by Lynn Carmer
The small tilt of her lips widened, transforming her face from gorgeous to otherworldly. She looked like a golden cherub, decked out in flannel. His fascination made his, not-so-secret, shame drop away.
“I had one of those.”
“You had a Jewish mom, too? A mom who insisted on walking you to school, until you graduated eighth grade?” He fished around his pocket and found the keys. “And then in high school, would still show up some mornings because she was convinced I’d been kidnapped, and the killer left my phone at the school to cover their tracks.”
“No,” a breathy laugh escaped and it was so sexy his dick went rock hard. “A Chinese mom who wouldn’t even let me walk to school because the sun was too strong.” She looked down at her golden skin. “Plus, she was obsessed with people following me home for some reason.”
“Well, I think you’re perfect.” He hopped into the golf cart and patted the seat beside him.
Ai canted her head to the side, studying him, and eventually sat in the passenger seat.
Damn, maybe he should tone it down a notch. He might chase her away.
“Where are we going?”
“Are you going to make me say it again? It’s a surprise.” He took a sharp turn, maybe accidentally on purpose, and she slumped into him, her crisp citrus scent tickling his nose. He gulped in as much as his lungs would hold, reveling in her essence.
They trudged along dusty pathways until the rocky road took a steep incline. Never too far from the mountains, they wend their way higher and higher, eventually stopping along a flat expanse.
“Come on,” he smiled, not put out by her slight scowl. Seemed like that was her default setting. And because she was so beautiful, it added an edge to her subtle features. “We’re here.”
Sebastian opened the makeshift bag Rusty’s wife threw together. The former Texan thought Sebastian’s predicament was hilarious and had taken one look at Ai’s scowl and had fallen down laughing. His wife had taken pity on him and made them a picnic for two.
He looked around the bag, not sure what he would find, and was pleasantly surprised to discover a soft, checkered blanket. He spread it out while Ai wondered around, walking to the edge of a steep ledge, that promised breathtaking views.
Her soft gasp warmed him.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Stunning.” His eyes studied her long, lean form.
She spun around and their eyes caught. “You haven’t even looked yet.”
“I don’t have to. I have the best view in the house.”
She rolled her eyes, but he caught the faint blush staining her high cheekbones.
“You hungry?”
“Always.” She plopped on the ground next to him and began to rifle through the food.
“What are we looking at?
“Pulled pork, maybe.” She removed the tinfoil and took a sniff. “Yup. That’s pork. “This one is…” she reached over, “chicken. Which one do you want?”
“Either.”
She passed over the pork. “Both of them have corn and baked beans.” She wrinkled her nose.
“Not a fan?” he laughed.
“No, not really. I’m hungry all the time, but I’ve been told I can be picky…about my food.”
“You don’t say. Anything else you picky about?” His heart hammered in his chest as her laser gaze focused on him. Everything she did had such intention. Such fire.
“Definitely.” She studied his chest, and then moved her eyes down to his thighs. “How did they rope you into auctioning off your body for the charm school auction?”
He loved her eyes on him. The way she absorbed every inch of him. His cock felt like it would bust through his zipper, so he adjusted his plate over his lap. He cleared his throat and her eyes snapped up to his. She blushed again, but the side of her lips kicked up into a smile.
“I met the Quads when I was called in to investigate the school. Someone reported minors on the premises, and I had to check it out.”
Ai nodded. “I remember that. That was when Brynn was teaching her class. We all suspected Willem. Dacey’s boyfriend. Was it him? Had he tried to get the school shut down?”
As far as Sebastian understood, there was a lot of water under the bridge between the Quads and the Handsome Devil. But the person who lodged the complaint had possessed a slight English accent. “Police business. Can’t say.”
“I know Dacey trusts that boy with her life, but can you believe what an asshat he’s been? To my Dacey? He’s lucky I didn’t move the rake a few inches to the left.” She took a dainty bite of the corn and put it back down on the paper plate.
“That’s how Dacey and I met.”
“Yes, the date. I remember.” She frowned.
Sebastian cocked his head to the side, wondering if he’d heard the slight censure in her voice. Or had it been jealously? Please God, let it be jealousy.
“It was clear even then that she was head over heels for the Devil. It was never romantic between us.”
“But you guys did kiss.” Her eyes fell to his lips, and he sucked in a breath.
“We did,” he tried to laugh but he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. “It was the worst. Dacey did it to prove she didn’t want him. Epic failure. But at least I got a friend out of it.”
“Then you’re a lucky man.” She nodded. “Speaking of Dacey, she gave me a gift.”
“For me?”
“For us. To make the date go smoother.” She fished out the box and balanced it on the top of her palm. “She wouldn’t tell me what it was.”
They both looked at the intricately decorated present, wrapped in a silver and lilac bow.
Holy hell. Proceed with caution. “I’m scared.”
“Me, too.” Ai placed it down between them. “It’s up to you if you want to open it.”
“How can I say no?” He fumbled with the small box. “She’s our friend. She wouldn’t do anything too crazy, right?”
“If you say so,” Ai snatched it out of his hand. “Let me get this over with.” She tore open the box.
It was a stack of notecards.
“There’s a note on top. It says, ‘A little verbal lube…for the date. I believe in you guys. Team Sai.’” Ai shook her head. “She shipped our names.”
“I like it.” He grinned.
“Of course, you do.” Ai skimmed the rest of the note. “It says we have a choice. Relationship Ice-Breakers, or playing a game of Never Have I Ever.”
Sebastian snagged a beer, anticipation thrumming inside of him. If he knew his friend, there would be some very interesting questions to come. No problem. I’m an open book. But the gorgeous woman in front of him was a moody mystery wrapped so tight, he may never get to know the real her. Would she be willing to let down her guard?
Chapter 9
‡
Sebastian looks way too excited about this.
The humiliation of this date might never end. First, she had a full-blown panic attack in front of the sexiest cop she’d ever met, and now she was supposed to ask—and answer—intimate questions written by her ‘newly awakened,’ sex-fiend, of a friend.
When will it stop?
“Oh, come on. You aren’t a chump, are you?” He cocked a brow as he poured red wine in a plastic cup.
“You did not just say that. How immature do you think I am? Like that’d work.”
“Hate to break it to you. That’s what all the quitters say.” He screwed the top back on the wine.
I’m no chump. Thank God she hadn’t uttered that out loud. “You think you’re so brave? Does that mean you want to go first?”
“Sure. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
“We’ve all got skeletons in our closet.” Things got quiet for a moment. Ai refused to look up at Sebastian, too afraid to give anything away.
“I bet these aren’t so bad.” Sebastian grabbed the stack before she could chuck them over the side of the mountain. “How about we read the first few and see if it’s even w
orth playing.”
“This is stupid.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to share my deep dark secrets with you!”
He reared back as if she’d struck him. “It’s a game. Why would—”
“Because you won’t like me, anymore.” The words shot out before she could stop them. Damn, damn, damn. No way, he was going to let her get away with that without explanation. She braced herself for the interrogation. She’d exposed far too much.
“I like everything about you.” Heavy lids fell over his knowing eyes. “No one makes me feel the way you do. No one.”
She looked down. Rocked by his words, and so turned on she caught her breath.
“Ai. Look at me.”
She couldn’t resist. Her gaze moved over his wide shoulders and firm chest. His tight expression revealed his passion and possessiveness. She liked it so much she almost hyperventilated again. I can’t do this. “Give me those.” Desperate to change the subject, she snatched the cards back. “I’ll read the first few, and we can decide if we want to play or not.”
“Didn’t I say that?” The intensity had faded but not the interest. “It’s up to you…chump.”
“Hilarious.” She tossed her napkin at him, aiming right between the eyes and missing by feet. “‘If you could live in any television show, which one would it be?” She placed the card in the back of the pile. “That’s an easy one.”
“I don’t watch a lot of television so…I don’t know.”
Her mouth dropped. Didn’t watch—What? “I don’t think we can be friends.” Never had she spoken anything more serious in her life.
“You better be bullshitting.”
“Dead serious. What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing.” His deep chuckle warmed her, made her feel special. He couldn’t stop laughing and she loved the sound.
Her Poker face was legendary, but she felt lit up from the inside. Even though he didn’t partake in her favorite pastime. What else was a homebody supposed to do to escape crazy artists doing naked performance art?
“Don’t look at me like that. I got out of the habit after basic training.”
“You were in the military?”
“Yeah. Four years in the Army, and then straight to the police academy.” His laughter finally faded. “What about you? What’s your favorite?”
“Favorite? As in, pick just one?” Before a few years ago that would have been impossible to answer. But now, totally easy. “Stranger Things.”
“I heard about that show. The inside-out thingy…and weird plant aliens, right?”
“Um, are you referring to the Upside Down and the Demogorgon? You know what? Get out.”
“Get out? From on top of the mountain?” He massaged his neck. “It takes place a while ago. Like in the 60s, right?”
“Don’t ruin my show with your lame description.” She held up her hand. “I can’t even with you right now. Damn it!”
“What?”
“Now I’m going to have to show it to you. It’ll change your life.” Once again, words flew out of her mouth before she considered the implication. Season one was an eight-hour commitment, all on its own, not to mention seasons two and three.
He froze, his beer hallway to his mouth. A slow smile spread across his face. “I’d like that.”
Uh oh. I’d like it, too. Ai grabbed the next card and quickly read, “Have you ever been in love?” Her eyes went wide. “No, no, no…way too personal. My fault, I should have read it—”
“Yes.”
The stark tone, rather than the word itself, snagged her attention. She leaned in, felt snared with a hook, helpless to let that one word go. “You have?”
“Yup.”
“Like real love, the kind that tears you up from the inside out, leaving you a fraction of the man you used to be?” She could hardly breathe, waiting to hear his answer.
“Is that what you think love is?” He winced. “Sounds painful.”
But you didn’t say no. She contemplated letting him get away with that one. Hell no. One of her biggest pet peeves was when people bullshitted her. He’d answered, so follow up questions were fair game. “Well then, I’ll just get out of your hair.” She set her plastic glass on the ground and rose.
“Wait! Our date isn’t over.”
“This isn’t a date.”
“You bid on me. It’s a date!”
“Don’t start that shit again. You know I didn’t bid.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Where are you going?” He threw his hands out.
“Why would I stay? You must still be madly in love. With a girlfriend or wifey stashed away. Because love is all rainbows and fluffy clouds.” She pointed at him. “No, I don’t think so.”
“I didn’t—Fine! But you asked. I was in love. Naively, but truly. It broke my heart. It wasn’t as devastating as you stated, but it wasn’t fun.” He plopped back down and ground his teeth together.
“That’s better.”
He looked at her like she’d grown two heads.
“It’s better because it’s real. I don’t like pretend. But I’m sorry that happened to you.” She sat back down. She grabbed his large hand in both of hers. “Was it recently?”
“A year ago. We were supposed to move out here together from Texas. She wanted to be an actress. I feel like an idiot even talking about it. All the signs were there.” He sighed. “She ran off to New York, instead. Landed a reality show, and now she’s married to a third-rate producer thirty years older than her.”
Reality show? Bet I’ve seen it.
“Even after that, you still moved out here?” She was fascinated with his hand and couldn’t stop tracing it. She loved the long line of his fingers, the slight callouses on his palms that made her shiver. Would he allow her to sculpt them? These hands should be shared. They deserved to be a 3-D image—to showcase their dimension and depth.
“…thought why not.” Eventually she noticed he’d stopped speaking. “Ai?”
“Hmm?” She looked up, completely lost from studying him so closely. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Feel free to put your hands on me, anytime.” His deep voice came out in a rumble and warmth flooded her, right between her thighs. If anyone else had said it, it would sound sleezy, but his words melted her like warmed caramel.
“I was explaining that I already had a job out here, so I decided to make the move. Make a fresh start.”
This is…nice. Touching him, sharing truths, it wasn’t as bad as she thought. It was too good, in fact.
“What about you? Ever been in love?”
The world tilted off axis, and she was thrust back into reality.
“Next question.” She dropped his hand, her palms already mourning the loss of them.
“Nope.” His level gaze would not let her move on. His big chest rose and fell sharply. It looked like he’d been as affected as her from touching him.
“I thought I was.” The usual shroud of sadness these words brought on, fluttered and settled around her like an oversized cloak. Pulling her down, sometimes suffocating her. “If you count being eighteen and madly in lust with your high school sweetheart as ‘love,’ then yes.”
He studied her face. His far too perceptive gaze studied her. “Love is love.”
It was like he saw inside her, to her darkest self. Where she kept the secrets that hadn’t seen the light of day in years because she refused to look at them. “Yeah, maybe. But there was a lot of other stuff mixed in there. Rebellion against my parents, defiance, teenage hormones. All the fun stuff.” He had no idea what she had sacrificed in the name of love. And who she had destroyed because of it.
“That was a long time ago.”
“It was.” Yet she hadn’t dated anyone since her divorce. Almost five Christmas Eve’s ago. After that fiasco, it didn’t seem like the smart thing to do. Karma made her pay every Christmas since. Maybe she should come equipped with a warning sign.
>
Beware, Ai. Destroyer of Men.
“Doesn’t seem like you want to talk about it, anymore.”
“I don’t”
“I can respect that.” He snatched up the cards and said, “How about we switch it up to, Never Have I Ever.”
“I don’t know,” she hedged.
He shrugged. “Smart move. Because I will trounce you on this one. I have lived a pretty crazy life.”
“Again, with the blatant manipulation. They teach you all these techniques in cop school?” But damn it, why did it keep working? “Bring it on, Copper.”
Chapter 10
‡
I got her. He recognized a fellow fighter. Someone unable to deny a direct challenge. Competitive much? He loved it. And he would win.
Her.
Tonight.
“You know the rules, right? I say Never Have I Ever…”
“Yes, I’m familiar. If I’ve done it, I have to drink.” She shuddered. “We’re basically busting ourselves every time we take a sip because we’re admitting to having done whatever it is.”
“Here goes nothing.” He took a breath. Anticipation made his heart pound. “Dacey wrote these, so I’m going to read them aloud, and either of us can drink. Okay?”
“That’s true. It shouldn’t matter who reads, we both have to answer. Okay. Go. Before I change my mind.” She tucked her hands under knees, the long-sleeved shirt hugging her elegant frame. “I’m getting bored.”
“Sure, you are.” He laughed, starting to recognize her tells. When she put up a front, she looked to the side—her face a perfect mask, but she hid her eyes. “You have your drink ready?”
She held up her red cup.
“Never have I ever taken nude photos of myself.” He left his beer on the blanket and watched as Ai took a sip of her wine. His whole body clenched.
“Artist. Hello?”
God, I love artists. “You wouldn’t happen to have copies of those…no? Okay, next question.” He winked at her and was rewarded with a small tilt of her lips.
“Never have I ever sucked on someone’s toes.” He raised his bottle and took a swig.
“Eww, no. Toes are gross. How could you do that?”
