Chapter 314: Drive Safe

She checks the caller ID and sees Andrew's name. She answers it, but all she can hear is static and the sound of rain pattering against a window.

"Hello?" she says.

"Hey," Andrew says. "A horrible storm just hit, and traffic is a nightmare. I think there may have been an accident. I'm afraid I'm going to be late."

Avery looks out the window in time to see a bolt of lightning flash across the inky sky. A rumble of thunder follows, and within seconds, fat raindrops are splattering against the windows.

"Okay," Avery says. "Drive safe."

She hangs up, trying to hide her disappointment. She doesn't want to hurt Rebecca's feelings, but she doesn't know how much longer she can handle making small talk in the living room. Lightning continues to flash across the sky, and the rain sounds violent and cold.

It takes Andrew another thirty minutes to arrive. When he walks in the front door, his suit is speckled with rain, and his wet hair clings to his forehead. Avery has never been so happy to see him. He winks at her, and she fights the urge to smile back.

Rebecca greets him warmly and offers him a towel before leading him into the living room. He and Evan stare at each other for a long, tense moment. Finally, Andrew nods a greeting at Evan.

"Why don't you have a coffee while you wait for the traffic to clear?" Rebecca suggests.

"Honey, it's up to you," Andrew says, putting his arm around Avery.

"You're the driver," she says. "You can decide."

Before Andrew answers, he lets go of her and crosses the room to look at a leather riding-whip on the wall. He looks at the whip with appreciation and seems about to touch it.

"Is that Conquer?" he asks Rebecca.

"You have a great eye—are you an equestrian?" Rebecca asks with a smile.

"That's a famous whip," Andrew says. "It was the prize last year at the World Equestrian Championships. If I remember correctly, a mysterious woman came out of nowhere and defeated everyone."

Rebecca blushes and says, "It's just a hobby."

Andrew laughs and says, "If riding is just your hobby, I'd love to know what your true skills are."

Evan clears his throat and casts an icy glare around the room. Rebecca stiffens and goes to sit by his side, and Avery frowns. He's so jealous, she thinks. Rebecca was just talking to Andrew, and he got angry. Though I guess he has every reason to be sensitive about Andrew. 

Andrew ignores Evan's gaze and walks to a bookcase. He grabs two brown leather dice cups, embossed with the Hermes logo. He gives them a shake, and the dice rattle around inside.

"How about a game of dice to pass the time, Evan?" Andrew asks, sitting on the sofa next to Avery. "It's still raining, and my GPS says there's a lot of traffic. We might as well have some fun while we're all stuck here."

Avery frowns. Andrew seems to be planning something, but she's not sure what he has in mind. She knows he holds grudges and doubts he's forgiven Evan for making love to her on the cruise ship. Both Andrew and Evan have a glint in their eyes that worries her.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asks Andrew.

"Honey, it's a rainy night," he answers. "We might as well do something to pass the time. I don't know about you, but I'm sensing a certain tension in the air. A nice game might relieve that."

"What do you want to play?" Evan asks, uncrossing his legs and leaning forward.

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"Simple," Andrew says. "We roll the dice and guess the numbers that will appear. Though, now that you mention it, that might be a bit dull. What do you say to a bet? Could make the game a little more exciting—if you dare, that is. "

Evan sneers and says, "Of course, I dare. What did you have in mind?"

"Alright," Andrew says with enthusiasm. "How about this? The winner gets to hit the loser with Conquer."

"Andrew!" Avery hisses.

"Don't worry about me, honey," he says with a wink. "I'm feeling lucky today."

"I'm not worried about you getting hit," she whispers to him. "In fact, I think it might even be good for you. But why are you trying to start trouble with Evan?"

Andrew puts his arm around her shoulder and whispers back, "I don't like your ex-husband, and I don't like the way he looks at you. If you don't let me play, I might fly into a rage or have a heart attack."

Avery digs her nails into her palm and pulls away from him. She doesn't want to cause a scene, but she's scared the men will start a fight. Rebecca also looks worried. 

"There are five dice in each cup," Andrew says, showing the cups to Evan. "Shake your cup and guess the roll and then flip the cup over. Without opening the cup, you have to announce your guess out loud. But to make things a bit more difficult, we're not going to guess the total number the dice add up to. Instead, we have to guess how many times any number will appear. For example, I could say one-two, or three fives, or two threes.

"After we make our guesses, we open our cups and see who was right. If we were both right, the person who guessed the higher number wins. If we're both wrong, we roll again, and of course, we take turns rolling. Does that work for you?"

"Get the whip ready," Evan says.

Rebecca stands and takes the braided leather whip off the wall. She puts it in the middle of the table, and Avery watches nervously. The leather is thick and strong—it looks like it could do some serious damage to a person.

"It's called Conquer for a reason," Andrew says with a laugh. "If I win, I'll show no mercy, Mr. Howel."

Evan's eyes flash with wolfish intensity, and he says, "Neither will I. Better hope you're lucky."

"Oh, I'm always lucky," he says, starting to shake the cup.

The dice rattle against the sides of the cup, and then Andrew flips it and puts it down on the table. He smiles slightly, and his fingers huddle over the cup for a split second before he lets go.

"Four sixes," Andrew says.

Avery is surprised by his bold gamble. There are only five dice in the cup, so the odds of four sixes are incredibly low. Evan narrows his eyes, and he seems equally confused.

"One three and one-two," Evan says. "Let's open it."

Evan pops the cup open, and his face darkens. Avery leans forward and sees four sixes sitting in the velvet-lined cup. Andrew pulls her to his side and kisses the top of her head.

"You must be my good luck charm," he says.

Andrew picks up the whip and tosses it from hand to hand. He stands and waves it through the air, making it crack with an expert flick of his wrist. Thunder still booms in the background, echoing the loud noise of the whip.

"Well, you can't say I didn't warn you, Evan," Andrew says.

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