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The best ever. “Yeah, it was okay. But that’s not the—”
“Ha! You are such a bad liar. I don’t even know why you are trying. Especially with me!”
“Right. I know.” She sank into a chair, feeling suddenly hopeless. “It’s stupid.”
“What is? What’s going on? Are you falling for him?”
Chris took in a deep breath, let it out, eyes closed, except the room started swimming and she had to open her eyes to steady it.
“No, of course not.” Her voice cracked. “I just can’t seem to help wanting him like crazy.”
“Aw, Chris. I know it’s scary. When I realized how I felt about Ames, I totally freaked out. Commitmentphobia to the extreme.”
“But I’ve had long-term relationships before. I’ve never felt like this.” She sounded whiny and pathetic.
“Chris.” Eva was breathless with excitement. “Maybe he’s The One.”
“No. No, he is not The One.” She was certain of that. “We totally get on each other’s nerves. He’s maybe The Eight or The Nine.”
“Why don’t you just have a fling with him, then?” Eva’s voice had turned sly. “You said that’s what you wanted to do while you were out here—I mean out there. At least Zac isn’t an idiot like Gus and Bodie.”
Chris blinked. Blinked again. A glow of excitement started in her chest. Her heart slowed and she felt a huge weight lift. That could actually work. As long as she wasn’t falling for him, which, when she was sober, she’d need to figure out for sure. Her inner self was happy with the fling idea. Look how quickly her panic and confusion had dissipated.
However. Chris was not letting her sister know she was even considering the idea. Eva would start planning her and Zac’s wedding before they even got to climax together.
Ooh. Nice thought. The climax, not the wedding.
“Eva, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because...because...” Inspiration hit. “Zac isn’t the fling type.”
Eva snorted. “He’s a guy. All you have to do is say some variation of, ‘Hey, wanna do it?’ and he’s yours. Men are very simple creatures.”
A vision rose of Chris saying that to Zac. Of his face darkening with desire, his arms reaching for her, his body backing hers into her bedroom, down onto her bed and—
A sound broke into her daydream. Huh? What was— Oh, right.
“I have to go. Doorbell’s ringing!”
“Ooh! Go see who it is. If it’s Bodie or Gus, do not let them in. If it’s Zac—”
“Ha.” Chris snorted on her way to check. “It’s not going to be Zac.”
“It could be.”
“You should have seen how he looked when he saw me with Bodie. Like he wanted to rip me out of the car and feed me to bison.”
“Bison are herbivores. Who is it?”
Chris checked the peephole and gasped, clapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh, it’s Bodie. Holding my sunglasses. I must have left them in his car. Talk to you later, Eva, bye.”
“Don’t let him in!”
“No, no, don’t worry. Bye!”
Chris hung up the phone and stood motionless, collecting herself, feeling guilty for rushing her sister off the phone, and also feeling unbelievably fizzy. Then she grabbed the handle and swung open the door.
To Zac.
6
CHRIS TOOK A moment to center herself before she spoke, only it didn’t work at all, and she ended up giggling instead. She’d just decided she wanted to sleep with this man, and here he was! Carmia was an amazing place. And she’d turned into a giddy mess.
“Hello, Zac.” She’d tried to sound in control and deeply at peace, but instead she sounded formal and ridiculous. She might as well have said, Good evening, Zachariah. That made her giggle again.
“Chris?” He looked concerned.
“No.” She put a finger to her lips and looked around cautiously before she whispered, “I’m Angelina Jolie. Tell no one.”
“Are you okay?”
“Extremely. Why?”
“Nothing. Are you alone?”
She was filled with excitement at the question, thinking he might be about to propose the very same fling she wanted, until she realized he wasn’t necessarily interested in being alone with her, he could just be asking if she’d brought Bodie back to the house tonight. “Yes! I’m alone. Did you think I brought Bodie home with me?”
