Page 126 of Theirs to Tempt: The Marriage Claim

“I understood him.”

“Show us.”

I glance at the cards. “The hand totals ten.”

“Which is zero,” Lucian says.

I turn toward him. “You just said the ace is one and the nine is nine.”

“It is. But only the final digit of the total counts.”

“So ten becomes zero.”

“Yes.”

“Fifteen becomes five?”

“Exactly.”

“That’s unnecessarily theatrical.”

Caleb reaches for one of the chips. “Welcome to Vegas.”

Lucian slides two betting positions toward me. One says PLAYER, the other BANKER. A smaller space above them says TIE.

“You wager on which hand will finish closest to nine.”

“Which hand belongs to the player?”

“The one designated player.”

“And the banker belongs to the casino?”

“No.”

“Does either label describe an actual person?”

“No.”

I look at Caleb. “This game was designed by men.”

“Undoubtedly.”

Lucian continues. “You may wager on player, banker, or tie. The cards are dealt according to fixed rules. You do not decide whether either hand takes another card.”

“I don’t get to hit or stand?”

“No.”

“Then what am I doing?”

“Choosing which outcome you believe will occur.”

“That is barely doing anything.”

“Now you understand baccarat.”

Nina’s mouth twitches.