“What do you think, Noelle?” Ash shuffled the deck across his palms. “We’ll even give you a leg up.”
He tugged his shirt up over his head and tossed it aside. He reached for his pants. “How many layers do you want me to drop to convince you to play?”
“I don’t…” Noelle shifted in her seat and crossed her legs.
Tucking her hands between her thighs, she swallowed hard and glanced my way. “Isn’t there something else you’d rather do?”
“Hell no.” I slid onto the seat beside her.
I had other work to do, but I’d been hooked on Noelle since she walked into the club days ago.
This might be my only chance to act on my desire.
Noelle shifted again, her eyes brightening when Rafe sat across from her.
Her heel drummed up and down, and she chewed on her lower lip. “I’ve never done anything like this before. I’m just a reporter.”
“You can be anything you want.” Ash leaned across the table and kissed her cheek. “When you’re here with us, nothing is off limits.”
I knew what he was doing, and I wasn’t sure if I approved.
Ash hoped to lower her defenses, to get her to break and show why she was really here.
Maybe she really did plan on using our stories to give us a better standing in town.
And maybe she was like everyone else outside our club.
Ash dealt the cards.
I picked up my hand and examined it.
Crap cards.
Nothing worth keeping.
I could play this one of two ways.
I could bluff and hope to win so Noelle was forced to strip, or I could lose and play along.
Ash popped another candy into his mouth.
He started off easy, dropping a card and drawing another from the deck.
Noelle stared at her cards.
A divot appeared between her eyes, and she tapped the cards together. “What now?”
“Bet which article of clothing you’re willing to take off if you lose.” Ash grinned at her over his cards. “I bet my pants.”
“Same.” Rafe sat back with his arms folded. He’d not even looked at his cards.
I placed my cards face down on the table. “Me too.”
“I bet my…socks.” Noelle smirked and fanned her cards facedown on the table.
“All right. I call.” Ash flipped his cards over.
We all followed suit.
