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Late at night Tania and Shura were playing strip poker Tania, Tania, Tania Death-defying, life-affir, indomitable, ridiculously beautiful Tania hated to lose at anything And she was splendidly losing at poker Alexander needed to focus on the cards and not her

Having just lost her shirt, hisback on her ar her nipples They were outside in the clearing in front of the fire below the waxing gibbous moon "Take me inside," she whispered

"Not until you lose one more hand" But he couldn’t back away froaseous state when I’aseous state," she said, grabbing hold of hi onewell for Tatiana in their poker game but very well for Alexander She had only her underwear left "My underwear and ," she pointed out "I think I can win in two tries"

"You take that wedding ring off, and you can keep it off for good," Alexander told her as he dealt the cards

He watched her as she examined her hand; Alexander could barely pay attention to his own By the fire, Tatiana’s poetic face was focused on the cards she kept in front of her chest to cover herself fro eyes Alexander wanted her to put down the cards He took a breath He would get to her soon enough

In English, she said, "How do you sayhit me" She smiled "Twice"

She concentrated diligently Suddenly her face cleared Eyes flickering, she turned her gaze to hiht, I’ll raise you two kopecks"

Trying to be serious, Alexander said, "I’ll see your two Coot"

"Aha!" She thren a full house, bea down his cards He had four kings

"What?" She frowned

"I win Four kings" He pointed to her underwear "Go on -- off"

"What do you mean?"

"Four of a kind beats full house"

"Oh, you’re such a liar," she fu her breasts with her hands

He pulled her hands away "This isn’t Luga, I’ve seen theain "I finally understand how you win all the ti He couldn’t shuffle anymore "How many ti-you-ever-tell-me? Huh?" He reached over and pulled at her panties "Rules are rules Off"

Tatiana scooted away fro rules," she declared defiantly "Let’s play again"

"We’ll play again, but you’ll be playing buck naked Because you lost this game"

"Shura! Just the other day you told Naira Mikhailovna that your full house beat her four of a kind You are just the biggest cheater I’ to play with you if you cheat"

"Tania, the other day Naira Mikhailovna had three of a kind, not four of a kind, and I had a straight, and a straight does beat three of a kind" Alexander stared at her, grinning broadly "I don’t need to cheat to beat you in poker Dominoes, yes But not poker"

"If you don’t need to cheat, then why do you?" Tatiana de down the cards "Your panties are co off, Tania, one way or another I won fair and square"

"Cheated fair and square," she said

Alexander earing his army trousers He was naked to the waist Tatiana’s hands were still up at her breasts, but her lips wereover his exposed body "Tania," he said, staring at her intently, "do you wantup "I want to see you try"

Alexander liked her fighting spirit He was only seconds behind her when he ju to stop at nothing to get away By the ti, she was already in the Kama

Alexander stopped at the waterline "You’re out of your mind!" he yelled to her

"Yes, and you cheat at poker just to get me to takehis arms on his chest, Alexander said, "Do I really need to cheat at poker to get you to take your clothes off? I can’t keep them on you"

"Oh, you" he heard frohed "Come out" But he couldn’t see her She was a dark space in the river "Coet me if you’re so clever"

"I’ht Come"

He heard her cluck like a chicken

"Fine," Alexander said and turning around walked away from the shoreline He went back to the fire, collected their cards, his cigarettes, their teacups He brought everything, including the blanket, into the house and then ca was quiet The river was quiet, too It was cooler at night now