TONY: Slow Burn (Raging Fire Book 1) by Kallypso Masters (the false prince TXT) 📕

“Sure.”

“Okay, jewelry and shoes are worth one unit, shirt or pants, five, and underwear, ten.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’ve played strip poker before?”

“Haven’t you?”

“Well, maybe a tame version in high school.” She wouldn’t mention that it was only with her girlfriends at a slumber party.

“I’m surprised, but pleased, to hear that you had a wild streak in you.” He dealt the cards. “Oh, if the winner has three of a kind or better, he—or she—gets to kiss the loser of that round on a spot uncovered by the removed article of clothing.”

“I haven’t heard that rule before.”

“Baby, this is foreplay. We’re both going to be winners no matter how we play our cards. Work with me here.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

The way her body buzzed in anticipation, Carm didn’t think she could get much more excited. She laughed. “Deal the cards, T.G.”

No doubt Tony expected to win every hand, but while she hadn’t played a lot of strip poker, she did know her way around the easiest variation of the game. She’d also competed in and won several Texas Hold ’Em poker tournaments at the resort on different occasions.

This might be a game without any losers, but she had her reputation to uphold, even if she was the only one aware of it.

“Ante up, dolcezza. Let’s start with a one-unit item. I’ll bet my wristband.” He pointed to his black and red band signifying the symbolic red line for firefighters. Marc also wore one to honor their fallen brothers and sisters.

While not nearly as significant, she touched the necklace she’d chosen mainly to give her another item to remove in their game. Then she picked up her hand. A pair of jacks. Not bad. She kept the ace as a kicker and threw away two others.

“Dealer takes one.”

Only one? What did he have? He dealt them each their replacement cards, and she was thrilled to get another jack. Three of a kind was a tough hand to beat.

“Read ’em and weep,” Tony said as he splayed out his hand on the table, confident he had beaten her before even looking at hers. “Full house—tens over twos.”

Damn. How’d he managed that on the very first hand?

“Triple jacks,” Carm said with less enthusiasm. She set down her cards and reached to unclasp her necklace.

“Wait! New rule. Winner gets to remove the item from the loser.”

Carm didn’t like being called a loser but shrugged and stood to turn around. She lifted her hair to give him easier access. She felt the heat of his body even before his lips touched her, kissing the nape of her neck and sending a delicious shiver down her spine. Okay, if he was going to kiss her like that, losing might not be so bad.

“I thought you said the kiss comes after removing the item.”

“I’m making up the rules as we go along. How about a kiss before and another after? Unless, of course, my lovely opponent objects.”

“No objections here.”

He removed the necklace and laid it on the table before grasping her by the shoulders to hold her steady and blazing a trail of hot kisses from her nape to one shoulder. On the return, he sucked gently at the column of her neck before moving on to the top of her shoulder in that direction.

Carm couldn’t hold back her laughter. “You’re covering a lot more territory than my necklace did.”

His lips left her, and he gave her a light slap on the butt sending a signal to her clit that she was ready to move to the bedroom. “Are you complaining, principessa?”

“I must have lost my mind for a moment.” How was she supposed to concentrate when he did such things to her body?

Wanting her turn at returning the favor, she pivoted around and took her seat, waiting for Tony to do the same. “I’ll ante up my shoes.” She was ready to amp up this game.

“As will I.”

After shuffling, she dealt five cards to each. She needed to win this one. Four hearts. The chances of drawing the fifth one for a flush were slim, but she didn’t have a pair of anything else. She waited for Tony to announce that he needed three cards before she laid down the one she wanted to replace.

She picked up the card she’d dealt herself while Tony perused his hand. He didn’t seem pleased with what he’d drawn, unless he was a good bluffer. Carm glanced down to see she’d gotten a six of hearts. When they revealed their hands, her flush beat his pair of sevens.

“Okay, big boy, give me those sandals.”

“Come and get them.”

She stood and went around the table to where he continued to sit. A slow grin spread across Carmella’s face. “Does this remind you of anything, T.G.?”

Tony’s mind went to Angelina and Marc’s wedding reception and the garter reversal. If not for that sexy moment, he wasn’t sure he’d have acknowledged his interest in Carmella.

But now the tables had been turned.

Carm knelt down at his feet—which was sexy as all hell—and lifted his left foot. She placed a kiss on his ankle before unlatching the buckle and removing it from his foot. Then she did the same with his right one. Her eyes became fixed on his, much as they had last night when she’d gone down on him. His cock throbbed in response.

Fuck yeah!

She traced her fingernail up the sole of his foot and waited for his reaction.

“Sorry, dolcezza, but I’m not ticklish.”

Carmella quirked the corner of her mouth as if disappointed to hear that, then smiled and leaned closer again to place a kiss on the arch of his sole. When her tongue traced the path her fingernail had taken moments ago, electrical currents coursed through him. He’d never had a foot fetish, but having Carmella’s lips on any part of his anatomy was a turn-on.

She then did the same with his other foot before placing a kiss on his big toe.

Tony