Kye audibly heard Michaela swallow. Her eyes seemed to grow heavy-looking, and he once again smelled the delicate scent of her arousal in the air around them. His cock jerked, throbbing in time with his accelerated heart rate. The way things were going, he’d end up with blue balls. It also pushed home the fact he’d have to screw up enough courage in the next day or so to tell Michaela his secret. The mating urge tortured him too much as it was.
The spell that took hold of him, making it so everyone else in the café just disappeared, except for his would-be mate, broke when Nevaeh let out a loud burp that would do a beer guzzling truck driver proud. Both he and Michaela laughed.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard a baby burp that loud,” Michaela said while chuckling.
“It was a whopper.”
Kye spent the rest of Michaela’s lunch hour with her. Once it was over and they had left the café, he pulled her to a relatively quiet and out of the way place. He took her lips hungrily. Reluctantly, he let her go, promising he’d pick her up at her apartment for dinner.
Chapter Six
Twenty minutes before they were to meet Katy at the restaurant, Kye buzzed up to Michaela’s apartment. After letting him know she’d meet him downstairs, she gave herself a quick check in the bathroom mirror. Even though Kye had reassured her he wanted only her, she felt she still had to do a little something to keep herself in the running with Katy. Not one for wearing any makeup, Michaela had put some on just to accentuate her eyes and lips. She tugged at her blue short-sleeved, silk blouse before running her hands down her black skinny jeans. On her feet, she wore black high-heeled sling backs. Heels were something else she rarely wore, but she had to admit they made her legs look longer. And the extra height wouldn’t hurt, since Kye was so tall.
After picking up her purse on the way out, Michaela stepped into the hallway and locked her apartment door behind her. A short elevator ride down, and she was in the lobby. She saw Kye standing in the vestibule, waiting.
Michaela pulled open the glass door and joined him. She kissed him and stood back to get a good look at him. She ran her gaze over his dark gray button-down shirt and dark blue jeans. The material hugged his broad shoulders and wide chest to perfection, leaving no doubt about his muscular physique. The pants were tight-fitting and outlined him just right.
Kye held out his arms straight from his sides. “Do you want me to spin around, so you can get the full picture?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t think that’ll be necessary, though you do look very nice this evening.”
He took his turn running his gaze over her. It was so intense it almost felt as if he physically touched her. “Not that there is anything wrong with how you normally dress, but I have to say you’re looking particularly fetching.”
She laughed. “Fetching? I don’t think a man has ever used that term about me before. It sounds kind of old-fashioned.”
Kye stepped closer until there was almost no space between them. “Maybe I’m just an old-fashioned man at heart.” His gaze focused on her mouth. “We’ll get this dinner over and done with, then we can come back here and I can get to the fun stuff. I’m going to enjoy stripping you out of those very tight jeans of yours.”
Michaela felt her face flush with heat. Not from embarrassment, but with the surge of arousal that had shot through her body at Kye’s words. “As long as I get to strip you out of yours,” she said huskily.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the outside door. “Time to leave before I do something stupid like take you right here and now against the wall. I’m sure that would be enough to have one of your neighbors calling the cops.”
She took a deep breath, trying to slow her rapid breathing, and allowed Kye to lead her out to the visitor parking lot at the front of the building. Her steps slowed a bit when he took out his keys and aimed the remote at a blue Jaguar. The two-door car was new-looking, and expensive. All she could think was the protection business must pay well. Very well. On her salary from the zoo, she’d never make enough money to buy a car like that in a million years.
Kye let go of her hand and pulled open the passenger door, holding it for her. Michaela got in and sat on the leather seat. Once he closed her in, he came around the back and climbed into the driver’s side. After turning the key in the ignition, the vehicle came to life, sounding like the expensive sports car it was.
Out on the street, Kye drove in the direction of The Cliff House restaurant. Michaela still dreaded the thought of having to spend any time with Katy. At least, she wasn’t the skinny, ostracized teenager who Katy once took great joy in bullying. And having Kye at her side helped. Michaela turned to look at him. It probably got the bitch’s goat to see him with her. All she could say about that was good. Katy deserved it.
Kye parked in an empty space next to the restaurant and turned off the car. Michaela got out and waited for him to join her before they headed inside. Katy was already there waiting for them. Michaela silently groaned when her nemesis spotted them and animatedly waved them over.
“You made it,” Katy said. “I called earlier and got a reservation.”
“Great,” Michaela said unenthusiastically. She looked the other woman over, noticing she wore something similar to her, only her blouse was much lower cut. And she had on more makeup.
Katy talked to the hostess, and soon after, they were led to their table. It was round with four chairs. They took their seats, but Kye jumped up when Katy made sure to sit next to him. He went and sat on Michaela’s other side and shifted closer to her.
Michaela looked over at Katy and had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop from laughing. Her nemesis’ smile had slipped a little, and the look in her eyes said she wasn’t too happy about Kye’s change in seating.
A waitress came and took their drink orders before leaving them alone again. Michaela bent her head to the menu, trying to decide what she wanted to eat. She felt Kye’s shoulder brush hers as he opened his to do the same. The waitress returned with their beverages, then left after taking their food orders. Soon after, Katy started—what Michaela decided to call—putting her moves on Kye.
“So, Kye,” Katy said, smiling while she leaned in closer to the table, giving a better view of the cleavage she had showing, “what do you do for a living?”
He placed his arm around Michaela’s shoulders, his fingers stroking along the top of her arm. “I’m in the protection business.”
“What kind? Like security systems and whatnot?”
“No. I’m more of what you would call a personal bodyguard.”
Katy’s gaze blatantly ran over his chest and arms before she licked her lips and looked back up at his face. “I see. I must say, you,” she gave another pointed stare, “have the body for it. Have you been in the business long?”
“It seems as if it’s been forever. Not that I don’t like the job, because I do.”
“And where did you meet Michaela?” Katy took a sip of her white wine.
“At the zoo,” Kye answered, turning his head to meet Michaela’s gaze. “I saw her and instantly knew she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my live with. I fell head over heels at first glance. I’ve waited a very long time to find her. She completes me.”
Michaela felt as if she were falling into Kye’s eyes as he spoke. She couldn’t shake the impression he meant every word he said. That it wasn’t just for Katy’s benefit. And that he was telling her what was truly in his heart. He’d told her more than once she was the woman he wanted, but he’d never said it with such feeling before. She believed him now. Unable to look away from his gaze, what she felt for him deepened a little more. It also made her wish she could drag him out of the restaurant right now, take him to her apartment and make love to him for the rest of the night. The thought had her pussy growing wet.