He roseand went to his satchel, fishing something from within. “Aye,” he said, drawing out a deck of well-worn cards. “We always carry these on the road, for passing the time around the fire.”
Gracie’s eyeswidened as she looked at the cards. “Cards?” she repeated, uncertainly.
Jaxon laughed softly.“Aye, cards. But nae just any game. We will play Maw.”
Gracie blinked.“Och, I’ve played that game before.”
“Aye,”he said, lifting one brow, “but ye have nae played it this way. For we…bet usin’ our garments.”
Her mouth fell open,and a blush immediately crept across her cheeks. “What do ye mean?” she asked, voice trembling slightly.
He grinned wider,the playful glint in his eyes catching her off guard. “We wager what we wear, lass. A stitch for a stitch, a piece of cloth for a piece of cloth.”
Gracie pressedher hands to her cheeks, heat flooding her. “I… I could nae! I couldnae do such a thing!”
He leaned closer,his voice low and teasing. “But ye wanted to make it up to me, did ye nae? This…is part of it, if ye would have it so.”
Gracie’s mind raced.Part of her heart leapt at the idea of being daring, of breaking free from all the rules that kept her so proper. Her pulse quickened as she thought of the warmth of his eyes, the way he teased her gently but with purpose. And yet…there was a knot of embarrassment in her belly, a shyness about her body that she could not shake.
Still,she remembered, he was her husband. The man who had been patient, protective, teasing but never cruel. He had returned to her, even after she had doubted him. If she could not trust him now… when could she?
Her lips trembledas she swallowed. “Aye…” she said finally, a soft sound, almost a whisper. “I… I will play.”
Jaxon’s grin widened,and he leaned back slightly, hands stretching toward her in invitation.
“Och,lass, I kent ye would. Ye have the spirit in ye yet.”
Gracie felt her heart hammer,both from the nervousness of what they were about to do and the thrill that coursed through her at his words. She took a deep breath and tried to steady herself, letting her eyes roam over the cards laid out between them. The firelight danced across his strong, angular face, and she felt herself trembling for reasons far beyond mere embarrassment.
“You will nae regret this,will ye?” Jaxon asked, his voice softening, almost tender.
Gracie shook her head,heat rushing to her ears again. “I… I daenae think so,” she murmured.
“Good,”he said, as he shuffled the cards with long, sure fingers. “Then we begin. And remember, lass…what we bet is part of the fun.”
Her pulse thrummedin her ears, and she realized with a start that she was both terrified and exhilarated. To be wild in this way, to risk embarrassment in front of her husband, and yet to trust him completely…she had never felt such a strange, heady mix before. And yet, as he looked at her with that teasing, warm gleam in his eyes, she felt her resolve harden.
“Then deal, Laird,”she said, her voice gaining strength. “I am ready for this…whatever it shall bring.”
Jaxon’s grin turned sly,a glimmer of mischief in the depths of his gaze. “Och, lass…ye shall see soon enough,” he said, flicking the first card toward her. “And mayhap ye will find ye have more courage than ye think.”
Gracie’s fingersbrushed against the card, and she felt a shiver run up her spine. She was trembling still, but not from fear alone. The warmth of his gaze, the quiet strength in his presence, and the excitement of the unknown all collided within her. And as the game began, she felt the first flicker of a boldness she had never dared to claim for herself…all because of the man she was learning to call her husband.
Gracie’s handsshook slightly as she picked up her first card, trying to steady her breath.
Jaxon leaned closer..“Lose yer…garment, lass. That’s the wager, remember?”
Gracie’s eyes widened,a sudden rush of heat spreading over her body. She bit her lip, both embarrassed and excited. Her hands tightened around the cards, and she forced herself to breathe. “Och, I… I will nae be afraid,” she whispered.
“Good,”he said with a sly grin. “Then place yer bet.”
Gracie triedto focus on her hand, but she felt every inch of her attention pulled toward him. She noticed the curve of his bicep as he rested his arm on the table, the way his hands moved with confident precision. She could feel the heat radiating from him, a pulse she wanted desperately to feel closer to.
“Ye are too slow, lass,”Jaxon teased, a low rumble in his voice. “If ye take too long, I may think ye are bluffin’…or afraid.”
Gracie flushed furiously.“I am nae afraid!” she snapped, though the tremor in her voice suggested otherwise. “I am just…careful.”
“Aye, careful,”Jaxon repeated, smirking. “Och, careful is fine. But remember…a laird enjoys a lady with spirit, and ye have spirit enough, I think.”
