Page 64 of Queen Of WildCards

Mallorygave me a hesitant peek out from beneath her lashes, andIfelt like twenty kinds of a heel asIgestured to the booth instead of meeting her gaze.

Shestepped aside, closer to me, and waited forSpadeto take his seat first.Thelook she shotJoker, her back ramrod straight, arms tight against her sides, neck stiff, told me whatever he'd done, he would suffer for it for quite a while yet.

Women.Theseidiots should have learned by now not to cross one.

Apparently,Iput too much faith in them.

Sheslipped into the seat and made sure to leave me a wide berth, whichIappreciated more thanIcould say.Herfingers curled around the half-filled glass of wineSpadehanded her, and she downed it like a champ, handing it back with a nervous glint in her eye.

Spadeleaned into her, his voice a low growl, butI'dlong since learned to pick up on his lip movement and read his words even whenIcouldn't hear them.

"I'vegot some real fun planned for you, sweetheart."

Herrumbling denial managed to choke a chuckle up my throat, thoughImanaged to stop it in its tracks.

"Nothappening, buddy.Keepit in your pants."

Iwatched his arm shift as his hand snaked over to her lap as if he weren't even trying to hide it from a soul at the table.Acewas too busy pouring himself another glass of wine to notice, and when the waiter arrived with two fresh glasses of water and a smile,Mallorylooked very much unsettled.

"So, have we decided what we'd like to eat?"

Mallorysqueaked from her seat beside me, though she was a foot or two away.Herpalms slammed onto the table top as she bit her lip and smiled haltingly up at the young man. "Oh, sorry,I'dlike the . . . mmm, the alfredo special, please.Andperhaps a shot of tequila?"

Acefrowned at her choices. "Leaveoff the margarita,MissStanton.Wealready have one drunk to live with, might as well not make it two."

Sheflushed in embarrassment, as didJoker, and curled in on herself as she nodded to the waiter, refusing to meet his eyes. "Thealfredo special will do, thank you."

Hejotted down her order and moved around the table with practiced ease.Whenhe shuffled off,Ifrowned across the table at our leader.

"Wasthat necessary?"

Hesmirked and refused to meet my eyes. "Worryabout yourself,BlackJack."Hisgaze slid over to the woman in question, a sneer lifting his lips. "Whothe hell thought dressing her like an escort was a good plan?"

Hiseyes widened as a distinct and audiblethudechoed under the table, and his eyes dropped to where his lap would be, were there not a piece of wood blocking his gaze.

Herswas all venom, the slight lift to her brow only accenting the tilt of her lips as she stared him down for his asshole comments. "Well, ifIhad my own clothes,Iwouldn't have had to dive intoJoker'sNarniaofWhoresand squeeze into something made for a child-sized bitch, but you're going to off me anyhow, so who cares how these assholes dress me up?"

Thecunning, brave woman must have slammed her stiletto into the gap between his legs to drive the point home.

Shewas growing on me, and from the smile on his face, she was growing onAce, too, despite himself.

Hishand dipped beneath the table, and from the looks of it and the sound of her sharp inhale and look of pure shock, he must have wrapped a hand around her ankle, trapping her foot in his lap.

Hiseyes metSpade'sacross the table. "Wreckher before the main course comes, orIwill."

"Now, wait just a second," she started, but clearly, the two of them weren't listening anymore.Aceheld her in his grip with a conniving grin smeared on those lips of his, andSpade'shand was now quite plainly in her lap, though she didn't seem to be eager to be so splayed out in a public place.

Addnot an exhibitionistto the list of thingsInow knew about the doc thatInever expected to.

Spadegot to work beneath that too-short skirt, andIsat back in the booth, my head falling against the top of the cushion as my eyes drifted closed, trying to resist the urge to watch her face as they did who knew what filthy things beneath this table to her.

Itdidn't stop the noises she made, however, andIwas painfully aware of the booth moving with every little shift of her hips.WhenItook a chance and peeked out from beneath one eyelid,IspottedSpade'snose against her throat, his lips barely moving, probably filling her ears with all manner of filthy promisesIhad no business overhearing.

"Oh," she whispered, her eyes flicking toAce, whose grin had grown exponentially and morphed into one of obsessive possession.Thebeast inside him had risen to the surface and come out to play with his new toy, leaving the tame, rational, in-controlKoheilocked away in some far-off land to watch the spectacle before him.

Mallorywrithed in place asSpadesnarled against the soft skin below her ear, and a soft gasp left her lips as she bit down on the bottom one, trying her damndest not to cry out at the sensations the man to her left was causing her.Ishifted in my seat as the full weight of the situation fell on me, making my pants uncomfortably tight, and realized her right leg was practically against my knee, with the wayAcestill held it in his grip.Mymental calculations took a left turn, andIrealized there was no way that skirt wasn't around her waist by now, as hard as she struggled to keep it down as she walked.

Fuck,Ibet she was leaving a wet spot on the damn seat beneath her.

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