Page 47 of Escorted

She stilldidn’t know what all of that emotional tension last month even meant.

There were fartoo many things about Ander that she didn’t know. And she realized how much shedeeply disliked her ignorance. The curiosity she’d always felt about Ander had,for some reason, intensified into a driving need toknow.

But Anderclearly wasn’t going to tell her—not even the most basic of answers.

He just satthere, drinking his wine, still laughing softly to himself.

“What are youlaughing at?” she demanded, deciding she was annoyed with him for enjoying herfrustration, even as mildly as he was.

“Hasn’t anyonetold you no before when you pry into their lives?”

“Yes, butusually I’m able to get around that.” She gave Ander an assessing look, tryingto figure out what it would take to get him to open up about his secrets, aboutall the things he refused to tell her.

Ander justchuckled again, as if he knew exactly what she was plotting and knew she didn’thave a chance of succeeding.

Lori gave agasp of outrage at his brazen amusement at her expense and impulsively chuckeda pillow at him.

It hit himsquarely in the chest with a satisfying whoosh.

Ander blinkedat her.

Pleased at havingtaken him by surprise, she threw another pillow at him. This one was aimed evenbetter, and it smacked into his face before flopping in his lap.

Ander made awinded sound and dropped the pillow onto the floor near the first one. “Arather childish entertainment, don’t you think?”

At anothertime, his dry tone might have smothered her playful impulses, made her feelfoolish and young. But she knew he’d pitched his voice to be patronizing onpurpose to adjust the playing field in his favor.

She ignored hiscomment. For the moment she had the upper-hand and she wasn’t about to lose it.

There were sixpillows on the bed. She threw another one at him. Again, it connected with hisface and he made a huffing sound at the impact.

Then he got tohis feet.

Feeling athrill of excitement, Lori grabbed the other three pillows in preparation.

She hurledanother one as he advanced toward the bed. It hit Ander with more force thanher other attempts, but her aim wasn’t quite as careful. The pillow hit hisgroin, making him grunt.

Lori couldn’thold back a giggle as she prepared for another assault.

To her dismay, Andercaught her next missile and smoothly dropped it into the pile with the othersbefore he reached the side of the bed.

He was smilingnow. A new smile. One that was dangerous, almost predatory. It prompted ashudder of excitement along her spine and took her breath away.

She clutched ather last pillow, gripping it desperately as she resisted Ander’s attempts topull it out of her hands.

“It isunquestionably foolish to begin a battle when you don’t know the full strengthof your adversary,” Ander murmured.

“Idoknow,”Lori insisted, scooting back on the bed a little as Ander loomed threateninglyover her.

Then hecheated. He absolutely cheated. He grabbed her ankle and brushed his fingerslightly over the sole of her bare foot.

Her ticklishinstinct triggered, she squealed and jerked her foot away.

While she wasdistracted, Ander smoothly pulled the pillow from her loosened grip.

“Hey!” Shestared in mute outrage as Ander added the final pillow to his stash by thetable.

Now he had allthe pillows. And she didn’t have any.

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