Page 15 of Illicit Heir

Emily's mouth is practically on the table.

Jessica's eyes beam brighter.

Alison has her hand over her mouth, stifling her giggle.

I goad, "Lasses, help me out here."

"Ya should do it," Jessica encourages.

"Of course you'd say that," Lauren mutters.

"I'm with Jessica. I think it's a great idea. Ya always win at cards anyway," Alison states.

"I'm not sleeping with him," Lauren declares again adamantly.

"All ya have to do is win, and we get ten grand. He confirmed you don't have to sleep with him," Alison argues.

"Exactly. I just said an hour of your time," I reiterate, even though as soon as I get her alone, I'm putting the moves on her so swiftly she won't know what hit her. And she won't be able to resist.

Lauren turns toward Emily.

Her face falls. She admits, "Ya know that we don't have a lot of options right now. Just do it. Win the money. You'll be fine and then we can fix the pub without the extra stress. Think of how much it'll help your mum."

I taunt, "Am I that bad that ya don't want to spend an hour of your time with me if ya lose?"

Lauren tilts her head and studies me with distrust in her eyes.

I add, "It's just an hour. All we have to do is sit up there and talk. That's it."

She cautiously asks, "Talk only?"

I nod. "Aye. Talk. Or whatever ya want to do. But if ya just want to talk, we'll just talk."

Her mistrust never leaves her face.

I pick up the cards and shuffle them. "Are ya really that scared you'll lose?"

"I'm not scared," she insists.

I grin at her. "Great. Then what game are we playing, and are you dealing or am I?"

3

Lauren

Devin keeps his arrogant, yet challenging, expression pinned on me, but I keep debating.

Ten thousand euros would solve our problems.

But I'm not a prostitute.

He said we can talk for the hour if I lose.

"Play Irish Switch! Ya always win that!" Jessica blurts out.

"Irish Switch? Never heard of it," Devin states.

My pulse rises. If he's never played it, that gives me an advantage.

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