Cassie instinctively melted against him, needing the strength of his body to wash away the ragged wounds of the night. Seeming to sense her fierce need, he brushed her hair gently back; his long fingers caressed her neck as he kissed her temple gently. “How did studying go?”
She had been so lost in his touch that the question took her by surprise. “Huh? Oh ah, fine, it was fine.”
“That’s good. Your grandmother would like a ginger ale.”
Cassie took the glasses from him. Turning she met his fierce, heated gaze. Ripples of pleasure shot through her. It took all she had not to throw her arms around him, bury herself in his embrace and forget all the worries of the world. But she couldn’t do it. Not with her grandmother in the next room, not with Chris across the street wounded and broken, and not with some monster hunting their town.
“Ok.” She moved reluctantly away from him, opening the fridge she removed the ginger ale and root beer. “How long have you been here for?”
“Not long. I wanted to check on you after today, maybe take you for a walk.”
Cassie shuddered at the thought of being outside again, exposed to that evil, vulnerable to it. “That would have been nice, little late now,” she mumbled in response.
“Hm.” He was studying her intently when she turned back around. Before she knew what he was doing, he reached forward and plucked a blade of grass from the arm of the coat she had forgotten to take off. His eyebrows lifted questioningly as he held it up.
“Gym,” she lied poorly.
He smiled softly, but she had the feeling that he didn’t believe her for a second. “Didn’t realize it was that cold out today,” he said softly.
“I chill easily.”
His smile widened as he took the glasses from her. “I’ll have to keep you warm then.” Cassie’s mouth went dry, her toes curled at the promise in his husky words. “Come watch me whoop your grandmother in cribbage.”
Cassie swallowed heavily, managing a small nod. Settling down at the dining room table, her nose involuntarily wrinkled at the sight of the board. Try as she might, she had never caught onto cribbage. It was a fact that her grandma found very disappointing, as she loved the game and always wanted Cassie to play with her. “Thank you Devon, very kind of you.”
Her grandma shot her a pointed look; there was a suggestive tilt to her eyebrows as she took her glass from him. Cassie fought against the fierce blush creeping up her cheeks. Focusing on her plate, she picked absently at the pieces of chicken and mashed potatoes. She watched silently as they continued the game, trading quips and laughing softly as their pieces progressed around the board. Cassie didn’t have the foggiest idea who was winning, but from the smile on her grandma’s face she assumed it was her.
With a cry of joy, her grandma moved her peg again and leaned victoriously back in her chair. “I believe that is game.”
Devon grinned at her, his black hair fell boyishly across his forehead. Cassie’s heart warmed and melted, her fingers itched to brush it back for him. “And a very good one, I wouldn’t mind a rematch some time.”
“That would be nice. My cribbage team only plays every two weeks, and I wouldn’t mind a few practice games in between.”
Devon turned his charming grin on Cassie. “Don’t you play?”
Cassie shook her head as she pushed her plate away. “Cassie has never liked cribbage,” her grandma explained.
“Truly? It is a very interesting game, when played right.”
Cassie frowned over his words, they sounded so grown up, so outdated. Who said truly anymore? Her doubts reared back to painful life, crushing any of the small bliss she had found in the last hour. Her fingers clenched around her glass as she tried to rid herself of the nagging, awful suspicions lurking in her mind.
“I never really grasped it,” she admitted slowly, searching his gaze, looking for answers that she knew weren’t there.
“Then I’ll have to teach you one day.” Though he grinned at her, his eyes were darker, more intense. “You’ll enjoy it once you learn.”
“I’ve tried, but it’s not my game.”
“But if you want a rousing hand of rummy, poker, or spades, Cassie is your girl,” her grandma chimed in merrily, apparently unaware of the sudden tension in the room.
“Interesting,” Devon replied, his gaze never leaving Cassie’s. “Spades and Faro are two of my favorite games.”
Her grandma perked up. “You know how to play Faro?”
Devon turned slowly away. Cassie found herself able to breathe again as she inhaled sharply. She hadn’t even realized that she had stopped breathing until her lungs greedily gulped down air. “Yes, my grandfather taught me.”
“How fascinating, I love Faro! Though, I know almost no one that can play it.”
“I have the same problem, it’s a lost game.”
Cassie couldn’t stop herself from wondering how lost it was. She had never played the game, never even heard of it before. Who was this man sitting in her dining room with her and her grandmother? Her gaze darted to her grandma, fear turned through her as she realized that she may have also put her grandma’s life in danger by allowing this stranger into their lives.
The thought was ridiculous, she knew that. He had never done anything but prove himself to her. Yet here she was, suddenly very suspicious, and slightly frightened of him. It was absolutely ludicrous, he had never hurt her before, and he’d had plenty of opportunities to do so. In fact, he had protected her today, kept her safe from Mark’s anger, put himself in between her and Mark’s crazed advance. He had risked his own safety in order to keep her protected.
She was being unfair, she knew that, but she couldn’t stop her doubts and worries. No matter how hard she tried, they would not shut off.
“But a very interesting, entertaining one!” her grandma said brightly. “We must play sometime, I’m sure Cassie would love it. She enjoys all of the gambling games, and she’s very good at them.”
“I would like that. A card shark huh?” His intense, penetrating gaze swung back to Cassie. “Wonders never cease.”
“Just lucky,” she mumbled.
“Exceptionally lucky. If she ever hits Vegas, she’ll break the place.”
“Let’s test that luck.” Devon grabbed hold of the deck of cards, his long fingers shuffled so swiftly through them that Cassie could hardly see the cards flashing by. He was amazingly talented with them. “What do you want to play? Three hand spades? Seven card? Dealer’s choice?”