Gambler's Folly (Bookstrand Publishing Romance)

by Mellie E. Miller

  “Tiger, I don’t want to pry, but is your business losing money or something?”

  “No, cara, nothing like that. It’s just that my business can be quite competitive, in a physical sense, as well as a commercial one.”

  “Like the guy in the woods?”

  “Yes, he was sent by one of my competitors, to use a little persuasion.”

  “Are all of your competitors were-folk?” she asked.

  “No, no, Gattina. Most are not. But some of them hire our kind for enforcement purposes.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help? I feel useless these days, with you tense and not sleeping well. I don’t even know exactly what it is you do.”

  “No, cara, there is nothing. You don’t have the knowledge base to understand my business right now. And now is not the time to learn.”

  “Are things always like this?”

  “Not usually. And once this particular deal is finished, everything should be back to normal for most of the time. But until this deal goes through…”

  “It’s alright, Dam. We’ll be alright.”

  “Just make sure you learn your self-defense for me, bene?”

  “I am, trust me,” she answered. She told him a little about her training for the day. He chuckled, finally, while listening to her explain her struggles to get everything right.

  “It sounds like you’re having fun, anyway.”

  “I hope it keeps on this way. Tomorrow we’re doing tumbling.”

  As her training progressed, she began to feel more confident in the techniques she’d learned. The sudden attacks before, during, and after classes kept her on her toes, too.

  “Remember, always look before you move,” became the mantra. “You must know who is there, before you strike.”

  She was a natural at shoulder rolls, from her tomboy days growing up. Cartwheels were another matter. She’d never managed those properly, and could still do them only on one side.

  Ground fighting left her battered and bruised. Chase and Carl both assured her that the only way to learn properly was for everything to be as much like a real attack as possible.

  “If we just let you waltz through, you’ll never know if it would have worked on the street,” they said, which was true enough.

  When Damiano teased her about her bruises one night, she glared up at him and said, “If I were you, Tiger, I’d watch what I said. Or I’ll tell everyone you beat me.”

  “And do you think they’d believe it?” he quipped back.

  “I don’t know. You do have a certain reputation, but I’ve never heard anyone say you were abusive.”

  “Not me, cara. I prefer to make love, not war.”

  This sounded very odd, coming from one of the strongest men in the syndicate.

  “No, cara. I take no joy in dealing with problems. And if something must be done, I do it quickly and efficiently. Why prolong the matter?”

  Since Karianna was getting on so well with her self-defense, she asked if she could learn one of the styles Chase taught. Damiano had no objections, so she dived in with enthusiasm.

  What she really liked about what she’d been learning was the flow of the movements. When done properly, the energy from the attack came in and was simply redirected away from her. Now, with the new training, she was learning what Chase called kata, or forms. They reminded her of floor routines in gymnastics. Their purpose was to practice putting different techniques together, learning to use them in combinations.

  After a couple months, Damiano came down to watch her train. At first, she was nervous having an audience, but once she focused on her work, she nearly forgot he was there.

  “You are doing well, Karianna,” he told her afterwards as she showered off. “Much better than I would have hoped. Do you enjoy it?”

  “Yes, I do,” she answered, shampoo streaming down her face. “It’s fun, relaxing, in a way, and useful. What’s not to like?”

  “As long as it makes you happy, cara, it will make me happy. I was afraid you would hate me for putting you through the training.”

  Wrapping the fluffy towel around her and drying her face with one corner, he said, “You’re getting stronger, too. Maybe I should be careful, no?”

  “I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Tiger,” she admitted. “You’re just naturally so big and strong, I can’t imagine I would ever be a threat to you.”

  “Well, I’ve trained a little bit, here and there. Of course, being a leopard has its compensations.”

  Chapter 25

  Whatever deal it was which worried Damiano, it was getting much closer to completion, and the closer it came, the more tense he became. And until it was finished, they would both be in a little danger. Paolo, Marco, and Dante were always in evidence whenever they were out of the suite. She occasionally caught glimpses of Carl or Chase around as well.

  She had wondered recently how long she had been on Gambler’s Folly. Things had been so strange and rushed, she couldn’t remember exactly when she’d arrived on this world or found herself married to Damiano. Since leaving Earth, she’d barely had time to catch her breath, but surely it had been nearly a year since her life had been turned upside down.

  Waking to the smell of coffee a few days later, she was surprised to find Damiano’s side of the bed empty. They usually got up around the same time and had coffee and croissants before getting started on the day.

  As she sat up on the edge of the bed, one of the room service girls came through the door with a large breakfast tray, followed by Damiano, fully dressed and carrying a huge flower arrangement.

  “Carissima! Happy anniversary!” he said proudly, as he handed her the flowers and enveloped her in his arms.

  “Tiger! You shouldn’t have!” she cried in amazement. “You know, I was just wondering a couple days ago how long we’d been together. Has it been a year already?”

  “See how time flies when you’re in love?” he said, helping himself from the breakfast tray as he got comfortable on the bed. “And today, no workout. We’re going on a little trip. Not much, but at least a change of scenery. Bene?”

  Trying to decide where to start, Karianna’s eyes perused the food in front of her. From the cheese-filled crepes and fruit compote to the sliced cheese and fresh strawberries, it all looked fabulous.

  Choosing one of the crepes, she asked, “Really? Where are we going?”

  “No, you don’t, Gattina. It’s a surprise. We won’t go far, but it will be nice and, above all, safe.”

  “We’ll see about that.”

  After finishing the last of the coffee, Karianna stretched, got up and went in to turn on the shower. Stepping into the steamy enclosure, she foamed her hair with the luscious shampoo. After a final rinse, and a scrub with exfoliating shower gel, she dried off and went to find some clothes for the trip.

  Luggage gathered, they took their private lift down to the garage while she tried to pry their destination from Damiano. Laughing at her wheedling, he waited until she was in the limo before he folded himself into the seat beside her. Their chauffeur merged confidently into traffic as their journey began. Karianna decided they must be travelling to a neighboring city. Any closer and Damiano would have driven. Any further and they would have flown.

  “Topolina, you will just have to wait. I won’t tell you. But if my wee mouse doesn’t stop annoying me, I may decide on a game of cat and mouse to keep you entertained.”

  “This may be a limo, but there’s not enough room for a game of anything, let alone cat and mouse.”

  “Well, there is more than one way to play,” he teased.

  “You wouldn’t dare, Damiano Leone,” she said bluntly.

  “You’ll find I dare quite a lot of things, Topolina.”

  Moving quickly, he captured her in one corner of the lush, cushioned seat. His mouth on hers, smothering her protests, his hand found the hem of her skirt and slowly slid up her inner thigh. By the time they’d arrived at their destination, Karianna d
idn’t care where they were. How they made it up to their suite and through the door she’d never know. But it was quite some time before she actually got a look at her surroundings.

  The view from the third-floor President’s Suite was breathtaking. Situated on the outskirts of the city, the suite looked out to the western mountains, now in the mysterious purples and charcoal grays of the late afternoon light. Wildflowers played peek-a-boo in the afternoon breeze, where the sunlight shone on the grass between the hotel and the mountains.

  The windows to the south looked out over the private gardens of the hotel, empty of guests at this time of day. Later in the evening it would probably be quite popular, with its naturalized gardens of native species all neatly labeled. From the balcony of their suite, Karianna marveled at the palette of sage greens, blue-greens, and that odd lavender-gray-green of so many species here. Among the different greens, flowers of violet, blue, yellow, and orange accented the grassy mounds like sparkling jewels in the sun.

  “It is beautiful, no?” Damiano said quietly, as he came out to join her.

  “That’s an understatement. I can’t begin to find words to describe the effect. The colors on Gambler’s Folly are quite different from those on Earth. The different hues of green in particular.”

  “Later, when it’s cooler, we’ll go for a walk so you can get a better look.”

  It was a little warm outside, even with the breeze. Stepping back through the glass doors into their room, she once again chuckled at Damiano’s idea of vacationing.

  “What is it, cara?”

  “Do you ever go anywhere without all the conveniences of home?” she asked.

  “Why would I do that?” he asked, completely confused.

  “Well, you know, most people go away on vacation, or for a weekend trip and have to make do with accommodations barely big enough to fit into. Everywhere you go, you have a suite the size of a manor house.”

  “No, cara. The manor house is much bigger. My mother complains about it constantly. Domestic help is so expensive.”

  “You have a manor house?”

  “No, cara, I do not. My parents do. On the family estate.”

  “You never cease to amaze me, Damiano.”

  “Of course, Gattina! That’s why you love me, for my ability to amaze. Of course my bedside manner might have something to do with it,” he added.

  “Bedside my ass,” she countered. “The only time you’re at my bedside is two seconds before you’re in my bed.”

  “No, no, no, cara. It is you who is in my bed. I have every right to get into my own bed. And since you’re my wife, I have the right to get into yours also.”

  “We’ll see about that,” she said, pretending to pout as he came over and kissed the back of her neck.

  “Yes, I suppose you’re right. You can so seldom wait until we get into bed, we may as well sleep on the living room floor.”

  In some quirky corner of her mind, it seemed like a good idea to practice her martial arts just then. One hand reached up behind his neck as she dropped to her knee, throwing him onto the floor in front of her.

  Rolling smoothly to his feet, his whole body relaxed ever so slightly. “So, you want to play rough tonight, cara,” he purred, eyes quickly flashing to green and back again.

  “I don’t know where that came from, Dam,” she answered, truly shocked. “I swear, it just happened. Honest.”

  She heard him chuckle a split second before he launched at her, bringing her down to the floor with him. That’s how the fight began.

  It ended several minutes and a few bits of broken furniture later, with Karianna pinned neatly under her mate, whose eyes were still green and catty.

  “If you’re too small to play with the big cats, you should stay in the bedroom,” he mused in a softly seductive tone. “So let me help you find it.”

  With those leopard muscles of his, he rolled straight up onto his feet, pulling Karianna up with him. With a deft little move, he spun her around so her back was against him, her arms crossed and captured at the wrist, as if in a straightjacket. Propelling her smoothly across the room and into the hallway, he sidled through the bedroom door with her still in tow.

  Shoving her across the room, he closed and locked the door and turned to sweep his eyes up and down her body. “Now, this is a pretty little mouse hole, don’t you think?”

  “Damiano, you are mad,” she told him in some exasperation.

  “Who started it, cara? But I believe I can finish it for you.” Taking his time, just a hint of danger in the air, he began to unbutton everything that was still intact. Shirt discarded, he unbuckled the ornate silver belt buckle and then, ever so seductively, drew the belt from the belt loops, his eyes never leaving hers.

  Holding her eyes in a nearly hypnotic state, he stalked slowly and quietly across the floor, as she watched in absolute silence. Stroking her chin with the back of his finger, he then reached around to unfasten her torn dress, which fell in a heap at her feet.

  The contrast between their loud and frantic tussle in the living room and the exaggerated, slow, silent movements in the bedroom was for some reason extremely erotic. Something about his scent both aroused her and commanded her to stillness. Slowly and cautiously reaching forward, her hands gently unfastened his trousers, slowly unzipping them and allowing them crumple to the floor.

  As her fingers traced patterns on his chest, one of his hands cradled the back of her head, bringing her mouth to his, while the other one, in the small of her back, pressed her body gently to his. His kiss was tender and sensual, subtly provocative, and prolonged until she thought she’d never breathe properly again.

  Drawing apart, the hand in her hair slid enticingly down to just below her shoulder blades as the other slipped beneath her panties. Expecting a continuation of his current mood, she was ready for anything but the sudden explosion of motion, which ripped her panties from her body and hurled them into the corner of the room.

  With a predatory growl he snatched her off her feet, swung around, and threw her onto the beautifully made bed. As his briefs joined her panties in the corner, he sprang onto the bed over her, eyes slit, fangs bared, scent overwhelming. Completely off guard, the wild cat known as Karianna screamed in defiance as fangs grasped her throat and her were-leopard husband claimed her, once again, as his bond mate.

  Much later in the evening, after scratches and bruises had been treated, Karianna gazed at her mate over a cup of coffee. Stretched out on the sofa, completely relaxed, he quite resembled a great cat resting on a ledge in the sun.

  “Yes, Gattina? Is something wrong?” he asked.

  “I’m back to being Gattina, huh?” she responded.

  “All curled up in the comfy chair, feet tucked up underneath you, you look like a little kitten getting cozy to nap.”

  “So what was that about, earlier?” she asked. “I thought we were finished with all the bonding stuff.”

  “I don’t know. But for whatever reason, you launched an attack against me. I know, Gattina,” he said as she opened her mouth to protest. “You didn’t mean to start it all again. But somewhere in your genetics, psyche or something, it needed to happen.”

  “But why, Damiano? I don’t understand.”

  “No more do I, cara. Mama did say there could be recurrences, but I thought it had been long enough by now.”

  “Did we not take enough time before? We were kind of interrupted those last few days.”

  “Maybe. Or perhaps it’s just part of the process. Are you complaining, cara? Tired of me already?” His face pulled into a big pout, those sad kitten eyes gazing at her mournfully.

  “Tired of you? No. How could I be tired of a lover as versatile as you, Tiger? I’m just tired after this afternoon. And hungry.”

  “We just ate about an hour ago,” he pointed out. “How can you be hungry?”

  “It’s your fault. If we hadn’t spent half the afternoon and all evening screwing around…”

  “You’
re tired and hungry? I did all the work,” he pretended to complain. “Alright, alright, cara. If I’m to get no peace until you eat, what would you like? Shall I call room service?”

  Chapter 26

  Stretching as far as she could reach in bed, Karianna opened her eyes to find Damiano still in dreamland, which was unusual. It must have been all the exertion the afternoon and evening before. She was still puzzled by her attack which provoked the whole evening. Not that she was complaining. Far from it. And she would have been quite happy about it, if her attack hadn’t been the instigating factor.

  She lay on her side for a few minutes to watch him sleep. He looked so peaceful for a change. Whatever this business deal was, it had him so tense she rarely saw his peaceful, playful side these days. At least last night had provided a diversion. And with that much activity, it was hard to stay tense.

  Slipping quietly out of bed, she put on a filmy gown and went out to make some tea. Locating the kettle and teapot, the water was soon boiling and tea leaves steeping while she tried to stretch her sore muscles a little.

  Once the tea had steeped long enough, she poured a cup, put the rest in a vacuum flask for later, and relaxed back onto the sofa to meditate for a few minutes while her tea cooled.

  “Kari? Karianna?” she heard. Drawing her awareness back into the room, she answered back. “Yes, Tiger? I’m in the living room.”

  “Why are you here?” he asked, still sleep-muddled.

  “Well, I woke up and wanted some tea. I came out here so I wouldn’t wake you, honey.”

  “What?”

  “I came out here so I wouldn’t wake you up.”

  “No, not that. After that.”

  Karianna thought back to what she’d said previously. “Oh! Honey. I called you honey.”

  “You’ve never called me that before,” he said, still muzzy with sleep. “Have you?”