Hitched (Hitched #1)(29)

Our breath mingles, tongues barely touching as our lips continue to find brief moments of connection.

And then I pull away and lean back into my pillow. "Was that titillating enough?"

He opens his eyes and grins at me. "Oh yes. And I'll remember that when it's my turn."

A shiver of anticipation courses through me as he draws another card.

"Next question," he says. "Who's my favorite entertainer?"

I have no idea, because even though we both live in Las Vegas, we haven't talked about pop culture much.

"It's actually someone right here in Las Vegas," he says. "David Melton."

"The magician?" I ask, while trying a flaky cheese-filled treat.

He nods.

I grin widely. "He might become a client of Hitched."

His eyes widen. "Really? How?"

I explain about my gift basket and the call and end with my plans to take over the world.

"You're a genius," he says. "I used to watch his shows, and I've been to his live performance a few times. I haven't seen his latest one yet, but it's on my to-do list. I don't believe in magic, but he certainly has me wondering how he does it all without any help from the supernatural."

"I think it's magic," I say. "Real magic. Nothing else makes sense. Some of that stuff just can't be faked."

Sebastian laughs. "It can all be explained, somehow. No magic involved. Just science. Logic. Trickery."

"Remember that time he made that guy disappear and then reappear in another country with his family! That was crazy. No way could that be faked. There has to be some deals with the devil or voodoo or something going on." I've always been convinced that magicians of Melton's caliber have some kind of hidden power none of us have. It's too amazing to be otherwise. I know this makes me sound silly, but not everything in the world can be explained and rationalized.

Sebastian leans over and kisses me. "I believe in one kind of magic, and that's the magic of how you make me feel when we're together."

"You have a way with the words," I tell him.

"I want to have my way with you."

I pull out of his grasp. "Not until we finish our game."

He groans and sits back in his spot. "Have you seen Melton perform live?"

"No. Believe it or not, I haven't seen any shows on the Strip since moving here."

"Seriously?" He asks.

"Seriously. We've either been too busy or too broke. Or both. I want to though. Especially Le Reve. I hear it's beautiful."

"That's one I haven't seen either, but the reviews are terrific. Looks like we just found our next date night." He winks at me and draws another card.

Which, of course, I answer incorrectly. Again. And I have to strip. I choose my shoes—first, because my feet hurt, and second because I want to tease him before taking off anything too revealing. I quickly learn after a few more turns that while I don't suck at guessing things about him that are simple, I still can't remember more than fleeting glimpses of that night. I also learn that the purple cards will mean one of us has to take off some clothes.

I'm hoping I guess a few more questions correctly as I watch him strip his shirt off, his muscles ripped and oh-so-sexy. I guessed his favorite food—Italian. And for that I get a nice view of the abs. I feel very lucky right now.

My luck does not last though, and it isn't long before I find myself wearing only the lingerie he had delivered to me. I don't feign embarrassment; instead I sip at the champagne, my fourth glass, and bite into a piece of dark chocolate, nearly moaning with the pleasure at the bittersweet flavor.

"I like watching you eat," he says. "You make love to food with your mouth. Though I admit to being jealous. I'd like that mouth on me."

Before he can distract me with another kiss, I grab a card from the deck. The question makes me pause. "What's my greatest fear?"

I hold my breath wondering how well he really knows me. Not just the trivia, but also the real me.

"The night we met, you told me it was ants. Which I find amusing, I must admit."

I'm about to tell him he's wrong, with some outward gloat, but an inward sadness. Sometimes we all want to be seen. Truly seen, you know?

But before I can talk, he reaches for my hand. "I don't think that's true, though," he says softly. "I think your greatest fear is becoming invisible. Losing yourself, your life, to someone else's dreams or plans. I think your greatest fear is not fully realizing every potential you carry inside of yourself."

My breathing stops, and my eyes fill with unwanted tears. I curse them. And him. And everything.

He leans toward me. "I see you, Kacie Michaels. And I don't want to change you. I want to love you as the amazing woman you already are, and I want to witness what else you accomplish with all that spirit you have. I want to be a part of that, not thwart it."

The game is forgotten then. As is the food, and the whipped cream. I thought we would f*ck tonight. I thought we would get naughty and eat things off each other's body and do all manner of illicit and erotic things to each other.

But what is happening now is more than that. It's more than f*cking as he stares into my eyes and slowly peels off what's left of my clothes.