Allison let out a growl of frustration and glared at him. “Oh, I shouldn’t have said anything to you. I don’t know why you don’t trust me anymore.”
“I just don’t trust your motives.”
“Don’t you have a dinner to go to?”
“Yes. I do.” He smiled, seeming amused by her loss of temper now.
“Then why don’t you go.”
“I will.” He dipped his head, until those lips just about brushed her ear. “Just remember what I said, Allie.”
Her pulse jerked and heat spread through her body. Shocked at her reaction, she raised her hand to push him back, but before she could touch him he’d pulled his arms away and released her.
“Good to see you again, Allison. We should do lunch and catch up.”
When magic takes hold, there's no bluffing the heart.
Betting the Moon
© 2012 Beverly Rae
Cannon Pack, Book 4
Mari Thornton, professional gambler, prides herself on playing high-stakes poker the old-fashioned way: with skill, charm and luck, and without using her magic. She’s determined to win the Las Vegas Poker Extravaganza’s gold bracelet and million-dollar prize, but Tucker Manning’s raw, sexual appeal is throwing her concentration off. Way off.
An up-and-coming poker whiz, Tucker plans to enjoy every second of this tournament, especially when he feels Mari’s magic brush up against his werewolf power. With luck, he’ll win and win big, taking both the tournament and the green-eyed beauty whose magic oozes out of her hot body like honey. Proving that last year’s winner is a cheat will make the victory all that much sweeter.
When she senses Bryson Bascomb’s dark, supernatural influence over his opponents, Mari agrees to Tucker’s proposal to help expose the vampire’s trickery. But Bascomb isn’t going down without a fight. And the fallout leaves Mari wondering if she can trust Tucker with her life. Or if in the end, he’ll throw in his hand…and throw her under the bus.
Warning: Mix in hot glamour, wild fangs and sexy incantations, and you get a no-holds ride of sex and winner-take-all thrills. And maybe, if you’re lucky…true love.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Betting the Moon:
Tucker took Mari’s arm and led her to a corner of the room. “We have to talk.”
She shook off his hold, then needing support, rested her back against the wall. He stepped closer, glanced around at the crowd and tucked his head next to hers.
“We have to talk.”
“You said that.” Her nerves were raw, and she wondered if she could handle any more surprises. “So talk.”
Tucker met her gaze. “You have magic.” He tilted his head as though daring her to lie. “You’re a witch, right?”
Fear whipped through her as she wondered whether to admit the truth. Could she trust him not to expose her? But she couldn’t deny it any more than he could deny the powerful energy she sensed coming from him. “I am. But what about you?”
He looked away for a moment, then back at her. Did he think he wouldn’t have to answer?
“I don’t have magic.”
“Okay, maybe not magic. But you have power. An energy. I can feel it.”
He glanced around, checking for anyone who might overhear. “Have you ever heard of the Cannons of Colorado?”
“No. Should I have? Besides, what do they have to do with—” she waved her hand outward, “—this craziness?”
“The Cannons are a group of people who all have the same, uh, condition.”
She blew out a breath, then ran her fingers through her hair. “I don’t understand. What kind of condition?”
He studied her as though deciding what he could or could not say. At last, he took a long, slow breath and released it. “Lycanthropy.”
Her mind blocked out the noises around them. “Lycanthropy? Wait. Are you talking about werewolves?”
“Yeah, werewolves. I’m a member of the Cannon pack.”
His blue eyes twinkled. Was he kidding? Irritation burned in her gut. Enough was enough. “You’re telling me you’re a werewolf?”
He shushed her, putting a finger on her lips. “I don’t want everyone to hear. Do you?”
His touch ignited the low embers that had started the day they’d met. Unable to control her urge, she darted her tongue just past her lips to wet the tip of his finger. Tucker looked at the dampness glistening on his skin, then with his blue eyes flecked with bits of amber, he licked the tip of his finger and moaned.
“Damn, if only we had time right now.”
Mari swallowed, wanting the same thing he did, but she resisted—for now. “Don’t lie to me, Tucker. Werewolves don’t exist.” The image of his mouth, long teeth sticking over his lips, his eyes changing from blue to amber flashed across her mind. Could he be telling her the truth? She’d heard stories, but they were only stories, right?