I sipped my drink, wishing the ice cream hadn’t melted. Behind me there was a loud cheer as something good happened. “Well, so far I’ve gotten sugared and passed out in a vamp dance club, insulted my roommate, and tripped the security system of a casino boat.” I lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “Not bad, I guess.”

“It’s early yet.” Lee’s gaze followed the rolling dice behind me. “Can I buy you a drink? I’ve heard the house wine is good. Merlot, I think it is.”

I wondered where this was going. “No thanks. Red wine…doesn’t sit well with me.”

He chuckled. “I’m not particularly fond of it either. It gives me migraines.”

“Me too,” I exclaimed softly, truly surprised.

Lee tossed his bangs from his eyes. “Now, if I had said that, you would have accused me of dropping you a line.” I smiled, feeling shy all of a sudden, and he turned to the cheering at the table. “You don’t gamble, do you?” he said.

I glanced behind me and then back to him. “It shows, huh?”

He put a hand on my shoulder and turned me around. “They’ve rolled three fours in a row, and you haven’t noticed,” he said softly, almost in my ear.

I did nothing to either discourage or encourage him, the sudden pounding of my heart not telling me what to do. “Oh, is that unusual?” I said, trying to keep my voice light.

“Here,” he said, motioning to the craps man. “New roller,” he called loudly.

“Oh, wait,” I protested. “I don’t even know how to bet.”

Not to be deterred, Lee took my little chip bucket and guided me to the head of the table. “You roll, I’ll bet for you.” He hesitated, brown eyes innocent. “Is that…okay?”

“Sure,” I said, grinning. What did I care? Kisten had given me the chips. That he wasn’t there to spend them with me wasn’t my problem. Teaching me how to throw craps was what he was supposed to be doing, not some guy in a tux. Where was he, anyway?

I glanced over the assembled faces around the table as I took the dice. They felt slippery—like bone in my hand—and I shook them.

“Wait…” Lee reached out and took my hand in his. “You have to kiss them first. But only once,” he said, his voice serious though his eyes glinted. “If they think they’ll get loved all the time, they won’t put out.”

“Right,” I said, his hands falling when I pulled the dice to my lips but refused to touch them. I mean, really. Yuck. People shuffled their chips around, and heart faster than the game warranted, I threw the dice. I eyed Lee, not the dice, as they skittered and danced.