game, he gives âem one.â
âAnd how many of those games have you been here for?â
He smiled. âA few. Had a great one a couple weeks ago.â
Interesting. So that was how heâd afforded the good whisky heâd bought her?
She got down to brass tacks. âHereâs the bottom line. Arden can come up with the money if you allow her some time. How long are you willing to give her?â
It was a long shot. Arden was in no financial shape to be wasting ten thousand dollars. Sofia couldnât contribute that much, either, and Arden had no family to depend on, so she was in a tight place. Mollyâs extra money was going to her sister, and her assets werenât liquid enough to help Arden out in this much of a pinch. Molly didnât even have any parents to ask for help.
âHow much time are we talking?â Cash had a hold of his lighter, and he was running his thumb down the casing. Down Bettie Page and her sirenâs body.
Molly could almost feel the caress, but she put all her energy into focusing. âA month. Does that sound reasonable?â
He fixed that melty green gaze on her, and she almost slid down in her chair to the floor. Then he smiled.
âIf I wanted the money,â he said, âI wouldâve already negotiated that with your friend.â
Oh, oh. And,
Oh my God, that was hot
.
Focus, Molly.
He continued. âYour buddy has the feverâvisions of winning the pot on the table were dancing through her head, and she couldnât stop herself from betting more than she could afford. I can read people, and I could tell she wasnât good for the ten thou right off the bat.â
âThen why did you continue playing with her?â
Cash shrugged those wide shoulders. âI knew what I wanted, and I was gonna get it.â
What he wanted.
Her
.
Beneath her sundress, her nipples went hard, her skin moist.
She had a choice here, and her body was begging for her to make the decision
it
wanted. But her brain was saying something else. So was her pride.
âIâm not for sale,â she said between her teeth.
He assessed her, his smile growing. Then he outright laughed. And when Kat arrived to set down a glass of whisky for him and a faux ginger ale for her, she gave Cash a hard glance before leaving them alone.
Pushing back his long hair with one hand, he let out a sigh, putting down the lighter and picking up his drink. âAll I want is a date tonight, darlinâ. Didnât your friend tell you that?â
So Molly hadnât been wrong?
It took a moment to absorb everything. This was real. It wasnât some cute little situation where he was going to go, âJust kidding!â and let Arden off the hook. None of them knew this man or how heâd react to being shafted for ten thousand dollars if Molly didnât agree to his terms.
âA date,â she finally said.
âYeah, just a date.â
As reassuring as that shouldâve sounded, it wasnât. âDo I have any input on this?â
The smile he gave her said that she could name any terms she wanted but heâd get his way in the end. Well, theyâd see about that. Molly hadnât handled multimillion-dollar accounts because she was a brain-dead fool.
She sat back in her chair, her fingertips touching her sweating soda glass. His gaze strayed there and, impulsively, she traced the moisture on the surface.
His eyes clouded for a moment before he raised them to her again, hungrier than ever now.
Her pulse picked up speed.
It mustâve been obvious that he had a blushing effect on her because he laughed again. âYouâre not a person to cross, are you?â
âMy friends and I are very protective of each other.â
âEspecially when it comes to going on a date with someone like me.â
âI donât generally associate with bikers, so youâll have to excuse my wariness.â
His smile tapered off.