Page 42 of Mike

It blew chunks, having to deny himself, but he wasn’t kidding. A blow job was awesome, but rocking into Joe’s fine body would be far better, and something he could seriously wait for.

“You’re sure?” she asked, licking her lips while still gazing at Mr. Happy.

“I am. But believe me, we will have a date in the not far future.”

“Did you know I’m off from the bar for the next two nights?” she questioned with a grin.

Mike beamed. “Then we have two dates.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Joelle lay in bed several hours later, staring at the ceiling.

What was happening to her? She’d managed her life in an almost solitary way for the last ten years, but now…? She was jonesing for something she couldn’t quite describe.

She really, really liked what she’d seen of Mike’s team, and it gave her renewed doubts about her own vocation. Did she really want to spend the next thirty or so years working jobs that isolated her in such a way that she never really got to know her fellow agents, or the office staff with whom she remotely interfaced, or people in the apartment complex where she not-so-often lived?

Drammick, no.

When she was back in her home town during the brief stints Lester allowed between jobs, she’d seen how close her old team still was with each other, and with the guy who’d taken her place. The thought of her own fate—time running through her fingers while she remained alone—didn’t sit well.

Was she jealous?

It hadn’t hit her before that she might be, but now… Joe admitted to herself that she’d missed having buddies; confidants. If that made her green with envy over the other people in her jurisdiction, then yes, color her envious.

Now, however, she could almost glimpse a different future playing out. Already, with Mike, she was making up for her years of solitude. She’d shared her name with him, broken bread with his team, and…yeah. She couldn’t believe she’d definitely jumped the guy.

Joe grinned. She’d made the first move, for sure, but Mike was no pushover. In fact, she’d spied an undeniably dominant streak in him; one he was clearly curbing for now, for her.

Did she want him to defer to her? Yes…but no. Yes, in that she wanted to maintain a decent share of control. But no, because it was hot as hell when the commanding man took over. And his actions didn’t skeeve her out at all. She trusted him. If things between them worked out, Joelle could foresee that they’d take turns in the driver seat.

Which was plenty fine with her.

She glanced at the clock, and saw it was just after eleven.

Joe wanted… No. Almost needed to hear Mike’s voice. He was fast becoming an obsession. But was it too late to call him? She bit her bottom lip and speculated. The team had to be finished with their drills for the day, but had they also hit their sleeping bags in preparation for training again at dawn?

Joe grinned. There was only one way to find out.

Reaching for her phone on the bedside table, she scrolled through her contacts and found his newly entered number. Joe ran her fingers over his name on the screen, and a thrill moved through her body. Drabnabit, the tremble she got when actually touching him was freaky enough. Now she was quivering just from grazing his name?

Joe groaned. She had it bad for the man.

She almost put the phone down, but her digits, it seemed, had a singular mind of their own as they reflexively hit his number. In for a pound…

Joe held her breath, waiting to see if Mike would pick up or if he’d turned his device off for the night.

“Hey,” Mike answered with the single word. It was hushed and a little breathless.

“Hey yourself.” Joe snuggled further into her bed, anticipating an amorous conversation, or at least an interesting one if he wasn’t in the mood.

“Can’t talk,” he hissed. “Cisco is on my ass, and if he hears me, I’m toast.”

Joelle immediately understood. “You’re doing night drills.”

Mike grunted.

“NVG’s and laser weapons?” she questioned, picturing him geared up with the benign equipment. Not that a lack of bullets would curtail the bragging rights of the mock-combatant who eventually won.

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