Read Online Wicked Games by Jill Myles - Free Book Online Page B

approached. “Housewarming gift,” he declared in an equally cheerful voice.
    The two of them were far too happy to see us. It made me uneasy, considering we were playing a competitive game in which one team could easily eliminate the other. Still, as Dean strode forward with an easy grin, his hand out to shake hands with them, I tagged behind, feeling like the reluctant asshole that I’d been cast as.
    Lana hugged Dean and pulled away, wrinkling her nose. “What is that you’ve got all over you?”
    Dean grinned and put a hand back down to his greasy chest as I pulled up alongside him, trying to contain my frown. “Sorry, we were trying out our bug repellent.”
    As I watched, Lana’s brown eyes lit up and she reached for Dean again. “In that case, I should rub up against you some more.”
    My partner side-stepped with a small laugh, and Will grinned, but I couldn’t muster the same. I settled for a tight smile that didn’t feel as if it belonged on my face.
    Another awkward moment passed, and then Lana waved her hands, as if trying to chase away the awkwardness. “We wanted to see if you guys had fire and we could borrow some, since we’re practically neighbors.”
    “We have food,” Will added, holding up the coconuts. “And two bananas.” He pulled them out from his shirt.
    I have to admit, I gasped in delight at that. “There are bananas on this island?”
    “And mango, if you know where to look,” Lana said, smiling. “We can show you if you promise not to show anyone else. In exchange for fire, of course.”
    I glanced over at Dean, and he looked at me. “Can you give us a second?” I asked, and before anyone could answer, grabbed my partner by the elbow and dragged him away.
    “What do you think?” Dean whispered low in my ear. The feel of his breath against my neck made my entire body shiver with want.
    “I’m not sure,” I admitted, still a little irritated at the sight of beautiful Lana rubbing her hands over Dean’s chest. Why that bothered me, I couldn’t quite say. I mean, Will was good-looking too, but I wasn’t getting hot and bothered by the thought of Lana putting her hands on him.
    “If they can show us where the rest of the fruit is—“
    “I know, but fire?” I shrugged my shoulders, then crossed my arms over my chest. “What if we’re the only ones that have fire? How much of an advantage are we giving away?”
    “Not the only ones that have fire,” He reminded me. “Remember the matches? And besides, I think we’ll need allies in the next few weeks to come. We could do a lot worse than sharing information with our neighbors and bringing them to our side.”
    Unless they use it against us , I thought uncharitably. I glanced over at the waiting duo, and Lana had her hand to her eyes, shielding them from the sun. She gave me a cheerful smile and I racked my brain, trying to remember what I’d been told about her. “What was her job again?”
    Dean thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. “Camp counselor. And I think I remember someone said that Will was a teacher.”
    “I guess they sound okay,” I said, caving in. “I just worry that someone’s going to mess this up for us when we’ve got things going so well.”
    Dean gave me a greasy hug, rubbing my arm. “Don’t you worry about a thing.” His hot, oiled skin slid against mine as he pulled me close. “I’ll handle them.”
    To my vast shame, it felt marvelous to have Dean hold me close to him, feeling the sun-warmed skin against my own. The urge to sink against him was consuming. Lana was giving us an interested look, and too late, I remembered that we were supposed to be at each other’s throats. I jerked away and followed Dean back over to Team Nine, trying to remain as nonchalant as possible, despite Lana’s gloating grin.
    “Fire for food sounds like a good deal to me,” Dean said, stepping forward. Lana clapped her hands happily, and Will burst into a smile, and I realized just how