She sank back into the pillows and laced her fingers behind her head. “Well then, far be it from me to deny you that pleasure. Get to it, master.”
He laughed and saluted her. “Right away, slave girl. And while you’re bathing, I’ll let Andre know that his infamous charm has worked on you, and he’s now invited to play in our sandbox this weekend, too.”
She bit her lip, nerves creeping back in. “Right.”
He paused, something akin to worry on his face. “Unless you’ve changed your mind?”
She shook her head. No, this was already feeling too comfortable with Jace, too easy. She hadn’t felt this content in as long as she could remember. Dangerous territory. A few nights of this and she’d be in big trouble. She needed to get safety nets in place. Right. Now. “No, you can go ahead and tell him. I’m up for anything.”
His expression darkened, something unreadable crossing his face. “Be careful saying things like that, pet. Anything is exactly what they specialize in around here.”
THIRTEEN
Evan padded out of the bathroom in Jace’s oversize pajama top after soaking in the tub for way too long. Her nerves were still twitching like a faulty circuit board. She had no idea how she was going to handle the sleeping arrangements. But as she stepped into the bedroom, relief flooded her. Jace was sprawled out on the left side of the bed, fast asleep.
He’d left a bedside lamp on. The soft light gilded every line in his muscular back and the golden strands of his mussed hair, making him look like a sun-kissed Greek sculpture. Her entire being ached to run her hands along his bare skin, through that hair, to crawl next to him in the empty space he’d left for her, and curl up with him for the night.
But there was no way she could go there. Not tonight. Not ever. So instead, she grabbed a pillow off the bed and the quilt that was thrown over the chair by the window and tiptoed out of the room, clicking the door shut behind her.
The living room was dark except for a few lit candles that were taking the place of logs in the fireplace. She eyeballed the suede-covered couch. It wouldn’t be as cozy as that big bed, but it would do. Tomorrow night, she’d let Jace know that she wanted to head back to her own cabin whenever they were through for the evening so she could have her own space.
She stepped around the coffee table, tossed her pillow and blanket onto it with a sigh, and headed toward the fireplace so she could blow out the candles.
“What are you up to, bella?”
Her heart nearly hopped out of her chest. She spun around to find Andre leaning against the doorway to the kitchen area, sipping a glass of water.
She put her hand to her chest. “Good Lord, you scared the hell out of me.”
He frowned in the dim candlelight. “Sorry. Didn’t realize anyone was still awake.” He nodded at the couch. “What are you doing out here?”
She shifted her weight from foot to foot, feeling like a kid caught sneaking out after curfew. “I, uh, thought I’d sleep out here tonight. Jace is already sleeping and I just—”
“You’re scared to share his bed.”
She choked on her attempt at a laugh. “Of course not, I just did a lot more than that with him.”
“So I heard.” He gave her a wry smile and set his glass down on the dining table before joining her in the living room. He propped a hip on the back of the loveseat, drawing her attention to the fact that along with his T-shirt, he was only wearing a pair of black boxer briefs, underwear that were made for a body like his. She forced her gaze upward.
“It’s understandable, you know? To feel weird about it. You are engaged.”
“Right, ’cause my moral code on that is stellar. I just had sex with someone else.”
He shrugged. “Sometimes sex can be easy to keep separate, but sharing a bed overnight is a whole different animal. Especially with someone you used to have feelings for.”
She leaned back against the wall and sighed. “I’m being ridiculous.”
“Nah, not at all.” Andre stepped closer and held out his hand. “Come on, take my bed, and I’ll sleep out here.”
She waved him off, heading toward the couch. “Oh, no, really, I’m fine. I’ve slept in worse places.” Much worse.
“Not a request, bella,” he said, his tone firm. Her gaze snapped up as he moved in front of her and closed the space between them, his brown eyes flickering with more than candlelight. He braced a hand against the wall, caging her between him and the fireplace. “Jace told me about your invitation. I’m honored. But now you’ve got two bossy men on your hands. So, no, you won’t take the couch.”
“Oh.” Blood began to thrum against her pulse points, his heady, masculine scent mixing with the vanilla of the candles. She searched for her voice. “I, uh, guess you accepted the invitation?”
Smooth, Evan. Real smooth.
He laughed softly. “I’m making you nervous.”