Undercover Engagement (Private Pleasures 5)

She thwacked his arm with the back of her hand. “Or he waited until she wasn’t involved with someone else and then revealed his heart.”

“Choux, if the love of your life was watching you fuck around with some cheating jackass, would you want him to wait patiently while you got your pride trampled—and possibly your health compromised—or would you want him to step up and say, ‘Stop wasting time with this cheating jackass. I’m the man for you’?”

“There’s a lot of ground between letting someone get fucked over and declaring yourself the right person for them. Sometimes you need to be a friend, say what’s up if you know what’s up, and let the person reach his or her own conclusions. Don’t you think?”

Did she really believe that? He thought about it for a moment. “Nah. But then again, I’ve never watched the love of my life waste time with another guy. I guess I’m about to, though, in a sense. You good with the plan if Kenny and Dobie come to Rawley’s tonight?”

“Sure. Invite them back to our place.” One corner of her mouth pulled down in a small frown. He had the wildest impulse to kiss that tight, pink corner—and any other tight, pink places she cared to sha

re with him. “Hopefully we don’t have to hang around ’til last call to throw out the suggestion.”

“Bored of the bar scene already? Am I gonna have to up my game?”

“Well, yes, and yes, since you ask, but mostly I was thinking of you. After sleeping in your car last night—if that’s really where you were—and then working all day, I’m sure you’re exhausted. You get the bed tonight, and you probably ought to be in it sometime before dawn.”

He laughed as he gave the wheel an easy turn and lowered the visor as the sunset turned the windshield a blazing orange. “If that’s really where I was? For a minute there, I worried you’d started to trust me. I should have known better.”

Her smile turned slightly cynical. “You warned me not to.”

“Here’s another warning for you. I’m a boy in my prime. No matter how rough the day, I can play hard ’til dawn and then some.” Winging a brow her way, he grinned. “Anytime you wanna put my stamina to the test, just say the word.”

He imagined she rolled her eyes at him behind those pink sunglasses. “I’ll take your word for it. Anyway, are we…uh…getting along tonight?”

Just to mess with her, he pretended to misinterpret the question. “I worship the ground you walk on, choux. Always have. Don’t you know that by now?”

“You’re beyond redemption, cooyon. That much I know. But I meant how are we acting tonight? What kind of conversation are we having?”

“Play it any way you want. Like I said yesterday, I’ll—”

“Yeah, yeah. You’ll make it work.” She turned to look out the window, but he felt her irritation.

Three…two…one.

“You know what, Swain?” She swung back around to face him. “Despite your supreme confidence in your abilities and preference to fly by the seat of your pants, that’s not going to work for me. I deserve to be an actual, informed participant in this partnership. Maybe I don’t have your vast experience, but I’m not dead weight.”

No, she wasn’t. And shame on him for making her feel that way. “You’re pulling your weight just fine. I said so last night, and I meant it. We don’t need a script.”

“I’m not suggesting a script. I’m cool keeping things fluid, but—”

“Fluid? Eden, you put together a bed and shower schedule.”

“A schedule keeps everyone on the same page. It sets expectations and avoids confusion. What’s so wrong with that?”

He let out a long breath. “Nothing, I guess. If we had ourselves a page for tonight, I would vote to hammer home to Kenny, Dobie, or anyone else within earshot that you’ve got your heart set on a big, fancy wedding, and I’m feeling the pinch of paying for it.”

She chewed on her lower lip, considering his suggestion. He got a little caught up in the sight of her teeth sinking into her plush, pink lip. His teeth itched to take over the job. Finally, she nodded. “Works for me.”

“Awesome. We got ourselves a page to work from.”

He pulled into Rawley’s and took the parking spot they’d had last night. Once he cut the engine, she turned to him again. “Hey, Swain?”

“Hey, Eden.” He reached over, lifted her hat off her head so her hair tumbled out, then set it back down.

“What would you have done last night if I’d refused to get in the car and go home with you?”

He didn’t want to piss her off, but the truth spilled out before he could think to filter it. “Eden, ma chouchoute, there was, and is, no chance of you going home with anyone ’cept me.”

She frowned at him and nudged the brim of her hat back. “Because we’re supposed to be partners or because we’re supposed to be engaged?”