Page 177 of The Bluffing Game

“I don’t want to make this any more convoluted than it has to be. I’m here for a reason—for two reasons—and I told you those reasons.”

“I know, you’re looking for a husband and you’re looking for your dad. What’s that got to do with me?”

“Because if we continue to flirt, it’s going to make it kind of hard for me to …” She makes a face and pauses.

“You haven’t even started dating yet. Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it.”

“So, what are you suggesting?”

“I’m not suggesting anything.” I unbuckle my seat belt and shrug.

I want to tell her that I desire to rip her clothes off. I want to see her naked. I want to run a feather down the sides of her body and across her nipples. I want to take her lips and kiss her hard and fast and run my fingers through her silky hair. I want to slide my fingers down her stomach and between her legs and see how wet I can make her. I want her to shiver and tremble. I want her to beg me to take her hard and fast and then soft and slow. And I want to see the way her eyes light up when I finally make her come. But I’m not going to tell her any of this. I’m not ready to scare her just yet.

“Let’s just take it a day at a time.” I smile and then lean back and tap Izzy on the shoulder. “We’re here,” I say.

“I fell asleep?” She rubs her eyes and moans. “Sorry. I guess I was tired.”

“No worries.” I smile warmly at my sister’s best friend. “You didn’t miss a thing.”

I turn to look back at Sage, and she’s just staring at me, a deep hue of pink on her face. I wonder if she just had the same thoughts as me. I wonder if she’s as attracted to me as I am to her. Unfortunately, tonight is not the night I’m going to find out. But sometimes, the longer the wait, the sweeter the lovemaking when it happens.

Chapter 13

SAGE

“I can’t believe we’ve been working here for a week and a half now.”

Rosie looks over at me as we eat our ham and cheese sandwiches in the break room at the back of the restaurant. There’s a smile on her face as she chews, and I nod my agreement as I take a bite of my apple. It’s sweet, tart, and crisp, and it tastes like one of the best apples I’ve ever had in my life. Even the food here is of a higher quality.

“It does feel surreal, being in Santa Capinari.” I’m still dumbfounded that we live in this magical place and feel like I’m in a dream.

“I love it here more than I expected to love it in this short amount of time. It’s already starting to feel like home.” Rosie grabs some of the salt and vinegar potato chips from the bag we’re sharing and crunches loudly. An etiquette teacher would have something to say to her, but I don’t bother. “I mean, I know it’s not our home yet, and it probably only feels that way because we’re living in Lucia and Izzy’s gorgeous condo, but it’s nice, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s real nice.” I smile at her and try not to let my thoughts wander. “Their place is really big.” I laugh. “And luxurious.”

When we stepped into their condo on that first night, I felt like I’d walked into an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. The floors were marble, the rugs handwoven from Morocco, the furniture new and comfortable. They even had floor-to-ceiling windows that looked over the ocean. And the kitchen was sublime and clean, with a large island that sat four and had visibility to the fifty-inch TV on the living room wall.

“Even the bedroom we’re sharing is huge. I can’t believe they thought it wouldn’t be big enough for us. Maybe they’re just used to really big things that they don’t even realize how lush this place is. I bet you they don’t know what it’s like to sometimes live in the back of your car.”

“We only did that for a week,” I say as I think about how uncomfortable that week was. I reach over and squeeze her hand. “We’ve had some interesting homes, haven’t we? Do you remember the time when Mom and Dad had us living in that really cheap motel, and we were sharing a full-size bed, and we had to alternate who would sleep on top of the cushions on the ground?”

“Yeah, I remember.” She has this sad look on her face. “Most of the time, you took the floor though.”

“I know.”

It was mostly me, but I didn’t mind. It was better than being squeezed up next to my parents, but it wasn’t the most ideal situation. I suppose that’s what happens when your parents are nomads and don’t really have much money.

“At least it wasn’t as bad as that apartment we rented.” Rosie giggles, putting a stop to the sad trip down memory lane. “I’m so grateful that Lucia and Izzy let us stay. And of course, that Dalton didn’t mind, seeing as he’s the one who pays the rent.” She makes a face. “I can’t believe he didn’t tell us that.”

“Yeah, I wish I had known he was the one paying the rent before I said we would live there,” I say, and my mind runs to Dalton.

I haven’t seen him since that night. He hasn’t been in the restaurant. He hasn’t been over to the condo. It’s almost like he doesn’t even exist, but obviously, I can’t forget him. I can’t forget his gray-blue eyes and the warm way they seem to stare right into my soul, but I am going to forget him because I need to concentrate on Lovestruck and finding a billionaire who can whisk me away to a paradise of perfection.

“It sucks that I haven’t seen Brett recently either.” Rosie lets out a sigh. “I was kind of hoping he’d show up here and ask me on a date or something, but I guess he’s just not interested.”

“It’s okay. You’re going to meet so many other men—much better men. It’s going to be absolutely⁠—”

The door opens, and Lucia walks into the room.