Page 15 of Fierce-Michael

“You’re right on both counts,” she said. “I’m very attracted to you. You’re nice on the eyes. But that isn’t all. I know enoughabout you that you’ve got a child and are pretty much raising him on his own. That shows loyalty, character and strength. You’re related to my boss’s wife and I adore Alex. No way you’d be running her business if you didn’t have a good head on your shoulders.”

He turned his head back and forth. “It’s on there pretty tight.”

“It is,” she said. “Yet something is bothering you today because I can see it in your eyes.”

5

BIT OF DRAMA

“Idon’t like that you can see that,” he said. Michael wasn’t used to anyone being able to read his mind or know that he might have more going on than what was on the surface.

“I understand. I don’t always like that people can see things I want hidden too,” she said. “You don’t have to share it. Just saying that I can see it.”

“First, I’ll say that the two points you were trying to make that I figured out fairly fast are good with me.”

“Meaning you’re looking for some kind of commitment from someone? Doesn’t have to be me, but just someone.”

“I’d like that,” he said. “But if it doesn’t happen, then it doesn’t. It’s not easy having a child I’m raising with his mother in the picture.”

“The fact that you have custody and it’s not shared means there is a bit of drama?”

He let out a breath. “Not like you think. Do you want to know about Ty and how he came about?”

Kelly finished chewing her bite of salad and leaned forward on her elbows. “I know about the birds and the bees,” she whispered.

He actually laughed. It felt foreign to his ears because maybe it’d been so long since he’d heard it. Could be the mischief in her light eyes. Her brown hair was pulled away from her face and he got a nice view of how good-looking she was. Not a lot of makeup, rather looking more natural the way he liked.

“That’s good to know. I suppose I should rephrase that to how I ended up with Ty and have custody of him.”

“I would like to know that if you want to share. And if you want to share why you seem a bit off, you can tell me that too. It won’t scare me away. I know you have a child and I have no issue with it. I’ve dated people with clingy or dramatic exes too.” She snapped her fingers. “I can put them out of my mind easily. I only focus on the man, not their outside drama as long as it doesn’t suck me in.”

“I’ll try not to,” he said. “I work hard not to have that happen.”

“It’s good you’re conscious of it,” she said. “That’s important.”

“The shortened version of Ty’s mother is that Electra and I met when I was at the bar where she worked. She’s a waitress. Been there for years. It’s her full-time job.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” she said.

“No, but it’s not an easy job,” he said. “We dated for about a month. It’s all I could stand to be with her. We were compatible in one way only. But once she was opening her mouth to talk, I couldn’t stand it and I know that sounds horrible.”

“Not if it’s how you feel. I’m sure I can figure out where you were compatible. Good to know that too. Sounds like you’ve got some skill there.”

He felt his face flush and didn’t know the last time he had that happen.

“Moving on. It’s more than Electra just being an airhead. She’s not even that smart. I’m not trying to be mean, but she’s not. She’s immature and childish and just wants to have fun. Like a thirteen-year-old and doesn’t think about the fact she’s an adult and there are responsibilities now.”

“I can see where that would be annoying. I’m not sure I could last a month with a guy like that. Not even enough to get to the bedroom.”

He cleared his throat. No reason to say he ended up in her bed on the first date they’d gone on. Electra was a sexual creature and made the move and he wasn’t going to say no. He realized soon enough she used sex to get her way, but he wasn’t falling for it.

“It lasted longer than it should have, but I was working and she was too so it wasn’t like we saw each other or talked daily. I finally had enough and we just parted ways. There wasn’t any drama, and she didn’t seem too bothered by it either.”

“Hmmm,” Kelly said, taking a sip of her wine. “Then she found out she was pregnant and you got that dreaded call?”

“No,” he said. “I didn’t get a call at all. My best friend, Owen, had met her. He’d gone back like six months later or something with coworkers. He noticed that she was pregnant right away. It was obvious. She’s a slim woman, but she had her belly on display in a tight shirt. He asked around and did the math.”

“You had to find out from your best friend?” she asked, her jaw dropping.

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