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“Do you ever.”
I tried to catch a glimpse of her through the crack in the door, but all I saw was the inside of her suite.
“I don't like talking to you when I can't see you,” I said, trying to pave the way with some honesty.
She was silent for a moment, likely trying to decide whether to attempt to crush my foot, scream bloody murder, or let me in. After a minute, she stepped away from the door, and it swung open.
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me as she moved half-way across the room. Her folded arms and furious expression gave the impression she was pissed as hell, but her red-rimmed eyes sent a stab of guilt through my chest.
I took a step forward, but as I did Briana took a step back. I got the message.
“You said you were going to explain,” she said. “So do it.”
She wasn't going to make this easy on me, and I didn't blame her. “I take it you overheard my brother and I talking about the bet?”
She nodded, jaw tight. “What clued you in?”
Her tone made me wonder if she wanted to add asshole on to that.
I softened my tone, as if that would make what I was going to tell her any better. “I won't lie to you and say I didn't make a bet with my brother about you. I did, but it wasn't like that.”
“Wasn't like what?”
“Like...” I waved a hand in her direction as I struggled to find the words to say what I meant. “Like whatever you think it is.”
“You don't even know what I think it is,” she challenged.
I scowled and ran my hand through my hair. “Okay, so why don't you tell me what you think?”
She squared up, eyes flashing. “You made a bet with your brother that you could get me to come to Hawaii with you guys so you could fuck me.”
I shook my head. “Not true.”
The expression on her face said she didn't believe me. “Then enlighten me.”
Shit.
I inhaled deeply before spitting out an equally disgusting truth. “Enzo wanted to make a bet that he could get you to come to Hawaii and that you'd sleep with him. I only agreed because I knew you wouldn't go for him. But part of the bet was that even if he couldn’t get you in bed, I wasn't allowed to touch you. But that's all over. I forfeited.” Everything came out in a rush, and that could have been enough, but I knew there was one more thing I had to say. I took a step toward her, and this time she didn't step back. “I forfeited because of the way I feel about you.”
I only meant to come up here and plead my case, win her over with logic and a bit of charm. I hadn't meant to cut my stomach open and spill my guts all over the designer rug, but when I saw how hurt she looked, I couldn't stop myself.
“Because of the way you feel about me?” Her expression was still guarded, but some of the anger was gone.
Then I realized she was going to make me explain it. I barely understood it myself. I was breaking one of my own rules by even having these feelings in the first place. After Maggie, I promised myself I'd never get that involved again.
Shit.
“I'm...fond of you,” I said finally, trying to dig my way out of the hole I created. “I enjoy your company, and I respect you.” Before she could respond to my cowardly non-admission, I added the thing that had been dancing around my brain since she agreed to come with us, “I need to know if you're here because you want to be, or if you're here to secure our business at your casino.”
She narrowed her eyes, but not with any sort of anger. She was thinking. At first, I thought she was trying to decide how to let me down easy. Then I realized she was surprised that I even cared about her reasons.
“I came to Hawaii as your date for business reasons, I'll admit.” This time, she stepped toward me, her arms coming down. “But I slept with you because I wanted to.”
I quickly quashed the hope that dared to flare up at her words.
She continued, “And when I really break it down, I came to Hawaii because I wanted to as well. If I'd been really against it, I would have found a reason not to come. If you told me right now that you wanted to go to another casino...I'd still want you.”
Until that moment, I hadn't realized how worried I'd been that she didn't want me the same way I wanted her. I wasn't a self-conscious guy by any means, but having feelings for someone can make even the stoniest of men a little raw, especially after what I'd been through with Maggie. Briana's words, however, were like a balm to that soreness.
