compliment gave her back some of her confidence, and she forced herself to be nonchalant. “Sure I am.”
“A man would have to be blind to pay attention to his cards with you sitting at the same table.”
Katy grinned. “If he were blind, he wouldn’t be paying much attention to the cards, either, then, would he?”
Jonah smiled in a way that made her heart skip a beat.
“You just remember, Armstrong—once I’ve won the money, you’re going to live up to our bargain. We split fifty-fifty. And we
go to Dawson together.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “I remember the fifty-fifty part. I don’t remember anything about going to Dawson together.”
“It’s safer to go with a partner. Besides, without me to keep you out of trouble, you’ll never get there. Like I said before,
I’m doing you a favor.”
“Or you want to continue to annoy me.”
She arched a brow. “It could be that, too.”
Jonah threw up his hands and laughed. “What do I care? This scheme is impossible in any case. Just don’t cheat some cardsharp
and get
us
both shot.”
“I never cheat. I just win.”
“Someone should write a book about you. Fiction. No one would believe you’re real.” He leaned forward and pecked her on the
cheek. The chaste brush of his lips set fire to her skin. “For luck,” he said.
On raw impulse Katy pulled him to her and landed a kiss full upon his mouth, grinding her lips against his in unpracticed
enthusiasm. A moment’s stiffness instantly melted to heated cooperation as Jonah pulled her more tightly against him. His
arms folded around her, gentling her. His tongue traced the seam of her lips, and instinctively she opened to him. He thrust
inside, and a bolt of raw sensation shot to the very pit of her belly, just as though Old Bruno the grizzly had opened her
up with a claw of raw fire—and the fire felt so good! Jonah’s hard, warm body conformed to hers in a disturbingly natural
manner. His heart beat against her breasts, and something hard and very male rose to prod her belly.
In sudden panic, Katy peeled herself off of him and pushed back. Unwilling to let him see how profoundly he had affected her,
she forced a careless tilt to her chin and a cocky smile to her face. “For luck,” she told him.
Jonah looked a bit dazed. “For luck,” he repeated.
Katy felt giddy, panicked, and elated at the same time. She felt alarm, wonder, and a touch of guilt wrapped into one soaring
excitement. And yes, she did feel very, very lucky.
CHAPTER 6
Finding a poker game was not difficult. Every other tent housed a saloon, and every saloon had at least two or three games
going. Katy and Jonah chose the highest class establishment they could find—if such a temporary, canvas-walled business could
be called high-class. Unlike some of the other saloons they had looked into, this one had a plank floor covering the dirt.
The bar was a magnificent oak counter which, along with the fancy mirror that was its backpiece, must have been shipped up
from the States at very great cost. The bartender wore a silk vest and tie. His hands were clean, as well as his clothes,
and compared to the average inhabitant of Skaguay, most of the customers were clean as well.
Katy sailed into the saloon on Jonah’s arm as if she had every right to be walking into such an establishment. Jonah had spiffed
up in a fancy Back East suit and looked every inch the dapper gent who might be expected to accompany such a magnificent specimen
of womanhood as herself. They received a few curious looks from the customers and a swift, knowing scrutiny from the bartender,
but no one made any objection to Katy’s presence.
When they sat down at a table, a man in a clean white apron over an even cleaner white shirt appeared beside their table to
ask what they would drink.
“Whiskey,” Katy said with an arch voice. “And make sure it’s good-quality whiskey.”
“We serve only the best,
“A man would have to be blind to pay attention to his cards with you sitting at the same table.”
Katy grinned. “If he were blind, he wouldn’t be paying much attention to the cards, either, then, would he?”
Jonah smiled in a way that made her heart skip a beat.
“You just remember, Armstrong—once I’ve won the money, you’re going to live up to our bargain. We split fifty-fifty. And we
go to Dawson together.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “I remember the fifty-fifty part. I don’t remember anything about going to Dawson together.”
“It’s safer to go with a partner. Besides, without me to keep you out of trouble, you’ll never get there. Like I said before,
I’m doing you a favor.”
“Or you want to continue to annoy me.”
She arched a brow. “It could be that, too.”
Jonah threw up his hands and laughed. “What do I care? This scheme is impossible in any case. Just don’t cheat some cardsharp
and get
us
both shot.”
“I never cheat. I just win.”
“Someone should write a book about you. Fiction. No one would believe you’re real.” He leaned forward and pecked her on the
cheek. The chaste brush of his lips set fire to her skin. “For luck,” he said.
On raw impulse Katy pulled him to her and landed a kiss full upon his mouth, grinding her lips against his in unpracticed
enthusiasm. A moment’s stiffness instantly melted to heated cooperation as Jonah pulled her more tightly against him. His
arms folded around her, gentling her. His tongue traced the seam of her lips, and instinctively she opened to him. He thrust
inside, and a bolt of raw sensation shot to the very pit of her belly, just as though Old Bruno the grizzly had opened her
up with a claw of raw fire—and the fire felt so good! Jonah’s hard, warm body conformed to hers in a disturbingly natural
manner. His heart beat against her breasts, and something hard and very male rose to prod her belly.
In sudden panic, Katy peeled herself off of him and pushed back. Unwilling to let him see how profoundly he had affected her,
she forced a careless tilt to her chin and a cocky smile to her face. “For luck,” she told him.
Jonah looked a bit dazed. “For luck,” he repeated.
Katy felt giddy, panicked, and elated at the same time. She felt alarm, wonder, and a touch of guilt wrapped into one soaring
excitement. And yes, she did feel very, very lucky.
CHAPTER 6
Finding a poker game was not difficult. Every other tent housed a saloon, and every saloon had at least two or three games
going. Katy and Jonah chose the highest class establishment they could find—if such a temporary, canvas-walled business could
be called high-class. Unlike some of the other saloons they had looked into, this one had a plank floor covering the dirt.
The bar was a magnificent oak counter which, along with the fancy mirror that was its backpiece, must have been shipped up
from the States at very great cost. The bartender wore a silk vest and tie. His hands were clean, as well as his clothes,
and compared to the average inhabitant of Skaguay, most of the customers were clean as well.
Katy sailed into the saloon on Jonah’s arm as if she had every right to be walking into such an establishment. Jonah had spiffed
up in a fancy Back East suit and looked every inch the dapper gent who might be expected to accompany such a magnificent specimen
of womanhood as herself. They received a few curious looks from the customers and a swift, knowing scrutiny from the bartender,
but no one made any objection to Katy’s presence.
When they sat down at a table, a man in a clean white apron over an even cleaner white shirt appeared beside their table to
ask what they would drink.
“Whiskey,” Katy said with an arch voice. “And make sure it’s good-quality whiskey.”
“We serve only the best,
Similar Books
