Page 14 of The Power Play

“That’s what it looks like.”

“That’s disgusting! What do I do?!”

“Call a pest control company first, then an electrician.”

I groan, “Great. Okay. Thanks for coming over and looking at it for me, I guess.”

“Yeah, sorry.” Charlie looks down at his hands that are covered in dust or something, “Let me just clean up real quick if that’s okay.”

I nod and almost miss him going toward the first door in the hallway before my brain registerswhichroom that leads to. Itmay have a bathroom attached to it, but also hasa lotof sex toys and other very obvious items throughout it.

Without much thought I lunge in front of the door, stopping him with my whole body as his hand grasps the doorknob. He backs up, just barely. Our chests aren’t even inch from each other from my sudden movement and I look up at his confused face.

“This isn’t a bathroom, you can wash your hands downstairs,” I say with my arms outstretched to fully block the closed door.

I notice the side of his mouth ticks up just slightly, “What room is this then? Your bedroom?”

Was that flirty sounding or was that just me?

“No, it’s not my bedroom, but it’s a room in my house that you are not invited into,” I tell him firmly while I refuse to move.

The corner of his mouth tips up, “Well, now I’m curious.”

“Be curious somewhere else,” I nod my head behind him. I wouldn’t be this protective if itwasmy bedroom.

In an act of boldness I didn’t expect to see from Charlie, he presses his body closer to mine so our chests are touching with each breath we take.

“What are you hiding in there?” he raises an eyebrow in question.

“All the corpses of curious men who came into my house,” I tease with an eyebrow raise of my own hoping he will just let it go.

But he doesn’t and I want to laugh at the fact that I thought this man was shy based on what I’ve seen from him so far. But the man in front of me right now doesn’t seem shy. He seems bold and like he wants to push my buttons. Good thing I like to push right back.

“Show me,” he smirks, pressing even closer. I feel his hand move toward the doorknob again and I don’t think I just react.

I fist my hands in his shirt and instead of trying to push him back, I yank his mouth down to mine. It’s my initial distraction tactic and as soon as our lips make contact, I feel his body freeze and I regret the move instantly. I pull back, meeting his gaze that looks both shocked and confused.

“I’m sorry I–” he doesn’t let me finish as his large body presses me against the door and he’s kissing me. Like,actuallykissing me back. It’s unexpected, but unlike him I don’t hesitate because I like kissing, even if this was all meant to be a distraction, I’m going to enjoy it.

My hands unclench his shirt and slide down his chest where I feel the muscles that are the result of being a professional athlete before I wrap them around his back to pull him against me harder. He has one hand sliding behind my neck, fingers tangled in my hair and the other on my hip holding me against him as my tongue slides along the seam of his lips and he lets me deepen the kiss.

It doesn’t take long to realize that my plan has officially backfired and as our tongues slide against each other’s and teeth nip at our lips, I forgot how this even started as I’m lost in wanting to see how far he might let this go. Because I would let it go a hell of a lot farther. Which is why I slide my hands lower, to the hem of his shirt and start to inch it upward.

I don’t get very far before we are tumbling backward which doesn’t make sense because there was just a door behind me…

We break apart and I gasp, trying to push him out of the door he just opened leading us to stumble into my cam room.

“You’re a jerk,” I groan, using all my strength to try and push him out, but it’s futile. He’s so much bigger than me.

“You kissed me first,” he shrugs taking in the room as I’m still trying to do anything to get him out.

“Not that part. That was…I don’t know what that was, just get out.”

“What is this?” He’s still looking around and I sigh in defeat, knowing I’m going to have to come up with some very interesting explanation if he’s going to continue to be stubborn and not leave.

“My job.”

8

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