Page 84 of Hottie on Her Shelf
He resumed slowly tracing the neckline of her sweater. And if his fingers dipped into her cleavage, well, Fitz blamed gravity. “Bingo’s too plebeian for the elderly here. They prefer bridge, which I did learn how to play at my grandmother’s knee.”
“Are you any good?”
God, no. It’d have to be something major, like knee replacement surgery at eighty, to drive him to the edge of boredom and park himself in a bridge game. “No. I never play. I make the rounds and flirt with whoever’s losing at each table so they have an excuse for their poor play.”
“Aren’t you a giver,” she intoned drily.
“I support the citizenry however I can.”
Hallie finished unbuttoning his shirt and tugged it from his pants. “In Crow Harbor, everyone plays five hundred. Megan told me she was at a wedding where a guest refused to dance with the bride because he had a winning hand and wouldn’t stop.”
Fitz threw back his head, cracking up. “I’ll bet she holds that over his head for the rest of his life. Deservedly so, of course.”
“Are you a good game player?” She’d scooted backward off his thighs so just her legs were draped over, which was good, but not as good as the previous position.
It meant Hallie wanted to talk. Her preference was for looking at him intently when they talked. They had to be the only couple in the world that turned a light on for a post-sex cuddle and chatting session.
But Fitz had discovered he liked it too. Liked watching the expressions flicker across her face at what he said, or as her mood changed. He could read her now like…well, like a book. And that added an extra layer of intimacy to it all.
Not that Fitz had been looking for intimacy. Apparently, though, sometimes good things snuck up on you. He felt it. The rightness, the ease when they were together. He was sure Hallie felt it.
Fitz was equally sure the whole thing would implode if he brought it up before the election. They’d made an agreement that this was just for fun and it’d be over in a matter of days. Only a jerk would distract her, get her all in her head, throw her off her game by telling her how very much he wanted more. How the allure of sneaking around didn’t seem to be as awesome as the idea of holding her hand as they walked down the street.
Nope. He wouldn’t be that jerk.
Rubbing the backs of his knuckles down her cheek, Fitz asked, “Are you asking do I win? Or am I a good sport, regardless?”
Her pale pink lips pursed as she considered. That pursing made him want all the things from that pair of lips. “Both, I guess. I’m just curious. I’m curious about so many facets of you.”
Well. Wasn’t that interesting?
It wasn’t being a jerk if Hallie opened the door a crack. Fitz could throw out a test balloon, toss out the seed and see if it sprouted. Dip a toe in the water.
Yeah, clearly he was nervous if he was thinking of all these stupid old-timey sayings instead of just pulling the trigger.
Hell.
Without changing the speed or firmness of his caress, Fitz casually said, “There’s no rush. Before you know it, winter will be here. We’ll be snowed in with nothing to do but play games.”
Her fingers stilled for a few seconds where they were circling around his belly button.
Did it prove she’d registered his hint at a future together? Or just that her wrist had grown tired of being torqued sideways? If Hallie was following his train of thought, was she on board with it? Or ready to jump off and find another ride?
Man, Fitz could barely stand himself with all the aphorisms. He sounded like all the residents at the retirement home. If Hallie could hear his thoughts, she’d probably run away at a full sprint.
Fitz wouldn’t blame her one damn bit.
When her fingers restarted their motion, they trailed up to teasingly brush across his nipples. “You know”—and her voice got low and breathy—“I can think of something else to do where we both win…”
“If you’re speaking of sex, Ms. Scott, I’m shocked. Shocked you’d be so brazen.”
“You’ve got your hand down my pants.”
Yup. “Couldn’t resist.” It seemed a more prudent course of action than pursuing talk of a hazy future that wasn’t a realistic option for them, and one in which Hallie hadn’t necessarily expressed any interest. A man had his pride, after all. Not to mention a libido. “Isn’t that why we locked ourselves away in here?”
She jolted upright, her hands flying from him as though his skin had scalded her. “I thought you were kidding. You really want to have sex in here?”
How did she not get it? Fitz was insatiable for her.
