Page 15 of His Last Gamble

The other girls murmured too. Even the chronically bored Coral perked up. ‘Lovely. I must try my hand at poker,’ she said, reaching out and grabbing a handful. ‘I’ve always wanted to!’

By the time the others had done the same there were very few chips left.

Charmaine couldn’t have cared if they’d taken them all. Gambling just wasn’t her thing. Besides, she was still trying to find her tongue and come up with a good opening line for Payne. ‘Sorry I kissed you’ just didn’t seem appropriate somehow.

‘The greedy little darlings,’ Jo-Jo drawled ruefully, watching his models eagerly making for the various tables, and then reached for the few meagre specimens left on the tray. Wryly he handed them over to Charmaine, who had no choice but to let him drop them into her hand.

‘Oh no, Jo-Jo,’ she murmured, looking uncomfortable. ‘Why don’t you take them. You’re bound to have more luck than me.’

‘Oh I don’t know,’ Payne said softly. ‘Sometimes Lady Luck recognises one of her sisters.’

Charmaine forced her eyes up to meet his. She tried for a puzzled yet sophisticated glance.

‘Oh?’

‘Another Lady I mean,’ he said softly. ‘Lady Bountiful, perhaps?’ he teased. ‘Or maybe Lady Godiva. With that wonderful blonde hair . . .’

Charmaine blinked. Wasn’t Lady Godiva known for riding around naked on a white horse? She almost snorted. He should be so lucky!

Payne, eyes twinkling in response to her angry flush, reached out to push back a soft strand of hair from her cheek.

It was all she could do to stand still.

Beside her, she heard Jo-Jo give a soft sigh. He’d always been a romantic. And so must she be, if she was ever going to get Payne Lacey back in her sights, she reminded herself grimly. It was no good just standing there like a statue, she reprimanded herself.

‘How kind,’ she said softly. ‘But I’ve never placed a bet in my life. I’m not sure I know how.’ She hoped she sounded as helpless as a lost kitten. It was, she was almost sure, the kind of thing Jinx would say, if she wanted to encourage a man to show how big and strong and gallant he was.

Then she saw Payne’s lips twitch in amusement, and wondered if she hadn’t overdone it somewhat.

‘Well then in that case,’ he said, offering her his arm, ‘allow me to demonstrate.’

She tensed as she slipped her hand through the crook of his arm, and knew, without having to look up at him, that he was grinning like the devil at her.

Of course he’d seen right through her little-girl act the moment the words were out of her mouth. It was no use. She was just no good at this sort of thing. Still, at least he was by her side, and hadn’t simply gone off with Jinx. Which must mean that she hadn’t totally put him off with her stupid behaviour this morning.

Unless, of course, he was just waiting for a chance to get his revenge.

She looked up at him nervously, but his face was calm and alert. She looked around, seeing the place through his eyes. Yes, she could see why there was such pride of ownership in his countenance. This was his kingdom. A man who could gamble everything he owned, and win, would be king here forever.

He led her towards the gaming tables. Over to her right, she heard Dee-Dee mock moan as she lost at cards.

‘Does the bank always win?’ Charmaine asked cynically.

Payne gave a wolfish grin. ‘The odds always favour the house, of course,’ he said simply, ‘otherwise there’d be no casinos. We’d all go bankrupt. But the lure is in beating the odds. Occasionally there are big winners, which only encourages the others.’

‘Has anyone ever broken the bank here?’ she asked, and Payne gave a cold, hard smile.

‘No,’ he said simply.

No. Of course not, Charmaine thought sourly. As if anyone would dare!

‘Here were are,’ he said, moving up to a table containing a roulette wheel. A woman who was not playing but only watching quickly made way for him. The man behind the wheel, resplendent in the Palace uniform of gold waistcoat, red bow tie, crisp white shirt and black trousers, looked up anxiously at his employer, but Payne merely smiled.

His hand came to rest on the small of Charmaine’s back, making a long, sensuous shudder travel the length of her spine.

She hoped he didn’t notice.

At the same time, her breath became trapped in her throat as the heat of his casually resting fingertips burned through the fabric of her dress, and her nipples hardened and tightened like little tell-tales in the clinging, revealing dress.

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