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Now with only five minutes left, Michaela gave her living room one final inspection. After coming home from work, she’d done a quick cleaning job of dusting and vacuuming before taking a shower. It still looked respectable. Her apartment wasn’t large, by any means, but she didn’t want anything bigger. She thought it was just the right size for her.

With a deep breath, she sat on the couch. She had some beers cooling in the fridge, and if Kye wanted anything to snack on, there were some frozen finger-type foods in the freezer she could throw in the oven. As for entertainment, there were a few good movies on The Movie Channel she hadn’t seen yet.

At two minutes to seven, her telephone rang. Since she could use it to buzz people into the building, Michaela felt butterflies in her stomach as she answered it. “Hello?”

“Hi, Michaela. It’s Kye. I’m here.”

“I’ll let you in. I’m on the sixth floor in apartment 610.” She punched in the code to let Kye through, then hung up.

A few minutes later, a knock sounded on her door. Michaela wiped her sweaty palms down her jean-clad thighs before crossing over to it. It was stupid that she was so nervous, but she knew it mostly stemmed from her not wanting to blow it with Kye. She’d never had a chance to date a man as good-looking as him, and doubted she’d ever get to again if things didn’t work out between them.

After she formed a smile on her lips, she pulled open the door. Kye just about took her breath away as her gaze landed on him. He was still dressed in the same clothes he’d worn the last time she’d seen him, right down to the t-shirt she’d bought for him in the zoo’s gift shop. Staring him in the face, he was even better looking than she’d remembered. How the hell she’d ended up attracting a man like him, she had no idea. She just thanked her lucky stars she had.

Michaela took a step back, and said, “Hi, Kye. Come on in.”

“Thanks for inviting me over,” he replied as he stepped inside.

She closed the door and locked it behind him. “I’m glad you could come. How did the rest of your visit to the zoo with Nevaeh go?”

He smiled. “Pretty good, though she slept through the rest of it.”

She motioned him to follow her as she led him into the living room, then took a seat on the couch. Once he lowered himself next to her, she asked, “Do you look after Nevaeh often?”

“I haven’t in the past, but it looks as if I’ll be doing a lot more of it from here on out.”

“Won’t it interfere with your work?” Realizing that had been a pretty forward question, considering she didn’t know Kye all that well, Michaela felt her cheeks heat in a blush. “Sorry, I should have held that back.”

Kye chuckled. “No need to apologize. I don’t mind. Actually, it won’t, since it really is my job.”

“You mean babysitting is what you do for a living?”

“No,” he said with a laugh. “I’m in the protection business. I guess you would call me a bodyguard. Roxie, Nevaeh’s mom, is sort of a client as well as a good friend. Today, she decided I’m to be her daughter’s personal protector.”

“Ah, I get it. So that means you got a crash course on looking after a baby.”

He nodded. “And as you saw, I still need some work in that department.”

“You didn’t do all that bad for your first time.”

“What about you?” he asked. “Have you worked at the zoo long?”

“A couple of years now. I love it. Being an animal keeper is something I’ve always wanted to do. When the opening came up I jumped on it.”

“So you’re good with animals then?”

“Yeah. I used to drive my mom nuts when I was younger. I’d bring home all the strays I’d find. And sometimes, they weren’t really strays but the neighbors’ pets.”

“And I figure they knew which house to go to if their dogs and cats came up missing,” Kye said with a smile.

Michaela nodded. “At least, they never got upset with me.”

“If you were anything like you are now as a kid, I can’t see anyone getting upset with you.”

She felt herself blush at what Kye had said, but especially from the way he stared into her eyes. He looked at her as if she were something special. “Thanks. Ah, would you like something to drink? I have some beers in the fridge. I can even whip up some snack food if you’re hungry.”

“The drink would be great. Don’t worry about the food unless you want something.”

With a nod, Michaela got up and went to the kitchen. She took two beers out of the fridge and twisted off the caps. Not bothering with glasses, she returned to the living room and handed one to Kye before sitting beside him once more.

After taking a couple of sips, Michaela picked up the TV remote. “I figured we could watch something on The Movie Channel, if you’re interested.”

Kye shifted a little closer, and said, “Sure. Whatever you want to see is fine with me.”

She turned on the television and switched it to the right channel. Figuring Kye was more into an action flick than a romantic drama, she selected that and settled back against the couch. Kye had put his arm along the back, so his fingers brushed her shoulder. A small thrill shot through her at so simple a touch. As the movie started, she found she had a hard time concentrating on it, all too aware of the man sitting close to her.

Michaela drank her beer and watched what was on the TV at the same time. The scent of Kye’s aftershave filled her head, making her want to turn toward him and press her nose to the hollow of his throat and breathe deep. But she didn’t, not wanting to be the one to make the first move.

Once she was close to finishing her drink, she turned her head to ask Kye if he wanted another. The words died on her tongue when she saw he wasn’t watching the movie, but had his gaze totally focused on her. There was an intensity in his eyes that had her pussy clenching. She felt herself falling into them, unable to look away.

Michaela swallowed and licked her suddenly dry lips as Kye reached over and took her beer from her. He then set both bottles on the end table next to his side of the couch. Turning back, he leaned in toward her. As his lips descended to meet hers, she met him halfway.

She shifted on the couch so she was turned in his direction, her hands sinking into his longish hair to pull him closer. Her taut nipples brushed against his hard chest, causing them to tighten even more. Michaela opened her mouth for his tongue, sucking on it before stroking it with hers. Arousal pulsed through her body, an ache building deep inside her pussy.

In a quick move, Kye wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap, straddling him, as he shifted to sit with his back against the couch. She moaned at the feel of the hard length of his cock pressed against the spot where she wanted to be filled. Deepening their kiss, he put his hands on her hips and ground against her pussy. Michaela couldn’t hold back the moan that pushed out of her. Wetness leaked into her panties.

All pretense of awkwardness disappeared as she rubbed herself against the large bulge in Kye’s jeans. He made a sound that was a cross between an animal-like growl and a groan.

Completely turned-on, she broke their kiss and straightened on his lap. Keeping her gaze locked on his eyes, which were open to mere slits, Michaela reached for the bottom of her t-shirt, then pulled it up and off over her head. “More, Kye. Touch me.”

“I intend to do a lot of touching, baby,” he said in a deep, husky voice.

He reached around her back and undid the hooks to her bra. His large hands skimmed from her shoulders and down her arms, taking the straps with him. Michaela tossed the garment to the floor.

Kye cupped her head and brought her mouth down to his. He thoroughly kissed her until her breath came in short pants. Dragging his lips along her jaw and down the column of her neck, he made a trail to the top of her chest. He licked his way to one of her nipples. He flicked it with the tip of his tongue before circling the whole thing. His breath blew against it, then he sucked it inside his mouth.