He was tired of it? That meant he didn’t want to desire her—he wanted rid of it. Well, that she could understand.
“You’re not cross-dressing at this joint?” he asked lightly, easing off that intensity.
She chuckled as she remembered that crazy outfit she’d worn at the pop-up pizza parlor where she’d first met Hunter. “You’re disappointed?”
“I’m never disappointed in the way you look.”
She avoided looking at his eyes as a wave of pleasure swept over her. It was ridiculous how he could do that with so few words. Such blunt, direct honesty made her so aware of him.
A quartet of honeymooners emerged, looking radiantly enervated, clearly looking for her service. Luisa walked over to them with a smile, relieved for the interruption from Hunter. Maybe he’d go and find his room and give her some time to steel herself.
“It’s not too early for a pina colada?” One of the women asked.
“It’s never too early.” Luisa winked at her.
But she noticed one of the women giving Hunter a sideways look. Yeah, he was that striking.
“He’s a friend of yours?” The woman guessed coyly.
“We know each other.”
The bride smiled. “He can’t take his eyes off you.”
Yeah well that woman was looking at the world through her honeymoon glow. Luisa mixed up the drinks and lingered to chat to them before finally turning to walk back to where Hunter still waited by the coffee machine.
“You want something to drink?” she asked him briefly.
“No.”
“Eat?”
“Not food.”
She sent him a look. “I have to work.”
“Am I scaring off your customers?”
She angled her head at that thread of tension in his voice and threw the questions back at him. “Do you think you are?”
He smiled and yet again the change in him caused inner tremors. “I think you’re determined to keep me at a distance. You have been from the moment we met all those months ago. The question is why?”
“I have a game for you. Mr-Ask-All-The-Questions.” She planted her hands on the bar and met his gaze squarely.
“You do?”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t get too excited.”
“Too late.” He answered beneath his breath and deadpan.
She had to bite back her smile. This playful side to him was intriguing. Tempting. She leant forward, keen to see just how far she could go with him. “Have you ever…”
“I know the game—”
“But there’s a twist.”
“I can do twist if I have to,” he drawled with slight kink. But there was still that watchful quality in his eyes.
“You can only ask the question, if you’ve done the thing yourself.”
“So, you could ask, ‘have you ever worked in a coffee cart on the beach?’ —that kind of thing?”
“Exactly.”
He nodded. “Ask away.”
“You want me to go first?”
“Sure. Ask all you want.”
She frowned at him. “We’re supposed to take turn about.”
“I don’t mind. I see the curiosity in your eyes. Go ahead and ask me anything and everything you want. Just remember your own rules.”
She lifted her chin. “Okay then.” She drew a breath, deciding to start easy. “Have you ever watched the sun rise?”
His eyebrows shot up.
“Answer me, it’s a real question.” She chuckled.
“Every day.”
“Seen the moon?”
“Every night.”
She narrowed her gaze on him. ‘You’re supposed to give yes or no answers.”
“You didn’t specify that at the start.”
“Have you ever swum with dolphins in the wild?” she growled at him. Was he a nature lover?
“No.”
“Have you ever gone white-water rafting down a grade five river?” Was he a thrill-seeker?
“Stop showing off about your travel-a-thon life.” He interrupted her in a bored tone. “Ask me something real.”
“Okay then.” She picked up a glass and began to polish it. “Have you ever cried in public?” she held her breath.
He was silent for a moment. “Yes.”
“Have you ever watched someone die?”
“Yes.”
“Have you ever hurt someone?”
“In what way?” he clarified.
“Any way.”
“Yes.”
She hesitated. “Have you ever fallen in love?”
Something flicked in his eyes. A glimpse of pain. She wasn’t sure whether it was caused by his own recollection of his past, or her admission by asking the question. Yes she’d loved someone. She’d loved Jack with everything she had. It wasn’t something she could do again.
“Are you going to answer?” she prompted Hunter, aching to hear what he’d say.
“No.”
“Is that your answer or your refusal to answer?”
“You work it out.”
That wasn’t fair but she could find out in another way. “Have you ever told someone you loved them?”
“No.”
That broke her heart. And she hated the single word answers he was giving, but she’d set out the rules. To expand on his answers would mean she’d have to reciprocate and she couldn’t. So frustratingly, she was left even more curious than she’d been at the beginning. All the while she was giving things away while finding things out. She didn’t want him to know much more about her.
“I have some questions for you.” He leaned forward over the bar now that she’d fallen silent.
“I thought you didn’t want to ask,” she said warily.
“I’m asking. Are you too scared to answer now?”
“No. Go ahead. Ask me anything—but you have to have done it,” she reminded him.
“I get your rules Luisa. I can play by your rules.”
“Then go ahead.”
He leaned closer, his voice lowering. “Have you ever dreamed of someone night after night?”
She hesitated, but his gorgeous eyes were on her and he was too compelling.
“Yes,” she admitted.
“Have you ever been unable to sleep because you wondered where someone was and whether they were thinking about you?”
“Yes.” Her answer was quieter still.
“Have you ever wanted someone so badly it physically hurts?”
Her heart was in her throat and he asked another question before she had the chance to answer.
“Have you ever spent an entire plane ride imagining the various ways you’d kiss someone?” He sounded almost angry and the next question fell roughly from him. “Have you ever longed to touch someone so bad, you’re shaking with it.”
“Stop,” she whispered, her heart racing.
“Stop what?”
Turning me on. “Making this so intense.”
“It just is intense,” he shrugged and straightened. “It’s nothing I’m doing.”
She looked at him. It was all him.
“It was your idea.” He pointed out with that rare, lazy smile.