“Really? And you’ve figured this out because of some great intuitive powers or something similar?”
He shrugged. “Call it a cop’s instincts.” She looked dubious. “I tell you what, I’m so sure that I’m willing to make a friendly wager.” He held up his hand before she could protest. “Let’s say, we ask each other questions. How about a total of six? That’s a nice round number—not too many as to cause confusion, but sufficient enough to flesh out the facts. You have to admit that sounds fair, right?” Carter asked.
Eve thought that fair was a relative term here.
“And if we agree on all six, why—” a lazy smile stretched across Carter’s lips “—I get to collect.”
Now she was really dubious. “And what exactly are you planning on collecting?”
He paused. “A kiss.”
Eve raised her eyebrows and blinked ever so slowly. “A kiss? As in on the lips?”
Carter thought a moment. He really didn’t need to. “As in on the lips.”
“What about Simone?” she asked.
“What about Simone?”
“You don’t think she’d mind?”
“I think you’ve misjudged our relationship.”
Had she? Eve wasn’t sure if she was relieved or not. Either way, the tingle in her throat just kicked into a higher gear.
“So, care to take me up on it?” he asked.
Eve thought a moment. She really didn’t need to. She nodded carefully. “Okay, but no hands either.”
“No hands? Any particular reason?”
“Just think of it as my contribution to the bet,” she answered. That, and a matter of self-preservation. She could already imagine how it would feel to have Carter’s hands running up and down her back. She set her mouth and looked at him with her best poker face.
He stared back, unfazed. Never try to draw an inside straight against this guy, she thought. “All right. You’re on,” Carter said, pushing his beer aside. “But I get to start.” Clearly the man played to win.
Well, she wasn’t exactly a pushover. Eve sat up extremely straight, arching her back strategically. Then she slowly rolled her neck a couple of times and looked over. His eyes were transfixed on her actions. She smiled—all innocence. “I’m ready.”
Carter cleared his throat. “All right. We’ll start with an easy one. Do you take your coffee black or with cream and sugar?”
“Milk. No sugar.”
He nodded.
“You, too?”
He nodded again.
Eve rolled one shoulder. It produced an immediate reaction on his part. It was almost too easy. “As you said, that was an easy one. Now my turn.” She thought. “Harpo, Chico or Groucho?”
“Harpo.”
Eve frowned. “I was sure you’d say Groucho.”
“Nah, I always liked Harpo’s horn.” So did Eve.
“I take it you agree?” he asked. Eve nodded. “My turn then.” Carter narrowed his eyes. “Gel or paste?”
Eve scrunched her forehead.
“Toothpaste,” he clarified.
“Oh-h. Definitely gel, cool mint. And you?” He flashed a toothy grin. “I see I have a fellow believer.” She leaned forward. “Now we get to the real nitty-gritty. Window open or shut?”
“When sleeping you mean?”
Eve nodded.
Carter frowned. “Depends on the season.”
“I see. A relativist.”
“Whatever you say. And you?”
“The same,” she said reluctantly, puckering her lips. She was supposed to be pouting, but since she had never had the time or the inclination to pout before, it looked more like she was making a fish-face.
Carter leaned toward her and whispered, “You’re making a fish-face.”
Eve cleared her throat. “I believe it’s your turn, unless you want to call off the wager?”
Carter gave her a noble profile, complete with square chin and resolute stare. “Never. Especially when it’s just getting interesting.”
“Please.” Eve rolled her eyes.
He put his elbows on the bar and leaned toward her. “Left side or right?”
That had her wondering.
“Of the bed? Which side? Left or right?” He raised his chin to look down through slightly slitted eyes.
She didn’t flinch. Though it took a superhuman amount of self-control just to remember to exhale. “Looking at the bed or in it?” she mustered with the aplomb of a French Foreign Legion officer facing the firing squad. The analogy wasn’t bad either.
“Looking at it for now. We’ll deal with in it in a moment.” He leaned closer on his forearm.
“Oh.” Eve gulped. Moments like these she wished she smoked. Barring that, maybe she would have another slice of pizza after all. “Let me see.” She did a mental check of her sleeping position. “Right side, I guess, though, I tend to hog the middle. And you?”
“I’m a left side person myself.”
“Ah, hah. We are different,” she said triumphantly.
He held up his hand. “No, complementary.”
She looked confused. “There’s a difference?”
“A big difference.” He paused. “And I find that sorting out possession of the middle of the bed can actually be a highlight—given the right circumstances.” He looked down his eyelashes, very long, thick lashes.
Eve tried not to squirm.
“Naked or clothed?”
She gulped. “Wait a minute. Isn’t it my turn?”
“This is a two-parter.”
“Since when do we have two-parters?” she protested.
“All’s fair.” He shrugged, unperturbed.
Eve quickly did the mental math. “But that makes six questions in all.”
“Naked or clothed?” He didn’t back down.
If she answered the question, they’d complete the terms of the bet. She hedged. “I own a lingerie shop. What do you think?”
Eve really wished she had asked for another beer. She could have used something hard to grab on to. She shook her head. No, banish that thought. Hard was definitely not where her brain should be going right now. She swallowed with difficulty. “I tell you what. You answer first.”
He smiled, feeling pretty confident. “All right. But what do you think?”
She looked at him. Those terrific emerald eyes had turned a darker shade—a verdant, forest-primeval green. She felt like she had stumbled into uncharted territory. Eve inhaled deeply. “Naked. You definitely sleep naked.”
“Correct,” he said softly. “Now your turn.” His voice was barely a rumble.
Eve’s insides were in shambles. She looked around. And saw Dave heading their way to check on things. Thank God. She turned to Carter. “Did you want