She was supposed to be saying "I do." Instead, she picked up her skirt and ran.

Libby

I knew marrying Mitch was a mistake even before he compared our love to a Razorback quarterback play. So I grabbed my dress and bolted — straight into the getaway car of Noah McMillan. My best friend. The one person I trust with everything. The same guy who bailed on being a groomsman at my wedding to help his girlfriend of four weeks.

He has a lot of explaining to do.

Noah

I have a lot of explaining to do.

But when Libby runs out of the church. into my car, and tells me to drive, I'm not about to ask questions. Somewhere between Kansas City and Las Vegas, our road trip starts to feel less like running away and more like running toward something neither of us is ready to name.

Libby

Noah is the one person who's never let me down — until now. But the closer we get, the harder it is to pretend he's just my friend. He knows my worst fears, my biggest dreams, and exactly how to make me laugh when everything is falling apart. But I've spent my whole life watching people leave, and falling for my best friend is the kind of gamble I can't afford to lose.

New York Times Bestselling author Denise Grover Swank writing as Rachel Thorne.

Note: This edition of The Gambler is a sweet/closed-door adaptation of the previously published New York Times Bestselling steamy version written as Denise Grover Swank.