Gambling on Love Read online

  “Silly girl. Man like that not go away. He no like to be made fool of. He will hunt you down.”

  At that thought, Angel’s stomach plummeted to her toes. “Do you really think so?”

  Eleeza nodded. “Yes. Man will watch riverboat.”

  “Then what will I do?”

  “If you leave, you probably no come back many days, maybe weeks. Your grandpapa not be happy.”

  “I’ve made a real mess of everything.” Angel covered her face with her hands. “It gets worse every minute.” She fisted her hands and pressed them against her eyes. Finally, she raised her head and met Eleeza’s disapproving stare. “So I have two choices. Submit to this man, or leave the Delta Princess indefinitely.”

  “There is another choice.”

  “Yes?”

  “You go to your Grandpapa and ask for his protection. Your Grandpapa can make man leave boat.”

  “I thought of that, but what if the cowboy seeks revenge against Grandpapa? If the man is wealthy enough, and he had an awful lot of money on him, he could make trouble with the authorities or even perhaps physically harm Grandpapa.”

  “That is true.”

  Angel stood, walked over to the window and gazed out into the night. It would hurt to leave, but she had no other choice. Even though the cowboy was the most handsome man she’d ever seen, she couldn’t give herself to him. She turned and faced Eleeza.

  The old woman must have read her expression because she nodded. “Very well. I will prepare the potion.” She reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out several packets of varicolored herbs and God only knew what else. With a glimmer of mischief in her dark eyes, she extracted some of the herbs and mixed them together.

  Angel ran to the old woman and hugged her. “How did you know what I’d do? I didn’t even know myself.”

  “Because I raise you for many years. You are as my own.”

  “Oh, I’ll miss you.” Tears, unexpected tears, gathered in her eyes, and she blinked them back. She hadn’t cried in years. “How long do you think it will be before I can come back?”

  “I not know. But I think this man will search for you. You must be careful. Very careful.”

  “I will.” A horrible thought struck her. I’ve got nowhere to go. She had some money saved, but that was for her grandpapa and the Delta Princess. “Where will I go?”

  “You must go and see your grandfather and seek his counsel.”

  “But then I’ll have to confess my foolishness.” She grimaced at the thought of facing her grandfather.

  “That is true.”

  “Eleeza, will you—?”

  “No. I not do. You must learn to face the consequences of your actions. Too long now, you act like foolish girl child. You do what you want without considering what will happen.”

  The sharp words hurt—but they were true. “I guess you’re right. Oh, very well. If it must be.” She glanced at the clock on the table beside her bed. Her heart seemed to stop. “It’s almost time. I don’t know if I can do this. What if the cowboy finds out about the drugged wine?”

  “I think perhaps you wear your white nightdress, the one that shows much, and he will be too much interested in what he is seeing and not what he is drinking. You will see.”

  “Oh, I do hope you’re right.” Angel opened a drawer in her dresser. With trembling fingers, she searched through the jumbled clothing, found her white gown and hurriedly slipped into it.

  The servant poured two glasses of wine, then stirred the herbal mixture into one. “Be sure you drink of this glass.” She pointed at the nearest glass.

  “I will. And you’re right about this gown, but perhaps it shows too much.”

  “It be fine. Sit down and I will brush your hair.”

  Angel perched on the bench in front of the mirror. She rolled her shoulders, trying to relax, and eased back in the chair. Eleeza took the combs and pins from her hair, then brushed the coppery mass until it glimmered in the soft candlelight.

  The clock chimed once. Startled, she jerked around. The clock chimed again. And again.

  “You can do this, child. I have faith in you. I will go and have a boat readied for you. Then I will wait outside your door until you call for me.”

  “How long will he be out?”

  “Long enough.” Eleeza placed the brush on the table, then walked over to the door. “I will tell him you are ready.” She left the room.

  Angel swallowed the lump that rose in her throat. If ever she played for high stakes, it was now. She’d have to call on all her skills to bluff her way out of this predicament. She closed her eyes and played her hand out—in her head.

  The door opened, and she glanced up. The cowboy sauntered into her room, wearing a self-satisfied smile. A hint of arrogance played at the corners of his mouth. She wanted to knock that smug smile off his face, but it served to strengthen her resolve, and she smiled at him. Let the game begin.

  He looked around the room. “Nice place.”

  “Thanks.” She walked over to the wine glasses and picked up her glass, then handed the other to the man. “I thought we might take a few moments to get to know one another.”

  “Why?”

  She shrugged her shoulders, dipping one slightly so that her gown slipped off her right shoulder. All the while, she watched for his reaction and grinned smugly to herself as his gaze followed the fall of her gown. “Well, at least you could tell me your name.”

  “Why?”

  She pursed her lips. He wasn’t cooperating. Evidently, she needed much more practice in the fine art of seduction. She blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. “Because in the heat of passion, I might want to call out your name.”

  To her surprise, he burst out laughing. He was even more handsome when he smiled. For the first time, she studied him closely. Dressed in an expensive dark suit with a pristine white shirt, he stood several inches over six foot. With his black hair and blue eyes, he could catch any lady’s eye. His jaw was clean shaven, square and looked as hard as granite. Even in his suit, his muscles bulged, stretching the fabric. Her knees turned to jelly and threatened to buckle under her.

  He set his glass down, then took off his coat and tossed it over the chair. He sauntered toward her, like a wolf circling its prey. With his finger, he traced a line down her bare shoulder. His touch sent goose pimples skidding down her skin. “My name is Evan Montgomery, Angel.”

  “You know my name?”

  “Everyone knows the Lady Gambler.” He grabbed a few tresses of her hair. “Despite the red hair, they say you have ice water in your veins, Lady Gambler. Is that true?”

  She ignored the question. She stepped aside and picked up the glass of drugged wine and handed it to him. “A toast to Evan Montgomery. You beat me fair and square.”

  He took the glass, but he didn’t drink. Her nerves jangled on edge. She couldn’t bluff much longer. She raised her glass, clinked it against his, then lifted it to her lips and took a sip. Then, to her relief, he took a drink, then another. Her breath caught in her throat. Could he tell the wine was drugged?

  He moved close to her again and sat his glass down on the table. She backed up. “Tell me, Mr. Montgomery, where are you from?”

  “Why do you want to know?”

  “Just curious. You’re a cowboy. I assume you’re from somewhere out west?”

  “You’re right.” He stepped closer and drew her into his arms.

  She gazed up into his eyes, then hitched in a breath. His hard chest against her softness sent an unexpected surge of—desire?—flooding through her body, settling in her most private place. Its intensity stunned her. Afraid he’d see the same mirrored in her eyes, she lowered her head and tried to focus her thoughts on her plan of escape. “Let’s finish our wine first.”

  With his finger, he tilted her chin back until once again she was looking into his eyes. The blue of his eyes had turned from icy blue to fiery blue. The raw desire she saw there frightened her. He ski
mmed the pad of his thumb over her lips.

  He picked up his glass and tossed down the remainder of the wine in one gulp. “Finished.” He took her glass and sat both on the table, then pulled her back into the circle of his arms. “No more stalling.”

  “Stalling? But I wasn’t—”

  “Oh, yes, you were.” He lowered his mouth to hers. Her inexperience surfaced, and she found herself hoping she’d not disappoint him. The moment his lips touched hers, she knew it was going to be wonderful. At first, his lips were like a feather, light and teasing, barely brushing hers. Then, with his tongue, he traced the outline of her lips. She shivered. His hands kneaded her back, melting every ounce of her resistance.

  Her lips parted, allowing him access to the inner recesses of her mouth. When her tongue met his, her knees collapsed, and she slumped against him. Almost involuntarily, she flicked her tongue against his, and his body shuddered. His mouth left hers, and she moaned in protest. He nibbled on her ear, nipping and laving the soft lobe. She felt herself slipping into the sensual web he wove around her, like a spider luring her into its web—to her death.

  She wasn’t drugging him—he was drugging her.

  He pulled her gown further down her shoulders, then trailed kisses on her bare skin. Ever lower, lower. Until his mouth reached the swell of her breast. Never before had she felt so...needy? Then his hand covered her breast, his thumb kneading the hardened bud. A ragged gasp tore from her lips. My God, what’s happening to me? “Stop. Please.”

  Suddenly, he faltered and stumbled backward against the bed. His eyes widened, and he rubbed his forehead. “What’s happening to me? What have you done?”

  She dodged his grasping hands and darted around him. He lunged at her, then collapsed on the bed, his big body sprawling the length and breadth of it.

  When finally he lay still, she leaned over him, then sat beside him. His sheer size intimidated her. An unexpected surge of something tender touched her. She stroked his cheek, as he had done hers, feeling the strength of his jaw. She touched his lips, remembering their sweetness. “I’m sorry.”

  He moaned, and she jerked her hand back. Had the potion worn off so quickly? She must hurry—before he awakened. If he awoke and she was still there, God only knew what he would do to her. She crawled off the bed and ran to the door. She opened it and motioned to the waiting woman. “Come quickly.”

  The maid followed her into the room and walked over to the bed. Her dark face impassive, she stared down at the unconscious man. “Ayee, were I younger, I would not let such a man as this escape my bed.”

  “But you are not me,” Angel countered with a shaky grin.

  “That is true.” The old woman grabbed Evan’s hand and checked his pulse. “He is all right, but you must hurry. Because he so much big man, sleeping potion probably not last long.”

  “Right.” Hurriedly, Angel slipped out of her nightgown and donned the pants and shirt which would be her disguise.

  While she dressed, Eleeza packed two valises of clothing. “I not pack much. You send word to me through my sister, I send more.”

  “Okay.” Angel twisted her long hair into a ball, then jammed a dilapidated felt hat over it. She checked her appearance in the mirror. “Do you think I can pass for a boy?”

  “Yes. In the darkness, no one will know you girl.”

  “I hope so. I guess I’m ready to face Grandpapa.”

  “He sought me out,” Eleeza said. “He has heard of the wager. He asked me if it be true. I told him it was so. He very mad, want stop you. I tell him our plans.”

  “And what did he say?”

  “He say no we cannot do. It is wrong.”

  “Oh, no—”

  “I tell him too late. I tell him you make bet to save his boat. He not so mad no more.”

  “How’d you know?”

  “Eleeza always know.”

  “Grandpapa always said gambling would be my downfall and that I’ve ruined my chances for a proper husband. Like I really want one of those stuffed shirts. Now he can say I told you so.”

  “He not do that. You go now before big man wake up. I have boys bring bags to boat. You be there ten minutes.”

  “Okay.” She hugged the old woman. “I’m going to miss you. Who’s going to bail me out of trouble?”

  Eleeza returned her hug. “No more trouble, you hear? You need to get married, have babies, calm you down.”

  “I’m not ready for that.” She choked back a tear. “Goodbye.”

  “I see you soon. You go now before make me cry.”

  “I’m going, but first I’ve got to do one more thing.” She grabbed Evan’s coat and rifled through the pockets, then pulled out his wallet.

  “What you do, girl? You crazy? You put that back.”

  Warmth flooded Angel’s cheeks. “You’re right. I can’t do it. I’m not a thief. But I think he cheated. That should be my money.” She put the wallet back in Evan’s coat pocket and tossed the coat over the back of the chair. She opened a drawer of her bureau, pulled out a sock and dumped the contents on the bed. Quickly, she scooped up the money and stuffed it into the pocket of her pants. “Grandpapa needs this money to save the Delta Princess. It’s my savings, and I’ll send more when I can. Hopefully, before he loses the riverboat.”

  “You go quick. Eleeza fix, like always.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Go now. Man wake up soon.”

  Angel darted out the door and down the corridors to the captain’s deck. She burst through the door to find her grandfather waiting on her, a frown on his usually jovial face. She held up her hand to forestall his chastisement. “I know, Grandfather, I was wrong to make such a wager. I’ve learned my lesson. I have to go away for a while but I—”

  “No, Angel, I won’t hear of it. You must stay. Surely we can work this out. We’ll talk to this man and—”

  “No, no, I don’t think the man will listen to reason. He’s too angry.”

  “Where is he? I want to talk to him.”

  Her face warmed to a heated flush. Now came the hardest part—admitting her guilt. “He’s in my cabin. Asleep.”

  “Asleep? Does that mean—?”

  “Oh, no, no. I gave him some drugged wine—”

  “What’s gotten into you? First, the wager, and now this. This is terrible. I cannot believe what I’m hearing.”

  “But I had no choice—”

  “There is always a choice. You could have come to me.”

  “I was ashamed, and now it is too late. I’m sorry, Grandfather.”

  His face ashen, he nodded. He suddenly looked older than his sixty years. “But where will you go?”

  “I don’t know. Probably to New Orleans. I can probably get a job in one of the gaming palaces there—”

  “No.”

  The brusque tone of her grandfather’s voice stopped the babble of her words.

  “Your mother, God rest her soul, would not approve of your gambling. She would be mad at me for allowing you to do this, and I am furious at myself that I permitted such behavior.”

  “But, but I know nothing else.” Angel pulled the wad of money from her pocket, keeping a little bit for herself, and thrust it into his hands. “This is for the Delta Princess. I’ll send more later.”

  His mouth gaped open. “Where did you get all this money?”

  “I’ve been saving it for a long time.”

  “But I can’t take it.”

  “You have to. Now I must go.”

  He took her hands in his. “First, I must tell you something I should have told you a long time ago. It’s about your father.”

  Her heart pounded against her chest. “My father? What about him? He’s dead.”

  “I lied, Angel, and I’m sorry.” He brushed the back of his hand across his forehead as if his head hurt. “He’s not dead.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “The wanderer’s life your father forced on your mother almost killed her. When she c
ame to me, with you in tow, a young child, she told me he had deserted her and left her with no place to go. I’ve hated him ever since for doing that or for what he did to my daughter. I allowed her to stay here on the condition she never see or speak to him again. Because of you, she agreed, but I think she died of a broken heart. I will never forgive myself.”

  “He’s alive?”

  “After your mother died, I wrote him and told him about her, and I told him to stay away from you, but he wrote letters wanting to see you. I refused. I hated him and I was afraid I’d lose you. Then, for a few years, I heard nothing from him. Until a couple of months ago. He wrote and wanted to see you, said it was real important. I kept the letter. I don’t know why. It has directions to his house. It’s somewhere in the Dakotas.” He walked over to his desk, opened the drawer and pulled out a letter. “Here. I expect you’ll do as you please, you always do, but...it’s somewhere for you to go.”

  “You want me to go to him? After he deserted me and my mother?” She stomped her foot. “No. I hate him. I’m sorry he’s not dead.”

  “We all make mistakes, my child. I made one by not telling you he was alive. It should have been your choice to say if you wanted to see him or not. Not mine. Looking back, I think your father really loved your mother—and you.”

  “Oh, yeah, he loved us so much he never came to see us. He never even married my mother, so you know what that makes me.” She blinked back threatening tears. She wouldn’t cry over a man she hated. “I’m not going there. I’ll find someplace else, and I’ll let you know. I’ll be back soon. I promise.” She threw herself into his arms and hugged him. “Goodbye, Grandpapa.”

  “At least take the letter just in case you change your mind.” He thrust the letter into her hands.

  She stuffed it into her pocket, then bolted from the room before she changed her mind. She ran to the bottom deck and saw the dinghy. Eleeza held the ropes while a young boy manned the oars. She climbed into the boat, and the boy pushed the small craft away from the riverboat. The current caught it, sending it down river, taking her away from her home. When would she see it again? She waved goodbye until she could no longer see Eleeza’s face.