They passed a number of elegant shops displaying everything from diamonds and furs to T-shirts. Mel figured they’d aligned them close enough to the casino to tempt any winners to put their money back into the hotel.

The casino itself was crowded with sound, the chink-chink of coins pouring out of slots echoing from the high ceilings. There was the hubbub of voices, the clatter of the roulette wheels, the smell of smoke and liquor and perfumes. And, of course, of money.

“Some joint,” Mel commented, taking a gander at the knights and fair ladies painted on the windowless walls.

“What’s your game?”

She shrugged. “They’re all sucker’s games. Trying to win against the house is like trying to row upstream with one oar. You might make some progress, but the current’s going to carry you down sooner or later.”

He nipped lightly at her ear. “You’re not here to be practical. We’re on our second honeymoon, remember? Sweetie pie?”

“Yuck,” she said distinctly through a bright, loving smile. “Okay, let’s buy some chips.”

She opted to start off with the slots, deciding they were mindless enough to allow her to play while still absorbing her surroundings. They were there to make contact with Jasper Gumm, the man who’d held Parkland’s IOU. Mel was well aware it could take several nights to reach that next step.

She lost steadily, then won back a few dollars, automatically feeding the coins back into the machine. She found there was something oddly appealing about the whoosh and jingle, the occasional squeal from another player, the bells and lights that rang and flashed when someone hit the jackpot.

It was relaxing, she realized, and tossed a smile over her shoulder to Sebastian. “I don’t guess the house has to worry about me breaking the bank.”

“Perhaps if you went at it less … aggressively.” He put a hand over hers as she pulled the lever. Lights whirled. Bells clanged.

“Oh!” Her eyes went huge as coins began to shoot into the basket. “Oh, wow! That’s five hundred!” She did a little dance, then threw her arms around him. “I won five hundred dollars.” She gave him a big, smacking kiss, then froze with her mouth an inch from his. “Oh, God, Donovan, you cheated.”

“What a thing to say. Outwitting a machine isn’t cheating.” He could see her sense of fair play warring with her elation. “Come on, you can lose it back at blackjack.”

“I guess it’s okay. It’s for a higher cause.”

“Absolutely.”

Laughing, she began to scoop the coins into the bucket beside the machine. “I like to win.”

“So do I.”

They scoped out the tables, sipping champagne and playing the part of an affectionate couple on a night out. She tried not to take it too seriously, the attention he paid her, the fact that his hand was always there when she reached for it.