Chapter Two #2
In the second round, Caroline says, "Raise.
" She pushes most of her chips to the center, no hint of excitement, despite the aggressive bid.
She still has a good-sized stack in front of her, at least another million.
Third round, more cards dealt. Caroline looks at her new hand expressionlessly, and I watch her closely.
It's for her tells, I assure myself.
Her long fingers are resting calmly on the table, her red lips still pursed in the same thoughtful pout. She's holding on to her end of summer tan, so there's no telltale flush of excitement.
"Raise," my mother says, shoving a giant stack of chips across the felt. Mother is an excellent player, but she loves pushing her luck with a crap hand and I suspect that's what is happening here.
Uncle Maksim does the same, and the towering stack of chips grows higher. Uncle Alexi pushes in another pile.
Dmitri tosses his hand on the table, "I fold."
Caroline's long fingers stroke her remaining chips for a moment and I can't look away. Why is that so fucking erotic?
"Raise," she says decisively, pushing everything she has onto the pile. The pot has to be well over twenty million and she looks at me, arching an elegant brow. I push my remaining stack of chips towards the center. The pot is around twenty-five million now.
Everyone shows their hands. I was right about Mother’s; it's a terrible hand. Uncle Maksim, Four of a Kind, Uncle Alexi, a Full House.
Caroline looks at me, her head tilts just slightly. "Gentlemen first," she says in the sweetest tone, sugary enough to give me a cavity.
I flip my hand over casually, spreading the cards wide. "Straight Flush." A low murmur runs through the watching crowd, like the wind circling a meadow.
Studying her, I still can't discern a thing from her expression. There's no grin of impending victory, but her shoulders aren't drooping in defeat, either. Turning her cards over, she expertly fans them out in perfect precision. One card is exactly equidistant to the next.
"Royal Flush," she says, her lips spreading into a luscious smile.
There's applause as I stare at her hand. Ace of Hearts. King, Queen, Jack and ten.
Liria bends down to kiss her on the cheek and hug her from behind, laughing. Uncle Maksim pats my shoulder heavily. "Better luck next time, my boy," he says before striding off to find Aunt Ella. Mother gives me a sympathetic smile and a kiss on the cheek.
Caroline rises and Uncle Alexi reaches over to shake her hand very gently, like he knows that anything harder would knock her off her feet. Which from him, it would.
"Well done," he says, and most of the room falls silent.
She, however, grins up at him. "Thank you so much!" she says happily. "It was so good to see you again. I hope you will be bringing Lucya on your next trip?"
I'm not the only one who's staring. Uncle Alexi is talking about his family with a hotel manager? I wince inwardly. Hell, I sound like a fucking snob.
"Perhaps," he rumbles and leaves the room.
The dealer nods respectfully, presenting Caroline with a receipt. "Shall I have this deposited into your account, Miss Basha?"
"Yes, please," she says, taking a $500,000 chip out of the pile and handing it to him.
My brow rises. "This is for you, thank you so much.
" I remember she'd generously tipped the dealer at our first table as well.
He's a little flustered, but she leans in.
"You managed to deal out cards to Alexi Turgenev without wetting yourself," she whispers.
"I'm not sure I would've been that brave.
" He breaks into a shaky laugh and they nod as he steps away to take care of her winnings.
I can see Castillo heading in from the left, so I skirt around the table, blocking him. "That was impressive," I say, hands in my pockets. "Congratulations." I want to shake her hand or kiss her soft cheek, but I suspect she wouldn't appreciate it.
"Thank you," she says blandly.
Leaning closer, I appreciate her height, being able to put my mouth next to her ear without having to bend over at the waist to do it. "I hope we can play again sometime."
She turns her head just slightly and one of her bouncy curls brushes against my cheekbone. Her scent is sweet and bracing. Berries and sea salt.
"Perhaps," she says, with a quick, impersonal smile before she heads off with Liria, arm in arm, their heads close together as they talk.
Castillo has caught up with me and looks disappointed. "I had hoped to speak to the lovely Caroline again," he pouts. "Could you arrange a meeting? I have some beautiful green diamonds, almost the color of her eyes," he says thoughtfully. "Perhaps she'd like one as a gift."
Something is curdling in me, hot and swollen like spoiled milk. "Until our agreement is formally signed, that could be considered as a bribe. For such a close member of the family."
"I see." He lights up another cigar and hands one to me. "After our relationship has officially begun, then."
Watching the sway of her ass in that black dress as she leaves the room makes me vow that Castillo will never get a chance to get close enough to her to offer one.