Since they’d both committed their entire stacks, they had noreason to hide the cards pre-draw. Jacqueline followed suit, showing the twoqueens she’d felt confident in until just a moment ago. “Help me out, Kendra.”
“Are you that afraid to give me your number?” Casey spoke as ifthey were the only two women in the room, and for a moment Jacqueline wasjealous of her confidence. She’d never been very good at flirting, typicallyeither awkward or chickening out altogether.
She smothered her insecurity. “You won’t be getting anything butthe losing hand.”
Kendra flipped over three cards in front of Casey, none of whichimproved her hand. But her kings were still ahead. Jacqueline didn’t realizehow hard she was biting her lower lip until she saw Casey’s eyes flick down toher mouth, then back up. She relaxed her jaw and ran her tongue across her lipto ease the indentations from her teeth. Casey’s composure seemed to slip asshe followed the motion, but then she turned her attention back to Kendra.
Kendra showed Jacqueline’s first card—a five of diamonds, nohelp, and then came the seven of hearts.
“Don’t celebrate yet,” Jacqueline said as Casey’s smile widened.“Kendra loves to be dramatic. She’ll save the best card for last. Now, give methe queen.”
Kendra lifted the card so only she could see it and shook herhead. “Not a queen.”
Casey turned her triumphant gaze to Jacqueline, and for a moment,Jacqueline didn’t care if she won. Casey’s eyes glittered like the afternoonsun dancing on the surface of a lake, and Jacqueline would tank every handshe’d ever played to see that expression again. But something in Kendra’s eyeshad given the hand away. Jacqueline would win it—the card had to be a five or aseven, giving her two pairs and besting Casey’s kings. Kendra laid down theseven of diamonds with a flourish.
“Damn,” Casey muttered.
“Told you. She can’t resist the chance to perform.” Jacquelineswept Casey’s chips back next to hers.
Later, as the group started shuffling toward the door, Jacquelinebegan to gather up red plastic cups from around the table and let Kendra dealwith the good-byes. They were Kendra’s friends, after all. She certainly wasn’tavoiding Casey, which was a good thing, because she’d have failed miserably.She spun around with her collection of cups and beer bottles and almost crashedinto her.
“Whoa. Sorry about that.” Casey grabbed Jacqueline’s upper armsto steady her.
“S’okay.” Jacqueline’s still-full hands twitched. She should tryto extricate herself from this accidental embrace. As she moved, the backs ofher fingers brushed the front of Casey’s blouse. The fabric was incrediblysoft, and suddenly she couldn’t stop wondering if her skin was softer. Shestared at Casey’s scarf and wished she had her hands free. She’d grab the endsof that scarf and pull Casey closer. She wanted her fingers spanning Casey’sslim waist, squeezing her—
“Jacqueline.” Casey’s voice carried a trace of laughter, and asly smile stretched across her beautiful mouth.
“I’m—uh, let me just put these—” She backed up and cringed whenher butt hit the table behind her. Her face flushed with embarrassment and shesidestepped toward the trash can. After she emptied her hands, she turnedaround. Casey rested against the counter, one hip cocked higher than the otherand her arms folded across her chest, blatantly surveying Jacqueline.
Jacqueline glanced down at her flannel shirt and blue jeans andwished she hadn’t opted for comfort over fashion just this once. She’d had along week and didn’t feel like dressing up, so she’d freshened her makeup anddecided the swirling winds she’d faced while walking between classes that dayhad left her hair unsalvageable for anything but a messy ponytail. Now shecouldn’t stop thinking about what Casey saw when she looked at her. Maybe shewas wondering just how a woman could care so little about her appearance.
“So, I’d say thanks but—you took all my money.” Casey gave her awink that made her face feel even hotter.
“Then Ishould thank you.”She injected a teasing note into her voice, surprised and pleased that shecould compose herself enough to flirt back.
“Well, you certainly seemed to enjoy it.”
“Oh, I did.”
“It was nice meeting you—mostly.” Casey stuck out her hand.
Jacqueline laughed and took it, intending a quick handshake. Butwhen Casey’s palm slid against hers, Jacqueline held on, reluctant torelinquish the fire that traveled up her arm and through her body, like a flamefollowing a trail of gunpowder.
“Are you really going to let me leave without getting my number?”Casey stepped closer and lowered her voice, the intimate tone flowing smoothlyover obvious confidence. She didn’t even seem to be trying, and she hadJacqueline ready to melt again.
“I believe the bet was for mynumber, and you lost.” Jacqueline jerked her hand free. Disappointment flashedacross Casey’s face, then was quickly covered by bravado.
“The way I see it, we both lost that hand.”
“How do you figure?”
“Because when you wake up tomorrow still thinking about me,you’ll have to track me down through Kendra. And she’ll know you’re into me—”
“I’m into you?”
“Yes. And you know how gloaty she can be.”
“First, I don’t think gloaty is a word. And second—I’m into you?”Kendra did like to be overly involved in Jacqueline’s life. And finding outJacqueline might be interested in one of her artsy friends would just make herday.
“Yeah, you are.” Casey moved forward until their breasts nearlytouched. Only an inch or two shorter than she was, Casey was the perfectheight, and Jacqueline couldn’t help thinking how well they’d fit together.Casey’s eyes appeared almost navy in the shadows of the room. “So, ask for mynumber.”
“You’re kind of bossy.”
Casey crossed to the door to Jacqueline’s bedroom and grabbed thedry-erase marker from the whiteboard hanging on the outside of the door. Shewrote her name and phone number across it in a flowy-girly script. “Despiteyour stellar first impression, if you call me,” she shrugged, “maybe I’ll giveyou a shot.”
Chapter One
Present Day
Jacqueline looped the handles of five plastic grocery bags overher hand. She lifted her load, pressed the button to lower the trunk of herLexus, and snatched the two remaining bags out before it finished closing.Though the plastic bags already limited the circulation in her fingers, she didn’tbother redistributing their
