Betting the Moon: Cannon Pack, Book 4 (2 page)

Tucker studied Bascom, then took a step toward him, certain the strange sensation came from the champion. Better to find out now than later.

“Hi, Tucker. Good to see you’ve made it this far.”

Turning to the rotund man who’d grabbed his arm, Tucker tamped down the startled beast inside him, then forced a smile to greet Tomas “The Tank” Harding. Didn’t he know not to sneak up on a man?
But it was difficult not to like the jolly guy. “Hey, Tank.”

He was just about to tell Tank to be careful who he grabbed when he saw her. The sight of the gorgeous female swept Tomas and everything else from his mind. How he’d missed seeing her before, with her streaming golden hair and her shapely body, was a mystery. The girl’s legs ran to the moon and back, and she had a rack that would make any man’s mouth water. Tucker mumbled something to Tomas, but he couldn’t have told anyone what he’d said. His focus centered on the amazing woman as he tried to remember her name.

Mari Thornton.
Photographs of her had shown that she was beautiful, but they’d only hinted at the vibrancy of the woman. None of her vivaciousness had leaked into the flat images. Still he had to wonder how such mesmerizing sexuality could not have come through in even a poorly executed photo. How could the stunning physical allure she exuded not be caught and held like a tangible object? He flexed his hands, trying to ease the itch in his palms. If only he could touch her…

Was she human? Probably. He didn’t dislike humans—aside from shifter hunters, of course—but things would be much easier if she were a werewolf. Either way, he appreciated a beautiful woman when he saw one. He licked his lips. Why not appreciate her in his bed?

Making an excuse to get away from Tomas, Tucker took his chair, then started going through his normal preparations. But his mind stayed fixed on Mari. Even after the game had started and had gone on for several minutes, he found he couldn’t break free. Fortunately, the other players at the table were no match for him, and he was still able to dominate the game. More than once, he turned in his chair to gaze at her, forgetting the action on the table.

She knew how to use her charms, all right.

He stifled a chuckle when she thrust out her chest to divert an opponent’s attention from his cards. A flip of her hair and another player paused, his hand held in midair, forgetting to toss in his chips. She had the men exactly where she wanted them.

She was stunning, and she knew how to use her attractiveness as a tool much the same way he used a laid-back personality to win people over and put them at ease. His well-honed persona didn’t hint at the danger he kept from breaking free, and he wondered how much of her skill relied on practiced strategies involving her beauty.

How would she react when her charms didn’t work on him? Of course, the other side of the coin could land heads up. Would his charms work on her?

He shook his head, opting out of the current hand and denying his interest in her at the same time. He needed to concentrate on the game, not the woman. There’d be plenty of time for fun later. For now, his primary objective was to beat his main competitor, Willie Holden.

Nonetheless, a part of his mind couldn’t help but stray back to her. By the sounds of cheers behind him, he guessed she’d already finished her match. Damn, how he wanted to turn around and see the victorious expression on her stunning face!

Making a move based more on his need to see her than on skill, he took a gamble—after all, that was the name of the game—and went all in, placing everything he had on the line and forcing Willie to do the same. As luck would have it—and he was a very lucky man—the cards fell in his favor. He won and shouts broke out around him.

Many hands patted him on the back as he slowly shifted in his chair. He lifted his gaze to meet Mari’s, and surprise lit up her eyes. Emerald green assessed him, narrowing for a moment, then widening. Her eyes sparkled as though she was on the verge of tears, but he sensed she wasn’t about to cry. Instead, the surprise he’d first seen swiftly changed into an inquisitive and hungry look. She had a hunger much like his own. A hunger that wanted as much out of life as it could get and would challenge anyone who dared to get in her way.

Her face, angular without being severe, had an ethereal glow, a loveliness he would’ve thought only an angel could claim. Golden locks streamed over her shoulders, flowing over the ample swell of her breasts—breasts that strained the buttons of her blue blouse. A short skirt led to long legs, while hips showed her to be a woman who was unafraid to display her curves. Her skirt, fitting snugly enough to make men drool but not too tight as to seem slutty, clung to her body, miraculously revealing everything and nothing at the same time.

Realization struck him dead center. Her physical charms weren’t all she had to offer.

She had magic.

Her eyes widened as though she’d heard him. For one delicious moment, he thought she would come to him. Instead, she whirled around and hurried toward the exit. Unable to do anything else, Tucker followed her, his mind reeling, his gut filled with an overpowering yearning to have her.

If simply looking at her made her bolt, would introducing himself scare her off for good? He nodded, not really hearing the remarks and greetings of those he passed. He was too intent on catching up to her to pay attention to anything except the way her ass moved up and down, shifting her skirt in enticing ways. She glanced back once and her features scrunched into a confused mask. He picked up his pace.

Following her through the double doors of the ballroom, Tucker checked the open lobby area of the second floor, searching for her. A flash of golden hair caught from the corner of his eye turned him to the right, and a sign pointing the way to the restrooms gave him reassurance that he was headed in the correct direction. Bursting through a set of metal doors, he barreled down the empty corridor and passed by several
Employees Only
doors.

Holding on to the edge of the wall for balance, he skidded around the corner just in time to catch a glimpse of her face through the closing gap of the ladies’ restroom door. He slammed to a stop and for the first time wondered what he’d do once he caught up with her. Granted, he wanted her. Hell, he wouldn’t be surprised to find his shaft flying high, ready for action. He checked and was relieved to find no bulging sign of an erection.

Unsure what to do, he backtracked around the corner and plopped into the only chair in the long, empty corridor leading back to the lobby and the ballroom beyond. If she wanted to continue playing—and of course she did—she’d have to get by him first. No way would a pro like Mari Thornton forfeit a chance at winning. All he had to do was wait for her to reappear.

Chapter Two

Ante Up

Mari pulled the door open a crack and peeked out. Seeing no one lingering in the hall, she let out a pent-up breath and stepped into the hallway.

Even now she couldn’t understand her reaction to Tucker. Sure, he was hot, but she’d been around handsome men. Plenty of them. None had affected her like Tucker had.

Although he’d done nothing to her, said nothing to her, she’d still reacted like a trapped victim under the unblinking stare of a predator. Hell, she’d taken off as fast as a frightened bunny. Then he’d rushed after her and rattled her even more.

She frowned, irritated by the way she’d handled the situation. She’d sensed something different about him, and it had unsettled her, but to respond the way she had? So not cool. She prided herself on keeping her emotions in check during a tournament, and when she’d lost her composure, she’d had no option except to get away from him.

But why had he chased her? She nibbled at her lower lip, then forced herself to stop, rubbing her lip as though to rid herself of the nervous tell once and for all.

She paused, needing a couple of deep breaths before she dared to head down the hallway. If she was lucky—and she was always very lucky—he’d given up and gone back to the tables. Mari listened to the quiet, straining her ears to pick up any sound, but heard nothing. The coast was clear, and she was through acting like a silly girl. Taking a steadying breath, she strode forward, her game face firmly in place, determined to be ready the next time she saw him. Smiling with a confidence she didn’t quite command, she turned the corner and ran into a wall of testosterone.

“Finally.”

Mari jumped away from Tucker, but recovered quickly and tried to step past him. “Excuse me, but—”

“Not so fast.” He sidestepped and blocked her path, causing her to bump into him again.

“Holy hell.” Shaken, Mari shuffled back a foot, lifted her gaze to his mesmerizing blue eyes, then struggled to look away.

“Hang on a sec, will ya?” He took her by the arms, steadying her, and pulled her closer.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Mari pushed away from him, but he held on to her. An intoxicating scent of aftershave and a unique masculinity drifted to her, sending an unfamiliar but oh-so-wonderful feeling through her entire body. Tingling from her head to her toes, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, for a moment unconcerned that he’d cornered her.

“I just want to introduce myself.”

She opened her eyes to find him scrutinizing her. His eyes reminded her of the eyes of a Siberian husky, soft yet mesmerizing. Her breathing grew shallow, her throat constricting.

Relax.
Poker players studied each other all the time, in and out of the game. This was no different. In the same second she’d had the thought, she knew she was fooling herself. The way he studied her was different. Deeper. More intense. Sexual.

“Okay. Fine. Do it, but let me go.” She cast a pointed look at the hand still clutching her arm.

“Sorry.” He released her but didn’t step away. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Did he mean in the ballroom, when he’d chased her down the hallway, or when she’d slammed into him?
Probably when she’d slammed into his big, strong, masculine, virile…
Stop!

“You didn’t startle me.”

The flash in his eyes told her he recognized her lie.

When the time is right, go all in.
Heeding another of Tommy’s lessons, she stuck out her hand. “I’m Mari Thornton.”

Unlike a lot of the male poker players who often tried to intimidate her with an overly strong handshake, Tucker took her palm in his and gently but firmly squeezed her hand.

“Hi, darlin’.” He gave her a crooked smile and out came the adorable dimples again. “I’m Tucker Manning.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Tucker.” Damn, why was her voice trembling? “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back.”

Again he stepped in front of her, but this time he knew better than to grab her. She glanced at his hands, strangely irritated that he hadn’t.

“So do I, but I need to do something else first.”

Although she was intrigued, she kept her curiosity hidden. At least she hoped she did. Instead, she arched an eyebrow and adopted an irritated expression. “Fine, then do it. Just let me pass first, then you can do whatever it is you need to do.” Darting to his right, she attempted to hurry past him and once again failed.

He grabbed her, then crushed his mouth against hers. She gasped, struggled to push him away for a moment, then drew in his breath, her mind reeling. He wrapped his arms around her, tugging her closer until nothing separated their bodies.

Fight! Scream! Call for help! Kick him in the balls!
But, suddenly, kicking was the last thing she wanted to do to his balls.

Instead, she kissed him back and tugged on his shoulders, needing him, wanting him like an ice-cold drink on a blistering desert day. He moaned, then sucked as she slid her tongue into his mouth. An explosion of desire erupted inside her, blasting outward in spirals of heat. She pushed her breasts against his chest.

He slid his hand lower to inch the material of her skirt higher. But the fire of desire inside her couldn’t wait. Lifting her leg and wrapping it around his, she hitched her skirt higher. He rubbed against her mons, his shaft hard against her as he fondled her butt.

Slipping her hands along his wide shoulders, she itched to run her fingers through his hair and hold on, keeping his kiss to her lips. He nibbled at her bottom lip, then slammed her against the wall. He drank from her as much as she did from him. She bit his upper lip in return, and a sexy groan rumbled in his throat.

“Get higher.” His voice had changed, gone deeper, grittier, almost animal-like in a sexy growl.

She obeyed his command by jumping and wrapping both legs around his waist. The rough texture of his jeans rubbed her inner thighs as his belt buckle’s cool metal pressed into the curls above her pussy.

Breaking the kiss, he grazed his teeth down her throat, nipping at her skin to follow a path between her breasts. He mumbled incomprehensible words against her skin and used his body to hold hers against the wall. Fumbling, he tried to unbutton her blouse.

She giggled, brushed his hands off, then pretended to undo the buttons. He brought his lips to her shoulders, alternating kisses with nibbles as he moved to her ear. Closing her eyes, she let the spell flow through her mind and out her parted lips. The buttons undid themselves and when she opened her eyes, she found Tucker staring hungrily at her cleavage.

“Is something wrong?” Had he noticed the buttons moving by themselves? Did he sense that she possessed magic?