by Alix Nichols
“I see.”
“I couldn’t wait to turn eighteen so I could go to a casino and put my skills to the test.”
“And it worked?”
“Not immediately, but with time I got better. You see, the beauty of blackjack is that luck isn’t the decisive factor. Luck determines the cards you’re dealt. But it’s your knowledge and skill that determine how you play them.”
“Are you really making money on this?” She narrowed her eyes. “Like, regularly?”
“I’ve made a good profit in almost every casino I’ve played in. Except the ones that figure out too quickly I’m counting cards.”
“So what happens once Deauville Casino figures you out?”
“They’ll ban me, and I’ll move on to play elsewhere.”
“And when every casino in France has banned you?”
“I’ll play in Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal . . . Or I’ll go to Vegas and then to Asia. The world is big.”
“So that’s your life plan?”
“You could say that.”
She drained her mojito.
He beckoned to the bartender and then turned to Amanda. “Any food allergies or diet restrictions?”
“No. Why?”
“We’ll have two cold cuts and cheese plates, please,” he said to the barman.
When they swallowed the last slices of spicy chorizo, Kes asked matter-of-factly, “My hotel or yours?”
Oh Lord. There it was—decision time. But wait a minute. Why was she even considering it? She didn’t do one-night stands. She wasn’t that kind of girl. What she needed to do was wish him good night in her poshest accent and leave.
It was the only reasonable move.
Except . . . she wasn’t being reasonable tonight. Right now, she was curious and thrilled. Her heart fluttered with anticipation. She all but drooled over the juicy exotic fruit that was this man. Just this once she itched to be wanton. After all, her reputation in that department was so unnaturally pristine it was begging for a stain.
And just like that, Amanda made up her mind: she was going to bed with Kes, the gambler she’d met a few hours ago.
He bit into his last pickle. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
“No. Do you?”
“Believe it or not, I’ve never had a boyfriend.” His eyes crinkled with amusement. “I’m a virgin that way.”
She chuckled.
He broke into an infectious grin before adding in a more serious tone, “No girlfriend at the moment, either.”
“Do you have a condom?” she heard herself ask.
He blinked and then nodded. “Yep—in my room. My hotel then?”
“Only if it’s decent.”
“As decent as it gets in this town. I’m staying at Royal Barrière—it’s the building next door.”
Was his being at the same hotel as she was a sign, a green light of sorts? She could sneak out and go to her room as soon as the deed was done—a perfect setup for a hassle-free, controlled bit of fun. If she were ever going to have her first one-night stand, there wouldn’t be a better occasion.
He must have seen the outcome of her expeditious debate on her face because he took her hand and led her from the bar.
End of Excerpt
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Author’s Note
Noah’s story is scheduled for early 2017.
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Alix
About the Author
Alix Nichols is an unapologetic caffeine addict and a longtime fan of Mr. Darcy, especially in his Colin Firth incarnation. She is an award-winning author of sexy romantic comedies.
At the age of six, she released her first rom com. It featured highly creative spelling on a dozen pages stitched together and bound in velvet paper.
Decades later, she still loves the romance genre. Her spelling has improved (somewhat), and her books have made bestseller lists in the US, UK and France, climbing as high as #1. She lives in France with her family and their almost-human dog.
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