Chapter 2

Johnny wasn't here to play cupid. He was here to gamble, hopefully doubling his wallet. And maybe to get laid.

Yeah, he definitely wanted to get laid.

And judging from the content of the room, he really did have his pick of the litter. Sure, he didn't possess the swagger and charm that caused the ladies to fall over their feet in front of him like Jason did, but with a flash of his pearly whites and a dirty joke, he usually made panties fall.

He sipped his glass of bourbon as he made his way across the room, weaving in and out of various poker tables. Elizabeth was still standing alone, seeming to appreciate the artwork Jason had chosen for the walls, rather than the actual gambling aspect of the night. He watched her intently, trying to figure out why Jason was so instantly attracted to her.

She was attractive-in that out of place way. He watched her dismiss another man who had accosted her at a photograph, quickly making a polite exit from his come on. It was obvious she wanted to be anywhere but here and Johnny didn't understand why she had come.

He cursed himself for sleeping with Jason's assistant because she would have known exactly who the Elizabeth was, who/if she came with anyone, and what kind of money she'd be spending at the tables-But in his own defense, she was a really hot assistant. And she had wanted Johnny from day one, and who was he to deny a perfectly nice lay to someone who wanted it.

He watched Elizabeth mosey slowly against the wall, glancing over her shoulder at the man who had just spoken to her. For a second, Johnny thought that she was flirting with him in the same manner that she had Jason, but then he realized she looked disgusted, annoyed, and maybe even scared.

Which, of course, gave him the perfect entrance.

"I can throw him overboard if you like," he murmured, stepping in front of her.

She came to a halt, her eyes filled with annoyance, then flattery, and then even more annoyance. "If I wanted him thrown overboard, I could do it myself," she replied, tightening her grip on her champagne glass.

"You're a feisty one," he said, admiring the way her plump lips turned upward in an appreciative smile. "But you see, if I throw him overboard, I would get away with it."

She raised her eyebrows at him with curiosity. "And I wouldn't?" she asked, brushing a stray piece of hair from her face. "I'm a tiny little woman. No one would ever believe that I tossed a two hundred plus pound male overboard. Not to mention my impeccable record."

"Impeccable, eh?" he asked, wrinkling up his nose.

"Let me guess, your's is just full of incidents," she replied, taking a sip from her champagne glass. "None of which are actually your fault though, right?"

"Don't be condescending," he said, jerking her champagne glass from her hand. Seriously, he asked himself, why did Jason want to sleep with her?

"What the hell are you doing?" she hissed, reaching for her glass.

"Cutting you off," he replied, holding it above her head.

He was amused when she reached for it, looking like a dog jumping for it's treat. She realized how stupid she must have looked, stopping to fold her arms across her chest, forcing Johnny to look down at her breasts. They were nice for real ones. And he couldn't help but notice how curvy her hips were and the way the dress looked as if it had been sewn onto her body.

Okay, so maybe he could understand why Jason wanted to sleep with her.

"Give me my drink, you asshole," she said, glaring at him with her beady blue eyes.

Yeah, those were pretty hot too.

"You've had enough," he replied, shaking a scolding finger at her. "I was simply trying to make conversation and you had to go-"

"Oh please," she interrupted, rolling her eyes, an amused smile on her face. She held up her hand, counting off on two of her fingers. "You were either hitting on me, which is exceptionally rude seeing as your friend himself was coming onto me not even twenty minutes ago."

"I was not hitting-"

"Or you were coming over here to get the goods for your friend who for some reason is clearly incapable of asking me what he wants to know himself," she continued, pausing only to see if he would say she was wrong. "Yeah, that's right. I saw you with him. I'm not stupid."

He panicked, knowing he was losing momentum, and that Jason would be upset with him if he came back empty handed. He really didn't feel like dealing with a pissed off Jason tonight.

"If you behave, you can have your drink back," he said, lowering it down in front of her.

She slid a hand down her hip, popping it out to the side. "Or I could go tell your friend what an asshole his friend is."

"And you're just so charming yourself, doll face," Johnny replied, tossing back her glass of champagne and depositing the empty glass on a passing waiters tray. "You know, some time with Jason may do you some good."

"You son of a bitch," she hissed, her hand striking his face before he realized she had pounced.

Heads turned around them and people gasped and murmured, shaking their heads, but Johnny didn't even notice. He was too busy actually being turned on by the aggressive, little number.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" he asked, rubbing his palm over his cheek.

"Not anymore. She's dead," she replied flatly, her hands gripping her hips tightly.

Johnny knew she wanted to hit him again, but that she was telling herself to have self control. Of course, this only gave him the desire to push her buttons even more.

"Oh, too bad she didn't get to see what a wench her daughter turned out to be," he retorted, sipping his whiskey.

Her blue eyes sparkled with fury. He stepped back, half expecting another slap from her. "You tell Jason that if he's going to send someone to speak to me, he should make sure their IQ is larger than their shoe size," she said, folding her arms across her chest.

His eyes dipped to her breasts again. It was really, really hard not to look downward when she was pushing them up like that.

"And that they can actually look me in the face," she continued, leaning forward to place her hand under his chin, pulling his face upward. "Hello?"

He flashed a pearly grin, sipping his whiskey. "Hello to you, too."

She scowled, pushing past him, her shoulder knocking into him hard. He heard her swear under her breath as she stomped away. Was it wrong that he was so turned on by her lack of enthusiasm for him?

God, at this rate, Jason was going to kill him.

"Hey, I'm sorry," he called, moving after her. His hand slipped over her elbow, tugging her back towards him. "Can we start over? Elizabeth, was it?"

She rolled her eyes, spinning around to face him. "What? You can't even remember the name of the girl you're going after?"

"I don't usually pay much attention to names," he replied honestly.

Much to his surprise, she actually laughed. Her face flushed immediately as if she were embarrassed to be laughing at him.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, her hand over her mouth. "You just…That comment…It's funny. You remind me of someone I know, except you're funny."

"And you find that charming right?" Johnny asked, looking over her head to see Jason's eyes practically boring a hole into his skull.

Great, he had seen everything.

"Oh, I can barely contain myself," she replied sarcastically, a slow grin spreading across her lips.

Johnny shifted his eyes back to hers, noticing how pleased she looked with herself. Sure, Jason had sent Johnny to rally her, playing a game in some sense. But Johnny had the sinking feeling she was five steps ahead of them both, playing a game of her own.

"Kind of makes me want to strip naked and bang you right here on the blackjack table," she continued, making a gagging motion with her mouth.

Johnny was so focused on the words strip naked, bang, and blackjack table that he failed to notice her obvious disgust. He decided that if Jason hadn't claimed her by the end of the night, he sure as hell would.

Maybe those real girls were where it was at.

"So, I remind you of a jerk," he replied, narrowing his eyes at her.

Her eyes flickered, darkening briefly, but the same light hearted sparkle returned almost instantly. "Guys are jerks period," she said firmly.

"Not me," he replied earnestly, placing a mocking hand on his chest. "I may come off rather tough and all, but on the inside I'm really weak and fragile."

She shook her head and Johnny could swear he saw the beginnings of a genuine grin. "Let me guess, Jason is the same way, right?"

"Something like that," he replied with a sad nod. "He has issues with the parental unit. They've left a hole in his heart."

"And you want me to fix that hole?" she asked, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Johnny knew he was in. She was just as interested in the mystique of Jason as any other woman in the room. Besides, telling a woman that a man had issues with their parents always got them hook, line, and sinker. He should know, he'd used it enough.

"You could be the one."

She laughed again, but this time it wasn't too patronize him. It was a bona fide, head thrown back laugh. "God, do you have a book where you get these lines from?"

"Don't hate the player," he said, tilting his head to the side and looking at her.

"Oh, I don't hate the player," she replied coyly, biting her lip briefly.

Yeah, she was definitely playing a game of her own.

"So, what do you want to know?" she asked, her hand on her hip as she cocked it to the side once again.

It was a stance that said come hither, one that could probably make men fall to their knees. Hell, Johnny couldn't stand her and he wanted to come hither all over her.

"What. Do. You. Want?" she asked slowly, leaning forward and peering up at him.

God, he was tongue tied over a woman.

It was the apocalypse or the second coming. He glanced at the entrance to the casino, half expecting to see Jesus.

"Okay," she said with a heavy sigh, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Last name's Webber. Vitals, right? Um, my bra size is a 36B, probably not enough for a guy like you, but I don't mind. They're still perky, that's what matters, right?"

She paused, wondering if he was following, then rattled on. "I wear a size two. I'm O Negative. I majored in architecture at NYU, but don't tell Jason that. It may make him feel even more inadequate than he already does."

"I hate champagne, but I'm drinking it because if I drink whiskey, which I prefer, I won't be able to walk in these damn five inch heels I'm wearing," she continued, tapping her finger to her chin as if she were thinking carefully. "I love chocolate cake. And I'm not really one of those long walks on the beach kind of girls. I'd rather do something reckless, but safe, like drive really fast down a curvy road or bungee jump. Which I've never done because I'm too scared."

She made a face, then shrugged. "I think that's good enough for now."

He nodded dumbly, furrowing his brow as he looked at her. Who in the hell was this girl?

"I guess you should run along and pass on the good word," she murmured, throwing her thumb towards the bar where Jason was sitting.

Had she known he was watching?

He simply nodded again and she looked worried at his sudden vow of silence. She gave him another second to respond and when he didn't, she stepped past him and started to walk away.

"Oh, duh," she called out behind him. He felt her slip up behind him, her chin resting on his shoulder. "I forgot the most obvious thing of all. I did come with a date, but he's not one I plan on going home with."

And then, she was gone.

Really, she was gone.

Johnny turned around, feeling as though he should at least bid her goodbye, but then it was as if she had simply disappeared from his sight.

Who in the fuck was that girl?

He turned back to Jason's direction, not surprised to see his darkened eyes still staring at him. Fuck, he was mad. Johnny made his way across the room slowly, glancing over his shoulder one last time. He figured if Jesus was making an appearance, he should at least come and pray over his body.

Jason was definitely going to kill him.

"Well?" Jason asked when he neared.

Johnny lowered his empty glass beside Jason's on the bar as he slid onto a stool, giving Jason a sad frown. "Uh, yeah, sorry, but I don't think you're hitting that tonight."