Spirits Shared by Jory Strong Page A

crying at the poker table."
    Her smile was sunlight streaming across a
meadow. "As if."
     
     
    * * * * *
    Chapter
4
     
     
    Clay reached for the cards, pulled them out
of the box and shuffled like a professional. "Texas Hold'em?"
    "Sounds good," Tekoa said, sitting and
distributing chips. With Jess and Clay in his life, he was already
a winner.
    They played until well past midnight, ending
with all the chips stacked in colorful towers in front of Clay. "Am
I good? Or am I good?"
    Tekoa snorted. "Lucky more like."
    Clay grinned. "There's always luck involved.
Should I tell him, babe?"
    Jessica's laugh was like the springtime
blossom of flowers and it was all Tekoa could do not to reach for
her, admire her with his words, kisses and the stroke of his hands
over her skin.
    "Wouldn't be fair for him to sit down at the
table with you again without knowing," she said.
    Clay pushed away from the table and stood.
"Your phone in your jacket pocket, Jess?"
    She nodded and he retrieved it, found
whatever he was looking for as he walked back to them, then put the
phone down on the table in front of Tekoa. "How do you like that
jewelry?"
    In the picture Clay was standing in a casino
poker room, elbows bent, hands fisted on either side of his chin
and grinning like a fool—with cause.
    Tekoa whistled. "World Series
bracelets?"
    "You got it. Pot-limit Omaha on the right.
No-Limit Hold'em on the left."
    Tekoa shook his head. "I've been
hustled."
    Clay's smile held no shame. "So same time,
same place tomorrow?"
    "I'm in." Tekoa stood and stretched, his
gaze going to the bed. Tomorrow maybe, but for tonight… His eyes
met Clay's. "Since there are two of you and only one of me, you
take the bed. I'll crash on the sofa."
    "Sounds good to me." Clay collared Jessica's
neck in a possessive, masterful display, guided her out of the
chair and into his arms so her back was pressed to his chest.
    He kissed along her throat, and Tekoa
suppressed a moan, his heart racing like a fast moving stream over
smooth rocks. He wasn't going to survive the night.
    Her cheeks were flushed, the outline of her
nipples visible. Not for the first time, he fought the urge to cup
her breasts, to latch on and suck.
    "I've got an easy way for you to pay off
your chip debt," Clay murmured, husky-voiced, his hand stroking
over her belly.
    Tekoa's breath caught. He was about to go up
in flames.
    She slapped Clay's arm and said, "You were
more endearing when you had a concussion."
    Clay nuzzled her, more than willing to lie
down and pretend he was helpless while she kissed him back to
health. He didn't care where her lips started, as long as they
ended up on his dick.
    He closed his eyes. He wanted her. He wanted
Tekoa.
    He captured her earlobe and sucked. She
shivered and tried to pull away but his arm below her breasts
prevented her escape.
    From the first moment he'd seen her it'd
been like this between them. A look, a touch, sometimes only a
single word, and heat engulfed them, the need to make love
overpowered them.
    If he fucked his tongue into her ear, she'd
spread her legs and welcome his hand between her thighs. She'd
whimper as his fingers slipped underneath her panties.
    She'd beg him to stroke her clit. She'd beg
him to thrust his fingers into her hot channel. And she'd be wet.
So, so wet.
    He could finger-fuck her and she'd beg for
his cock. He'd done it often enough to be completely confident
about her response. And once he got her that far she wouldn't fight
him if he pulled her panties off and lay her on the table.
    She'd take his cock. She'd take Tekoa's
cock.
    But it wouldn't really be her choice. It
wouldn't be the way it needed to be. Not that they wouldn't take
the next step, making love tonight, with Tekoa in the room.
    "Let's go to bed, Jess," he said, his voice
husky and his intentions clear. If she joined him on the bed, they would fuck.
    And though she would try to be quiet so her
moans and whimpers didn't fill the dark cabin, she'd know Tekoa