Page 34 of Fierce-Michael

“Is there another living room in the front?” she asked.

They moved through the kitchen to a family room in the back. Still hardwood but a big throw rug in multiple shades of blue over it. The furniture was cream and blues and the walls blue too.

“There is,” he said. “But it’s a playroom now. It’s best to keep everything in there and I can shut the doors.”

“Did you paint this family room?” she asked.

“Did the blues give it away?” he asked. “They had this whitish color throughout the whole first floor. It felt sterile to me.”

“It looks nice.”

“But my walls are bare,” he said. “I’ve heard it before.”

She was going to assume it was from other women but wouldn’t ask.

“Why don’t we sit and eat while this is still warm,” she said. “I can’t believe I’m still hungry.”

“We worked off a lot of it walking and playing games,” he said.

“I lost at everything, but I do appreciate you winning me the pig.”

“Had to show you how manly I was,” he said, making a muscle with his arm. She wanted to reach out and wrap her hand around it knowing her fingers would only cover half his bicep, but held off.

She laughed and then snorted when she tried to control it. The pig fit in the palm of her hand. “It took four tries for this. I think they dull those darts. No way they should bounce off a balloon like that.”

“I’m lucky I didn’t dislocate my shoulder throwing it harder.”

“My big strong hero,” she said. “Want to flex for me again?”

He did and she fanned her face. Oh boy, she’d had no idea he’d be this playful. Where the hell had this been hidden for years?!

Michael pulled out two plates and she unwrapped their steak sandwiches. “Do you want water, beer, or juice? I don’t have any soda in the house.”

“I’ll pass on the juice and the beer. Water is good.”

He grabbed a bottle for her and then cracked open a can of Fierce beer and poured it into a glass for himself.

They sat at the little table off the kitchen and talked while they ate.

She wasn’t even sure how they got on half their conversations other than there were never any awkward lapses between them. That was surprising considering most of the time she’d known him they barely talked and if they had it was only about work.

Their dinner was gone fast and he cleaned up while she wiped the table.

“Now what?” he asked. “Do I show you my exercise room?”

“How about we check out your couch,” she said. “We can burn calories kissing, right?”

“We can,” he said, holding his hand out to hers.

She put it in his much larger one, their fingers entwining, the heat warming her body in more than one place.

He sat on the couch and pulled her down so she landed on his lap and he wasted no time slanting his mouth over hers.

This was what she’d been waiting for for weeks.

Their tongues were dueling, his hand was on her waist and slowly inching under the material of her shirt and she didn’t care in the least.

Kelly wasn’t sure there was anything that could stop whatever was going to happen from being done.

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