Papillon

Chapter 22: Slap Jack

Francis

"But I don't know how to play poker," Bella frowned.

"Tough luck," Christian dismissed her.

Predictably, she pouted and crossed her arms on her chest. "Let's play something I know too."

"Bella," Ariadne chided, mouth full of strawberry cheesecake. "Leave them alone."

We'd gathered at Christian's for poker night. It was usually a small group of men but when the bigger game broke up, we moved up to Bella's penthouse to continue playing with just the three of us. Her parents were out and the girls had insisted we join them upstairs. Ariadne was home for the weekend (her trips home always coincided with when her father wasn't around) and they'd brought us leftovers after a night of trying every dessert place downtown.

The things they did with their free time were so weird.

"I don't think I will," Bella clipped and then slid her hand over the river in the middle of the table, messing up all the cards.

"Isabella Ryder," Christian barked. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Just when I was winning too," Damon grumbled.

"Not likely," I smirked and threw my cards on the table, revealing my full house.

"Bastard," Damon groaned. "You always win."

"Does he?" Bella raised a skeptical eyebrow, looking at me.

Leaning back calmly in my chair, I stared her down. She tipped her chin up in defiance and all it did was make me want to throw her on the table and fuck that out of her.

I hadn't forgotten her little FaceTime show when she was moaning another person's name while making herself come. And unfortunately, I hadn't gotten a chance to fuck her since then. So truly, all the blood in my body was in my dick as it usually was when she was around.

Blue eyes sparkled with a challenge. "Let's play a game, Francis Laurent."

My blood thrummed in approval.

"You don't know how to play poker, Isabella Marie," I reasoned.

"Who says we're playing poker?" She raised a coy shoulder and Damon smirked, getting up from the table to get another beer. "Let's play something simple. Slap Jack."

I rolled my eyes. "Are we in grade school?"

"Oh, don't worry," she assured. "I'll make it interesting."

Pressing my elbows on my knees, I leaned forward. "Oh?"

"Whoever wins gets to ask someone in the table a question. A truth, to be more specific."

"Interesting," Ariadne grinned, never one to back down from a challenge. "I'm in, if this is an open invite game."

"Of course," Bella said, not taking her eyes off me as she waved her hand to a free chair.

"This is stupid," Christian deadpanned.

"Oh, come on," Robyn said gently, blowing some hair out of her face. "I think it's fun."

Because he was so goddamn weak for her and only her, he sat down next to her without a single argument.

"Want some?" She nodded to the bowl in her hand.

"What is it?" His voice was gentle, attention fully on her—not his phone for the first time all evening, save for when she walked through the doors earlier.