by Karen Kelley
“Whatever.” He took the paper from her and fed it into the slot, then sat on the next stool over.
She sat down and began to hum.
“You aren’t going to start levitating or anything, are you? Management isn’t going to like it if you start floating in the air.”
“Shh, I’m becoming one with the machine.”
She sat there for a few seconds, then opened her eyes and hit the spin button. The reels spun around, then stopped. Nothing, nothing, cherry.
“I knew this was a lucky machine.” She smiled when she looked at him. “I’m a healer. I have the power of sensing these sorts of things.”
He ran a weary hand through his hair, afraid this might be a long and emotional night.
Chapter 15
L ara couldn’t understand it. She’d felt the machine. It had practically called her name. Why was she not winning? It wasn’t fair. Not fair at all.
“You only have ten dollars left,” Sam told her.
She whirled around on her stool and faced him. “Yes, I can see that.”
The odds were in her favor. She had pushed the spin button exactly forty-nine times and hadn’t hit. Of course, the bars would line up or maybe she would even hit the jackpot.
“My race is far superior. I’ve put one hundred and forty-seven dollars in this machine. It’ll start winning any moment now.”
“That’s not always true.”
“I felt this machine. I’m a healer. I’m sensitive to this kind of stuff. I’m never wrong.” And she had felt it. The machine had practically called out to her.
He mumbled something she couldn’t understand. Not that it mattered. The machine, that’s what she had to focus on. She closed her eyes, concentrating on her next spin. She only had to think about her objective. Yes, she could picture the reels spinning. “Come on, baby, mama needs a new pair of shoes.” She rubbed the side of the machine, then hit the button.
The reels clicked into place. One, two, three.
Nothing. Not even a stupid cherry. Gertie was wrong. It was her fault. She didn’t even need new shoes.
She closed her eyes and hummed. This time she would win. “Okay, mama needs some chocolate.” There, that was at least something she actually needed. She rubbed the side of the machine before hitting the spin button.
Click. Click. Click.
Nothing.
She spun again and again.
Nothing.
She glared at the machine and slammed her hand down on the button. Nothing happened. The reels didn’t spin. “It’s as I thought. This is a defective machine. That’s why it didn’t win.”
“No, you’ve run out of money,” Sam said.
Her gaze flew to her credits. Zero. Sam was right. She looked at him. He was gloating. How dare he gloat!
She squared her shoulders. “That’s not fair. I didn’t know that was my last spin. You’ll give me more money.” She sat in front of the machine patiently waiting for him to put in more money. When he continued to sit on the other stool, she crossed her arms in front of her. Had he suddenly gone deaf? “I’m waiting.”
“We had a deal.”
She opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. Anger would get her nowhere. She’d already discovered this fact. Two deep breaths, and she looked at him again. “But, Sam, I don’t want to leave…please.” There, she’d asked nicely.
“No.”
Nice wasn’t working. She clamped her lips together. He would give in, just like the other time. She just had to sit and wait.
“I know what your game is, and the answer is still no.” He casually crossed his arms in front of him.
She knew he was waiting for her to give up. Time passed slowly. Anger rose inside her. It wasn’t fair. He shouldn’t have let her run out of credits.
From the corner of her eye, she saw he hadn’t moved. Just sat there, waiting patiently. She had a feeling she wouldn’t win this time.
“Okay, I’ll leave then.” She jumped off the stool and strode toward the entrance, not even waiting to see if he followed. As she neared the exit, she saw the restroom sign. “I will use the facilities before I leave.”
He didn’t say a word.
She flounced inside and went into one of the stalls. This wasn’t good. She wanted to play the machines.
She could feel the color suddenly drain from her face as a horrible thought occurred. What if someone played on her machine while she was away from it? They might win all her money. That wouldn’t be fair at all. She’d put the money into the machine. It was hers.
She quickly finished and went to the basin.
“You okay, honey?” a woman asked. She looked very sympathetic. “My name’s Janice.”
“I’m called Lara, and no, everything isn’t all right. Sam won’t give me any money. I cannot play without money. I know if I could’ve played just a little more, I would’ve won. But he said we had to leave.”
Janice frowned. “They’re bastards. Every one of them. Hell, we work, too. Why can’t we have a little fun? My old man’s the same way. Tightfisted bastard.”
“Yes, that’s what they are.” Not that she knew exactly what a bastard was, but it felt good to talk about her anger. She should’ve known a woman would understand much better than a man. It was as she suspected—women knew more than men.
A woman wearing a crisp black dress came over and handed her a small drying cloth. She took it and began drying her hands. The woman in the black dress held out her hand.
“She wants a tip,” Janice whispered.
She had many to give her, but she would settle for one. “Don’t play the slot machines here.” She handed her back the towel. Janice chuckled as they left the bathroom together. She didn’t know what was funny, and the way she felt, it didn’t matter.
Janice glowered at Sam and winked at her, then quickly lost herself in the sea of people and machines. Sam didn’t look happy.
“I’m ready.”
“Good.”
He could’ve offered to let her play a little more. She wouldn’t lower herself to ask again, and she certainly wouldn’t beg.
They left the machine area, her feet dragging. She didn’t want to leave. She kept glancing Sam’s way, but he looked straight ahead, his strides purposeful.
She’d made a deal, and from Sam’s explanation, she was almost certain that was the same as a promise. Never in her life had she broken one.
But that didn’t mean she had to like it.
She didn’t speak to him even after they were on the road that led to the cabin. But when they were almost there, he stopped in front of a building with fuel pumps, but he didn’t pull his pickup next to them.
“Why are we stopping?” Hope flared inside her. “Do they have slot machines here?”
“Not even one, darlin’. I just need to pick up a couple of things. Do you want to come inside with me?”
“No.” She turned her gaze out the window, refusing to look at him. Actually, she’d have loved to see what was inside the building, but she didn’t want to be around Sam right now.
He was mean.
And she was mad.
Mad was good. Her body
felt very energized. As if she could bend metal. She reached out and gripped the door handle, twisting it as hard as she could. Nothing happened. Maybe she couldn’t change the shape, but it felt good to try.
It would probably feel better to throw something. She glanced around the seat. Sam’s pickup was very clean. She didn’t see anything to throw.
A short time later, Sam came out of the store carrying a bag. Maybe she would throw that out the window when they started down the road again. It would serve him right because he wouldn’t let her play more machines.
He climbed back inside the pickup, setting the bag between them.
“Still mad?”
He’d guessed her emotion, but that still didn’t make him smarter than her. She raised her chin and refused to look at him.
“Healers don’t get mad,” she told him. Now she could add lying to her growing list of bad habits.
“I bought you something that might make you feel a little better.”
“I don’t want it.” She sniffed.
“Okay, then I’ll eat it myself.”
“Eat?” She glanced across the seat at him. “What is it?”
“Just a chocolate bar.” He unwrapped the candy.
“I don’t think you’re playing fair.”
He grinned. “Probably because I’m not.” He sobered, drawing in a deep breath. “Slot machines are fun, but you have to know your limits. They can be very addictive.”
She drew in a deep breath and glared at him. “I am a healer and therefore, above such temptations. I was only doing research. I do not need them…” She raked her gaze over him. “Nor do I need chocolate.”
“Okay, fine.” He started the pickup and backed away from the store.
His jaw clenched, and his lips were clamped shut. Her gaze strayed to the sack. There were more things inside. She wondered what else was there, but quickly dismissed her curiosity. That’s all it was.
Her nose twitched. Chocolate. She closed her eyes and inhaled. It smelled so good. She could almost taste it. Almost, but not quite. Why had she told Sam she could live without it? She bit her bottom lip. As soon as she got to the cabin, she would meditate. She was a healer and just as she’d told Sam, above earth’s enticements.
But could she get away with sneaking her hand inside the sack? He must’ve bought more than one candy bar. She lightly bumped the bag with her arm. It rattled. Sam glanced her way, but she kept her gaze straight ahead, surreptitiously watching from the corner of her eye.
Taking one from the bag was not an option. He would see her and then know he’d won, and she wasn’t about to let that happen.
“This is really good chocolate,” he broke the silence. “It’s different from what I had at the cabin. This is milk chocolate. What you had was dark. This kind is creamier, sweeter, and it has a soft center so when you bite into it, there’s a burst of raspberry. Do you know what a raspberry is?”
“No, nor do I care to know.”
“Raspberry is a small fruit,” he continued as if she hadn’t said a word. “They’re a little tart. It gives the chocolate that extra zing. You’d absolutely love it.”
Her mouth watered. She could almost taste this raspberry flavor just from the fruity aroma that filled Sam’s vehicle.
He reached in the bag, pulled out another bar, and slowly unwrapped it. “There’s just something about chocolate. They say when you eat it, endorphins are released that’ll improve…mood and generally make you feel better. Sure you don’t want to try some?”
“No.”
“The mood you’re in, you need to eat a bunch,” he mumbled.
“My hearing is quite good, and I heard what you just said.”
“Then admit you got carried away at the casino.”
“Research.”
“You were totally out of control.”
“Research.”
“Obsessed.”
She gritted her teeth. “Research.”
“Fanatical.”
“Research! Research! Research!”
“Do all healers have tempers like yours?”
She snapped her mouth shut and turned toward the window. “Nerakians are a superior race. I will resist from now on.”
Sam knew he should feel at least a little guilty for picking on her. Why was he pushing her buttons?
Easy. Because she’d pissed him off. But dammit, she had to take responsibility for her actions. Research his foot. She’d been like a crazy woman. Eyes all glassy. Hell, there for a minute, he’d thought she might attack him.
The candy bar had probably been pushing it a little. He’d meant for it to be a peace offering, but he’d taunted her with it. Now he felt bad. Sort of.
Hell, she was pushing a few of his buttons, too. Even Nick hadn’t been able to do that. Nick was always telling him that he was the most passive person he’d ever seen.
Well, he hadn’t been passive since Lara came into his life.
He turned off the highway and down the dirt road. They’d be at the cabin in a few minutes. Maybe a good night’s sleep would help them both. He glanced at the clock. Nearly midnight. No wonder they were on edge.
When he stopped in front of the cabin, Lara didn’t waste any time getting out of the pickup and going up the steps. He stared. Man, she really could fill out a pair of jeans, and even though he’d made sure the shirt was loose fitting, he could tell she wasn’t wearing a bra.
He might’ve been the only one who could tell. It was the fact that he positively knew she wasn’t wearing one. All he could think about was caressing her naked breasts.
“Hot, hot, hot,” he murmured. He also had a feeling looking was all he’d be doing until she was over her mad spell.
Another twenty wouldn’t have mattered that much, right?
Yeah, one more twenty would’ve led to another and another until there was nothing left. It was going to be the pillow he snuggled tonight.
He grabbed the bag off the seat. Maybe by tomorrow night she would have mellowed. He’d bought a pizza. Kia loved pizza, so he figured Lara would, too.
For added measure, he’d grabbed a bottle of wine. Briefly, he’d wondered if a Nerakian could have wine. Probably. He didn’t see what a glass of wine would hurt. It was just a bunch of mashed grapes.
The cabin was dark except for a sliver of light under the door of the guest room. He listened and heard humming. She must be meditating to rid her mind of Earth’s temptations.
He frowned. Did that include him?
“You can meditate all you want, but Earth is still better than Nerak.”
Thump.
A second later, her door swung open. His gaze slowly traveled over her. She wore the white robe again, and the way the light came in from behind her, nothing was left to the imagination.
Definitely hot.
“You cannot disturb me when I’m in a trance.” She planted her hands on her hips, her feet apart as she glared at him. “ this, you will give me the respect due a healer.”
Her eyes shot angry sparks as she apparently waited for him to answer, but the only thing on his mind was the way her breasts were thrust forward, the dark areolas and tight nipples beckoning him to touch, to taste.
“Are you listening to me?”
He shook his head. “How can I listen when you stomp out of your room wearing practically nothing? The only thing on my mind is making love to you.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it. “I…I must meditate.” She whirled around and escaped to her room.
The last thing he saw was a glimpse of two very sweet cheeks. But the door quickly shut behind her with a solid thud.
“I guess making love is out of the question,” he said, but the room was empty. Man, he was in pain. If she’d wanted to get even, she had. Won hands down.
He hobbled to the kitchen and put the groceries away. He’d take a cold shower, but it was kind of like giving a drunk coffee—all you got was a wide-awake drunk.
Did Nick have this much trouble with Lara’s sister? And what about her cousin Mala? She seemed to blend right in. No, he was almost certain they weren’t nearly as much trouble as Lara. Probably because she was a healer and therefore exalted—yeah, right.
He wasn’t about to bow down to anyone.
Grabbing a semicold beer, he went out the back door and sat on the top step. After twisting off the cap, he took a long pull, then leaned back on his elbows.
His grin was slow in coming, but it eventually showed up. He had to admit, she hadn’t acted much like a healer tonight. No, she’d acted like a normal person with her first taste of gambling fever. It was kind of nice to know she wasn’t that different from everyone else.
He finished off the beer and stood. It was a beautiful night. He headed for his room, tempted to pound on the wall that was between them. Her ass would slap the floor again, serving her right.
But that only brought another vision to his mind, and it was purely sexual. Just great. Damned great. He humped over as he shut the door and shuffled the rest of the way to his bed.
Did women hurt as much as men? He hoped so.
Chapter 16
T he next morning, Sam dragged his eyelids open and stared at the ceiling. Not a good night. He’d dreamed of Lara. But his dreams hadn’t been filled with images of him making slow, sensuous love to her.