“Milo bought a goldfish once.” Max felt the need to pipe up. “She was drunk. She loved that fish.” He snorted. “I ate it.” With a laugh straight out of a low-grade horror film, he collapsed into giggles, then yawned. “I’m so tired.”

The next thing I heard were snores.

And he was still standing.

Shaking my head, I pointed at him. “Real winner you got there.”

She tilted her chin up. “He’s sweet.”

His snore turned into more of a growl, getting louder by the minute.

“I can see why you’re waiting to have sex with him—waiting for that special moment, huh?”

“I told you he’s religious!”

“Bullshit.” We were standing nose to nose.

“Are you calling my bluff?”

“Sweetheart, you can’t even keep your lies straight anymore.”

“You can’t tell when I lie.” She poked my chest with her finger.

“Fine.” I stepped back. “Let’s play a little poker. Winner takes all. Shake on it?”

She slammed her hand against mine and tried to let go, but I pulled her in until she hit my chest. “Oh, and by the way, it’s strip poker, with shots, and I haven’t lost since I was sixteen.”

“What the hell were you doing playing strip poker at sixteen?”

I smiled. “Care to find out?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

MILO

A sudden chill enveloped me as I tried to hold my head high—they say that even whores still have their dignity when they first start their profession. Great, so now I was comparing strip poker to selling my body.

The world around me was fading in and out. Every time I blinked at Colton, my body swayed slightly to the right. Fine, so it had been a really long time since I’d actually drank. Wasn’t that a good thing? I mean, I’d only been twenty-one for a year!

“You fold?” Colton leaned forward, his naked chest touching the table like an erotic kiss. I licked my lips to keep from drooling and focused on his abs as they rippled with each breath he took.

It would probably be inappropriate to reach across and touch them—you know, like a comforting touch. I bet he’d be warm and hard, so damn hard. My fingers tingled as I reached into the air. Good thing the room was swaying because the next thing I knew, my hand was on his warm skin.

A few male chuckles erupted around me.

In the distance I heard Jason’s voice. “She’s done, man, let’s go.”

“No!” I shouted, standing. Another gust of cold air slammed against me. I’d lost both shoes and my dress. So I was basically standing in front of them naked.

Then again, they were all in their boxers—I was a pretty good poker player, no matter what Colton said.

“We’re finishing this round!” I swayed a bit, then flipped my cards over. “Hah!”

I had a flush, high card was king of clubs, which basically meant I was going to wipe the floor with his ass!

“So classy,” Colton muttered.

Apparently I’d said that last part out loud.

“You’re right.” He fidgeted with his cards, then threw them in the pile. “You win. Good job, Milo.”

He was too calm. My eyes narrowed as I leaned my hands against the table and stared him down. “Let’s see the cards.”

“No.” He crossed his arms. “You win. Game over.”

“The hell it is!” I reached for his cards, but was intercepted by his hand before my fingertips could graze the edges.

“Can’t you just win like a normal person?” he yelled.

“Colt.” Jason yawned. “The guys are gonna drive me and Max home, you got Milo?”

“Yeah, I’ll take her drunk ass home. I’ve had one beer—I think I can manage.” I waved them off as they all staggered out of the room, leaving me and Colt completely alone.

I scowled. “I’m not drunk and you’re a cheater.”

“Good God, woman!” Colton shouted. “You won the freaking game. Why can’t you just do one of your triumphant winner’s dances and be done with it?”

“Because you’re a liar from the pit of hell!” I swung my hand into the air and nearly toppled over. He grasped me again, but this time I collapsed purposefully against his chest, then slyly snaked my hands down to the table.

“Remind me to hide all tequila next time we hang out.” His breath was hot on my body.

“Next time we hang out, you’re going to be the one naked, mister!” Wait, how was that a threat?

He smirked, his eyes taking me in from head to toe. “You promise?”

I shivered—but it wasn’t because I was in nothing but my bra and panties, nope, it was because he was looking at me—like really staring at me, not through me, but at me, like he was about to devour me.

I almost forgot about the cards in my hands.

Quickly I glanced down, and swore a blue streak as I turned over the cards, revealing a royal flush.

“You lying”—I pushed against his chest—“lying, lying, lying, lying pants-on-fire bastard of a whore!”

“Huh?”

“A royal flush!” I squeaked.

Colton groaned. “Calm down, Milo.”

FYI, telling me to calm down after I’ve had a few shots, been cheated out of a good card game, and had enough sexual frustration to make a priest weep . . . not the best idea the man ever had.