“No,” he said quietly. The corners of his eyes narrowed in a way that shivered down her back.
She tugged her lip into her mouth, her nerves growing under his scrutiny. “That’s not a guess.”
He shook his head. “That’s not how this game will go. Try again.”
He didn’t want a subject change. Her pulse fluttered. “I—I don’t know. That’s what I came up with.”
“Truth, truth, lie. Try again.”
“How did you know that?”
“Try again, Jules.”
“Bossy.”
“Not the first time I’ve heard that in bed.”
“Rhys.” She smacked his chest.
He caught her hand and yanked her closer. Her heart skipped a beat. The second she said stop, he would. He’d release her, and they’d never speak of it again. But she didn’t move a muscle. Not even her involuntary ones worked. Every time she needed to breathe, her brain had to consciously remind her lungs to inhale.
“Try again.”
“What if I can’t?” She tugged her hand back without trying and could barely breathe. He had to realize that. “Your turn.”
“Fine.”
Thank God. She couldn’t handle the spotlight for another second—and wasn’t that the truth. She didn’t actually like being the center of attention. She liked acting. She liked being the best that she could be. Everything that came with it? Not at all.
“My two truths and a lie.” His thumb skimmed over her skin before he released his hold. “I like watching out for you. I won’t screw up this job. No one’s ever kissed me like that either.”
Her cheeks flamed. Was there a lie on his list?
The first one was the truth. She believed that with every part of her. They’d been together too long and had had too many opportunities to go their separate ways, only to come back time and time again.
The second one? Rhys never screwed up. Never. That one was true also.
Which meant the third one had to be the lie. Her heart fell. Rhys was a great guy with fantastic hair and eyes that could hypnotize. Even in Hollywood, where natural and enhanced beauty continually shocked her, he stopped people in their tracks. She had no doubt he could ask any straight woman on a date and get a yes. He had his pick. Did she really think she could kiss him like no one else?
Not really. She couldn’t make anyone float the way he’d made her fly. But he wasn’t an asshole, and he wouldn’t make that one the lie. “I’m going to sleep.”
“Jules—”
“I’m sleeping,” she said, shielding herself from the game, the hurt. “At least trying.”
But did she fall asleep? Absolutely not. She’d never been more awake in her life. She waited for him to snore, for the even cadence of his breathing. Maybe that and knowing he wouldn’t try to talk to her again would lull her to sleep.
Minutes ticked by, the snore-less night mocking her. He hadn’t fallen asleep. He was waiting her out. Of that, she waspositive. Rhys was more stubborn than her. She’d have to work on that, starting tonight.
Except she couldn’t. Moving a millimeter at a time, Jules turned her head and took in his profile. His eyes, framed by his long, dark lashes, remained closed. Strands of his dark-brown hair fell loose and unmanaged around his chiseled face. The hard cut of his jawline and the day’s worth of scruff on his cheeks gave him a dangerous appearance, like her bodyguard had an edge that never left him, even in sleep.
Wordlessly, without opening his eyes, Rhys shifted and stretched his thick, muscled arm above her head. He rested it on her pillow, waiting for her to match his move. She rose and let him position so that his arm became her pillow, and she could lie on him again as they had at the beach.
“I’m going to screw up this job, Jules.” His whisper was barely audible and scratchy, like he needed to clear his throat. He sounded worried, like he shouldn’t say it. “If I haven’t already.”
Jules didn’t tell him he was wrong. She wasn’t sure she could.
Her lungs didn’t feel like they could take in enough air. Had no one ever kissed him as she had? She couldn’t believe it. She didn’t. He’d lied to her before—but that had been so long ago when he testified against Jordan Everett and the world learned how naive and pathetic she’d been. Rhys had promised never to lie to her again. Was he keeping that promise? Her stomach twisted.
