The dress fit Evie in ways Antonio never imagined it would. To see her out of her baggy tunics and shorts was an anomaly, and he relished every curve she flaunted. The round of her hips was hypnotic, and when she walked, they swayed. The flat planes of her stomach rose up to meet the swell of her breasts on display, thanks to the corset design. Even her thighs were shapely, and although Antonio got to enjoy those regularly with the tiny shorts she loved to wear to work, they looked different when the rest of her was on display, far more sultry.

There wasn’t an eye not on her as she walked through the casino and mingled with the crowd, and Antonio didn’t blame them. With her hair swept up from her long, pale neck and her flawless makeup, Evie was gorgeous.

While she looked fantastic, part of him seethed with jealousy.

Every time a man looked at her in an untoward way, and every time she laughed at another man’s joke, Antonio’s feathers ruffled. He’d brought her along tonight as Bloom’s head artist, but now that he was witnessing it, he couldn’t get over the sense of possessiveness that burned in his veins and clouded his mind. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

Evie was his.

It wasn’t long before she noticed he was looking.

Breaking away from the man she’d been chatting with, she came over to stand by Antonio’s side. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, smug. “You’re not looking so hot tonight, boss.”

“You don’t like the tuxedo?” Antonio asked. “It was tailored to my measurements. I made sure it—”

“No, not like that.” Evie laughed. “What I mean is, you don’t look too happy. What’s going on? Feeling a little sore that I’m paying attention to everyone else tonight instead of you?”

Antonio didn’t want to admit it. He squared his shoulders and did his best to look disaffected, but he knew it was no use. There was no getting around the fact that Evie was making him jealous in the worst way. “I’m just not used to it, that’s all.”

“You’re not used to it?” Evie held back a grin, her lips twisting as she tried to contain her humor. “How do you think I feel? It’s not every day that I get out of bed thinking I’m going on a date with one of the hottest guys in town only to find out he’s asking me to come in to work instead. I’m stepping way out of my comfort zone, here. More than that, I’m doing it on the drop of a dime. This isn’t the way I had planned to spend my evening, you know.”

“But it goes to show how versatile you are.” Antonio held himself a little better, unwilling to show his weakness. If Evie could manage tonight, so could he. After all, he’d been the one to get her to come. “You’re doing a fantastic job.”

“So I think it’s only fair that you do just as fantastic a job,” Evie said sternly. She nodded toward the card tables. “I want you to step outside your comfort zone and have a little fun for once.”

“What?” Antonio stared at her. “You want me to play cards?”

“I do.” She grinned like she’d cornered him. “If I can come here and network with all these people, then you can do something that makes you nervous, too. I bet you’ve never played a game of chance in your life. You’re way too straight-laced and logical for that.”

Texas Hold ‘Em. Antonio looked toward the nearest table, then took a deep breath and looked back in Evie’s direction. It wasn’t that he was afraid, but….

“What if I end up losing money?” he asked.

“Don’t try to tell me you’re hurting financially. I bet you’re one of those guys who has a rainy day fund that could sustain you for a year if you lost your income streams tomorrow, but still says they’re broke.”

She was right. He crossed his arms. “So what happens if I win?”

Evie smirked. “All proceeds go to Bloom Tattoo’s renovation fund. I mean, you can recover your investment no problem, but everything else? I want to see it invested into the shop. If you’re going to walk away with more money than you started with, it’s best to invest that money into something that’s going to make you even richer.”

“Is this how you talked to the attendees tonight?” Antonio asked, holding back a laugh.

“I’m usually a little more poised and flirtatious,” Evie said, “but I think we’re past that point, don’t you?”

If it was a game she wanted, it was a game she was going to get. Antonio bobbed his head slowly. “All right. I see how it is. Let’s get going.”

Evie wasn’t going to know what hit her.