The Forbidden Ship

Codes: NoSex.

xxx

prompt: Mancala

When his hand was underway to grab the stones out of the board and go for another turn instead of dropping his last stone in the empty field beside it, she grabbed his wrist and turned it around abruptly - no stone fell from his now opened up fist.

Her eyes flashed back over the board, counting the stones despite knowing deep down within her gut that she'd never miscounted before in her life and hadn't miscounted now. Still, all she had to show for it was his empty hand.

Oh, he was good.

Such a talent wasted on this board game.

Their eyes met. There was triumph in that dark intense stare of his and the almost imperceivable upward twitch of his lips.

She couldn't prove it.

If she called him out now, with a sleight of hand this good, that stone he'd hidden would mysteriously find its way back somewhere on the board.

She let go off his wrist and leaned back in her chair, gesturing at him to continu. That she got properly murdered on the board next didn't bother her one iota as she shook his hand upon his win of the tournament and said prize money.

She had her man.

x x x

"Six times during my game. Four after you knew you'd been caught. A bit excessive, wouldn't you agree?" she said to his back as he exited the place.

"Caught doing what?"

The smugness in his tone wasn't even hidden as he lit up a cigarette in the following silence. Her eyes wandered over his lithe, tall frame. He was extremely good looking. Perhaps a tad too memorable for what she needed.

"Five-hundred pounds," she replied slowly, "seems hardly worth the risk."

"Coming from a losing counter that comment feels a bit like sour grapes, Miss," he said lightly, turning towards her and taking a casual drag of his cigarette.

Observant, too.

She could work with that.

If he got caught after the job was done, it wouldn't matter.

"How does 5,000 sound?"