Free The Charmer by Autumn Dawn

with her knuckles,
chortling. “I win, I win!”
    “Is she always like this?” Jayems demanded in
disbelief, watching Jasmine dance a jig around the room.
    Wiley snorted. “Only when she wins.”
    Breathless, Jasmine came back to the table
and began raking coins and shells into the drawstring pouch. Keilor
dropped his hand over hers, pinning it to the table. When her
startled eyes met his he asked, “What did I just lose?”
    Pinned at an awkward angle over the table,
Jasmine had nowhere to hide her hot face. “Ah…” Heat licked at her
from his touch, making her tongue thick, and for a moment she felt
a pang of regret. Losing might have been the smartest thing she’d
ever done. She cleared her throat. “Strip poker is played in
private. The ante is...the player’s clothes.”
    Keilor sucked in a breath and his fingers
tightened. He slowly let her go and leaned back, contemplating the
ceiling with a resigned expression. Somewhat subdued, Jasmine
finished collecting her loot and then helped to clear the table.
With everyone working at once, everything was quickly put away. As
soon as it was done, the ladies took their winnings and left.
    Keilor poured them both another drink and
then saluted Jayems. “A greedy man would regret letting them win
that last hand.” Their people had brought the game from Earth long
ago, and cards were a popular pastime among their people. The
ladies should have been more suspicious when they found the cards
in Jaymes’ room.
    Jayems smiled faintly. “Caught you by
surprise with her offer, did she?” Keilor swore softly and gulped
his drink, making Jayems laugh. His expression sobered. “How else
am I to give them an allowance? Rihlia won’t accept anything from
me.”
    “Hm, well, she seemed to be accepting your
kisses well enough at the end.”
    A half-smile curved Jayems’ mouth. “And
Jasmine yours.”
    Keilor took a deep breath as desire flashed
through him. “Bite me, I didn’t think I’d survive much more of
that. The charmer had to win, and swiftly.”
    Jayems chuckled and poured them both another
drink. “To women,” he proposed, raising his glass.
    “To relief.” Keilor countered wickedly, and
clinked his glass to Jayems’. A thought occurred to him and he
cocked his head, causing the loose strands of his black hair to
brush across his shoulders. “How do you intend to let the charmer
spend her allowance? It’s not as if she can wander through the
markets.”
    Jayems frowned and propped his chin on his
fist. “I hadn’t thought of that. I suppose I’ll have to invite the
merchants to bring their wares here.” He brushed his thumb across
his lower lip, squinting. “What sorts of things do you think two
women raised on Earth might be tempted by?”
    “How should I know?” Keilor waved a hand in
dismissal. “Females seem to wallow in silks and satins. Send for a
dressmaker. Arrange for fittings. Find a perfumer and
jewelers  any merchant selling fripperies
should do.”
    Jayems shook his head at him. “Such promising
husband material,” he mocked. “Yet so ugly.”
    “Tell that to Jasmine.” He preened. “That
woman couldn’t keep her hands off me.”
    Smirking, Jayems pointed out, “She was
drinking. You might have been a stag for all she knew.”
    Keilor’s smile flashed. “I certainly felt as
randy. Too much more of her and we would have both disappeared
under the table.”
    “And Rihlia would have been after you with a
knife…”
     
     
    Chapter 7
     
    “There is no justice,” Jasmine grumbled the
next morning when she entered Jayems’ suite and saw her chipper
poker companions. Her head felt ready to split and her mood was
rotten. She felt as if she’d had ten shots instead of just
three.
    Wiley’s lips twitched as she poured them both
a cup of tea. “Pain killer hasn’t kicked in yet, huh?”
    Her answer was a grunt as Jasmine rested her
elbows on the table and pressed the heels of her hands to her
eyes.
    “I should have