Page 28 of Malice

“Stand.”

“Okay. Dealer has three showing, dealer will hit.” He flipped over a face card. “Dealer stands.” He flipped over his hold card. “Dealer has eighteen.” He glanced at her then back down at her cards as he waited for her to reveal hers.

Bonnie flipped another six.

“Player has twenty, player wins.” He gathered the cards up, adding them to a discard pile before twisting enough to toe off both shoes, then repositioning himself on the sofa.

“Ready for the next hand?”

Bonnie didn’t say anything, just nodded. He dealt again. “Where’d you learn to do this so well? Why do you talk your way through every game?” she asked after a couple hands.

“I dealt at one of the casinos around Boseman for a while a couple years ago.”

“What did you deal?”

“Whatever needed a dealer. I can deal and play pretty much anything they had tables for. I was a floater, I could do any table that needed someone to cover for a shift or a couple weeks.”

“Why aren’t you still doing it?”

He lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “Money’s okay but it’s boring. Same thing day in and day out. And at least in a place like Boseman, same faces day in and day out. You’d probably see more people, more variety in someplace like Vegas or Atlantic City, but I’m not much for cities and it was just a way to pay the bills, not a passion. I moved on and found something that paid better after a while, now I’m here.”

“And this pays better?”

“Yes and no.”

“How so?” She scowled.

“The dollar amount on my paycheck isn’t better. It’s actually significantly less, but this one comes with room and board. I don’t have to buy food, or much of it, if I don’t want to. I don’t pay for this place,” he used one finger to indicate the cabin, “so while my paycheck is less, I keep more of it. On top of that, I work with friends, brothers. People who care and I care about, not strangers. It makes a difference.”

“I can see why it would. I never thought about the benefits of working for a place like this, other than the pay.” She turned her attention back to the game, seemingly determined to win.

Forty-five minutes later, Bonnie sat in her bra and panties, and Malice was down to just his underwear. It seemed they were pretty evenly matched. He dealt again, not sure if he wanted to win or lose this one. Losing the hand would mean losing his last piece of clothing, and the game but with what he was almost certain was coming, was it really losing? He didn’t think so.

“Hit me.” Bonnie’s words drew him back to the game that would decide whether it was over or had one or two more games, though Malice could admit to himself, that once she took off another piece of clothing, he’d have a hard time concentrating on the game. So maybe this would be the last hand either way. He dealt a four to add to the eight she had showing.

“That’s twelve showing.” He glanced up her face, waiting for her decision.

“Hold.”

“Very well.” He peeked at his hole card, having forgotten what it was when he’d looked after dealing. A three to go with the ace he had showing. “Dealer takes another card. A ten. Dealer takes another card. An eight. Dealer busts.” He gathered his cards and hers, along with the discard pile and put them all on the table in front of the sofa before standing. He looked down at her, “You want me to do this here, or you want to take it in the other room?”

“Here is good.” Her eyes glittered with mischief and humor.

With a shrug he shoved his briefs off his hips, revealing the erection he hadn’t been able to prevent. Hell, watching her sit there so self-confident in just her underwear was hotter than he’d thought possible.

“Well, you won, now what?” He kicked his shorts to rest on the pile with the rest of his clothes then ran one hand over his erection, squeezing hard before pulling his hand away, despite the temptation to continue. The thought of having her sit there and watch as he jerked off made him want to do just that, instead he bit back the groan that worked its way up his throat and remembered he’d asked her a question.

She stared at him a moment before swallowing. “Now I get my prize.” She crooked a finger at him.

Malice frowned, wondering what she meant as he closed the distance from where he stood to where she wiggled until she sat straight on the couch. When he stood in front of her, she looked him up and down.

“Closer. I want you standing here.” She pointed to the floor between her own feet.

His frown deepened, as he wondered what she was doing but he went.

“Perfect,” she said when he stood where she’d indicated.

Her voice had gone husky, making his curiosity deepen. She didn’t tell him what she was thinking, but leaned in and ran her tongue up the length of his erection.

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