have a Plan B, I’d love to hear it.”
He shrugged. “Plan B removes you entirely and entails hooking up with Doyle for his contacts with accusations against Buzz. Then I’d conduct interviews of my own and some in-depth probing into Campbell’s college days and what not. A man just doesn’t wake up one morning and decide to be a rapist. This is a pattern that had to develop over time. I plan to put the trail together and create a profile to convince a judge and jury of his guilt.”
She shook her head in amazement. “Remind me never to make you angry.”
Grinning, he stood and held out his hand. “What I’d like to do is whoop your tail at a game of pinball.”
“Um. I was thinking we should set some ground rules for this marriage of convenience between us.”
He thought a moment. “It is convenient, isn’t it? I get you to live in my home all the time now.” A heart-stopping look crossed his face. “Now if you could only find it convenient to make your home in my bed, that would truly be a marriage.”
She wagged a finger at him. “Ground rules, Evan?”
“Okay. But, first a game of pinball. We have all weekend to hammer out the details. It’s a perfect way to celebrate our honeymoon.”
She laughed at the absurdity.
He put his flute in her hand. “You take the glasses. I’ll take the tray.”
“I’ve never played pinball.”
He grinned. “I know. I’m thinking we should play blindfolded.”
* * *
HER PERFUME WAS driving him wild. It would have been one thing if they hadn’t made love yet, but he’d already had her. He knew what she felt like, smelled like, sounded like lost in lovemaking, how she moved when he was deep inside her. He didn’t know how long he could remain charming and understanding. All he wanted was more. Wanted her closer so he could breathe her air, feel the warmth of her skin close to his body, feel the tickle of her hair on his face. But no.
He’d settled for pinball. It was the only way he’d get close and not scare her off.
At least Kelly was smiling again. He’d done all but declare his love for her on the balcony, but at least he reached her. He was that much closer in getting her to believe that she could trust him. Now, he’d whoop her ass at pinball and get that Irish temper going so she’d compete with him and return them to some common ground. There was no place they needed to be tomorrow. The night was young and Evan wasn’t tired. Not when Kelly smelled so good and looked so damned sexy.
Her tank top had ridden up, exposing her flat belly and the soft skin at her hips. The gauzy skirt swayed with her steps, attracting his eye like a bull to a red cape. Last night’s tangle with her was all too fresh in his mind. Just coming down the stairs this morning after experiencing her on each rung gave a whole new perspective of how he was viewing his home since Kelly arrived. He wanted to taste her again. Make her his, one more time.
He’d have to be a patient man.
He grabbed a fistful of quarters from the bowl. He lined the coins along the side of the glass top of the machine. Kelly refilled their flutes from the tray he placed on the ottoman. She took a bite of strawberry then pressed the remainder to Evan’s lips. He bit. Next she broke off a piece of chocolate and popped it into his mouth. The smaller piece she fed to herself. They both chewed, watching each other. Evan hummed his delight.
“What a great idea to mix the flavors. That’s what I like about you, Red.”
Taking his glass in one hand, Kelly’s hand in his other, he maneuvered her to the front of the pinball machine. He hesitated. “Think we’ll wake Matt?”
“No. He sleeps pretty soundly. Besides, he ate so much food and dessert, I think he stored enough to hibernate for winter. We should be fine.”
He grinned. “Excellent.”
He dropped a quarter into the slot. The machine sounded its dastardly laugh as the lights flashed around the face board characters of Flash Gordon, his love interest Dale Arden and the evil Ming the Merciless.
Kelly laughed. “So I press these levers on the side? And I pull back this pin and shoot the ball?”
He gave her what he hoped was a smug glance. “Sure, but it