Page 42 of Don't Game Me

She wobbled. He helped her catch her balance. “Are you okay?”

“I’m not drunk.”

“Maybe not on alcohol…” He grinned.

She giggled and batted at his arm good-humoredly. “You really are bad.”

“I’ve had a lot of practice at being bad.”

“My good luck, then.”

“You want to watch the first Hobbit movie tonight on my widescreen?” Not very smooth, but he didn’t want to leave her alone tonight. That was a lie. He wanted her with him, even if he would attempt to keep his pants on no matter how much he wanted her naked.

A smile transformed her face. No more tears. Genuine happiness. Success.

She said, “That sounds like fun, but is this code for spending the night? Computer code I get, but I’m not good at sex code. So, I need it straight.”

“Sex code? No. This is an offer to watch a movie only.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist, locking them at his back to pull his pelvis into hers. Huskily she asked, “What if I want more?”

“Bad idea, Becca.”

She looked downcast, as if he’d robbed her of something.

“Hell.” He let out some of his frustration with a deep breath. Everything he’d ever dreamed about was in his arms, but the only thing he could do was let her go. “You deserve better than what I can give. You need someone to love you, not screw you and leave the next day.”

She pressed herself against him. “You wouldn’t do that to me.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.” He couldn’t turn away, couldn’t let her go. Sweet Jesus, he wanted her. He leaned forward and pressed his face into her hair.I don’t want to lose you and the only family I’ve ever had.

The truth from him surprised him.

“I know.” She reached up and touched his face, moving her palm over the roughness of his cheek. “I’m not looking for monogamy and long-term. I want the sex god to show me what it’s all about. One night. And based on that taste…”

“This will be about a movie,” he interrupted, although her proposal shot a zing ofhell yeahthrough him. This was alcohol talking, not Becca. He put an inch or so of air between them. “No promise for anything more.”

She bit her lip. “Okay. It’s the best offer I’ve got for the night. I’ll take it, but I think you better drive.”

12

Jake tossed a popcorn bag into the microwave and set the timer. What was he doing? A slightly tipsy, too-sexy Becca sat on his sofa. The unfamiliarity of a non-sexual experience with a woman at his apartment spooked him as if he teetered on the brink of breaking some unwritten law.

Who was he kidding? There wasn’t anything platonic about him wanting her here. One signal from her and he’d take them right into his bedroom and the sunken tub afterward.

Behave. She’s almost drunk.He didn’t take advantage of almost-drunk women. Ever.

Moments before he’d been fiddling with the four remotes to get the sound system, DVD, and TV synced without success. He’d declared them all a piece of shit. She’d grabbed them out of his hands, did some sort of magical button pushing, and everything worked. Ego buster right there.

He rounded back into the living room with a plastic bowl of popcorn and two bottles of water.

No Becca.

Gone?

His heart pounded. Had he said something wrong? Had she freaked out and left?

He hadn’t heard the chime of the front door opening, not that he could hear much over popping popcorn.