My gaze snapped up to meet his smiling eyes. The grin on his face eased the tension filling me.
“I like pizza,” I mumbled as my hands stalled on his biceps.
“Pizza it is, then,” he murmured, helping me up.
His hands slid around my back, holding me close, as I stood to my full height. He was giving me such a tender look. His gaze darted to my lips and he leaned in.
There was zero hesitation as he took my lips with his. Happy tingles filled me, from my head to my toes. The tingles spread, warmth filling my belly as he deepened our lip lock.
Mine, the deep rumble he let out as our tongues tangled said.
A hand slid lower, cupping my rear, as he slowly backed me towards the house.
“But, wait,” I mumbled between hungry kisses, before this got too out of hand. “We just ate at the restaurant earlier, and Kat said you don’t like to eat-”
“There are always exceptions. Pizza, onion rings, I’m a man of eating at home, secret junk food must haves, and mystery,” he joked, lifting a hand to brush it down the side of my face.
“That’s worse than one of my plant jokes,” I chortled out, pulling back to cup my hand over my face so I wasn't laughing directly into his.
“And as far as the pizza goes,” his grin was cheeky as his shoulders lifted in a shrug, putting on a thick, fake accent, “I know a guy.”
I was laughing so hard I had to pull back. Gren chuckled, pleased with my reaction. He took perverse delight in holding me as I guffawed my butt off in his arms.
Once I’d gotten ahold of myself and he released me, our gazes went to the mess out back. “I suppose I should get started on cleaning that,” he murmured on a long sigh.
“After you call in the pizza,” I reminded. “I like cheese and pepperoni.” My hand went to his chest and I gave it a playful pat. “I’m easy.”
“Are you?” His eyebrows wiggled and he gave me a flirty smile when I paused, stepping into the house, to eye him from over my shoulder.
My head cocked, lips twitching. “I don’t know, pickle, am I?” I teased.
His smile fell, lips forming a little O. “You did not-” he spluttered, blinking, but laughed. Shaking his head, his lips flapped but no words came out. He wanted to be outraged but was trying too hard not to outright laugh.
“Hmm. Does that mean I should try to play harder to get?” I called out, spying Crookshanks near the couch, grabbing the broom from the kitchen and portable phone off its cradle to walk back out.
“Mine,” he softly growled out as I reappeared, pressing the phone to his chest and pressing a kiss to his slightly curled lips, then sauntered past him to traipse down the steps. I felt so light in that moment I thought I might float away.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded, tearing his gaze away from my ass to glance down at the phone like he wasn’t quite sure how it had come to be in his hand.
“Cleaning up the Garfieldian swamp kitty’s mess?” I quipped, scooting bits of glass into a pile with my sneakered foot. Smirking as I started to sweep that mess into a pile, I murmured, “We should get a dog, name him Odie.” A tiny frown pulled at my brow. “Or Sirius. Maybe Remus…”
“Sweetheart, you don’t have to do that, I-” he started to say. When silence suddenly greeted me, I glanced up to find Gren staring dazedly at me, the silliest dorky grin pulling up one side of his face. “I like dogs. Can’t say Crooks will be particularly pleased,” he blurted, “he hates Alfred with a passion, butweshould absolutely get a dog.”
My face flushed a pink tinged green as his meaning hit. Vines started to unfurl from my hair, fluttering around me anxiously.
“Why don’t you come up and pick out the movie while I order, and I’ll get to that. You don’t have to-”
“It’s no trouble,” I said quickly.
“But you shouldn’t have to-”
“But Iwantto,” I cut in vehemently, my tone firm.
Gren’s trap slowly snapped shut, something like pride shining in his eyes as my chin lifted. “Okay,” he said easily. “I’ll just make the call and be out to help then,” His hand lifted and he waggled the phone, “shall I?”
“S-s-sounds like a plan,” I replied. The knot that had formed inside of me eased as he nodded, pulling his cell out of his pocket to glance from it to his house phone and punch in the number.
Waiting until he’d started talking to get back to clean up, I glanced up when he hung up to find him smiling crookedly as his gaze took me in.
