Haley’s heart thumped but at the same time, she tasted triumph. She was good at poker, very good at it. If she could rescue a company from its death throes and bring it back piece by piece until it made billions, she could win at poker against Maddox Campbell. There was a series of careful decisions in pulling a business back from bankruptcy, same as in poker.

Haley would pry all this man’s secrets from him and maybe have a look at his nice body too. They both wore layers of clothes against the cold, but all those layers wouldn’t help him in the long run.

“What about Aunt Jane?” Haley asked, glancing up the stairs. “I don’t think she’ll approve.”

“Aunt Jane sleeps hard,” Maddox said. He ran his thumb over the edges of the cards, snapping them together. “We can do this in my room if you want more privacy.”

“My room,” Haley said quickly. “You’re a bachelor. I’m sure mine’s neater.”

“Huh. You never grew up with Aunt Jane.” Maddox slapped the cards to his other hand. “But okay.”

He started up the stairs, not waiting for her. Lance woke up, snorted, and followed.

Haley scrambled to her feet, jogging to keep up with them both. Maddox walked calmly down the hall and into her room, which overlooked the front yard. Aunt Jane’s bedroom was in the back, Maddox’s and another spare room in between hers and Haleys’.

Lance hurried in, tail moving. Haley didn’t object—if they shut Lance out, he’d only scratch and whine until they let him in. Maddox shut the door all but a crack behind them, so Lance could paw his way out when he wished.

Maddox dragged the chair from the desk and turned it around to face the bed. He sat down, divided the deck in two, and began to shuffle the cards expertly on the bedspread.

Haley climbed onto the bed, sitting with her back to the headboard. She started to slide off her shoes, then thought better of it. Better to leave as many items on as possible.

Maddox continued to shuffle. “Five-card stud? Or Texas Hold-'Em?”

“Five-card is faster,” Haley said. “And more risky.”

“All right.” Maddox’s blue eyes glinted as though she’d sealed her fate. He dealt out the cards then slapped the pack facedown on the bedspread. Lance sank to the floor with a huff of breath and lowered his head to the carpet.

They didn’t bother with the usual betting rules or wild cards. What they had at the end of each hand would decide who won.

The first deal gave Haley a lousy pair of twos. She ditched the other three cards, took the replacements Maddox dealt her, and ended up with an ace to go with her twos, but nothing more.

“Call,” Maddox said, watching her carefully.

Haley sighed and laid down her cards. Her heart beat faster until Maddox dropped his hand. He had five unmatched cards, nothing at all.

Haley grinned in victory. “Ha. Okay, first question,” she said as Maddox gathered the cards and stacked them together. “Why is a handsome cowboy like you not married? You take too long in the shower in the mornings? Do you criticize your girlfriends’ cooking? What? Either answer or lose a garment.”

Maddox scowled. He pressed his lips together, reached down, drew off one boot, and dropped it to the floor with a clunk.

He lifted the cards and held them out to Haley. “Your deal,” he growled.

Haley only smiled at him. This would be more fun than she’d thought.

She dealt herself a pair of queens. She laid them down with gusto at the end of the hand, then gave a groan of dismay when Maddox dropped a pair of jacks and a pair of kings on top of them.

“My question,” Maddox said without pausing to gloat. “You were upset when you saw what Danny’s wish was. I mean, really angry, like it was personal. Why?” He leaned a little toward her, his blue eyes dark in the bedroom’s weak light.

Haley considered the question then slid off one shoe, showed it to him, and dropped it to the floor.

Maddox only picked up the cards in silence. He won the next hand as well with three of a kind. “Same question,” he said.

For answer, Haley dropped another shoe. Lance raised his head and studied it, then lowered his chin back down, his eyes drifting closed.

“All right,” Maddox said warningly. “If you want to play it that way.”

Half an hour later, Haley had lost her sweater and both stockings, and now sat in her slacks and the tank top she’d worn under the sweater. Maddox had only his jeans and a white tank, his sweatshirt, belt, and socks on the floor. His muscles stretched the tank, curls of dark hair showing at the neckline.

“Now it will get interesting,” Haley said, shuffling the cards for her deal.

Maddox lost to Haley’s four of a kind. Before she could ask her question, he growled and pulled the tank top off over his head.

A finely honed chest came into view, along with tight abs, his pecs dusted with very black hair. Haley ran an appreciative gaze over him, not pretending not to look.

“Don’t get too cold like that,” she said, handing him the deck.

“The heater works,” Maddox said. “Get ready to answer some questions, sweetheart.”

Haley picked up the five cards he tossed out, then hid her disquiet when she had nothing that matched—but she did have the ace of hearts. She dumped four cards, keeping the ace and at least picked up a couple more hearts. Nothing that would make a flush, a straight, or even a pair, damn it.

“Tell you what,” Maddox said. “I only have two pieces of clothing left. I’m guessing you have four. I’m willing to stake all I have on this hand. Are you?”

He was bluffing—he must be. He wanted to get her naked, or at least make her desperate enough to tell him her life story.

Then again, he might be sitting on a royal or straight flush. The odds of those were low, Haley knew. That’s why they beat everything else.

Hell, even a pair would win over what Haley had right now. Her only safety was the ace—if Maddox had nothing, she would at least win the hand.

“My counteroffer,” she said, studying her cards calmly, as though she had a royal flush. “I’ll give you two to one. My shirt and pants for your jeans. And hope we don’t freeze.”

“I told you, it’s plenty warm in here. You’re just not used to actual winter. But okay. I’ll take you up on that.”

“Good,” Haley said lightly. “I call.”

Maddox’s eyes sparkled in sudden mirth. “Full house.”

“Shit,” Haley said, her heart banging. She threw her cards down on top of his pair of tens and triple eights.

“You don’t have to strip off,” Maddox said. “You can talk to me instead.”

Haley gave him a cool look. They’d drawn closer together as they’d played, Maddox leaning over the bed, Haley more in the middle, no longer against the headboard. She sat cross-legged, the cards near her bare feet. Maddox rested his elbows on the bed, his head close enough that she could stroke his hair if she wanted to. Beyond them, Lance stretched across the carpet, snoring.

Haley no longer felt tight and restricted. Maybe because she’d lost some binding clothes, maybe because tension had lessened between her and Maddox. Games and undressing could do that.

She could tell him about her mom ditching her dad when Haley was little, running off with the photographer Dad had hired to do their portraits. Haley had been furious with her mother for years—still was. Dad had gone to pieces, and Haley had been only ten.

She could explain all this to Maddox, knowing Maddox would understand. People who’d lost their parents young did.

But Haley played to win. She’d have Maddox Campbell out of his clothes, and feast her eyes on him or find out what secrets nestled in his heart. She wouldn’t admit defeat until it was actually defeat. No giving up too soon.

She uncrossed her legs and rolled off the bed to her feet. Facing Maddox, no wilting, Haley unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, letting them fall in a puddle around her ankles. She stepped out of them then grasped the hem of her tank top and pulled it off over her head.

Maddox looked at her without embarrassment. He didn’t ogle or leer but calmly ran his gaze from her green lacy bra cupping her breasts to the matching silk panties on her hips.

“Very Christmassy,” he said.

Haley shrugged. “I have a red pair for the day. Not with me, though. I assumed I’d be home.” She swallowed the catch in her throat.

“Those will work.” Maddox gathered the cards and started shuffling. It was Haley’s deal, but Maddox seemed to have forgotten that. “I guess the next hand will decide it.”

“If we both go all in, sure.”

Maddox kept shuffling, watching Haley climb back onto the bed and sit down in her place. The bedspread held a warm indent where she’d been, which felt good. Maddox was right that she wasn’t used to winter cold, but she refused to shiver and reach for a blanket. Seattle certainly could be chilly and dank but didn’t hold the bone-penetrating cold of the Montana mountains.

Maddox’s blunt fingers skillfully shuffled the cards, arching them up to fall gracefully back into the pack.

He dealt, his eyes flicking to her bare knee and then back to the cards. Maddox picked up his hand, scanning it. His eyebrows went up. “Hmm. Interesting.”

“Okay, now I know you’re bluffing,” Haley said. “You never look at your hand and use words like interesting in front of the other players.”

Maddox sent her a cryptic look. “I’m just saying it’s interesting.”

Lance rose to his feet, stretched, and shook himself. He sauntered to the door, pawed it open, then slunk out. Maddox got off the bed and closed the door all the way behind him. “I don’t think we need an audience for this last part.”

“He’ll try to get back in,” Haley pointed out.

“Nah, he’ll go sleep on my bed. Now let’s play.”

Haley hugged her cards to her chest as Maddox came back around the bed to his place. “No looking at my hand,” she said.

“Sugar, it’s not your hand I’m looking at.”

Haley flushed as Maddox resumed his seat, resting his arms on his knees, his bare feet on the bed’s rail.

She scanned her cards, which weren’t bad—three tens—and tossed away a card. “One, please,” she said.

Maddox touched the deck. “Just one? Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. May I have the card?”

Maddox slid it to her. Haley took it, forcing herself not to change expression. “Thank you,” she said calmly.

“Dealer takes three.”

Haley glanced at him. Perspiration beaded on his temples. “I thought you said your hand was interesting,” she said.

“It is. But I want three cards.” He drew them without a tremor, though the perspiration at his temples deepened.

“Are you ready to call?” Haley asked.

“All or nothing,” Maddox reminded her. “Are you sure?”

“I’m quite sure.”

“Now I know you have a decent hand.” Maddox gave her a shrewd look. “You have a tell.”

Haley peered at him. “I do not have a tell. What are you talking about?”

“Whenever you have good cards, you’re more polite. Like you can afford to be condescending.”

Haley met his gaze with a lofty one. “Is that so?”

“That’s so. Ready to show me all you’ve got?”

“You wish.” Haley laid down her cards with a flourish. “Full house. Tens and queens. Lose the clothes, Campbell. Or talk.” Her heart beat faster. She hoped he’d choose to strip—there had to be some fine man under those jeans.

“Not so fast, sweetheart.” Maddox’s frown turned into a broad smile. “Straight flush. As they say—read ’em and weep.”

“Damn.” Haley’s mouth popped open. The cards stared up at her, the six, seven, eight, nine, and ten of hearts. “How did you get a straight flush?”

“I kept two hearts and drew three more. I guess it’s my lucky night.”

“Wait—you got up to let Lance out. You had cards hidden by the door, right?”

Maddox sat back in his chair, propping his feet on the bed. “Oh, so now you’re accusing me of cheating? Sore loser. I drew those cards fair as anything.”

Haley knew he had. Maddox probably prided himself on being painfully honest. “Shit,” she whispered.

Her palms had gone slick, her breath tight in her chest. But of course, she didn’t have to take off her underwear—she could tell him her life’s story instead. Or simply rise to her feet with as much dignity as she could in a bright green bra and panties and demand that he leave. Or, she could finish the game like a good sport and take them off.

Why did baring her entire body to him seem less intimidating than exposing her heart?

She slid a shaking hand behind her, resting her fingers on the bra’s hooks. “If I do this, you have to join in. I’m not a stripper putting on a show.”

Maddox’s chest rose. “Nice idea. You doing a pole dance.”

Haley’s face heated, but she refused to let him discomfit her. “Ha. I’d fall on my face. Pole dancing is hard—athletic even. Strippers aren’t given enough respect.”

“Tell you what—if I ever find myself at a club, I’ll give them lots of respect.” Maddox put his hand to his waistband. “But sure. I’ll join you.”

He unbuttoned his jeans. In the silence of the room, the sound of his zipper was loud.

Haley’s breath nearly choked her. It filled her lungs too quickly, the air and light in the room swirling together in sparkling colors. She unhooked her bra, the band loosening.

Maddox slid out of his jeans, revealing a pair of tight black boxer-briefs. Didn’t help Haley catch her breath.

He put his strong knee on the bed. “How about I make this easier on both of us?”

Maddox slid one arm around Haley’s back. His hand went to the loose bra strap, pushing it open, his palm a place of incredible warmth.

Their gazes locked as Maddox guided Haley up to him. She closed the space between them quickly, lifting herself against him and offering her mouth in a long, hungry kiss.