by Susan DiPlacido
(03/09/05)

Dan didn't see this coming. In the seven years they've been gathering each month to swig beer and slap around poker chips there's been plenty of weirdness, but nothing like this.

Until now.

He can't even figure out how it started. But as Dan looks at his cards he feels a draft on his exposed ankle and his pocket tens don't seem so strong. He sighs and folds.

He takes the taunts from Joe and Mickey. Kelly, Joe's wife, grins at him, but at the other end of the table Lucy is leaning back in her chair, eyes lowered. Dan notices her tongue peek out between her lips.

She remains in the hand. He can't decide whether her tongue was a "tell" betraying the strength of her hand, or a tell of something else. Of anticipation? Or, a deliberate move designed to get into his head? Wasn't it Lucy who started all this weirdness tonight?

He takes a deep pull on his beer, inspecting her across the table.

Lucy can feel his eyes on her, but she stays focused on her cards.

She did start it. Slyly. She'd laid the groundwork earlier this week when she made a fuss over Kelly's sweater, told her how much she liked it. Kelly's susceptible to flattery: naturally she wore it to the game tonight. Kelly's first tell was a few hands ago, crossing her arms, but Lucy had a shitty hand herself and couldn't take her on. The second time, though, was perfect. When Lucy saw those pocket queens in her hand, it was play time.

Sitting on the short-stack, Kelly bit her lip when Lucy pushed all-in. Lucy'd said, "Tell you what, Kel. To even it up, I'd take that sweater you've got on."

Lucy won. She hates the sweater, but the primary objective wasn't the sweater, of course. It was to get Dan in her bed...again.

The game took on a life of its own after the sweater swap. The men catcalled when Kelly stripped off the creamy cashmere, and even though Kelly had a blouse on under it, everyone's eyes glinted with the potential. They aren't prudes, this circle of friends. They skinny-dip together in the summer. Everyone's caught Joe and Kelly screwing at some point; either by walking in on them in a bathroom at a party or stumbling across them in the woods when they were all camping.

That sort of thing used to happen with Lucy and Dan too, before the break-up.

So it wasn't unexpected when the "innocent" sweater swap turned into full-blown strip poker. Lucy got everyone's shoes in one bold swipe. And then people chipped away, taking socks and accessories. Now, with this hand, Joe's raised the stakes to shirts.

Dan folded. Disappointing, but not a problem. Because Lucy knows that the key to getting Dan back isn't getting his shirt off, but taking hers off.

So she plays the hand out, hoping to lose.

When a king comes on the river, Mickey -- their perpetual single guy -- flips his cards and he's got it paired. Lucy fights off a smirk of satisfaction. Kelly stands and makes a playful show of pulling off her shirt while Joe hums the stripper theme and Mickey applauds and waves a dollar bill. Dan's watching Kelly, smiling.

Lucy stays seated and undoes first, her top button, and then the second. At the third, she feels Dan's eyes on her, so she again deliberately lets her tongue peek between her lips. She unhooks the fourth and fifth buttons. When she slides the shirt over her shoulders she raises her eyes and looks Dan in the face.

But Dan's not looking at her face. He saw the tongue action. Now he knows she's trying to get into his head. So he intended to look away, but Lucy was on the fourth button and the satiny cream color of her bra was already peeking through. She pulls the shirt off, shrugging, that smooth skin of hers spilling over the top of that skimpy bra.

Christ. He gulps. It's not cold in here, but it's not a sauna either. Those nipples of hers, they always were sensitive -- and they're starting already. What was smooth, seamless fabric is rising in the center, darkening, letting even the color of her hardening nipples show through. Lucy twists, hanging the shirt over the back of her chair, accentuating the swell of her breast, the jutting nipple interrupting the otherwise perfect contour.

Dan forces his eyes closed. He can't sit here staring at her, and now he's sure that's exactly what she wants.

The slick little minx.

After they broke up, she caved when Dan came on to her that horny night six months ago. But last month, he turned her down when she wanted some action. Clearly, this is her payback.

She wants to play?

Let's play.

Mickey deals another hand and Dan catches him peeking out of the corner of his eye at Lucy. Mickey's always had a thing for Lucy, even if he won't admit it. But Dan sees Mickey's nervous glances, his smiles at Lucy as he deals.

Fanning his cards, Dan's not sure what he's hoping for. He's trying to win, of course. But what's winning?

Does he want Lucy sitting here naked -- in front of everyone? In front of that damned Mickey? Does Dan really want to be looking at her naked himself -- in front of everyone?

Christ, why do the words "Lucy naked" send a tingle right to where he doesn't want one? He doesn't know. But he knows he doesn't want to be sitting naked in front of everyone. Leaving his cards face down, he goes for a new beer, his bare feet slapping the cool linoleum. He gives fresh ones to Kelly and Joe too, and discovers Mickey'd topped off Lucy's wine.

Downing half his beer in one pull, Dan sets his head straight. He doesn't know yet what game Lucy's playing, but he's going to beat her at it.

It doesn't matter how bad he's wanted her lately. Since she put the moves on him and he rejected her, he's had the upper hand.

He'll win.

He doesn't. In just two quick hands, Lucy wins Dan's shirt and then all three men's pants.

Kelly high-fives her as the guys shuck their pants. Joe's not the least bit bothered that his boxers are tented out, laughing as Kelly says, "Hey, baby, you're at half-mast."

"That's cause I'm half-drunk. Besides, so are you!" Joe nods at her chest.

Kelly shrugs. "It's cold in here."

"It is cold," he says, pulling her onto his lap. "Warm me up!"

"You don't need any more warming," she warns, but she doesn't pull away.

Lucy smiles. Dan, she notices, is sitting forward on his seat.

Oh, she watched him strip. She took a sip of wine and was casual about it, but she watched him. She got a nice eyeful of torso when he lost his shirt. But she always loved his legs most. They aren't scrawny chicken legs, and they're not too hairy either, especially for his olive complexion. And his crotch. Ah, his crotch. He's wearing those black boxer-briefs which can't conceal his bulge.

It's bulging, but he's not really turned on -- yet. He's trying to appear relaxed, but Lucy can tell he's not. Joe and Kelly, they're relaxed. Mickey, he's a little uncomfortable, but hanging in there. But Dan? His shoulders are tight and his jaw's clamped and he's not moving. He's not moving because he's concentrating so hard on staying calm.

Lucy takes another sip of wine. She's deliberate in her moves, trying to act nonchalant. Because she's thinking about how Dan wasn't excited -- yet. And the thought of him getting excited, getting fully aroused, even while he's consciously willing it not to happen, really turns her on. Thinking about his bulge growing and stiffening makes her already hard nipples ache and her crotch moisten. And she knows exactly how to get him to that point.

So, let's play.

Kelly deals, still on Joe's lap, slapping his hand away with mock indignation.

Their silliness relaxes Dan. They're comfortable, even Joe with his half-boner hanging out. They're mildly drunk, of course. And Joe and Kelly never did have much discretion anyhow. Like that time Kelly went down on Joe at that French restaurant in New York.

Checking his cards, Dan sees he's pulled a monster hand. He could get Lucy's pants off and even the score with his ace/king. But this time she doesn't pull her little tongue trick. When the flop comes, she takes a gulp of wine. Mickey tops her glass off with a smile. The prick.

Dan doesn't pair the ace or the king, but he's victorious anyway when Lucy shows queen/four, unpaired. His ace beats that, and next thing he knows, she's standing, unbuttoning and unzipping. Her underwear matches the bra, satin, creamy, but thin and scant, riding low on curvy hips that match her tits. She turns around to drape her pants over the back of her chair. The panties aren't a thong, but they're riding up the cheeks of her ass, tempting. It sends another tingle to the pit of his stomach; blood starts to flow to his cock. Then he catches Mickey staring at Lucy even as she turns back. The prick is focused not on her ass, but on her crotch. It sends another hot flash through Dan. He clears his throat loudly and Mickey looks away.

Lucy flashes Mickey a big smile. Taking her seat, she stares at Dan, his face red, one hand tapping the table. He's refusing to look at her.

Joe deals again and Lucy has a terrible hand, but she stays in. So does Kelly, and so does Dan. Dan wins with a flush draw, and Kelly happily sheds her pants.

Lucy reaches back and unhooks the clasp of her bra, letting the straps glide off her shoulders. She knows Dan's fighting against looking but won't be able to resist. He always loved her tits.

Don't look, Dan tells himself. Just don't look at her.

He looks.

He can't help it. She has great tits. She snakes her arms out of the straps and reaches up and pulls away the front of her bra. Her tits spill out.

Those damn hard nipples of hers, deep burgundy, poking way out. Dan's breath goes shallow. A surge goes to his cock. He closes his eyes, but it's too late. His throat is tight and his head is humming. He can't resist looking back.

Even Joe, shouting, "Holy shit, Lucy! You got a great rack!" doesn't break the heat for Dan. His cock rises. Mickey dares a long look and that only worsens matters for Dan. He's hard, a frustrating throb already setting in, and he wants to slap Mickey upside the head.

Lucy knows exactly what's happening to Dan. Flushed face, quick breath: he's trying not look, and he's failing. She watches him glance at Mick, his jaw set. She knew he still had heat for her.

Dan shifts and his eyes fall directly on her. Staring, inspecting her naked breasts. She's done it all right, she's set Dan off good. The monkey-wrench is that she didn't expect it to get her so hot so quickly. But watching him get hot for her, get jealous for her -- it electrifies her. The slight damp between her legs turns to sopping, slick wetness. She wants to squirm, to find a way to relieve the humming insistence in her crotch.

Kelly, bless her, cuts the electricity by answering Joe's comment to Lucy. "Hey. What about my rack?"

Joe gives her breasts a squeeze, still inside her bra, saying, "Yours is the best, baby."

Mickey, he blushes.

They play a couple more hands, but it's a stalemate, with no one willing to risk anymore clothing and everyone folding. All the while, Joe's hands snake randily across Kelly's belly and thighs. And Lucy's exaggerated breathing, the hypnotic rise and fall of her exposed breasts, keeps Dan's pulse surging. And Dan's blushing amps up the frustration knotted in Lucy's crotch.

And Mickey, he watches, trying not to let Dan notice.

Finally, Joe pulls a big hand and calls: winner takes the losers' skivvies. Mickey and Kelly fold, and Mickey scrambles for the fridge to grab another beer.

Dan checks his cards, then grits his teeth, trying to think beyond the throb in his dick. He shouldn't touch it. But if he could tame it, for just a minute, he imagines could get back in control. Lucy. He doesn't dare look at her.

He can't touch it.

He touches it. When no one's paying attention, he dips his hand under the table and squeezes his hard-on through his underwear. It gives a little relief, a moment of satisfaction. So he squeezes again, harder, this time with a rub. He licks his lips, eyes sweeping the table to make sure he's in the clear.

That's when he sees Lucy staring at him.

Her mouth slack, her hard-nippled tits rising and falling, her dark eyes boring into him. It's so fucking hot it makes him crazy.

Lucy can't stand it. It's too much, watching Dan grab himself. She crosses her legs, but that sends the slickness flooding her panties. She uncrosses them but still feels the pulsing in her clit, so she crosses them again and scootches to the edge of her seat. She sees Dan's biceps flex and knows he's touching himself again. He's looking at her, ignoring everyone else. Uncrossing her legs, she plants her feet on the cool floor and undulates her hips, grinding against the chair, easing things for a moment but then instantly heightening the frustration. She rocks again, harder, meeting Dan's gaze. Fuck, it almost feels so good.

She rocks, Dan squeezes and rubs...and Mickey comes back to the table. Lucy and Dan freeze.

Dan and Lucy both call Joe's bet, their voices husky.

They sit helplessly, Lucy's fists clenched, Dan still holding himself under the table with one hand, the other clutching his beer. Joe flips his hand, showing an ace that got paired. Lucy goes next. Nothing. Biting her lip, she stares at her losing cards.

Dan's got her now. Feisty, isn't she? But she'll never have the guts to do this.

She does it. She wants Dan so bad right now that she doesn't care who knows. She stands and peels off her panties, soaked with her juice and the brine of her scent. She tosses them on the table.

Joe and Kelly cheer. Dan fists his cock and grips his bottle.

Mickey can't tear his eyes away from Lucy. When she takes her seat, Dan releases himself and slams his beer bottle on the table, startling Mickey from his goddamn reverie. Mickey stands and hurries toward the bathroom. Dan glares after him.

Lucy watches Dan. Cocking an eyebrow, she dares him to turn his cards.

He doesn't bother to flip his over. Instead he stands, his arousal plainly evident. He confronts Lucy, a hard edge to his voice. "This what you wanted?"

Lucy stares at Dan, silent.

He strips his underwear off, flips it onto the table. Even the chill air isn't deterring his hard-on.

Kelly, she says, "Oh, my."

Lucy licks her lips.

Joe reaches a hand between Kelly's legs. Kelly grabs Joe's hand and pulls him after her, out of the room. Mickey's not coming out of the bathroom any time soon. Nobody's left but Dan and Lucy.

Dan repeats his question, but this time the heat in his voice isn't anger. "Is this what you wanted?" he asks and takes hold of himself.

As Lucy watches, he starts rubbing. Asking again, "Is this what you wanted?"

"Almost," she answers.

"We're all out of clothes," he says and releases himself, sitting back down. He won't give in first. He knows she's throbbing too. "What's left to gamble?"

Lucy knows that the only thing holding him back is that he won't give her the satisfaction of winning. But she's got an idea.

As she reaches for the deck, he tosses her his hand so that she can shuffle them, but they land face up. Joe, he'd won the hand with an ace/ten kicker. Dan's hand is an ace -- with a queen.

He'd won. He didn't have to put on that little show.

Lucy shuffles. She deals, flicking his cards at him, stating the wager. Looking Dan in the eye: "Loser comes last."

He ignores his cards. He lunges up, knocking the table over, sending bottles and glasses crashing to the floor, cards and chips skittering. He stands over her and takes hold of himself. Growling, "Start now."

And he strokes away.

Lucy stares. Dan's legs are spread in a slight crouch, and he's pumping himself directly in front of her chest. He reaches between her legs, wets his hand with her juice and immediately starts again, stroking furiously now. His mouth is contorted in a snarl.

His hand on her crotch did it. He's working himself to a frenzy in front of her; he's lost control and it's so hot, and if she gets left behind she knows she'll go home the loser. A loser with a screaming clit.

He's pumping and panting. "I'm gonna, I'm gonna beat you. Fuck you, Lucy. Fuck you."

She starts working herself, and she knows right away it's not going to take her long, watching him as he watches her, getting close to the edge already.

He hits another level watching her, her legs spread, her fingers pressing and stroking, getting herself off -- on him.

"God," she groans. "I'm, I'm close." Their eyes are locked on each other.

Christ, she's too hot. Dan crouches lower and buries his free hand in her cunt, making her buck, helping her along, pressing and sliding fingers inside her.

His cock is seared with pleasure, her cunt is pulsing. Both of them are strung high, stuttering, "I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna..."

Lucy grabs Dan's cock. He's got half his hand inside her.

Dan spurts -- onto her stomach, and she aims him higher, holding tight, every muscle clenched as she strokes and he spills the rest, shooting it all over one distended nipple, his other hand crushing between her legs as she spasms against him.

Her body shudders with release.

Panting, Dan sinks to his knees between her legs and leans his fevered forehead against her sweaty neck.

High and hazy, Lucy whispers, "Who won?"

"Draw," he rasps. "It's a draw. We're gonna have to go again."

Lucy closes her legs around his torso, puts her arms around his shoulders to keep him warm.

"Yeah?" she asks.

He kisses her neck, wraps his arms around her waist.

"Yeah." He says, "Let's play."

She licks her lips, then smiles.

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