Atlanta by Sara Orwig

Author:Sara Orwig
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FICTION/Romance/Historical
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 2013-08-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

The lamp was out and moonlight spilled into the room. Fortune stopped beside the table, emptying his coat pockets. As coins rolled and clinked, she sat up.

“My word! Did you win all that?”

He raised his head to look at her. “Sorry if I woke you.”

“I haven’t been able to sleep. It’s too hot,” she said, climbing out of bed and going to the table to run her hands over the coins. “A gold piece! Great heavens, how much did you win?”

He struck a match, the tip flaring and highlighting his cheekbones, reflecting in pinpoints in his blue eyes as he squinted and lit a cheroot. He glanced at her. “You can count it, Claire.” His gaze flicked over her before he shook out the match. She looked at the money, shifting it and sitting down while he turned to light a small lamp.

“The men I’ve seen gamble usually lose more than they win.”

“I quit when I lose. My father gambled away a prosperous farm and everything we had. It killed him and ruined my mother’s health and drove us all from Ireland. I won’t gamble away our money, so you can rest easy there.”

“That’s good.” Counting, she bent her head over the money, and Fortune studied her. Her brown hair fell forward, shining in the glow of the lamp. Her gown was unbuttoned and pushed open, and he could see pale flesh and the soft curve of her breast.

“Claire, half of that is yours.”

She raised her head, her dark eyes meeting his. “Thank you, but as your wife I belong to you, and all that I have belongs to you.”

He stood with his hands on his hips, feeling the warmth of too much brandy and the heat of the room. “You can keep your savings.”

“Thank you. I’d like that,” she answered solemnly.

“In case you want to run again,” he said, knowing he sounded cynical. She bent over the coins and he felt desire stirring. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her, to push her down on the bed and possess her.

He moved restlessly, suspecting neither of them would be able to sleep. Turning around, he looked at her.

“Claire, want me to teach you to play poker?”

She raised her head to study him, considering his question. “Yes, it would give us something to do. I can’t sleep and you don’t look as if you’re going to.”

“You can use your half of the money.”

“Then I imagine you will win it all back easily.”

“It’s more interesting if there are some stakes.”

He sat down and as they divided the money, she looked up at him. “My heavens, you won a lot! Have you ever lost this much?”

“Yes, but I’ve won it back. I told you, I’m not going to lose everything gambling.” As he leaned forward to explain the hands to her, his gaze strayed to the V of her nightgown. She was too busy studying her cards and looking at the stacks of money to notice. The cotton

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