“Do I have a shot with him?” Eden asked in a low voice. “He told me a little about what happened. But I’m not at all sure what I’m dealing with here.”
Skylar’s expression softened. “If he told you anything at all, then that’s a good sign because he doesn’t talk about it to anyone. He still has nightmares. We’ve all witnessed them but we don’t mention it because it makes him self-conscious. And yeah, I’d say you have a shot with him. You’re just going to have to be patient as he wars with himself over whether he can juggle the job and a relationship with you too.”
“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.
But who in their right mind would turn the lights off when making love to a woman as fucking gorgeous as Eden Sinclair? Hell, he’d want to memorize every part of her body. Every dip, every curve. He’d commit to memory the way her eyes glazed with passion, the way they flared when she orgasmed. Though he might be putting too much stock in his sexual prowess. Who was to say he’d even be able to satisfy her? A woman like her could certainly afford to be picky. And yet . . . she wanted him.
His groin reacted to the fantasy he was creating in his mind, and his dick swelled in his jeans, making it damn uncomfortable. He was going to wear the imprint of his zipper if he kept this up.
So what the hell was he supposed to do? March into Eden’s bedroom, toss her on the bed and fuck her six ways to Sunday?
He shook his head in disgust. First he owed her an apology for acting like a dick. She deserved more than some crude fuck. She deserved to be seduced. And then made love to the entire night, everything devoted entirely to her pleasure. He wanted to make her forget any other man she’d ever had sex with. For her he’d pull out every single trick in his repertoire and learn a few more to boot. The idea of learning what pleased her appealed to him not only on a physical level but on an emotional one too.
“Swanny?”
It took him a minute to realize that Eden was standing in the doorway to her bedroom and that apparently she’d called his name more than once. He glanced up to see her wearing a worried frown as she stared at him, question in her eyes.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “Was just thinking.”
“Must not have been good thoughts,” she murmured.
He almost laughed. If she only knew . . .
“I was asking if you were hungry. I was going to order room service. It’s late and I need to call it an early night. Shooting starts early tomorrow morning and I need to look my best.”
As if she could look anything else. This was not a woman who had to work at looking good. If manufacturers could bottle her kind of beauty they’d be fucking gazillionaires. It was little wonder why she was so highly sought after. Having her back a product? Complete gold mine. She looked utterly approachable, not at all standoffish like he might expect someone of her celebrity to be. People likely flocked to her, drawn by her sweetness and genuine kindness.