Free Texas Hold Him by Lisa Cooke Page A

finally arrived.
    “Dyer?”
    Stopping, he took a deep breath, debating whether heshould face her, then decided it would be rude not to. Mimi stood just inside the open doorway of her cabin. Moonlight bathed
     her face and flowed softly down her body, as though nature itself had decided to add to the temptation.
    “I’ll be waiting,” she said.
    He winked in response, then continued his walk away from her room, past the gaming salon and around the corner to the steps
     to his own cabin. There would be no more poker for him this evening. He’d just turned down a night of unbridled sex with a
     gorgeous woman, and he didn’t even know why. But what ever the reason, there was one thing he
did
know. In his current state of stupidity, he needed to stay away from the tables.
    Lottie took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock on Dyer’s door. It was the third time she had made it this far, but
     as with the other two attempts, she froze just short of striking the door of cabin ten. Dyer hadn’t returned to the salon
     after leaving with Mimi Anderson the night before, and Lottie had visions of him jerking open the door with Mimi still in
     the bed behind him.
    It wasn’t that it mattered to her how he’d spent his night. Lord knew, he was a grown man, and how he chose to waste his time
     was of no concern to her. She just didn’t want to embarrass Mrs. Anderson.
    She straightened her shoulders, deciding this time she would knock on the door, regardless of the consequences. After all,
     it was time for her lessons.
    She rapped loudly. “Mr. Straights?”
    “Yes?”
    She jumped and spun around. Dyer stood behind her with a cocky grin and a little too much amusement onhis face, given the circumstances. She quickly composed herself. “I believe it’s time for my lessons.”
    He pulled out his pocket watch to check the hour. “I believe you’re right,” he responded in mock seriousness.
    She stepped to the side to allow him to unlock his door before she followed him into his cabin. A quick glance around saw
     no evidence of a woman or any unsavory activities, but his mood was too jovial to be coincidental. They must have spent the
     night in Mrs. Anderson’s cabin. He walked to his bureau, retrieved his cards and sat down at the table.
    “Today, Miss Mace, you will learn some of the terminology of the game. That is, of course, assuming you learned yesterday’s
     lesson?”
    “I told you I would.”
    “Yes,” he said, shuffling the cards. “You did.” He dealt them both a hand faceup before he paused for a moment to hold her
     gaze in his. “Do you always do what you say you will?”
    His voice had dropped to the low timbre he used whenever he wanted to rattle her. She knew it was his way of constantly reminding
     her what she owed for the lessons. Her virginity was a high price to pay, but she had already agreed. Her father’s life was
     worth it.
    “Yes, Mr. Straights,” she answered, refusing to look away. “I can keep my word as well as any man.”
    His gaze narrowed slightly before he finally redirected it to the cards. “In that case, you have some things to learn.”
    She opened her reticule and pulled out her paper, pen and ink. “Ready.”
    “Why doesn’t that surprise me,” he murmured, then began his instructions. “The first person to start thebetting usually says they open with a certain amount, say five dollars. The person to their right must decide if they want
     to stay in the game or fold.”
    “Fold?”
    “That’s when you slide your cards to the dealer and quit on that hand.”
    “What if I don’t want to quit?”
    “Then you either call, which means you match the bet, or raise, which means you increase it. If you increase it, the gentleman
     after you must either fold, match your bet, or raise it even higher.”
    “How many times does it go around the table?” she asked, writing as fast as she could.
    “That depends on the game, but usually there’s betting after each