Page 45 of Suddenly Tempted
“Ridiculouslydangerousdemands,” she added. “Like taking a helicopter into a snowstorm against everyone’s better wishes.”
She smiled at him, small and hesitant, but it felt like the start of something bigger. He raised his hand between them, offering it to her like an unspoken vow and she took it and shook it.
“That’s a deal, my brave adventurer,” he said quietly, the nickname holding a weight that made her chest tighten.
“That’s a deal, my reformed daredevil,” she replied, uncertainly.
“Not sure I’d go that far,” Devlin laughed.
“Man I can just about tolerate?” she teased.
“How about work in progress?”
Darcy nodded. “Work in progress. I like it.”
They shook on it, neither of them dropping the other’s hand when it was done. For a moment, they stayed there, hands clasped, the promise hanging between them like a fragile thread.
But then Darcy pulled him to her, closing the distance between them in one swift movement. Their lips met again, but this time the kiss was slower, more certain. It wasn’t filled with urgency or fear, but with the quiet understanding that they were beginning something new. That the kiss they’d already shared hadn’t been a one-off. It had been something real.
A loud gust of wind howled outside, rattling the windows, breaking their magic. The snowstorm was still raging around them.
“Looks like we’re stuck here for a little while longer,” Darcy said, a mischievous grin growing on her face. “I found something earlier that I think will help pass the time.”
Devlin’s eyebrow quirked and Darcy shook her head.
“Don’t get any ideas, Romeo,” she laughed. “I meant a pack of cards.”
“Cards?”
Darcy shifted to the edge of the table and jumped down.
“What?” she said. “Afraid I’ll beat you?” she called back over her shoulder as she ducked down to the console cupboard by the pool table and pulled out a pack of well-used playing cards.
“As if!” Devlin said. “I used to play with Mum all the time and she was a hard taskmaster.”
“Oh, fighting talk.”
She sat back on her chair at the table and took the cards from their sleeve, shuffling them and giving Devlin her best poker face. He was trying his hardest not to laugh, but when the cards toppled from Darcy’s hands the floodgates opened.
She grinned, scooping the cards from the floor, unbothered by Devlin’s laughter.
“Okay, okay,” she said, tapping the cards back into some semblance of order. “Maybe I need to work on my shuffling skills, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to win. What’s your game?”
“Snap?”
Darcy laughed.
“Snap? What are you, five?” She shuffled as she spoke, eyes on Devlin, feeling the tension start to build again between them. “I thought you’d be more of a Poker guy, given your face is devoid of emotion most of the time.”
Devlin hit a hand to his chest, clutching dramatically at his heart.
“Oof, you’re killing me.” He dropped his chin and gazed at Darcy. “If Snap is too fast-paced for you and Poker is a bit hardcore for a first date, then I think we should go with Go Fish, if you’re au fait with the rules? First one to ‘book’ wins.”
If Darcy knew the rules of Go Fish then they’d flown out of her head as soon as Devlin had said the wordsfirstanddate.
“You want to cut the cards?” Darcy croaked.
Devlin nodded, taking the deck from her hands and brushing his fingers along the inside of her wrist. The sensation travelled all the way up her arm and spread through her body like a warm rush.
