Page 44 of Single Mom's Firefighter SEALs
Laughter bubbles up from deep inside me, especially since there’s nothing hot pink in my underwear drawer.
“You should go put it on.” His eyes scan my body, from my navy skirt up to my maroon blazer. “Or sweats. Whatever’s comfortable.”
He adjusts a burner knob and reaches for the spoon again, and I turn and head into my bedroom, where I’m relievednotto find a new hot pink thong in my dresser drawer.
Even though this feels like a surprise date, Weston’s dressed casually, and he did suggest sweats, so I choose comfort and put on my most flattering pair of joggers and a pastel pink V-neck t-shirt. I consider taking my braid out, but I end up leaving it in so I can rejoin him sooner.
When I return to the kitchen, noodles are boiling, and Weston’s wrapping a crusty loaf of garlic bread in a napkin.
“What can I do?” I ask.
He turns toward me, ignores my question, and scans my body again, more slowly this time, his eyes leaving a trail of heat from my mouth, to my chest, and down to my hips. He sets the food down on the counter and comes straight over, wrapping an arm around my waist, tugging me close, and kissing me.
“You should start casual Fridays at the school.” He kisses me again, then pulls back, looking thoughtful. “Though I guess your curves would be too distracting.”
“Too distracting for who?” I laugh.
“Me. I’d be tempted to drag you into the janitor’s closet at lunchtime.” He tugs gently at the bottom of my braid. “Heck, I’ve already been tempted. How many detentions would that get me?”
He cuts into my laughter with another kiss, deeper this time. His hands roam my body, caressing and squeezing, showing me how much he likes my curves, and kindling heat low in my belly. I conduct my own explorations, excited to be so close to his body with no heavy coats in the way and no cameras or students around to see us.
He’s warm and hard and big enough to make me feel small when I’m wrapped in his arms. His chest is solid, his shoulders are impossibly broad, and he smells clean and citrusy—and like garlic.
My mouth is watering for him more than the food, and when I dig the pads of my fingers into his lower back, he makes a rough sound under his breath.
Then, the timer on the stove goes off.
He squeezes my hip and tastes my lips one more time before pulling away to silence it. “Dinner first,” he murmurs.
I’m left standing in the middle of the floor, nearly breathless and a little dizzy. “You’re very disciplined.”
“Not as disciplined as you’d think,” he says over his shoulder, as I admire the shape of his backside and think of all the dedication and hard work it must take to maintain a body like his. Becoming a SEAL takes a kind of self-control most people can’t come close to. I know enough about what they go through to understand how few men ever make it.
Weston is being modest, and it turns out he’s modest about his cooking, too. Dinner is delicious, and the pasta sauce has a depth of flavor that tastes like he spent all day making it.
Outside, dark has descended over the mountain, and a cold wind is picking up, gusting against the windows. Inside, the candles flicker between us, and my house feels warmer than it has in months.
I twirl perfectly-cooked spaghetti around my fork and look at Weston over the rim of my wineglass. “This is very unfair.”
His brows lift. “How?”
“You’re waiting at my house all handsome and competent, cooking for me in candlelight? You’re stacking the deck.”
He grins, looking devilish. “That’s a problem?”
“It is when I’ve been trying to maintain at least the illusion of good judgment.”
CHAPTER 24
ELENA
He laughs, but the humor fades into something more tender. “You still can.”
“Weston—”
“I mean it.” He leans back in his chair, one thick forearm braced on the table. “I want to be with you, but not if it leaves you feeling guilty. And I didn’t make dinner to get something from you. It’s the opposite, Elena.”
“I know. I didn’t mean to imply you had ulterior motives.” I set my glass down carefully as my heart pulses in my throat. “I’ve … been with Buck. I know you said I didn’t need to have everything figured out, but I have no idea how to navigate things with both of you.”
