“Are you gambling on this tournament?”I asked.
Waving a hand in front of her face, she said, “Nah.I already made my money from the Sigma Nu president at the Mardi Gras party.Besides, this tournament is for the Panhellenic Cup.No one in either house would take a chance on jeopardizing a house win by betting on the outcome.”
“Is that where you disappeared that night?Into a private poker game?”
Her nonchalant shrug didn’t distract me from her tiny smirk.“What can I say?Every house needs a ringer.I’m the SCRs’ lucky charm.”
I threw back my head and laughed.“I bet you are.”Sighting the players standing beside our designated boards, I nodded in their direction.“Looks like we’re up again, Lucky Charm.”
Tossing back her shoulders, she gave her hips a little extra sway—as though I hadn’t noticed them as I’d followed her up the stairs to the bar.Twice already.Even if we weren’t partners, I wasn’t sure I could do anything other than follow her when she moved like that—all smooth, rolling hips and long strides on those endless tanned legs her short shorts showed off to perfection.
This time we faced off against a Sigma Nu and one of their frat’s little sisters.Honestly, I couldn’t figure out how they’d made it to the second round with how the frat rat had absolutely zero aim.I think he maybe put two bags in the hole throughout the entire game.His partner had a clue what she was doing, but she was no match for Saylor.We made such short work of their team I still had half a beer left at the end of the match.
Our next opponents chucked us out of the quarterfinals.I pegged the two guys in their special polo shirts as athletes.Turned out one wrestled at 145 pounds, while the other was a champion pole vaulter.Guess Dalton was right about the face-off between the football team and championship-caliber athletes from a couple of other sports.At least we went down fighting, taking them into overtime and only losing 19-21.
Without consulting each other, we wandered over to where Bax and Dalton were in a dogfight with a couple of Sigma Nus that Saylor said were regulars at the tailgate cornhole games.While I stayed close to her, she focused her attention on her friend Piper, who I gathered, was supposed to have been Saylor’s teammate before I pushed my way onto her team instead.
Piper made sure to include me in their conversation, even sliding me the occasional conspiratorial wink that told me she’d clocked my interest in her friend and definitely approved.With the way Dalton and Taco had kept Saylor’s identity from me for all these months since the Mardi Gras party, I was happy at least one of her girlfriends was on Team Cash.
“So you like to play poker?”I asked.
“Like I told you.I’m the SCR good-luck charm.I also might know how to play stud poker like”—Saylor’s eyes sparkled—“a stud.”
Piper shook her head at Saylor’s antics, but she was grinning.
“That good, huh?You ever play with any of the Wildcats?”
“Saylor’s the reason Dalton doesn’t lose all of his allowance to Wyatt anymore,” Piper explained before giving Saylor a warning.“Wyatt is quite grumpy about it, so you probably shouldn’t play with him.”
“Huh.So you’re an ace cornhole player and a card sharp.What other talents are you hiding behind that pretty face?”I asked.
Piper not-so-subtly elbowed Saylor, giving her a look that said, “He’s so into you.”I had to work to hide my grin both at Piper’s behavior and at the sweet wash of pink coloring Saylor’s cheeks.The woman wasn’t wrong.I was definitely into Saylor.
“You won that poker game on Mardi Gras, didn’t you?”Piper asked.
“I may have been a bit distracted at the beginning, which turned out to be a good thing.”
“Were you, now?”Though my tone was teasing, I wanted the story—and to know if I had a part in it.
For a second, her snappy amber eyes glittered at me before Saylor returned her attention to her friend.“I started out losing or breaking even, which made the Pikes cocky.Then AJ reminded me to get my head in the game, and after that I may have cleaned house.”Her cocky attitude cracked me up.
“Good to know.”
She knitted her brows.
“When it comes to games, either I’m on your team, or I’m playing a different game.”
Piper patted my shoulder.“Smart man.”Turning to Saylor, she added, “Another point in Cash’s favor.Just sayin’.”
Piper took a couple of steps closer to where Bax was lining up to send his bags, leaving Saylor and me together.
“You still haven’t answered my question.”
Saylor blinked, a tiny smile playing over her lips.
“What else are you good at?”
“I think you already know the answer to that.”
