Page 42 of Good at Being Bad (Rock Canyon, Idaho 8)

Mike turned away from her beautiful, beaming face, wishing he didn’t like her smile quite so much.

“Okay, we have mostly action films…”

“Define action,” Ellie said.

“The Italian Job, Premium Rush, The Lord of the Rings trilogy.”

“The Lord of the Rings is action?”

He whipped his head around, his jaw just about hanging on the floor. “LOTR is all action.”

“Sorry, I’ve never seen it, so…What are you doing?”

Mike was already putting the first disc into the DVD player. “You just admitted you’ve never watched a fantastic, epic movie trilogy, and this must be rectified.”

“I doubt I’ll like it…”

“Orlando Bloom is in it.”

“Sold.”

Sometimes, having two best friends who were girls paid off.

Mike woke up with a start hours later, the credits for The Return of the King rolling. He remembered getting up and putting it on, but that’s about all after that.

Something on his shoulder drew his attention and he looked down to find Ellie leaning against him, out cold. She shifted slightly, a light snore escaped those soft pink lips, and he smiled.

And then noises loud enough to drown out a train whistle followed, making him start. Mike chuckled, wondering if anyone had ever told Ellie she snored like a three-hundred-pound trucker?

Mike figured she was probably okay and comfortable enough if she could make that sound.

Mike grabbed his cell off the table next to him, trying not to disturb her and checked the time. Four-thirty in the morning.

He could try to lift her up and carry her back to sleep on his bed, but would she take that the wrong way? The last thing he wanted was for her to think he’d proven her theory about him true.

Finally, he gently stroked her hair. “Ellie? Wake up, honey.”

“What?” Her voice sounded raspy and she blearily looked up at him from her place on his shoulder.

“I should probably take you home.”

“What time is it?”

“Almost five in the morning.”

Ellie jerked upright. “Are you serious?”

“Pretty much. It’s more like four-thirty.”

“Wow. I can’t believe I fell asleep.”

Ellie stretched her arms up, bringing the halter she was wearing up. The morning wood Mike had been sporting grew and pressed painfully against the jeans he’d slept in.

And then she did something most unexpected.

She leaned over and brushed his lips with hers. It was so brief he hardly felt it, but the contact caused an electric shock and he pulled back.

“Ouch, you shocked me,” Mike said, rubbing his lip. Ellie’s hands covered her mouth as she smothered her laughter and stood up.