Unlikely Places

Chapter 35 Too Damn Adorable

Pierce stared down at me with an intensity that was palatable. In the next moment he palmed the back of my head, drew my face up to his and planted a hard kiss to my lips as he made a raspingly annoyed sound in the back of his throat.

In the next instant he released me, his words scolding as he growled, "I told you to just pet the damn dog!"

I giggled as my hand was seized in a no-nonsense grip and I was practically dragged down the tree-lined path towards Pierce's front door, a snorting Ziggy trying to keep up with us.

Despite the tone of his voice I could see from his profile that Pierce was grinning. It was no surprise to me to find I was sporting a grin of my own. It was silly, really. We were being silly but it was oh so much fun.

I suddenly stumbled. Pierce's long strides when compared to mine were anything but compatible. As quick as a whip Pierce caught my arm. He paused and looked down at me with a half chagrinned look. The other half was still all arrogant Pierce.

I didn't say anything and neither did he, but his hold on my hand loosened and he twined our fingers together as he set off forward once more, this time his strides shorter to match my own.

He really was a good boy.

Pierce looked down at me and cocked his eyebrow when he encountered the huge grin splitting my face that I could not contain. I quickly shifted my expression and shook my head and gave him a watered-down version of the smile I couldn't completely get rid of. I thought it better not to tease him any further.

'Let sleeping dogs lie,' I thought with a mental grin, side eying the large man beside me.

The encounter set the tone for our night. Pierce was playful and I found myself, oddly enough wanting to play. So, we did.

We shot some pool. Pierce was good but I was better. We attempted darts but after a few horrible and very dangerous tosses on my part we quickly moved on to something where one of us was less likely to lose an eye. The incredulous look Pierce gave me as we walked outside to try a match of tennis would have been extremely hilarious if it wasn't so embarrassing.

We played only one game of tennis. Pierce kicked my butt and I had to run like a mad man to return his serves. I was hot and sweaty and begged off a second game. He took mercy on me and led me back into the house to the study where he had shared his most hated memory with me the first time, he had brought me here.

It was as cluttered as before with Ziggy laying in her bed, snoring. I plopped down on the plush sofa, my head leaning back against the cushion, and eyed Pierce who stood half a dozen feet away from me with a disgruntled expression.

I wasn't sure if it was my cross expression, my lack of athletic skill, or my less than stellar appearance that made him chuckle now.

"Laughing at me or with me?" I mused.

Pierce's grin grew larger and his top teeth came out to bite at his bottom lip as if trying to contain the growing expanse of his smile. He stuck his hands into the front pockets of his shorts and refrained from saying anything until he got his obvious mirth under control.

"As you are not laughing," he finally managed to say, "It would be an obvious lie if I said with you. But...," he went on, pausing to smash his lips together to squelch the smile that was appearing to be impossible for him to hide. "But," he repeated with added emphasis when he finally could, "I would never ever dare laugh at you."