Part 2 (1/2)
She scanned the paper. ”Follow me.”
He took up the rear without hards.h.i.+p, once again appreciating his view. She led him all around the house. They picked up a pair of fuzzy powder blue handcuffs, a black satin blindfold, and glow in the dark dice with some of his favorite words on them. Laughter and dirty remarks were shared as they crossed paths with others in a race against the clock.
The one item everyone found? Candy condoms. Julia must have bought a hundred-piece bag.
All this s.e.xy treasure hunting had him noticing everything about his partner. The way she scrunched up her pert nose in concentration when she studied a clue. How her eyes flashed with deep fondness for Sophie whenever they pa.s.sed one another. But best of all was how her entire face lit up when they found something before another team did.
She was a compet.i.tor. Like his clients. Like him.
”I'm thinking this means out front on the gra.s.s.” She pointed to the last clue on their sheet, her arm grazing his. ”What do you think?”
”Blades are green, violets are blue, I want to roll around here, naked with you.” Bryce shrugged. ”That's probably the worst rhyme I've ever read, but you haven't been wrong yet.”
”I know. Right?” She killed him with a smile and hurried out of the house.
Stars littered the moonless sky. Waves cras.h.i.+ng in the distance whispered in his ears, and the smell of the ocean and wet sand filled his nose. The tall iron streetlamp at the curb didn't cast much light on the small front yard, so at a quick glance nothing on the gra.s.sy area caught his attention.
”I don't see anything,” Honor said. ”Do you?” She sounded ready to give up and head back in.
”Not yet, but keep looking.” He moved his focus from her long legs to the lawn.
”What's that noi-” With only the click of a timer to warn them, the sprinklers popped up and started spraying. Honor spun to frown at him like she had the worst luck in the world and this sort of thing happened all the time.
”Looks like our search just got a little harder,” he said.
She s.h.i.+vered, wrapped her arms around herself, and studied him. He could see the wheels turning in her head. Run back into the house or stay and find the last thing they needed?
If there was a way to keep her dry, he would. The temperatures for February had been mild, but it couldn't be more than sixty degrees outside.
”Looks like.” She narrowed her eyes, turned, and that's when a stream of water nailed her right in the face. Her hands flew up, she sputtered, her shoulders shook.
Bryce rushed forward to cover her with his body and forget their search, but he stalled when he heard one of the sweetest sounds ever to reach his ears.
Honor's body didn't shake with chills or misery, but with laughter. She cracked up, and apparently couldn't stop. He found himself laughing right along with her until their clothes stuck to their bodies, and she took a deep breath to quiet down.
Water droplets streamed down her face and clung to her eyelashes. She blinked up at him with mischief in her eyes, and the urge to kiss her overwhelmed him. Not like he had in the closet, with care and discretion, but with hunger and pa.s.sion and pent up desire. He wanted to take her bottom lip between his teeth and deal with the consequences later.
She put two fingers to her mouth to wipe away the moisture. Her chest rose and fell, the wet sweater doing very nice things to her curves. ”We, uh, we'd better hurry,” she said before twisting around to continue their search.
”Right. Time's almost up.” They ducked and weaved through the sprays of water, seeking to end the hunt with one more token in their bag.
”I got it,” she shouted from a crouched position. She stood and put something on her finger just as the sprinklers stopped. Her hand lit up. ”It's a light up diamond ring.” She walked toward him with her arm outstretched so he could check out the toy bling.
He stared at her. Most girls would've had a fit if the sprinklers had soaked them. Not only had Honor laughed it off, she looked amazing and none the worse for wear as the pink light of the ring glowed at her waist.
”Do not tell me you have x-ray vision and can see the color of my undergarments, because then I'd have to use this magic ring to one, make you color blind, and two, make your clothes disintegrate so everyone could see if you're a boxer or briefs man.”
His grin came quick and easy. ”You want to see what I have on underneath my jeans, all you have to do is ask.”
”No thanks.” She stopped in front of him.
”You sure?”
”Positive.”
”You don't look positive.”
”How do I look?”
He took a slow inspection down her body and back up. ”You really want me to answer that?”
”Boy, you had me fooled there for a minute Captain Underpants, but I see you're just like every other guy, which is a huge relief, I can't even tell you.” She brushed by him and headed toward the front door.
”What does that mean?” He fell in step beside her. Something didn't feel right inside him. He didn't like being lumped in with all guys.
”Here,” she slipped the toy ring off her finger and dropped it into their bag. ”Be a good partner and turn our stuff in so I can raid Sophie's closest for something to change in to.”
”Grab me one of Zane's s.h.i.+rts, would you?”
She paused at the porch to slip off her shoes and slowly rake her eyes down and up his body. Touche. ”Really? Zane's got all sorts of muscle going on and I'm not sure-”
He whipped off his s.h.i.+rt. Honor was messing with him, but he wanted to remind her Zane didn't have anything on him. He took care of his body, often working out with the guys he represented. He put forth the best image possible for his agency and that included being in good physical shape.
The appreciative look in her eyes told him she liked what she saw. She'd had her hands all over his chest in their hotel room, and if he closed his eyes he knew he'd remember exactly how hot her touch had made him.
”Can I ask you something?” he ventured.
”Okay,” she said to his chest.
”Eyes up here, sweetheart.” He motioned his hand in the direction of his face.
Her cheeks reddened. ”Sorry, yes?”
”Have you had your one night stand?” He fisted his hands. It didn't matter. It shouldn't matter. But for some reason, he wanted to know. She might not be wired for it, but according to Payton, the two of them were like sisters, and if Honor promised to do the things on Payton's list, he imagined she would keep that vow.
Like the promise she'd probably made to keep him in the dark rather than track him down so he could have been there for Payton, too.
She gulped and again he could see her mind at work in the way she blinked and her head tilted a fraction to the side. ”No.” A crease drew her brows together. ”But I might be able to remedy that these next few days. A couple of Zane's friends seem like they'd be willing to help me out.”
No doubt. ”People hook up at weddings all the time, don't they?”
”That's what I hear.”
”Let me know if I can be of any help.”
She raised her eyebrows. ”You don't think I can manage this on my own?” Annoyance came through loud and clear, but something else lingered in the depths of her turbulent ocean eyes.
”No. I don't think that at all. I-”