Page 32 of Fire

After washing her hands, brushing her teeth, and throwing her hair up, she took stock of herself. The night before, more curious why Blake was there than concerned as to what she was wearing, she hadn’t given much thought to what she’d thrown on to cover her skimpy PJs. But looking at her outfit in the mirror—a big, shapeless tee from an old college boyfriend and baggy, lime-green sweats with a hole in the knee—she debated whether it would be too obvious if she changed.

Probably.

The bed was empty when she stepped out of the bathroom, and with a quick scan, she saw Blake was gone from the room entirely. She opened her bedroom door and heard sounds coming from the kitchen.

She found Blake fiddling with the coffee pot.

His back was to her, and she took a moment to memorize him moving around in her kitchen early on a Sunday morning. Barefoot with his dress shirt untucked from his slacks and just as rumpled as his hair, it made a good memory.

He must have seen her in his periphery because he turned his head, giving her a smile. “Coffee will be ready in a few minutes.”

“Thanks.”

He held out an arm, and she shuffled across the kitchen, ducking under it. She went to wrap her arms around his waist, but he blocked her, pressing her arms flat to her sides as he hugged her close, smashing her cheek into his chest.

“Sweats and a ponytail,” he said against the top of her head.

She tilted her head back and smiled up at him.

Taking that as an invitation, his lips found hers a second later.

And she’d never been so happy to have brushed her teeth because it wasn’t just a kiss—it wasa kiss.

His free hand—the one that wasn’t on her ass—grabbed hold of her ponytail, tilting her head back to deepen it.

Lost in a sea of sensation, she pressed in. A hand, now free, she reached for his hip, her hand sliding under his shirt and landing on the curve of his waist. His muscles went taut, and his hand left her ass to grab her wrist, pulling it around to her back.

The move had her arching farther into him, her head falling back. He followed her down, not breaking the kiss, and she fisted the side of his shirt near the hem to keep balance.

A beeping filled the air, and he lifted his lips, touching his nose to hers. “Coffee’s done. Where do you keep the mugs?”

In a daze with her center of gravity askew, all she could manage was a slow blink.

He lifted his head and smirked. “Don’t worry. I’ll find them.”

Blake wouldn’t hear of them deviating from her ritual, no matter how much she’d argued they should go out and do something, so they’d spent the morning and part of the afternoon catching up on her weekly shows.

Unfortunately—or fortunately—snuggled against Blake, his arm draped around her, his fingers playing with her hair and dipping into the collar of her tee to caress the skin over her shoulder and collarbone, had made it very difficult for her to pay attention to what was happening on the TV screen.

Allie had also been filled in on their plans for that night.

“I’ll be taking Gwen with me before the club opens, but I’ll have your name added to the permanent VIP list, so you won’t have any trouble getting in.”

As Allie had listened to Blake, her eyes had glazed over, her mouth had fallen open, and she’d stuttered out a very uncool, “Cool.”

Leaving herself enough time, Gwen left Blake watching a ball game while she got ready.

She was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when Blake appeared at her bathroom door. Casually leaning against the jamb, his gaze roamed her body, not missing a single thing and even lingering on a few key places. By the time she got his eyes back, they were blazing with such heat, she had to grip the counter to keep herself standing.

“What do I need to do to convince you to pack a bag so I can take you home with me tonight?”

He’d already done it. But instead of saying that, she said with a small smile, “Try asking first and see what happens.”

Coming up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her middle. One hand went low, splaying across her stomach, while the other went high so his thumb could caress the underside of her breast. His eyes met hers in the mirror. “Come home with me tonight.”

Her smile grew. “Let me go pack a bag.”

Fire looked different in the light of day. Not bad different, just not as mysterious. For one thing, she got a behind-the-scenes view when Blake drove around the corner and took an alley that led to the rear entrance.

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