her expression, and she cursed her face for revealing her worries. His voice lost its edge as he said, “Don’t worry, gorgeous. We have an idea about how to make this less of a chore for them.”
“How?” she asked suspiciously.
“We’re thinking of turning it into a competition. Breaking them up into teams and having them go up against each other.” He shrugged. “We can come up with different events for them to compete in. Short- and long-range targets, moving targets, sparring, knife skills, that sort of shit. They can rack up points and we’ll declare a winning team at the end.”
She had to relent. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“It’d be better if there was a prize at the end, something they’re all fighting toward. Any ideas?”
Reese thought it over for a moment. “Beef,” she decided.
Rylan’s mouth quirked up. “I’m trying to figure out if that’s a euphemism or not.”
She rolled her eyes. “Literal beef. We’re not butchering again until the end of winter, so we’re rationing all the meat we have. We can give the winning team steaks. You know, some choice cuts of meat.”
Pike nodded. “Good plan.”
She couldn’t figure out if he was being sarcastic – it was impossible to judge the man’s tone. But she decided to treat it as a sincere comment. “Fine. Go ahead with the plan, then.”
“We done here?” he said curtly.
“Yes.”
Pike left without a word, stalking down the darkened street until he disappeared from view. He usually stayed in one of the town houses on the outskirts of the town, where he kept to himself. That was how he operated – took care of business and then got the hell out. She’d always appreciated that about him.
Rylan, of course, lingered. “So we’re in agreement about this competition thing?”
“I just said so, didn’t I?” she said irritably.
His blue eyes gleamed. “Seal it with a blow job?”
“Good night, Rylan.”
She spun on her heel and went to join Sloan, who’d been standing by one of the broken streetlamps watching the exchange. Without a backward glance, the two of them headed to her brick building and climbed the narrow staircase to the second floor.
Rather than turn on the lights, Reese lit a couple of candles and collapsed wearily on the huge futon in the center of the room.
Sloan leaned against the wall. The damn man never sat. Sometimes she wondered if he even slept. He had a bed in the next room, but fuck if she’d ever seen the sheets messed up.
“Teresa.”
The name, uttered in a low, harsh voice, caught her off guard. He only used her full name when he was about to get serious. Well, more serious than usual, anyway.
“Sloan,” she answered coolly.
His lips twitched. “You hate it when I call you that.”
She did. She really did. It was what Jake had called her, and all reminders of Jake were too much to bear.
“I needed to get your attention.” He went quiet for a moment. Then, to her surprise, he breached the ten feet of distance between them and knelt in front of the mattress.
He didn’t touch her. Didn’t even blink. He simply stared at her with that impenetrable gaze of his.
“What is it?” she said uncertainly.
“You’re playing this wrong.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Rylan,” he clarified. “You need to stop antagonizing him, sweetheart.”
“I can’t help it,” she grumbled. “He annoys me.”
Sloan gave a rare chuckle. “I know. But the harder you push him away, the more he’ll push back. The more he’ll pursue you.” He arched one dark eyebrow. “The whole point was to make him
not
take notice. To make sure he doesn’t get suspicious. Which means you have to stop fighting him.”
She swallowed. “What, you think I should fuck him?”
His square jaw tensed up. “That’s not what I’m saying.”
“Then what?”
“Just… be nicer.”
A genuine laugh popped out of her mouth. “Um, impossible. I’m not a nice person, honey.”
“Yes, you are.”
The
“How?” she asked suspiciously.
“We’re thinking of turning it into a competition. Breaking them up into teams and having them go up against each other.” He shrugged. “We can come up with different events for them to compete in. Short- and long-range targets, moving targets, sparring, knife skills, that sort of shit. They can rack up points and we’ll declare a winning team at the end.”
She had to relent. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“It’d be better if there was a prize at the end, something they’re all fighting toward. Any ideas?”
Reese thought it over for a moment. “Beef,” she decided.
Rylan’s mouth quirked up. “I’m trying to figure out if that’s a euphemism or not.”
She rolled her eyes. “Literal beef. We’re not butchering again until the end of winter, so we’re rationing all the meat we have. We can give the winning team steaks. You know, some choice cuts of meat.”
Pike nodded. “Good plan.”
She couldn’t figure out if he was being sarcastic – it was impossible to judge the man’s tone. But she decided to treat it as a sincere comment. “Fine. Go ahead with the plan, then.”
“We done here?” he said curtly.
“Yes.”
Pike left without a word, stalking down the darkened street until he disappeared from view. He usually stayed in one of the town houses on the outskirts of the town, where he kept to himself. That was how he operated – took care of business and then got the hell out. She’d always appreciated that about him.
Rylan, of course, lingered. “So we’re in agreement about this competition thing?”
“I just said so, didn’t I?” she said irritably.
His blue eyes gleamed. “Seal it with a blow job?”
“Good night, Rylan.”
She spun on her heel and went to join Sloan, who’d been standing by one of the broken streetlamps watching the exchange. Without a backward glance, the two of them headed to her brick building and climbed the narrow staircase to the second floor.
Rather than turn on the lights, Reese lit a couple of candles and collapsed wearily on the huge futon in the center of the room.
Sloan leaned against the wall. The damn man never sat. Sometimes she wondered if he even slept. He had a bed in the next room, but fuck if she’d ever seen the sheets messed up.
“Teresa.”
The name, uttered in a low, harsh voice, caught her off guard. He only used her full name when he was about to get serious. Well, more serious than usual, anyway.
“Sloan,” she answered coolly.
His lips twitched. “You hate it when I call you that.”
She did. She really did. It was what Jake had called her, and all reminders of Jake were too much to bear.
“I needed to get your attention.” He went quiet for a moment. Then, to her surprise, he breached the ten feet of distance between them and knelt in front of the mattress.
He didn’t touch her. Didn’t even blink. He simply stared at her with that impenetrable gaze of his.
“What is it?” she said uncertainly.
“You’re playing this wrong.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Rylan,” he clarified. “You need to stop antagonizing him, sweetheart.”
“I can’t help it,” she grumbled. “He annoys me.”
Sloan gave a rare chuckle. “I know. But the harder you push him away, the more he’ll push back. The more he’ll pursue you.” He arched one dark eyebrow. “The whole point was to make him
not
take notice. To make sure he doesn’t get suspicious. Which means you have to stop fighting him.”
She swallowed. “What, you think I should fuck him?”
His square jaw tensed up. “That’s not what I’m saying.”
“Then what?”
“Just… be nicer.”
A genuine laugh popped out of her mouth. “Um, impossible. I’m not a nice person, honey.”
“Yes, you are.”
The
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