CHAPTER 73: CHAPTER 73 WINNER OR LOSER?

Caroline’s POV

"Caroline, know how to play blackjack?" Jax asked softly.

"Not really," I shook my head, playing innocent.

"Here, let me show you," he leaned close, his breath warm on my ear as he spread his cards in front of me. His fingers lingered on mine while explaining the rules.

I bit my lip and smiled up at him. "Like this?"

"Perfect," Jax murmured.

"Are we playing cards or giving lessons?" Draven’s voice cut in, sharp and cold. I glanced over to see his violet eyes dark with jealousy, cards crumpling slightly in his tight grip.

"So ladies, where do you want to have dinner tonight?" Dominic asked, quickly glancing at his cards before fixing his eyes on Elle.

"How about a private room at Sapphire?" Wesley suggested enthusiastically. "Have you been there, Kyle? The food is absolutely divine."

"I’ve heard of it, but never been. It’s nearly impossible to get a reservation," Kyle replied, showing interest, which made Luke practically seethe with anger.

"It’s not hard for Wesley,his uncle owns the place," Theo commented with a casual shrug. "If everyone agrees, I think it’s an excellent choice. The restaurant is exquisite and the food is to die for. Perfect for these beautiful ladies!" He winked at Ava, causing Joseph to grip his cards so tightly they nearly bent.

"Then it’s settled," Ruby declared. "But you’ll have to drive us home afterward. We’ve already had mimosas at brunch, and you can’t go to a French restaurant without enjoying some excellent wine."

"Oh firecracker, you’re already sure we’re going to lose? Don’t you have faith in your guys?" Ryan whined, looking up at her with puppy-dog eyes.

"Oh Ryan, anything can happen," Ruby gave him an innocent smile that made him swallow hard.

During the game, we did everything to distract our men from playing. We openly flirted with Jax and his friends, and our men were fuming with rage. Even Nate, who was usually so composed, had a muscle twitching in his jaw every time Elle laughed at one of Paul’s jokes.

Wesley was the first to leave the game. Without needing to focus on his cards, he turned all his attention to Kyle, making Luke huff with anger and lose concentration. It wasn’t long before Luke was also out, competing with Wesley for Kyle’s attention.

Then Theo folded, dedicating himself to flattering Ava, causing Joseph to throw down his cards almost immediately afterward. Next was Dominic, who started whispering very close to Elle’s ear, making Nate leave the game right after. Finally, Paul laid down his cards and declared he was out, and before he could even look at Ruby, Ryan had already thrown his cards on the table and pulled Ruby’s chair closer to him.

Only Draven and Jax remained. I sat between them, and Jax’s eyes were sparkling with mischief; he was thoroughly enjoying the situation.

"Well, beautiful Caroline, looks like I’ll be taking you to dinner," he said, giving me a wink.

"Hell no, Jax!" Draven roared. The air around us thickened as he allowed some of his Alpha aura to seep out. I felt Rory instinctively wanting to submit, but Jax seemed unfazed outwardly, though I noticed the slight tensing of his shoulders. "I’m doubling the bet!"

Jax stared at him, narrowing his eyes as if sizing up an opponent. Draven’s face remained impassive with the same scowl that had been there since the moment he sat down. He didn’t waver, didn’t tremble, didn’t change his voice, didn’t move a single facial muscle.

"I’ll match your bet, Alpha," Jax said, emphasizing Draven’s title with just a hint of mockery. He looked at me. "This woman is worth any risk."

Draven’s violet eyes flashed dangerously at the challenge. He pushed all his chips to the center of the table and gave a slight crooked smile.

"All in! Like you said, this woman is worth any risk."

Draven’s bet was substantial; from what I understood, there was a lot of money in those chips. Jax sat up straight in his chair. He looked at his cards, thought for a moment, and examined Draven again. Then he threw his cards on the table and said,"I’m out. I guess luck wasn’t on my side this time, lovely Caroline!" He took my hand and kissed the back of it as if apologizing, which made Draven’s jaw clench visibly.

"Excellent, we won. Now gentlemen, if you’ll excuse us, we’re taking our beautiful ladies to dinner," Draven said, standing up, throwing his cards on the table and collecting his chips.

Wesley rushed to the table, turned over Jax’s cards and then Draven’s, and groaned in disbelief,"Damn, Jax! You fell for this guy’s bluff like a complete amateur. I can’t believe it. You had a full house and he only had a flush. You could have won this game, man."

"I told you you wouldn’t be having dinner with our women!" Draven said with an arrogant smile at Jax. "Now if you’ll excuse us."

"We’ll have a rematch, Thorne," Jax said, standing up to say goodbye, but our guys quickly whisked us away, only giving us time to smile and wave at Jax and his friends.

They took us to dinner at a very cozy bistro called Fernwood. It was small and not crowded, but the food was delicious. Our group got along wonderfully, and we laughed the entire time.

"So, gentlemen, were you spying on us?" Elle asked.

"Not at all, Elle, it was a huge coincidence finding you there," Ryan replied with an unconvincing smile. "I’m just curious to know how you ended up meeting Jax and his pack brothers."

"Pure coincidence, Ryan. We went into the casino, and Ruby saw her brother, so we went to say hello. We were just going to greet them, but they invited us to join them, and one thing led to another... well, we couldn’t be rude," Kyle explained with complete naturalness.

"One thing led to another, Kyle?" Luke was outraged. "You can bet I’m going to use that whip on your behind tonight, and that will lead to many other things."

"Oh, are you going to punish me, hubby? You have no idea how much I like it when you punish me," Kyle responded with an innocent look.

Luke’s eyes darkened with promise for his wife. We all burst into laughter. The two of them were such an entertaining couple.

"What I find strange, ladies, is that you didn’t come talk to us," Nate said, looking genuinely hurt.

"Oh, babe, I’m sorry, but we honestly didn’t see you!" Elle lied blatantly and gave Nate a quick peck. She was madly in love with her mate, but she would never reveal our little scheme.

After dinner, Draven ordered chocolate pie for dessert and shared it with me, just like we used to do. With each piece he placed in my mouth, his violet eyes sparkled more intensely, full of desire and promises that made my wolf Rory whimper with longing.

Afterward, Draven insisted on taking me home, even though Elle said she and Nate were going to the same apartment building. When he stopped the car in front of my building, he got out and walked around to open the door for me. But before saying goodbye, I needed an answer, so I asked,"Draven, why are you still here?"

Seeing his confused expression, I clarified, "I left you a goodbye note."

He smiled, placed his warm hand against my cheek, and gave me a quick, tender kiss.

"Caroline, I will never say goodbye to you! I’ve already told you, if necessary, I’ll spend the rest of my days begging for your forgiveness, and I will never give up on you. I love you!"

"But—" he didn’t let me finish, silencing me with another kiss that made my knees weak.

"Now go inside, tell Liam I sent him a kiss. Sweet dreams, my love!"

I turned and entered the building. I couldn’t understand how he had so much faith that everything would be okay, but at the same time, my heart warmed at the thought that he wasn’t giving up.