The Singles Table (Marriage Game #3)(76)

He grunted, pulled her tighter against him. “Not much of a grovel but I’ll take what I can get.”

Did he mean what he’d said? Would he take what he could get, even if that was only casual? She couldn’t offer him any more, not when the thought of an actual relationship sent a wave of panic flooding through her veins. “What about our arrangement?”

“Let’s put it on hold for now,” Jay said. “I can’t risk any poor woman turning up in the morgue with a pink stiletto in her throat.”

“Don’t get too cocky.”

He took her hand and drew it down to his shaft, thick and hard between his legs. “Too late.”

Zara rolled on top of him, seating his cock at the juncture of her thighs. “Does the hold mean no more celebrity introductions?”

“I’ll still uphold my end of the bargain.” He traced the line of her jaw with a gentle finger. “In fact, we just got a gig for Chris Moskovitz’s birthday party. Are you interested?”

Zara sucked in a sharp breath and pushed up to a straddle. “THE Chris Moskovitz? One of Hollywood’s famous Chrises? Star of Lost Legend, Missing Mountain, Senseless Sea, and Dirty Desert? The number one Chris on everyone’s Chris list? The best Chris?”

A smile spread across his face. “That’s the one.”

“Oh my God.” Unable to contain her excitement, she jumped up and paced the room. “When is it? Not that it matters. I’ll be there.”

“Two weeks.” He rolled to his side and propped his head in his hand. “You’ll be going as a trainee guard. It was the only way to get you in. You’ll need to go through a safety briefing and wear a uniform. After tonight, I assume that won’t be a problem. You wore it well.”

She shivered under the heightened weight of his gaze. “Do I get a gun?”

“After what you did on the paintball field, definitely no gun.” His lips quivered, amused. “I told his agent you’re an attorney and you needed some on-the-job practical experience in a high-security environment for one of your cases.”

“True but not entirely accurate.” She grinned. “You’d make a good lawyer.”

“And you made a good security guard, although you never figured out what was stolen from the City Club.”

She tipped her head to the side, frowning. “What was stolen?”

“My heart.”





? 23 ?



“Wake up, sunshine.”

Jay ripped the warm covers off Zara’s body, exposing her skin to the cold morning air. A firm-but-gentle slap landed on her bare ass.

“Ow. No waking up. Sleep. Or sex. Anything just so long as we can stay in bed. It’s Sunday morning. That’s what Sundays are for. That’s why Sunday begins with S.”

“This Sunday is beginning with an H.” Jay put her unused hiking boots on the floor beside the bed. “H for hike. I saw these in your closet last night, and I realized I couldn’t even remember the last time I went for a hike. It’s a beautiful day and I want to share one of my favorite things with you.”

“What about your other favorite things?” Zara groaned. “Do any of them involve being horizontal? Or food? Or both at the same time?” She still hadn’t had time to process his admission that she’d stolen his heart. What was she supposed to do with that? Did he think it would change things between them? Did he think it would change her?

“I’ll make it worth your while.” He used her own words back at her.

She rolled over and blinked, her eyes adjusting to the bright light. He was already dressed, his eyes sparkling, a grin spread across his face. Did he remember the nightmares he’d had last night? The moaning and thrashing? Shouts so loud Parvati had knocked on the wall. She’d shaken him gently, wrapped her arms around him, and spooned him from behind. After a few minutes, his tension had eased, and he’d fallen into a peaceful sleep.

“I’m going home to shower and change and get my gear,” Jay said. “I’ll be back in an hour. Be ready to rumble.”

She had never seen him this happy, so she pushed her concerns to the side. “I’m not a hiker, Jay. You may have noticed those boots are barely used.”

“Now they can be more used.” He bent down beside the bed and gave her a soft kiss. “I want to show you the world from the top of a mountain. It’s one of my favorite places.”

Zara groaned and flopped onto her back. There was no resisting Jay when he looked at her like that with his puppy-dog eyes and his wide smile. And how could she say no when a man who usually spent Sunday in his office wanted to blow off the day to show her something he loved?

“Fine.” She heaved a sigh. “I’ll come. But you’d better make it up to me when we get back. I’ll need pizza, ice cream, and lots of massages.” She frowned when she caught the naughty gleam in his eyes. “Not that kind of massage. The kind where you rub my back for at least an hour and feed me chocolate and alcoholic beverages.”

“I am a master of massage.” He tipped his neck from side to side, making it crack. “Prepare to be amazed.”

One hour later, Jay returned, wearing a pair of army fatigues and a khaki T-shirt that looked like it had been poured on his muscular body. Parvati’s mystery date had turned out to be Faroz. They’d taken over the couch to watch Spy Kids. Zara still couldn’t get her head around the pairing.