She blew the smoke in my face.
I swallowed, the taste of smoke on my lips. The corners of my mouth tugged upward. She was pushing my buttons, and damn, was she good at it.
“What are you doing?” I wondered.
She smirked. “I’m here to play a game of poker. Are you any good?”
“Are you?” I asked, taking the cigarette back between my fingers.
She nodded. Her chest rose. TheChanelpendant on her necklace swayed gently, catching the dim light.
“What about a little side bet, just between you and me?” she asked. The challenge in her voice had me curious.
“And what are you betting?”
She leaned in slightly, afraid of being overheard. “Fifty bucks says you’ve been thinking about kissing me all week,” she countered, her voice barely a breath against my ear.
My eyes shot up. I wasn’t expecting that. Not from her, not here, not now.
The truth was, Ihadbeen thinking about kissing her all week, maybe even longer. I couldn’t get it off my mind, actually. She was going to get me killed.
Finally, Liam and the others gathered around the table. “All right, let’s get started,” he said, laying down the rules.
I flicked the ash off into a tray, putting the cigarette out right after.
Rosalie’s eyes darted to her cards for a brief moment, then back up to her father’s with a challenge.
The burn card—a discarded Queen of Spades—rested on the table.
Liam hunched over his cards, and the four other men sitting beside him did the same with theirs. And Rosalie. Her cards lay fanned out carelessly, in clear view of my gaze. Was she naïveenough to think I wouldn’t peek? Or perhaps it didn’t matter. Maybe she knew I’d let her win regardless.
The game continued. That Queen of Spades, discarded earlier, was a wild card, capable of turning into any suit or rank. A gamble, sure, but in the right hands, it could be a game-changer.
Rosalie tossed a seemingly unnecessary high card—a seven—into the discard pile. It threw a few of the men off.
Liam played cautiously. He exchanged two cards, his eyebrows knitted in concentration as he weighed up his options. The other men followed his lead.
It was my turn. I discarded a perfectly good Queen.
Her smile was slow but deliberate.
With a sharp intake, she revealed her hand. All Queens. Including the discarded Queen of Spades as her wild card. A winning set.
The room erupted into surprised cheers and groans. Rosalie scooped the pit with a large grin. Liam cracked a small smile at her. I was sure he’d wanted her to win too.
Soon enough, Sean walked in, stepping directly behind Rosalie. Her father caught him up, and he laughed along with her, grabbing onto her shoulders. I didn’t like that.
“I’m sure Sean will be putting this money to good use,” Rosalie started, heading toward the door. “Like on a new pair ofValentinoshe’s been eyeing forweeks...” Her voice wandered with her, and I damned the part of me that wanted to follow after her.
“Ay, would you get outta here?” he said, his accent slipping through.
I wanted to roll my eyes.
And I did. When I opened them, Rosalie was gone.
CHAPTER 14
MAX
