His mouth quirked in a half-smile. “And what sort of selection do you think you might find here? A study in philosophy or science?” He laid down and stretched his arms behind his head. “No, thank you.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re rather difficult to please.”
“Not really.” Something in his tone made her glance at him, and the heat she saw in his gaze made her set her jaw. “I just require something a bit more… entertaining.”
“You’re in no shape to do much more than play cards at the moment,” she snapped. “So, if you care to partner me in whist, I can do that.”
He gave an exaggerated sigh. “Very well.”
Chapter 6
Devin knew that he shouldn’t test the lady’s patience, but she was just too fun to tease. And the flash of green fire in her eyes was just too enticing to ignore. He couldn’t wait for the day that same passion turned into burning desire. For him.
But now, he had to ignore all those lascivious thoughts in his mind, for he didn’t want to push her too far and frighten her away. And honestly, his body might yearn for her, but it was also not ready for anything quite so vigorous. At the moment, he had to content himself with just watching her, and from the top of her head to the tip of her toes, he found her to be utterly mesmerizing.
He sat up as she brought the wooden lap desk over to the bed and set it beside him. In turn, she gathered a deck of cards and a whist marker that was sitting on a nearby table, and then perched on the edge of the bed.
She attempted to shuffle the deck, but he held out his hand. “Allow me.”
Reluctantly, she handed them over and he immediately began to flip them around. He’d always had a certain skill when it came to manipulating the deck. He had fascinated more than one onlooker with his ability.
As he glanced at Constance, he could see that she was equally enthralled, for her eyes had widened slightly and her lips had parted. It wasn’t until her dainty pink tongue appeared to lick her lips that he nearly shot the entire deck across the bed. Luckily, he managed to gain control and handed them back to her. “That should be sufficient.”
She took them, as if in awe. “How did you learn to shuffle like that?”
He shrugged. “It’s just something I’ve always done.”
“I’m impressed.” As she dealt out thirteen cards to each of them, she added, “I could have used someone like you at Montfree’s.”
“Montfree’s?” he echoed curiously.
She turned her attention to the cards in her hand. “It was the gaming hell I had a half share in.”
He snorted. “You ran a gaming hell?”
She looked at him in complete seriousness. “Yes.”
“But… you’re a woman.”
This time, she was the one who snorted. “Don’t tell me your so antiquated in your thinking that you can’t imagine a woman can have a particular head for business.” She cocked a brow at him. “We are good for more than spreading our legs, you know.”
He offered her a tolerant look. “I didn’t mean it that way. I merely meant that I was surprised that someone was willing to go into business with you. Most men are reluctant to find out that a female is better at keeping ledgers than they are.”
“I certainly can’t argue with that,” she murmured, as the game progressed. “But luckily, I had a partner who didn’t mind.”
While Devin had imagined that he was quite proficient at whist, Constance made sure that he kept his mind on the game at all times, as she was quite an adept opponent. While he would never say as much to Luke, he thought she might actually be better than him. Needless to say, he wasn’t surprised that she had shared ownership in a gaming hell. She could have likely tackled it on her own and done quite well for herself.
It made him wonder… “Why did you leave?”
“Hmm?” She was concentrating on the cards in her hand.
“Montfree’s. Why did you give it up?”
“It was time. My partner married and I found the game I was playing had become rather tiring.”
“I hope you don’t feel the same about this one.”
She smiled. “Not all. In fact…” She set down her cards with a flourish. “I do believe I’ve won.”
