Love and Other Games (21 page)

"I wouldn't fall for that."

"I know." He punched her back, though it was more like a caress than anything else. "That's why I like you so much."

A beat of silence hung in the air between them. How much did he like her, precisely?

"No, the torch is real," Brandon said, heading off down the way they had been walking. "Or at least, the rumors of it are."

They finished searching the second building and moved on to the next. There were nine dormitory buildings in all. Brandon brought up an American TV show, and the two spent the time it took to search all but the last building alternately laughing at and bemoaning the popularity of reality television. Lia couldn't tell if Brandon was pulling her leg about some of the reality shows he said were currently on the air. Did people really watch such ridiculous things?

"I don't understand why anyone would want to watch that woman for five minutes," Lia said, "but she gets an hour every week!"

They reached a narrow walkway between ice-coated shrubbery that had long lost its leaves. Brandon stepped to the side and motioned for Lia to go ahead of him.

"Shit," he spat.

She spun toward him. "What is it? Are you hurt?"

Brandon tucked his head down and cast glances over her shoulder. "I'm not supposed to be here, remember?"

Attempting casualness, Lia turned slowly toward where Brandon's gaze continually flitted. A security guard had been walking on the sidewalk and apparently spotted them. He'd stopped and was peering at them from beneath the black brim of his police-style hat. She supposed it did look suspicious – two people lurking in the shadows between buildings, where the sidewalks didn't extend.

Lia bit her lip, thinking. "What will they do if they catch you in the Village without authorization?"

"Not sure," Brandon whispered. "I'd get arrested for trespassing at the least."

Lia had an idea, though she was instantly sure it was a terrible one. It was the oldest trick in the book and would probably lead her down a road she didn't care to travel, but it was the only idea she had. She grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled him towards her until their bodies pressed tight against each other.

Brandon's mouth parted in surprise. "What are you—"

"Shh. If he thinks we're lovers sneaking off for some alone time, maybe he'll just keep walking."

"Good thinking." He slid his arms around her waist and bent his head toward her. "Better make it convincing, then."

The instant their lips met, Lia's eyes slammed shut. His lips were full and warm against hers. A heady feeling flooded her brain, leaving her seemingly without conscious thought. His hand slipped over her shoulder to cradle the back of her head and the heady feeling exploded into a whirlwind of color and sensation. Of its own accord, her body pressed against his. His arm tightened around her waist and their bodies molded together, sending blood rushing through her veins until her skin felt hot beneath her ski suit.

Suddenly, she was deprived of all of it. Brandon's lips separated from hers as his hands dropped to his sides. "He's gone," he said. "You were right."

She could do nothing to stem the flow of disappointment that washed all the previous fantastic feelings from her, leaving her feeling deflated and empty. But Lia was a pro at letting bravado compensate for any real emotions she may have. "Of course I was."

She set off toward the last building, trying to convince herself she didn't care about how quickly he followed. (It was two steps.)

"Thank you," Brandon said when he caught up with her. "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to." Realizing what she'd said, her cheeks flushed with warmth. She studied the ground as if she were searching for the torch, even though they were walking across flat, featureless ground between two dorms.

It didn't escape Brandon. "You wanted to help me?" A devilish grin stretched across his face as he placed a hand on her lower back. "Or you wanted to kiss me?"

Both.
Her entire consciousness focused on where his hand touched her back. And then she found herself re-living their kiss. She wanted to do it again, for real this time. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and give as good as she’d gotten. She gathered her courage and looked him in the eye. "Your questions assume it's only one or the other."

Yeah, okay, so she wasn't the best at flirting. She hadn't had much practice – hadn't had much desire to practice before today. Not that she'd never dated men, but she'd definitely never chased them. Didn't have the time for it.

But she could tell from the darkening of his eyes and the way his hand tensed at her back that she'd gotten her message across.

They scanned the exterior of the dorm building the same as all the others, except this time they did it in silence.

When they reached the end, Brandon turned to her, but didn't speak until she met his eyes. Maybe it was the low light, but they were indecipherable. "So, now we try the obvious option?"

"Hm?" Lia was distracted and had no idea what he was talking about.

"The plaza."

"Oh. Yes. To the plaza."

The plaza was at the center of everything. It's where the food court was, among other things.

They reached the center of the plaza and Lia stopped. A few athletes walked about, returning to their dorms for the night. She spun in a slow circle, eyes scanning every surface.

Two American hockey players ran by them, laughing and tossing a camera back and forth between them.

Lisa sighed and turned in another circle. "It will go faster if we split up," she said.

Brandon didn't want to split up – for both professional reasons and very unprofessional ones. He'd have to tell her who he was eventually, of course, to get the official interview and accompanying photo shoot, if nothing else. He probably should have already told her – before he'd kissed her – but he was worried about how she'd react. Evangelia Milonas did not talk to the press more than she absolutely had to.

She explained the search route to him and they set off in opposite directions. His body threw a temper tantrum when he walked away from her. It seemed to be yelling at him to go back.
Go back, wrap her in your arms, and kiss her, you idiot. For real this time.
But he kept walking, following her instructions. He couldn't remember the last time he'd kept his hands off a girl he was this attracted to for this long. How much will power had it taken to stop kissing her after the guard stopped watching him? He hadn't thought he possessed that much. As it was, he'd continued kissing her long after the guard had turned away.

His eyes scanned the ground, but if the torch had been dancing flamenco in front of him, he probably wouldn't have noticed. All he saw was the memory of Lia grabbing his jacket and yanking him close.

He'd spent another forty-five minutes searching for a thing he was pretty sure he didn't believe existed when he heard Lia calling his name.

"Brandon!" she half-whispered, half-yelled. "Come here!"

He walked casually to where she was standing in a dim corner of the plaza, despite her frenzied attempts to make him walk faster. After his almost discovery by the dorms, he didn't want to draw attention to himself.

Her face was flush with excitement and her eyes shone in the low light. When he stood next to her, placing an arm around her back, she pointed to the roof of a closed kiosk above them.

"Do you see?" She slipped her arm around his waist and squeezed. "I think that's it."

For a second, he didn't see anything but her face smiling up at him. The side of her body pressed against his became an all-encompassing distraction. He tore his gaze away and looked up. The roof was about ten feet tall. Two inches of a burnished-metal cylinder extended from the edge.

"Can you lift me up?" Her voice filled with hope and excitement.

He didn't even believe in the torch, but he hoped this was it, for her sake. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her and moved underneath the edge of the roof. "Ready?"

She bit her lip and nodded. He kneeled and looked up at her. She giggled nervously. He wrapped his arms around her thighs and stood. Of course, his face was right in front of her crotch. She didn't seem to notice, though, her attention focused above them. He turned his head to the side as she squirmed in his arms, reaching up towards the cylinder.

"I need a couple more centimeters," she said.

He tightened his hold on her legs and pushed up on his toes. Immediately, he started to lose his balance, feeling her weight pull him forward.

"Got it!" she yelled.

He loosened his grip and let her slide slowly to the ground. Her body rubbed deliciously against his before her feet landed and his arms closed around her waist, steadying her landing. What was he thinking? She was a world-class aerialist. She didn't need his help with any landing. But still, he didn't remove his arms, even several seconds later, when she brought the torch around and in between them. His entire body yearned to kiss her again – for real and without holding back.

"We did it!"

It was definitely an older style, from the fifties or sixties. He was still marveling at the thing, wondering at the legend and how true it was, when her lips crashed into his. All thoughts of the torch vanished.

After the initial beat of surprise, he pulled her tight against him and opened his lips, taking control of the kiss. She lifted the torch and placed her arms over his shoulders. Then she melted against him. He felt the moment she surrendered to him. It made his blood sing with need. Finally.

He parted her lips and darted his tongue inside, testing her boundaries. Her grip on his neck tightened, tugging him closer. She opened her mouth and fully welcomed him in.

His mouth devoured hers. Every touch of her lips and tongue was an addictive drug that only made him want more and more. It was true he'd kissed a lot of women, but no one had ever driven him this crazy with just one kiss. He'd always wanted the other women, sure. But he
needed
this one.

He slid one hand down to cup her ass, pulling her tight against him. A moan tumbled from her lips. At the sound, a craving ignited inside of him. He pushed her up against the front wall of the kiosk, crushing his hips against hers.

Her lips became frenzied, hungry. Brandon placed a hand on each side of her head and kissed her like he'd never kissed anyone, like his life depended on it. Her chest heaved against his. She trailed a hand across his shoulder and down his arm and his nerves blazed at her touch. If that was what she could do to him through several layers of cloth, he wanted her to touch him everywhere. She raised up to her tiptoes and hooked her arm around his waist, pulling until his erection pressed tight against her stomach. Feeling his excitement, she gasped. Her body jerked once and, suddenly, her legs wrapped around his waist. His hardness pressed against her soft warmth. Lia whimpered. It was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard.

Brandon pulled away from Lia's lips. Her short-lived wordless protest halted when he pressed his lips against her neck. He needed to taste her. His tongue caressed the hollow of her throat and she tossed her head back, granting him full access. Her breaths came fast, pushing her chest up towards his face. He cursed the track jacket that kept them hidden from him.

"Want to go to my room?" Lia whispered, her voice husky.

Brandon looked up and met her brown eyes, hoping he wasn't misunderstanding her intention. They were clear and determined. His mind flashed to the image of two twin beds in one room. No, he wanted Lia all to himself. "I have a hotel room not too far from here."

She smiled. "That's a better idea."

She squirmed against him and the delicious friction of her sex rubbing against his, even through layers of clothing, made him wish they were already in his room.

"You need to let me down." She smirked at him.

"Do I?" He flashed her an evil grin before taking her mouth again with his. He poured everything he had into the kiss, determined to give her something to think about on the cab ride to his apartment.

When he was satisfied with the fervor with which she grasped at him and moaned at his touches, he pulled away and slid her gently to the ground.

"Tease," she playfully scolded and set off toward the taxi circle outside of the plaza.

Brandon followed, catching up with her in seconds. He slipped his hand in hers and reveled in the way it made her smile up at him. Keeping his gaze locked on hers, he raised the hand and kissed the inside of her palm, lips lingering against the smooth skin. Lia licked her lips. It took every ounce of self-control he had not to sweep her into his arms and kiss her again.

Somehow, he hailed a cab and gave the driver the name of his hotel. Lia sat against him, her thigh pressed against his. Brandon put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. She laid the torch across her lap. Something occurred to him. Lia wasn't competing again until the day after tomorrow.

"You heard the part about the superstition where you can only have the torch for a day before its luck turns on you, right?" he said.

She frowned at the torch. "I forgot in the excitement of finding it."

Brandon raised his hand and lightly traced her ear lobe. She shivered, but refused to be distracted from the torch. Suddenly, her eyes widened.

"I'll leave it with you! You can give it back to me before I compete."

He laughed. "That could work."

With the matter settled, Lia turned her attention back to Brandon. She gazed up at him in the dark backseat of the cab. Her hand lazily grazed his pants, from his knee up to his hip bone. It was a gentle touch, but it set his nerves alight. It was all he could do not to pull her on top of him and take her in the back seat. This would be the longest ten-minute cab ride of his life.

Lia stood back as Brandon slid the key card into his hotel room door. At the soft beep of the card being accepted, whatever courage had possessed her to practically jump his bones back at the Village became eclipsed by uncertainty.