Page 3 of Blake

He blatantly looked at her nipples. “You sure, sweetheart? Because your body is saying one thing and your sexy mouth another.”

“You know what, just forget it,” she said and turned to storm off, but he grabbed her arm and stopped her.

Blake knew he was acting like a dick. He had pushed it too far and that wasn’t like him. He was a flirt, but he wasn’t a dickhead like some men, and he didn’t disrespect women and let go of her arm. “Listen, sweetheart, I’m sorry. I was a dick. Can we start over?”

She crossed her arms over her chest, and he fought the groan as the movement pushed more skin into view.

“Why are you such a dick to me?” She seemed to genuinely want to know.

“All that hair, those curves, and that attitude. It’s like kryptonite to a man like me. I see it, I want it, but I don’t hurt or screw around with people that might have to have my back one day. And that makes it hard for me to be around you. You have a mirror in your house?”

She frowned at him seeming perplexed. “Of course.”

“Then you know what you look like. You have to know the effect you have on red-blooded men.”

“Are you saying you’re a dick to me because you want to fuck me and can’t?”

“I’m saying I’m a dick for that, and definitely a dick for starting this conversation.” He heard the sweet sound of her laugh. “That sounds good, Pax. You should do it more often instead of the cool, ice queen thing.”

She immediately stopped at his words. “Ice Queens don’t get burned,” she replied softly, and it made him sad that she thought that way.

“How about we go and grab a coffee and you tell me why you were stalking me.” He held up a hand as she began to deny it. “Don’t lie or it will piss me off.”

Pax looked him dead in the eye as if assessing him and deciding what to do. She seemed to decide it was worth a shot and nodded. “Fine. Know anywhere open at this time of the morning?” she asked as they walked back towards town.

“Yes, I know the perfect place.” He winked, not able to resist flirting with her. It’s only flirting. What harm could that cause?

A few minutes later, Blake led her up to the front door of his flat and stopped to insert the key.

“This is your place!” she stated rather than asked making him wonder what else she knew about him.

He turned to her, key still in the lock. “Worried you won’t be able to keep your hands off me?” he asked with a grin.

Pax rolled her eyes and sighed making her chest heave in a very distracting way. “Child,” she admonished as she waved him to get on with it.

She acted like she was unaffected by him, but he knew she wasn’t. Blake knew for a fact that if he kissed her, she would go up in flames for him and that wasn’t him being a conceited ass as she put it. That was, in fact, the chemistry between them. The chemistry that had been there from day one. It was how he knew it would burn hot and fast, and things that burned too hot either burned out quickly or consumed you. He didn’t want either of those things to happen with Pax. Plus, he liked her. She was fun to flirt with, intelligent, and smart. He didn’t want things to be awkward between them.

Pushing open the door for his flat, he threw his keys in a bowl that sat on a table by the door and walked straight to the coffee pot, flipping the switch and grabbing two cups down from the cupboard overhead. He saw Pax discreetly checking out his place and wondered what she thought of it. He turned as she ran her hands over the back of the sofa and the soft wool blanket that was draped there.

“This is not what I expected.” She looked down her straight nose at him, her hazel eyes twinkling with delight and just a touch of mischief.

He swept his hand out to encompass the open plan living space. “Yeah, well, I have two sisters and a mother who love to decorate so blame them. I just paid the bill.”

The kitchen was white gloss cabinets with a black tile floor and dark aubergine splashbacks. An island unit separated the kitchen from the living area. Pale wood covered the floor with two deep cream fabric couches covered in cushions of cream, purple, and damson sitting opposite each other. A black and glass coffee table sat in the middle with a natural wicker footstool beside it. The double floor-to-ceiling windows were bay in style and had a cushioned seat where he could sit and watch the world go by or just think. Heavy mushroom coloured curtains hung there held back by black hooks.

“I like it!” She walked around then let out a squeak when she almost tripped over something on the floor. Pax bent and picked it up, holding out the small, pink toy guitar for him, one perfectly arched brow raised. “I didn’t know you played.” A smile played at the edges of her lips.

“Oh yeah, I’m just waiting for a call from my music producer and then we’re taking this thing global.” He smirked as he took the guitar from her hand and played ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’ on it.

“Very impressive,” she said nodding her head. “I can see how you will become a huge rock star with that talent.”

He placed the guitar on the coffee table with a grin and walked back towards the kitchen to pour coffee into two mugs. “Coffee and one sugar, right?”

“Yes, please,” she answered stepping towards him to take the coffee.

Blake moved to the couch and plopped down on the end while she sat in the one opposite him and gave her a cheeky grin. “So tell me why you were stalking me in the park this morning apart from the obvious of wanting to check out my form?”

“I need your help.”