Absolut Style

Chapter 10

"Then what do you say about a game of strip poker?" he announced playfully.

"What? No!" I whisper shouted.

"Why? Are you afraid you'll lose?" he challenged me.

"Of course not"

"I just don't want to see you parading naked in here" I smiled.

"Or you are ...chicken" he mocked me making chicken sounds to get to me.

"As if you'd win. No fucking way Mr. Styles"

"Chicken" he repeated before sipping some more tea"

"I'm not..."

"Chicken" he interrupted.

"I..."

"Chic-ken" he was making me so angry.

"You are on!" I hit my palm on the table and he leaned back triumphantly.

"Just give me five seconds" I ran to my room. I put a pair of jeans over my shorts, wore my jacket and gloves and went back to the living room. Harry almost spat his tea when he saw me and laughed at me in a silent manner.

"Not only you are going down my beautiful Ella but I'm not putting any more clothes on" he informed me winking making fun of me.

"And why is that?" I asked.

"I don't need to. I'll win you even If you wear your whole damn closet" he was having way too much fun with this.

"You are so going down Styles" I growled amusing him further.

"Angry much?" he teased some more while getting the cards from the cupboard. I didn't answer him. I just needed to concentrate.

He shuffled and dealt.

"Place your bet, darling" he took his cards and observed them.

"What do you mean? I won't bet my gloves and jeans! No way! If we play like that, the game will be over in a minute. Loser gets rid of one piece of garment at the end of each game" I made myself clear and he nodded in agreement.

"Cards?" his tone was still scornful.

I had two queens, one six, an ace and a jack. I risked it.

"Two" I picked the six and the jack to put them aside.

"Mm...two you say. I need one" he told me satisfied with a wide grin on his face.

He handed me a queen and a seven. He changed one card meaning he was going for either a straight or a full. And since in this game we couldn't bluff as we couldn't actually bet and have someone fold then it was pure luck and just a tiny bit of strategy.

"What do you have?" I asked nervously.

"You first!" Maybe he didn't get lucky that's why he didn't show his hand.

"Three queens" I revealed my hand.

He looked anxious for a second.

"I don't know El."

"You don't know what?"

"I mean I don't want to be the reason you catch a cold...Straight darling. I believe it beats three of a kind doesn't it?" that cocky son of a bitch!

"He who laughs last ..." was my response as I removed my gloves picking the cards and shuffling them.He is just lucky I said to myself and then dealt. He took his cards and leaned back to his chair a frown on his face.

I saw mine immediately. Two threes, two fives, one king.

"Cards?" I asked abruptly.

"Emmm.....two" he said after giving it some thought.

"Two, fine. I need one" I gave him his two and got mine. I turned it, it was an ace damn it!

"What do you have?" I asked him anxiously as his expression told me that maybe he didn't get what he wanted.

"Three eights" he looked worried.

"Shit" I cursed. "Two pairs"

"That was close...let me see the jacket off baby" he gestured for me to strip.

"Nothing is over yet" I said and took off my jacket which was way too uncomfortable at that moment anyway.

"Deal you ass!" I ordered him exasperated.

"I sense some hostility in the room" he looked around while shuffling. He was such a wanker!

"Shut up and deal Harry"

"OK, OK. No need to be that touchy!" every pore on his skin was smiling at me enjoying my frustration so very much.

I touched the cards and before I looked at them I sighed. A king, a queen, a jack, a ten, a nine. Straight. Oh my god!

"Cards?" he asked calmer, a testament of his confidence.

"None" I replied cockily.

Immediately he looked up. He furrowed his brows.

"I need two."

He took two cards looked at them disappointed and I knew I had won.

"What do you have?"

"Em just a straight" I said keyed up revealing my hand.

"Fuck!" he threw the cards on the table half annoyed half amused.

"Let me see something coming out Mr. Idon'tneedtoputmoreclotheson" I wanted to laugh hard but the game wasn't over so I contained myself.

Without further delay he stood up and his eyes were burning mine with their intensity. He reached for the hem and pulled it over his head seductively. My mouth parted and I am quite sure my eyes widened as well absorbing the fine side of him. His statuesque body could make anybody drool.

"Like what you see?" he smiled flexing his muscles purposefully regardless of playing it all cool.

"Fuck! It's like you're photoshopped" I quoted Crazy Stupid Love and he caught on bursting in uncontrollable laughs.

"Oh I watched that movie. Wicked! I guess this should be the scene where I lift you up like Dirty Dancing then?"

"Yeah right! Sit your ass down mister. I have more clothes to strip you from!"

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" he said approaching me, the playful mood suddenly shifting to a different one. He came round the small wooden table and sat by my side. I didn't say a thing. I just watched him nearing me, leaning in, his mouth inches from mine before his fingers brushed my hair behind my ear and then resting at the back of my neck.

"Wouldn't you?" he whispered and I could feel the goosebumps covering my skin inch by inch.

"It doesn't matter what I want" I whispered back looking down.

"And why is that?"

"Because Harry..." I swallowed hard "this game we are playing..."

"Yes" I felt his fingers travel at the front of my neck resting at the hollow there and I am more than certain he could sense my heartbeat pumping in my veins. He came closer trying to assess the situation before diving in.

"I played it before and I am not interested" I placed my hands on either side of his face and kissed his cheek gently. His expression was warm, soft not dissatisfied or upset as one would expect.

"What did he do to you?" he wondered.

"Perhaps some other cold night, ha?" the game was obviously over but there was no winner. Just two wounded players with aching hearts. Harry had his own story to tell I am certain of it, but it wasn't the time or the place for either of us to share.