The light from the fire brought out the red in his hair. She angled her body toward him, supremely conscious that they were both wearing very little clothing.
“We’re going to be here for a while,” he murmured.
She cleared her throat. “It seems that way, yes.”
“I don’t have a cell signal. Otherwise I’d suggest we stream a movie or something.”
“I don’t have a signal either.”
His lashes fluttered. They were long, those lashes, tipped in red, like his hair. “We’re going to have to entertain ourselves the old-fashioned way, I guess.”
Oh. Well.
Eve pressed her fingers to her neck, but there were no pearls to clutch. “Um.” Yes, it was happening, and it had been so easy.
This is a bad idea. You can’t have sex with him and walk away from him.
But do you want to ever feel regret like today again?
Her two sides—caution and need—were at war, and she wasn’t sure which one to listen to. Caution was smart and how she lived her life, but need was hungry.
Need had felt that big body plastered on top of hers before, and it had had more than one dark car ride to talk to him and like him and, hell, smell him. Need wanted this.
He leaned closer and his well-formed lips formed words she was dying to hear. She swayed closer, eager and scared. “Monopoly?”
What. “Huh?”
“Do you want to play Monopoly or Clue?”
Eve drew back, the urge to laugh bubbling up in her. Jesus, she’d been picturing him naked and driving into her, and he’d been talking about board games. “Monopoly is fine,” she managed. He gave a curt nod and made his way to the leaning bookcase, which held a couple of old games.
She was relieved, funny enough. But she was also disappointed.
The night is still young. Be brave. Take what you need.
She took a deep breath and let it out in a slow exhale. No regrets.
Chapter 15
Someone needed to give Gabe a fucking medal for not blatantly staring at the bra draped over the fireplace screen.
He’d only glanced at it once, but it was seared in his retinas. It was a large bra, capable of holding her heavy breasts, plain and no frills, but it was a hot pink he hadn’t expected. What had he expected? He wasn’t sure. Beige, maybe, or white. Not satin and pink, with a little charm at the gore. Though he probably should have readjusted his expectations after he saw those cherries.
“You owe nine hundred dollars.”
He snapped back to attention. Eve had freed her hair from its complicated knot and the strands had dried in waves around her face. He wanted to stroke them away from her flushed cheeks.
He clenched his fists. That was a ridiculous urge, one he had to control. Along with all his other urges.
He could write off that kiss yesterday as an anomaly, born of frustration and buried desire, but he wouldn’t be able to write off making out with her or sex with her. That was a level of complication their situation did not need. Even if he had tabled discussion of his parentage, it still loomed over them like a relentless thundercloud. “Uh, what?”
“Nine hundred dollars.” She held out her hand, and the blanket she’d blessedly draped over her rounded shoulders parted to reveal her naked forearm.
She was dressed more conservatively than most women in a bar or a beach. He saw flesh all day long at work. He would not get all caught up in her lush bare arms again. Gabe averted his gaze and carefully counted out his money.
“Are you sure you aren’t cheating?” he teased, trying to distract himself. The board game was set out on the chest that doubled as a coffee table. He’d grabbed the ratty armchair and dragged it over. They’d dined on the granola bars and water bottles Alistair had shoved into a waterproof bag and handed to him before he’d left. The remnants of their dinner were in a neat pile next to the game.
“I don’t need to cheat at Monopoly.” She carefully tucked the money he gave her into her fat stacks of fake bills. She’d had a few setbacks here and there, but she’d only increased her wealth. “I know the secret.”
