She was the delusional one for denying what she wanted, because her heavy-lidded stare told him more than her lips ever would.
Cash picked the remote back up. “Would you rather action or comedy?”
“Are you taking my game and using it for your own purposes?” she teased.
“Maybe I am.” He flashed her a smile and patted her feet, where they still rested against his side, poking out from the blanket. “Or would you rather nix the movie and play strip poker?”
Her mouth hinted at a grin, but she replied, “You’re a jerk.”
She kicked her foot at him, but he caught it. The second his hand clamped around her arch, her eyes flared wide, her chest expanding as she sucked in a deep breath.
“That’s not how you felt when I saved your life,” he murmured, inching just a bit closer.
“I got caught in the moment,” she defended herself. “So what if I wanted to kiss you? Believe me, the feeling has passed.”
Cash barely contained his smile. “Is that right?”
He slid his hand from the bottom of her foot up to her ankle, her calf... all the while keeping his eyes locked on hers. She made no attempt to move or to stop him.
Why was that? More importantly, what the hell was he thinking? This was a standard case of playing with fire. Sure, he’d been burned before, but hadn’t he learned his lesson?
Apparently not.
“Stop playing games, Cash.”
Yes, Cash. Stop playing games.
“I’m just making sure you’re relaxed,” he explained. “You had a pretty rough day.”
He massaged her calf and took great pleasure in watching her lids flutter. But then she recovered and shot him that glare once again.
“You think this is making my day better?” she scolded.
“I think if you’d lay back, you might enjoy this.”
“Maybe I would, but I’m not sure where you’d stop.”
With the haze his mind was in right now, he wasn’t sure either. But she wasn’t putting up any resistance other than feeble words. He figured she was about two strokes away from moaning.
“You know this isn’t smart, right?” she asked, her voice huskier than it had been moments ago.
“I’m just trying to relax you and figure out a movie to watch. You said I wasn’t compassionate, so I’m proving you wrong.”
She let out a slight laugh before stretching out her legs until they landed in his lap. Well, maybe they were making progress. He slid his hand to her other foot and started the slow process all over. He’d never rubbed a woman’s feet before, but he didn’t mind one bit getting his hands on Jade.
“Stay below the knee,” she ordered as her head dropped against the back of the sofa and she flung an arm over her eyes. “And stop staring at me. You’re supposed to be picking a movie.”
Ah, there she was. The mouthy, snarky friend he’d come to know. Wait. Friend? He wasn’t sure what their label was exactly. Was there even a term for people who drove each other insane, had mutual friends, and somewhat worked together?
The shrill bell echoed through the room. Cash patted her legs and eased out from under her.
“That’s the food,” he told her. “Sit still, Red. Let me get that for you.”
For a man who’d always thought of her as pampered and spoiled, he sure was treating her like a princess . . . and damn if he didn’t like it.
Chapter Four
“Maybe I shouldn’t have ordered so much food.”