“This is nice,” she said.
“What is?”
“Being in a normal situation, chatting over champagne.” Her voice was playful. “Not being trapped in a sweltering caldarium.”
He smiled. “Have you played billiards?”
She canted her head, her thick braid flopping over one shoulder. “Once or twice.”
Recalling she’d said the same thing about tree climbing, he knew better than to trust her modesty. Moreover, the impish curve of her lips gave her away…thank God. While courting Vicky, Conrad had played with her a few times. Vicky had been a mediocre player at best, and the experiences had been deadly dull. His juices rose at the prospect of competitive play. Setting down his glass, he strolled over to the cue rack, and Gigi followed suit.
“First to fifty points?” he asked.
“Splendid.”
She was examining the cues with an expert eye. She tested a few before selecting a shorter, lighter stick made of polished ash. It was the cue he would have chosen for her based on her height and build. The way she handled the shaft, running her fist along the length, made him stifle a groan. He snatched a longer, heavier cue with an ebony inlay on the handle.
As she set up the three balls, he said, “Why don’t we make this more interesting?”
She paused, her fingertips resting on the red object ball. “In what way?”
“A wager.” He smirked. “Don’t worry, I shan’t take all your pin money.”
She studied him. “All right, I’ll wager with you…but not for money.”
Depraved visions danced through his head.
He cleared his throat. “What, ahem, are you proposing?”
“Whenever one makes a shot, which must be called in advance, one may ask a personal question of the other.”
Intrigued, he asked, “I may ask anything of you?”
“We may ask anything of each other,” she said with beguiling confidence. “This way, we will be growing two plants with one seed: enjoying the game and getting better acquainted.”
He turned the proposition over in his head. There were plenty of things he wanted to know about the little minx. And he didn’t mind trading confidences with her…to a degree. Intimacy was necessary to strengthen their bond; look at how she’d accepted his courtship after he’d disclosed a few facts about his prior lovers. If he didn’t want to provide an answer, he would omit or gloss over certain details. In the boxing ring and in life, he’d mastered the art of evasion.
“Why not?” He waved at the table. “Ladies first.”
“Thank you, sir. I shall pot the red.”
Bending over, she positioned her cue and took her shot. Her cue ball hit the side of the object ball, sending the latter neatly into a pocket. He felt his brows rise.
She straightened, her eyes bright and smile enchanting.
“Tell me more about your childhood,” she said. “I know your parents passed when you were young, but do you have any siblings? You mentioned a guardian. What was he like?”
“I had half-siblings whom I was not close to,” Conrad said. “They’re no longer living. As for my guardian, he didn’t want anything to do with me. He sent me to boarding school, where I spent my childhood and adolescent years.”
At the succinct summary, Gigi felt a shock of surprise, which turned into a throbbing ache. While her family had their share of travails and conflicts, they’d always had each other. She couldn’t imagine having no one…being so alone.
“You have no family at all?” she asked softly.
“None I consider my kin.”
“Conrad…I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about, sweetheart.” He circled the table, his eyes on the surface. “I got used to being alone. Truth be told, sometimes I prefer it.”
