Not a Chance(9)

"It just requires you thinking ahead a few moves. It's strategy."

"I don't do strategy. I'm a live-for-now kind of guy." He surveyed the board a little while longer.

"Because that's worked out so well for you?" she teased.

"Yes, smart-ass, I think it has." He reached for the other knight. She hissed softly. He threw up his hands. "I give up. Pick another game."

She laughed. "You're being a big baby. If you'd just give it a chance."

"I gave it a chance. Let's play checkers."

"I already told you I couldn't find any checkers."

"Fine. But I'm not playing this. Not with you."

She shook her head, still smiling. He caught her gaze and smiled back. Then his smile transformed to that troublesome grin of his. "We should read out loud hot scenes from romance novels."

"No, thank you," she said, giving him her best stern look.

"Aw, come on, Princess. Live a little."

"No. You can go read hot love scenes out of romance novels by yourself."

He sighed dramatically, clearly disappointed.

"Let's go explore the house," Arden said. Seemed like a safe suggestion.

He shrugged. She stood before he could offer to help her up. She turned and led the way upstairs. They made a left and found the master bedroom. They'd been in here before when they got the mattress and blankets. But Arden wanted to see what was in the closets. It would be nice if they could find some other clothes. They'd been wearing the same things for the past two days.

In the first closet were some dresses and men's shirts and slacks. She tossed a pair of khaki pants to Travis. He held them up and laughed. "Rory's a scrawny fellow. No way I can wear these. Three inches too short and I'd rather not say how many inches too skinny."

"You'd rather not say?" Arden arched a brow at him. "Let's see." She grabbed the pants and looked at the tag. "Thirty-inch waist." She held them up against Travis's waist and shook her head. "Gotta lay off the pie, Travis," she said.

"You trying to hurt my feelings?" he asked. "I've got a great body. Wanna see?" He made like he was going to take off his shirt, but she grabbed his hands to stop him.

"I'll take your word for it," she said.

He grinned at her.

She turned back to the closet. June had been a couple of sizes larger than Arden. So at least she could wear some of her clothes just to be in something more comfortable than this damn skirt and blouse. She grabbed an ugly, floral thing with lace around the collar and held it by the hanger up to her neck.

"Sexy," Travis said.

She shot him a look.

Travis turned to the dresser and started digging through the drawers. Arden flipped through the selection of dresses, none of which she would ever have been caught dead in in any other circumstance.

"Found a t-shirt," Travis muttered.

She turned and watched as he peeled off his flannel shirt and tossed it on the bed frame.

Nice, she thought. He really did have a great body. Well-muscled, but with a slight layer of fat, likely from all the pies. The effect being that he looked both strong and soft at the same time. Hard but gentle. What made her cringe, though, were the long scars criss-crossing his back. She wondered if that had happened when he was a child. The tattoos surprised her, too. She saw the name Tonya on his left shoulder. His ex-wife. A couple of other designs she didn't recognize.

Then he shrugged into the grey t-shirt and she turned back to the closet, not wanting to be caught looking.

Suddenly, he laughed. "Here you go," he said.

She turned in time to catch what he tossed to her. A long, flannel nightgown with ruffles on the cuffs and around the collar. It buttoned up to the neck and hung almost to the floor.

"Well," she said, "It looks warm."

"I bet when June put that on, Rory knew he wasn't getting any."

She grinned. "That's what I'll wear then. To keep you from getting ideas."

"Aw, come on. Don't be mean."

She tried not to stare at him. The t-shirt, which would have fit Rory like a sack, hugged Travis's chest and biceps nicely making him look mouth-watering yummy. Arden walked over to the dresser and found a pair of flannel pajamas that actually did look fairly comfortable. She nodded. "These will do," she said. "No sense being dressed up. Out you go."

"Out? I've seen women naked before, you know."

"Out."

"Please?" he begged as she backed him out of the room and shut the door in his face. She changed and then joined them in the hallway.

He looked her up and down and shook his head. "Even in flannel...," he said.

She blushed because he wasn't flirting. Avoid at all costs, she reminded herself. "Did you see the attic entrance?" she asked.