Playing the odds Read Free Page A

back to her working hours, to the silent gambler who'd sat at her table, winning and watching. She thought he was a man women would be drawn to but wasn't surprised that he'd been alone. A solitary man, Serena mused, and strangely compelling. Attractive, she admitted as she leaned farther out to let the wind whip at her face. Attractive in a dangerous sort of way. But then, it was in her blood to look on danger as a challenge. Risks could be calculated, percentages measured, and yet… And yet Serena didn't think the man would follow the neat path of theory.
    "Night suits you."
    Serena's hands tightened on the rail. Though she'd never heard him speak, though she hadn't even heard his approach, she knew who stood behind her. It took all her effort not to gasp and whirl. While her heart hammered she turned to watch him come out of the shadows. Wanting her voice to be steady, she gave herself a moment while he stopped to stand beside her at the rail.
    "Did your luck hold?" she asked.
    Justin kept his eyes on her face. "Apparently."
    She tried, and failed, to place his origin through his accent. His voice was deep and smooth and without inflection. "You're very good," she stated. "We don't often get a professional in the casino." There seemed to be a quick flash of humour in his eyes before he drew out a slim cigar and lit it. Smoke stung the air, then vanished in the wind. Serena relaxed her fingers on the rail, one at a time. "Are you enjoying your trip?"
    "More than I anticipated." He took a slow, thoughtful drag on the cigar. "Are you?"
    Serena smiled. "It's my job."
    Justin leaned back against the rail, resting his hand beside hers. "That's not an answer, Serena," he pointed out.
    Since there was a name tag on her lapel, she only lifted a brow at his use of her name. "I enjoy it, Mr.—"
    "Blade," he said softly as he ran a fingertip down her jawline. "Justin Blade. Remember it."
    Serena refused to back up though the lightning response of her body to his touch surprised her. Instead, she regarded him steadily. "I've a good memory."
    With a trace of a smile he nodded. "Yes, that's why you're a good dealer. How long have you been doing it?"
    "A year." Though he removed his fingertip, her blood didn't cool.
    Surprised, Justin took a last drag on his cigar, then crushed it under his foot "I would have thought longer from the way you handle the cards." Taking her hand from the rail, he studied the back, then turned it over to look at the palm. Soft, he thought, and steady. An interesting combination. "What did you do before?"
    Even as her brain told her retreat would be wise, Serena allowed her hand to remain in his. She sensed strength and skill in the touch, though she wasn't certain of the aspect of either. "I studied."
    "What?"
    "Whatever interested me. What do you do?"
    "Whatever interests me."
    She laughed, a low sultry sound that whispered along his skin. "Somehow I think you mean that quite literally, Mr. Blade." She started to remove her hand, but his fingers closed over it.
    "I do," he murmured. "It's Justin, Serena." His eyes skimmed the deserted deck, then the dark, endless sea. "This isn't the place for formality."
    Common sense told her to tread carefully; instinct drove her to provoke. "There are rules for the crew when dealing with passengers, Mr. Blade," she said coolly. "I need my hand."
    When he smiled, the moonlight glittered in his eyes, like a cat's. "So do I." Lifting it, he pressed his lips deep in the centre of her palm. Serena felt the aftershock of the kiss in every pore. "I take what I need," he murmured against her flesh.
    Her breathing had quickened without her being aware of it. On the dark, empty deck he was barely more than a shadow with a voice that might have been pressed through honey, and dangerous eyes. Feeling her body yearning toward him, Serena restrained it with a quick flash of temper.
    "Not this time. I'm going in, it's late."
    Keeping her hand firmly in his, Justin reached up to pull