Prince's Addiction (The Exiled Royals Series Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

word for it because I really don’t think that’s true,” she countered.
    “Maybe,” he said, glancing over to where the dealer had twenty and the terrible player was busting at twenty-three. He watched the dealer sweep all those blue chips back to his side and Alex just shook his head. He knew he could do better.
    Damn it .
    “Ma’am, sir,” a voice called.
    He smiled back at the waiter. “I’m not sure if we were going to order any appetizers from the bar yet.”
    “No, it’s not that, sir,” the guy said, and he was young, maybe twenty-two if he were a day. “These are yours,” he said, handing them about a hundred dollars in chips. “You’re our lucky two hundredth customer of the day and we do a promotion. So please enjoy our tables.”
    Alex took them because the kid scurried away too fast to refuse.
    “I’m not sure if we should,” he said, passing them to Kate.
    She grinned devilishly and stood. “Nah, let’s be wild. After all, Alex, what’s the worst that could happen?”
     

Chapter Seven
    Alex was hesitating.
    This wasn’t what Kate had been expecting. Everything she’d observed with him casually at his hotel, the files she’d read, and especially his chess games had told her that the errant Godonov prince never backed down from a challenge. So why was he sitting there merely playing with his chips? He should be rushing to the Black Jack table right then to utterly smash and ruin his reputation. That was the damn plan.
    She had a friend from high school who was the casino floor manager. She’d explained everything about her needs and the plan to help save Lily, and he’d been more than happy to arrange the happy horseshit about the “two hundredth customer special.” Kate had been sure that only a few feet from a dealer table and with tons of chips beckoning him that Alex would be sure to go.
    “Come on,” she said, grabbing for the last chip still in his hand to match the stack she held. "We really should take them up on their offer. It’s just polite, you know?”
    He grimaced but kept his grip on the chip. Spinning it between his fingers, Alex shook his head. “I can’t. Like I said, gambling’s not really my thing. It’s not for me.”
    “You’re not some Bible thumper, right?”
    “No, it’s just not an interest—even with someone else’s money,” he said. “Hey, I’ll show you a trick, if you want?”
    “What kind?” He grinned then and it lit up the whole bar. Even if it was against her carefully orchestrated plan, Kate sat down and leaned across the table toward him. “Alright, so what’s the trick?”
    “It’s magical,” he replied. “Now, look,” he said, holding up his arm. “There’s nothing up my sleeve.” He then did the same thing with the opposite arm. “There’s nothing anywhere. But that isn’t what magic is about.” He counted to three, all while holding the chip between his fingers, and then waved his right hand in front of it. When he removed his right hand, there was nothing there.
    “That’s not bad,” she said, clapping.
    “Au contraire, mademoiselle, I’m not done yet,” he corrected, reaching behind her ear and pulling out the small blue chip from that spot. “Was this your chip?”
    She chuckled. “Now we know if Penn and Teller or David Copperfield retires where they can find a replacement.”
    “Parlor tricks,” he said, still smiling that wide, bright smile. “But you should see the other tricks I can pull.”
    “I’ll bet,” she said, feeling her face flush.
    Waving desperately to the waiter, she ordered a second Chardonnay, making small talk with him until they brought it to her. She took three long draughts to drain the glass. This wasn’t right, not at all. She wasn’t supposed to like him; she wasn’t supposed to imagine those long fingers and skillful hands caressing her. Her whole body wasn’t supposed to be warmed and a bit floaty from even thinking about him.
    The alcohol was probably a terrible