Page 40 of Wicked Games
“The art thief sends you flowers and expensive whisky?”
“Only when she wants my attention.”
“Well, she has mine,” I told him.
Lucien opened the card and read: “Uncle Vernon sends his regards. You and I might play for different sides, but that doesn’t mean I want to see you hurt. There’s a place called Sal’s in Little Havana on Calle Ocho. They make the best ropa vieja and Cuban sandwiches outside of Cuba. If you see Renaldo, tell him I sent you.”
“Who is Uncle Vernon?” I asked.
“He’s the family friend who’s trying to help me dig up dirt on Banks. I’ve called him my uncle as long as I can remember even if we’re not related by blood.”
“What are we going to do?” I asked.
“We’re going to pack our bags and fly to Miami.”
IWAS USED TO PACKINGmy stuff and leaving in a hurry, so it took me less than ten minutes to pack a carry-on bag before we drove to Ryder’s apartment. He, on the other hand, wasn’t used to speedy exits and paced between his closet, bathroom, and dresser, looking indecisive.
I lay in the center of his bed watching the show, too amused to be annoyed with the delay.
“What’s the temperature in Miami right now? Should I pack T-shirts and shorts? Do I need a hat and sunglasses for a disguise?”
“Love, we’re not going on a safari nor are we robbing a bank. We need to blend in by looking like the other tourists. You can pack them, and we’ll see what we end up needing. I have no idea how long we’ll be gone. Pack for a few days, and we can buy more clothes if we need them. Same goes for any toiletries you forget,” I said, eyeing his leather shaving bag stuffed to the brim with stuff. “Just so you know, I’ll be perfectly happy if you don’t shave. I love it when your scruffy beard rasps against my inner thighs.”
That got his attention, and Ryder stopped what he was doing to rub his chin and jaw. His blue eyes looked smoky as he gauged how many days it would take to reach optimal scruffiness. “It’s not as if my employer can bitch about me growing a beard.”
“No, they can’t.”
“I’m going to grow a beard,” Ryder said, taking his shaving bag back into the bedroom. “Have you booked our plane tickets yet?” It was the fifth time he asked in the past thirty minutes.
“Not yet,” I said patiently.
Ryder came to the bathroom door and stared at me with a confused expression on his face. “What are you waiting for?”
“For you to at least pack one outfit in your carry-on bag. Items are lying around it, but not in it. I can’t tell if you’re having a hard time making a decision on what to pack or you’re panicking about going?”
Ryder relaxed and leaned in the doorway. “Let me tell you a secret about me.”
I tucked my hands beneath my head to get comfortable. “Go on.”
“I’m used to structure and methodical planning.” He released a long sigh of relief. “There, I said it.”
“You don’t say,” I replied wryly. “I never would have guessed it about you.”
“It requires great patience and a knack for tedious details to restore paintings and artifacts. I can’t just go into my lab with a power washer to blast off decades of dirt, debris, and grime.”
“How does that relate to packing on the fly?”
“It doesn’t explicitly apply to the situation we find ourselves in right now; I’m just explaining how rushing through things, even packing, goes against my nature. I take great care in all things.”
“I’ve known you to take excellent care of things in a hurry when the situation required it,” I said, stroking my hand over my groin. “I seem to recall us sneaking away from our guided tour of Versailles.” I placed my two fingers against my temple and scrunched up my face like I struggled to remember the specific details. “It’s coming to me in spurts.” Ryder snorted. “I’m seeing velvet curtains and two men. One is on his knees with the other man’s dick in his mouth.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever come so hard in my life,” Ryder said huskily. “You should feel terrible about ‘coming in spurts’ all over the polished floor.”
“I don’t feel an ounce of guilt about it, but you’re going to regret whipping out those air quotes again.”
“I am?”
“You might if it causes us further delay. I saw the excitement in your eyes when I announced we’re going on an adventure.”