Free Slow Heat by Lorie O'Clare Page B

nodding once. There wasn’t approval, or disapproval, but she shifted her focus from his face quickly.
    Maggie wasn’t trying to divert her reaction to him not having much family. They weren’t in the confines of his small living room anymore. But even outside with the entire neighborhood, and a huge metropolis beyond that, the sparks of need still clogged the air around them. It was a bit too strong for Micah’s liking. The urge to reach out and touch her damn near overwhelmed him.
    There was still time to back out of this. Tell her no, go back inside, and continue with life as he had for the past three months.
    Her next comment floored him. Micah hadn’t pegged Maggie as being so forward. “I’m not going to have sex with you,” she said and stared up at him with those sultry bright blue eyes of hers.
    Micah was well trained and quick on his toes whether on a hunt, or dealing with an unpredictable, gorgeous lady. “Is it because I don’t have a strong family name?” he countered. “Or because I’m not Catholic?” he added to throw her off. His Saint Michael pendant suddenly seemed heavier around his neck.
    “No.” Her fingers fluttered around her hair. “No,” she repeated. “It’s just that you said inside…” Her words tapered off. “I mean the way you touched me,” she tried again.
    Micah took advantage of the moment. Reaching out, he ran his fingers over her silky smooth hair. He managed not to suck in a harsh breath, but Maggie didn’t. She gasped, and froze.
    “I would never do anything you don’t want me to do,” he whispered, and handed her the keys.

 
    Chapter Three
    Micah walked silently across the Kings’ living room to the hallway that led to their kitchen. There were pictures of the Kings’ three sons at different ages hanging on the wall. Micah saw these as landmarks to help him know where to go in the house. His father had taught him to be perfectly in tune with his surroundings. It was the only way to stay alive.
    “They’re all down there.” Haley King pointed to an open door off the kitchen. “Enter at your own risk.”
    He hadn’t worked on the weekend so far since he’d been working for the Kings. The environment was completely different than it was during the week. Haley wore a T-shirt and shorts and stood barefoot, holding a bottle of water to her lips. A young woman, an absolutely gorgeous young woman, sat at the kitchen table, smiling at Haley’s comment. She didn’t say anything and when Micah looked at her, she held on to her friendly expression but didn’t give him a second look. He might have said something to her but noticed the wedding ring on her finger. Micah didn’t mess with another man’s woman.
    He went through the door Haley had indicated and descended stairs into a large family room, complete with two pool tables, a bar, a dartboard on the wall, and a foosball table. That was just to his left. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, large couches and comfortable-looking chairs were arranged in a half circle in front of him; to the right, a large flat-screen TV hung on the wall. The Kings sure as hell weren’t hurting for money. Speakers were nailed to the wall, enabling surround sound. Micah stepped on to short, firm carpet, which was a dark gray, perfect for hiding stains.
    It was highly unlikely the Kings made enough money to live like this from running bounties brought into them by bondsmen. They did run the occasional personal hunt. Micah knew of a few. Even then, ten grand here and ten grand there wouldn’t finance this type of lifestyle. Maybe a major hunt, with no kill, paid more than he realized.
    Micah could hear the women upstairs in the kitchen chatting quietly. He heard his name mentioned and paused, taking in a couple of large paintings hanging on the walls. He didn’t know a lot about art but guessed they were painted by a local artist. When he turned to the right, there was a third painting of the King house. The beach was