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"I lost," Beth said, disappointed

"You won" Ian retrieved the counters "You bet that he would overreach on an early throw"

"Did I?" Beth looked at the counters, then back at the table Her cheeks were pink, lips shining red "I think I shouldn’t wager if I have no idea what I’ on"

"You’re a rich woman" Ian placed the counters in her hands "You have the er on hazard and roulette What would have happened if you hadn’t been here?"

"If I’d not been here, you wouldn’t have cos across her face Ian wanted to lean down and kiss them, here in the middle of the crowd Beth, his lover, his ed to him

"Ian?"

She’d asked him a question "Mmm?"

"I said, how do you knoouldn’t have come without you?"

Ian took her elbow and steered her to a less crowded part of the room "I wouldn’t have let you"

"Really? Would you follow erous place," he said grimly "Isabella understands You don’t"

Beth’s bosom rose "You’re very protective" She leaned in to whisper to hireed that our relations were between two people who enjoyed that side of life Nothingto that She’d said, We like each other well enough, and I don’t foresee that I will ain