She paused, contemplating this. It was a wild, ridiculous bet. She totally wanted to do it. If she won this stupid dare, she’d win big in all ways. Reese would be gone, his irritating presence would be removed from the cozy lodge, and she could devote her time to Cade . . . and her twin. Plus, hello, kissing Cade. That was a reward all on its own. Audrey drummed her fingers against her lower lip, thinking.
But kissing Cade would have to be initiated by her, unless he showed more interest than he had in the past. She knew that with him she was still stuck in the safe “friend” or “little sister” zone. He’d never initiate a kiss—with tongue!—on his own. She’d have to be the one to come on to him, grab him and kiss him just like she’d done to Reese. It would require a bit of nerve.
Okay, a lot of nerve.
But if she won . . .
And yet, if she lost she’d be going skinny-dipping with this smirky, cocky oaf standing in front of her. She’d already kissed the goon, and now she was agreeing to get naked with him if she didn’t follow through?
But he’d leave if she kissed Cade. And wasn’t that what she wanted? Kill two birds with one stone. She glanced up at him. The grin on his face told her that he very much anticipated going skinny-dipping with her tonight.
He didn’t think she could do it.
Audrey held out her hand, her pulse racing. “You’re on. If I win, you leave. If you win, we go skinny-dipping.”
Reese clasped his hand in hers and they shook on it.
***
Damn it, she was going to lose. This was not fair.
Of all days for this bet to happen, today was by far the worst. Daphne woke up early that morning, sullen and dizzy. Audrey had lingered around her for a time, bringing blankets and drinks when needed. She didn’t mind helping, though she was curious why Reese moved in and out of the cabin and there was no sign of Cade, who normally was attentive when Daphne was awake.
When lunch had rolled around and Cade hadn’t made an appearance, Audrey innocently asked, “Is Cade sleeping in?”
“Oh, he went to town for some more supplies,” Daphne said. “He left super early this morning. I needed more cigarettes and Reese suggested more groceries.”
Audrey’s eyes narrowed. She glanced over at Reese. “Did he now?”
“Huh,” was all Reese said, but that know-it-all grin was on his mouth. He kicked his feet up on the coffee table and wiggled his eyebrows at Audrey.
That jerk. He’d known all along that Cade wasn’t around, and he’d still made that stinking bet with her. She hated him. She really and truly hated him.
He’d planned this simply to get her to go skinny-dipping with him. “When will Cade be back?” she asked, keeping her voice as casual as she could.
Daphne shrugged, giving her a cross look. “Why do you care?”
Not for the first time, Audrey wished that her beloved twin wasn’t going through the cranky pants portion of withdrawal. “I’m sure he’ll be back in time for your pill,” Audrey told her. Considering that Daphne took it around dinnertime each night, it made sense.
Daphne rubbed her face, groaning. “Can’t get here fast enough.”
In that, they were in perfect agreement.
The afternoon passed in a whirlwind of tension for Audrey. She read her book, finished it, then paced the living room as Daphne napped fitfully upstairs. She’d have gone with Daphne except that Daphne had finally been irritated enough with Audrey’s fussing to kick her out of the room and locked the door. Well, that suited Audrey just fine, she thought. She can clean up her own vomit. She read one of her books instead, sat on the back porch, and watched the sun sink far too close to the horizon for her own tastes.
Reese, meanwhile, chopped wood. He’d removed his shirt and, despite the fact that it was winter and somewhat brisk outside, he was covered in sweat as he placed a log on a stump and then sliced it neatly in half with the axe.
She told herself that the light on the porch was the best, and that was why she was out there. It wasn’t because Reese was half-naked and his muscles gleamed with sweat. Certainly not.
But when he tired of chopping wood and went upstairs to shower, Audrey was left alone to her own devices. She headed into the bathroom downstairs and studied her reflection thoughtfully. She’d have a limited window of time in which to kiss Cade when he got back. She had to make it happen. Had to. She was not skinny-dipping. Maybe she needed to put on some makeup and fix her hair in something other than a tight bun.
She pulled the tie out of her hair and let it fall around her shoulders. Reese had seemed to appreciate her hair soft and loose. And while she didn’t care what Reese thought about how she looked, he seemed to be a good judge of what men found attractive. Hell, he dated all kinds of women. If Reese thought she was sexy with her hair down, Cade surely would, right?
Audrey ran the brush through her hair, finger-combing the loose curls and waves that her bun had made. Her hair was shiny and soft, the natural red a pale but pleasant orangey gold. Would he find her attractive? She retrieved her purse from the living room and pulled out her cosmetics bag. Nude lipstick, nude eyeshadow, and concealer for her under-eye circles. Nothing to make her into a gorgeous woman who needed to be kissed. With a sigh, she tossed the makeup back into her purse . . . and glanced at Daphne’s battered makeup bag.
A short time later, she wore false eyelashes, her eyes were lined and smoky with kohl, and her lips were glossy with a slick, kissable gloss that made her lips look plump and juicy. Her freckles were toned down by a bit of powder, and the waves of her hair made her look soft and touchable.
Not bad. She didn’t look much like the normal Audrey, but Cade tended to ignore the normal Audrey. He saw her as a bland but beloved friend. She fluttered her lashes at the mirror. With those on, she had to admit that she looked a bit more like her twin—albeit a fat, freckled version of the wispy, frail Daphne.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. Audrey hesitated, staring at her reflection.
The front door banged shut and she gasped. Cade was back. She turned and whirled out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.
He arrived with a few bags of groceries in his arms, looking a bit exhausted himself. Cade smiled at the sight of her and gestured at the groceries. “Hey, Aud. Help me bring these in?”
“Of course.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him and smiled. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
Cade gave her a smile in return. “Me, too. It’s good to see your lovely face.”
Well, if that wasn’t encouraging, she didn’t know what was. Blushing with pleasure at the compliment, Audrey headed down the stairs to Cade’s car and began to help him bring in the groceries. Their arms piled high with bags, Audrey was distracted and almost ran into Reese as she entered the cabin again.
Reese took the bags from her hands and then stopped at the sight of her.
“Is there a problem?” she whispered, keeping the smile on her face as Cade glanced over at them.
His face darkened into a bit of a scowl as he studied her hair and then her face. “Pulling out the big guns, I see.”
“That’s right,” she said sweetly. “And the sun’s not down yet. So even though you cheated, I still intend on winning. Get ready to leave.”
Reese grunted and said nothing.
They put away the groceries in silence. Reese seemed to be stewing over the fact that she’d done her makeup and hair. Cade seemed preoccupied, and Audrey, well, Audrey was trying to figure out the best way to seduce her oldest friend in the space of an hour.
For some reason, it made her nervous. And reluctant. Loving Cade from afar was safe. No one’s feelings were hurt when the other party didn’t know you were interested. Her confession to him would change everything.
But it was either that, or skinny-dip with his best friend.
“How’s Daphne doing?” Cade asked quietly. “Is she sleeping?”
“She’s very cranky,” Audrey said with a soft smile. ?
??But she’s going to be okay, I think.”
“She’s had a rough week,” Cade said, concern in his voice. He seemed distracted and oddly enough, exhausted, as if he’d spent the last few nights up with Daphne at the sacrifice of his own sleep.
Which, Audrey supposed, he had. He was such a good friend to their family. Was it any wonder that she loved him? Audrey reached out and clasped his hand, squeezing it. “Thank you for being here for us.”
Cade looked surprised at her touch, and then he squeezed her hand back, the gentle smile crossing his face. “Of course. I said I’d always be here for Daphne, and I am. She knows she can count on me.”
“We both can,” Audrey told him, smiling up at his gorgeous, classically handsome features. He didn’t look like Reese. Reese, whose face was handsome through sheer force of his personality. Reese, who looked like he’d be more comfortable at home in a boxing ring than in a business suit. Cade was beautiful like a statue. Reese was sexy like a force of nature.
“Move it or lose it,” Reese said in her ear, shoving past to get to the fridge with the last of the groceries. Startled at Reese’s callousness, Audrey almost scowled. He shot her a black look and indicated that she should let him past.
Audrey brushed up against Cade, letting her breasts push against his chest. To her surprise—and chagrin—Cade automatically moved back, ever the gentleman.
“Cade, can I talk to you privately for a minute?” Audrey pitched her voice to a husky, sexy timbre.
“I thought I would go check on Daphne,” Cade said, gesturing at the stairs.
“This won’t take long,” she told him, touching his arm. “Please? It’s important. I’d like to talk to you . . . somewhere where we can be alone.” She turned and gave Reese a dirty look.
“Of course.” Cade gestured courteously toward the door. “Is the porch all right?”
“The porch is terrific,” she told him, heading in that direction. She cast a triumphant look at Reese, who seemed to be scowling at her. He hadn’t thought she could do it, she thought smugly. She was about to prove him wrong. Just you wait, Reese Durham. The player’s about to be played.
Audrey stepped out onto the porch and waited for Cade to join her. He did a moment later, brows knitting together with concern as he shut the door behind him. “Is everything all right?”
She nodded and walked to the railing, gazing out over the beautiful scene before her. There was no snow despite the chilly weather, and the mountains were purple in the distance, the trees like green velvet against the orange and purple sky.
It was sunset, so she didn’t have much time to waste. Audrey automatically glanced back at the lodge and noticed Reese gazing out the window in the kitchen at her. All right then. She just had to push through and make this happen.
Cade was watching her with a curious look. “Did you want to talk about something, Audrey?”
She turned, resting her bottom against the railing of the porch and clung to one of the wood posts. “Come here, Cade.” When he looked hesitant, she added, “I’d like to keep our voices down so as not to disturb the others.”
He nodded, his hands going to his pockets as he strolled toward her. When he was within grabbing distance, he tilted his head and studied her. “Good enough?”
“Good enough,” she agreed.
“So what’s this about?” His expression looked bleak for a moment. “It’s Daphne, isn’t it?”
“No, no,” she told him hastily. “Nothing as bad as that.”
“I’m worried about her,” he told Audrey. “She’s recovering but she’s not happy about it. This is something she has to want for herself. It’s not enough for us to want it for her. It’s like she doesn’t care.”
“I’m sure she cares,” Audrey said, trying not to feel impatient. If he was going to talk about her twin and her health issues, she’d never wrangle that kiss out of him. “That wasn’t why I called you out here.”
“Oh?” Cade ran a hand over his jaw, and she noticed that he still hadn’t shaved. He seemed distracted, too. This was the most not together she’d ever seen Cade, and it threw her. Was he truly that concerned for Daphne? She was doing fine. She was throwing up less today and was able to keep some dry toast down. Give it another week or so and she’d be just fine. “What is it, then?”
Audrey’s tongue suddenly felt glued to the roof of her mouth. This was her moment. This was the time that she put aside all childhood longings and secret crushes and confessed just how she felt about this man. How she’d felt for as far back as she could remember. How she’d always loved him. How he meant everything to her and she wanted to take this love she had for him and turn it from one-sided into something she could share with him.
His expression was gentle as he waited patiently for her to speak, and it encouraged her.
“I . . .” She swallowed hard. “I wanted to talk to you about . . . how much it means to me that you’re here.” God, this was harder than she thought, especially since he was waiting on her with that patient look in his eyes. “You and I, we go way back.”
“We do,” he said with a grin. “I remember when the neighborhood kids used to steal you and Daphne’s trikes and I had to go and steal them back for you.”
“You always were our hero,” she said softly.
“I always will be,” he said solemnly. “Anytime you or your sister need me, you know I’ll be there.”
“I know. Just like this weekend.” Audrey reached out for his hand and clasped it. It was warm against her own, and he gave it another friendly squeeze. Like he would a little sister who needed encouragement. “I . . .”
“Yes?”
She leaned in a little, letting her hair fall forward on her cheek and fluttered her false eyelashes at him. If it gave any sort of effect like it did to Daphne, her eyes were big and bold with the fake lashes. She hoped she looked soft and vulnerable to him. Alluring, maybe. “I just wanted you to know how much I value that we can lean on you. You’re so important in my life.”
“You’re important in mine, too,” he assured her.
This was turning into a pat on the back conversation more than anything else. Just come right out with it, she told herself. Tell him you love him. Grab him by the collar and kiss him like you did Reese.
Except this was Cade, and she couldn’t be all impulsive with him. She remembered back on the docks, back when she was thirteen. The disappointed look he’d given her when she’d shoved Daphne into the water. Like she’d turned out to be someone he didn’t want and didn’t like. She never wanted to see that expression on his face again.
And looking at him now, with a touch of impatience in his eyes as he waited for her to say what was so important, she realized . . . he’d be looking at her like that again if she confessed how she felt.
Because she knew, she just knew, that it was one-sided.
And the words glued in her throat for good.
“Cade?” Daphne’s voice called out from the house. “Cade, are you back? Do you have my pill?”
Cade touched Audrey’s arm, then glanced back at the lodge. “I need to go, Audrey. We’ll finish this later?”
“Sure,” she said with a small disappointed sigh. “Later.”
He gave her another small smile, then headed back into the house, gently closing the door behind him.
Audrey stared out into the woods at the hateful sunset.
She could have taken matters into her own hands. Planted a kiss on Cade whether he’d wanted it or not, just to get Reese out of the house and win the bet. But that would have felt wrong on so many levels that she wouldn’t have been able to handle it. She was frustrated with Cade for not giving her the perfect opening, but more than that, she was frustrated with herself.
After all, she’d been the one to accept the stinking bet.
The door creaked open and she didn’t look over. She knew exactly who it was. It was Reese coming to gloat about how he’d won their little dare. This was two in a row that he’d mor
e or less forced her to walk right into. She should be incredibly pissed.
Instead, that butterfly of excitement was back in her stomach, making her pulse race.
“Ahem.”
She glanced over at Reese. He stood on the porch, arms crossed over an old gym T-shirt borrowed from Cade, a pleased smile on his face. “You get cold feet in the last moment, Miss Prim and Proper?”
“Something like that,” she said, then shrugged. “Of course, it’s impossible to win when someone deliberately stacks the deck against you.”
“Who would do such an outrageous thing?”
“Someone who was up at dawn with Cade and knew he wasn’t in the house when the bet was made,” she said dryly.
He gestured at himself in mock surprise, then flashed her a naughty—oh so naughty—grin. “I told you I’d do whatever it takes when it comes down to winning.”
“You certainly proved that today,” she told him, forcing her voice to be utterly bland. “Way to go. You won yourself a skinny-dip with Daphne Petty’s unattractive twin sister. Congratulations.”
He gave her an odd look. “You’re making it rather hard to gloat.”
“What’s there to gloat over?”
“The fact that I won a hot night of skinny-dipping with a lush, sexy redhead?”
She snorted. “You’re just gloating because you won. No more, no less. You don’t have to lay it on so thick.”
“Suit yourself,” Reese said, then glanced out at the pond. “You want to go now?”
“In broad daylight?” She looked scandalized.
“An hour from now?”
She considered it, then shook her head. “Daph and Cade will still be awake. I don’t want them knowing about this little bet of ours.”
“Heaven forbid anyone have fun while at this cabin,” Reese said dryly.
Fun for you, she thought with a dark frown. “Midnight.”
“You chickening out on me, Petty?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I just don’t want everyone knowing our business.”
“Midnight it is, then,” he conceded. “But if you try to bail on me—”