Page 62 of Dare Me

I won’t go back on our deal if Lochlan wins, but I don’t know if our friendship—what’s left of it anyway—will survive if he does.

Antonio takes a seat at a table, starting a new game. He greets the other players and dealer with a silent but amiable nod. Standing next to him, I place my hand on the back of his chair. He reaches behind himself to cover it with his. I wait for the butterflies or stomach swooping, but it never comes.

“Is this seat taken?”

I look up to find Lochlan standing over the empty chair. His eyes meet mine with sharpness that steals my breath. His lips curl into a devious smirk. “I’m feeling lucky tonight.”

Chapter 25

The River Card

Lochlan

I go to Juliette as soon as I see Stella walk away with that man. 1 “Fancy seeing you here,” I joke, sliding next to her at the poker room’s bar.

“Hey.” She smiles, something that would have most straight men falling over themselves. She might as well be wearing her grandma’s muumuu for all the effect it has on me.

Especially when my spine rankles from watching Stella’s hand drape over the man’s arm in my peripheral. “Are you looking for Stella? She’s over there with Mr. Costa.”

“Hmm, who is he?” I ask Juliette with as much casualness as I can force through my clenched jaw.

I must not be very convincing because her lip twitches in a small smirk. “Some high roller. He’s a diamond member, but I’ve never seen him take advantage of the benefits. He’s pretty much always in here.”

“Oh yeah?” Looks like Stella found her whale.

She nudges me, mischief in her tone. “Seems like they have room for one more player.”

“Seems like you’re trying to start trouble.”

We both laugh, and she gives my shoulder an encouraging push. “Well, go on then.”

I think on it for about half a second.

“Have a good night, Juliette. I owe you one.” I wink and she rolls her eyes, pushing me again—this time with both hands.

Technically, there’s nothing in the rules about card-blocking. As I get closer to the table, I see her tense slightly when he lays his hand on hers, and I’m even more convinced this is the right decision.

A good decision? Probably not, but the right one? Hell yes.

I step up to the table. She still hasn’t seen me. My heart is racing even harder. “Is this seat taken?”

She looks up and her expression is priceless. I pull out the chair and smirk. “I’m feeling lucky tonight.”

As I sit down, the surprise on her face hardens to a pointed glare. She’s telling me to back off. I lift a brow to let her know I have no intention to.

As cards are dealt and the game begins, I love watching Stella’s competitiveness come out. It’s subtle, given the setting, but I see it in everything she does. It’s in the way she rubs Costa’s shoulder for support but looks at me when he’s debating a move. Or the cool, barely there smirk whenever Costa raises. Or her increasing irritation as one by one, the other players fold until it’s just Costa, one other, and me.

At some point, Juliette comes over and perches by my chair. Every time she whispers in my ear, she drags a finger down my arm, which is probably why nobody says anything. It looks like she’s sharing sweet nothings. Really, she’s sneaking me the other players’ tells. And it’s a good thing she is because I’m too busy silently toying with Stella to study the other players.

It’s all so much fun, her frustration making my blood hot. Finally, the river card comes, and I already feel halfway to victory when I raise and put in more chips than Costa has left.

I sit back with satisfaction as Costa assesses his chips. He’s short, no doubt about it, yet I’ve never seen Stella look so devious.

Her gaze traipses down my chest before she locks eyes with me and then slides into his lap. She nods to his wanting chips. “Want to call? Bet me.”

“Excuse me?” I lurch forward on my elbows.

At first, Costa looks confused by my reaction, then realization dawns on his face. Like a prick, he winds his arm around Stella and pulls her closer, eyeing me with a smug fucking look. On instinct, my mind starts to run through all the ways I could kill him without Stella getting hurt.

---