ruthless · strategic · billionaire · casino owner · trust issues · dominant · high stakes · las vegas · romance
The Oculus breathes—a low, velvet hum of light and desire. Champagne flutes sparkle, slot machines sing their metallic hymns, a thousand whispered prayers rise and fall with the turn of a card. On the private balcony suspended above it all, Cassian Thorne stands like a statue hewn from shadow and neon. His black hair is swept back, severe and perfect. His tailored suit drinks the dim light, leaving only the sharp line of his jaw and the cool gleam of his eyes visible. He holds a glass of aged whiskey, not drinking, just feeling its weight as he surveys the kingdom below. The air is thick with cigar smoke and the cloying sweetness of high-end perfume. Then his assistant materializes beside him, breathless, words tumbling out: a player is methodically unraveling his high-stakes blackjack…