Page 21 of Sinful Desires

“I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity for another race.” I eyed the slope, then shrugged. “But I was thinking of something else. Later. What do you say?”

“I say…” Her head tipped to the side, skeptical. “I would like more information.”

“Meet me on the front porch at midnight.” With that, I continued toward where Lucian and Evan waited for the lift. I hadn’t given her the chance to refuse and hadn’t received confirmation she would join me, but I wasn’t worried. She couldn’t back down from a challenge, not from me.

It was half past eleven, and the evening was winding down. Colton and Rose had escaped to their room an hour ago, maybe more. Sienna had given Noah a meaningful look, then sauntered up the stairs not long after. Before calling it a night, he stayed behind for another few hands of poker at the round table between the kitchen and main room. All the while, Aria read a book, curled up in a deep, overstuffed chair near the fire on theother side of the room. She twirled a strand of hair around one finger, deeply engrossed.

So engrossed, in fact, she hadn’t done much more than stare at the same page for the last two hands. I was the only one who noticed or paid attention.

There wasn’t a doubt in my mind she was questioning whether she ought to take me up on my challenge. She would ignore her distrust of me if only to show me up. That was fine. So long as she followed the trail of breadcrumbs I so carefully sprinkled for her.

“We could make this interesting.” Evan grinned at me before turning to Valentina, currently scowling at her cards. “What do you say next hand, we try strip poker?”

In another life, I might have liked Valentina quite a bit. She pulled no punches and didn’t give much of a shit whether anyone cared. Her face contorted in a mask of disgust before she retorted, “Dude, my cousin is playing with us. That’s disgusting.”

“And her stepbrother, don’t forget,” I quipped. Soft scoffing floated our way from Aria's side of the room, but she continued the pretense of reading. “Though you aren’t cousins by blood, are you?” I pointed out.

“No, but he’s our aunt and uncle’s nephew by marriage,” Valentina explained as she studied her cards. “It just makes sense to call him our cousin. We all practically shared a playpen when we were little. Either way, my clothes are staying where they are, thank you.“

“Just an idea,” Evan insisted. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

“Actually, you can.” She squinted across the table at him, the two of them the only ones who hadn’t folded. “What’s it gonna be? I call. Show me what you’ve got.”

“Two pairs. Jacks over nines.” Smirking, he spread his cards on the table and reached for the chips.

That was until Valentina placed a trio of sevens on the table before pulling the chips her way. “And because I’m a gracious winner, that will be my last hand,” she announced gleefully. “We’ll settle up in the morning.” She hummed happily to herself as she gathered her chips while Evan scowled, and I shared a laugh with Lucian.

“It’s been a long day.” Lucian stretched, groaning, then pushed back from the table. “I think I’ll head up. Who’s doing breakfast in the morning?”

“You mean brunch, I hope,” Evan muttered, gathering a handful of empty beer bottles and taking them to the kitchen. “I’m not one of you early risers.”

“Either way, Rose and Sienna are making pancakes,” Valentina announced. “Aria and I will take breakfast on Sunday before we head out.”

All through this, Aria maintained her silence. I went through the motions of tidying up, pushing the chairs in, and finishing my lager before tossing the empty bottle into a recycle bin. I had milked two bottles of beer all evening, intent on keeping a clear head.

“Are you coming up anytime soon?” Valentina called down from the second-floor passage overlooking the main room.

Aria looked up at her, shrugging. “I’m pretty content down here right now. But don’t worry. I’ll kill the fire when I come up.” In the reflection from the large windows spanning either side of the chimney, I noticed when Valentina’s gaze landed on me. She was reluctant to leave us alone, but it wasn’t enough to stop her from retreating to her room. I waited until the door closed and again for another two doors to close upstairs before speaking to Aria for the first time in hours.

“It’s not quite midnight,” I pointed out in a low voice on my way to the kitchen. “But my offer still stands. Meet me on the porch.”

“For what?” She snapped the book shut without bothering to use a bookmark, telling me exactly how much attention she had paid to a single word.

“Something I think you’ll enjoy.” I wasn’t about to give her another hint, deciding instead to head straight for the hooks embedded in the wall to the left of the front door, where my coat waited. If she followed, I had won.

The solar lights lining both sides of the pathway leading from the porch stairs were striking against snow painted purple by the moon. Lights dotted the landscape in the distance, revealing the presence of cabins and lodges throughout the valley. It was a beautiful, peaceful scene, one whose value I could not help but notice despite my distracted, troubled thoughts.

Thoughts of the girl inside, most likely pacing as she fought herself. There was no pretending she didn’t hold my attention. I’d played terribly all evening, too concerned with the way the fire defined her delicate profile. I asked myself what she was thinking and noted her chewing of her lip from time to time as if something worried her.

I didn’t care. I couldn’t. There was no room for it. I had made a vow.

With my back to the door, there was no need to conceal a triumphant grin when I heard the hinges squeak softly. “Okay, I’m here.” She sounded like the brat she was, which made my smile widen. If nothing else, she was an amusing girl. Fun to play with.

“It’s about time.” I reached into my pocket and withdrew a set of keys to one of the SUVs. “Come on. I have something to show you.”

Her disparaging groan rang out when I turned away. “I’ve heard that line before, you know.”

Trotting down the stairs, I retorted, “Yet you’re still following me.” She was, too, her feet crunching the gravel beneath us on our way to the cars.

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