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Still in a rush of excitement, she went on, "I did what you said and it worked! You’re the best, Tina Love you!" After she dropped that bomb I like to call a ht

Jitowards me I let out a small yelp when I was picked up fro in my ear, "Only you, teeny Tina"

When he’d had enough of holding me, he set me down and I turned to face hi, not so stunned to see the huge smile on his face

I turned to face the others and they were all silently cheering, doing victory dances andtouchdown motions

I whispered a reverent, "Wow"

Nik walked up to ging the life out of me

Niiice!

After Max put Ceecee down for the night, we snuck into the studio again and sang so ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ by Journey when Trick ca out the words The other guys ca Sir Mix-A-Lot’s ‘Baby Got Back’ which included Max sticking out his ass and booty shaking It was so hilarious, I actually peed a little

After listening to Nat play a few uys went back to Poker We’ve beco their last round we girls got bored and fired up a DVD without even asking This see me the dimple We took the same places on the sofas as last week and watched ‘Old School’ The guys would stop playing every tiave up on Poker to come and watch with us

Nik sat with his back to the ar on his chest, Max usingwith her feet under her body, Trick using Lola’s lap as a pillohile Lola stroked Trick’s hair Nat sitting on the end of the sofa, her legs pulled up to her chest with Ghost leaning back on her and using her legs as a recliner

Watching Will Ferrell streak naked down the street by hi so hard I’d snort, every tih harder causing ed for everyone to stop because I was actually going to pee myself

I settled back down and foundasleep Nik asked me if I wanted to sleep in an actual bed and I shook my head In a sleep filled haze, I turn ers and traced his lips Without a second , I put ined it I sure thought I did I pull away and smile at his confused expression

Nik, y u so dreamy?

I rest my head under his chin and promptly pass out

Chapter Thirteen

Free Rein

"What the heck is that?"

I look up from my Friday rush paperwork to see Tina in the doorway of my office, face pale ide eyes

Confusion passes through otten to put away my 45 caliber pistol which sits on my desk

Oh, crap

"I… Uh…" I’ave it to h It was just for protection Only to be used in life or death situations The very first thing he taught un at so I haven’t ever used it I have

It’s a regular se The handle, however, is wooden with a solid gold Mary Magdalene on the right side It’s a piece of art This was ht me how to use it It’s rand piano

I decide to play it cool I can trust Tina

She makes her way over to me slowly, still obviously petrified of the object on my desk and says quietly, "Please tell me you have a permit for that"

I smile and shake my head at her Not in a ‘No’ way but in a "Na, you’re too cute" way

I sasps, her body rears back, and she shoves her hands under her ar like she’s about to do the chicken dance then leans forward and whispers fiercely, "I don’t want od, she is a goofball

Taking the pistol, I stand and place it into the top drawer of the filing cabinet in the corner before locking it I walk up to Tina, putto worry about, sweetheart It’s just for protection"

Still wary, she looks into e enemies"

I lean down and kiss her forehead I whisper, "You have no idea"

Tina doesn’t know it but I’m very serious when I say that

She sounds anxious when she asks, "Who do you need protection from, Nik?"

I vow, "I’ll explain it to you one day, babe I prouarded but she nods

Good girl Pick your battles

I ask, "Did you need so, teeny Tina?" I pull on a lock of her dark silky hair

Her face brightens when she reet a turkey sub for lunch from Silvio’s so I came to see if you wanted one, too"

My stoot a ton of work to get through with a 1pm deadline so that’s perfect"

As soon as I reach for irl actually runs out the door and yells, "It’s on me!"

I’m up and around my desk in a second with a twenty dollar bill in hand I see her trying to open the heavy security door quickly but nothing happens It has a one second tiles the more the ti towards her Her eyes widen to the size of saucers She looks left then right trying to find an escape route, her eyebrows lift even further and I see an idea form in her head She bolts down to the elevator and presses the button over and over I laugh internally

You keep doin’ that, sweetheart

The elevator doesn’t ithout a swipe card She’s pressing the button ahappens

I’m a few feet away from her when she decides to try and run past me in the narrow hallway

What a freakin’ nut!

Her eyes are wide and her cheeks are the color of cotton candy Still, she tries her hardest to slip by me My arm shoots out and wraps around her waist

Tina lets out a yelp I pull her back to my chest and whisper in her ear, "That was a very bad idea, sweetheart"

Her body stills i to do to me?"