Night Maneuvers - By Jillian Burns Page 0,41
uh. I didn’t make it.”
Jackson raised his brows and blinked. “Real funny, McCabe. Pull the other one.”
It took every ounce of manipulation Mitch had ever learned to convince Jackson he had actually broken his word without revealing with whom or why. The only forfeit Mitch wouldn’t agree to was another thirty days.
They finally settled on a full weekend of helping Jackson and Jordan move out of their tiny apartment into a new home. They both knew Mitch would’ve helped anyway, but it was this weekend and they planned to treat everyone to barbecue ribs as a thank-you as soon as they finished Sunday night.
Everybody.
As Mitch drove off, waving to Jackson, it wasn’t a question of whether Alex had been invited, or even if she would go. No, the question was, would he and she go together? Or keep their affair a secret?
The makeup sex before she left for work was short and sweet. He hated that they only had a couple of hours together during the week. It wasn’t nearly enough time. He couldn’t wait for Friday night, and spending the weekend with her. Even if they’d be moving furniture and boxes most of the time. Being with Alex would make the job fun. Never a dull moment with her.
MITCH PULLED INTO Alex’s driveway Friday night and let himself in the front door. Something smelled really good and his stomach growled. He made his way into the kitchen and the first thing he saw was the table. Where she usually had her laptop, her briefcase and a dozen other odds and ends was now a clean surface set with real plates and candles.
Then he looked over and saw Alex pulling a pot roast out of the oven. The sink and counters were cluttered with bowls, all the stuff that had been on the table, and days’ worth of things not put away. That was more like the Alex he knew. But the roasting pan in her hands wasn’t. He blinked and shook his head.
She caught sight of him and smiled. “Oh, good. I’m glad you’re home. Could you loosen the gasket on the pipe under the bathroom sink? It’s leaking.”
Mitch stood, frozen in bewilderment and…something else that felt funny in his gut. “I thought you said you couldn’t cook?”
She took off her oven mitts, tossed them on the counter and shoved hair out of her eyes with the back of her hand. “I said I didn’t want to be stuck cooking and cleaning all day. Doesn’t mean I don’t know how to make dinner.”
Mitch didn’t know what to say, so he just stood there.
“What?” Her lips had flattened.
“Nothing. Smells good. I’ll get my wrench.”
Before checking the pipe, he changed out of his uniform and pulled on some shorts. While he was on his back halfway under the bathroom sink, Alex appeared in the doorway. “I just replaced one of the gaskets in the other bath, so I figured that’s what this was. But I could not get the dang thing loose.”
Mitch pulled with all his might to loosen the fitting. “Got it.”
“Jeez, it sucks being a female when it comes to upper body strength. No matter how hard I work out…”
Mitch scooted out and sat up. “I have to say, I’m awfully glad you’re female.” He smiled and wiggled his brows.
Her frown disappeared and her eyes twinkled. She hunkered down, put her hand behind his head and kissed him hard and deep. Her tongue played around his and her other hand traveled down his shoulder to his arm.
Slowly, she released his mouth, squeezed his biceps and smiled. “I have to admit. Watching you show off your guns while you tugged on that thing really turned me on.”
“Oh, yeah?” Dropping the wrench, he cupped her cheek and pressed short kisses to the corners of her mouth, her nose, her eyes, her temple.
She pulled back. “I was going to wait until after dinner for this, but…” She grabbed the hem of her T-shirt and drew it up over her head and off, tossing it out to the hall.
He momentarily lost his breath when he saw her bra. It cupped and lifted her breasts, but only covered the bottom half of them in baby-blue satin.
“You like?”
He grunted and thumped his chest with the side of his fist. “Me like.”
She giggled and he savored the sound. “I bought this color ’cause it matched your eyes.”
“You did?” She’d thought about his eyes? The more he got to know this woman, the more she blew him