Page 5 of Good at Being Bad (Rock Canyon, Idaho 8)

Ellie completed her paper and brought the paper back to Mike. He took it from her slowly, the tips of his fingers brushing hers. She gritted her teeth, denying the spark that warmed her hands, and rubbed them against her jeans.

“I have to pee,” Gracie announced loudly. “Watch my babies, will you?”

Ellie glanced her way briefly, but Gracie was already heading toward the back of the store.

She turned back to Mike, flustered by the shock and awareness of him. What was it about him that despite everything she knew about him, she still felt this pull? This connection.

Maybe one good bang with him would get it out of your system?

And the sad part was, he didn?

?t know what kind of affect his accidental graze had on her. He set her paper aside, reaching out with the other hand to grab a fry from his foam container and popped it into his mouth. As he chewed, she couldn’t help noticing the salt sprinkling his lips and wondered if she kissed Mike right there, would he be salty with a little hint of sweet?

Why was her mouth suddenly so dry? She watched his tongue slip out, collecting all the white crystals, and her legs turned to jelly as raw lust traveled from her breasts to her stomach.

She shouldn’t be this attracted to him or horny in general. She’d just started talking to Dale Ranney, who was good-looking, had a steady job and although he could be an ass, at least he was honest. True, they hadn’t had sex yet, which could be why her hormones were raging, but it wasn’t like she didn’t take care of her needs on a regular basis.

“You want one?” Mike asked.

“What?” She blinked and looked away from his mouth until her gaze met his.

“The way you were watching me eat, I thought you might be hungry.” He was smiling in a way that worried her, as if he knew exactly what she’d been imagining.

“Um, no thanks. I can get my own. Besides, I have no idea where your hands have been.”

“Probably in his nose,” Pip chimed in. “All the boys at preschool pick their boogers. And sometimes they wipe them—”

“Okay, sweet pea, I’m trying to eat here,” Mike broke in, looking a little green.

Ellie was never more grateful to the little girl. It was one thing to have Mike bark and grumble at her, but smile? Nearly flirt and be friendly?

That just wouldn’t do.

“Just give me a call when my computer is ready, okay?”

“Of course,” Mike said, sitting down at his desk with Pip in his lap. “Why else would I call you?”

Asshat.

Chapter Two

Mike Stevens watched Ellie storm out of his store like an angry tornado, and would have regretted being so surly with her if she wasn’t constantly needling him every time they crossed paths. It was like she enjoyed pissing him off and bringing the asshole out of him.

She was Captain Hammer to his Dr. Horrible. Catwoman to his Batman, but without the super-hot sexual tension. Or tight leather cat suit.

Okay, so that was a stretch. There was definitely sexual tension, but there shouldn’t have been. There would never be anything between them, not since he’d overreacted and been such a dick to her the one time she’d come on to him. Even when he tried to be nice, she wouldn’t let him, and he continuously said something that aggravated the animosity between them.

Not that he could take all the blame. She gave as good as she got.

Pip stole a French fry from his container and he looked down at her with a mock scowl. “I thought you already ate?”

“I did.”

“Then back off my fries, you monster.”

Pip giggled and grabbed another fry, her tiny teeth gleaming as she chomped down.

“Did you just call my child a monster?” Gracie asked from behind him.

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