“Lavender Whittington-Deveraux,” I purr, setting the bottle down, my other hand still resting on her silky thigh.
“You do realize you’ve just made forms very difficult to fill out. There are barely enough little squares for my regular name.”
“But I’m so appreciative that you’ll suffer on my behalf.”
She gives a theatrical sigh. “You’d better be.”
“Let me show you just how appreciative,” I purr, tightening my grip a touch. “You only have to say the word.”
“I think you’re trying to distract me with your sexy voice and flirty eyes.”
“You think I have a sexy voice?” I ask… using my sexiest intonation.
“Stop that and answer my question.”
“Hmm.” I swipe my thumb against her inner thigh. “Remind me, which question was that?”
“Tod,” she says, pressing her thighs together as though that might stop me. “Did you threaten him with a stick?”
My jaw tightens, the idiot’s name pissing on my mood. “His head is empty enough to serve cocktails in. But no, he wasn’t at risk.”
“He might be from me.” This she murmurs quietly.
“That’s your prerogative, my vengeful wife.”
“Maybe it’s you I should be angry with, given you’re the one who put him in that position in the first place.”
Should beangry. Given she isn’t, I’d hate to see her truly pissed off.
Liar, whispers a little voice inside me.Or else you wouldn’t be reacting like this, aching to slide your hand higher. Feel her heat. Slide through her wetness.
“I wasn’t the one who gambled without the means to pay.”
“He said he didn’t know the stakes until it was too late.”
“He could’ve stepped away from that table at any time. He didn’t have to mention your name. Hell, he didn’t even have to bring you into it.” Though I’d counted on it.
“But you knew I was there. You planned for—”
“His greed? You’re overestimating my talents.” All men are greedy. You just have to find what it is they crave. What Tod wanted was money, maybe a little adulation.
“But you did twist his words.”
I keep my eyes on hers because the tiny white triangles of her bikini are a fucking travesty. And a feat of grace, how they hold all that lusciousness.
“He said you purposely misunderstood what he was offering.”
“I needed to get you in the room for a conversation.”
“Conversation?” Her brow quirks like a taunt. “What if I’d had the money to cover him? Would you have moved on to someone else?”
“I knew you didn’t. But I would’ve come at it from another angle.”
“But why me?”
“Why not you?” I spread my fingers, maximizing the contact with her skin.
“I’m not some random choice, though, am I?”
