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“Hope?”
Alistair said her name and she blinked a few times. “Sorry. My turn?” At their nods, she rubbed her palms on the quilt still covering her legs. Determined not to turn her head to the right and the man who she knew, even for such a short time, had the ability to wreck her, Hope smiled.
“Rain.”
Alistair, still across from her, arched an eyebrow.
She expounded. Leaning forward, she spread her fingers before her after making sure the quilt remained tucked around her. “The sound of a rainstorm as it empties down. On a field, a body of water, even a forest. Or on the tin roof of a home—doesn’t matter. The rumble of thunder along with the crack of lightning.” She blinked as she realized her hands were nearly above her head as she spoke, and she shook her head, lowering them. “That’s it for me.”
…
He’d never been turned on by rain before. At least not talking about it or reminiscing about it, but after that explanation, he was. Holy hell.
Mitchell swallowed and made sure that his arousal was hidden from everyone’s view. The husky tone to her words as she spoke, the small hitch in her voice when she lifted her hands, like she was painting them a picture.
And for him, she did. An extremely visual, seductive image.
The way her eyes acquired this faraway look as if reliving the very moment she spoke about gripped him low and held tight.
Her laughter, sultry and husky, snapped him from his own thoughts. Blinking, he saw David had joined them and they were no longer looking at the blocks but setting up to play the game with the kid.
David coaxed him into playing and he found himself on the floor, his shoulder by Hope’s leg as he played with Erick, David, and Alistair. Around them, the women talked about random things. He wasn’t paying much attention to what Wendy and Sonya said but his brain latched onto everything that his Flykra said.
Once the meal had been eaten and they’d pitched in to help clean, David was taken upstairs to his room. Mitchell went to change and came down to find the fire roaring and Hope moving some chairs with Sonya as Erick and a few others, whose names he didn’t recall, moved the larger furniture. The space in front of the fire was completely open by the time they were finished.
A woman named Collette who had been with the other group joined them. To even out the numbers, she said. Mitchell claimed a seat by Hope as Alistair took the one on the other side. Erick was a few seats away, watching.
They drew numbers from a hat that got passed around and he looked at his to see an eight. Stealing a glance to Hope’s, he bit down to hide his frown when he saw a three. Still, it didn’t hurt when she reached over and placed her hand on his, tipping it so she could see his number.
“What are we doing now?” he mock-whispered to her.
“No clue.” She withdrew her touch and tucked her fingers up inside the sleeve of the sweatshirt she continued to wear.
Yeah, he approved. His primitive side was totally on board with her being covered in his clothing. And it turned out his primitive side wasn’t that different than his everyday side.
Huh, go figure.
Sonya glanced down at the sheet she held. “Rules state you find the person with the same number as you and answer the questions on the sheet.” She lifted a stack of papers. “Okay, pair up and I’ll deliver the sheets. Oh, and I’m number six, for whoever has that.”
Mitchell groaned when he found he was matched with Collette. When Alistair moved away from Hope he was happy right up until Erick swaggered up to her and took a seat beside her, proclaiming in a loud voice, “Number three!”
Collette walked up to Mitchell and placed a hand on his arm. He gave her a slight smile even as he stepped away from her touch.
“Collette Tauls. It’s an honor to meet you, Mitchell. Do you mind if I call you that? I mean, it is a mixer. We’re supposed to be getting to know one another.”
Her blue eyes were bright and sparkled in the firelight, but it didn’t matter. They weren’t dark brown.
Gesturing to the chair, he waited until she sat. Manners that Tully’s mother and Linc’s father had drilled into him over the years wouldn’t abandon him, no matter how much he wished he was sitting with Hope.
“Mitchell’s fine.”
“Wonderful.” She sank her teeth into her lower lip. “Shall we?” Holding up a sheet she’d obviously got from Sonya, she waved it before him. “I’ll read off the first one.”
Hope laughed and it tore through him with gale-like force. Making sure the smile on his face didn’t slip, he nodded. “Sure.”
