Page 73 of Lethal Game

"Okay," he said as she turned on the TV and then cuddled up against him in a way that did not make him want to let go of her. "You pick."

She flipped through the channels, pausing now and then.

"What are you looking for?" he asked

"Something silly."

"Like a romantic comedy?"

"Maybe. I was thinking more like something old and funny." She paused. "Here we go. This is a good one."

"Meet The Parents?" he said with a laugh.

"Are you good with my choice?" she asked, planting a kiss on his chest.

"I'm good, but if you keep doing that, you're not going to see much of the movie," he teased.

She gave him a wicked smile. "We have all night, Jason. There are lots of things we can do."

Sleep should probably be one of those things, but that was his rational, put-the-job-first kind of thinking, and tonight he didn't want any part of that, not with Alisa curled up next to him, her soft body already stirring him back into action. But it was also nice to watch the movie with her, to hear her laugh, to see her with no fear in her eyes. It was a good break for both of them…

He just wished the break didn't have to end.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

They'd laughed and talked and made love and then did it all again as the night eventually moved toward morning, and when Alisa woke up to the sunshine streaming through the blinds and an empty spot in the bed next to her, she felt deliciously exhausted, and her only regret was that Jason had gotten up before her. But it was almost nine o'clock on Saturday morning, and it was time to face the day, something Jason had already gotten up to do.

She took a quick shower and dressed in jeans and a sweater, throwing on a pair of comfortable shoes, and then made her way downstairs. Jason was in the den, and he was on the phone. She moved into the open doorway, not sure if she should eavesdrop, but he gave her a smile and waved her into the room.

"She'll be there soon," he promised.

"Are you talking about me? I'll be where soon?" she asked as soon as he put down the phone.

"The hospital. Your mother is fine," he added quickly. "I was just checking in. The nurse said your mom is hoping to see you this morning, and I assured her you'd be in shortly." He stepped forward and put his arms around her. "Get rid of that guilty look on your face. Everything is fine. Your mother is good."

She looked into his eyes and saw nothing but honest sincerity. "You'll always tell me the truth, right, Jason? You won't pretend or try to make things sound better than they are."

"I have a difficult time doing that, so I will always tell you the truth," he said solemnly.

"Good. Because I'm living in a world where it's hard to trust anyone, but I do trust you."

"I trust you, too," he said.

Their gazes met for a long second, memories of the night they'd shared flowing between them. And then he leaned down and kissed her, setting off an explosion of feeling inside of her. This man had really gotten under her skin, and she lingered in his arms, in his kiss, hating to break the connection between them because this was where she felt the best, this was where she felt like herself.

It was strange to think a man she hadn't known a week ago had become so deeply entangled in her life, but it also felt right, like they were two halves of a whole that had suddenly found their way back together.

She didn't know if he felt the same way. He liked her, obviously. But she was probably more emotionally invested than he was. He'd certainly tried to warn her that he wasn't looking for a relationship, so she needed to keep things light.

The sound of the phone vibrating on the desk disrupted the moment.

Jason grabbed the phone and said, "It's Flynn. I need to take this."

"Okay, I'm going to grab some coffee."

As she walked out of the den, she heard him say, "Flynn, what's up?"

Whatever Flynn had to say was long because she didn't hear anything come out of Jason's mouth. Hopefully, it was nothing horrible, but she had a feeling her dream night was over.

---