Effortless (Thoughtless, #2)(21)

Grinning crookedly, he raised an eyebrow and looked down my body.

“Yep.” I bunched my brows at the amused look on his face. Laughing, he released my body and kissed my cheek. “Just let me clean up first.” Watching him move around me to go upstairs, I nodded, my lips still twisted as I wondered just what he’d come up with to occupy me. Still laughing at my expression, he smacked my bottom before hopping up the stairs two at a time.

Smiling at him, I shook my head and walked into the living room to distract myself from the thought of him in the shower. It got a little hard to do when I heard the water turn on. I had to turn the television up and force myself to be suddenly fascinated with marine plant life.

By the time I actually was interested in estuary ecosystems, even leaning over my knees as I focused on Kellan’s big screen, he finally came back down. Twirling a lock of hair around my finger, I didn’t hear him at first. Not used to being ignored, he grunted and leaned over to kiss my neck. I startled when his lips brushed my skin, then smiled and closed my eyes. I tilted my head to give him better access.

58



“Is this how you’re going to distract me?” I asked lowly, starting to feel like he could distract me that way all afternoon long.

Chuckling deep in his chest, he grabbed my waist and pulled me from the couch in one swift, playful move. “Nope.” Smiling, he flicked the end of my nose with his finger. “I have a better idea.” Taking in the sight of him dressed in my favorite deep blue shirt, a color that made his eyes seem impossibly beautiful, I pursed my lips.

“You’re not interested in…playing with me?” I‘d really thought that would be his plan.

His lips curved up into a smile that screamed sex, but he shook his head. “Oh, I intend to play with you.” Laughing, he grabbed my hand and led me into the kitchen. Over his shoulder, he added, “Just not the way that you’re thinking.” Sitting me down at his table, he leaned over the back of me and kissed my cheek again. “At least, not yet anyway.” As I shook my head and bunched my brows, wondering what the heck we were doing, he started rummaging through his kitchen drawers.

Humming to himself, a small smile permanently on his face, his hair wonderfully messy and slightly damp around the edges, he opened and shut every junk drawer he had.

When I was just about to ask him what the heck he was looking for, he finally made a happy noise and grabbed something shoved in the very back of a crammed drawer. A crooked smile on his face, he looked back at me at his table and lifted his hand to show me what he’d found.

“Playing cards?” Smiling, I shook my head. “Are we playing pinochle all afternoon?”

Frowning at me, he raised an eyebrow. “Pinochle? Are we sixty?” His grin returning, he opened the pack of cards, tossing the jacket back to the counter. Shuffling the cards, he sat down opposite me at his table. “No, we’re playing poker.”

Shaking my head, I murmured, “I’m really not that good at poker.” 59



His smile brightened gorgeously. “Well, that is actually perfect, because we’re playing strip poker.”

Flushing all over, I immediately stood up. Laughing harder, he grabbed my hand. “Come on, it will be fun.” He lifted his eyebrows suggestively. “I promise.”

Knowing my face was bright red, I slowly sat back down. “Kellan…I don’t know…”

Leaning back in his chair, he eyed my body across from him very slowly. When he reached my face, he asked, “Have you ever played?” I sighed and shrugged. “No.”

Grinning, he nodded, still shuffling the cards. “Good. Then it will be a new experience for you.” He tilted his head, his lip curling perfectly.

“And I like giving you new experiences.”

The flush from my cheeks rushed down my body as he stared at me intently. I suddenly wanted to play more than I’d ever wanted anything.

I couldn’t even remember what he was distracting me from, and I supposed that was the point.

Tucking my hair behind my ears, I pointed my thumb at his wide-open kitchen windows. “What about…your neighbors?” He shrugged. “What about them?”

Looking away from the heat in his eyes, I swallowed. “I don’t want them looking…at me.”

Laughing huskily, he stood and pulled down some blinds rolled up near the top of the windows. When they were closed, he sat back down and raised an eyebrow. “Better?”

I nodded, not believing that I was actually considering this. Smiling at me, he laughed again. “Would it make you feel any better if I told you that I’m not very good at this either?” Laughing more, he shook his head. “I’m generally the first one naked.”

60



My eyes widened as I flashed down his body. “You’ve played?” I asked, quite stupidly. It was Kellan I was talking to after all, the man who used to have threesomes like they were everyday occurrences. Of course he’d played strip poker. He’d probably played much more intense games that I did not want to think about.

He only smiled and nodded to my question, his face amused. Then he started dealing cards and explaining rules. I sighed listening to them, then mentally thanked myself for wearing a bunch of light layers today.

Over the course of the afternoon, I lost my shoes, socks, jeans and all but one of my short-sleeved t-shirts. Kellan was no better off, having lost his shirt on the very first hand and his jeans on a really bad bluff. Thank goodness girls generally wore more clothes than boys. More relaxed than when we’d started this little game, I laughed as I watched him reach down to take off his last remaining sock, setting down my pair of Queens in triumph.