Day Of Atonement. Alex Archer

do that.” She walked over to her backpack and reached into an outside pocket. “Here are the cards.” She handed them to him. “Check them out. Then prepare for a trouncing.”

      “First trifle now trouncing.” His voice was mocking.

      So was hers. “What’s wrong, is my vocabulary too big for you?”

      “I’ll try and keep up.”

      “I hope it isn’t too much of a strain for you.”

      “I think I can handle it.” And you. The look he gave her made that much clear.

      She’d forgotten how blue his eyes were. It was like being bathed in the deep ocean, his gaze washing over her.

      “We’ll have to see,” she replied, backing away from him…and temptation.

      “Want me to deal?”

      “No, I’ll deal. I feel it only fair to warn you that when I play cards with my nursing buddies, I often end up winning.”

      “I’m shaking in my boots.”

      Actually he was barefoot. He had nicely formed feet leading up to muscular calves and thighs. Don’t go there, she sternly warned herself, tearing her gaze away.

      “I feel it only fair to warn you that when I play cards with my Force Recon buddies, I always win,” Justice said.

      “Then we’ve both been warned.” She sat down at the table where they’d recently eaten and waited patiently for Justice to join her before adding, “May the best woman win.”

      Kelly didn’t feel one iota of guilt for not informing him of the summer she spent working at an Atlantic City casino and learning card tricks from a seventy-year-old gentleman gambler named Diamond Mick. She deliberately dealt the cards a tad awkwardly, not like a complete novice but not like one confident of winning. She didn’t want to overplay her hand here. Let Justice think she was a bit nervous.

      The truth was she never cheated when playing gin rummy with her nursing buddies. But poker was another thing. She rarely got the chance to practice what Diamond Mick had taught her, other than practicing in front of a mirror to make sure she hadn’t lost her touch.

      They only played one hand. As it turned out she didn’t have to cheat, she was dealt a fantastic set.

      The problem was that Justice looked equally thrilled with whatever he had. What if he cheated?

      She’d have to count on a Marine’s code of honor preventing him from doing that. Maybe his confidence was his way of trying to bluff her into folding. That wasn’t going to happen.

      She called his bet. Justice set down his cards, spreading them out with a confident grin. “Read ’em and weep. Four of a kind.”

      “Very impressive. But I believe a straight flush beats four of a kind every time.” And she set down her own cards.

      “I don’t believe this.”

      “I didn’t cheat.”

      “I know you didn’t, I was watching you like a hawk.”

      Kelly was relieved that she hadn’t had to practice her card trick skills after all. She’d forgotten that as a Force Recon Marine, Justice had unusually acute powers of observation.

      “So we’re agreed. I stay on as your physical therapist. Good.” Kelly didn’t even wait for him to reply. “That’s all settled, then. Well, it’s getting late and I’ve had a full day. I think I’ll turn in.”

      “Go right ahead.” His look dared her to get ready for bed in front of him.

      She had no such qualms. Once her sleeping bag was comfortably arranged on the couch, she tugged on a huge sleepshirt over her head and upper torso. Under cover of the thick cotton material she expertly wiggled and maneuvered her T-shirt and bra right off, tugging them out the armhole and into her backpack in one deft operation.

      Justice appeared stunned by her behavior. Good. She liked to keep him on his toes. She was not about to retreat into the bathroom to get ready for bed like some shy miss. She could adopt as much of a don’t-mess-with-me stance as any Marine. It was all about attitude with a capital A.

      “Where’d you learn to do that?” Justice asked.

      “My co-ed college dorm. Were you suitably impressed?”

      “Were you trying to impress me?”

      She shook her head.

      “Good.” His voice was curt. “Because I don’t need you going all goofy over me like you did as a teenager.”

      Kelly wanted to disappear into the floorboards. She hadn’t realized he’d noticed her crush. He’d never said anything at the time. Probably because he’d been too nice. He wasn’t nice any longer. That much was clear.

      She couldn’t let him know he’d bothered her. Tucking her “sensible” facade around her once more, she managed a brilliant smile. “Jeez, Justice, that was ages ago. Get over yourself, would you? The bottom line is that you can relax because overbearing Marines aren’t my type,” she assured him. “I promise not to go all goofy over you. Don’t worry, you’re safe with me.”

      The question was, would she be safe with him?