Author's Notes: I've had this plot bunny stuck in my head ever since the scene where Paige came bounding up to the camp fire, radiating energy and joy, and Mike gives her *that* look and says "You're a bear."
Two stories later, it is apparent this plot bunny may have gotten friskier than expected at first glance.
If you like this story be sure to check out it's companion piece Skinny Double Dirty Chai. Which is written from Paige's POV.
Rating: This story is rated M for sexual situations, however those don't take place for a while. If you're looking for PWP just skip to Chapter 11.
Disclaimer: Look I really don't believe that this disclaimer is going to protect me at all should Jeff Eastin decide to sue me. However, Jeff's attorneys should please note that suing me would be a huge waste of time, for the following reasons:
- First: I have no money and am certainly not making money off of this. First rule of law school; go after the deep pockets.
- Second: I clearly have a ton of time on my hands. So I have nothing better to do than debate the four prongs of The Fair Use Act 17 U.S.C. § 107, file extensions and counter suits. It would be a lot of work for no reward.
- Third: Just trust me on this one- I'm cute. We're talking button levels of cute here. No judge or jury would ever be able to resist my puppy dog eyes.
Thanks: Big thanks to sadisticscribbles for betaing for me.
- J
Coffee with Cream
Chapter 1
"Grab my ass."
"Seriously?!" Mike is sure he's misunderstood her, though the blunt words don't leave much room for interpretation.
"Seriously. Mark your territory and grab my ass." Charlie makes it sound like she's teaching school. The things they don't teach you at the academy.
Mike puts aside his chivalry for a moment and takes one for the team. He slides in close to her, places his hand on her backside, and gives her a firm squeeze.
"Mmmm. Wow. So that's what your squeezy thing has been for." Charlie purrs.
Mike's smart enough to know that she's just flattering him to boost his ego and calm him down, but it works. There is really nothing like squeezing an attractive woman's ass to give you confidence.
"Among other things." He laughs, giving her a smack. If she wants cocky, he can give her cocky.
"Easy tiger." He grins, walking ahead of her into the bar. He scans the room out of habit and finds his eyes drawn to the pretty girl on stage singing.
"That's Paige."
So that was Paige, the mysterious sixth roommate. She was... not what he was expecting. Wow.
Mike just stands in awe. She's amazing. Not her singing, that's actually pretty terrible, but her presence. She somehow radiates sunshine and happiness in an otherwise dark and seedy bar. He watches her dance along to the cheesy music. He didn't know it was possible to look so sexy and so adorable at the same time, but she's somehow managing it.
Maybe Graceland wouldn't be so bad after all.
"Stop staring." Charlie's voice breaks through his haze, and he realizes he is indeed standing there like slack-jawed idiot who's never seen a pretty girl before. "You're still my fake boyfriend."
Having been caught, he immediately feels guilty. He is here on a mission to help Charlie after all. He wraps an arm around her and leans in to apologize, but he can't help his gaze from drifting back towards the stage.
"That's Bobby Moy." Charlie explains. "He's got his fingers in most East Side's contraband. She's under as his girlfriend."
Mike's eyes darken as he spots the lowlife. How egotistical does that guy have to be to think he's even in the same league as that woman? His mind briefly considers the full implications of going undercover as someone's girlfriend, but a sudden wave of jealousy surprises him and he pushes it from his mind. He hasn't even officially met her yet. He watches her leave the stage and lean over the thug in a familiar way taking his drink from him. She is truly beautiful.
Just then Paige looks over in their direction. Mike bashfully lowers his eyes, embarrassed to be caught staring. Paige makes her way over in their direction, her strides are long and confident as she walks towards them. She grabs a drink from the bar and dumps it in her glass. She strolls right past him and Charlie saying only one word, "Bathroom."
Mike watches her walk away, then casts a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure no one's following her, before being led off by Charlie.
Once they are out of the eyesight of the gangster, the two girls start talking and laughing. Mike can't quite hear what they are saying, but apparently Charlie is teasing Paige about her karaoke skills. Neither woman acknowledges his presence, and when they get to the ladies room, Charlie just tugs him along inside like it's the most natural thing in the world.
Inside the bathroom, he sees a woman pulling an older man out of a stall. The man keeps his head down shamefully as he exits the bathroom and Mike thinks maybe in California this is a more common occurrence than he originally expected. He's clearly not in Virginia anymore.
"Shut it ok." Paige laughs at Charlie, as the door closes behind the three. She does not sound at all upset of Charlie's critique on her singing. "Did you get them?"
"Yeah." Charlie assures her, pulling a small package out of her purse and taking off her shoe.
"God, I'm gonna start buying these things in bulk." Paige sighs as she heads into a stall. Mike feels really out of place in the ladies room, and is starting to wonder if he's invisible.
"So this is the infamous Levi!" He gives Charlie a dirty look. He hated every single one of his roommates at that moment. Of course she had heard of his screw up. Why would he hope for a moment she hadn't? So much for making a good impression.
"It's Mike." He really hopes that name doesn't stick.
"He's my boyfriend tonight. And he's cute right?" Charlie asks, throwing Mike a knowing grin.
"Yeah he's hot." Paige thinks he's hot. Mike allows himself a moment of hope that he might have a chance with her.
"It's nice to meet you Levi." Well, that ray of hope was short lived. The word Levi is like cold water to him.
"Yeah, you too, it's Mike." He stutters. Come on Mike. You can talk to pretty girls. Think of something to say that's not going to make you sound like a complete fool.
"You fresh out of Quantico?"
Her red lace thong is around her ankles. Christ, if that slip of fabric could even be considered underwear. That's all she was wearing under that skintight dress of hers? It seemed, illegal or at the very least impractical. Where would she keep her firearm? How would that slip of lace provide even the slightest protection? He could just slip the flimsy piece of fabric aside and slide inside her… his eyes snap up to the ceiling. He shouldn't be thinking about that, she was his roommate for Christ's sake.
"Yes ma'am." He keeps his eyes trained on the ceiling, so they don't drift back to that red lace ribbon around her petite ankles. Or that small tattoo on her foot. Normally, Mike's not a tattoo guy, but on her, he just wants to lick it. He can feel his pants getting uncomfortably tight, and he's surprised there is any blood left in him for that. He had assumed it had all gone to the blush that's been growing brighter across his cheeks every moment in Paige's presence.
"At ease soldier." He swallows nervously. Fuck, did she know even through that door that his soldier was saluting her- oh. She was referring to his formal address, not his dick. He decides he's just going to let the girls talk, and think about baseball.
"Still making no headway with Bobby?" Charlie asks, pounding up the pills into a powder with her shoe.
"Nothing. I'm looking for stuff on him, and all he want's to do is get under me." All thoughts of baseball are gone for Mike.
"Wait, is that what the birth control is for?" The words are out of his mouth before he even realizes he's spoken. He's horrified.
"I'm not taking them." The voice comes authoritatively from the other side of the stall, and he realizes he shouldn't have asked. He's offended her.
"Well your agency doesn't expect you to… um…" He doesn't know a delicate way to put it.
Paige comes out from the other side of the door and gives him a long scrutinizing look. He gulps. This is the first time he's been under her direct gaze, and he feels like she's looking right through him.
"I'm not going to screw him. The pills are for Bobby." She states firmly. Mike holds her eye contact and gulps. She's terrifying, but he can't look away.
"Give a guy a couple of these and his soldier's at ease." Charlie explains.
"Really?" He is tempted to take a gulp himself at the moment. Those red panties kept dancing in his mind. Jesus, it was getting hot in here.
"Really."
"Thank God. I can't take this anymore." Mike is pleased with how annoyed she sounds. He knew she couldn't really be interested in that jackass.
"Gross." Charlie agrees.
"Well can I ask you a question? I mean you're going under as his girlfriend. Don't you kinda expect him to want to uh..." She is adjusting her perfect breasts in the mirror, and Mike forgets what the question was.
She turns away from the mirror and his eyes snap to her face. "...well you know... want to get with you." He finishes with a goofy grin, pleased he had found a way to phrase it without getting slapped.
She had to know the effect she had on men. If she was his girlfriend he'd never let her out of bed. No drug on earth could keep him from finding a way to make love to her.
"Absolutely." Paige says, unabashedly meeting his gaze head on. She was definitely not a dumb girl.
"Why don't you get out?" He is dead serious now. The agency couldn't force her to sleep with someone for a case. Mike would find a way to save her from this.
"Because I want the bastard." She flashes him an impish grin, and he sees more than a beautiful smile, but recognizes a kindred spirit in her. This woman does not need saving. She gets off on this. Not on men wanting her, but on the chase. On the idea of punishing the wicked. She's like a very sexy guardian angel.
"Ok Mama." Charlie says, breaking the tension between the two. "It's getting hot in here."
"Thanks Charlie!" Paige chirps, taking the drink and brushing by Mike.
They're about to part ways.
This is Mike's absolute last chance to say something, say anything, to show her he's not a total idiot. God knows what she thinks of him so far. Charlie had told her the stupid Levi story already. He's offended her and come off as far too naive. Since he's been here he's barely said anything coherent. Just basically stood around and drooled. This was so not going his way, but he could rally. All he needed was to say something clever before she left and not sound like a total moron. . .
"It was nice to meet you Mike." She slaps his ass. He was NOT expecting that. All chances of saying anything at all, let alone anything articulate are out the window.
"Told you you'd like her." Charlie grins, brushing past him knowingly. Mike can say nothing. All he can do is continue standing there, grinning like an idiot.