Read Raising the Stakes: Three of a Kind, Book 2 for Free Online Page B

and pulled her closer. Kissed her head and teased her about the stars that seemed to have settled permanently in her eyes. Now? That same damn arm was cramping from stiffness, and he couldn’t think up one amusing thing to say.
    Besides, Alex was watching them again.
    Heat radiated off her, burning through his shirtsleeves at the exact places their bodies touched. The familiar floral scent of her shampoo wafted through his nose, and her curls tickled his neck whenever she turned her head.
    She drove him slowly insane. His cock had perked up the instant she touched him. His pants—which fit just fine earlier today—drew tight over his groin, making his current position even more untenable. If he had to sit here for the next hour or so, smelling Meg, he’d do himself irreparable damage.
    Frustrated, Des rubbed his eyes and imagined as much blood, guts and gore as possible. Of course it made no difference. The erection from hell still plagued him, and it wasn’t going down anytime soon. Not when the sweetest laughter he’d ever heard tinkled through his ear and vibrated through his chest.
    He lost the next two hands and half his chips along with them. His concentration was shot, and the most simple of plays was beyond him.
    Meg took great pleasure in drawing the winnings of the second hand over and stacking them in color-coordinated piles. Much as he enjoyed her taking delight in her spoils, the click-clack of one chip hitting another tortured Des like a slow-dripping tap.
    Jay called for a five-minute bathroom break, and everyone got up to wander around and stretch their legs. Alex blew Meg a kiss and offered to get her a vodka cruiser. She accepted with a smile.
    Des was a beer man through and through, but he kept a constant supply of cruisers at home for Meg. When Alex called to say she’d be joining them for poker, he’d set several bottles down beside the regular stash of poker-night beer and scotch.
    “You want a beer, mate?” Alex offered. His tone was friendly enough but his gaze was cooler than usual.
    “That’d be great, thanks.” Any other time he’d get up and help himself, ’specially seeing as this was his house. Two things kept him seated. The first was Meg. He wasn’t moving an inch away from her anytime soon. The second was his damned erection from hell. If he stood now, his hunger for Meg would be as obvious to the rest of the poker school as it was to Des.
    She linked her arm through his. “It feels like we never spend time together anymore.” She squeezed his biceps. “I miss you, Des.”
    He sighed. “I miss you too, Meggy-mine.” Way more than she’d ever fathom.
    “So why don’t you pick up the phone? Talk to me sometime?”
    Des snickered. “Because it’s too damn heavy.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “It means I have so many text messages from you, they’re weighing down my mobile.”
    She grinned at him. “You could delete them.”
    “And erase all those pep talks? Not on your life.”
    Meg had taken to texting him at least twice a day. At first she’d just sent simple, hang-in-there or I’m-here-if-you-need-me messages. Then they’d morphed into profound philosophical quotes about hope, which made Des want to throw up. He texted her back to tell her as much. Never one to be deterred, Meg’s messages became snarky one-liners or silly jokes she’d just heard.
    “You don’t like my texts?” Her eyes twinkled.
    Des tucked in to his back pocket and withdrew his iPhone. He scrolled through his texts, found the one he sought and showed it to her.
    “ If you fart too hard you go flying upward ,” she read out loud.
    “They’re inspiring, Meg. Really help me to get through a day.” His voice was deadpan.
    Peals of laughter rang from her. “I knew you’d like that one. Had to share it ASAP.”
    He couldn’t help it. He laughed right along with her. “You’re bloody nuts.”
    “I am,” she agreed wholeheartedly. “And that, my friend, is why you love