AN: So, no smut in this installment as my muse was in the mood for a little fluff to break up the smut fest. Michael and Liz have dinner with their friends to break the news of their relationship. This is Max and Maria friendly. Lyrics to Fallen belong to Lauren Wood and the appropriate writers/record labels, etc. You know the drill…don't own them.
Fallen
I can't believe it, you're a dream comin' true.
I can't believe how I have fallen for you.
Humming softly under her breath, she swayed gently to the music pouring out of her stereo as she walked out her bathroom, running her hands through her hair to release it from the messy topknot she had it in for her bath. Tossing her hair sticks onto the vanity carelessly; she sank onto the low stool, studying her reflection critically as she tried to decide what to do with her hair.
Running a brush gently through her thick, sable curls, she gathered the mass onto the crown of her head in a ponytail, allowing the long, loose curls cascade wildly over her shoulders and neck. It had gotten so much longer than her high school days, but the last time she mentioned cutting it, Michael had thrown such a fit that she'd left it alone other than a basic trim. And honestly, she loved having his fingers running through the strands when they lay in bed at night.
Shaking her head loose from those thoughts, her eyes lit with amusement as she realized she was running her fingers through her hair absently, mimicking the very action that she'd just been imagining, and rolled her eyes at herself, her lips quirking wryly. Glancing at the clock, she realized Michael would be there soon and focused back on task and began applying a light application of make-up, bemusedly crooning along with the song on her radio, "How could I know that I was lost without you…"
Applying a natural coating of eye shadow, she lined her eyes with a soft brown pencil to compliment the gold and brown shimmer above her eyes before brushing a single-coat of mascara onto her lashes. Finishing with a soft glow of bronze to her cheeks and glossy lips, she stood and crossed over to her closet door, sliding the deep burgundy dress off it's hanger and stepped into it carefully to avoid mussing her hair and make-up.
Walking over to the mirror, she zipped the dress up, smoothing the silky, a-line skirt over her hips as she smiled, her eyes traveling the lines of the dress and nodded her approval, a very feminine satisfaction glowing in dark, chocolate eyes. That kind of innate knowledge a woman has when she knows she's going to drive the man in her life slowly crazy. Snickering to herself as she turned and took in the low, dipping back, she couldn't wait to see her typically stoic boyfriend's reaction to the dress. He was so in trouble tonight.
Sighing happily, she did a little twirl and danced over to her bed, sinking down gracefully, bending over to grab the low black heels that she'd bought just for this occasion and slid them on her feet. Wiggling her toes slightly as she admired the affect, she bounced up and moved over to her dresser swiftly for the finishing touches, tingling inside as she thought about tonight. As much as the evening had worried her, she couldn't wait to tell everyone so she could share with the world just how much she loved a certain whiskey-eyed, tawny-haired alien.
How had she gotten so lucky?
"You're a dream coming true," she hummed absently as she slid a diamond earring into each lobe and grabbed a matching necklace, quickly fastening it around her neck as she once again checked the time and grinned, a small, excited laugh bubbling over her lips before she stop it. Perfect. Michael would be there at any moment.
Walking over to her nightstand, her eyes fell onto a picture of the man in question, her eyes softening as she recalled the night she took it, when she'd been messing around with a new camera during her spring break. Tracing the lines of his face, she laughed as she remembered him feigning annoyance, grunting playfully as she posed him on his couch, the twinkle in his eyes and tiny smile quirking his lips belying any true irritation. "Oh my, my, my, I have fallen for you…."
Coming to a stand still as she realized what she had been doing, she chuckled ruefully, "Lord, he's turned me into such a sap." Scrunching her nose delicately, a light wash of pink stole across her cheeks as she shook her head and rolled her eyes, tipping her head back to the picture by her bedside. She was such a dork. Eyes traveling over his likeness one last time, she smirked as she grabbed her jacket and purse and opened her bedroom, snickering as she headed out to the diner. "Good thing he has such a fine ass."
And I was not looking, was content to remain.
And it's ironic to be back in the game.
Sinking his hands into the pockets of his black slacks, Michael stood in the break room area of the Crashdown, rocking back and forth on his heels nervously and watching as the waitresses bustled to and from the order window through the diamond window. Jeff was overseeing the restaurant as it was his night off, but it was hard to turn off the inner manager that wanted to be sure that everything was running smoothly in his absence.
Smiling with satisfaction, he turned away, plucking a piece of lint off his thin, black sweater and walked deeper into the employee area, his mind wandering to the coming night and the dinner he and Liz had set up with their friends in order to come clean with their changed relationship. He knew he was early in picking her up, but it had been better than sitting at home, pacing and dreaming up every possible reaction and scenario.
As much as he hated to admit it, he was slightly worried about what was going to happen tonight. He didn't expect any scenes or hurt feelings as they'd all broken up by mutual agreement, but he did have a feeling that they were in for a night of razzing as he was pretty sure most of them had already guessed that Liz and he had gotten together based on Kyle's and Alex's sly comments when he called them. And, while he didn't really care if they gave him hell, he'd prefer to shield Liz from the inevitable ribbing.
"Hey, Michael, how are you son?" Jeff asked as he trotted down the stairs of the apartment, startling Michael out of his thoughts as he came over, patting him on the shoulder and joking lightly on his way into the diner. "Liz will be down as soon as she can get Nancy to stop fawning over her. Be glad you're down here, otherwise she'd grab the camera and you two would be late for dinner."
"Thanks, Mr. Parker," Michael grinned, thankful that Liz had foreseen this and told him to stay down here so they could actually make it out of the diner without being blinded by a camera wielding mother still bubbly over their newly announced relationship; color cresting his cheeks as he recalled the night before. In preparation for their coming out dinner with their friends, Liz had invited him to dinner with her parents so they could tell them and it still surprised him at how welcoming and genuinely happy the Parkers had been given everything Liz and Max had gone through.
"Jeff, Michael," the older man reminded with a smile, nodding to him as he slipped through the swinging door to go help where ever he was needed and talk to his customers, calling over his shoulder. "I told you to call me Jeff."
Michael opened his mouth to respond, but closed it when a door quietly opening and closing caught his ear and he turned towards the stairs, coming to a standstill, dumbstruck by the vision in front of him. Heart skipping a beat, the air ripped from his lungs as his eyes fell onto his girlfriend and he swallowed thickly, wetting suddenly parched lips as their eyes held for a moment, his heart thrumming wildly as she posed and preened under his appreciative gaze.
Moving swiftly towards the stairs, his eyes riveted on the stunning sight she presented, he reverently watched as she glided down the stairs, a slow smile spreading over her face as his eyes slid over her lazily, utterly captivated as she came to a standstill on the step above him. Tracing his fingers over her arm softly, he pulled her into his arms gently and captured her lips for a slow, sweet kiss that sent a low burn pulsing through his veins. Pulling back, he pressed his brow to hers as their eyes met, a smile spreading across his face as he whispered, "You look beautiful."
"Well thank you, kind sir," she simpered, fluttering her lashes at him, breaking the spell slightly and he grinned at her actions, crushing her to him as a sweet, aching burn rippled through his body. Pressing his lips to her temple, he closed his eyes as her scent invaded his senses, sending electricity singing through his veins and contentment swelled in his heart as she snuggled tightly against him. God, how she undid him with the simplest of movements and he never wanted to leave her arms.
"Shall we?" he asked quietly, reluctantly pulling away from her, knowing that if they didn't leave soon, they were going to be late and the ribbing they were likely to endure tonight would be ten times worse. Smiling softly as she nodded, he opened the swinging door, allowing her to pass into the diner before following, wrapping an arm around her waist possessively, showing the entire world just who held his heart.
You are the one who's led me to the sun.
How could I know that I was lost without you...
Liz watched her friends with a fond smile on her face as they laughed and teased each other, marveling at how far they had come as a group from the harrowing, terror-filled days of their youth, when they couldn't seem to breathe without an enemy cropping up, whether it be alien or FBI. It still felt odd to be at peace with both factions, and although they remained on guard in case either broke treaty, studying her friends, she was glad that they no longer had to watch over their shoulders every minute.
Meeting Tess's sparkling blue eyes, they exchanged a quick smile before she turned back to Alex, the blond's face softening and grin widening as he whispered something in her ear, placing a quick kiss on her cheek before resuming his conversation with Max. That had been one of the biggest surprises in the group. Once Tess had decided that destiny wasn't all it was cracked up to be, she set her sights on the tall, gangly boy and did everything she could to grab the boy's attention, finally managing to convince him to give her a chance. They'd been together ever since and had recently gotten engaged.
Tipping her head, she turned to Isabel, who was sitting next to the petite blond, haggling over dessert with Kyle. She had been slightly hurt when Tess and Alex started dating, but supported them because she saw how happy they were together, not to mention, she realized that they made sense in ways that she and Alex never did. She'd dated through out high school, but never got serious with anyone until a certain Buddha Boy got tired of her not noticing him about a year ago and planted one on her in front of everyone.
After a few weeks of awkwardness and avoidance, he finally tracked her down and forced her to admit that she had feelings for him as well and the rest as they say, was history. Liz had to admit that Kyle has been an amazing influence on the other girl; effectively opening her up in ways no one else had been able.
Sighing contentedly, she picked up her wine and sipped it, glancing over at her former boyfriend and nodding as he smiled at her before turning to a giggling Maria at his side, and cocked her brow in interest, wondering if there was more than friendship there. Wouldn't that be an interesting twist?
Pursing her lips, she studied the two thoughtfully, looking for hidden signs of interest in her best friend's face, as well as the man beside her and saw nothing more than a deep friendship that had developed over the years. Shrugging it off, she was glad that they had made it back for this dinner given that they lived so far away. She knew they would have been hurt finding out about her and Michael through the grapevine, even if they'd ended their relationships without animosity on either side.
Nothing had turned out as any of them had expected, but in a way it had worked out better than she had ever dreamed.
Jostled out of her thoughts by a light nudge on her shoulder, she tipped her head up, meeting a soft caramel gaze with a small smile, her cheeks tinting softly as his lips curved in response. Quirking a brow, he flicked his eyes over to the group, a question in his eyes before meeting hers again, asking silently if she was ready for this? Taking a deep breath, she her smile widened a touch and nodded, missing the amused glances exchanged between their friends.
And I want to tell you, you control my rain…
And you should know that you are life in my veins.
"So what's the occasion, you two?" Maria asked, drawing her out of her Michael-induced dream-state and she turned to the blond, the color in her cheeks deepening when she met sparkling, far too knowing green eyes and she cleared her throat, averting her gaze slightly as her friend continued with a chuckle. "You said you needed to tell us something?"
"Yeah, well, you see…" she stammered, now slightly nervous at being put on the spot and fiddled with the stem of her wine glass absently as her eyes danced over her friends, squirming as their gazes leveled onto her with attentive interest. Biting her lip, she exchanged a glance with Michael, drawing strength from his warm, steady gaze before pushing on. "Umm…we wanted to…uh…"
"We're seeing each other," Michael interrupted bluntly, his lips quirking into a slight smirk as their friends laughed at his interruption before turning back to his hotly flushing girlfriend, laughing at her wide eyes and aghast expression. Shrugging nonchalantly, his lips twitched with amusement as she shot him a quelling glance.
"Michael!" she gasped, stunned that he had just threw it out there without working up to the subject and pressed her hands to her cheeks, trying to cool the hot sting in them as she darted slightly horrified eyes over the others before glaring at him.
"What?" he rumbled, staring down into her face with a soft smile, knowing he was so in for it later as they had agreed to let her do the explanation, but he knew her. She would have worked up this long, involved speech about how people couldn't help whom they fell in love with and that they hadn't meant for this to happen, when really, it was easier to just rip the band-aid off sometimes.
"You could have...I don't know, said it with a little more tact?" she sputtered, still staring at him, exasperation coloring her every word as she pressed her lips together and shook her head in disbelief, avoiding the others amused, interested gazes. Sighing, she dropped her head in her hand, still shaking her head at his all too blunt words, but couldn't help a smile as it was so Michael.
"Tact is your department, not mine," he snorted, a rumbling laugh bubbling over his lips as he stared at the top of her shining mass of curls for a moment before sliding a finger under her chin and tipping her face up to his, stroking her cheek softly, missing Tess's soft sigh and smile at Alex. "Besides, I didn't see the point to beating around the bush."
"Why do I put up with you again?" she asked, her lips quirking with amusement, her features softening as she tipped her head back further to stare into shining, amused bourbon irises and cupped his hand with hers, too caught up in him to pay attention to the whispers swirling around them.
"Because you love me," he lofted arrogantly, wagging his brows at her suggestively, implying a lot more than just those words as well and grinned as her cheeks heated once more, flushing a pale red as her gaze averted. "And without me, you'd be bored."
You are the one who's led me to the sun.
How could I know that I was lost without you...
"Well, it's about damn time," Maria lofted dryly, startling the two out of their conversation and grinning as the color deepened in Liz's cheeks when she realized she had forgotten about their audience while sparring with Michael. Eyes misting slightly, she smiled at them, happy her friends had found each other. "I was wondering when you to would stop dancing around and get on with it already."
"Seriously," Tess grumbled, tossing the newly exposed couple a fond smile to soften her words. Exchanging an amused glance with the other girl, she snickered, rolling her eyes as she recalled all the times she and Alex had shoved the two together hoping that something would finally spark. "The tension was so thick between them sometimes, I felt like I was choking."
"So…you're okay with this?" Liz asked hesitantly, her cheeks cooling dramatically as she studied her friends through her lashes, a wide smile spreading over her face and a relieved sigh passing her lips as six heads nodded in confirmation. Tipping her gaze to Michael, she blushed when she caught him watching her intently, a half-smile quirking his lips, as he knew how worried she'd been about tonight.
"Why wouldn't we be?" Max shrugged quietly, drawing both Michael and Liz's gaze to him and he smiled at their identical concerned glances. Shaking his head at his best friend and the girl that had once held his heart, he fought the urge laugh, knowing they were likely concerned he would be hurt given how intense he and Liz had been in high school. But he couldn't be happier. His brother was a good man and deserved to be happy and he couldn't have chosen a better woman for him. "You're happy. It's not like you really expect to find your soulmate in high school anyway."
"You owe me twenty bucks, Whitman," Kyle snickered, trying to lighten the moment as his hand shot out over the table, laughing heartily when the other man glared at him before Alex pulled his chair away from the table and reached for his wallet, casting an evil gaze at Kyle. "Fork it over."
"Fine," Alex groused as he shot Michael and Liz mock-irritated moue, softening it with a smirk so they'd realize he wasn't serious, complaining half-heartedly as he pulled out the crisp twenty he had gotten earlier, already certain he had lost the bet when Michael had asked them to dinner. "You guys couldn't have waited just one more week could you? It had to be June."
"Well if it makes a difference," Michael supplied helpfully, smirking at his squabbling friends and rolling his eyes. He should have known they'd be under fire tonight after all the razzing he'd heaped on Alex and Kyle when they had gotten together with Tess and Isabel respectively. He supposed it was only fair that he got his ration. "We got together in January."
"Ha! Told you," Isabel snickered, shooting an amused glance at her boyfriend, giggling when his face scrunched up and he pouted slightly, since he had bet her that the two had gotten together when Liz was home for spring break. But she knew Michael and he had been smiling far too much after winter break for it not to have happened then. "You might as well just hand the twenty to me, Alex."
"Damn, I should have known better than to take that bet," Kyle complained, grabbing the twenty from Alex and handing it to Isabel with a grunt, dropping his chin into his hand sulkily, muttering, "Now I have to…" Trailing off, he lifted his head when he felt a sharp jab in his ribs and hissed, meeting Isabel's quelling look with a sheepish grin. "Never mind. Shutting up now."
"Even I knew that was a suckers bet," Max snorted, swinging his head over to his sister and sharing a knowing grin before glancing at Kyle with amusement and shaking his head. He knew better than to bet against Isabel, as she never made one unless she was absolutely sure that it was in her favor. "You so got hustled."
"I can't believe you guys," Liz spluttered as she studied her friends incredulously before exchanging an exasperated look with Michael, shaking her head as he lifted one shoulder nonchalantly as if to say she should have expected it. Turning her assessing gaze to the giggling group, she muttered. "Do you have nothing better to do with your time?"
"Sure," Alex snorted, waggling his eyebrows at his friend of twelve years as he slipped an arm around Tess, pulling her into his side and pressed his lips to her temple, a smile on his lips. Looking back at Liz, he grinned unrepentantly and shrugged, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "But this was far more entertaining than classes."
"Unbelievable," Liz snorted, gaping slightly as her best friends snickered and high-fived each other, before rolling her eyes, grabbing her glass of wine, and taking a long drag from the glass to keep from giving them anything more to razz her about.
"Not really," Michael observed, tipping his head down, watching her intently, smiling at the slight rosy tint of her cheeks and sliding his hand under the table, squeezing her knee slightly, his breath catching as shimmering chocolate eyes met his, bronze fire lighting them. "It's completely believable with these whack jobs as friends."
"Takes one to know one, Spaceboy," Maria snickered, a slow smile tugging her lips as she watched the two of them get wrapped up in one an other again and rolled her eyes as she met Max's amused gaze and leaned her head against his shoulder, giving up on the other couple completely. She knew all too well what it was like to get lost in those eyes.
"Whatever," Michael murmured absently, ignoring his friends completely as the band slowed things down a little and he smiled down at his girlfriend, raising his brows in inquiry, nodding toward the dance floor. Returning his smile with her own, Liz nodded and allowed him to pull her out of her chair, heart speeding up slightly as his arm wrapped around her, his hand splaying on her bare back.
I can't believe it, you're a dream comin' true.
I can't believe how I have fallen for you
"Wha…? Did you just volunteer to dance, Guerin?" Alex sputtered incredulously, his mouth gaping slightly as they stood, his eyes widening with horrified fascination as he stared at the tall alien before turning to Liz and grimaced teasingly, his eyes filling with mock sympathy. "I'll pray for your feet."
"Shove it, beanpole," Michael grunted, flicking a pointed glance at the blue-eyed, brunet man as Liz moved around the table, weaving her way toward the dance floor and snorted when his friend blew him a kiss, rolling his eyes at Max and Kyle's hearty guffaws. He opened his mouth to make a snarky comment, but quickly shut it again; he had better things to do, like holding a pretty woman in his arms.
"Michael, you coming?" Liz called, turning about half way from the dance floor, curious to see what was holding him up and laughed softly when she saw Alex blow the glaring alien a kiss as their friends snickered. Smirking at the evil glint in his eyes, she knew Alex was so in trouble the next time the all got together to play basketball.
"Right behind you, baby," he returned, fixing Alex with a wicked grin before turning and crossing distance between him and Liz swiftly. Wrapping a possessive arm around the petite brunette, his features softened as his girl looked up at him, smiling sweetly and tucked herself into his side as they walked out onto the dance floor.
"Whipped…so whipped…" Kyle sniggered, shaking his head and cracking an imaginary whip as the tall man spun Liz around in a small circle before pulling her into his arms and tucking her under his chin and swayed gently as Liz curled into his chest, resting one hand on his heart, the other toying with the hair kissing his nape. He never thought he'd live to see the day.
"Good lord, Michael dancing and smiling at the same time," Isabel gaped and shook her head in wonder, turning her head to look at Tess in awe as her brother rested his chin on the brunette's head, his hand stroking her back absently. Closing her mouth, she smiled and reached for Kyle's hand, glad that at least one of her brothers had found the happiness he deserved. One down, one more to go; and she had some ideas in that area. "Now I've seen everything."
"Game over...that boy has it so bad," Maria snickered, her brows raising in surprise when he dipped a laughing Liz slightly and then laughed when they both almost tumbled to the ground as his foot caught one of her legs. Righting the two of them, he shrugged, color infusing the crests of his cheeks as Liz clutched her arms around him to steady herself, the two of them glowing and so obviously enjoying one another.
"Well at least he asked." Tess pouted, playing with a strand of her hair sadly, slumping her shoulders dejectedly as she shot Alex pointed stare and sighed dramatically, eyes sparkling with humor when he rolled his back at her. Grinning when he clambered to his feet, she giggled softly as he pulled her chair out and turned towards him expectantly.
"Would you care to dance, my queen?" Alex intoned, holding out a hand to his fiancé and bowing low when she slipped her hand into his, placing a soft kiss on the back of her hand. Tipping his head up, he met her amused gaze with warm blue irises and rose, offering her his arm gallantly as he gently pulled her to her feet.
"Why yes, kind sire," Tess simpered, fluttering her lashes flirtatiously and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, tossing a sunny smile over her shoulder as she allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor next to Liz and Michael. Snuggling into his arms, she laughed when he smirked at Michael and quirking a challenging brow, began to show off, spinning her in several tight circles before sweeping her away from them.
"Come on, Princess," Kyle quipped as he jumped out of his seat and spun around, grabbing Isabel's hand and tugged the laughing blond out of her chair unceremoniously, dragging her through the maze of chairs to the floor. "I can't have the beanpole and Shaggy showing me up."
Laughing at his friends' antics, Max shared an amused glance with Maria and shook his head when Kyle barreled onto the dance floor, purposely bumping into Michael and Liz and knocking them off-center, inciting an irritated glance from his best friend. Studying his pretty, blond friend quietly, he grinned at her wistful expression and stood up, turning to her and nodded to the dancers.
"Shall we?" he asked, holding his hand out to her, his grin widening when she cocked a brow at him and studied him suspiciously, an assessing sparkle in her eyes. Holding his hands up in mock defense, he laughed when her lips quirked and reassured her of his intentions as he held his hand out to her once more. "Friends only…"
"Sure girlfriend," she smirked, sliding her hand into his and allowing him to help her out of her chair, but quickly dropping it as she walked away, pointing to him warningly as she sashayed over to the dance floor by herself, her lips curving into a teasing smile. "But this goes no where, 'cause I so don't do the long distance thing."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he snickered, rolling his eyes at her comments as he fell in behind her, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the first steps of their dance, laughing when she scrunched her nose up as he leaned over, whispering near her ear teasingly. "Your loss…girlfriend."
Smiling with contentment as the last of their friends joined them; Liz tipped her head watching Michael from beneath her lashes and snuggled deeper into his arms, her breath hitching when dark honey-colored irises flicked over her warmly. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she toyed with the waves framing his face absently and murmured quietly, "Well that went easier than I expected."
"Did you really think they were going to be upset?" Michael murmured back, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against his frame as they barely moved to the slow, sultry beat, his breath snagging every time their bodies brushed together. Running his hands over her bared back, he shuddered slightly as she slid her hands down to his waist and slipped them under his light, black sweater, splaying against taut muscles, her fingers absently running over his lower back.
"Not upset, but I thought they might be a little surprised, perhaps feel a little weird about it," she whispered, her heart picking up in tempo when his head dipped and he pressed his brow to hers, his warm, damp breath mingling with hers as their lips hovered just inches apart, eliciting a delicious little shiver over her spine. "After all, we used to fight all the time after senior year. Or really, you'd snipe at me and I'd snipe back."
"It was easier to be annoyed than to admit I was attracted to you," he replied in a low, intimate voice, rubbing his nose against hers softly, bumping it slightly to tip her head back further, so that it was in a better position and their lips just centimeters apart. Sliding one hand up her back, over the nape of her neck, he buried his fingers into the soft, glossy curls brushing against her neck, tangling silky, sable strands around his fingers.
"Really? Since then?" she rasped, her breath catching as heavy whiskey eyes stared at her with a predacious gleam and slid her hands over his back slowly, wishing they were some place private so she could run her fingers over his skin instead of his sweater. Licking her lips, a breathless moan spilled over them as she inadvertently licked his in turn, his rich, decadent chocolate and spice taste sliding over her tongue. God, he turned her inside out.
"Since always," he laughed softly, cradling the back of her head and bringing their lips together for a soft, light brush of lips, a sweet, almost innocent whisper that set every nerve zinging with electricity and heat rose in his gut, spilling into his bloodstream with an intoxicating, sultry burn. Crushing her to him, he caressed her lips once, twice, three times, every time deepening the kiss slightly, murmuring between kisses. "Hey, teenage guy…beautiful girl…not that hard to figure out."
"But I thought…" she murmured, her brow pinching slightly, head swimming at the insistent play of his mouth and gasped when he gave a little remonstrative nip against her lower lip, all thought ceasing as his tongue flicked out, lightly massaging the sting away. Gripping the back of his shirt, she groaned as his lips meshed hotly with hers and slid her fingers over his neck, burying into thick, tawny waves as their bodies flowed together.
"You think too much," he grumbled playfully, deepening the kiss when her lips parted under his, his tongue tangling with hers languidly, moaning quietly when a hint of vanilla and strawberries danced over his palate, one hand sliding to cup her cheek their mouths fused together in a searing kiss. Stroking her cheek, he grunted when they were rudely jostled once more and drew back, focusing his irritated glare at mocking blue eyes.
"Oh my God," Kyle gasped with feigned stupefaction, slapping a hand over his heart dramatically, widening his eyes as Michael and Liz turned towards him, biting back a snicker at the taller man's murderous glare as Isabel tried to tug him away. He knew he was pushing his luck but couldn't resist poking at his friend. "Did you just kiss her in front of everyone, Guerin? What happened to the no PDA policy?"
"What of it, Frodo?" Michael groused menacingly, cocking a challenging brow at the shorter man, a cool, calculating smile spreading across his face as the other man sobered, wondering if he may have pushed Michael too far. Huffing slightly, Kyle frowned as the glint of amusement in taller man's eyes alerted him that he'd been had and opened his mouth to make another snarky comment when Isabel smacked him on the head.
"Kyle, shut up," she commanded quietly, arching one well-manicured brow at her boyfriend and exchanged a commiserating smile with Liz before leveling an exasperated expression back onto Kyle. Drawing him deeper onto the dance floor and away from the other couple, she smiled thinly, pointing out succinctly, eliciting a sheepish smile from the man in her arms and a rumbling laugh from her brother. "You do me no good crispy-crittered."
"Let's get out of here before I zap him and the Nazi comes after me," Michael snorted, casting a wary glance over at the tall, elegant blond and shuddering when she sent him an evil grin and held up her finger, promising retribution with her eyes if he dared touch Kyle. Damn, she could be scary when she wanted. Turning away from Isabel, he looked down at the brunette in his arms, his face lighting up at her amused grin.
"Sounds good to me," Liz drawled, her lips curving into a sultry smile and eyes sliding half-mast, loving the way his Adam's apple bobbed as she dragged a finger over his sternum and leaned close, pressing her lips to his ear, whispering seductively. "I do have plans for you tonight."
"Really? What's that?" he rumbled thickly, his eyes growing heavy with desire the moment she pressed against him and shuddered as a predatory gleam filled molten chocolate irises, blood jumping as she licked her lips slowly before she leaned in and told him in explicit detail what she had planned. Eyes widening, he inhaled sharply, his eyes flicking over her heatedly, a wolfish smile spreading across his face as he grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the door. "We are so out of here."
And I was not looking, was content to remain.
And it's erotic to be back in the game.
~ Fallen, Lauren Wood