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“No, please,” Emma said. She put her hand on his shoulder. “Let’s just go, Va
“Va
“Bet it,” he said quietly from behind her. She looked over at her shoulder, shocked. Was he so furious at Mario, he’d gone crazy? His face was still stiff from anger, but when she met his stare, he gave her a small, imperceptible smile. “Bet it,” he repeated, placing his hands on her waist.
“What do I do?” she asked, turning back to the table.
“Pick a number on the inside and put the chip directly on it,” Va
She bit her lip uncertainly. A thought struck her. “What’s the Montand racecar number?” she asked impulsively.
“Fourteen,” Va
She placed the chip on the velvet-covered table directly on fourteen. She heard someone curse bitterly and glanced around to see Mario standing there, his handsome face pale.
“You said you were playing host, Mario,” Va
Mario bared his teeth, and the wheel was spi
The ball had landed on fourteen.
She spun around in Va
“I won?” she asked with excited disbelief.
“You won,” Va
“I’ve never won anything in my life!” She told them ecstatically. Then she caught sight of Mario’s desperate, angry expression and immediately sobered. “Oh . . . but it was Mario’s chip, of course . . .”
“Nonsense,” Va
Mario opened his mouth to protest, but seemed to think better of it under the influence of Va
“Take your wi
Emma scooped up her chips and followed Va
“Do you want me to cash them for you?” Va
“Are you sure we should?” she asked doubtfully, handing him the chips. “Mario seems pretty drunk. It doesn’t seem fair.”
“He didn’t realize he’d given you such a big chip,” Va
“Yes,” Emma admitted.
“And you’re still defending him?”
She sighed. “No. I guess he got what he deserved. I just feel bad that I’m the one to benefit from his stupidity.”
“Who else should? You were the one he insulted. I’ll be right back,” he told her, turning to the desk. A minute later, he returned and handed her a receipt.
“I had them convert it into American dollars. They’ll be sending the check to your address at home,” he said, grabbing her hand. Completely undone by the strange turn of events, Emma just followed him out of the casino and hotel lobby. As the doorman opened the gilded doors for them, however, she glanced down at the receipt. Stu
“Va
Va
“Mario has never been one to bet small. I’m sure he’s bet a king’s ransom in the casinos that he’ll win the Montand cup on Sunday, for instance. Maybe this will teach that stupid sod not to bet on what isn’t his.”
Week
SEVEN
Chapter 32
Adrenaline, happiness, and Va
Who had time for sleeping when being awake was so sweet? Who had time for sleeping when they were falling in love?
Don’t think about that, a voice in her head warned. Don’t be stupid.
“Would you like to start our day with a swim?” Va
“Yes,” she replied, turning her head to find his lips with her own. “I still can’t believe I won all that money,” she sighed a moment later when he lifted his head and she stared up at him, muzzy and warm from his kiss. “Did it really happen?”
“I’m sure Mario is wishing it didn’t, but it most definitely did,” Va
“I don’t know,” she said blankly. “I suppose Amanda could use some of it. Medical school isn’t cheap.”
His brows slanted. “You are not giving found money to your sister,” he said darkly.
“Why not?” she said, although she thought she already knew the answer. “Va
“What do you want, Emma?” he interrupted as he coiled a tendril of her hair around his finger. She looked up at his face as her heart throbbed an answer. He looked beyond beautiful to her in the morning light, his thick hair tousled and bracketing his sea-colored eyes, whiskers sexily darkening his lean jaw. She touched his shoulder, wondrous yet again at the delicious denseness of muscle covered so tautly in smooth skin.
“I want to be happy,” she whispered.
“Are you?”
“Yes,” she said without reservation. His small smile made her happiness swell.
Yes, for these diminishing weeks and days and hours, she was nothing short of ecstatic.
Instead of swimming in the terraced pool area to the right of the villa, Va