Page 28 of Eden's Joker

He’s right about all of that. I’ve got fluffy rugs and blankets everywhere, all my furniture is either white or pale pink, and bookshelves line all the walls. Even the TV stand is filled with them.

“And all these sparkly lights,” he says, eying the Christmas lights I have hanging all over the place.

“You’re right, I went a little overboard with those,” I say, fighting the urge to turn some of them off. “I saw a post online and I really liked the look.”

“It’s all very bright,” he says. “Just like you.”

I’m sure the myriad sparkling lights I have going on in my apartment are adding special hues to the redness in my cheeks.

“Come in, sit,” I say, pointing at the sofa. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Sit?” he asks. “I’m afraid to touch anything in here, it’s all so clean and light.”

And I’m sure he means that to include me. Damn. Damn me and my prefect good girl tastes.

“On the sofa is fine,” I say, maybe a little too edgily.

He cocks an eyebrow at me. “Is that an order?”

“And what if it is?”

He’s fighting not to smile. Or maybe that’s anger making his lips twitch. Good. The last thing I want is for him to see me as a sweet young girl, or worse, like a sister. That’s how everyone else sees me. Their good sister.

“You don’t like being told what to do,” I say, my tone somewhere between a question and a statement of fact.

This time he grins as he nods. “Got me there. But for you I’ll make an exception.”

He strides over to the sofa and plops down on it, shouldering off his jacket, while pulling a bottle from one of the inside pockets. He lets his jacket hang off the back of the sofa and places the bottle of gin on the seashell-adorned white-washed chest I use as a coffee table.

“I didn’t know what to bring so I went with gin,” he says. “Got anything to mix it with?”

“Gin because it’s such a woman’s drink?” I ask, reaching into the cupboard above the sink for two glasses, so I don’t have to see the answer in his eyes in case he decides to lie.

“Got me,” he admits. “I figured vodka would be too hardcore and whiskey’s not always popular with the ladies.”

I join him by the sofa, carrying the two glasses and a carton of orange juice.

“But you wanted to get me drunk so you had to bring something,” I say and grin at him. “Just in case all I had was juice and tea.”

He grins wider. “Got me again. Although, if you don’t want to drink that’s fine with me. But I’m having some.”

He reaches for one of the glasses and I push the other in front of him too. “Pour.”

He smiles appreciatively and does it. I sit down next to him. He’s taking up about half the sofa on his own and I make sure our thighs touch as I hand him the orange juice. Then hard blush right after. As much as I know nothing about guys and how to seduce them, it’s all coming very naturally with him.

“Careful there,” he says. “We’re here to watch cartoons. That’s not a good backdrop for fooling around.”

The words actually felt like a slap. So much for knowing what I’m doing with him. What a stupid thing to think in the first place.

“What are you talking about?” I ask as I pick up my drink.

He picks up his glass too and leans back. “Are you saying you’re not flirting with me?”

My face must be lava red and giving off as much heat as lava would, I’m sure. But I chooseto ignore it.

“Flirting? Nope. That’s not something I usually do.”

Very well, that is. But I don’t add that. Thankfully.

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