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Except instead of letting me climb into his lap, he stands, holding his hand out. I place my palm in his, and he jerks me into him.

His mouth collides with mine, and yeah—oh, yeah. He tastes like the bitter beer he's been sipping and like sex and tightly coiled restraint. He's shorter than the other guys, but that doesn't matter. He bends me back with the force of his kiss. He takes a step into me, and the next thing I know, my ass hits the edge of the poker table.

Skating his hands up and down my sides, he lifts me up onto it, parting my legs to stand between them. He's hard as he slots himself in against me. We're flush, and all the desire that's been building inside me since the game changed from Texas holdem to 'Hold Haley Against Me' threatens to ignite. With a hand on my thigh, he hooks my leg over his hip and grinds in deep.

And oh—fuck, I'm going to come. Right here and now, without anyone even touching my pussy, from nothing more than a kiss and a little dry humping. I close my eyes, ready to give in to it.

Only to be left hanging.

Sergio pulls away, breathing ragged and lips wet. He puts a finger to my mouth, gently nudging it closed, and I swallow hard. Low and husky, he says, "You want to come? You're going to do it with my cock in you."

And damn. Just…damn.

I do want to come—desperately. But there's awkward shuffling around us. No matter how bad I want it, I'm not quite ready to get fucked in front of all these people. Not yet.

I lick my lips and hop off the table, taking four chips for my trouble. "Can't wait."

It's a supreme effort to walk back around the table without my resolve crumbling. I'm achy and hot between my legs, and my nipples feel like they could cut glass. My skin feels like it's stretched too tight. I'm on a hair trigger. If anyone so much as touched my clit I'd fly into a million pieces, but for now I have to keep it together. I have to.

Because there's one person left who has yet to buy my kiss, and he's the one I have so many conflicted feelings about.

Before I can let anyone fuck me against a table, we have got to sort out our shit.

As Jax's hot, gray gaze connects with mine, it's clear. He's on the same page.

And we have about five more hands of poker before our time to make decisions runs out.

26

The rules of poker are basically out the window. I play hands I shouldn't and call way too many raises. Jax keeps pushing the pot higher. The other guys fold one after another, casting glances around as they do, because clearly there's another game being played behind the cards.

Finally, we reach the inevitable conclusion. Only Jax and I are left, and I have exactly one cent left to my name.

Cayden deals the last card of the river. It's a mediocre hand—not impossible for me to win, but unlikely. In a sane world, I would fold, but Jax is staring me down across the table. He flips a chip back and forth between his fingers.

Then, with a flourish, he tosses it into the pot. "I don't think you have the cards."

I don't. But this is pure me and Jax. He pushes and I push back. The tension sizzling between us across the table is the same one that had us fucking raw and dirty up against a wall in the middle of the hallway, and something has to give.

I can't date all these men while still harboring a grudge for something that happened a decade ago.

I can't take Sergio's word about all the good Jax has done—saving people's lives in the army and taking care of my grandmother when I was in a different state—and still be mad at this guy.

I put my finger on my last chip. I start to put it into the pot, only then I hold it back.

"You're going to have to do something to earn this chip."

He shakes his head. "That's not how the game works. You call or fold. You either have the cards or you don't." His throat bobs. "This is it, Haley. Place your bet or walk away."

Yeah. I don't think so.

"I'm changing the game." After all the ways it's shifted already, I think I have that right. "You want me to go all in? You answer me a couple of questions."

His eyes narrow. "Like what?"

"Like what were you doing checking in on my grandmother the past few years?"

Okay, that seems to take him aback. His smirking mask slips for an instant. "What?"