Chapter 3

 

“I don’t think we should be playing cards,” Julia said as she sat at the tiny dining table opposite Joe. “Alice is missing. Gran is in jail. We should be doing something about that instead of wasting time.”

Joe started shuffling cards. “We’ve called the cops, the hospitals and the airlines. Elle is checking hotels, bus companies and credit card movement for Alice. Short of going door to door, I don’t know what else we can do to find her right now. As for your gran, Ed’s dealing with her, and they don’t let visitors hang out at the prison overnight.” He started dealing cards. “And it’s dark outside. You can’t go wandering around the streets with a photo of Alice, looking for leads, in the dark. It’s a much better idea to stay in here and play with me.”

“It feels wrong. I should be doing something.”

“Like what?”

She moved the cards he’d dealt, to ensure they were parallel with the table’s edge. Better. “I don’t know.” And she hated that she didn’t.

“Then we play cards. We eat. We sleep. And tomorrow we start again.”

Julia looked up at him. She knew he was right. She knew there wasn’t anything she could do except worry—and she was fantastic at worrying—but the thought of her gran spending another night in that awful jail and Alice lost or worse… What if she was suffering? What if Gran got ill or hurt? What if?

A big hand covered hers, the heat from Joe’s touch searing her skin. “Time to take your mind off things. Pick up your cards. Spending an hour playing with me isn’t going to change anything. The problems will still be there when we’re done. And tomorrow, after a good night’s sleep, we might think of something else we can do.”

“Is it always like this?”

“Every op is different. Sometimes there’s waiting when you don’t want to wait. It’s the nature of things.”

“What did you do when you were waiting, when you were in the Marines?”

“Well, I didn’t play cards with a pretty girl, that’s for sure.”

Julia felt her cheeks burn as she looked back down at the cards. Her stomach was doing somersaults, and she regretted eating even the small amount of fries she’d managed to get down. Joe got up, headed for the bar fridge and came back with a tiny bottle of wine and a glass.

“Here, it will help with your stomach and your sleep.”

Julia looked at the glass, then at Joe. “Do you realise that most glasses found in hotel rooms haven’t been washed properly? I watched a documentary about it. Maid service were just rinsing them under the tap, then polishing them with a towel.”

He unscrewed the bottle and handed it to her. “Then don’t use the glass.”

Julia took the bottle, drank a hefty swallow of cheap red wine, then looked at Joe. “Okay, let’s play.”

She could do this. Right? If she didn’t think about being alone with Joe. In a hotel room.

“Now that’s what I like to hear.” His eyes sparkled with mischief, making her stomach do the flipping thing again. “Do you know how to play poker?”

“No.”

“Rummy?”

“No.”

“Jules, do you know how to play any card games?”

She licked her lips, feeling more than a little foolish. “Snap?”

Joe threw back his head and roared with laughter. Once he’d calmed down, he appeared delighted. Julia didn’t know why.

“Guess we’re playing snap, then.” His grin was wide. “Now when you lose a round, there’s a penalty.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What kind of penalty?” She wasn’t taking off any clothes. None.

“Julia Collins, you’re thinking about stripping again, aren’t you? You are just desperate to get naked with me. Unfortunately, I’ll have to wait for that pleasure. If you lose, the winner has the right to claim a boon.”

Her head snapped up. “Boon?”

“Yeah, a reward.” He waggled his eyebrows. “It could be in the form of a question the loser has to answer, or a dare they have to take, or a kiss they have to give the winner.”

His eyes lingered on her lips, making her flush as she remembered the brief, sweet kiss he’d given her weeks earlier. The kiss that had made her hide from him ever since.

His eyes darkened as he watched her. “You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?”

Julia felt her cheeks burn, but didn’t answer.

“You still playing?” he challenged.

“Is hiding in the closet an option?”

His lips twitched. “No.”

“Then let’s start.” This might just be a game of snap, but there was no way she was letting him win. Especially with this boon system in place. The dark places of her mind were already speculating about what sort of boon Joe would claim. She shut them down and sat up straight.

“You ready?”

“Play your card, Joe.”

He won the first round because his reflexes were like a cat.

“This game isn’t fair,” Julia pointed out. “It’s more about being physical than being smart. I don’t have the same level of fitness as you. Nor do I have your speed.”

“I think you just insulted me.” He grinned as Julia went over her words.

Her eyes went wide. “I don’t mean I would have a better chance if we were playing a game that needed intellect. I just mean you’re bigger. You have more muscle. You’re sneaky and fast.”

“Tell you what, we’ll put the cards closer to you so that your shorter arms can reach them faster. Does that help?”

“You’re mocking me.”

“Only a little. Now I want to claim my boon.”

She froze. “I’m not taking off any clothes.” Not that she had many on. She’d packed a suitcase full of shapeless cotton dresses because she thought they would be the most practical option. All she had on was a beige tent that went to her ankles and beige cotton underwear.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Joe could not see her underwear. Ever.

“You know, just once, I’d love to be inside your mind,” Joe said. “I bet it would be fascinating.”

“What’s the boon, Joe?” She squared her shoulders. She could take it.

“Unpin your hair. Let it fall free.”

“My hair.” She touched the tight bun at the back of her head.

“Yeah, I’ve never seen it down.”

Feeling entirely too self-conscious, Julia unpinned her hair. The honey-coloured waves fell to her shoulders. Her hair was hard to style. It was never neat enough for Julia, and there was too much of it. She’d inherited her mother’s thick locks.

“Beautiful.” Joe reached out and played with one of the waves. “You should wear it down all the time.”

“It gets in the way.”

“Of what?”

She frowned at him. “Life.”

With a grin, Joe played another card. “Come on, time for you to win a boon. If you can.”

Julia kept her eyes glued to the growing pile of cards they threw down. Her hand shot out when two aces appeared.

“Snap!” She grinned at Joe.

“Julia Collins, you’ve got a maniacal competitive streak. I didn’t know that about you.”

“You should see me when I play Monopoly.” She gathered the cards.

“I’d like that. Now what are you going to claim as your boon?”

Two thoughts slammed into her mind at the same time. One of them made her blush furiously.

“Oh, I need to hear this.” Joe leaned his forearms on the table. “What just went through your head?”

Nothing—except the thought of making him play shirtless. The only thing stopping her, was that he would likely make her do the same if he won a round. The sensible thing was to go for the safe option. There were days when Julia hated her need for safety.

“I’ll ask a question,” she said, making him arch his eyebrow at her. “Do you like living in England?”

Joe shook his head with clear disgust. “Baby, that isn’t a boon, that’s polite dinner conversation. Try again. Ask something you really want the answer to.”

A plethora of questions ran through her mind. To her shame, most of them involved words she couldn’t say out loud. Joe Barone had a very bad effect on her it seemed.

“Time’s ticking. You don’t choose fast, you lose your boon.”

“That wasn’t in the rules.”

He shrugged, clearly amused. Julia, meanwhile, tried desperately to think of something he would consider a worthy boon, but didn’t involve anybody stripping. There was honestly nothing else in her brain. It was pathetic. Normally she couldn’t shut her overactive mind down, but around Joe, it went blank.

“I’m counting to three, and if you don’t choose, you lose. One. Two…”

“Take off your shirt.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Julia was on her feet and running for her bedroom, humiliation fast on her heels.

A huge arm wrapped around her waist and then she was being carried back to the table.

“I need to go to bed.” She struggled in his arms.

“Yeah, I saw how urgent the need was.” He put her in her seat and leaned over her. “There is nothing wrong with your request. This is just us. Nobody else. And nothing you say or do here is wrong. And”—his smile was wicked—“this time, I won’t make you strip as payback.”

Julia groaned, hung her head and pressed her hot face into her palms. When she looked back up, Joe was shirtless, and then her brain really stopped working.

Danger! Danger! Run!

Unfortunately, her feet had stopped working too. Her eyes however, were still very much functional. And they were glued to the most perfect set of abdominal muscles she’d ever seen. Was that an eight-pack? Was that even possible? Her fingers itched to trace over his muscles and make sure her math was correct. Perfect olive skin was tight against well-defined pecs, and there was a smattering of hair between his nipples.

Oh. My. Goodness.

It was possible she might faint and die right then and there.

“Your turn to start.” Joe’s rumbling baritone broke the trance his chest had put her into.

Julia eyed the bedroom door again. Maybe if she ran really fast, she could hide in the closet before he even noticed she was missing.

“Pick up your cards and play,” Joe said.

Without even thinking about it, she followed his order. Her eyes flickered to his. “I’m sorry I made you strip. It was wrong of me.” Especially seeing as she would die if he asked her to do the same.

“Oh, I don’t know. I kind of like the look you have on your face right now. I’d say it was very right of you. Now play your card.”

Dragging her attention from the half-naked Joe, Julia slapped her card down, keeping her eyes glued to the growing pile. She saw the double queens a split second before Joe’s big hand smacked down on them.

“Are you cheating?” She glared at him, forgetting for once that this man made her more nervous than a mouse at a cat show.

“How can you cheat at snap?” He folded his arms, bringing her attention right back to his chest. A chest topped with shoulder muscles that made her mouth water.

With great effort, she pulled her gaze away and stared at the table instead. “I’m watching you, Joe Barone. I usually do better at this game. There’s something going on here.”

“Do you normally play with five-year-olds?”

That didn’t even merit a reply. “What’s the boon this time?”

“A kiss.”

Electricity sparked between them. And it suddenly became hard to breathe. Julia could still remember the last kiss they’d shared. It haunted her dreams. There were times she was certain she could still feel his lips pressed against hers. She wasn’t sure she would survive another one.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she whispered.

“Why?”

“Why?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah, tell me why it’s a bad idea?”

Because you terrify me. Because you’re too gorgeous to be interested in me. Because you might think you want to start something with me, but it’s only a matter of time until you get fed up with my weird personality. Because…

“Julia, you have to answer out loud or I can’t hear you.”

“I told you we aren’t suited.”

“And I told you that I wanted to try. You promised to think about it. You’ve had enough time to come to a conclusion.”

No, she hadn’t. It was all she’d thought about for weeks. And she kept coming up against the same dilemma—if she started something with Joe, she’d end up getting hurt, and she wasn’t sure her heart could cope with it.

“Baby.” He leaned towards her, mere inches away. The heat from his body drew her like a warm open fire. “Tell me you don’t want to kiss me and I’ll choose another boon.”

Julia almost lost herself in those chocolate-coloured eyes, but she didn’t say a word. She couldn’t. Because she wanted nothing more than to feel Joe’s lips on hers again. Even though she knew it was a very bad idea. Even though she knew there was nothing inside her that could deal with this man. Even though she knew he could destroy her. She still wanted his kiss.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he whispered.

As though in slow motion, he closed the gap between them. Julia’s eyes fluttered shut as his lips touched hers. Joe. His touch was teasing, and Julia found herself leaning into it. Soft, firm lips brushed over hers as his hand clasped into the hair at the back of her head. When he nibbled softly at her lower lip, she heard a small, needy moan escape. Joe made a rumbling sound in reply, as his tongue teased the seam of her lips. There was no fighting it. Julia didn’t hesitate to open her mouth for him.

His head angled and he deepened the kiss. Julia felt hot, firm muscle under her fingertips and realised her hands were on him. His scent, that masculine aroma of spice and musk, was like a drug to her senses. He tasted of coffee and Joe. He tasted of pleasure she’d never imagined. Pleasure that equally terrified and tempted.

All too soon, he slowed the kiss and leaned back, his hand still in her hair, her nails digging into his shoulders. Julia fought to lift heavy eyelids, and what she saw made her heart stutter. There was pure, ferocious need in his eyes. Need and possession.

For her.

Without thinking, Julia was on her feet and running. This time, Joe didn’t stop her.