Page 84 of Liar

“Do you have money?”

My grin is so broad, it hurts. “We’re playing for money?”

Hayden’s eyes dip from my face to my thighs. Taking in every inch of me, is he? Warmth spreads through me.God bless this skirt.Seconds pass, then he catches himself.

He tosses an American one-hundred-dollar bill on the table in front of me.

“Big money?” I can’t keep the excitement from my tone.

“Ever play cards before last night?”

I sit up taller in my seat. “On occasion.”

He gives me a hard, assessing look.

I grin at him, saucily.

“This will undoubtedly be worth it.”

Javier grunts, but keeps my secret. And I think,Oh, it will. Just wait.

“Deal,” Hayden orders.

And then, the game is on. The banker at the head of the table begins tossing cards out facedown. “No limits,” he confirms, catching my widening eyes. “It’s an aggressive style of playing. If you fold early, you’ll still have fun watching.”

I shrug my shoulders. “Wouldn’t it be something if I’ll get lucky, and you’ll end up being the one watching?”

Everyone laughs. At his expense—not so much because they believe in me. I can’t wait to fleece these wolves.

The men ante up then wait on me to exchange the large bill for smaller denominations. I toss in a twenty, Hayden follows suit, and the first round begins.

Players pick up their cards.

I’m too busy watching their reactions to discover the hand I’m holding. Because everyone has tells. An unconscious tightening of the jaw or shift in the seat. The stiffening of a back or the slightest of pauses. Experienced players overcompensate for this by doing the opposite, like smiling brightly over a bad hand or scowling over a killer hand.

Case in point is Javier, whose grin is so bright it’d outshine the sun. Who will be my most difficult match? My eyes skim across one man after another until they land on the handsome man next to me.

Of course, he’ll be.

I’m at a disadvantage with him, no doubt. First, because he’s seated next to me, I missed his initial reaction. Second, because he should never be underestimated—even when hiding a horrible hangover, he’s still in total control of his tells. Finally, because his thigh keeps brushing against mine when he moves.

I sigh, because of all three reasons.

I collect my cards and keep them close to my chest while I check what I have to work with.

A pair of queens. Nothing to get excited about yet, In no-limit draw, anything is possible.

Only two of the sixteen players stand pat. One sits to Javier’s right, and he tosses a ten into the pile.Raise, Javier. He’s bluffing.

I give a mental sigh of relief as he raises by five.

This game won’t last long at this rate.

A few players fold and then Hayden’s up. He throws away three cards. Hard to say if he likes the new trio or not, but he raises me by ten.

I bite my lip, take a sip of my drink, and pretend to be indecisive when I know exactly what I’m doing. His eyes meet mine in challenge as I discard two cards, pretending I have three of a kind. With a flirty grin, I match his ten and up the ante ten.

His eyes narrow.