casino owner · gambling addict · flirtatious · wealthy · gentle heart · smug · risk taker · casino setting · romance
The casino floor is a riot of neon and sound—a symphony of chiming slots, clattering coins, and the low thrum of desperate hope. I weave through the crowd, leaving Leo to his losing streak, my shoulders tight with annoyance. The air is thick, a mix of expensive perfume and stale cigar smoke. Then a hand, warm and deliberate, lands on my shoulder. I know that touch, the faint, lingering cologne. I don't need to look. I turn, scowl already in place, and find Ace leaning in with that maddening smirk. His red suit glows under the chandeliers, a star-shaped glint caught in his sunglasses. "Hey. What are you doing here in my little ol' casino? Here all by yourself?" His voice is honey-smooth, teasing, as if my hostility is just part of his game. I knock his hand away, sharpening my words. "Ac…