Free A Bad Bit Nice by Josie Kerr

small of Em’s back on the short walk from the restaurant to the car. Em’s heart raced when he touched her, and Mick’s pants got a little bit tighter when he felt her firm back through the soft material of her t-shirt.
    “I had a really lovely time today,” Em said as she and Mick walked through the outer door of their building. “Thank you again for sharing some of your life with me.”
    “It was my pleasure,” Mick said with a smile.
    They stood, somewhat awkwardly, in the entrance, looking at each other. “Ugh. I’ve got to do laundry and pack again. The life of a road warrior,” Em said.
    “I have to do the same. I’m doing a consult on a new home studio next week and I’m actually kind of dreading it. Not the design part, but the dealing-with-an-egomaniac part.”
    “Will you share who you’re designing for?”
    “No, because you’ll think less of me,” laughed Mick. “Let’s just leave it at more money than talent but more ego than both.”
    “Oh dear,” chuckled Em, wincing. “Bless his heart. But it’s a living, right? And you like it, so it’s all good.” Em smiled as she started to go up the stairs that led to her apartment. Mick drifted along with her, putting one foot on the stairs like he was going to follow her. She was three steps up, when she suddenly turned around. “Hey, Mick?”
    “Yeah?”
    Em reached out to touch Mick’s shirt, then fisted the front in her hands and brought her lips to the side of his mouth. Mick turned his head to meet her lips and brought his hands to the back of her head. Em sighed into Mick’s mouth, opening her lips to accept his tentative tongue. He tasted faintly of tobacco and peppermint and vanilla. How can a seemingly rough man with a giant beard and tattoos all over his hard body have lips so soft?
    “I’m a big believer in lip balm,” Mick answered, his breath softly brushing against her face.
    Oh my God, I must have said that out loud .
    To distract herself and Mick from her embarrassing musings, Em brought her hands up to his face, stroking his thick beard with her fingers. Mick deepened their kiss, thrusting his tongue deeper into Em’s mouth and moving one hand to her lower back, pressing their bodies together. Em moved her hands from Mick’s face, putting her arms around his neck and smiling against his mouth.
    He broke away from her mouth, running his nose along her jaw and breathing in her scent. She smelled of oranges and vanilla. Mick placed a soft kiss on her jaw and then on her temple. They stayed like that for a long moment, holding each other on the stairs. Em finally broke the embrace, caressing Mick’s bearded cheek once more, and then, with a little wave and a shy smile, turned and went upstairs.
    Now that is what I like, and yeah, it’s all good , Mick said to himself. Whew !

Chapter 11     
    “Hey girl, where’ve you been all day? I’ve been trying to get in touch with you so I can get my car. Call me back. Maybe we can go get some dinner before you jet off to whatever glamorous locale you’re going to next. Later!” Em grinned at Ashley’s message even as she dialed her best friend’s number.
    “Ash, I’ll be there in ten minutes. We have a lot to talk about. The more you ask about what’s going on, the longer it’ll take for me to get there and actually tell you what’s going on. I’m hanging up now and I’ll see you in a few.” Em grabbed Ashley’s car keys from the bar and raced out the door.
    Over guacamole and margaritas, Em filled Ashley in on what had happened in the past two days.
    “Okay, so you had drinks at his place on Friday night after karaoke, and then he brought you breakfast and helped you unpack all day Saturday, and today you helped him with his community service thing and then y’all shared a meal, and then you kissed him. Confirm?” Ashley should have been an interrogator, not a real estate agent.
    “Yes, all that,” Em answered as she took another long sip of her