seem to think this isn’t too shabby being holed up in this hell.”
I stare at him for a long minute. “I’m going to bed.”
“It’s seven o’clock.”
“So?” I say as I get up and try to make my way back to the bed. I don’t like being analyzed by someone when they know nothing. I don’t even know why I told him what I did. Maybe I’m going crazy.
Shepherd sighs as he pulls me back to him. “Sit.”
“No,” I say as I tug against him.
“Sit your ass down.”
I’m so stupid. Why am I being so stupid? It’s like the moment I find someone who is even remotely kind to me, I just throw everything at them like I’m begging for them to toss a life saver back. “I don’t want to.”
He tugs me toward him and I grudgingly oblige. “Why all this? You’re not beating on people, are you?”
What a stupid question. “Do I look like someone that beats on anything?”
His eyes drop to my groin and he gives me a coy smile. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“You’re not funny and you’re kind of annoying.”
He seems to be amused by this. “Only kind of?”
I hate how attractive that look is on his stupidly handsome face. “Maybe.”
“So you don’t want to talk?”
“To you?” I ask.
“You can talk to yourself if you want. I probably wouldn’t think you were any crazier than I already think you are. Come on, sit.”
I snort. “Fine. You want me to sit? I’ll sit,” I say as I swing my leg over his lap before sitting on his legs. “Is this close enough for you?”
“I guess. You’re kind of in the way of me seeing my cards, but if this is how you want to play then we’ll make it work.”
This ass. “Maybe it’s not cards I want to play with,” I say as I lean into him.
He cocks his head as his eyebrows knit. “Like… my phone? Is that what you want to play with? I’d let you but the whole being a prisoner thing puts a bit of a damper on it.”
I sigh because it’s clear he’s not interested. I don’t know if I’m even interested. He’s sexy and kind of nice in a weird I’m-going-to-keep-you-as-a-prisoner kind of way. I just feel like if I could get him to like me, he could save me. He could take me away from this hell. But to where? Out of one hell and into another?
I sigh as I lean toward his shoulder. “Your face bores me anyway,” I say.
He grins at me. “You do look extremely bored.”
“And your attitude is hideous.”
He gasps. “As hideous as my face?”
I scrutinize him for a moment. “Maybe.”
“Oh no, no, no!”
“And don’t get me started on your voice!”
He gasps even more dramatically. “Not my voice.”
I snort as I get off him and sit back down on my chair. I would be lying if I said I didn’t kind of want to get back on that lap, but it’s clear he has no interest in me that way. I don’t blame him, it’s not like he has limited options with how handsome and annoyingly charming he is now that he’s opened up and let me see a different side than the stoic one I was greeted with.
I try to keep myself from grinning as he watches me.
“Are we playing another game?” he asks.
“Yes, it’s going to be strip Old Maid.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “Ooh? We’re stripping the old maid?”
“If the old maid is you, then yes.”
“And you don’t have to strip?”
I shrug. “You already said you didn’t want to see me naked, so no. I’ll stay fully clothed. I might actually put more clothes on if I lose.”
“I never said I don’t want to see you naked. Just the thought of seeing you naked horrified me.” He’s got an annoying grin on his face that makes me flick a card at him.
“Fuck off.”
“You asked.”
“I actually didn’t.”
“Huh. My bad.”
“My bad, my ass,” I say. “Let’s play a different game.”
“Tired of winning every hand?”
“Yeah, it’s kind of boring and sad watching you struggle so much,” I say.
Nine
“Tony wants to see you guys,” Rod says.
“I’m working, we’ll stop by later,” Shepherd says with a nonchalant wave.
Rod almost acts like he’s going to let Shepherd get away with it before shaking his head. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”
Shepherd stands in the hallway with me. We’d been on the way to get food, but now that looks like it was a stupid plan and we should have