Page 41 of Dandelions and Smoke

“That’s what I should’ve said that I’m thankful for this year,” Billy agrees.

I shake my head, making a mental note that turkeys are a good substitute for a fire starter.

Still grinning, I look back at Chief. “After tomorrow it is.”

And tomorrow can’t come soon enough.

Chief grins as he watches the team of firefighters dispatched to Billy’s house wrap up their check and head back to the station.

“I told them you can’t make fried Oreos in a microwave, but they wouldn’t listen,” I say, throwing my hands up while Billy looks over at us from across his living room on the couch with a bright smile and not a single ounce of remorse.

“You guys thought you could make fried Oreos by microwaving them?” Chief looks between Billy and Mark, brows pinched together comically, before his head drops. “There’s so much to unpack there.”

I spent my morning organizing and reorganizing my entire room from top to bottom. Luckily, Lucas and a very pregnant Lettie FaceTimed me in the morning to wish me a Happy Thanksgiving, thus rescuing me from my hyperfixating. Once Emma and Blake finished Thanksgiving Dinner at her parents’ house, we all met up to watch football and hang out at Billy’s.

After the boys polished off a couple of beers, suddenly, chips and dip were no longer sufficient snacks.

Obviously.

I’m not sure which one of these dumb asses came up with the idea, but luckily, when the Oreo cookies caught on fire, the alarm went off, and Mark put it out with the extinguisher… Unfortunately, Billy has one of those alarms that automatically sends a call to the local stations.

“We had it covered,” Blake grumbles from his spot next to Emma.

She shoots me an unnecessary apologetic look, to which I smirk and roll my eyes. If he wants to keep that stick up his butt about this, then by all means, he can. It’s only going to make him uncomfortable.

“Having it covered would have been you stopping them in the first place,” I point out.

“We knew that,” Chief agrees with Blake, trying to be nice. “But Angela wanted to see what he did this time.”

Seeing my brows turn down, Chief laughs.

“Billy sets off the alarm at least once or twice a month.”

“Hey!” Billy throws the pillow that Mark is or was leaning on across the room at Chief, hitting him and making Mark fall off the couch at the same time. “Last time was his fault.” He points at Mark, who’s decided he lives on the floor now, not bothering to reclaim his seat on the couch.

“Ridiculous,” I laugh, turning back to Chief.

He nods his head toward the front door to follow him, so I do. Once we’re out of earshot from the living room and no longer in the direct glare zone that is Blake, Chief pulls me into him. I inhale his warm scent, letting the notes of bergamot wrap around me.

He backs away only to lower his head and kiss me like a man parched, his tongue dipping in between my lips like I’m his water.

With a moan, my hands thread around his neck and into the back of his hair. Hopping up, I wrap my legs around him, and he holds me effortlessly. My body grinds against his of its own volition, unable to stop the way he makes me come alive.

“Rory,” he groans, pulling his mouth from my lips and burying his face in the crook of my neck.

He breathes in deeply like he’s trying to stay grounded, while I know I’m the reason he’s balancing on the line for control.

“What’s the matter, Chief?” I ask innocently, offering a small cheeky grin.

“You know exactly what you do to me, you little minx.” His voice is low, and the sound rumbles through me, egging me on.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I whisper into his ear before nibbling on it playfully.

His fingers dig into my hips. “Your confidence in my restraint is impressive.”

“Well, of course,” I say with a laugh as he reluctantly places me back on the floor. “You’re a perfect gentleman.”

He barks a laugh, adjusting himself and looking over my shoulder to make sure there’s still no one around. A small blush creeps onto his cheeks once he’s all situated, and I’m reminded of how rare this is for him. Going off what he’s told me, I’m the only one to get him all hot and bothered like this in a long time. Shamelessly, I take a little pride and joy in that fact.