"We are not! We're wagering a button for each game."
"We don't have time to play more than one game. A Chase promise is never broken, remember? You promised you'd wager buttons, Juliana. Unbutton a button."
"Honestly, this is ridiculous." She'd never promised she'd wager buttons. Not exactly. But she didn't want to argue or look petulant, so she reached behind her back and unbuttoned a button, knowing James wouldn't win many more tricks. "There. Are you happy now? It's my turn." She took an eight out of her hand and claimed a seven and an ace with it, smiling because an ace was worth an extra point. "I took a trick," she said. "Unbutton."
James didn't seem at all reluctant to unbutton the top button of his shirt. He pulled a ten from his hand and took the ten of diamonds, which was worth two extra points. "I think you should unbutton two buttons," he said, grinning.
"I think not," she said, amazed that he'd remembered the value of that card when from all she could tell he hadn't even listened to her instructions. "When I took the ace, you unbuttoned only one button, same as I did when you took the first trick, which had no extra points. Each trick is worth only one button, no matter how many points it contains."
"Wrong," he said, flicking open another of his buttons. "There, now I've unbuttoned two buttons for your extra-point trick. And you owe me three buttons for my trick with the ten of diamonds."
"I cannot reach that many of my buttons," she said petulantly, even though she hadn't wanted to sound petulant.
He smiled, a very smug smile. "You poor thing. I'll unbutton them for you." And he reached behind her back and unbuttoned three buttons.
"Really, James, this is very childish." Since there were no cards left on the table, she plucked one from her hand and set it down faceup without even looking at it. Which was a mistake, because it turned out to be the two of spades, which was also worth an extra point.
James wasted no time taking it with the two of hearts. "Two buttons," he said with a grin.
"How did you remember the two of spades was worth an extra point?" she said slowly, and that's when she realized the truth. She turned to him, outraged. "You already knew how to play casino, didn't you?"
His grin widened as he unbuttoned two more of her buttons. "I never said I didn't."
Her dress was all unbuttoned down the back now. "You asked me to teach you!"
"Exactly. But I never said I didn't know how to play." His eyes gleaming, he watched her draw another card from her hand. "Too bad there's nothing on the table to match with that," he drawled as she tossed it down. "I don't have to unbutton any more buttons. On the other hand…" His last card matched that one, and he used it to claim it. "You owe me another button."
"You tricked me," she said. "After you got all mad at me for tricking you."
"Come, Juliana. This is a game. It's not at all the same as trying to trick someone into marriage."
He was right about that. Drat. Right enough to make her feel guilty. Right enough to make her drop that argument like a hot poker.
She set down her last card, grabbed the deck, and dealt them each four more cards. "I don't have any more buttons."
"Hmm." He set down a six. "Then I think you owe me a kiss instead."
"I do not." Drat, none of her new cards matched anything on the table. She had two aces in her hand and had to risk one if she wanted a chance to win both. She chose one and tossed it down. "It's your turn."
"An ace," he mused, "imagine that." He swept both it and the six up with a seven. "Two more points," he said with another smile. "Added to the button you haven't unbuttoned yet, that makes three."
"I have no more buttons," she reminded him. "And I'm not kissing you. What are you going to do," she added dryly, "open up my dress a little more by ripping it?"
"What an interesting idea," he said slowly. "I should have thought of that myself. But no, I don't think I'll rip it. I think your aunt might notice that."
And then his whole demeanor changed. His smile disappeared as he set his cards facedown on the table. He reached out and drew her loosened dress down her shoulders, leaving her breasts covered by only her filmy chemise.
"You owe me three kisses, Juliana," he said softly, gazing at them in a most arousing way.
Her skin prickled, and her nipples puckered, even though it was very warm in the greenhouse. "I do not."
"I think you do." He didn't sound smug now; he sounded raspy and seductive instead. His voice was making her lose her head. He skimmed his fingers along her face and down her neck almost to her cleavage, making her shiver. "I think you do, Juliana," he said in that low, chocolatey tone. "I think you owe me three kisses."
Dear heavens, she wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to kick herself for wanting him to kiss her, but she wanted him to kiss her nonetheless. Suddenly all she could think of was yesterday's kisses under the stairs, and she wanted him to kiss her in the worst way.
And touch her breasts, like he had yesterday, too. She wanted him to touch her in the worst way. With his hands and his mouth, like he'd done yesterday, only it had happened so quickly she'd hardly had a chance to enjoy it.
And she wanted to touch him. She wanted to touch him in the worst way. Despite herself, despite how he'd tricked her into it, she
