Free The Winning Hand by Nora Roberts Page B

Dad?”
    “He’ll be right along. He got waylaid in the lobby so I deserted him.”
    Mac laughed and kissed her again. She was so beautiful, with soft skin, exotic eyes a unique shade of lavender, and strong facial bones that guaranteed grace and beauty for a lifetime. “Serves him right. Come sit down. Let me get you a drink.”
    “I would love a glass of wine. It’s been a long day.” With a sigh Serena sat in one of the leather chairs, stretched out long legs that rustled with silk. “I talked to Caine this morning. He tells me he’s getting the paperwork finished up for this woman who hit the big machine here. The press is full of Madam X,” she added.
    With a short laugh, Mac poured a glass of his mother’s favored white wine. “I can’t think of a title that suits her less.”
    “Really. What’s she like?”
    “See for yourself.” He gestured to the screen. “The little blonde in the blue blouse at the poker slot.”
    Serena shifted, sipping her wine as she studied the monitor. She lifted a brow as Darcy held a pair of eights and tossed away the best part of a flush. “Not much of a player, is she?”
    “Green as they come.”
    Serena’s gambler’s heart warmed when Darcy pulled another two eights. “Lucky little thing, though. And pretty. Is it true she was dead broke when she walked in here?”
    “Just about down to her last dollar.”
    “Well, good for her.” Serena lifted her glass to toast the screen. “I’m looking forward to meeting her. Oh good, someone’s going to give her a little help.”
    “What?” Alerted, Mac looked back at the screen and saw a man slip onto the stool beside her. He saw the quick, flirtatious grin, the easy brush of a hand on Darcy’s shoulder. And Darcy’s wide-eyed, attentive smile. “Son of a bitch.”
    Mac was halfway out the door before Serena could leap to her feet. “Mac?”
    “I’ve got to get down there.”
    “But why—”
    As her son dashed off, Serena decided there was only one way to find out why. She set her wine aside and hurried after him.

Chapter 5
    People were so nice, so friendly, Darcy thought. And so helpful, she decided as she smiled at the attractive man in the Stetson who’d settled down beside her at the slots.
    His name was Jake, and he was from Dallas which, as he said, practically made them neighbors.
    “I’m really new at this,” she told him confidentially, and his sunshine blue eyes laughed into hers.
    “Why, I could spot that right off, sugar. Now like I said first off, you want to plug in the maximum credits for each hand, otherwise you don’t get yourself a full payoff when you hit.”
    “Right.” Dutifully Darcy pressed the credit button, then punched for the deal. She studied her hand thoughtfully. “I’ve got two threes, so I hold them.”
    “Well now, you could.” Jake laid a hand over hers before she could press to hold the cards. “But you see, you’re after that royal straight flush, right? That’s the jackpot. You got yourself the ace, queen and the jack of hearts there. Couple treys aren’t going to get you anything. Even a triple’s just keeping you in the game.”
    She nibbled her lip. “I should throw away the threes?”
    “If you’re going to gamble”—he winked at her—“you should gamble.”
    “Right.” She furrowed her brow and let the threes go. She plucked an ace and a five. “Oh, well, that’s no good.” Still she remembered what the blackjack dealer had said, and turned to Jake with a smile. “But I lost correctly.”
    “There you go.” She was cute as a brass button, he thought, sweet as a daisy and looked to be just as easy to pick. Charmed, he leaned in a little closer. “Why don’t I buy you a drink, and we’ll talk pokerstrategy.”
    “The lady’s unavailable.” Mac dropped a proprietary and none too gentle hand on Darcy’s shoulder.
    Her head whipped up, her shoulders tensed. “Mac.” He had that frigid look in his eyes again, she noted. Not that he