“Okay. I have a system.” She rubbed her hands together.
“Do tell.”
“We walk around until I find a machine I’m feeling, then we take turns pulling the lever.”
He jerked his chin toward one of the side rooms. “We should’ve headed to the poker room.”
“Maybe.” She trailed her fingertips along the top of a slot machine. “But we’re here now. Next round is on you in the poker room.”
He grinned then. Full smile. “Deal.”
Heather moved through the rows of slots, finally settling on one with a watercolor drawing of a buffalo on the top. “This is the one.”
“Let’s do it.” Jase stood behind her while she settled into the chair. “Ladies first.”
“Why thank you.” Heather plopped onto the velvet chair while Jase flashed their five-dollar gambling card on the sensor.
She clicked minimum bid and pulled the handle.
Some people preferred to push the button, but she liked losing her money the old-school way.
Three cherries and a gold bar lined up. “Ha. I won.”
“Four cents. Nice job.” Jase dropped his hand to her shoulder, right near the curve of her neck.
The warmth of his fingers sparked the tiny nerve endings where his palm rested. She liked it. A lot.
His thumb started to rub a small line, back and forth, back and forth, over the sensitized skin.
She pulled the handle.
“I won again.” Ten whole cents this time. She made a “whoop” sound and threw her hands in the air.
Jase dropped his hand from her shoulder at her movement.
Darn, she should’ve rethought that one—she’d liked the warmth of his hand there. If he could make her nerve endings fire with just a neck rub, imagine what he could do with her whole body.
She pulled the handle again.
A gold bar, a buffalo, a cherry, and a black bonus bar.
Blah. Nothing.
She went again.
More of the same nothing.
“You want a turn?” She angled so she could see Jase where he stood behind her.
“I’m good. You’re doing great.”
“I was, until you dropped your hand,” she said under her breath.
“What?”
“Put it back, it’s my good luck charm.” She gave a pointed glance to where his hand rested at his side.
He raised his eyebrows and placed his hand back on her shoulder in as pointed a gesture as her glance.
