“I agree.”
The pizza arrived, and we dug in. Kat was honest when she said she wasn’t afraid to eat in front of a man. She put away even more of the pizza than I did, and I found myself trying to figure out where it all went.
“I’ve always had a fast metabolism,” she said, answering my unasked question.
Damn, it was refreshing to be with a woman like her. I had the impression that she wasn’t putting on airs at all. I was getting the real Kat here, through and through. No games.
She offered to pay for half of the meal, but I took care of it. I wasn’t the most old-fashioned of men, but I believed that the person that initiated the date should cover the bill. Besides, I’d planned everything.
I bid John a quick goodbye, and we left the restaurant. It seemed silly to get back on the bike just to ride such a small distance, so I took hold of her hand as we walked across the parking lot, then the street. The building that housed the laser tag course was brick, painted black with no windows. I had never been here before, but I’d played the game in other places.
I’d called ahead to reserve a time slot for the two of us, so it took no time to check in and get into our vests. The lights on my chest and back were blue while Kat’s were green. If we shot each other, the lights would flash red for a few seconds. We had an hour, and whoever got the most shots in on their opponent would be the winner.
I knew I’d made a good choice when I looked over at Kat just before we went into the course. We were both standing in front of doors about ten feet apart, which were our individual entrances to the course. She was smiling from ear-to-ear, and her body was practically humming with excitement. She was pumped up.
The countdown clock above our heads was set to one hour, and we heard the locks click before the attendant told us we could begin.
I surged forward, opening my door and stepping into blackness. I froze, waiting for my eyes to adjust as the heavy door I’d just entered through closed behind me. There was loud techno music playing, drowning out any other sound. I wouldn’t be able to tell where Kat was by hearing her footsteps.
After a few seconds, my eyes adjusted enough to see that there was a long wall to my right, which must be separating Kat and me. I held the plastic gun with two hands and headed to the left, where there was another hallway. At the end of it, the room opened up, revealing a space illuminated by blacklight, and the walls practically glowing with the paint on them. It was a large space, filled with square objects that could be used to hide behind or get in the way as obstacles. I touched one and found it to be cushioned on all sides for safety. There were doorways all over the room, leading to a maze that connected them and would be a good place to ambush an opponent.
My adrenaline spiked, and I tried to decide my next move when the light in the center of my chest flashed red.
“What the fuck?”
Movement made me turn to my right, where I spotted Kat running away, clearly laughing her ass off. I had just started to follow her when she disappeared through a doorway. My light turned green again, and I smirked while I raised my gun. She got the first shot, but I was ready for her now, and I loved a good challenge.
It was on.
Eleven
Kat
Playing laser tag with Blade was a blast. I was pretty sure it was the most fun I’d ever had on a date. He won in the end, but I put up a hell of a fight. After an hour of running, ducking, and diving in the laser tag course, I would have expected to be too exhausted to do much else tonight. But as I climbed onto the back of Blade’s bike, I felt energized by my need for him.
He started to head back to the tattoo shop, to drop me off at my car, but I wanted to be alone with him now. To hell with the car, I could pick it up tomorrow. I tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.
“Take me home instead,” I shouted to be heard over the roar of the motorcycle’s engine.
“You sure?” he asked.
“Yes, definitely.”
I gave him directions to my house. It didn’t take long to get there, but by the time we arrived, I was fighting the urge to squirm on the back of the bike. Knowing what was coming made my core ache.
Blade parked in my driveway and turned off the bike. No words were needed as he followed me up to the front door of the house. I’d barely gotten the key turned in the lock when he was pulling me into his arms.
We stumbled across the threshold, a tangle of limbs as our tongues wrestled. Blade lifted me up so that my legs wrapped around his waist. His large hands held onto my ass as he blindly walked us into the living room, kicking the front door shut behind him.
I broke our kiss long enough to direct him to my bedroom while Blade’s lips skimmed down my neck, making a shiver run down my spine when he sucked lightly at the juncture where my neck met my shoulder.
The curtains in my room were open, allowing a faint glow from the streetlight outside to illuminate the space just enough to see. I reached down to the hem of my shirt, ripping it off over my head and tossing it carelessly aside. Then, I reached back and popped open my bra clasp. As soon as it was out of the way, Blade let out a low growl and dropped me onto the bed, coming down on top of me and burying his face in my chest. I thrust my fingers into his short hair, holding him tight to me.
Blades tongue worked magic on my sensitive buds, making me arch my back and release a breathy moan. Grabbing hold of the back of his shirt, I fisted my fingers in it and pulled it over his head. I could see that his body was covered in tattoos, but it was too dark to make out the details. I’d have to check out the work later.
I needed more of him. Blade seemed to sense my desperate hunger and released my nipple. It came out of his mouth with a faint popping sound, and the cool air in the room made the wet tip almost painfully hard. He moved back to my mouth, grinding into me. His bare chest was pressed against my own, the smooth warmth of his skin driving me wild.
My blood was pounding in my ears, and the only thing I could think about was getting the rest of our clothing off. I needed him inside of me like I’d never needed anything before.
