Alex steered her toward a green felt table with high chairs and small white squares printed on the fabric.

“Hop up,” he whispered against her ear, and she tried not to react to his nearness.

But then his arm casually brushed her bare back, raising goose bumps and sending pulses of energy to very inappropriate spots on her body.

“There you are.” Katie’s voice interrupted the moment. “This is fabulous!”

“Fabulous,” Emma echoed, grateful for the buffer.

Katie hopped up next to Emma. There were already two men at the opposite end, of the table facing the dealer. That left one empty seat in the middle.

David stood behind Katie’s chair, and Emma gave him a smile.

“Buy me some chips,” Katie told him.

In her peripheral vision, Emma saw Alex place some bills on the table in front of the dealer.

“I thought we were going to the roulette wheel,” David said to Katie.

Katie patted the tabletop. “I want to play blackjack.”

The dealer slid four stacks of purple chips in front of Emma. She half turned to Alex. “What do I do now?” she whispered.

She could almost feel his smile. She inhaled his scent, and the fabric of his suit gently touched her bare back.

“Make a bet,” he whispered back. “Put it in the white square.”

The man at the far end bet two green chips, and the other bet a black one.

“What are the colors?” she asked Alex.

“Don’t worry about it.”

The dealer placed stacks of black chips in front of Katie.

Emma pushed two purple ones into the square in front of her, and the dealer gave them each a face-up card.

She glanced at everyone’s cards, wondering if the man had made a mistake. She leaned back to talk to Alex. “They can see-”

“It’s okay. You’re only playing the dealer.”

“Well, the dealer can see what I’ve got,” she hissed. How was that fair?

“Trust me.”

Emma tipped her head to look into his eyes. Trust him? Was he kidding? He’d made it clear last night-somewhere between gross revenue and capital depreciation-that he was looking out for his own interests. In fact, he’d strongly advised her to do the same.

Of course, in this case, it was his money. Who cared if she lost?

“Emma?”

“Hmmm?”

He nodded at the table. “Look at your hand.”

She glanced down. A queen and an ace.

“You won,” he said as the dealer pushed a couple of chips into her square.

“Hit me,” said Katie next to her.

Even though it was just luck, a warm glow of pride grew in Emma’s chest. She’d won. Her very first time gambling, and she’d won. Whatever happened from here on in, at least she had that.

“Bust,” sighed Katie, while David shook his head.

The dealer cleared the cards.

“Bet more this time,” said Alex.

Emma stacked another chip in her square.

“It’s going to be a long night at this rate,” Alex breathed.

“Why don’t you do it then?”

He leaned in closer, his hand sliding up to her bare shoulder. “Because we want the world to see me spending a lot of money on you, remember?”

She turned so that her nose almost contacted his cheek. His spicy scent surrounded her, and his broad palm moved ever so slightly against her shoulder. It would be so easy to sink into this fantasy.

She reached for her wine. “How about if you bet my money instead?”

He chuckled. “Doesn’t work that way. Now bet.”

“You’re such a chauvinist.”

“Yeah, I am. Get used to it.” He straightened, ending the conversation.

Fine. He wanted to bankroll her? Emma moved an entire stack of chips into the white square. Take that, Alex Garrison.

“That a girl,” he said.

“Holy crap, Emma,” said Katie.

Emma turned to her sister.

“That’s ten thousand dollars.”

“What?” Emma nearly swallowed her tongue.

The first card landed in front of her.

“Those are five-hundred-dollar chips,” Katie pointed out.

Emma’s stomach contracted. She quickly reached for the stack of chips, but Alex stopped her by putting his hand over hers.

“Too late,” he warned.

She turned to stare at him, her eyes wide in horror. She couldn’t bet ten thousand dollars on a hand of cards. That was nuts.

“Play the game,” he calmly advised.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“Alex.”

“Play the game.”

“No way.” She started to rise, but her hand was trapped by his.

“You won,” he said.

“What?”

He nodded to her cards. “You won again. You really should gamble more often.”

Emma slowly looked down at her hand, a ten and an ace. She gave in to her wobbly knees and sat back down on the stool.

“Bust,” said Katie.

David shifted behind her.

“How much did you lose?” Emma asked her sister. David didn’t look too happy about this.

“Five hundred dollars.”

Emma cringed. “Ouch.”

Katie tossed two more chips in her square.

“I think we should move to roulette,” David suggested.

“This is fun,” said Katie. “We’re having fun. Aren’t we, Emma?”

“I’m having fun,” said Alex, a definite edge of laughter to his voice.

David’s nostrils flared as he drew in a deep breath.

The dealer passed out the cards.

“You know you just let fifteen thousand dollars ride?” asked Katie.

Emma’s gaze flew to her chips. Good God. Why hadn’t Alex stopped her?

After a long, tense minute, she won with a three-card nineteen. She immediately swiveled her chair sideways. “I can’t take this anymore.”

Alex trapped the chair with one knee to keep it from recoiling. “You’re winning.”

Their legs touched, and the warmth of his body seeped into her thigh. “I’m having a heart attack,” she told him. And it was definitely on more than one front.

She started to climb off the high stool, and he quickly offered a hand to steady her. “You don’t walk away from a hot streak.”

“Watch me.”

She shifted. Whoops. She hadn’t counted on being all but trapped in his arms. A half step forward and she’d be pressed up against him. If she tipped her head, they could kiss. Or she could bury her face in his neck and flick out her tongue to see if he tasted as good as he smelled.

Of course she didn’t. But the desire was strong. So was the image.

He watched her with those smoky eyes for a long moment. “Okay.” He finally said. “Ever played craps?”

“No.”

“Good.” Then he gestured toward the hallway, putting an end to the intimate moment. “Craps tables are in the Chestnut Room.”

She turned to Katie. “Are you coming?”

“Not for craps,” said David.

Katie peered at her boyfriend’s expression. “We’ll catch up,” she told them.

Emma nodded. Then she began walking with Alex. “Can we at least switch to ten-dollar chips?”

“No.”

“I can’t bet five hundred dollars at a time.”

Alex might be comfortable with a high-rolling, high-stakes lifestyle. But she sure wasn’t.

“You’re already up several thousand,” he said.

That was true. She felt a little better. She could lose all this, and he’d still be even.

“If you don’t start losing soon,” Alex continued. “The Teddybear Trust will be bankrupt.”

Emma stopped, and her mouth formed a spontaneous O. She’d forgotten all about the Teddybear Trust. “I’m doing this all wrong, aren’t I?”

Alex chuckled, his hand going to her back to get her going again. “I’ll say.”

She gave a sigh of frustration.

Then, unexpectedly, his lips brushed her temple. “You’re delightful, you know that?”

Her chest contracted around the compliment.

But then Edwina and Fredrick Waddington materialized next to Alex, and she realized the compliment was part of the ruse. Everything about tonight was part of the ruse. Alex wasn’t an easygoing, philanthropic businessman. He was only playing his part.

She forced out a smile as he performed the introductions. No more fantasy. No more intimacy. No more physical reactions. From this minute on, she was remembering it was a game.

Four

No matter how hard Emma tried, she couldn’t seem to lose. A crowd had gathered around one of the craps tables, and every time she attempted to pass the dice, they’d erupt in a torrent of protest, shoving them back into her hands.

She took a deep breath.

Standing behind her, Alex rubbed her shoulders. “With a bet like that, you’re either going to save the charity or buy us a new hotel.”

She shook the dice up between her hands. “We don’t need a new hotel. This is getting embarrassing. Don’t you see Maxim glaring at me?”

“He’s not glaring at you.”

Emma glanced surreptitiously at her host and watched him run a finger under the collar of his shirt. It was bad enough that she was winning. But the entire crowd was winning along with her.

“How do I lose?” she whispered to Alex.

“Roll a seven.”

“Okay.” She blew on the dice.

Alex chuckled at her theatrics, and she dug her elbow into his ribs.

“A little support, please,” she breathed.

“Come on, seven,” he rumbled in return. “You do know you’ll lose two hundred grand.”

“It’s not my money.”

“Yeah. It’s mine.” Despite his protest, he sounded completely unconcerned.

It wasn’t his money anyway. It was the Teddybear Trust’s money. And she was going to put it back where it belonged or die trying.

She tossed the dice. They scattered along the green felt table, bouncing amongst bets that probably totaled a surgical wing, hitting the far wall of the table, then rolling to a stop. A six and a one.

Delight zipped through her.

She’d done it.

“Quit grinning,” Alex warned as the crowd groaned.

Right. The other betters were disappointed. She quickly hid her smile against Alex’s chest.