Free All or Nothing by Natalie Ann Page B

to keep that in mind.”
     
    ***
     
    Unlocking her front door, Presley was shocked to realize she still had the same silly look plastered on her face that had most likely been there for the last few hours.
    Around seventy thirty her phone had vibrated in the front pocket of her scrubs. She had been in the game room—which had been dubbed that by the kids thanks to the video games, TVs, board games and various other forms of entertainment available for them to feel normal in the midst of the turmoil part of their lives. Glancing around to make sure her supervisor wasn’t nearby, she’d pulled her phone out and felt her lips widen at Ben’s message asking if she had her lunch break yet.
    “Thirty minutes, kids,” she announced to them. “Start picking up soon, and no arguments,” she added when she heard the usual groans. Then she exited the room quickly and replied back. Negative.
    Her smile widened even more when she read. Text me when you punch out. Same place as last time. Guess he really didn’t like to ask.
    But she’d done as he told her and met him forty-five minutes later in the quiet break room they’d had her lunch break in last time. Somehow she wasn’t the least bit surprised to see a small personal pepperoni and black olive pizza for her. When she raised her eyebrow at him, he only said smugly, “You had a menu on your counter with that circled.”
    She would have to remember that. He seemed to see and remember everything.
    Halfway through her meal, she said, “So date three. And no, that’s not a code for me either.”
    He grinned ruefully. He was always smiling or grinning. “Pity. But no codes. When you’re ready, you make the move. No asking either, just make it. Or take it.” He sent her a sexy look. “I won’t fight you off.”
    She knew she flushed, then felt the heat coursing through her body at that statement, but he held his tongue and didn’t comment on her reaction. Thankfully he changed the subject after that, and before long their time was up.
    They had enjoyed a nice, if rushed dinner. And an even nicer not so rushed kiss before she had to return to her shift. But now she was home and could finally let go of the giddiness she was feeling.
    She wasn’t sure she had ever felt this much anticipation or eagerness with another guy. Not that she had dated all that much. She’d had a handful of boyfriends over the years, and of course plenty of dates from time to time. But lately, she had been in a dry spell and hadn’t been even bothered by it, until recently. With any luck that dry spell would be ending soon.

The Mind
                 
    Ben finished tying his boots then strapped his ankle holster on, grabbed his flannel shirt and buttoned it up over his T-shirt. A quick glance around his room confirmed everything was in place, his guns were locked up, and he was ready to go. He grabbed his keys and made his way out the door to his black SUV parked in the driveway.
    He was looking forward to today and had some high hopes, if truth were known. Not just because he hadn’t had a day off in a long time, but because he was spending the day with Presley.
    They’d been on multiple dates in the last few weeks, but this one had been her suggestion, and he thought it was a brilliant way to spend the day. So much so, he’d been more than willing to take the day off of work and go with her on her normal Wednesday off.
    She was warming up to him, in more ways than one. She still hadn’t made the next move, but he was hoping that her suggestion of today’s date was a start of things moving in the right direction.
    Not that he thought she was teasing him or dragging him along. No, just the opposite actually. It was more than that—she seemed a bit skittish, only he wasn’t sure why. So he was putting in an extra effort to ease any concerns she might be having.
    That was easy enough, at least for him, because every time they’d been together was better than the last. They