Page 10 of Eden's Joker

He chuckles and brushes his hair off his face, looking at me from beneath his raised palm. He suddenly looks a lot younger. Boyish even. He’s not old. He’s my age, maybe a couple of years older, but there’s this tiredness about him. Like he’s been carrying a great burden for a long time, and it’s made him wary and weary.

“Nah,” he says. “That was actually the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a long time. You’re a very sweet girl.”

I don’t know if that’s exactly what I wanted to hear. It kind of feels nice, but mostly not. All I’ve ever been, for my whole life, is a nice girl, to everyone. I don’t think that’s what he’s looking for.

“Thanks.” I smile anyway and feel my cheeks growing hotter as he gives me a very inquisitive look. Like maybe he can read my smile isn’t one hundred percent genuine. But I’m getting way ahead of myself and whatever this is. If it is anything at all.

“Are you staying in these parts for a while?” I ask.

The quizzical look in his eyes grows amused. “Would you like that?”

I nod and this time my smile is one hundred percent genuine. “Yeah. I would like that very much.”

My twin sister Summer does this thing with her eyes and her lips when she likes a guy—to let him know she’s interested—and I think I’m doing it too. At least, I hope. Could be my face just looks grotesquely deformed right now.

“You sure?”

The smile on my face falters, I can feel it fading as a shadow crosses his eyes and seems to engulf his whole face. But maybe that’s just because twilight is falling.

“What is this?” I ask. “Are you trying to push me away? Because you’re not interested?”

For the first time since I met him today, he seems confused. Probably not a good thing. I can’t believe that just came out of my mouth.

Then he grins and all seems right in my world again. Man, he’s really got me twisting. Probably because I’m so inexperienced with this whole thing. I’ve dated. But never anyone I was so very drawn to—mind, body and soul. That must be showing all over my face.

“That’s the last thing I want to do,” he says. “Yes, I am sticking around for a while. As long as you’ll have me, actually.”

The breath I was taking gets stuck in my throat. I clear my throat and nod.

“Where are you staying?”

“This lovely place called Fire & Heart Inn,” he says. “Ever hear of it?”

I shook my head and was about to tell him that no, I’ve never heard of it, but his grin turns mischievous like he just pulled one on me yet again.

“I didn’t think you would’ve,” he says. “It’s not your kind of place.”

“I can be fun,” I say. “I’m not just all about reading. Let’s go there now. Have a drink. Or whatever.”

He actually looks shocked at the suggestion, his eyes trailing down my face and across my breasts, leaving a trail of fire.

“You’re not dressed for it,” he says. “And like I said, it’s not your sort of place.”

I open my mouth to argue but he shakes his head. No one has ever been able to silence me with just a look and shake of the head, but he just did.

“Some other time then,” I say. “I’ll wear something more suitable.”

“And I’ll take you for a nice dinner then,” he says. “Not to some nasty biker bar.”

“Is that a promise?” I ask.

He grins. “It’s a date. Tomorrow night.”

Then he stands up. “Because right now, I have to go.”

I stand up too. “So they won’t give your room to someone else at that fancy inn?”

“They won’t,” he says and picks up the box with the pies we weren’t able to finish. “Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.”

---