see her face. "Seems like the event is a huge success."
"Yeah, it is." Then he remembered Jake's offer. "Do you want to go play poker with some of the guys?"
Her grin widened. "Poker with the Dallas Stars? Yes, please."
Dylan tugged her through the crowd, not letting go of her hand either. They stopped for a couple drinks first at the bar, and then found his teammates at a poker table in one corner of the room.
"Cassia! Come sit with me." Tristen patted the empty chair beside him.
"Uh, I think I'll take this chair." Cassia pulled the one out between Paul Scott and Jake. She set her drink down and looked up as Dylan hesitated. "Aren't you going to play?"
"I've never been much good at poker."
"Come on, Sams." Tristen patted the chair beside him again. "We'll go easy on you."
Dylan sighed and moved around the table to take the chair. It put him right across from Cassia, so it wasn't all bad. She grinned as Jake started to deal.
"Of course, it's Texas Hold 'Em."
The players around the table laughed and clapped. A few people stood around behind the chairs as well, and Dylan felt more than a little self-conscious. But as the cards were dealt, and everyone started to place bets, he relaxed. He'd played the game for years, with teammates and his friends back home, so the rules didn't worry him. He'd never been good with reading people. He, on the other hand, was an open book, or so he'd been told.
Three hands in, he was almost out of chips, and decided to put himself out of his misery. He eyed his three of hearts and five of spades and shoved his remaining chips into the middle. "All in."
Tristen chuckled and matched his bet. The others around the table did the same. When Dylan looked up, Cassia was staring back at him.
She chewed on her bottom lip for a second before dropping her cards. "Fold."
Dylan didn't know why she'd done that. She'd been doing really well so far, her pile of chips easily triple his own. She shrugged at his look and he smiled. He didn't care, really. He was having a good time and hoped she was.
The hand ended a minute later and Dylan threw up his hands. "Someone had to be first."
There was laughter as he pushed back from the table. He circled around to Cassia's side, bending close while Paul shuffled and dealt the hand. "Do you want another drink?"
She looked over her shoulder at him, their faces close. "I don't think I should. This is a serious game."
Jake chuckled. "It's only serious if you want it to be."
Cassia glanced at him before reaching for her chips. "Who's ready to up the blind?"
Someone whistled, and then Jake grinned, tossing in his chips for the big blind. "I'm in. Let's dance, sugar."
Dylan couldn't help but laugh and straightened, content to watch Cassia play.
The next several hands disposed of three more players around the table, leaving only Cassia, Jake, Tristen, and Paul's wife, Alice.
"Paul, help me." Alice tugged his hand and brought him close. "I don't know what to do!"
There was laughter and some razzing from the others at the table.
"There's no helping in poker." Tristen waved a hand in protest. "Get away, Scott!"
"Shove it." Paul flipped him off as he leaned over his wife's shoulder to lend advice.
Dylan, who'd been hovering around on Cassia's side of the table, took the momentary lapse to bend closer. "Do you need my help?"
Cassia turned with a laugh. "You're very sweet to offer, but I got this."
Jake scoffed beside her. "Put your money where your mouth is. You're big blind."
"Cool your jets, Brown. You'll get what's coming to you."
