“Zach.”Her body stiffens in my embrace and there’s a tension to her tone I’ve never heard before.
I’m not convinced it’s all ire.I can sense a need and I want to explore, get to know this side of her.She scowls at me, then to the men who are quietly albeit smugly watching.Morgan’s curious, and with the spectators around us, I’m reminded this is for show.
“Paige.”I play along, squeezing her tighter and breathing in an alluring combination of vanilla and seductive floral notes.
Still craving the taste of her, my tongue licks and sucks at the warm flesh of her neck and she wobbles as if her knees have given out.Luckily, I’ve got her, bringing her closer.Now would be the time to distance myself from her.Even if only a charade, being this near is an attack on my senses, blurring the line between reality and fantasy.
“Morg, grab us some snacks.I’m hungry watching this sex show,” Donovan quips.“Although something tells me food isn’t going to cut it.”
“Get it yourself,” she fires back.
I growl, lifting my head to glower at him and Paige takes the moment to slip from my arms, dropping the leather-bound folder onto the table.
“What’s that?”Walker scratches his dark-stubbled chin, smiling warmly at Paige in an attempt to put her at ease.
I clear my throat, hoping it’ll also clear my head, and study her while she looks anywhere but at me.“Foundation stuff.”
“She got to you, didn’t she?”Morgan asks and Paige frowns.
None of us need clarification as to whom Morgan means.Nan shared with me her desire to have Paige run the annual gala.I’ve no doubt she can do it, but I also told Nan to let her decide.My grandmother’s ready acceptance of Paige is a very good sign.
“I wouldn’t say that, but I’m going to the foundation meeting on Tuesday.”
“You seemed really cozy with Nan at lunch.”Donovan’s eyes glitter with no good and my stomach clenches with the knowledge he saw Paige at the restaurant.
Morgan cackles, slapping her knees.“Hon, you’re in.Don’t kid yourself, the fact you have a folder means you’ve already committed.”
“No, I never said yes.I’m thinking it over.Besides, I already have a job.”
“See!”Morgan jumps to her feet, wildly pointing at Paige who is now backing away with her palms out in the universal signal for stop.
“You have this all wrong.Besides, if the rest of the foundation board is like Reagan Hussey, they’ll boot me off the island before I even get out of the boat.”
“What?”I stiffen and both Donovan and Walker straighten, too.Donovan pushes from the wall to edge closer to her like a shark smelling blood in the water.
My cousin stops dancing and her eyes widen.“Reagan?Reagan the Hussey was at lunch?”
Paige bites her lip as if stifling a snicker.“Is that really her last name?”
Walker nods, tight-lipped, and Morgan continues, “Sadly, for her, yes.The family made their fortune in textiles.And Reagan is a Hussey.”
She does it again, her play on words, and this time Paige giggles and Donovan barks out a laugh, adding, “Yeah, that’s true.”
“Not funny.”My chastising tone brings silence, all laughter petering out.
We stand in silence and Walker gazes at his feet while Donovan stares keenly at Paige.My cousin blinks a few times and then sticks her tongue out at me.“That’s her name.”
“You know what I mean.The innuendo is childish.”
“Whatever.”She shrugs.“What did Reagan have to say?”
“Morgan.”I rub at my temples, keeping a brewing headache at bay.
Needing no further warning, she slumps into a chair and mimics zipping her mouth shut.Donovan grins and sits next to her.Normally, I wouldn’t let him get that close but with Paige clearly of interest to him, I let it slide.No matter the flirting or whatever else he tries, Morgan wouldn’t go near Donovan, married or not.
“I’m going to change.”Paige leaves with no acknowledgement I’m following behind her.
She is aware of my presence.I can tell with every one of her cautious steps up the stairs.She’s anticipating my move.
