Cowboy Jackpot: Christmas by Randi Alexander Page B

playing roulette.
Not that it was a woman's game or anything, but rodeo men only talked about
poker. The way they liked to tease each other, this would be a tough one to
live down.
    "Twenty-four black." The dealer set five more
chips on Dallas's bet on Black, and five on his Even bet.
    He scooped up his winnings and stacked them in front of him.
He'd been fascinated with the game since he was a kid watching an old cowboy
movie. And tonight, he was having the best luck of his life. He did a quick
count. He had nearly six thousand dollars in chips and he'd started with three
hundred.
    He set five chips on First Twelve, and five on Odd. Mixing
it up had been working for him tonight. The table was busy. Seven other people
stood or sat around the board and placed bets that were quite a bit larger than
his. A few wrists flashed diamond-studded watches as they set down their chips.
    He glanced around the room and caught a very familiar green
gaze.
    Kira Morrow. Her eyes opened wide and she leaned toward the
strawberry blonde next to her, pointing at him and saying something he knew
couldn't be good.
    Kira's bright red hair hung loose and shimmery. He'd loved
running his fingers through it back two months ago at Christmas. The day his
buddy Boone had met his fiancé, Gigi, right here in this same casino.
    Dallas looked back at the table. He and Kira had gotten into
a nasty dust-up on Christmas Day. She'd stormed off and flew back to New York
before he had a chance to apologize.
    Her unmistakable scent threaded through his nostrils into
his brain, making him remember how he'd wanted her crazily back then. He turned
his head. "Kira."
    "Dallas." She stood right next to him, too close
for safety.
    She looked better than ever, her long body slim and graceful,
her beautiful breasts large and round.
    "Stop staring at my tits."
    A couple people at the table laughed.
    He met her gaze. "Get them the heck out of my
face."
    She lifted a brow. "As charming as ever, I see."
She gestured to his other side. "This is my cousin, Stormie."
    He turned and started to rise.
    "Oh, don't get up." She pressed her hand on his
shoulder, keeping him down. She was strong.
    He held out his hand to her. "My condolences for being
attached by blood to this…sweet lady."
    Stormie giggled and leaned closer to Dallas. "She's
always been mean, but now I'm big enough to fight back."
    He took a closer look at her. Green eyes like Kira's, pale
skin with cute freckles. Much too young for him, but he liked her spunk.
"Are you here for the bachelorette party?"
    Kira interrupted. "Dallas? Can I play a chip?"
    He turned his head. "Sure." One chip he could
afford to lose to get Kira less irritated with him. And he needed to do that
before they had to walk down the aisle together in New York next week at Boone
and Gigi's wedding.
    "I am now." Stormie drew his attention back.
"I'm here with my parents for the stock show, and when I heard Kira would
be here, too, we arranged to meet. We had drinks with Gigi last night and she
invited me to the bachelorette party."
    "No more bets." The dealer called. "No more
bets."
    He glanced at the table. All his chips were gone. "What
the fuck?"
    The chips stood in a tall stack on one spot on the roulette
table.
    "Kira." His heart palpitated and sweat broke out
on his forehead. "Why?"
    She smirked. "I put them all on double zero, 'cause
you're a big old crusty double zero in my opinion."
    The dealer spun the wheel and set the ball rolling.
    Curses rained through his head, followed a vision of
grabbing her long, pale neck and choking the life out of her. Then he felt the
need for tears. "Damn it to hell, woman." He grabbed her wrist.
"Do you know how much that was?"
    She rolled her eyes and tugged her arm free. "You big
baby. What was it? Fifty bucks? I'll pay you back." She huffed out a
breath and opened her purse.
    "More like six thousand."
    She froze then tipped her head. "Say that again."
Her cheeks turned peachy and her eyes widened in