“I can be patient when it comes to something I want,” Eden said softly.
Skylar’s mouth quirked. “I like you, Eden. You’re not at all what I was expecting.”
“I’m not even going to ask,” Eden said dryly. “But I’m glad that whatever you thought I was didn’t turn out to be that way.”
“I’m going to go kick Swanny back out of my room. He’s stewed long enough. He’s probably kicked himself in the ass enough that it’s sore by now. Go easy on him. He’s a man, after all, and they’re incredibly thick when it comes to women. Believe me, I’ve seen it all,” she added with a roll of her eyes.
“I like you too, Skylar,” Eden said with a grin. “Anyone who can handle all that testosterone and hold their own certainly has earned respect.”
“Swanny likes you,” Skylar said bluntly. “Don’t let him fuck it up, Eden. He’s not used to contending with women wanting to be near him, and I’m guessing it freaks him out.”
“Now that I know, you can be sure I’m not going to give up so easily,” Eden said in a determined tone.
Skylar smiled again. “Awesome. Can’t wait to see him fall hard. This will have to be documented for posterity.”
Eden joined in her laughter, feeling at ease for the first time since this whole clusterfuck had begun. A few days in Paris, with Swanny basically her captive audience? It was plenty of time to work her magic, provided she had any.
CHAPTER 12
SWANNY let himself in the door as quietly as possible, though it was stupid of him to tiptoe around. But after making a total horse’s ass of himself with Eden, and then Skylar having to smooth things over, he was feeling like a first-class moron.
Skylar hadn’t said much, just that she’d explained “things” to Eden, whatever “things” was supposed to mean. Sky had worn a mischievous expression, though, and her eyes had sparkled with amusement when she’d told him to get his ass back over to his room and quit acting like an idiot.
Then her expression had gotten more serious as she’d told him not to fuck up his chance with Eden. What chance? And how had things progressed to this point so damn quickly? He’d only met the woman a little over twenty-four hours ago and it boggled his mind that he supposedly had a chance to mess up. Or get right.
He wasn’t sure whether he was relieved or disappointed when he found the living room empty and the door to Eden’s bedroom closed. He realized that he was a total chickenshit, which didn’t sit well with him. When it came to his profession he had confidence in spades. But on a personal level? Relationships? Confidence wasn’t a word that was exactly in his vocabulary. And definitely not with a woman like Eden.
What the hell did she see in him? It was a question that had haunted him for hours. Why was she even bothering with him, and why had she looked so hurt when he’d pushed her away?
He couldn’t get that quick flash of hurt he’d seen in her eyes out of his mind. That he had that kind of power to hurt a woman of her caliber baffled him. Women like her likely left a trail of broken hearts in their wake. And yet she’d said rather bluntly that it was he who would likely break her heart.
He knew that shit like love at first sight wasn’t some hokey crap only in fiction. He’d witnessed it firsthand. Well, maybe it wasn’t at first sight, but pretty damn close. His teammates had certainly fallen hard for their wives, and it sure as hell hadn’t taken very long to accomplish. But it wasn’t something he ever envisioned happening to him.
How could he love someone he didn’t know? How could she love or rather like or be attracted to someone she didn’t know? They were, for all practical purposes, strangers thrown together by circumstance. Nothing more.
And yet she’d have him believe she felt something more for him. Would he be a fool to look the other way? To ignore what she was blatantly offering him? What was the worst that could happen? They’d have a fling and then go their separate ways? He could think of a lot worse things.
No one said they had to declare undying love or devotion to become involved physically.
Except that for him . . . sex wasn’t casual. Or at least he didn’t consider it a mindless act. Something to gain quick release and then go on his merry way. Perhaps that was why his sex life wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire. Well, that and the fact that one side of his face was a mangled mess.
The few women he had been with hadn’t seemed to mind, but then he’d made damn sure he made up for his appearance by focusing on their pleasure. Keeping the lights off hadn’t hurt either.