Page 255 of A Vicious Love

His gaze dropped to my cards.

Then came back up.

“The king and queen.”

“Yes.”

“Because they are both hearts?”

“Because they are married.”

Adrian lost the fight and laughed.

Julian said, “To be fair, she does this with every suit.”

“I do not.”

“You absolutely do,” Adrian said, delighted now. “She keeps kings and queens together. If she gets a king with no queen, she says he looks lonely. If she gets a queen with no king, she says she’s better off because the king was probably useless anyway.”

“That last part is accurate in many cases,” Sabine said from the window.

Henri looked at his wife with deep admiration. “Agreed.”

“This is why Sienna should never be allowed near serious money.” My mother’s expression pinched.

I sat straighter. “I have played cards for years.”

“You have sat at card tables for years,” Julian corrected.

Jamison lowered the cigar into the ashtray. “You don’t know how to play poker.”

“I do.” I lifted my chin, and looked at my cards.

The first three cards were turned over on the table. A two of clubs, a seven of diamonds, and a queen of spades.

“Oh,” I said, brightening.

Jamison’s eyes opened. “No.”

“What?”

“That face again. That one just told the room you saw something you liked.”

Adrian lifted a finger. “She has a queen.”

I gasped. “You don’t know that.”

Julian looked at Jamison. “She does.”

Henri nodded apologetically. “She definitely does.”

I looked around the table, wounded by betrayal from every direction. “You are all being mean to me.”

Jamison’s attention came back to me, and his mouth curved around the edge of his cigar with slow, dangerous amusement. “Baby, are you marrying cards together?”

My cheeks heated. “Only the ones that belong together.”

My father sighed.