Page 139 of Theirs to Tempt: The Marriage Claim

His skin is warm beneath my fingertips, his pulse slow and steady.

“Make him think you’re backing down,” I whisper.

Lucian studies my face. “You’re certain?”

“No. This is gambling. Certainty is the product you sell to people immediately before they lose.”

Caleb gives a soft huff of amusement.

I keep my voice low. “He needs to believe he’s regained control. Give him a reason to press.”

Lucian places only one hundred thousand on banker.

The dealer reveals the hands.

Player wins.

Voss reclaims his million and glances at Lucian’s smaller wager.

There.

His shoulders ease.

The cuff link remains untouched.

He believes Lucian is becoming cautious.

On the next hand, Voss wagers two million.

Lucian places half a million against him.

Voss wins again.

The room’s energy changes.

He feels it too.

He leans back and takes his first drink in several hands.

“Perhaps we should move to the real purpose of the evening.”

Lucian appears to consider the suggestion.

I know better now.

He has been waiting.

“What do you propose?” he asks.

Voss rests his glass on the table. “The principal wager. Full access to the archive against one use of your intelligence network.”

Chapter Forty

Sophie

“The terms require amendment,” Lucian says.

Lorenzo turns the tablet toward us.