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the edges. He started stacking the casino-quality chips on the table, sorting by denomination. Red at five, green at ten, blue at twenty-five and, finally, black at a hundred.
    “Jonas, would you distribute one of each color to everyone while I grab some drinks?” Derek asked.
    “Sure.” Jonas stood up and began setting out the chips into four equal stacks.
    Janine rose. “Sloan, I’m going out on the deck for a minute. Want to join me?”
    Sloan stood up and followed her across the living room and out the sliding door onto the back deck, then closed the door behind them. Janine leaned against the railing and stared at the stars glittering above them. Sloan noticed that the cool night air sent goose bumps along Janine’s naked arms.
    “You’re cold. Would you like me to get your wrap?” he offered.
    “I’m fine, thanks.” She turned to him. “Sloan, I have another request for tonight.”
    “Really?” He grinned. “You want to neck?”
    He stepped closer, ready to draw her into his arms, but she pressed her palm flat against his chest.
    “No. In fact, quite the opposite.”
    Uh-oh. He didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you mean?”
    “Well, things could get pretty wild tonight.”
    He shrugged. “That’s why I’m here. To prove you can’t scare me off. So what’s your request?”
    “I don’t want you to … participate in this evening’s activities.”
    “What? You want me to leave?”
    “No, I just mean I don’t want you and I to have sex tonight.”
    “But we’re playing strip poker?”
    “That’s right.”
    “So this is all about getting teased? No follow-through intended?”
    He was actually relieved. Being thrown in full force, with two other guys, wasn’t his idea of a dream date with Janine.
    “Well, for you. But with Derek and Jonas … it could go further. I mean, if they want to…”
    Damn, she was going to strip off her clothes in front of them, then if the other guys wanted to she would have sex with them. There was zero chance they wouldn’t want to.
    “So it’s just me being left out? That’s not a hell of a lot of fun.” He frowned. “So I just sit in the living room while the three of you go off and—”
    “Oh, no. You can watch. In fact, I think it’s a good idea if you watch.”
    He grinned. “You want me to watch?”
    She nodded.
    “While you have sex with two other men?”
    She shrugged. “Well, yeah. That’s sort of the point. If you can’t handle watching—”
    “Then you and I are over before we even start.” His lips compressed. Damn it, she was testing him. “Look, I told you I can handle it.”
    “Great. Then there should be no problem.”
    “Don’t you think watching will make it worse, not better? At least, if I’m participating, I’m distracted.”
    “I’m not trying to make it easier on you.”
    “Great. Thanks.”
    “Sloan, if you can’t do this, then it’ll be clear you can’t handle my lifestyle. If that’s the case, let’s find out right up front. Okay?”
    He frowned. “Do I have a choice?”
    “You always have a choice.”
    His eyebrow quirked. “So I can have sex with you tonight?”
    “No. I said you have a choice. That’s just not one of them.”
    He glowered. “Fine. We’ll do it your way.”
    She nodded and stepped toward the door, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her against him. He tipped up her chin and gazed into her topaz blue eyes.
    “I’m going along with what you want now, but at some point, I’ll want some concessions of my own.” He stroked her cheek, delighting in the softness of her skin. “And just so you know, sex or no sex tonight, I intend to kiss you.” He leaned closer, breathing in her sweet floral yet citrusy scent. “Now. And later.”
    He captured her soft red lips and drove his tongue between them, tasting her cherry-flavored lip gloss. At first she stiffened, but then she melted against him. He loved the fact she couldn’t resist his kisses, even when she was being