Page 70 of Lethal Seduction

He steps closer and wraps his free arm around my waist, pulling me in for a kiss. It's soft and tender, and it makes my heart race all over again. "What do you want to do today?" he asks, resting his forehead against mine.

"Honestly, I don't care, as long as I'm with you," I say. "But maybe we could just stay in, relax, and enjoy each other's company."

He grins. "That sounds perfect to me."

We spend the day together, lounging around the apartment, talking, laughing, and just enjoying being in each other's presence. It's simple, but it feels like everything I could everwant. As the day turns into night, we find ourselves back in bed, wrapped up in each other.

Lying there, I realize how far we've come, how much we've been through to get to this point. And for the first time, I allow myself to truly believe that we deserve this happiness, that we deserve to be together.

"I love you," I whisper, the words slipping out before I can stop them.

He looks at me, his eyes soft and full of emotion. "I love you too, Patrick," he replies, pulling me closer. I feel safe in his arms, and I don’t ever want this moment to end.

30

MICHAEL

Istand there with iced coffees in my hands, watching Tina and Patrick laugh at each other’s jokes. They're here to shoot a quiver full of arrows and hone their skills as expert archers, and I’m here to enjoy their company.

They haven’t noticed me yet, and for that, I’m grateful. I enjoy watching them interact, more as family than friends. It’s truly comforting to see that there’s someone else in Patrick’s life who isn’t going anywhere and will always have his back. Sure, I plan on never leaving him, but my career in law enforcement has shown me over the years that you can never be completely certain about the future.

“Tina,” Patrick says, “I can’t believe you signed me up to audition for the role without asking me.”

“You said you were interested. Remember?”

He shakes his head. “That was before I was attacked and nearly killed. Don’t you have any sympathy for me? I could have died, Tina. D.E.A.D. Gone forever, but not forgotten.”

“Don’t go quoting your overly dramatic future headstone, my friend. I will never let anything happen to you. And when have I ever steered you in the wrong direction? I’m going to be thereauditioning for a part as well. My agent even agreed to take you on for this one.”

“How’d you manage that? I didn’t even bribe her with a pack of clove cigarettes.”

Tina smiles and touches his shoulder. “I might have mentioned to her that you were in a near-fatal accident and Make a Wish was sponsoring you. Stop,” she says, holding up her hand to curtail Patrick’s response. “She needed the good press and was willing to take you under her wing.”

“I know, but what happens when she finds out you lied to her?”

Tina waves away the question. “She’s not going to remember. The last time I brought you up, she asked if you were still doing porn.”

“Porn?”

“I know, right? As if you would ever be cool enough for porn?” Tina laughs.

I can’t help but start laughing. Trying to hold three very cold drinks at the same time is getting difficult, but once I start chuckling, I start to lose it.

“Michael?” Patrick asks. “When did you get here? Oh, shit, you’re about to drop the drinks.”

He and Tina run over to stabilize their precious elixirs, each taking one and leaving me with my own.

“I’m glad you’re here, Michael,” Tina says. “You can help us settle this matter once and for all.”

Not sure I would be the best person to weigh in on this discussion since I have no idea about the movie-making industry or acting, I back up a step. “Maybe the two of you should settle it yourselves?”

Patrick takes a long drink of his coffee. “No, it’s okay. I would love to hear your opinion.”

“Great,” Tina says. “That settles it. Michael, do you think that Patrick should stop being such a baby, man up, and audition for the part in an upcoming blockbuster movie? By doing so, he will have the potential to fulfill his dream of being a serious actor?”

Patrick's turn for rebuttal comes. “First of all, the movie is extremely hush-hush, which sometimes means it’ll be a huge movie, but not guaranteed. Secondly, with all the craziness that went on over the last week or so, I haven’t had time to prepare, and the audition is in just a few days. And third, I have a big old scratch on my face and a few yellowing bruises that will look horrendous on camera.” He points to his face and grimaces.

I look from her to him. Both look back at me with urgency in their eyes. If I’m honest, someone might be upset with me, but it’s the right thing to do. Stepping over to Patrick, I trace my finger along the scabbed-over cut on his face. “You’re gorgeous no matter what. Honestly, a few scratches make you look tough.” I tilt his chin up and lean down to give him a kiss. Our lips part as my tongue slips into his mouth. He tastes so good. “Babe,” I say after pulling away. “You are talented, smart, and so damn hot, any movie that didn’t want you is stupid. Follow your dreams and go kick some ass.”

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