The group is loud and boisterous but also inviting and easy to get along with. If only because a pretty girl sits amongst them. The banter continues, Sienna interjecting and laughing alongside the rest of them when Aurelius grumbles about getting the game started. Cards are quickly dealt. Ladies first. Her eyes dart to Aurelius before she leans towards the man beside her, holding her cards close to her chest, and asks “So what are the rules?” But Sienna Huxley had lied through her pretty white teeth. She did, in fact, know how to play poker. Some might even say she knows it well. Still, she listens as the man explains, nodding and looking at him like she was hanging on his every word. Leaning back, she examines her cards, thoughtfully taking her time before she makes her move. A good one.
Laying her cards face down on the table, she picks up her glass. The glass is cool against her lips, unlike the burn of straight whiskey as it slides down her throat. With ease. Law school had taught her early on that a lot of work was done over drinks, primarily drinks like scotch or bourbon. So, she had learned to drink it, to swallow the burning liquid without so much as a pursing her lips.
But she’s not here to judge Aurelius for his liquor choices. She has a game to win.
Looking up through her lashes, she learns each of their names as well as the fact that they all served together. It was also Aurelius’s turn to host. Little by little, she learned something about each of them. When she wasn’t chatting and laughing, she was taking in the room around her. This was his home, a place that was uniquely his. It didn’t surprise her that it was more functional than sentimental. It screamed bachelor pad. And it was wholly Aurelius. The walls weren’t full of art or family portraits, decor didn’t bring life to the counter tops just as there were no throw pillows on the couch they had passed. Strictly functional.
By the end of the first hand, Sienna is grinning triumphantly. The men at the table immediately grumble about beginners' luck but not a single one of them looks away when she shed his hoodie. For a moment, she considers throwing it at him, but decides she’d rather keep the object he keeps trying to hide her under. Hanging the hoodie over the back of her chair, Sienna settles in for the next hand, dashing any hopes Aurelius had that she’d allow him a peaceful evening.
He knows it won't last long, not with her, but he has control over the situation currently. He almost relished in the fact, even as his emerald gaze burned into the devilish grin that danced across Sienna's face. His table is filled with hounds out for their nightly stroll, all too eager to chase after pretty shiny thing that dangled a treat infront of their faces. But, they are his hounds, and if the situation were different he would likely follow suit, but he also knows a good lot of them will sit and stay on his command. He's only slightly worried, however, that booze and the pretty woman cheering them all on in her own way might entice atleast one of them to slip up. This fact alone is enough to make him have to remember he's still holding a glass with whitening knuckles.
She catches his attention with her innocent question, watching as she leans closer to the same man he pulled apart from her. A roll of his eyes meets the his comrades face as he offers his word on rules and advice, as if he's the expert at the table. Sienna nods and follows along, and handles her cards. After that, it goes through the usual hoops around the table, the actual hand to play from everyone comes a good few minutes after more jokes and a freshly started round of shots. And even Sienna is handling her own drinks as if it isn't just straight liquor—his face unable to hide the moment he shows he's impressed, though it's just for a moment.
Everyone eventually lays their hands out, and Aurelius gives a soft grunt as he washes the loss down with the burn of bourbon. Her luck is our luck tonight, fellas. a man sitting next to Aurelius chuckles out, elbowing Aurelius slightly as he makes the remark. He himself gives a short laugh, giving a slide nod as he lowers a fist beneath the table and gives his buddy one swift Crack of his fist to his lower ribs. It doesn't stop the laugh coming from his friend's mouth, just interrupts it a bit with new exhales and inhales.
Aurelius glares at the hoodie as they all move ahead, and before he knows it, everyone at the table is missing something, somewhere, and the booze is settled in with just about everyone, too. Some are missing shirts, others who started else where were pants and probably socks. Aurelius was left with only his pants, boots, and a couple of dog tags that rested against his bare chest. Just about everyone at the table had their own, too. But only a few gave mention to them, or acknowledged them with a tribute shot. Sienna, however- lost the blazer she originally had on over the crop top, each of her heels were in a separate place around the table, and by the way her luck was tracking, she'd be missing more, and there'd be more to gawk at. He caught himself already staring as she removed her heels, and she did so slowly, just as she did the Blazer. She stopped asking questions after only a couple hands, and the fucking poker face she held so easily had the gears in his head slowly moving. At some point, everyone stopped with the glasses and all somehow found a bottle for their own. Aurelius' was meeting his lips once more already he watches Sienna take a glance at her cards. He interjects, mainly only towards her he leans in just slightly. New Rule: you win this next hand, and you stop where you're at. Its a challenge for her, one he plans on winning either way she plays the game. She wins, she keeps her clothes on. She loses—which doesn't seem too likely as of late—he removes her beautiful, hustling self from the game himself.
The night continued on in a flurry of clothes and cards. Minutes turned to hours and she soon lost track of time - it had already been late when Aurelius found her, so it was well past her bedtime now. She didn't mind, not tonight. Aurelius being sent to retrieve her was expected, but for him to drag her along in his own plans? Unheard of. It came as a bit of surprise too, how quickly she had settled in amongst what she could assume is a tight knit group. Her arrival hadn't caused any of them to miss a beat. How did Aurelius manage to befriend them with his sour disposition? Sienna swallowed her smile, tucking away her own amusement. Speaking of Aurelius, she just barely caught the impressed look on his face when she sipped from her glass. A half smile curled one corner of her mouth before she just slightly tips her glass towards him, as if to cheers him. Thats when she hears it.
The quiet buzzing in her blazer pocket snags her attention. She didn't need to look to know who it was. No one else called this late, not when she was supposed tucked in bed. Her father. It wasn't a huge surprise that he was awake still, she wasn't even entirely sure he actually slept. The knowledge barely crossed her features. It had been awhile since he had last scolded her for ditching her security detail, she was nearly overdue for a lashing. But that did little to sway her. Her jaw set mulishly as she returned her focus to the game. New Rule. A brow would arch as she met his stare. Leaning towards him, she asked - "And if I lose?" Whatever his motive was, Sienna didn't trust him. Did she trust him with her life? Yes. Did she believe he'd try anything and everything to get his own way? Also yes. Aurelius had a plan. Too bad for him they had spent years playing this game and it wouldn't be the first time she managed to beat him at his own game.
Whatever this new rule was, it didn't matter. Not when her father would be calling Aurelius next. He would want to hear it himself that she'd been found and that she'd be returned to her rightful place. Unfortunately for her, when her father called, Aurelius came running. Something that she had not failed to point out to him in the past. That didn't stop her from silently challenging him, always fighting him every step of the way. Taking a sip from her glass, she watched him over the rim. Like most of the men at this table, he'd lost his shirt and it had taken every ounce of self control to keep her poker face intact. It was infuriating really, that someone so irritating to be around could be so goddamn good looking. At least he'd be getting dressed soon and taking her home before the liquor in her system emboldened her a little too much.
With a sharp inhale, he reaches for his own and sends a short series of rapid texts to line everything up perfectly so. He's made sure a colleague has reported back to the mayor, and reassures him that Sienna is safe in a room participating in pillow talk with her girl friends for the night, and that he and a few others have taken up detail at said friends house. Slides his phone on the table, just as someone begins to protest against the use of it but shuts up the second Aurelius shoots them a warning look.
Then, he goes back to spectating. Sienna is challenging his challenge, as figured, and as she leans in, he remains laid against the back of the chair he's in, and pours himself another glass. He offers a shrug before leaning over to the man next to him and whispers something just hardly audible enough for even the both of them to hear. He's rigging the game, not wanting chance or luck to determine how fast he can put an end to this. Counting cards wasn't exactly rigging. It was attention to detail is all. Guess that winning streak will have to come to an end at some point for you to find out. he turns his attention back to the game.
After a few more rounds—of both cards and booze—Aurelius sets their strategy into play and waits for the moment to hear the disappointment on Sienna's voice when she realizes she's lost a hand. And the second he sees and hears that, he leaves her no time to question the coincidence. His palms land on the table infront of him as he braces himself for the rise up from his chair. Then, without acknowledging Sienna, he's backing his chair out and rounding the table, where he gathers her and the various items she's won off of herself in one fell swoop of a movement. One arm wraps around her waste as the other allows his hand to grab a bottle of whatever he can grab in his swift exit as well as their belongings. There's boos and laughter chiming in from the table, and he only locks the arm he has around her tight as he carries her towards a set of stairs. One step ahead he chuckles on a sigh, effortlessly carrying her up the stairs and down a hallway. He spins them, keeping her head away from the door as he uses a shoulder to prop it open, then steps through the threshold and gives the door a kick with his foot. He carries her to the bed, setting her down with her belongings and wanders off to the bathroom. He returns shortly after, still shirtless, with a pair of sweats on with a t-shirt and shorts of his own that tosses towards Sienna. He strolls past her and makes his way to throw himself down onto the king sized bed. His whiskey is setting on a night stand, where he reaches to pick up a device similar to a phone. Hmmm he mumbles as he scrolls through the device. Doors, windows— he taps a button on his screen and simultaneously the bedroom door locks, accompanied by a series of clicks from the windows around the room. Locked, bathroom is over there, books over there, Tv—don't try breaking out, dont touch the computer over there, and stay on your side of the bed. he goes through his checklist for them, pointing to everything he mentions, and gives her a cocked brow and smug look on his face when he tells her not to try breaking out. Then, he makes himself comfortable with a glass in his hand as he's propped up against the head of the bed, where he leans his head back and closes his eyes as waits for whatever was to come next—as if relaxing for the entertainment he's sure will ensue for locking the wild little thing up, in his own room nonetheless.
Sienna is not the ditzy blonde most would imagine her to be. As a result, she’s very aware of the things Aurelius does for her. It’s no coincidence that her phone quiets shortly after his makes an appearance at the table. Whoever and whatever he sends is enough to appease her father and have her once again off his immediate radar. Though she is curious about what story he spun because there is no way he told anyone that she was sitting at a table with him playing poker and sipping whiskey while she won the clothes right off her body. The mayor would probably have a coronary and drop dead on the spot.
But that’s not all Sienna is aware of. She knows when he’s setting her up. He whispers something to man beside him and there is a subtle nod of acknowledgement. Whatever it was, he wouldn’t be going against Aurelius. The sigh she released was inaudible. His answer is not an answer at all. It’s so blandly cliche that she almost rolls her eyes at him.
The game continues on and she soon finds herself on the losing end of this particular hand. She wasn’t entirely upset, it’s not like she was in a hurry to strip naked in front of strangers. Her loss had barely settled when Aurelius was on his feet. Sienna knew what was coming next. Leaning towards the man beside her, she murmured ”Here comes the fun police.” Her never left Aurelius, tracking his every movement towards her. Her barefoot push against the hard floor to push her chair back from the table. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he scoops her and her discarded clothing up before dragging her from the table.
Looking over her shoulder, she waves, flashing the remaining men a smile. ”Until next time boys.” She calls before she is whisked up a set of stairs. Sighing, she isn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of being locked in one of his spare bedrooms to spend the night. She’d ruin her pants as she scaled down the side of his house. Very quickly though, she realizes that she’s not staying in a guest room. She’s in Aurelius’ room. The air was tinged with the scent of his cologne.
Depositing her on the bed, she watches as he immediately disappears into the bathroom. Alone, she immediately takes in the sight of his room. It’s very clearly a mans bedroom. She expected nothing less from Aurelius. When he does finally return, he’s still shirtless though now he’s wearing sweats that should be illegal. She doesn’t notice the clothes in his hand until he tosses them at her - she’s too busy ogling him. Too bad he’s such a sourpuss because the man was built by the gods.
Twisting to look at him over her shoulder as he flops on the bed, her brows furrow briefly. In his hands is a device that looks like a phone but as he clicks, she can hear locks sliding into place. ”You aren’t sending me home?” She balks immediately at the idea. Her mouth falls open as he rattles off a quick tour and a set of rules all at once. ”You’re locking me in here?” She scoffs. ”You’re going to hold me hostage?” She snaps. Sienna knows, no matter how much she stomps her feet, he wouldn’t crack. It’s part of the reason her father pays exorbitantly to keep him. He’s the only one she can’t manilupate or escape. Its infuriating.
So instead, she stomps off to the bathroom.
Closing the door with perhaps a touch more force than truly necessary, she’s welcome by a room done is seductively dark tones. The shower is done in mate black tiles behind a large glass door, complete with gold hardware. A large mirror offers her a clear view of herself. Staring at herself, a sly grin spreads slowly across her features.
Before she peeks out the door, she smooths her expression. ”Will you bring me something to drink please?” She doesn’t give him time to deny her before the door clicks shut. Immediately, she crosses the room to turn the shower, cranking up the heat. Tugging her lace top over her head, she discards it on the floor along with her pants and thong. The air in the bathroom in still cool, causing her skin to pebble and her nipples to harden. Steam begins to pool at the base of the glass door, cueing her to step inside.
Under the spray, the water is hot. Hot enough that her pale skin begins to turn pink. And just like that, she’s sucked into the pleasure of taking a hot shower. Stepping fully under the spray, she tips her head back, letting her hair soak. She runs her hands through her darkened hair before she scrubs her hands over her face, rubbing away her makeup. A contented sigh heaves her sides and she very quickly forgets whose shower she’s in - courtesy of the whiskey in her veins.
With a short breath he's already made his decision and shoves the door open and his eyes dart to the window, then trails down the walls of his shower, that's now occupied by her. If he was in his right mind, he would have avoided it entirely and moved himself to sit in the corner with his bottle and wait it out, occupying himself with anything else but the temptation to let his gaze wash over her. But he isn't in his right mind, and he's already found her hair, following the flow of the water from the shower head. For a second, he isn't breathing. It isnt until the slight ache of his clenching and unclenching jaw reels him in briefly that allows himself a moment of oxygen.
She's naked, in his house—in his shower— in front of him. He's tracing the curves of her seemingly perfect body, something only the gods could have sculpted themselves with the utmost precision and carefulest of sharp touches. He isn't just allowing himself a small moment of oxygen, his chest is beginning to rise and fall in heavier movements. His hand is gripped so tightly around the liquor bottle that a small voice at the back of his head is telling him he could probably fucking shatter it.
Restraint comes naturally to him, instilled in him; but she's tested it, pulled it and twisted and played it to different tunes time and time again. They've shared a few brief pecks on the cheeks in moments he should have left her alone to her friends, he's felt her soft lips with his own for seconds before he's removed himself from the situation. She tested it once more tonight, making sure every single set of eyes in this house knew where she was and what she was doing. He could feel their eyes crowding her, much like his own arw doing in this moment as shes seemingly lost in the warmth of the water. He kept to himself, he always has, save for the few moments before. And he's fucking over it now.
His sweats find the floor and he takes no time in stepping intocthe shower, bottle still in his hand and he allows himself only the sight of her face, eyes closed with her head tilted back. He erases the space between them, devours any inch of it there may be and brings his chest to meet the side of her at her shoulders. His jaw is tight, water from the shower traces his jawline before he forces his lips to open, pivoting his face to one side as he still watches, waits to see her knee-weakneing eyes of the softest lilacs flitter open against the water, and he takes a short drink of the liquor before he's tipping the handle of the bottle towards her. "This should do the trick." his voice is low as his head falls back so her ear and his lips are parallel. His grip on the bottle has only relaxed a fraction of what it was just moments ago, his eyes still trained on hers. He's positioned one leg just behind and just infront of her leg as he towers over her at her side. His chest rising and falling keeps their skin connected, while his free hand slowly begins to rise and he allows only a finger to just barely trace her spine upwards from her tail bone. His cock—making itself well known in this moment of closeness—is telling him to let his eyes fall from her face to cascade down her curves he's all too aware of in this moment and trace the outline of her, trace every inch of her he's dying to taste, but he denies himself for a few more moments, waiting. Soon after he finds the wet locks of her hair and gently let's his fingers run through the bottom of the strands falling down her back. His lashes become heavy from the water running down his face, his gaze is dedicated only to her face in this moment.
When cold air kisses her skin, she's ripped out of her own world and thrust into the presence. Sharp eyes turn to Aurelius. He lost all of his clothes on his way over. Red lips curl in the beginnings of a smirk. Unlike him, her gaze does wander. Shamelessly too. Her eyes first drop to his mouth. She's kissed him before, just one of the many ways she had tormented him over the years, always thrumming his patience like guitar strings. No matter what she had thrown at him, he has always been professional, tolerating her games for the hefty paycheck he got each month. Not tonight. Continuing her slow perusal, its not the first time she's seen him bare chested, but its the first time she's seen him wet too. Water beads on his skin before it licks a path down his body, traveling lower and lower. Its not surprised that Aurelius is as well endowed as he behaves. Her tongue darts out against her lower lip.
He crowds her space and she lets him. Aurelius cages her in with his body and she eats up every moment of it. Sienna doesn't bother to move, just as she doesn't shrink shyly away from him. She knows what she looks like. Her own self confidence keeps her back straight and her eyes fixed on his. Under the buzz of booze, she's hyperaware that tonight is very different. The air between them shifts and lines blur more than they ever have. Her inhibitions are low enough that she lets excitement race up her spine.
Aurelius takes a drink from the bottle before he offers it to her. Reaching for the bottle. his breath tickles her ear. His voice is low, a dark and decadent sound. Pressing her lips to the rim, she tips the bottle back, the alcohol burning its way down her throat. Her lips part with a silent inhale as his fingertips touch her skin. Lilac eyes grow hooded as he traces a slow path up her spine. Its the way he toys with the ends of her hair that has her head tipping back slightly. She's always enjoyed having her hair played with. So she offers him more of it.
The bottle in her hand is held only out of muscle memory because she has something forgotten about it. Entirely due to the fact that his cock is nudging at her hip, seeking her attention. "Happy to see me?" She taunts, her voice huskier than normal. "I haven't been gone that long." A smirk hangs off her lips, though amusement is only faint in her eyes. Desire pools low in her belly and despite the way she continues to toy with him, she can hardly stand. Turning, she faces him and as she does so, her free hand drops between them. With only her index finger, she runs that finger up the underside of his cock, from base to tip so that rests comfortably against her belly. Then she drops her hand. And her eyes never leave his.
Her lips find the bottle he's offered her, then he's found his hand effortlessly buried in strands of her wet locks that she's offered up to him herself. For the moment, he holds back from burying his hand closer to her head and grasping a handful tightly to drag her closer to him—but holding back will not be his strong suit in this moment for much longer.
She's left the bottle hanging off to their sides as her pretty little lips dance their usual dance on her face but with a more lethal grace. His voice is heady as he interrupts, slowly sinking to a deeper hum as he answers her shamelessly—every word comes out dripping with assuredness. "Happy doesn't quite cover the overwhelming sensations that come with seeing you," he watches her, letting his eyes fall to where a single finger is trailed along him, he watches her effortlessly coax a twitch of his cock out as she pulls away and finally faces him. His eyes trail back up her and they both meet at the eyes, while he reaches for her hand that's drifted away from him. In one motion, he's holding her hand from it's back and slowly presses the palm of her hand to her lower stomach while his other hand is grabbing the bottle from her. His legs push into hers for only a brief moment before he's nudged her to begin stepping backwards. His lips, his breath, his whole body remains dangerously close to hers as he continues what he was saying previously. —does not justify the way it feels when I get touch you, he's crowded her as they reach the wall of the shower, his hand with the bottle effortlessly finds a new home for it on a shelf just off to the side of them. His other hand that holds her own glides both of theirs down slowly from her stomach; creeping them towards her hips, and then to her thigh. "or how I feel when I can hear your breath so close to mine," his lips draw closer to hers and he takes no time guide their hands to between her thighs now, drawing them close to where the crease of her folds begin. He's ready to practically catch her breath the second she feels the taunting closeness of where their hands currently rest—together. His now free hand floats over to connect with her body at her hip, where he slowly drags his hand up the perfect curvature that's crafted this woman so perfectly. He glances down as he trails closer upwards, his hand trailing off to just outline the underside of one of her beautiful breasts before continuing up her body. He makes his way up to her throat finally, his finger gently tracing the very subtle outline of her collar bone before returning up to her neck, where he lets his hand wrap around lightly. He goes higher yet, a thumb pulling back as he nears her chin and he rests it on her bottom lip gently. He's trapped her against the wall of the shower and his towering self, his body just barely pressed into hers as he watches her bottom lip, then finds her eyes once more.