Phoenix couldn’t believe how amazing it felt to kiss Cait. She was sexy with a touch of sweet. Spicy with a touch of soothing and making him wonder if he’d be happy with just one night of passion with her.

He was already deciding to take her to someplace nice for the night. Phoenix wanted to win the bet by getting her to give into him before the others got their women to. But he also wanted more than a quick tryst with the beautiful lady.

Cait was much prettier than any woman he’d ever been with before. He could see her beauty went all the way down to her soul. She had a spirit about her that he’d never noticed in any other woman before.

It was a bit unnerving to him that he met her under the odd circumstances. It was also a little crazy that Ethan had picked her out for him. She’d gone overlooked by him when Phoenix was scouting out a woman for Griffin, and he wondered why that was.

Maybe because Cait wasn’t meant for Griffin. Maybe because Cait was meant for him!

“Have you ever been to Texas, Cait?” he asked her as he ran his hand through her hair.

“No, I have not. Are you inviting me?” she asked him as she moved to straddle him in the chair he was sitting on.

Was he? He had to ask himself. What was he doing? He’d never asked anyone to come to his real home before.

“I am inviting you. Do you like the beach? I live in a beach front home.” He watched her eyes dance as she trailed her fingertip over his lips.

“A beachfront home, huh? Are you rich, Phoenix?” she asked him.

He wasn’t sure if he should divulge that information. There was the rule about not using money to get your girl into bed. “I have some money. So, what do you say to a visit?”

“I say, I’ll have to see about that. I’d have to save up the money to get there and get back home. That could take me a few weeks. When did you want me to come?”

“Soon,” he said then pressed his lips to the hollow of her throat. “Very soon.”

“We’ll see how things go,” she moaned as his lips felt so right on her body.

It was a real shame the man was such a pig!

Cait could see a future with the handsome guy. She liked the way she felt being around him. He gave off a great vibe. It seemed out of character for him to have made such a bet.

Maybe it was the bad influence of the other two men, she thought. Perhaps, if she could get him away from them, then he’d be the real Phoenix that she thought he most likely was.

A man who could be trusted. A man she could see herself falling in love with. Not the liar he was being.

Then it occurred to her that he was merely lying to her about his invitation to visit him in Texas to get her to trust him and get her into bed. That wasn’t beyond imagination.

Cait had to admit they seemed to have chemistry, though. Their bodies moved like satin sheets blowing in the breeze on a clothesline. Moving with the other, making beautiful waves like one entity.

Why did he have to be making a damn bet with his stupid friends, instead of really being interested in her?

Phoenix kissed his way up her neck then whispered, “Do you have a favorite hotel in town we could go to for tonight?”

She froze with his question, instantly pissed off. “And what makes you think I’ll be going to a hotel with you, Phoenix?”

Quickly thinking about how to turn his question around, he said, “I didn’t mean for you to come with me. I was just asking about hotels in town for me and my friends to stay in. I hope you didn’t think I intended to hurry you along to be with me, Cait. I would never want you to think I wanted to use you like that.”

Her eyes went wide as he blatantly lied right to her face. “Oh, really?”

It was hard as hell for her to sit on the man’s lap, her crotch against his bulge. “Really,” he said as he pushed her hair behind her ear. “I respect you, Cait.”

She had to close her eyes and take in a breath and hold it, so she didn’t’ come unglued on his ass. Counting to ten in her head had her calming down. He was a man who was using all the tricks in the book to win the bet after all. Just a damn man who was willing to go to the mat for what he wanted. And he wanted her, that was certain.

“You know, Phoenix, I respect you too,” Cait cooed as she leaned forward and put her lips to his ear. “And I’m not as pent up about sex as most women are. I see no reason to keep ourselves from enjoying one another. Do you?” She pulled back to watch his reaction to what she’d said.

His chuckle wasn’t what she had expected. “You’re kind of a back and forth kind of person, aren’t you, Cait? One minute you’re getting angry when you thought I meant to take you to a hotel to have my way with you then the next minute you’re telling me you have no problem with getting to the physical stuff right away. A complex person is what you are.”

Cait was taken aback by what he’d told her. Had she been that way? She hadn’t even noticed.

“I’m a Gemini, Phoenix. I’ve been told I have two personalities before. Maybe that’s my problem.” She knew her real issue was she wanted the gorgeous, built man but knew she couldn’t have him. It was leaving her feeling like a pretzel.

Cait knew she wasn’t fragile like her older sister, Kel was. She wasn’t young and naïve like her little sister, Jess was either. Cait was in the middle of the two. No stranger to love or one night stands, she took sex with a grain of salt. It wasn’t a huge deal to her.

She didn’t think of herself as a tramp even though some of the more prudish girls in their town might have called her one behind her back on more than one occasion. Cait saw herself as a realist. She liked to feel good, who didn’t? Sex with the right partner could feel good. So, why not enjoy that without having a damn engagement ring on your finger to do it?

The way Phoenix was gazing at her made her wonder about him. He didn’t look the part of the guy who wanted a quick piece of ass to win a bet then get on with his life. He had a look that told her he might just want to hang out a bit too.

“Two Caits,” Phoenix said. “And each one seems fascinating. Tell me what kinds of things you like to do. Do you like French food, or Italian? Do you like cats or dogs? I want to know more about you.”

Another solid ploy to get a girl to let her guard down so the guy can swoop in under the radar and make her think he’s a good guy that she can trust with her body. Cait was impressed with his expertise, and if her sisters weren’t involved in the bet, she’d have given him what he needed to win.

Why not help him win? It wouldn’t hurt her feelings one bit!

But there was fragile Kel and young Jess to consider. Both in positions where a thing like this would cause damage to their egos and self-respect. No, Cait had to play it up the way they’d all agreed to. Maybe, if Phoenix could ever forgive her for cock teasing him, he’d ask her out if they ever crossed paths again.

Cait ran her hands through his dark silky hair as she answered his question, “I like dogs. I hate Italian and French. I love Mexican food. How about you?”

The smile that moved over his lips made her heart ache it was so gorgeous. “I like dogs too and Mexican is also my favorite. When you come to visit me, I’ll take you out to get some authentic Mexican food. This part of the country has no such restaurant. If you think you like what’s available here, you’ll believe that you’re in Heaven when you taste real Mexican cuisine.”

“You think?” Cait asked as she yearned to believe the man she was thinking would be the one for her if he hadn’t been into making bad bets about women.

“I know you will. And I have a dog who will love you too. My neighbor’s watching him for me. He’s a black lab named Toby, who loves the water. He’ll fetch things for you. We have a blast playing in the surf back home. I can’t wait to introduce you to him.”

Cait was growing more and more angry at Phoenix who was being the guy she wanted and yet he was lying to her.

Why’d she ever have to meet the man she knew would haunt her for the rest of her life?