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The night in New Orleans was warm, carrying the scent of delicious Cajun cooking; Jazz was drifting through the streets along with the drunk hooting of tourists… but all that was lost on you. All you were interested in was the heat in the little back room of the bar, the tension between the opponents, the ragged breathing of those afraid to lose, the disappointed sighing of those who knew that they had already lost.
And the wicked grin of the man in front, the stranger across the table.
Admittedly, everyone in this bar was a stranger to you, but this one… he had piqued your interest. And not only because he knew damn well how to play a decent hand of poker.
“That’s it, I fold.”, another man who had overestimated his poker face – and the contents of his wallet – threw the cards onto the table, got up and left. You never looked up, your eyes were fixed on the man across from you. His eyes were dark, his grin even darker. You knew he was dangerous, but heck, that was the fun about all this.
“What do you say, another game?”, the stranger asked you and even though there were two other guys with you in the back room, the intense, almost glowing gaze from his dark eyes never left yours.
“I’m game.”, you murmured and licked you lips. The man could as well see that you were interesting. He chuckled to himself, then shuffled the cards as quickly, gracefully and efficiently as you had never seen anyone do it. Made you think what his skilful fingers might be able to do beyond that…
But as soon as you had your hand, you focused on the game, but that did not mean that you looked at your cards immediately. No, you preferred to watch the other players. The middle-aged guy to your right slightly raised an eyebrow, not much, but enough to tell you that his hand sucked, big time. The guy on your left, a young man with obviously filthy-rich parents but not a single shred of knowledge about this world, he tried hard to hide his grin. He had a decent poker face, but you were exceptionally good at what you were doing: Stripping strangers their last shirts off their backs in just about any game of cards, especially poker.
You loved poker, because it was not as much boring counting of the cards and probability as Black Jack was, but poker required skill and luck… as well as nerves of steel. You had all of that, but apart from you, only the stranger across from you seemed to know his way on the green of the card table.
So it came as no surprise to you that the middle-aged man to your right folded his cards about ten minutes into the game. He left without a word, but you knew that the stakes had just gotten too high for him.
Grinning to yourself, you thought that his wife would flay him alive anyway for losing so much money, but you did not comment. The stranger across from you, however, he said, without letting you out of his sight: “Boy, leave us adults to a proper game of poker.”
“B-but…”, the boy objected, yet he was cut off, as the stranger grinned at him, smooth and dangerous like a shark, “I can strip you of your last coin, if you want me to. But what would Mommy say to that?”
“That’s…outrageous!”, the boy yelled and you snorted derisively, so he rounded on you, “What?!”
“It’s just… you kinda proved his point with that outburst.”
“I did no…”, he protested, but the stranger looked at the raging boy and chuckled, shrugging his shoulders, “You heard the lady, you did. So go on, be a good little rich boy and leave us to our game.”
“I will not just go, you idiot.”, the boy raged and you sighed; dumb mistake, a rookie mistake. So, you just folded your cards to take a break, leaned back and put your feet on the table, smirking as you watched the two men. The rich boy had jumped to his feet and was staring down at the stranger in a trench coat who then looked at you: “Would you mind, cher?”
“Not in the slightest.”, you replied, “Be my guest.”
“Thank you.”, he said politely, then he got up and, in a movement faster and more graceful than you had seen anybody move, ever, he had twisted the boys’ arm behind his back and, pulling it up, got the boy to stand on the tips of his toes.
“So, listen closely, because there are only two ways this is gonna go down tonight. One way, you insist on being the imbecile you have been so far and keep arguing, then I will have to waste my time convincing you with a good beating that your parents should have hit you as a disciplinary tactic long, long ago. Or, possibility number two, you leave and no longer disturb the lady and me while we play a decent game of poker, which we’ll be able to finally do once you’re gone. You just go like a good boy. So, what will it be?”
The idiot really tried to argue again, but the stranger just pulled at his arm, just slightly, and within an instant he had changed the other’s mind: “Alright, alright, I’ll go! Geez!”
“A wise decision, my friend.”, the stranger said and, as the boy stumbled out, muttering profanities under his breath, he muttered, so that you barely caught his words, “Nobody messes with Gambit and his prey.”
Prey? He thought you were prey? That hottie would have to learn his lesson tonight. You almost pitied him. Almost.
“So, Cherie, where were we?”, Gambit, as you now knew he called himself, asked you and you bit your lip, then suggested, “Weren’t you trying to strip me of my last coin?”
He chuckled at that and murmured: “Not exactly. But I have a proposition to make: What if, instead of stripping each other of coins, we raise the stakes? Play for something else?”
You had an idea where this was going… and why the hell not? You two were alone in the back room, the night was warm, the man was interesting…
“What kind of wager do you have in mind?”, you asked and with a smile and a gaze so intense it felt like fire, he replied, “Clothes.”
“Strip poker?”, you asked and when he nodded, licking his lips, you acted as if you had to think about it.
“Hmm…”, you hummed and that made him lean forward, looking intently at you as he said, “C’mon, Cherie, you look like a lady who isn’t fooled by no one. And Gambit is too much of a gentleman to take advantage. It’ll just be…fun and games.”
Then why did he suggest that game in the first place, you wondered with a lazy smile, but then nodded: “Fine, I’m intrigued. Let’s kick it up a notch.”
“Eh bien soit!”, he chuckled, collected the cards and began to shuffle, even though the pool from the last game was still there.
“What about the money?”, you asked, honestly confused and Gambit smiled at you, like a cat ready to pounce, “You take it, Cherie. We’re playing for higher stakes now.”
“No.”, you refused and for a moment, you had him taken aback with that statement, so you said, truthfully, “So far, we’ve come out almost even. Taking it all wouldn’t be fair.”
“Fair?”, Gambit chuckled and actually stopped shuffling the cards to give you his full attention, “Cherie, all’s fair in Love and War.”
You just raised an eyebrow at him, then you counted the money and divided it evenly between the two of you. Laughing to himself, he resumed dealing the cards and, you both a good deal richer, you started the next game.
It did not take long, you knew when you had lost, so you folded your cards and slipped out of one of your boots, not in the least caring for the other boot.
“Ah ah, Cherie.”, Gambit clicked his tongue, “Shoes are one item. As are socks.”
“They aren’t.”, you objected, “Rules have to be set beforehand.”
At that he pouted and with a sigh, you decided to let it go. This time.
His smile returned when you also slipped out of the other boot, wishing for the first time you had not given in to the heat tonight and worn pants and a shirt instead of a flimsy dress. But, as it was too late for that now anyway, you just continued the game.
You win some, you lose some. You knew that concept well and so far, it had gotten you an almost even share of the money gambled over tonight. So you were not worried.
When you lost again, this time removing both your socks, you still were not worried.
But three games later, you had lost your jacket, your bra and your panties and you were only left with your dress, nothing more. Five lost games in a row.
That was… uncanny.
And your opponent’s poker face was nowhere near as good as it had been all night. When realisation finally hit you, you were already too far into the next game, the one that would cost you your last item of clothing.
“You played me!”, you accused your opponent and he clicked his tongue again, “What are you saying, Cherie? That I was cheating?”
“Either that or you’re one damn too lucky bastard!”, you replied and he smiled brightly, removing his hat. Now you could finally see his face properly in the dimly lit room, only lit with a few candles. His eyes really were dark and within an instant, you knew he was a mutant. But you did not care, the bastard had ripped you off, you did not care how he had done it.
“Oh, I assure you, I am lucky.”, Gambit replied to your accusation, “After all, I got to enjoy the sight of your beauty all night.”
He was a charmer…and damn it, it worked.
Slowly, he got up and walked around the table until he leaned against it next to you, then he leaned down to you and triumphantly said: “Admit it, Cherie, I’ve won.”
“No.”, you refused and he chuckled, leaned even closer and then almost purred, his voice smooth as silk as he added: “You really cannot afford to lose anything more than you already have. But maybe… there’s a way for both of us to gain something out of your… predicament.”
You watched him and with a charming smile, he began to shuffle the deck of cards again. Until he pulled a condom out of the deck, somehow.
Gambit placed the cards back into the pocket of his coat, the condom on the table in front of you and said: “It’s a suggestion, Cherie. I’m, after all, a gentleman, so I’ll be gentle and let you walk away. That is, if you want to. Otherwise…”
His nimble fingers tapped the condom on the table and when he returned his gaze to you, he was waiting patiently for your decision. It was… intriguing, to say the least, he had put the cards on the table, or the condom, so to speak, so it really was up to you.
Your eyes darted to his hands, still on the table and the token of his offer and when they returned to his dark, mysterious eyes, you had made your decision. And his smile told you that he knew that as well.
“A smart and beautiful lady.”, he purred, “Must really be my lucky day.”
“You got no idea.”, you told him and he chuckled, but then he really did pounce, as quickly and gracefully as a cat. His hands slid into your hair and he gently pulled your head back, made you look up and meet his hot lips in a kiss, as demanding and strong as this man…and as intriguing.
He did not waste time, did not play coy, but instead immediately let you feel his tongue as he pulled you to your feet, holding you close so that your body was pressed against his hard chest. Impatiently, you bit his lip, just hard enough to let him feel it and when he evaded your teeth, he chuckled, placing his hands on the curve of your ass.
But you playfully shoved him back so that he bumped into the card table, then you were the one to pounce at him. You pulled the trench coat from his shoulders, not concerned for the material, but more for its fast removal, then you simply tossed it aside and made quick work of his belt.
“You’re eager.”, Gambit chuckled, but you shut him up by kissing him deeply. He was panting when you let go of him and you told him: “You said it was your lucky day. I’m just gonna prove it.”
“By all means, Cherie.”, he invited you and when he tried to grab you, you slapped his hands away, then wrenched open the fly of his pants.
“Oh, now that’s promising.”, you purred when you saw that there was no other obstacle between you and his naked, hard length.
“A man can hope he might get lucky.”, Gambit whispered and leaned in to kiss you, but your hand around his member, just this side of painful, stopped him and his eyes fluttered shut for a moment.
You smiled to yourself, making good use of the moment as you began to move your hand, earning yourself a soft moan from Gambit’s lips. His hands were holding onto the edge of the card table, gripping it so tightly you saw the tension in his body, but when he opened his eyes again, their dark gaze was steadily boring into your eyes.
One of his hands slid into your hair again and he pulled you in for a kiss, but just short of his lips you decided for a different destination. Your hand still around his length, you closed your lips around its tip and sucked, just hard enough to earn yourself a groan. And then a chuckle as Gambit gathered your hair in his fist, keeping it out of your way.
One glance told you that he was watching your every move. You could feel the tension in his body, the restraint he showed not to buck into your mouth and his soft murmur of French words he was uttering under his breath told you he was already close.
So, with a grin, you decided he had been lucky enough for the moment and you got up again. A witty remark danced at the tip of your tongue, but you did not get the chance to say it, because Gambit pulled you against his chest and kissed you. When he leaned back, he mumbled: “My turn, Cherie.”
That was all the warning you received before he grabbed your backside and, with one swift, elegant motion, had picked you up, turned the both of you around and sat you down on the card table. He pushed your thighs apart and pulled you against him, letting you feel his arousal and the unmistakable proof of it.
“All your doing.”, he murmured into your ear, then trailed kisses down your throat, so you felt his breath on your skin as he added, “Seems only fair if I did the same to you, non?”
“All’s fair in Love and War.”, you used his own words against him and you felt him chuckle against your wishbone, then his lips travelled further down and Gambit unbuttoned the front of your dress as he went, directing his attention to the newly exposed skin.
“Hmm…”, you more felt than heard him murmur against your stomach and you leaned back, now your turn to watch him. He glanced up at you out of those darkest eyes, then unbuttoned your dress fully and parted it. Only then did he take his gaze from your eyes and let his eyes roam over your body. The intense look alone made you wet, made you wish you could close your thighs, for just a bit of friction, but Gambit was standing between them.
“Ah ah.”, he clicked his tongue and held your thighs apart, “You won’t take that from me now, will you, Cherie?”
“Depends.”, you countered, “Are you gonna do something with what you’ve found?”
He chuckled before he answered: “Oh, definitely.”
Saying that, he kissed you again, taking your breath away and pushing you backwards onto the table. The way he had taken before he now retraced and kissed down your throat to your chest, but this time he did not stay in the valley between your breasts, but instead filled his hands with them and licked first over one nipple, then the other, making you gasp with fervour.
“Oh, you like that?”, he chuckled against your skin and sucked one nipple into his mouth before he released it again and added, “Then let me assure you, you aren’t unlucky today, either.”
With that, his lips resumed their way down your body until they reached the most sensitive spot… and took full advantage of it.
You could not fight the throaty moan that escaped you and neither did you really try to. The whole sensation was just… too much, too good, too sudden. You groped for something to hold onto and when Gambit offered his hand, not interrupting his doing, you grabbed it with all your might.
His touch was just right, just where you needed it, he licked, kissed, sucked and gently stroked…and then suddenly stopped, just when you had been about to find your release.
Obviously, your annoyance was written all over your face, because Gambit laughed and leaned down to you, kissing you with your own taste on his lips, then he mumbled: “Patience, Cherie. There is more fun to be had.”
Grinning, he held something up between two fingers and you recognised the condom.
“I’m done waiting.”, you announced and yanked the condom from his grasp, pushing him back far enough to slip it on him. All the while he chuckled, as if he had known that you would do exactly that.
“You’re a bastard.”, you told him and he nodded, “But I am a charming bastard, non?”
“Indeed.”, you said and pulled him closer by the hooks of his pants, “C’mere, you.”
He did come closer, but you tensed and moaned when he came a bit closer than you had expected, sheathing himself in your body as he leaned over you to kiss you. His chuckle told you that he had gotten exactly the response he had wished for, but damn it to hell, you did not care. You wanted him and that was that.
So, you did not waste time, but instead began to move against him and as he sharply inhaled, you knew you had surprised him. Now chuckling yourself, you kissed him and bit his lip, again, so when he pulled back as expected, you used his own motion against him and turned the two of you around, so that Gambit was lying on the card table, the deck of cards littered on the green felt. And his adoring gaze on you, his hands on your hips.
In the very same moment, you both snapped back into motion and simply gave in, letting passion take control of your bodies and minds. You were close, your whole body shivering with lust, when Gambit suddenly sat up, using the momentum of the motion as he grabbed your ass and crashed into the wall with you, practically driving you into the wood with powerful thrusts that threw you both over the edge together.
Panting, you hung almost limply in his arms, but you smiled, as did he.
“See, Cherie, that’s why I love strip poker.”, he mumbled against your lips, “Even if you lose, you win.”
You laughed at that together with him and Gambit slowly guided you down onto your feet again. You could barely stand, but it had been worth it.
In silence, the both of you dressed, even though admittedly you had a lot more work to do on that account.
When you were both fully dressed, Gambit pulled you close for a sweet, tender kiss… that tasted of good-bye.
“Until we meet again.”, he said, taking his hat off to you for a moment, “It would be my pleasure.”
And just like that, he was gone. You did not even know his real name and neither did he know yours, he had not asked. Nevertheless, the night had been worth it and so you left the bar, richer in money, but far richer in a wonderful experience. And with a smile on your face.