Katie said, “Possible royal flush still working.”
“Maybe.” Montana smiled. “Then again, maybe not.I already have a pair. Perhaps you’d prefer to give up and save some of your winnings for another day?”
Silently Katie matched his stack of bills. When the next card she dealt him turned out to be the queen of diamonds, she blanched. “Fours and queens, possible full house,” she managed to say, and turned over her last card. The ten of hearts.
Could it be? She had the ten, jack, king, and ace of hearts showing. No matter how cool she tried to be, she had to look at her last card. She just couldn’t give it away … or maybe she could. What if she pretended to be flustered, gave the appearance of having failed to complete the royal flush? Could she pull it off?
She had to. Carefully, she lifted the corner of the card. A bit, then more, holding her breath as she looked. It couldn’t be. But it was. The queen of hearts was her hidden card.
Deliberately, she moistened her lips and swallowed hard. Then she jutted her chin forward and said, “Royal flush still working. Are you ready to throw in your cards, Mr. Montana?”
“Not in this lifetime, darling. What about you?”
“How big a risk taker are you?” she asked.
“The sky’s the limit, except I don’t own it. Instead, I think I’ll just raise you.”
She took a deep breath. He was so sure of himself that he wasn’t even going to look at his other card. She’d come here with two hundred-dollar bills. The pot was somewhere close to twenty thousand dollars now and they both knew she couldn’t cover his last bet. She was going to lose. Desperately, she tried to come upwith an answer. She had to call his bluff. For once in her life she had to take the risk. “You see that I’m a little short. What about a new wager?”
“Only if I choose the stakes.”
“I’m listening. What do you have in mind?”
He studied her for a long moment. “Like I said, if I win, I get you for the night.”
She gaped at him.
“But … but that’s not …”
“You wanted to play double or nothing. If you win, you get the pot. Come on, this is what you came for, isn’t it? You said you wanted to win a lot of money—my money.”
He was right. She wanted—no, needed—a lot of money. But even double the pot wouldn’t really be enough. She had to have more. “All right. But let’s talk about the stakes.”
He laughed lightly. “I’m listening.”
She thought about what she wanted. She couldn’t bring herself to say Carson’s IOUs. She could take care of that later, with her winnings. What she wanted to do was teach Mr. Go-to-hell, Sure-of-Himself Montana a lesson in loss. Then it came to her.
“A night with me is worth more than this pot, Mr. Montana.”
He grinned. “All right. Put a price on your services.”
She curled her lips into a smile, leaned forward, and whispered, “If I win, I get the
Scarlet Lady—and
double the pot.”
He stood up and walked toward the porthole, glancingout. He could see the lights of the city coming into view. He was almost out of time.
“What’s the matter?” she asked, worried now that he’d back out. “A successful gambler like you is afraid I’ll win?” She allowed her hands to flutter nervously. “What would people say? I tell you what, you just give up. I’ll take the original bet and you get to keep your boat.”
So she wanted to back down, he mused. He wasn’t certain he trusted her, but, hell, he was the gambler. He’d won
Scarlet
once, he wasn’t going to lose her now. “How do I know I can trust you, my lady in red?”
“Because I say so.”
“A little demonstration of good faith is in order.”
“Oh? And what would you consider a demonstration?”
He walked back toward her and held out his hand. “A kiss freely given, totally committed.”
“But that’s crazy.”
“I don’t think so. I’m a gambler and I’m gambling that you don’t have the queen in the hole. If
“Maybe.” Montana smiled. “Then again, maybe not.I already have a pair. Perhaps you’d prefer to give up and save some of your winnings for another day?”
Silently Katie matched his stack of bills. When the next card she dealt him turned out to be the queen of diamonds, she blanched. “Fours and queens, possible full house,” she managed to say, and turned over her last card. The ten of hearts.
Could it be? She had the ten, jack, king, and ace of hearts showing. No matter how cool she tried to be, she had to look at her last card. She just couldn’t give it away … or maybe she could. What if she pretended to be flustered, gave the appearance of having failed to complete the royal flush? Could she pull it off?
She had to. Carefully, she lifted the corner of the card. A bit, then more, holding her breath as she looked. It couldn’t be. But it was. The queen of hearts was her hidden card.
Deliberately, she moistened her lips and swallowed hard. Then she jutted her chin forward and said, “Royal flush still working. Are you ready to throw in your cards, Mr. Montana?”
“Not in this lifetime, darling. What about you?”
“How big a risk taker are you?” she asked.
“The sky’s the limit, except I don’t own it. Instead, I think I’ll just raise you.”
She took a deep breath. He was so sure of himself that he wasn’t even going to look at his other card. She’d come here with two hundred-dollar bills. The pot was somewhere close to twenty thousand dollars now and they both knew she couldn’t cover his last bet. She was going to lose. Desperately, she tried to come upwith an answer. She had to call his bluff. For once in her life she had to take the risk. “You see that I’m a little short. What about a new wager?”
“Only if I choose the stakes.”
“I’m listening. What do you have in mind?”
He studied her for a long moment. “Like I said, if I win, I get you for the night.”
She gaped at him.
“But … but that’s not …”
“You wanted to play double or nothing. If you win, you get the pot. Come on, this is what you came for, isn’t it? You said you wanted to win a lot of money—my money.”
He was right. She wanted—no, needed—a lot of money. But even double the pot wouldn’t really be enough. She had to have more. “All right. But let’s talk about the stakes.”
He laughed lightly. “I’m listening.”
She thought about what she wanted. She couldn’t bring herself to say Carson’s IOUs. She could take care of that later, with her winnings. What she wanted to do was teach Mr. Go-to-hell, Sure-of-Himself Montana a lesson in loss. Then it came to her.
“A night with me is worth more than this pot, Mr. Montana.”
He grinned. “All right. Put a price on your services.”
She curled her lips into a smile, leaned forward, and whispered, “If I win, I get the
Scarlet Lady—and
double the pot.”
He stood up and walked toward the porthole, glancingout. He could see the lights of the city coming into view. He was almost out of time.
“What’s the matter?” she asked, worried now that he’d back out. “A successful gambler like you is afraid I’ll win?” She allowed her hands to flutter nervously. “What would people say? I tell you what, you just give up. I’ll take the original bet and you get to keep your boat.”
So she wanted to back down, he mused. He wasn’t certain he trusted her, but, hell, he was the gambler. He’d won
Scarlet
once, he wasn’t going to lose her now. “How do I know I can trust you, my lady in red?”
“Because I say so.”
“A little demonstration of good faith is in order.”
“Oh? And what would you consider a demonstration?”
He walked back toward her and held out his hand. “A kiss freely given, totally committed.”
“But that’s crazy.”
“I don’t think so. I’m a gambler and I’m gambling that you don’t have the queen in the hole. If
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