A Perfect Storm
Page 104

Her shoulders stiffened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, no you don’t. Don’t go looking all pugnacious and put out. You covered it well, but not well enough.” Sitting up cross-legged, he draped his forearms over his knees. “So you don’t like being pinned down? Big deal. Get over yourself already.”
She had no idea what to say to that. Denials would be absurd and cowardly. She thrust up her chin. “I’m working on it.”
“Yeah, so work on it with Spencer. You trust him, right?”
Trust had nothing to do with it. Why had she ever wanted to talk to Chris anyway? “You are such a smart-ass.”
“Only when I’m right.” He grinned, leaned forward and gave her shoulder a shove. “Admit it.”
After she righted herself, Arizona glared at him. She wouldn’t admit a damn thing. Not yet, anyway. If he wanted admissions, he could go first. “I only wondered about Matt because I know Priss is fond of him.”
“Oh.” He shrugged. “Yeah, well, he’s only a friend and this was a family thing, and if I’m touchy about it, that’s because everyone seems to think otherwise.”
“That you two are…?”
“Yeah.”
“But you’re not…?”
He rolled his eyes. “No, we’re not. I like being a bachelor.”
“Yeah. I get that.”
“Somehow I don’t think you do.” Going all serious and solemn, he tipped his head. “So…about Spencer?”
Screw it. She needed his input. Trying to figure out the right words, she said, “What if a guy enjoyed kissing you and…stuff? Could you assume he wanted more?”
Much arrested, Chris gave her a blank stare. “Of course he wants you.” Stretching out on his back once more, he folded his arms over his head. “You know that already.”
Since he wasn’t looking at her, she stood and skinned off her shirt and shorts, then sat beside him again. “I’m talking about…more than sex.” When he groaned, Arizona slugged his arm. “Come on, Chris, stop making those ridiculous noises. I can’t talk about this with anyone else.”
Dropping his arms, he half sat up—but fell back at the sight of her. “Jesus, girl. Give a man a shock, why don’t you?” His gaze moved all over her. He shook his head, and his voice dropped. “No wonder the guys are having fits.”
Damn it, now she felt naked. “You’re g*y!” And really, the suit was as plain as she could find, dark so nothing would show through, not overly skimpy…
“Doesn’t make me blind.” He frowned at her. “You do realize you’re incredibly sexy, right?”
“I don’t care about that!”
“You’re awfully screechy today.” He eyed her critically. “So what’s the problem, anyway?”
A deep breath didn’t alleviate the sense of desperation. She did not want this to be her last night with Spencer. “I need to know what I can do to make Spencer like me.”
Tiredly, Chris said, “He already likes you.”
Not enough to tolerate deception, to put up with her peculiarities, to keep her around beyond the time it took to “help” her. But she couldn’t say all that, not to Chris.
He caught her chin and lifted her face. “Hey, what’s not to like, right?”
Too many things to count—and that was the problem for her. She didn’t think she could change, not enough anyway. “You don’t have to sugarcoat things for me.”
“Me?” he asked dramatically. “I’m honest, always.” Smiling, he smoothed back her hair. “And I’m telling you that you’re a nice person, not too pushy, totally loyal, and hot. Trust me. Spencer likes you plenty.”
Avoiding his gaze, Arizona picked at a splinter of wood on the dock. “Is there anything I can do to make him…more than like me?”
“I don’t know,” he said carefully, watching her. “How much more are we talking?”
“Enough that he’d forgive…other things.” Before he could ask what other things, she drew a deep breath and forged on. “Enough that, even if he gets really peeved at me, he’ll still want to have sex.”
“Yeah, well, that’d cover most guys. No worries there. Men let very little get in the way of physical pleasure.”
“Damn it, Chris, I want him to care.”
The teasing ended. “So it’s like that, huh?”
God, she was afraid so. Truly afraid. She didn’t want to care about Spencer, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.
She looked at Chris and nodded.
His expression of sympathy had her fidgeting, and then he glanced up the hill. With a satisfied smile, he said, “I think what you’re doing is working just fine.”
* * *
SPENCER TOOK IN Chris’s amusement and Arizona’s guilt and he felt his blood boiling. What was she up to now?
And where the hell had she gotten that swimsuit?
More than anything, he wanted to stuff her back into her discarded shorts and T-shirt and haul her off somewhere, out of view of the others. He did not want everyone else seeing her. Sure, he trusted the other men, otherwise he wouldn’t even consider working with them.
And he wouldn’t have allowed them to butt in on his relationship with her.
They wanted him to commit to her.