Page 45 of Stockman's Stormcloud

‘Technically, no. Dex was driven up to the back shed. Don’t worry, he didn’t stay long.’ Bree glared at Dex with heat. ‘How’s the trolley?’

From his seat, Dex gave a cunning grin at the redhead. ‘It’ll do.’

‘Anything else?’

‘You can give me a foot massage later, probably clip my toenails. I can’t get down there coz of my ribs.’

‘You’re flipping kidding me.’ Bree scowled, with hands on her hips.

‘Uh uh.’ Dex raised his finger at Bree, who was muttering under her breath.

‘You want Bree to give you a pedicure?’

‘What?’ Dex arched an eyebrow at Sophie.

‘Oh, yeah, I’m down.’ Bree gave an evil grin. ‘Let’s do pink polish with a few diamantes. I’ll go raid Harper’s stash.’

‘Bree?’ Dex said through gritted teeth, dragging off his mask.

‘Your wish is my command.’ Bree bowed in her long leather apron with a flourished wave as she backed out the door. ‘Only until dark, dick!’

‘Never! Your ass is mine, Witch.’ Dex slid his oxygen mask back on, with his eyes all sparkly as he focused on the game.

Even if it was none of her business, Sophie had to know the inside joke. ‘What’s going on?’

Dex looked up from the other side of his Battleship grid. The smile disappeared. ‘Nothing. Your move.’

‘Um, F1.’ She plucked a black pin from the board game.

‘Miss… I pick F1.’

‘You’re kidding.’ She scowled at her board and pushed in the red pin. ‘Hit.’

‘Then let’s try E1.’

‘Hit.’ Again, she pressed a red pin into the plastic model of her ship. She swivelled around in her chair, looking for a reflective surface. The wall held some metal rods like fire pokers with funny ends on them, hanging on the wall like blackened swords. She’d never seen anything like it. ‘Is there a mirror behind me?’ Because he was kicking her arse.

‘No.’ But that smirk lifted the corners of his lips. ‘D1.’

‘Hit.’ She then mimicked the sound of a bomb exploding. ‘Game over.’

He held his hand out over the game’s board. ‘Is this where you congratulate me?’

She shook his large strong hand. ‘Well done, Admiral. Again, you’ve annihilated my entire fleet in record time.’ His boyish grin only made her smile.

‘Do you want to play something else?’ She was sick of getting hammered.

Yet the way his eyes crawled all over her, she shuddered at the possibilities of what he was thinking—even if it was a hot look on this guy.

‘Do you like being beaten?’

Why did that sound like there were two meanings to his question?

She packed away the game, hoping to clear the air. ‘I’m guessing you play to win.’

‘Always.’

She scooped up the pile of papers from the spare chair that they’d removed earlier to clear the table to play. ‘Do I put this paperwork anywhere special?’

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