Page 138 of Theirs to Tempt: The Marriage Claim

And so has he. “I don’t know what it means yet.”

Voss looks at us. “Something to share?”

I offer him a pleasant smile. “I was admiring your jewelry.”

A faint line appears between Voss’s brows, and his expression turns cool.

Caleb approvingly brushes his thumb across my shoulder, and warmth moves through me.

The game continues, staying irritatingly even. Then Voss loses two hands in succession.

On the next wager, he chooses tie.

My head lifts.

The payout is seductive, and the odds are awful.

The dealer reveals the cards. Player finishes with six. Banker with seven.

Voss loses.

He rotates the cuff link twice.

Not fear.

I know fear.

This is irritation sharpened by humiliation.

He didn’t choose tie because he believed it was statistically sound. He chose it because ordinary wins are no longer enough. He wants spectacle. He wants to defeat Lucian in a way everyone in this room will remember.

The money has become secondary.

His ego is the real stake now.

I lean toward Caleb, holding up my hand and whispering behind it. “He’s tilting.”

Though Caleb’s gaze remains on Voss, he asks me to explain.

“He came here expecting control. The longer the game stays even, the more he experiences that as a loss.”

Lucian’s gaze shifts toward me.

I continue quietly. “He isn’t trying to win money anymore. He’s trying to restore the version of himself he expected us to see.”

“What version?” Lucian asks.

“The man who frightens you.”

Caleb’s mouth curves.

Voss places another million on player.

Lucian does not bet immediately.

I touch his wrist.

The contact surprises all three of us.