Page 49 of Sin City Lights

“I was. When I was little, I lived with my grandmother. After she died, it was friends and acquaintances in rotation. Home was everywhere and nowhere, so to speak.”

“And your father?”

“He wasn’t in the picture.”

She didn’t tell him that her mother had no idea which of the many men she’d slept with on the cruise ship was her father. Thank goodness Adam didn’t pursue this line of questioning.

“How big is your family?” she asked.

“Too big. Takes me two weeks to get over Thanksgiving.”

She laughed.

“It’s true. There are six of us in my family alone, then there are aunts, uncles, and cousins, one grandparent who is still alive, and I’ve lost count of all the little kids. By the end of the weekend, I end up desperate for some peace and quiet.”

“That sounds like my childhood dream. Are your parents still in Alaska?”

“No. Dad sold the business and moved us to North Dakota right about the time I went to college.”

“No Florida for you, huh?”

“My sister loved Florida. Still does. She followed a boyfriend who wanted to go to UF. Didn’t work out, but she fell in love with the weather instead. She still lives there, near Orlando. Most of us heeded our Nordic genes and stayed where we get lower temperatures.”

“And you’re inVegas?”

“Come on.” He smiled against her hair.“You know that desertnights get cold.”

“Have you ever been to Scandinavia?”

“Are you asking all the questions now?”

“Oops.”

He chuckled. She felt the vibrations, and something tugged deep in her belly.

“It’s OK. Yes, I have. My grandmother still lives in Norway, and every year, the whole family is obligated to make the trek to see her, or else there’s hell to pay.”

“I’ve been to many places but never to Scandinavia.”

“It’s different. And really cold. I like to visit but not for longer than I have to.”

Eve closed her eyes, listening to his steady heartbeat beneath her cheek and the lulling sound of the ocean somewhere below. His size and hard muscles made her feel protected, and his mere presence made her feel…best not to go there.

The time had come to end this conversation. She was loath to leave the warm shelter of his arms but had no choice.

“Well…” She started to thank him for the weekend but then remembered he had paid to have her here with him. Somehow, he’d even managed to make her forget that truth.

To make her forget what she was.

He was so close. She could barely sense a trace of his cologne because most of it had blown away in the island breeze, and now the scent of his warm skin overpowered it.

Eve slightly turned her head, lips parting, and inhaled deeply. One more inch, and she’d be brushing her lips along the corner of his mouth. Her breath caught in her chest, holding his scent there, and she wanted to taste him again so badly, she ached with it.

She exhaled slowly.“This weekend was fun.”

He nodded.“Thank you for coming with me.”

As if on its own, her hand smoothed over his chest.“I guess we should both get some sleep.”

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