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“Mmmmm,” I mumble involuntarily. Crap. That was supposed to be a mental groan of appreciation. He takes a step closer, seeming surprised when he does so, but proceeds until I can reach out if I wanted to. And I do. Badly. He appears to reciprocate as his arm rises and his finger gently rubs across my cheek.
“You had a smudge,” he explains as he continues the caress. Surely the dust from when we cleaned is long gone, yet he shows no sign of stopping. Nor wanting to.
“What are we doing?” I whisper.
“I’m getting my fiancée used to my touch,” he responds just as quietly.
Too pragmatic for my own good sometimes, I point out, “There’s nobody here but us. We don’t need to pretend.”
“Who says I am?” I suck in a breath at that. “However, if that revelation scares you, then consider this practice.” He drops a quick kiss on me. “And intend to do a lot of it.” Then his mouth takes mine and my arms wrap around his neck, holding him to me as if I’m worried he’s a figment of my imagination. Not that my creativity has ever been this vivid or good to me.
A swipe of my tongue over his bottom lip has his hand cupping my ass and pushing me further into him. Turnabout is fair play, so I do the same to him. The only difference is I grip a little lower, causing him to thrust upward. He repeats the movement, each time seeming to hit just right. I’m so enchanted by the pleasure causing my limbs to feel languid that I almost don’t notice the expression of pure bliss coating his handsome features.
I’m tempted to joke that it was okay, therefore requiring us to practice – a lot – but there is no way in hell I can pull off that charade. Not when my skin is this flushed and I doubt my ability to be coherent. What I do instead is ask, “Our first date went quite well, don’t you agree?” He blinks, making me thrilled that he can’t think clearly either, and arches a brow. “You paid for my food, we spent hours in each other’s presence, then you kissed me good-bye.”
“So I did. How many do you suggest before we set the date?”
Chapter Five
Grady
January 25th…
“I’ve been thinking,” I tell Helen after we’ve finished our breakfast. She raises a brow, waiting for me to continue. “It’s an idea I had and I wanted to get your thoughts on it since it concerns you.”
“Well, this is a bit déjà vu seeing as how the last one had me engaged within seconds of meeting.” I laugh at her sass, so thankful fate brought her into my office at that exact moment. I should feel guilty. I don’t.
“As you didn’t run fleeing, and agreed to give us a chance, I’m one for one.”
“What if this ends your streak?” I shrug, feeling good about my odds. “So, you’re a gambler.”
“In theory? Or at least when I’m certain of victory.”
“Not much of a gamble then, is it?” She points out.
“Perhaps that’s the best kind to take.”
“That actually makes sense. Okay, you have my undivided attention.” I walk to the other room and grab my prop, placing it on my head and sauntering back to her. Her eyes take me in from head to toe, making me wish I’d sprung for the whole ensemble. “Is this where you offer to show me your hose?”
I crack up, loving her sense of humor. I stroke my chin, still getting used to the facial hair there as I’d decided to grow a beard. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Helen had seemed intrigued by the scruff that had started to come in after a couple days of not shaving. “That’ll come later,” I respond with a wink, grinning when she not only likes that promise but laughs at the pun, too. Is there anything sexier than a smart woman? “I want to join the SVFD.” I see her thinking it through as she pieces it together with the hat. With the heat suddenly coming off her and the way she licks her lips, I might be called upon to put out a fire sooner than I’d imagined. “Take it you approve?”
Though she’s no less turned on, I see the concern she can’t hide. “How dangerous is it?” Our beginning may have been unconventional, not that I’d change anything as it led us here, but the affection growing between us is real.
“I’ll have to undergo training,” I tell her, hoping that eases some of her worries. “And there will be veterans, so to speak, that’ll be able to act as mentors. They’ve been around and can offer advice, watch my back, and so on.”
“I guess it’s a relief that there isn’t an actual department. Means the firefighters aren’t called out a lot.”
“True. It allows the town to be covered while letting those who are a part of it continue to work full-time.”
“What happens if you’re needed while on a job?” This is a legitimate question and one we’ll have to find an answer to. I’m sure there will be others to figure out as this comes to fruition. Which is exactly what I tell her. “This is what you really want to do?”
“It is,” I state without hesitation. “However, if it makes you uncomfortable, I won’t.” This has her pausing, her expression showing her confusion, like she’s not used to her feelings and opinions mattering. That shit stops now. “You get a say in this, sweetheart.”
“Why?” Whoever put this doubt in her, I want to hurt them as they did her by not teaching her that her voice is important.
Stepping closer, I respond, “Because we’re in this together, Helen. My choices impact you and vice versa.”
“There’s a lot of reality in our fake engagement,” she muses.
