Page 86 of Reckless
That is what I hear in his hold, in the way he pulls me back possessively on his lap. His silent order has me relaxing against his chest while peeking under the brim of my own absurd hat at the two men now perusing the room. They look innocent enough, as though deciding what table they wish to gamble at. But their eyes are searching, studying each person in their path.
“She’s my good luck charm,” Kai says simply, earning a few chuckles from the table. He’s wrapped his arm fully around my waist,leaning in to rest his chin on my bare shoulder. With his bandanna pulled from his face in the dim light, the stubble across his jaw tickles my skin, making me shiver.
“What do you think, darling?” he asks against my ear, holding the cards in front of me. He says this loud enough for the table to hear, as though this a regular routine for the two of us.
“Hmm.” I lean my head against his, feeling his breath on my cheek. Then I’m reaching up to tap a card. “This one.”
“That’s my girl,” he murmurs, placing the card onto the table.
The game continues, though I’m paying no attention, with the way his fingers are splayed across my stomach. I glance up at the men looking for us, finding them slowly making their way to our table. I know Kai notices too when he ducks his face close to mine to hide subtly beneath my hat.
I can’t help but stiffen with every step our pursuers take. I’m ready to hop from Kai’s lap and run if it comes to that. My fingers fidget with the skirt currently draped over the chain at my ankle, bunching the fabric in my sweaty palms.
A firm hand runs down the length of my side, earning my undivided attention. “Relax, Gray,” he breathes against my ear. His palm travels down my hip to the leg below, gripping me beneath the knee to pull me impossibly closer. “Pretend, remember?” His voice is a caress, mimicking the hand now running over my thigh.
Right. Pretend.
That is all anything is between us. Every touch, every look, every genuine moment.
Pretend.
I shift, turning sideways to fling my legs over his lap.
Pretend.
My hand finds the back of his neck, fingers combing through his hair.
Pretend.
Nothing means anything with him. And that’s what I keep telling myself.
His focus is fixed on me and far from the game at hand. “Am I distracting you?” I ask sweetly.
“When are you not?”
“Hmm. Your heart is pounding, Prince,” I whisper against his ear at the feel of it thundering beneath his chest.
“It’s a close game,” he murmurs. “And I’m not accustomed to losing.”
I scoff softly. “No, you’re used to that pretty face and title of yours getting you everything you want.”
He pulls back enough to look me in the eyes, allowing me to glimpse the emotion peeking through the cracks in his mask. His gray gaze travels over my face, taking in every disheveled inch of me. “Not everything.”
I blink. He stares at me until a man signals him to take his turn. It’s only when I look to see the card he’s played that I glimpse the two men walking toward our table. Kai’s chin finds my shoulder again to conceal his face beneath the hat’s brim. His hand brushes up and down my hip, helping to keep me relaxed against his chest.
Pretend.
That’s what I do when the men stop to stand beside the table. I play with Kai’s hair, wrapping my arms around his neck.
Pretend.
My free hand is running fingers over his unshaven jaw before finding their way down his neck.
Pretend.
I’m pretending to ignore the fact that the men are now looking right at me, watching the show I’m performing for them. I can feeltheir eyes trailing over us and the faces that are partially hidden. When I’m certain I should be jumping to my feet and running, they grow tired of us and turn to watch another table.
I exhale, tipping my forehead against Kai’s cheek. “They’re gone.”
