Page 43 of The Duke of Aces
He expertly lifted the corner of his bottom card and then waved his hand indicating he didn’t wish for another.
Blast. She searched his face for a clue as to what card he held. His molten brown eyes gave her no clue but did manage to set her heart aflutter. His lips remained neutral, while the memory of his kisses had her shifting in her seat. She mustn’t let her thoughts run amok. She stared at him for a moment longer. He must have a face card.
With her free hand, she peeked at her bottom card, and her heart skipped a beat at the sight of the seven of spades. She needed a seven or better to win. She flipped the third card over in front of her. A king of clubs lay next to her four of diamonds.
Tom groaned and asked, “What suit is your seven?”
She must have given away her card when she looked. She’d have to do better next round. Isadora smiled as she flipped over her bottom card. “Spades.” She noted he stroked the table leaving a small mark in the felt. “Do you track suit or color?”
Tom chuckled. “I’ve attempted suit in the past, but playing a full deck, I can only manage color.” He wiggled his fingers. Fingers she had fantasized about many times over the past fortnight. “I don’t have enough digits.”
Isadora shook her head. Concentration is what was required. She needed answers before she committed the rest of her life to this man. “The odds of a tie are higher playing all fifty-two cards. May I suggest we simply play best of five.”
“Now that you have won the first round, the odds are significantly in your favor to win if we play only five rounds.”
She arched a brow at him. “Worried Lady Luck will not be on your side this eve?”
“Very well, best of five it is.” He gathered the cards before them and placed them to the side.
Isadora dealt the next round. Both of them had face cards sitting in front of them. Tom was first to act; he motioned for another card, and Isadora flipped over a ten of hearts.
“I win.” Isadora leaned forward and slowly turned over his concealed card. Could she divert his attention, as he had so easily distracted her?
She glanced down at the two of clubs. Shifting back in her seat, she revealed her bottom card—a nine of spades.
Tom wedged a finger into the folds of his cravat and tugged at the material until it came loose. His gaze lifted from her bosom to her eyes. “It appears Lady Luck is favoring you this eve.”
“It would be grand if I were able to sweep the table, but the odds are actually not in my favor.”
Ready to be done with the game, Isadora dealt both sets of cards face down this time. The added complexity would prove who had Lady Luck on their side. Tom again waved off the request for another card.
Isadora slowly lifted her cards. Five of hearts. Two of diamonds. She was a long way from twenty-one. Tom drummed his fingertips on the tabletop and a pang of desire rolled through her.
“I shall take a card.” She dealt herself another card. Four of spades, making her total eleven. Mayhap Lady Luck really was on her side this eve. Her tongue peeked out the corner of her mouth and Tom shifted in his seat. “And one more.”
Tom’s brow rose, and she flipped over a three of hearts. Blast. She only had fourteen and the odds of a face card appearing next were extremely high.
Tom sat back and smirked. Damn the man, even his smirk had her pulse racing. She sighed, “And another.”
As she expected, a face card appeared. Tom had won the third round.
He flipped over to reveal a six of diamonds and the knave of clubs. Isadora stared at the two cards. He only had sixteen. Had he asked for a card, he would have taken the four of spades and he would have had twenty and she… she would have had twenty also which would have resulted in a draw rather than a loss.
Tom leaned forward. “Is a loss that much worse than a draw in a best of five?”
With his cravat dangling loose, the top of his chest was exposed, confirming her suspicion the man rode bare-chested during the summer months.
Swallowing hard, Isadora replied, “Aye, it is.”
Summoning all her willpower, she dealt the next round. She needed answers before she agreed to marry this man that set her blood ablaze. This time, she decided to deal the cards in the traditional manner, one face down and one face up.
She tried to ignore Tom’s piercing gaze and focus on her cards. Tom brushed his thumb along the side of his card before he peeked at it. The memory of him trailing his fingers along her inner thigh had her clamping her legs together, but there was nothing she could do to stop the moisture pooling at her core.
Tom tapped his forefinger on the top of his cards, indicating his wish for another card. With the ace of hearts showing, he must not have a face card.
Heart racing, she flipped over another ace, this time the ace of clubs. Blast the man and his moniker—tonight he was the Duke of Aces. He waved off more cards, and Isadora turned her attention to her cards—king of hearts showing and hidden from Tom’s view, a nine of diamonds.
Setting the cards down, Isadora declared, “I believe I’m good.”
