off the counter. That’s a good girl,” her dad directed.
The foursome wolfed down pizza and chocolate chip cookies then settled down to some serious poker. It came as no surprise to Kendall, or her dad, that Caroline cleaned house and before the night was done had everyone’s poker chips in a pile in front of her.
“Well that’s enough for me.” Her dad threw down his cards.
“You cleaned me out,” Logan said wonderingly.
“Yup.” Caroline gave him a smug smile.
“Time for you to go to bed, Caroline.” Kendall stood up.
“But, Mommy, it’s early yet and we have company.”
Kendall looked at her watch. “It’s your bedtime, young lady. If you scoot on up, you can watch one movie in bed.”
“Done,” Caroline agreed quickly.
Kendall had no doubt her little daughter had been angling for this all along.
“Go on and get ready for bed. I’ll tuck you in in a few minutes.”
“Goodnight, Mr. Hunter.”
“Goodnight, Caroline.” He smiled warmly.
Caroline went skipping off, her teddy bear who’d sat on the seat beside her during the game, tucked under her arm.
“Beat by a four year old.” Logan shook his head. “If word of this gets out my reputation is ruined.”
Bill gave a snort of laughter. “Your secret’s safe with me.” He rose. “I’ll tuck her in.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Logan leaned back in his chair. He picked up the cards and casually shuffled them. “How about giving me a chance to reclaim my manhood?”
Kendall’s eyebrows shot up.
He shook his head. “Tsk. Tsk. Get your mind out of the gutter. I’d hardly suggest that with your dad around.”
“What did you have in mind?” She sensed a trap.
“Just a simple high card draw.”
“What’s the stakes?” What are you up to? Suspicion sharpened her senses and tightened her belly. The evening had been fun and unfortunately she’d been lulled into letting her guard down. Now it was back up.
“Just a memento of the evening.”
“What?” She pushed back against her chair, spine pressed against hard wood.
He rubbed the cleft of his chin with his index finger, focused on her. “If I draw the higher card you give me the ribbon holding back your hair.”
The muscles in her neck went loose and her head dropped forward. “Are you insane?”
“I prefer to call it romantic.”
“And if I win?”
“What do you want?”
She grinned. “Anything?”
“Within reason,” he said cautiously.
“Your sports car for a week.”
“My car?” He gulped, his expression dismayed.
“Well, if you don’t want to play…”
“No, no, I can get along for a week without my car. Not that I’m going to lose.” He shuffled the cards, tapped them against the table and put the pack in front of her. “Go ahead.”
She picked up a portion of the deck and turned the card face up and stared at it. “Queen of Diamonds.” She fought to keep her expression neutral.
He picked his card and turned it face up. “King of Hearts.”
The blood pooled at her feet. Okay, this was getting weird.
He grinned at her. “Anything I could say would be superfluous so instead I’ll just ask for my prize.”
She slid out the ribbon and handed it to him, then fluffed her tumbled hair.
He took it and ran the silky satin through his fingers, his eyes never leaving her hair. “How such a seemingly small gesture can be so erotic eludes me. I have fantasies about that glorious wild mane of yours.” His voice was husky, his eyes heavy-lidded. He exuded raw sexuality. Her nerves pricked like she’d entered a highly magnetized force field.
The reckless side of her nature that she kept tightly leashed rose. She leaned forward and dropped her voice, “Do you now?”
Logan’s eyes dilated and he reached for her.
“I got her tucked in, honey.” Her dad’s voice broke the thick, sensual spell dancing and weaving around them. Logan leaned back in his chair, his hands dropping to his sides.
Kendall straightened and turned to her
The foursome wolfed down pizza and chocolate chip cookies then settled down to some serious poker. It came as no surprise to Kendall, or her dad, that Caroline cleaned house and before the night was done had everyone’s poker chips in a pile in front of her.
“Well that’s enough for me.” Her dad threw down his cards.
“You cleaned me out,” Logan said wonderingly.
“Yup.” Caroline gave him a smug smile.
“Time for you to go to bed, Caroline.” Kendall stood up.
“But, Mommy, it’s early yet and we have company.”
Kendall looked at her watch. “It’s your bedtime, young lady. If you scoot on up, you can watch one movie in bed.”
“Done,” Caroline agreed quickly.
Kendall had no doubt her little daughter had been angling for this all along.
“Go on and get ready for bed. I’ll tuck you in in a few minutes.”
“Goodnight, Mr. Hunter.”
“Goodnight, Caroline.” He smiled warmly.
Caroline went skipping off, her teddy bear who’d sat on the seat beside her during the game, tucked under her arm.
“Beat by a four year old.” Logan shook his head. “If word of this gets out my reputation is ruined.”
Bill gave a snort of laughter. “Your secret’s safe with me.” He rose. “I’ll tuck her in.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Logan leaned back in his chair. He picked up the cards and casually shuffled them. “How about giving me a chance to reclaim my manhood?”
Kendall’s eyebrows shot up.
He shook his head. “Tsk. Tsk. Get your mind out of the gutter. I’d hardly suggest that with your dad around.”
“What did you have in mind?” She sensed a trap.
“Just a simple high card draw.”
“What’s the stakes?” What are you up to? Suspicion sharpened her senses and tightened her belly. The evening had been fun and unfortunately she’d been lulled into letting her guard down. Now it was back up.
“Just a memento of the evening.”
“What?” She pushed back against her chair, spine pressed against hard wood.
He rubbed the cleft of his chin with his index finger, focused on her. “If I draw the higher card you give me the ribbon holding back your hair.”
The muscles in her neck went loose and her head dropped forward. “Are you insane?”
“I prefer to call it romantic.”
“And if I win?”
“What do you want?”
She grinned. “Anything?”
“Within reason,” he said cautiously.
“Your sports car for a week.”
“My car?” He gulped, his expression dismayed.
“Well, if you don’t want to play…”
“No, no, I can get along for a week without my car. Not that I’m going to lose.” He shuffled the cards, tapped them against the table and put the pack in front of her. “Go ahead.”
She picked up a portion of the deck and turned the card face up and stared at it. “Queen of Diamonds.” She fought to keep her expression neutral.
He picked his card and turned it face up. “King of Hearts.”
The blood pooled at her feet. Okay, this was getting weird.
He grinned at her. “Anything I could say would be superfluous so instead I’ll just ask for my prize.”
She slid out the ribbon and handed it to him, then fluffed her tumbled hair.
He took it and ran the silky satin through his fingers, his eyes never leaving her hair. “How such a seemingly small gesture can be so erotic eludes me. I have fantasies about that glorious wild mane of yours.” His voice was husky, his eyes heavy-lidded. He exuded raw sexuality. Her nerves pricked like she’d entered a highly magnetized force field.
The reckless side of her nature that she kept tightly leashed rose. She leaned forward and dropped her voice, “Do you now?”
Logan’s eyes dilated and he reached for her.
“I got her tucked in, honey.” Her dad’s voice broke the thick, sensual spell dancing and weaving around them. Logan leaned back in his chair, his hands dropping to his sides.
Kendall straightened and turned to her
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