Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (120 page)

Chapter Two

never guessed you held aces!'

the

young man seated across the card table from Paine threw down his cards in disgust. 'You've the luck of the devil tonight, Ram.'

The others at the table in the dimly lit gambling hell laughed and threw in their hands. 'What do you mean

"tonight''? Ram has the devil's luck every night!'

another exclaimed.

'Have you considered I might have something more than luck?' Paine

gathered his winnings with

a swift, practised move of his arm.

'What would that be?

fifth ace?' The table broke

into guffaws at Gaylord's bold jest.

'Skill' Paine replied drily, giving them each a piercing stare before he began to deal. He'd heard the underlying anger in young

jest.

This was the second night these bucks had been in to play and the second night they'd lost heavily. In his

Scott

experience, an angry gambler was a dangerous gambler.

He'd have to keep his eye on the young man. He'd hoped

had learned his lesson last night and taken steps to preserve the remainder of his quarterly allowance. But apparently

thought those steps

involved trying to win back his losses, a common enough mistake and one Paine had made during his own misguided youth.

The five of them were playing high-stakes Commerce. He was winning thoroughly, having won a hundred pounds from each of the four young bucks at the table. Paine should have been enjoying it. Instead, he was bored. NO, he was beyond bored. He had been bored three nights ago. Now, he was apathetic.

Paine discarded one of his three cards and drew the queen of hearts. With the addition of the queen, he held three of a kind. They were all going to lose again. He waited to feel the elation of victory. He felt nothing-not the excitement of winning, not the pleasant blurring of the edges of the world from the cheap brandy in his glass, not the spark of arousal from the sassy promises of the lightskirt who hovered near his shoulder. He was numb.

How had that happened? When had the usual thrills lost their abilities to sate him? There had been a time earlier in his

abroad when simply being in a seedy place like this, several streets away from the well-lit halls of St James's, had been thrill enough to send his adrenalin racing at the prospect of needing to draw the knife secreted in his boot. He'd liked the prospect so much, he'd bought this place from the owner, who was

to retire.

26

Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady

These days, he was the

of the roost. He'd made

the seamy gaming hall his private kingdom. Young bloods looking for racy diversions came to try their hand against him at cards. Hardened gamblers appealed to him for loans when their luck was down. The whores offered themselves to him willingly. He had gone for the

underworld and now it came

for him.

He hardly left except to make a rare appearance in the ton, as he had done several weeks ago to escort his Aunt Lily to an early Season ball. He genuinely liked his Aunt Lily and her forthright manner. But as for the ton, Paine much preferred life outside high society's re-strictions and expectations. His time in India had taught him that. The fact that he had grown tired of his current arrangement merely indicated he needed to find a new excitement.

Paine set down his cards to a chorus of groans from the table and began unrolling his shirtsleeves.

'You're not

of leaving before we have a

chance to win back our losses?' one dandy cried in dismay. 'It is only midnight.'

'Exactly

Paine replied, breaking off in mid-

sentence. He narrowed his gaze and looked into the smoky gloom beyond the table towards the entrance. There was a commotion at the front. 'Gentleman, if you'll excuse me, there seems to be a problem that needs my attention.'

Paine strode towards the door, aware for the time

that evening of a prick of anticipation growing within him. This was what he needed, something unknown and unpredictable, to spark his enthusiasm again.

'John, is there anything wrong?' Paine asked the doorman.

'Doorman' was a polite word for John's occupation.

The hulking man with the crooked nose was charged with the duty of keeping people in who didn't pay their debts and keeping out those who didn't belong to the murky depths of the hell. It was a duty he did well.

There was seldom an occasion John couldn't manage.

Tonight seemed to be a rare exception. John appeared relieved to see him, although Paine was having difficulty noticing what the trouble might be.

'It's this 'ere chit. She's asking for you.' John stepped aside, revealing what his girth had hidden from Paine's approach.

breath caught and his member stirred violently.

The girl was stunning. One look at her generous invitation of a mouth and his mind was awash with images of bedding

of stripping her out of the turquoise silk that hugged her curves exquisitely and

her until she

cried out for all of him. In his veins, his blood began to heat at the prospect. He was alive again.

'It's all right, John. I'll speak with her.' Paine clapped the big man on the shoulder. Was that relief he saw on the girl's face? He was certain he didn't know her. She looked far too fine to be familiar with the places he frequented. And too innocent, he amended. There were no chandeliers or crystal goblets here, but the woman beside him had the carriage and clothing of a woman who was familiar with such trappings.