The Wager by Raven McAllan Read Free Book Online Page A

and threw the die.
"But of course, what else would I think? Ah a six,
therefore a full house sixes and threes."
    He has
the luck of the devil.
    ***
    Brook handed her the dice and marked his score
on the slate provided for that purpose. He was enjoying himself much more than
he had thought possible. The fact that Catherine was not indifferent to him was
balm to his injured senses, and added a frisson of awareness to each move. It
was only now he could admit to his feelings for her, for the wound she gave him
was deep and had lasted longer than he ever would have thought possible. When
he had agreed to the wager with Jermyn, his uppermost thought had been revenge,
but now he had his doubts.
    Her hands were small and dainty, and she
caressed each die as if it was a lover. His body hardened and he suppressed his
inclination to lean over the table, kiss her senseless and once more claim her
as his. She let the die go, to fly over the board, hit the edge, spin and stop
moving. Her groan of disgust made his lips twitch. She looked at him
suspiciously.
    "If you laugh, I will pour my port over
your head," she said, her threat in her tone.
"I have two more casts in this round, so all is not over yet." She
picked three dice up. "I have a pair of sixes, which I leave. I will throw
the other three." Fascinated, he saw her tongue circle her lips as she
once more began to warm the cubes in her hands.
    His manhood began to throb at the erotic
pictures that gesture produced. The stamp of her foot, somewhat muffled by the
Turkish carpet, dragged his mind back to the scenario in front of him. Her
throw had not improved her lot.
    "Bad luck." He tried to inject
sympathy into his words.
    She glared at him from under lowered lashes.
    "Do try to sound as if you mean it,
Brook."
    He laughed. "I do, I want to win, but I
also want to make a game of it. To win easily will reduce the satisfaction.
"
    She threw the dice, staring at him as she did. Neither looked to see the result. "And are you always
satisfied, Brook?"
    Is she bantering innuendo?
    "Usually," he said urbanely. "My
partner…" He paused. "Always."
    "My, what an ego. Damn, I have three of a kind. Your hand. So this is one occasion when I can safely say
your partner is not satisfied."
She tapped her nails on the table in a staccato rhythm. "Losers
first?"
    "Why not?"
    Catherine firmed her lips and had scarcely
rolled the dice around her hands before she cast them. Her cry of delight made
him smile.
    "Four of a kind, Brook,
four fives." Once more
she ran her tongue around her lips, and once more his body reacted in a
predictable manner. What was it in that simple gesture that was so sensuous?
The thought of where else she could run her tongue perhaps, or the fact it drew
attention to such kissable lips? Whichever, it was guaranteed to make him lose
the thread of a conversation, or the state of play, and wish they were
elsewhere.
    "Very good," he said at last when he
realized she was waiting for him to comment. "I assume you will throw
one?"
    The look she threw him would have withered a lesser man. It conveyed so much. Amusement, astonishment, and disbelief that he needed to comment on
something so obvious.
    He leaned over the table and took her hand in
his. She stared at him, puzzlement in her eyes. With deliberation, he took his
time and stroked her palm until she shivered. Then Brook stood up, and without
letting go of her hand walked around the table and helped her to her feet. He
bent his head and kissed her neck. The dice fell to the floor with a soft thud,
and he pulled her close.
    She gave a thready sigh, and he thought she might have said "oh yes," but he was so
involved in how she felt close to him, her perfume filling him, he could not be
sure. Catherine swayed into him, and he felt the swell of her breasts against
his chest. With regret he lifted his head and satisfied himself with a swift
kiss on her lips, before he pulled back. He picked the dice up from the floor
and handed it to