“Does your family play games, too?" She tries to sound off-hand."No. Just me - and my brother."Which means her parents are in the casinos, then, leaving this kid in a collapsing mine. Okay, a virtual one, but still.”

“Don’t leave. I want you to be with me.”“You’ll have your family.”I swallow before I say the words that will change this relationship forever. “You’re the one I need.”“But that would mean meeting your family.”It does, and I’m okay with that if it means she’s by my side. “I don’t care. I need you to be with me.”She smiles and cradles my face with her hands. “Of course. I’ll come if it’s what you want, but this is going to change everything.”“I know, but it’s what I want.”

“I study her,” Patch said. “I figure out what she’s thinking and feeling. She’s not going to come right out and tell me, which is why I have to pay attention. Does she turn her body toward mine? Does she hold my eyes, then look away? Does she bite her lip and play with her hair, the way Nora is doing right now?” Laughter rose in the room. I dropped my hands to my lap. “She’s game,” said Patch, bumping my leg again.Of all things, I blushed.”

“When we grow up," she said, "we'll have amazing families. Our dens will be better than this. Your kids and my kids will play together in a humongous room with every kind of toy and game.""Except I won't have kids," Dan said. "I'll come over myself and play...”

“Stay away from her.""Okay.""Keep your hands off her.""I'll try."He scowled at me."I will," I said.”

“Please, like I believe that,” Zahara scoffed. “I know what your boss wants, and I’m not playing house with him.” Chamuel chuckled. “Too bad you’re off limits, I wouldn’t mind playing house with you,” he said and winked.Zahara’s cheeks flushed and she balled her hands into fists. “I’ll chop off your manhood if you come close to me,” she seethed.“With what? Your teeth? Sounds like playing house to me,” Chamuel teased, raising both his eyebrows suggestively.~Zahara and Chamuel”