CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Two hours later, Esha lay in her damned prison of a bed waiting for Warren to come back for their card game. Waking up almost totally incapacitated had been a real mind fuck. Sure, she got dinged up when out hunting rogues, but never to the point of becoming bedridden. Then again, she’d never come up against another soulceress before, even one who had long since disappeared after casting her magic.
Idiot. She was aware that she sometimes took stupid risks, but when they always worked out, could they really be considered that stupid? Until this last one. This task with Warren had turned out to be more than she’d bargained for. Apparently there were some things that she couldn’t do alone.
But with Warren as a partner? It was an idea that initially would have thrilled her. Now it made her wary.
What she really needed was more information. Warren wasn’t telling her the full truth about why he was looking for Aurora, and Esha wasn’t about to let her lack of knowledge become a liability.
Hence the card game. While it would be nice to take her mind off her helplessness, what she really wanted was to pry some secrets out of Warren. What better way than by distracting him with cards?
“Esha?” Warren’s deep voice sounded through the door and made shivers run down her spine.
“Come on in.” She pushed her hair back and sat up straighter in the bed. Not that she cared what she looked like. ’Course not.
The Chairman glanced up from cleaning his manliness at the foot of the bed and gave her a look that said, yeah right.
“Oh, put your turkey leg down,” she told him, nodding at the back leg he’d stuck up in the air.
He just glared at her. She scowled back, then looked up from the cat to see Warren striding toward her, confident and sexy as hell. He’s a jerk, she reminded herself. Don’t forget that.
But was he, really?
“So, what are we playing?” he asked, holding up a deck of cards and a sack of pistachios. The corner of his mouth kicked up in a half-smile, and she felt her heart skip a beat.
“Pistachios?”
“Sure. Keeps the stakes low. Since I chose the stakes, you can choose the game.”
Esha frowned. She wanted info, not pistachios. “Why do you care if they’re low? Scared I’ll make you play strip poker?”
Warren’s gaze heated as his eyes traveled from her face down her body. Heat crept along her nerve endings, and she realized she’d invited the look that set her mind ablaze.
“Is that really an option?” he asked.
She swallowed. Was she ready to deal with a naked Warren? To play a game of chance that could end with him on top of her?
Yes.
Inwardly, she shook her head. No way was she going to let that happen. She’d thrown herself at him enough in the past, and all it had netted her was rejection and mean comments. Even if he was being nicer to her now, it didn’t negate the way he’d tricked her in the past or the fact that he wanted to kill Aurora.
She was turning over a new leaf.
“Pistachios it is.” She’d find a way to up the stakes later. And she’d keep her clothes on, damn it. “How about Texas Hold ’Em?”
Warren’s grin widened, and he nodded as he walked toward the bed.
“Hang on, I’m dying to get out of bed,” she said. If her traitorous body was going to keep up with her resolve, she couldn’t be anywhere near Warren and a bed. Gingerly, she rose and walked to the little sitting area under the windows.
“How do you feel?” Warren asked as he rushed over to help her into a chair.
She swatted his hands away. “Fine. A lot better, honestly.”
Most of the pain had faded, leaving only muscle aches and exhaustion. She’d walk
ed some laps around the room today, just to prove she could, and even managed a short shower. The exercise had actually improved her strength some.
She stretched her arms over her head, carefully working her sore muscles to see if she could loosen them up. Warren’s eyes followed her movements, his gaze hot and his jaw tight. Slowly, she lowered her arms, looking away at the last second. This was going to be hard.