She made sure not to look at him, very afraid he’d see something on her face or in her eyes. This whole situation was careening wildly out of control.
‘One more game.’ He sounded determined.
‘Just so you can try to beat my score?’ Jesse asked lightly, glad Luc wasn’t pursuing the subject of her phobia of blood.
Luc sat back and Jesse was aware of his arm stretched out on the couch behind her. When had they moved closer together?
He drawled, ‘One more game and this time let’s up the ante a little—see how good you really are.’
Jesse cursed herself for not being able to get up and walk away from the danger she scented in the air, but she couldn’t resist a challenge. It was one of the reasons she’d done so well—because people had consistently told her that with her background she’d amount to nothing.
She glanced at him warily and hated to admit her attention was piqued. It made her bite out, ‘What do you mean?’
Luc came forward and Jesse’s gaze followed him suspiciously. The intent in his eyes made her hot in the face.
‘If I win, you let me do whatever I want …’ His mouth twisted. ‘I realise that doesn’t include letting me off the island or making a call to that end.’
Jesse racked her brains. Whatever he wanted … That could be anything. But as long as it didn’t involve freeing him what was the harm?
Some of her equilibrium returning, Jesse said, ‘But you won’t win. So what do I get when I win?’
Dryly Luc observed, ‘I think you’ve got quite enough, don’t you?’
Jesse scowled and then brightened. ‘I know. You can cook for me for the rest of the week.’
Now Luc scowled. ‘I’m practically cooking for you anyway, so that’s hardly fair … But, fine, if that’s what you want.’
Jesse stuck out her hand and then immediately regretted it when it was enveloped in his much larger one. Luc seemed to hold her hand for ever, and she finally pulled free and turned back to the game. She had a prickle of foreboding as to what Luc might exact from her if she won and she couldn’t allow him any leeway to torture her further.
The game started and Jesse scored a few easy victories, which made her feel complacent and which inevitably led to mistakes. Before she knew it Luc had caught up with her score and then they were neck and neck. All Luc had to do was to kill her in one of three ways and he would win.
Just as Jesse realised that, Luc made a master move she didn’t see coming, and she watched in disbelief as her body was ripped in half, with cartoon-style blood gushing everywhere. She was speechless. No one ever beat her at computer games. In the geek world she was legendary, and had an unbroken record.
Until now.
She felt the console being taken out of her hand and Luc cleared his throat. ‘So, where were we?’
Jesse looked at him blankly, aware of his very smug expression. She couldn’t help admitting, ‘I can’t believe you just did that.’
‘You’re not the only one who has obviously racked up many misspent hours playing computer games.’
Jesse rounded on him properly. ‘You should have told me! That’s unfair, because I wasn’t playing to full capacity! If you’re as good as that, then—’
‘Ah-ah.’
Luc put a finger to Jesse’s open mouth. She closed it abruptly, but not before she’d got a tantalising taste of warm skin. He took his finger away, much to Jesse’s relief—because she’d had an absurd urge to suck it.
‘Don’t be a sore loser, Jesse, it’s not attractive. I think it’s clear who has won the game and according to the terms we agreed, you have to let me do whatever I want.’
Her heart was thumping crazily. The game was forgotten. Jesse looked at Luc with a kind of mounting mixture of anticipation and horror. Her voice was scratchy. ‘What … what is it that you want?’
Luc’s gaze travelled over Jesse’s face, lingering on her mouth, which tingled in reaction, dipping down to her chest, where she imagined he could see right through to the bare skin of her breasts, and then back up. He was like a lazy panther, with all the time in the world to catch his prey.
‘What I want to do, Jesse, is kiss you.’
Jesse instantly recoiled backwards. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t want to kiss me.’