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“Let’s keep it that way,” he signaled to the dealer his intention to cash in.
She glanced at him in surprise. “I didn’t expect you to quit while you were ahead.”
He grinned. “That’s how you walk away a winner.”
“True.” Laughing she gathered up her own chips, counted out the stake he’d given her, and gave them back to him. “This is yours, I believe.” The rest she collected and dropped inside her black silk evening bag. As they moved away from the table, she released a long breath, conscious of her heart rate slowing to something closer to normal. “What an adrenaline rush,” she declared. “It could so easily become addictive.”
“And it does for some people.” He ran his gaze over her upturned face, noting the lingering flush of excitement and finding something addictive in its look. “Want to try your luck at the blackjack tables.”
She glanced in their direction and shook her head. “No, it looks much too tame. But I could go for something tall and cold. How about—” The rest of her question was never finished as she was sideswiped by a casino patron, the impact knocking her off balance and sending her stumbling against Boone.
“So sorry, miss,” the man declared, instantly contrite, his voice slurring and his hands catching at her in an effort to steady her. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. My wife’s always warning me about that.”
“I’m fine. Really,” Laura insisted as he continued to hover over her, close enough that the sourness of his whiskey breath fanned her.
“Are you sure now?” he persisted.
“Positive.” She wanted nothing more than for the man to leave, but he didn’t seem to get the message. She suddenly sensed Boone moving away from her. Temper flaring that he would abandon her, Laura turned after him.
“No, you don’t, buster.” Boone growled directly behind her.
At almost the same instant, Laura felt a pull on the shoulder strap of her evening bag. When she glanced down she was stunned to see a man’s hand inside it and Boone’s clasping the man’s wrist in a viselike grip.
“Stop that man!” Boone barked the order.
With a start, Laura realized he was referring to the man who had bumped into her. Turning, she saw the culprit scurrying away, moving with a haste that included no signs of drunkenness. She understood in an instant that the two had been working as a team, the first to distract her while the second pilfered her purse.
Action erupted behind her as the second man took a swing at Boone and jerked his hand out of her purse. The man struggled frantically to break free. From the outset it was obvious that he was no match for the younger and much stronger Boone.
An actual fight was something Laura had never witnessed. On rare occasions at the ranch she’d seen the aftermath of scraped knuckles, cut lips, bruises, and even a black eye a time or two, but she’d never been present when a fight occurred until now.
Within seconds, it seemed, Boone had subdued the man, holding him in a paralyzing headlock, his arm twisted high behind his back as the casino’s security staff converged on the scene.
As brief as the incident had been, Laura had felt all of its heat and heart-pounding fury. She was conscious of the blood rushing through her system in a kind of savage high that simultaneously frightened and thrilled her.
Casino security were quick to take custody of the would-be thief from Boone, and Laura watched the violence ebb from him. Its passing was accompanied by a series of actions, beginning with a big shrug of his shoulders to correct the lay of his suit jacket, followed by a stretch of the neck and a quick adjusting of his tie to center it once again. Then his glance made a sweep of the gathering of onlookers, more as if to challenge any other takers than to search for danger.
When his glance finally stopped on her, his dark eyes still had a trace of battle glitter in them. It was that element of the primitive that Laura found fascinating.
But neither was given an opportunity to converse as security escorted them off the gaming floor to an inner office. There questions were asked, and events described. It was all repeated again when the police arrived and took their statements.
Nearly an hour later Boone and Laura climbed into the rear of the waiting limousine, apologies from casino management still echoing in their ears.
“At last that’s over,” Boone declared on a heavy sigh and settled back in the cushioned seat. “I had
hoped to show you an evening to remember, but that wasn’t what I had in mind.”
The limousine passed by a streetlight, the streaming flood of light briefly revealing a tiny smear of blood at the corner of his lips. Laura removed the precisely folded handkerchief from the breast pocket of his suit and used a corner of it to dab away the touch of blood.
“My hero,” she murmured with a lightly teasing smile. Boone smiled back, but she noticed the secretly pleased look he wore that she had called him that even in jest. “Have I said ‘thank you’ yet for preventing that man from absconding with my winnings?”
“I don’t think you have.” His eyes had an expectant gleam.
“Thank you,” she murmured and leaned into him, covering his mouth in a nuzzling but brief kiss.
Before she could draw back, Boone hooked an arm around her waist to keep her against his chest. “You’re more than welcome.” His voice was husky.
His hand came up and cupped the back of her head, pulling her lips back to him. His mouth came down in a driving, delving kiss full of male aggression that made no attempt to conceal his desire behind finesse. A part of her gloried in its primitive heat, but her head warned her against letting it continue.
