the vamp give you a mind meld or you can come along with the big bad wolf. What’s it going to be?”
“How do we fight a vampire?” Mari remained standing even when Tucker stretched out on his king-sized bed. “We can’t pull out a stake and stab him through the heart with all the spectators and cameras. Although the idea is appealing. Or can we?”
His chuckle gave her much-needed warmth. Would she ever warm up after experiencing Bascom’s cold stare? “As much as I’d like to, no. After all, I don’t have a problem with his being a vampire as much as I dislike cheaters of any kind. And glamouring your opponent is cheating, as far as I’m concerned.”
“I agree. Using magic would give me an unfair advantage. Besides, I like the idea of winning because I’m good.” She grinned at Tucker’s bemused expression. “What I meant to say is that I’m the best. So I’ll win, barring any cheating by anyone else.”
“Well, at least you don’t lack confidence in your abilities.”
“I think my record of tournament wins says it all.”
He sat up and patted a spot on the bed next to him.
Why did she suddenly feel like Little Red Riding Hood? But she had to wonder, was Red’s wolf as hot as Tucker?
“No thanks. I’ll sit over here.” She slid into the hard, uncomfortable chair next to the small, generic hotel table.
“Suit yourself.” Instead of staying where he was at the end of the bed, he slid over to the side closest to her. “I’ve gotta ask. How set are you on your no-magic policy?”
“I told you. I don’t use magic when I play.”
“I get it. But have you ever encountered a cheat before?”
Mari shifted in her seat as the sinking impression settled in the pit of her stomach. “Sure I have. Every player does at one time or another.”
“Have they been human or supernatural?”
He was leading her, but what choice did she have except to follow along? “You and Bascom are the first supernaturals I’ve met at a poker table. To tell the truth, I haven’t met too many supernaturals—other than witches.”
Tucker leaned forward. Was he closing in for the kill? Yet Mari found herself leaning toward him instead of away. He was magnetic, commanding. Not in the scary way Bascom was, but in a purely sexual I’ve-got-to-have-you kind of way. She let her gaze drop to skim over his crotch and fought against licking her lips. Hmm. She wondered how the big bad wolf tasted.
“Tell me. How did you handle the human cheaters?”
“If I could show the officials how they were cheating, then I exposed them.” Oh, my. Her gaze flicked over him again. She’d sure like to expose him .
“And if you couldn’t?”
“Then I did my best to beat their butts.” An image of her spanking Tucker’s bottom brought a smile to her face. “At the table, of course.” Or maybe she should be the one to lie on the table and let him spank her? She ran her palm over the smooth surface. Lust lashed her, sending heat to her pussy.
“You have a special way of putting things, darlin’.”
Her gaze met his, the sparkle in his revving her libido a notch higher. “I guess. But you get what I mean, don’t you?” Oh, please get what I mean!
Tucker brightened, the ends of his lips curving into a wolfish grin. “Yeah, I do. But I doubt we can prove Bascom’s cheating. All he’d need to do is glamour the official into believing him instead of us.”
She frowned and shook her head. “So how do we stop him?”
Tucker lunged toward her and grabbed the arms of the chair. She squealed but didn’t try to get away. He moved his face close to hers. Mari inhaled, taking a whiff of his heady, musky scent along with her breath.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures, darlin’.”
Would he mind if she licked him? Probably not, but somehow she managed to stop herself. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”
He grinned, showing his white teeth. The better to eat you with, my dear? The memory of
“How do we fight a vampire?” Mari remained standing even when Tucker stretched out on his king-sized bed. “We can’t pull out a stake and stab him through the heart with all the spectators and cameras. Although the idea is appealing. Or can we?”
His chuckle gave her much-needed warmth. Would she ever warm up after experiencing Bascom’s cold stare? “As much as I’d like to, no. After all, I don’t have a problem with his being a vampire as much as I dislike cheaters of any kind. And glamouring your opponent is cheating, as far as I’m concerned.”
“I agree. Using magic would give me an unfair advantage. Besides, I like the idea of winning because I’m good.” She grinned at Tucker’s bemused expression. “What I meant to say is that I’m the best. So I’ll win, barring any cheating by anyone else.”
“Well, at least you don’t lack confidence in your abilities.”
“I think my record of tournament wins says it all.”
He sat up and patted a spot on the bed next to him.
Why did she suddenly feel like Little Red Riding Hood? But she had to wonder, was Red’s wolf as hot as Tucker?
“No thanks. I’ll sit over here.” She slid into the hard, uncomfortable chair next to the small, generic hotel table.
“Suit yourself.” Instead of staying where he was at the end of the bed, he slid over to the side closest to her. “I’ve gotta ask. How set are you on your no-magic policy?”
“I told you. I don’t use magic when I play.”
“I get it. But have you ever encountered a cheat before?”
Mari shifted in her seat as the sinking impression settled in the pit of her stomach. “Sure I have. Every player does at one time or another.”
“Have they been human or supernatural?”
He was leading her, but what choice did she have except to follow along? “You and Bascom are the first supernaturals I’ve met at a poker table. To tell the truth, I haven’t met too many supernaturals—other than witches.”
Tucker leaned forward. Was he closing in for the kill? Yet Mari found herself leaning toward him instead of away. He was magnetic, commanding. Not in the scary way Bascom was, but in a purely sexual I’ve-got-to-have-you kind of way. She let her gaze drop to skim over his crotch and fought against licking her lips. Hmm. She wondered how the big bad wolf tasted.
“Tell me. How did you handle the human cheaters?”
“If I could show the officials how they were cheating, then I exposed them.” Oh, my. Her gaze flicked over him again. She’d sure like to expose him .
“And if you couldn’t?”
“Then I did my best to beat their butts.” An image of her spanking Tucker’s bottom brought a smile to her face. “At the table, of course.” Or maybe she should be the one to lie on the table and let him spank her? She ran her palm over the smooth surface. Lust lashed her, sending heat to her pussy.
“You have a special way of putting things, darlin’.”
Her gaze met his, the sparkle in his revving her libido a notch higher. “I guess. But you get what I mean, don’t you?” Oh, please get what I mean!
Tucker brightened, the ends of his lips curving into a wolfish grin. “Yeah, I do. But I doubt we can prove Bascom’s cheating. All he’d need to do is glamour the official into believing him instead of us.”
She frowned and shook her head. “So how do we stop him?”
Tucker lunged toward her and grabbed the arms of the chair. She squealed but didn’t try to get away. He moved his face close to hers. Mari inhaled, taking a whiff of his heady, musky scent along with her breath.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures, darlin’.”
Would he mind if she licked him? Probably not, but somehow she managed to stop herself. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”
He grinned, showing his white teeth. The better to eat you with, my dear? The memory of
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