Bet on It (55)

“Well, I am,” she smiled. “It might be my horny period brain talking, but I feel like it’s going to happen tonight.”

Her fervor was infectious, and he couldn’t help but believe in her odds a little more just because she did.

“All right, play on then.”

Unfortunately, it was his prediction that proved true. Aja got close, only two squares away from a horizontal bingo, but ended the game a loser just like him.

As they gathered their things to leave, he took note of the tiny pout on her face.

“Next time.” He knocked his shoulder against hers. Gram’s attention was no longer dedicated to someone else, so he had to be vague.

Aja rolled her eyes playfully and held up her crossed fingers. “I really thought it was going to happen.”

Walker tried not to let his disappointment show. She was already down; he didn’t need to kick her with a needless “I told you so.”

“You know … you can have my body anytime you want, Aja. All you have to do is ask.”

She shook her head. “Nope. We have to stick to the pact. That’s why we made it, remember?”

“Pact?” Gram butted in, shocking them both. “What pact?”

Aja sputtered, her mouth opening and closing a few times. Walker’s face heated as he tried to rack his brain for an acceptable answer. There was no way in hell he was about to tell her the truth.

“Uhm … Aja and I made a pact that neither of us would ever leave before a game was fully over.”

“Right.” Aja nodded emphatically. “We promised each other that we’d always stick it out.”

The look on Gram’s face was dubious. “Well, I already know that you’ll be stickin’ to that pact, Wally. I don’t drag you in here every week just for you to leave things unfinished.”

“Exactly,” he said. “That’s why Aja here is goin’ to keep me honest.”

Gram nodded her head once. “I knew she’d be a good influence on you.”

She went ahead of them towards the exit. With her casts naturally lifting her bent arms in the air but the bottom half of her moving in a strong stride, the image was hilarious.

“I have to say—pretty sure she’s wrong about you bein’ a good influence,” he said out of the side of his mouth as they followed. “In fact, I think you’re goin’ to ruin me.”

Aja’s teeth tugged at her bottom lip. “That’s the plan.”





Chapter 18


“You have no idea how hard I’m working to convince myself that you aren’t marchin’ me to my death right now.”

She didn’t even look back as she led them down the creaky wooden path. “Maybe you’re leading yourself to your own death by doubting your instincts.”

The sound of his shoes against the ground stopped, and she finally turned to see him standing behind her, legs steeled. They were both silent, the sound of the summer breeze moving the leaves of the tall trees was the only thing to remind her that something other than just the two of them existed.

“Look at me,” Walker commanded. “Look into my eyes.”

He could have ordered her to get on her back and put her knees up to her ears and she would have followed without complaint. Somehow this felt more difficult. Her eyes met his and they were dark, unrelenting as they bored into hers. Walker was silent as he stared at her. So many seconds passed that she thought she might have slipped into a trance. When he finally pulled his gaze away, there was a smirk on his lips so devilish she was surprised he hadn’t sprouted horns.

“You’re not goin’ to kill me. I can see it.”

“And how is that?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I made you drive all the way out to the edge of town with me, there’s nothing around for miles, and you pretty much followed me without question. If I were planning to kill you, I would definitely be succeeding right now.”

Walker shook his head, his hair falling into his eyes. He ran a hand through it, pushing it back. “Nah, I’m pretty positive.”

“You can’t be positive. You’ve barely known me a month. I could totally be turning on you right now.”

“I looked in your eyes,” he said simply.

Aja snorted. “I cannot stress enough how little that means, Walker.”

“Well, if that’s not enough to convince you of my confidence, there’s also the fact that I’ve been inside you.”

The words sent her spinning. Whatever words had been planning to come out of her mouth were released sputtering and incoherent. “Walker! Are you serious?!”

“I’m just sayin’—you learn a lot about a person when you’ve literally felt them at their most vulnerable. And when are we more vulnerable than mid orgasm?”

“I might not have been planning to kill you before, but I’m seriously thinking about it now.…”

“This is a good thing, Aja. I know you. You know me. And all because we gave each other the sacred gift of our bodies.”

“That is patently false, you are an unserious person, and now I’m regretting ever feeling anything even remotely close to lust for your goofy ass.”

Walker’s lips turned up. “We both know that’s a bold-faced-ass lie.”