Page 84 of Mr. Flirt

“And I will do everything in my power to grow up a little.”

“But not too much,” she teased. “I like the playful Shep.”

I grumbled a laugh and felt my chest fill with sweetness.

“That’s good because I’m sure I can’t do too much to tame him.”

“Third person speak now?”

I laughed some more and held her close. “I do that sometimes. Mike has mentioned it’s not a good look a few times.”

“He’s probably right.”

And then I thought of that night she walked away in the bar and remembered something important. Mike and I had placed a bet, and he’d videoed my complete rejection. It wasn’t a big deal, but I needed to tell her. I wanted to clear the air before we moved forward.

“This feels good,” she said, propping her chin on my chest.

Lucy wasn’t letting go, and I wasn’t letting her go.

“I’ve never been out on a date for Valentine’s Day.”

“Really?” I asked, surprised.

“True confession.”

“It will be fun, but first things first. What are we having for dinner tonight?”

She tapped my chest and took a step back. “Funny you should ask. I made my enchiladas.”

I cocked my head in surprise. “You got off late from work and made dinner for us?”

“Okay, maybe not. More like I stopped by the deli, and they made a delicious heat-and-eat dinner that I’m cooking up for us.”

I snuck behind her as she reached for a potholder and kissed the back of her neck. She stopped and let out a little gasp as my breath skated across her skin, and I inhaled her familiar scent.

She chuckled as I stood back so she could get into the oven. “There’s no denying our chemistry is on point.”

“Couldn’t agree more.” I watched her lift the tray of enchiladas out and had to bite my bottom lip to control myself because if I had my way, I’d be ripping her clothes off and devouring her.

But we were kind of starting from scratch. She said so herself, and if that was what made her most comfortable, I’d follow whatever rules and boundaries she set for us.

Lucy turned around with a spatula in her hand. “And no more secrets, right? We’re all caught up, I gather.”

I laughed and nodded. “And I promise to take it easy on placing bets with my buddies.”

She pointed the spatula at me and winked. “Good call.”

Her eyes locked on mine, and she smiled. “To our first date tonight.”

“Our first date.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

I’d been Played

Lucy

Shep was sneaky. No doubt about it. Under normal circumstances, I would have declined his offer and refused his demand.

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