Gambling on Forever

by Becky Lower

  “Why? I suppose it’s the result of a natural course of events. I honed my card playing during the war, which, as you probably are aware, is a string of boring days followed by a few minutes of sheer terror.” He shrugged.

  “Which side were you on?” Why did she even care, for God’s sake?

  “I enlisted with the Confederacy.” He chose his words carefully. Too carefully for her liking.

  She glanced up at him. “You don’t sound southern. Where are you from?”

  He rolled his shoulders. “Pennsylvania.”

  “Well, now I truly don’t understand.” She shook her head. “Pennsylvania isn’t even a slave-holding state. It was firmly in the Union camp.” Her suspicions grew.

  “Does it really matter anymore? One side was just like the other in terms of what we did daily. We passed the time playing poker to keep our minds off the fighting and I got to the point where I won more than I lost. When the war ended, I had my reasons for amassing a fortune quickly. I could read people well enough, so I decided to spend a year or two legitimately taking their money until I had enough for my purposes.”

  Elise stopped for a moment, forcing James to come to a halt as well. “So tell me, Ja-a-a-mes.” She intentionally drug out his name, in case he missed her first use of it. “What are your reasons? Do you have a score to settle?” Damn it, why did she care?

  He sidestepped her direct question. “I plan to open a business in San Francisco. Import/Export. I did learn a few things about handling vast quantities of merchandise while in the service. I worked as a supply officer. But I need a stake to get my business started.” His gaze slid over her face and she could feel heat rising to her cheeks.

  “And opening this fancy business of yours will settle your score?” Elise fought back a grin when James’s ever-present smirk changed into a frown.

  His words became as cutting as shards of glass. “Word of my success will find its way to the proper persons.”

  “Ah, retribution is a fine thing. So who is the woman?” She again had to fight to keep the grin from her face as his head whipped around to stare at her.

  “Why do you have the idea there’s a woman involved?” His frown deepened, and a furrow formed between his eyebrows.

  Elise ran her hand over his broad shoulder in a soothing motion. “Because there always is.”

  They stared into each other’s eyes for a long minute, neither moving. Then, James wrapped his hand around hers, which still lingered on his shoulder, and tugged her toward him. His other hand encircled her waist and he captured her lips with his.

  The air whooshed out of her, and she struggled to catch her breath. Her lips parted and James’s tongue found its way in, exploring every inch of her mouth in a sensuous dance. Her body warmed as his kiss deepened, and the deck shifted below her feet. She wrapped her arms around him for support, since he had stolen her sense of equilibrium along with the kiss. She’d been kissed before, but never had she enjoyed it so much.

  She shouldn’t be enjoying it! Better sense took control at last and she pummeled his hard chest with her fists, beating him back. Then she slapped him across the face, wiping the perpetual smile from his lips.

  “Your behavior surprises me.” She ran her hand through her hair, unfurled her whip and snapped it across the deck.

  One side of his lips curved upward. “You took the words right out of my mouth.”

  “It must have been while you were kissing me.” She brushed the front of her clothing, as if to repel his lingering scent of tobacco, sandalwood and man. He might still be dangerous, but she no longer feared him. He had no idea what he was up against. She wound her whip around her waist again.

  He held out his arm to her and they continued on their way. “Shall we go to the stern and strategize how best to take back Big Mo’s papers?”

  Dazed by the rush of feelings he’d unleashed in her, Elise allowed herself to be guided to the rear of the boat. She tore her gaze from the handsome man next to her and scanned the water in the darkness. Still no canoes. She was on her own. Left to her own devices. She took another deep breath and faced James. Her insides were still jumping from the kiss and she had an unfamiliar ache in her mid-section, but she couldn’t allow James to see any of her discomfort.

  “As I see it, we have two choices. Either we can scrounge the freight deck searching for the saddlebag while those two are busy losing their money, or we can make them use all the contents of the bag as betting collateral.” She strolled along beside him at a leisurely pace, although her heart still beat frantically against her rib cage. “Which means they need to start losing, not winning.”

  “Well, since the boys had the bag with them this afternoon at the tables, my guess is your first idea would be fruitless, unless you’re willing to search the freight deck while those two are sleeping there.” James doffed his hat to another couple, also strolling along and taking in the nightly view. “There is no assigned seating on the freight deck, so they couldn’t very well leave the bag behind.”

  She shuddered at the thought of winding her way through the freight deck in the darkness in search of her father’s saddlebag. So, they only had one option.

  “Is there any way to buy a gown on board the boat, James?” She nestled into his body, not wanting to feel again the tingle he set off in her, but with the knowledge that, if she could in fact buy a fancy gown and some other appropriate apparel to enable her to traverse the riverboat instead of being holed up in a small cabin, she would need some of the gambler’s money to do so. The money she’d come on board with wouldn’t be enough for even a decent pair of slippers.

  “There is a shop in the grand salon that offers some women’s clothing. Not only do some women come on board unprepared for the rigorous demands placed on their attire aboard ship, but the cunning staff is aware women love to shop. And if they can boast to their friends that the hat or scarf came from the Delta Queen, so much the better.” James glanced over at her. “The clothing is ready-made, but I’m sure they’ll have something that will come close to fitting you. I’ll take you there in the morning and we’ll get an outfit worthy of your loveliness.”

  “Thank you. I am getting tired, James. It’s been quite a day. Please, take me back to my room.” She had him just where she wanted him, and didn’t want to push things. Not only did he agree to bankroll her new clothes, but he had said she was lovely. Perfect.

  Without ceremony, he took her to her room, and stopped at the entrance. He leaned over and brushed her lips again, unleashing the same sensations she’d had when he kissed her earlier. She placed a hand on his broad shoulder, meaning to back him off, but instead, her body leaned in. Could this be why Eleanor lost all her senses with Bailey? Had he stirred her up the same way James was confusing her?

  He backed off, instead, and her eyes opened in confusion. The smirk returned to his face, and his dimple flashed. “You’re a dangerous woman.” He opened the door to her room and, with a hand on the small of her back, urged her inside and closed the door.

  She stood with her back up to the door and listened while he opened his side of the cabin. Then, his boots rang out as he crossed his room and slid the bolt into place on the connecting door.

  Her gaze narrowed while she stared at that door. Damn him and his cocky attitude. Before she was through with this little adventure, he’d be the one battering down the door.

  But she had a stray thought came to her that maybe he had her just where he wanted her instead of the other way around.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  James expected Elise to knock on his door first thing, but he heard nothing from her side of the joint doorway. Tired of waiting, he threw the bolt back. The bolt he’d so confidently slid home the night before, just to rile her up. He yanked open the door.

  The room stood empty.

  James’s head swiveled around the quarters, which had been, as she referred to it, her prison. Where could she have gone without an escort?

  A familiar voice
from the hall invaded his rampant thoughts and his gaze zeroed in as the door from the hall opened. Elise stood framed in the doorway, her hair clean and tidy as she wound up a conversation she’d been having with another passenger. She had on a navy pinstriped day dress with a high collar, perfectly respectable, yet it made James’s mouth water. The full skirt barely fit through the door. He’d thought she was a beauty when she wore her work outfit of gauchos and boots. But dressed in a fashionable gown and appearing every inch a lady, he stood mesmerized.

  She twitched her skirts and entered the small room. “I hope you won a big pot yesterday, James, since this gown was ridiculously expensive. Oh, and I took a long, leisurely bath which I also added to your tab.” She set her whip on the table along with her discarded shirt and gauchos and took a seat on the bed.

  “What? How? Where did you find the gown?” James’s mind scrambled with questions.

  Elise opened the fan she carried and James’s mesmerized gaze followed the gentle movement, back and forth. The loose strands on either side of her face fluttered in the breeze she created.

  “You’re not making much sense, James.” Her lips curved up as she spoke. “If by ‘what,’ you mean what did my venture into the rest of the ship cost you, I totally lost track of the amount. But you were right. The stores in the grand salon do have a nice supply of dresses and gowns. ‘How,’ I assume, refers to how did I manage to leave without you hearing me.” She smoothed her hand over her updo and glanced up at him. “I’m part Ojibwa Indian, known for my stealth. Don’t you just love the gown? I ordered several more to be delivered to the room, but decided to change after my bath from my grubby clothing into something more suitable for the dining room.”

  She stood, wrapped her whip around her waist and extended her hand to James. “Shall we head up to breakfast? I’d love to see the dining room.”

  James shook his head, to clear the fog Elise had conjured up. “You don’t waste any time, do you?”

  She wrapped her hand around his arm. Her smile was sweet, but her eyes flashed. “Oh, I did consider going after those two thieves while they slept. If they are half the sleeper you are, it would have been an easy enough proposition. But in the end, I decided to follow our second option and get them to place the paperwork as a bet. Besides, it’s so much fun to spend your money.”

  “The gown is lovely, although the additional decoration of the whip detracts a bit from its appearance.” James glanced at her, his gaze lingering long enough to cause the color to rise in her cheeks.

  “My whip is not an accessory, like a necklace. It’s an essential part of my being. Especially on this trip.” Elise stared up at him. “A necklace would be nice, though. I’ll have to pick one out tomorrow. Shall we get some food?”

  James took a big gulp, and a deep breath, before he led Elise to the dining room. Again, he wondered what he was getting into, and why. However, if she didn’t bleed him dry on this trip, he might actually enjoy himself.

  • ♥ •

  Elise did derive a great deal of pleasure teasing James. Maybe a bit too much. She stared across the table at him as she talked about her brothers. This total stranger had come to her aid the moment her feet hit the deck of this riverboat. She might have been forcefully removed before the trip began and would have lost sight of her father’s precious saddlebag. She shuddered as she thought of the possible consequences of losing the paperwork.

  Instead, she now shared a cabin with a riverboat gambler. What would her family say if they ever found out? Would they applaud her actions to take care of herself or would they force her to marry him? She had a few days before they docked in New Orleans, so she’d better decide which option she’d prefer. The first thing she needed to sort out was James’s mystery woman.

  She placed her hand over his and he automatically encased it in his own. “So, do tell, James. This woman from your past. Who is she?”

  His grip on her tightened. “I never said there was a woman. Why won’t you let it drop?”

  Elise stared into his clear blue eyes, hoping to read something in them, but could tell nothing. She decided to bluff the gambler. “Because there always is a woman with a man such as yourself. And this particular one hurt you deeply. I can read it in your eyes.”

  He tossed his linen napkin to the table. “I’ve lost my appetite. Shall we take a stroll around the deck? I need some fresh air.”

  “In a minute, possibly. Right now, I want an answer.” She searched his face again, hoping she’d pick up on his anguish. Anger. Annoyance. Nothing. He seemed to be a master of containing his emotions. She wanted to bang her head on the table. Instead, she brought a forkful of eggs to her mouth and waited for his response.

  “All right,” he growled. “Yes, there was a woman.” He glanced over at her. “In fact, there have been several women in my past. Satisfied?” His gaze flickered away and he took a deep breath.

  Elise’s heart rate sped as James revealed a tantalizing bit of his past. “But I’m guessing there was one woman in particular whose name you haven’t forgotten. Am I right?”

  He nodded once, so slight she might have missed it if she hadn’t been honed in on him. “What’s this mystery woman’s name?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” He glanced away. Obviously, he had cared deeply for her. Still did. And that angered her.

  “I’m guessing that you still carry something of hers with you. A picture, a handkerchief, a trinket of jewelry. Am I right?” Elise formed a fist.

  James glanced over, a sheepish grin on his face this time instead of the smug expression she’d grown familiar with. “Yes, I have something of hers. It’s the handkerchief she gave me the last time we were together. I carry it right here, next to my heart.” He stroked his vest. “I had a special pocket put inside the vest to hold it.”

  “May I see your precious hanky?” Elise’s voice quavered a bit. She did so want to see this representation of his past, of the woman who had claimed his heart. It irritated her how much she wanted to see it.

  “No, you may not.” He brushed his hand over the pocket.

  The movement of his hand over his pocket incensed her. And her voice became rigid.

  “So you’re going to become a huge success in business and somehow get the word back to her about what a mistake she’d made?”

  He shrugged. “That’s been the plan.”

  • ♥ •

  James rose, and offered his hand to Elise. Together, they made their way to the upper deck, enjoying the morning breeze. They stood side by side for a moment before James wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her on her temple. “My plans may have altered slightly—for this trip, anyway. I have a woman by my side who is spending all my money, and I don’t regret a dime of it. Now, let’s come up with a game plan for what we’ll do to your pair of thieves at the tables.”

  “I have an idea,” Elise’s voice tickled his neck as she burrowed her face into the indentation between his shoulder and face. James’s heart thumped against his rib cage as he waited for her to continue. So far, Elise’s grand ideas had caused him nothing but trouble and money, and the best thing he could do would be to leave her to her own devices for the remainder of the trip. Then, her brothers would meet her at the dock in New Orleans and he’d never see her again.

  But he held his breath and tried to control his rapid heart rate while he waited to hear what she had in mind. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense, sweetheart.”

  “I have a lovely red gown being delivered to the room which is perfectly suitable to wear for an evening at the gaming tables. I can become a distraction and allow you to win.” She lifted her head and stared at him with her wide, deep blue eyes.

  His heart skipped a beat. It had been a long time since anyone had knowingly done him a favor. Especially a woman. “I’m not saying I need a distraction of any kind in order to win a game of cards, but why do you care if I win a big pot of money?”

  Elise fiddled with the whip she had wound around
her middle. “Now that I know why you’ve chosen your line of work, and why you need to become a successful businessman, I see no reason not to help you, just as you’ve helped me. Besides, you need to win enough to bankrupt the pair who stole my father’s saddlebag so they’ll use Big Mo’s papers as collateral.”

  James ran his hand over Elise’s thick ebony hair as he contemplated her suggestion. She could be the distraction he needed to finally win enough money to leave the riverboats behind and make his way to San Francisco. But her presence, if he could manage to clear it with the gaming officials, might also put him at a disadvantage. He could be the one not paying attention to the cards if she kept prancing in front of him in a beautiful red, low-cut evening gown.

  He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and drew her in for another kiss, this time on the lips, before he took a step away from her. Away from the temptation. He’d been thinking about them going back to the room and making mad, passionate love to each other just as the steward thought they’d be spending their time. But doing so spelled disaster on so many levels.

  The mere thought of her exposing more tempting skin made him rock hard. He shouldn’t even consider her idea of accompanying him to the tables. But her plan did have merit.

  “Not a bad idea, sweetheart. Women are a rare occurrence in the gaming room, but I’ll try to clear your attendance with the officials in charge.” James touched his chin with his forefinger. “If I can win big tonight, I’ll have enough money to get to San Francisco and start my business, and you’ll have your all-important papers. Maybe by next summer, I’ll be able to send word back home of my success.”

  “And you’ll finally be able to show your mystery woman she made a huge mistake.” Elise straightened and glanced out on the water, blinking her eyes rapidly. Was she close to tears? Did the thought of another woman make her emotional? No, he had to be reading it wrong. This woman was not a crier.