Playing Against Type: Soulgirls, Book 4 Read Online Free PDF

filling his dark eyes. “Are you all right?”
    She summoned up a smile. Way to act nonchalant… “I’m fine. Sorry.” Shaking her head, she laughed again. “Okay, that was a lie. I think I’m a bit overwhelmed.”
    His expression eased at the admission. Glancing over his shoulder, he nodded toward one of the tables. “Do you want to sit or play slots?”
    “Isn’t that what old ladies play?”
    “Not the way I play it.” There was a challenge hidden in his statement. Finn kept asking her what she wanted, but since saying she’d rather rush back to the theatre and get ready for the stage show was out, it might be better to turn the question back on him. “What do you want to do?”  
    “Get to know you better.” His blunt response made her heart stutter. Pepper glanced up and locked gazes with him.
    Is he playing me? “I—” How did one respond to such an overture?
    Turning, he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and led the way down the stairs, not leaving her much choice but to follow or be dragged along. He bypassed the tables and found a quiet corner—if any casino really had one—where the bank of machines sat empty and waiting.
    Pulling over a stool, he seated her in front of one and then snagged a second stool so he could sit next to her. Interestingly, he positioned himself between her and the corridor made up of slot machines, but his back remained protected. She’d watched Anthony enough during practices to notice the similarities. Roseâtre’s mate never left his back to an open room unless she stood at it. He trusted her to protect him—no one else.
    “Open your hand,” Finn instructed.
    Curious, she extended her palm and he poured a dozen gold coins into it. She cupped her hand to keep them from falling. “So I guess you want to play.”
    “Something like that.” He nodded to the machine in front of her. “Ever heard of the game Two Lies and a Truth?”
    Apprehension fisted around her spine. “No.”
    “Good. Then I’ll win.” He winked. “We play. If I get a jackpot before you do, you have to tell me two lies and a truth.”
    “Why?” What purpose would the game serve?
    “Because it’s fun. If you get a jackpot first, I’ll tell you two truths and a lie.”
    Pepper hesitated. “I thought you said two lies and a truth?”
    “I did—for you. For me, it will be two truths and a lie.” He flipped a coin in the air and caught it.
    “But—how do I know which one is the lie?”
    A smile curved his lips. “That is the game. You must find one lie. I must find one truth. Deal?”
    It seemed simple and straightforward enough, but she spent enough years in the Royale to recognize the easier something appears to be, the more likely it disguised something far more dangerous. “Are there any rules as to what the lies and truth have to be about?”
    Finn leaned away from her, head canting. Her question seemed to please him. “No. You may choose anything you wish or you may allow me to ask a question. Your choice.”
    “So I could tell you I love margaritas, blue skies, and gambling. And that would satisfy you?” She leaned toward him, studying his face. The minute changes fascinated her. His jaw tightened, briefly—the barest hint of a flex and a pair of lines formed at the corners of his eyes.
    “Satisfy me? No.” His voice curled around her like a caress. “Satisfy the rules? Yes.”
    Her thighs clenched at the moody darkness drifting in his voice. Particularly when he said no. Clearing her throat, she asked, “Do you know which of what I said was the truth?”
    “Blue skies.” The absolute certainty in the answer startled her.
    “How did you know?”
    Chuckling, he looped a strand of her hair around his finger and tucked it behind her ear. The casual intimacy in the gesture sent a fresh wave of tingles through her. “Your eyes lit up when you said blue skies.”
    Okay. This is a heck of a lot harder than I thought… Her gut knotted. Rubbing the coins