Hitting the Mark

Danni liked him enough to walk away. She dropped his fingers, ready to go.

But Eric wouldn’t let her drop his hand. “Come with me,” he said.

She was unable to make out his meaning, but he’d extended his hand to her. Another tiny flicker of hope flared. “Where?”

“It’s a surprise. Do you trust me?” he asked.

She swallowed and squeezed his hand. “I do.” It was strange trusting someone other than her father and Cassie. But she did, and she felt lighter, freer for it.

“Then come with me.”

She followed Eric, shielding her eyes against the harshness of the late-morning sun. In a few turns, she realized they were on a direct path to the casino where he worked.

“What’s going on?”

“You say you are around the temptation because you want to prove to yourself you can go straight. The fact that you ran last night tells me you still don’t completely trust yourself.” He faced her point-blank. “Since you called me today and told me everything says to me that I can trust you. It’s you who’s unsure. You don’t know whether you can trust yourself. Well, now’s your chance.”

She glanced at the doors of the casino. Greeters always smiled, but Danni knew they were the first line of any casino’s security. “They’ll stop me before I take five steps in the place. Those people at the door memorize photos.”

“Danni, I know what kind of security measures are in place. Two more days working here, and I would have memorized your photo.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “You’re with me. It will be fine. Stop stalling. Come inside and prove to yourself you can do it.”

“Why? Why are you doing this?” She couldn’t keep the wonder out of her voice. No one, no one except maybe Cassie and the judge had ever tried to help her this way.

His brown eyes grew heated. “Maybe I want to see how far I can tip the scale kissing you.”

She smiled. A tingle of excitement rushed through her. Now was the time for the coy hair flip.

He handed her a twenty-dollar bill. “Come on, prove yourself right.”

She glanced at the money, hesitated a moment before she took the bill from his hand. “Thanks for trusting me.”

Who’d have thought that having someone’s trust was such a turn-on?

They walked together into the casino—loud and filled with activity, even on a Monday. Bells dinged, lights flickered, people alternately cheered and groaned. At one time, this had been home. Not legally, since she wasn’t of age then, but of course that hadn’t mattered to her father.

“What’s your pleasure?” Eric asked. Sure enough, no one had stopped them.

“Poker,” she said. “And not Texas Hold ’Em.”

“Follow me.” He set her up in a chair at a table with quite a bit of action. All amateurs. The loud man who’d already had too much to drink. The retired ladies who were dropped off at the door by a bus. The serious engineer type who’d probably watched the “how to gamble” video up in his hotel room a dozen times.

Easy pickin’s.

But not today. In thirty minutes she was done. Sliding off the chair, she found Eric hanging back a few feet away.

“I lost all your money,” she admitted.

His eyes burned dark. “I don’t care,” he replied, staring at her lips.

Her skin burned sensitive and hot. It felt good not even having the urge to cheat. It felt better knowing Eric wanted her.

He nodded toward a hallway that looked as if it led to the administrative offices, and she fell into step beside him.

“So tell me, how would you have cheated back then?” he asked.

Danni scanned the table again. “Easy. Small conservative bets. Just enough to keep the cards flowing and my money going. When I hit a face card, I mark it with my fingernail, or bend the card ever so slightly. Enough times through, I’ll have a good idea who has what and bet accordingly. Most people think cheating at cards is all about the right card, and yes, for the most part it is. But don’t discount the importance of bet management.”

Eric chuckled deep in his throat and the sound shot a thrill to her. “Who’d have thought hearing how you could rob me would be so hot.”

“Aha. I’ve been waiting for that,” she told him with a smile. Yes. It was exactly the confirmation she needed to hear. Eric wanted her, like she wanted him.

“You have a problem with men only wanting you for prowess at theft?” he asked, his voice teasing.

“Only from the good boys.”

“I’m not so good,” he said, his eyes becoming darker.

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