Zach's POV

I watch as all the color drains out of Olivia's face. When I follow her gaze, I know exactly why. Jack, her asshole boss, is sitting amongst the small group of greasy men, swirling his glass filled with brown liquor.

Her small hand searches mine and she moves her head closer to my ear without taking her eyes off the bar.

"Jack!" she whispers in shock.

I nod, "I already saw him."

Liv breaks her gaze from the men at the bar and looks up to me with a question mark on her face. I can see she's unsure how to react.

"Just act like you don't know him. Can you do that?" I plant a soft kiss on her cheek, and watch her pale face turning into a doubtful frown.

"I'll try," she responds and takes a deep breath.

"Zach, Olivia, come over. I've got a drink for you two," Franco's voice booms through the room.

I huff and walk to the bar, leaving Olivia's hand in mine to give her comfort.

Franco hands Liv and me two drinks.

"Whiskey for you, Zachary, and one margarita for the lady, I thought it's too early for a Sex on the Beach," he says in a deep, flirty voice. I clench my teeth but resist the urge to punch him into his macho face. Instead, I take a generous nip of my whiskey and enjoy the burning liquor running down my throat.

"May I introduce Vladimir and Igor," Franco says in my direction. "They are potential business partners and consider investing into our casino."

I shake hands with the two obviously Russian men and nod with a tight smile.

"Zach's father was a long-time regular player and a good friend of mine," Franco explains to Vladimir and Igor. "And well, what shall I say, Zachary followed into his footsteps. He's one of my best players for years now."

"Stepdad," I correct him with narrowed eyes.

"Of course, stepfather, excuse me" Franco retorts. He's way too friendly tonight. I hate it here. I hate him. I hate all of this. The way he's talking about me like he's talking about a friend when in reality I'm only playing at his fucked up casino because he leaves me no other choice gives me nausea.

I haven't heard a word from Vladimir and Igor so far. They are just sipping at their vodka and watch me with numb faces. Olivia squeezes my hand and shoots me a faint smile. She must've noticed how uncomfortable I'm feeling.

"This is Jack. Also, a new business partner. He owns a small diner at the moment, but he toyed with the idea to change into the gambling industry for a long time now. I think he made a wise decision," Franco introduces Jack to us, and I instantly feel Liv's body tensing even more than before as Jack holds out his beefy hand to us. We both shake it, and I'm more than relieved as he doesn't let show that he already knows Liv. The less Franco knows about her life, the better.

Francesco introduces the last guy as his younger brother and right hand, Stefano, and then he leads us into the dining room.

Olivia's POV

I am seated between Zach and one of the Russian brothers, Igor. Of course, the dining room is as luxurious as the other rooms we've seen so far. White marble floor, golden carpet, and a table with seating for fourteen people. Above the table, a pretentious crystal chandelier is hanging from the ceiling and bathes the room in a warm light. The table is golden and the chairs standing around it are white leather with a golden frame.

"Everything okay?" Zach whispers into my ear and reassuringly squeezes my thigh.

"I guess so," I retort and give him a weak smile. We're here for less than an hour now, and I'm already exhausted. All the things Zach told me to not mention are constantly buzzing around in my head. I plan on talking as little as possible and will only speak when I'm asked to.

Franco and the other men take a seat as well, and a few moments later, the butler enters the room pushing a serving trolley in front of him. He starts placing sparingly filled plates in front of each of us. The food is actually delicious, and I'm pleased to see my meal is meatless. Zach must've told Franco that I'm a vegetarian.

During all the four courses of our dinner, Franco makes light small talk with all of us and doesn't ask any unpleasant questions.

It's when I place my spoon on my empty plate after finishing my little chocolate cake when Franco starts speaking to me. He sits facing me with his elbows resting on the table and his hands folded.

"Olivia, tell me, what do you do for a living?" he asks, leering at me.

I nervously shift around on my chair and give him a faint smile.

"I'm a waitress," I reply shortly, trying to keep my voice calm.

"Very interesting. Where do you work?" Franco looks at me with a pretense of being interested in my work, but I see right through him. He probably just wants to get into my pants.

"Uh... Here and there," I answer and avoid looking into his eyes. I pray that Jack stays silent and won't expose me. When I glance at him, he is staring down onto his empty plate with a saturnine look.

"I see!" Franco remarks and then shoots a musing glance at Zach. "Where did you two meet?"

I blink nervously and grab my drink to gain a bit of time. When Zach clears his throat and starts speaking, I'm more than thankful.

"We met in a bar," he says, and reaches for my hand which is laying on top of the table. "Olivia was my lifesaver."

Franco frowns and shoots him a questioning look.

"She paid for my drink after my wallet got stolen," Zach explains and gives me a tender smile.

I'm honestly impressed by his lying skills.

"So, you helped that little boy out of another misery?" Franco scoffs, and utters a throaty laugh.

I raise my eyebrows and slightly lean forward.

"Oh, isn't that little boy one of your best players?" I ask coldly and glare at Franco.

A devilish smirk plays upon his lips and he leans back in his seat.

"Indeed, he is. What brings me to a proposition," he retorts and raises his voice. "Can I persuade you gentlemen into playing a little private game of poker?"

The two Russian brothers nod, and we all get up and follow Franco. He leads us back into the foyer and to the other side of the house. We enter a saloon with a poker table in the middle and a bar on the right side. The room is much darker than the rest of the house with black paneled wood walls, dark wooden floor, and a massive maroon carpet beneath the poker table.

"Olivia, do you play as well?" one of the brothers, Vladimir, asks me with a thick Russian accent.

I look at him in surprise. "Uhm, I do, yea," I reply and give him an insecure smile.

"Show us then," Igor steps beside his brother and winks at me. That's the first time this evening, I hear their voices. They actually seem pretty nice when they speak.

"Yes, Olivia, show us!"

We all turn around at that harsh and cold remark. Jack is standing in the door frame with crossed arms and provocatively looks at me. I swallow at his burning gaze and quickly look away. The others don't seem to be surprised by his tone and gather around the poker table. Franco instructs his butler to bring us some drinks and five minutes later, we start the first game, everyone with a drink in front of him. We don't play with real money, Franco just handed the same amount of chips to each of us.

"Just for the fun tonight," he states with a smug smile playing upon his lips.

We play a few games, and Zach wins most of them. The piles of chips in front of him grow bigger and bigger, and soon enough the first one is left without any chips. Ironically, it's Franco.

"Not my best day," he jokes and takes a huge gulp of his whiskey. He tries to come across unaffected, but I see the anger boiling behind his facade.

I manage to keep up quite good so far and increase the number of chips lying in front of me as well.

"Where did you learn to play?" Vladimir asks after he loses his last stake and leans back in his seat.

"My father taught me," I answer tersely and give him a forced smile.

"He did well then," Vladimir compliments me with a smirk.

"I guess I'm just lucky at this game." I shrug uneasily and fumble with my fingers.

"I think the only one who's lucky is our little Zach here," Franco chimes in and nods in Zach's direction.

I shoot him a questioning look and so does Zach.

"I mean he's the one who gets to see that beautiful poker face of yours at more places than only at the poker table," he explains with a dirty chuckle.

I nearly choke on my drink at his saucy comment. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Zach clenching his fists, and I hear his breathing becoming heavier.

"Take it easy, love. I was just joking!" Franco laughs uglily and gives me a macho wink.

I'd love nothing better than to take my gin and tonic and throw it right into his disgusting face, but in view of Zach's warning words from yesterday I keep my mouth shut and try to swallow down my anger. Why are there so many men who think they can just throw sexist remarks about and it's totally okay?!

"Are we playing now or what?" Again, Jack's annoyed voice draws the attention from all of us.

He sits leaned back in his chair, opposite from Zach, and glares at me. Only me. It seems like he doesn't even notice the other five men in the room.

"Jack, my friend," Franco purrs and opens his arms. "What made you so angry tonight?"

Jack growls and rolls his eyes. All I can focus on is my fear that he would say anything about me being his employee. Now, that I didn't tell them about it from the start, it would be extremely awkward, and suspicious on top.

"I didn't know she would be here!" Jack mutters, stressing the word 'she', and clenches his teeth. If looks could kill, I would be dead by now. Stone-dead! I uneasily shift around on my chair and try to avoid his glare.

"What's the problem with her?" That's Franco's brother, Stefano. He looks at Jack with a puzzled face and shrugs his shoulders.

For a short moment, I feel like Jack's about to tell them the truth, but then he huffs and crosses his arms.

"Who needs a fucking woman at a gentlemen's evening?" he barks and narrows his eyes. As I know him, he's on the verge of exploding.

"Jack! Is that any way to talk to a woman?" Franco reprimands him. "Besides, I invited her to join us myself."

I feel Zach's hand on my arm and when I look at him, he pushes back his chair.

"I think it's time for us to leave. Olivia has to get up early anyway, and with Christmas right around the corner, we have a lot of things to do," he explains in a polite tone.

I thankfully glance at him and nod.

"Thank you for the hospitality. The food was delicious!" I say in Franco's direction, who licks his lips and winks at me.

"It was a pleasure to have you here, Olivia!" he mutters.

Igor and Vladimir both get up and give me a light kiss on my hand.

"Nice to meet you," Igor says his goodbye, and I reply with a friendly smile. He and his brother don't seem needy and sexist like Franco. Everything they said tonight, which wasn't that much to be honest, was nothing but nice and polite.

"Maybe you'll give us a chance to get even after Igor and I lost against you two tonight," Vladimir chimes in and shakes Zach's hand.

"We won't keep you, right, gentlemen?" Franco calls out to us from his sitting position at the table. He has a big grin on his lips but the frown on his face tells me he doesn't like the friendly exchange between us and the two Russian brothers.

"Giovanni, would you be so kind and walk the lovely lady and her... boyfriend... to the door?" he instructs his butler. I bite my tongue at his snappy swipe about Zach being my boyfriend, but give Giovanni, the butler, a charming smile as he motions us to follow him.

Thirty minutes later, Zach and I close my apartment door behind us. I quickly slip out of my heels and my coat and walk into the living room. There's so much pent-up anger and tension inside my chest from this terrible dinner tonight that I start pacing back and forth.

Zach appears in the door frame and tilts his head.

"I'm sorry for Franco's behavior. He's such an asshole," he states and runs his fingers through his hair. The dark, wavy strands of his thick hair fall into his forehead and I watch him unbuttoning the top of his white shirt.

"I can't believe that Jack was there! Why does he even know that dickhead?" I rant. "I mean, I'm not saying that Jack isn't a dickhead himself. I just don't want to lose my job because of stupid Jack going to jail or something like that, and Franco surely has a lot of shady businesses running."

"Indeed, he has!" Zach agrees and walks closer to me. "Maybe Jack is involved in them," he thinks loudly.

I face him with a deep frown.

"You think?" I ask with concern in my voice.

"Franco called him a business partner, so maybe," Zach retorts and shrugs.

I huff and close my eyes for a second.

"Let's just stop talking about those guys. It's giving me a headache already!" I whine.

Zach gives me a warm smile and nods. He steps closer and eyes me for a second before tucking a loose strand of my curled hair behind my ear. I close my eyes in an attempt to calm myself down.

"Relax, baby!" Zach chuckles and places his hands on my shoulders.

I look at his handsome face and think for a moment. Then I give him a crooked smile.

"Alright!" I mutter and push him backwards, so he slumps into the sofa.

"Whoa, what..." Zach starts, but I cut him off by climbing onto his lap and attacking his full lips.

Zach raises his arms in surprise, but soon enough he tightly wraps them around my body and returns my fiery kiss. Without separating our lips, I start unbuttoning the rest of his shirt and slide my hands over his bare chest, eager to feel every inch of his toned torso under my palms.

"So wild," Zach mumbles into my mouth and I spot a devilish smirk on his lips as I pull away.

"I need this right now," I retort breathlessly, and move my hands to the button of his slacks.

"I'm not going to complain if my girl want's a quickie on the sofa!" Zach bites his bottom lip and reaches for my thighs. His hands slide upwards, rucking up my dress, but he stops abruptly, and his eyes widen.

"Where are your panties, Liv?" he asks hoarsely.

I smirk down at him and tilt my head, "I told you what's beneath that dress is for your eyes only, babe!"

Zach straightens himself. "Wait a minute. Are you trying to tell me, you weren't wearing any underwear the whole evening?" He looks at me in disbelief, and I can't hold back my giggle at the sight of his surprised face.

"Fuck, Olivia! What if someone would have gotten a glimpse of your..." He stops, searching for the right word.

"Of my what?" I tease him and slowly trail my finger down his bare chest until I reach his waistband. "Pussy?"

I see the hint of a blush on Zach's cheeks and chuckle even more.

"What happened to bad boy Zach?" I joke. "Has the cat got your tongue?"

Zach clears his throat and shakes his head.

"What happened to that shy girl who blushed at only seeing me shirtless?" he counters huskily. His voice is so deep, I feel his chest vibrating under my palms.

"Well, she's gone for tonight," I retort, and lean forward to kiss his neck.

"Holy shit," Zach breathes, and his arms start exploring my heated body. I feel his cool fingertips sneaking under my dress again, and I slightly wince as he firmly squeezes my butt. "Then don't expect me to be easy on you!"

His dirty little threat sends shivers down my spine, and I automatically start grinding against his already hard crotch.

"I won't be easy on you tonight!" I groan, and nibble at his earlobe. A strained moan escapes Zach's throat, and he grabs my hair and gently pulls my head back. His nostrils are slightly flared because of his heavy breathing, and his dark eyes pierce me with pure adoration and need.

"Fuck, Olivia!" he whispers into my face before pressing his lips against mine. I feel his tongue brushing over my bottom lip and instantly give myself to his needy kiss. Our breaths become faster as I keep grinding against his hardness, and my fingers desperately tug at the waistband of his slacks, eagerly trying to free his excitement. Zach lifts his hips and helps me pulling down his pants and boxers at the same time.

I pull away to look into his eyes and higher my hips. Zach faces me with slightly parted lips and rubs his tip against my wetness before positioning himself at my entrance. I already spot some beads of sweat on his forehead as I grab his shoulders for support and lower myself onto him. We both moan, and I tilt my head back at the pleasure of him fully stretching me out.

"Zach," I breathe, and pause for a second as the feeling is so overwhelming.

"Move, baby!" Zach mutters with a shaky voice and grabs my butt cheeks to guide me.

"That feels so good," I whisper as I slowly start moving my body up and down, earning a strained smile from Zach.

My hands tangle in his wavy hair as I quicken the pace. The angle is just right for me to feel him incredibly deep every time I lower myself onto him. His grip on my butt tightens the faster I get, and the little moans coming out of his mouth spur me even more.

"Fuck, baby...," Zach groans. "You feel so good...shit!"

The well-known knot rises in my stomach as Zach shifts his weight beneath me, slightly changing the angle, and I feel him hitting the perfect spot. Again and again.

"Holy...Zach...right there!" I pant and try to move even faster. Zach's dark eyes never leave mine as he watches me with awe and tenderness. When he notices I'm struggling with the pace, he grabs my hips and starts pounding into me from beneath. Relentlessly and hard.

"Shit, Liv. I'm going to come!" he moans with a deep frown and closes his eyes. I can see he's holding himself back, desperately waiting for me to find my release first.

At this point, I've lost the last tiny bit of shyness which was still left before and move one hand to my little bundle of nerves, starting to circle my fingers. When Zach opens his eyes again, he catches sight of my hand working fast on my little nub and clenches his teeth.

"Fuck... I'm done!" he groans, and smashes my body down onto him, firmly pressing me against his pulsating center. The harsh thrust paired with my pleasuring hand pushes me over the edge and I sink down onto Zach's sweaty chest moaning loudly, with his arms tightly wrapped around me. The tingling sensation of my intense orgasm creeps into every inch of my body and I feel the heavenly contractions of my center around Zach's length.

"Baby..." Zach breathes and gives me a soft kiss.

My red, velvet dress is sticking to my body and I feel unbearably hot after our little intimacy. I rest my head on Zach's chest and feel his heart thumping wildly against my ear. We stay like this for a moment, trying to catch our breath, and Zach gently caresses my back.

"I needed that!" I state as I straighten myself again.

"I bet you did!" Zach gives me a warm smile and removes all the damp strands of my hair out of my sweaty forehead. His warm hands tenderly cup my face, and he eyes me with an expression full of emotion.

"Livie, I...," he starts, pauses, and then sighs. His hands sink down, and he starts drawing random circles on my thighs.

I trail my fingertips over his cheeks and thoughtfully tilt my head.

"Are you trying to say something?" I ask him softly.

Zach frowns and looks down to his hands.

"I'm so lucky to have met you," he whispers barely audible. I gently lift his head and force him to look at me.

His hazel eyes are searching mine and I spot a hint of wariness. He looks so vulnerable and soft right now that I catch myself wondering why everyone keeps saying what a tough and cold guy he is, when in reality he's so tender and in some kind of way sensitive.

I place a gentle, lingering kiss on his lips and caress his cheeks with my thumbs. We stay like this for a while, tightly embracing each other, and enjoy the closeness between us before we move apart to get ready for bed.

After taking a shower and washing all the sweat and tension from the evening away, I slip into Zach's t-shirt and climb into my cozy bed. It's nearly midnight, and my alarm goes off at 5am, so I urgently need to get some sleep. When Zach joins me ten minutes later, I'm already half asleep and only manage to smile faintly as he pulls me close to his warm body.

*****

What do you think about Jack's appearance at Franco's place? 🤔
Any presumptions of what's the reason for his visit?

Please comment and vote.✨

Katie❤️