Page 30 of The Fire Captain's Unexpected Baby
“You make it hard to hold your hand when you race like that.”
I reach over and brush the back of my hand against hers. She hesitates at the gentle touch. I wrap my pinkie around hers, stopping short of lacing our fingers together.
Her hesitation wounds me a little. I wish she would open up to me. Explain why she’s so hesitant for this thing between us to turn into a more serious arrangement.
Casual, she keeps reminding me.
I don’t know how long we can pretend that this is casual, but I have to at least try to play by her rules. Paige is too hesitant to let me take care of her the way I want to.
I resolve to be grateful for today, for this moment. She’s promised me nothing more.
“The house feels empty without Noah,” she says when we get to her house. “Maybe I should just call Levi and see how he’s doing.”
“Take your time,” I tell her. “I’ll just be in the living room.”
She perks up at my approval, gratitude awash in her features. Before she makes it upstairs, she already has her phone out for a video call.
Something inside of me aches at how much she loves that little boy. I didn’t have any of that growing up. Not a shred ofaffection. I would never have been the apple of my foster mom’s eye.
Paige’s unconditional love for Noah only makes me want her more. She takes care of everyone around her, almost to a fault. Her brother, the men at the station, Noah, and even Mr. Oakley.
An idea sparks to life, a small gesture that would show her how much I want to take care of her.
Her voice drifts downstairs, letting me know she’s still on the phone with Noah and Levi. Good. That means I have a few minutes.
I rummage around the living room, looking for candles. She has a few tapered pillars, some glass jar candles that smell like fresh peaches, and some tea lights for an oil warmer. I light them all until the room glows.
The blankets cover the couch, but it still doesn’t feel obvious enough. When I hear her voice peter out, I do one more impulsive thing: I roughly pull my shirt over my head and recline on the couch, waiting for her.
“Levi has already taken them to the park and?—”
Paige skids to a stop as she rounds the corner to the living room. Her eyes widen at the sight of me on the couch, every line in her body becoming rigid.
“And…?”
“I forgot,” she squeaks. She takes a step back toward the kitchen. “I think maybe I’ll make coffee.”
“We’ve already had coffee.”
I stand from the couch and walk slowly toward her, giving her a chance to look. And she does look, her eyes traveling lower than I intended when I took my shirt off.
I stop in front of her, leaving just a few inches between us. Her throat works to swallow, an exaggerated gesture. She reaches tentatively and places one hand on my chest, warmth spreading outward as she does.
“Is there something you want besides coffee?” I whisper in her ear.
Paige looks up at me, the only encouragement I need to brush my lips against hers. To my surprise, she leans in enthusiastically and quickly deepens the kiss. Heat sparks between us, my lips bruising hers.
I reach down and grab her ass, pulling her into me. When she feels my hardness pressed against her, she arches her back and moves against me. It’s all I can do not to undress her right here. Instead, I pick her up and let her wrap her legs around my waist.
We wind up against the closest wall, not caring what we knock over in the process. The puppies bark from the corner of the living room.
At the sound of her breathless whimper, I lose control.
“Which way is the bedroom?”
* * *
Paige
