Chapter One

“You didwhat…?” Samantha said dangerously.

“W-w-well, you see, honey,” Tom attempted, sputtering, “I had a full house.” What had seemed so commonsensical just the night before was crazy now to have to admit aloud—but his wife’s slitted eyes gleamed darkly, and with this much already out, he had no choice but to force himself to continue. “A full house,” he said pleadingly, “aces over fives! Come on, only four of a kind or a straight flush would’ve beaten that!”

She pursed her lips, looking bleakly into his forlorn face with an intensity that made him shrivel somehow deep inside. Samantha could be funny and warm and open-hearted, yet when affronted, the curvy-hipped thing could hold a grudge like a hornet—and her wrath was little less painful. Her smooth voice now held a subtle note of warning, like honey dripped over with some bitter black poison. “Aces over fives,” she repeated softly. “But Mike had…?”

He swallowed, then licked his lips. “Fucker had four threes,” he murmured.

“And you had bet?” Samantha raised a smoky blonde eyebrow, waiting in mock patience.

Tom hesitated. She was so beautiful, so regal, even now—but the queenly disdain that smoldered in those green eyes was as cutting as a dagger.

“It was such a good hand, baby,” Tom whined, “but I was out of money! And if I didn’t see Mike’s bet, I would’ve lost all my dough anyway—”

“So you…?” Again she gave that chillingly bleak parody of a facial shrug. She held him fast with her slitted gaze.

“He had raised me, baby, all the money he had left. It was more than I could cover.” Tom looked pained. “I just couldn’t believe he really wanted to bet that much, so I asked him if he was serious, and he said, ‘You bet your life’.”

She nodded for him to continue, waiting as if in encouragement. And yet those wondrously expressive lips of hers were compressed, immobile, betraying not a hint of warmth or compassion. Boy, oh boy, was he in trouble…

“So I—” Tom bit his lip. “I…” Helplessly he trailed off.

“Say it again,” she said quietly. Golden waves framed her face like the halo of some avenging angel. Her jaw was set, and the little furrow in her brow seemed to brood like a thundercloud roiling upon the horizon. “Say it.”

Tom let out his breath. “I said…” He licke