Page 29 of The Bluffing Game

I don’t want this conversation to end, but I need to get back inside. I need to talk to Brett. I need to find out if he’s gotten any information on Toby’s mother. That is my first and only priority in life right now.

“You look deep in thought.” Her voice is soft and melodic, and if I’m not wrong, she looks strangely concerned as she gazes at me. “Are you the morally black guy as opposed to the morally gray one?”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about, Sage.” I give her my full attention, trying not to notice how her lips twitch. “Is that some sort of New Age term?”

“No, it’s a book term. I like to read a lot of books, and that’s how some antiheroes are described.”

“Are you calling me an antihero?”

“Depends on if you’re morally gray or black or not.”

“Definition, please.”

“So, morally gray characters have a mixture of good and bad traits. They will do crazy or bad stuff, but they still have a conscience about it. Morally black characters are malicious, lack empathy, inflict severe harm, take what they want when they want it, and they don’t care about the consequences or feel bad. Like Robin Hood might be a morally gray character, but someone like John Gotti might be a morally black character.”

“Yikes, and you think there’s a possibility that I’m either one?”

“I guess I’m just asking.” She grins. “Though I think I know you well enough to know you’re not morally black. So, maybe morally gray or just a good guy.”

“Well, I guess you’ll just have to see.”

“You’re not easy to read—you know that, Dalton?”

“I could say the same about you, Sage.”

“What were you thinking that had you so deep in thought just now?” She tilts her head to the side and gazes at me. “You can tell me to mind my own business if you want, but you looked⁠—”

“Mind your own business.”

Her face drops, and I want to growl. I don’t want to hurt her, but I cannot bring her into my world. Into the craziness.

“It was nothing much. I was thinking about Toby’s mom.”

“Oh.” It’s one word, but it’s full of questions and curiosities.

I can tell she wants to ask more, but she doesn’t, and I’m grateful for that.

“We should go back inside. Are you sure you don’t want me to use my truck? It will save you some money at Home Depot.”

“I mean …” She pauses and then offers me an impish smile. “If you really don’t mind. I’m trying to budget, and it’s ninety-nine dollars an hour, plus the insurance, so that would be a savings.”

“I got you.”

I get off the swing and reach out my hand to help her as well. She takes it and stumbles a bit. I steady her and bring her into me. My hand slides around her waist, and she presses her soft hand into my chest. Her breathing is heavy, and I see her swallow hard as she looks up at me with big doe eyes.

“What would a morally black character do in this situation?” I ask her.

“I don’t know,” she squeaks out, but blushes a deep red.

“Maybe he’d slip his hands between your legs or pull your panties down and bend you over the swing and take you from behind,” I whisper in her ear. “I’m not going to do that.”

“Good.” She swallows again.

“I’m guessing a morally gray character might do something like this.” I gently lick her earlobe and kiss down the side of her face until I get to her lips. I then grab her face, and I’m about to kiss her when I pull back. “He’d kiss you hard and fast and slide you up against his body so you could feel his hardness pressed against your stomach.” I step back and smile.

“And then the good guy would just give you a chaste kiss like this.” I grab her hand and kiss her inner wrist and let it go. “And he’d have your heart fluttering for another reason.”

“What are you doing?” she says finally, her fingers playing with her hair as she stands there.