Lucky immediately places his hand on mine, stopping me. “Oh, honey,no...baby, what are youdoing?” He effortlessly hoists me out of my chair and onto his lap, causing me to yelp.
“What areyoudoing? I have a perfectly good chair right there.”
Ignoring my protest, Lucky threads his arms around my waist and takes over with the chips as he lifts his chin to whisper in my ear. “You can’t just match hers. You gotta bet something.”
I incline my face toward his. “I don’t have anything yet.”
“Just wait.” He kisses the spot below my ear. “You’re not paying attention to what’s already on the table.” He waves at Pearl, who’s acting as the dealer. “Go ahead, my dear.”
“All right now, ladies and gentleman.” Pearl lays down a jack of hearts, an eight of spades, and a king of hearts. “Here we go.”
I suck in a gasp at the cards on the table, knowing I’ve actually got something. Lucky immediately shushes me while seductively rubbing his hands back and forth across my lower tummy.
“Non parlare, dolcezza,” he murmurs, his lips grazing my earlobe. He’s never broken out the Italian for me before, and something about it makes me want to toss down my cards and demand that he carry me upstairs. “Keep your poker face.”
I turn my face toward him. “Keep talking to me in Italian.”
He looks at me through lidded eyes, drawing his tongue along his bottom lip, and then places his hand on mine, threading our fingers together as he directs my hand to stack the chips. “Ti eccita?”
I lower my voice further. “I have no idea what that means, but I want you to say it later when I get on my knees for you.”
“Lo farò, bella.” A heated smile plays on his lips, and he rubs my thigh. “Cuore mia.” His shoulders rise and fall as he inhales deeply and exhales silently, holding my gaze the whole time.“Mi sto innamorando di te.”
“Ha!” Piper suddenly chirps, accusingly pointing across the table. “I told you so, Luck.” She presses her palm to her chest. “I grew up in a Sicilian neighborhood in Staten Island.So cosa hai detto, ragazzo amante.”
Lucky whips his head around and snaps his fingers in her direction. “Sarebbe saggio rimanere in silenzio, topolina.”
Piper chortles, dramatically waving at him with her fingers pinched together in true Italian fashion. “Non sono un topo, e tu sei innamorato!”
Lucky throws his hand in the air, equally dramatic, while he raises his voice. “Non sono affari tuoi,Piper.”
She clasps her cards to her mouth, giggling like a maniac. “Allora non dirlo davanti a me.”
“Tscht!” He snaps his fingers again, then holds up one finger like a warning. “Bet your friggin’ chips already.Jesus.”
Piper snickers again as she stacks her chips one by one, quietly singing under her breath, “Whee-een theee moo-oon hits your eye, like a big pizza—”
Lucky snaps his fingers again. “Smettila!”
Piper continues to titter as she pushes her chips to the center of the table.
Pearl flips over another card. King of diamonds. I suddenly understand why serious poker players wear sunglasses inside and at night. I don’t know much about poker beyond the basic rules, but I know I’ve got a really good hand, and I know it’s written all over my face.
Harloe groans and throws down her cards. “Bye, Felicia.”
“Ah-ah-ah-ahhh, Ava doll.” Lucky cups my cheek and turns my face toward him. “Control your face,amore.”
And thatmakes me have to control my face for reasons that have nothing to do with poker.
I don’t know any Italian, but I know whatamoremeans. I also know the song Piper was teasing Lucky with. And my mind is suddenly reeling with exactly what they were saying to each other just a second ago.
The one Italian word I know meanslove.
There’s no way he…my mind attempts to rationalize.
We’ve only been doing this distracting, unnamed thingfor a week. He couldn’t possibly—
Oh come on, another part of my mind chastises me,this is the guy who signs off everything with“Lucky loves ya.”
