Page 41 of The Fire Captain's Unexpected Baby
“I like to think that my dad would want to have me as a nurse if he were still here. That I could be the one to care for him, if he had gotten sick just a few years later.”
“But James was in a band,” Aaron says, shifting gears. “You never wanted to travel? Go on the road with him?”
“That was his thing,” I clarify. “We never really made sense, not even when we were kids. But James was there for me when my dad was dying. We grew really close. By the time I felt better, I felt like I owed him.”
I shrug, just like he had when he hit the hard part of his story. “He lived his dream while I lived mine, here at the same hospital where my dad died. When I couldn’t be there with him, James got into drugs. And the rest is history.”
“You’re so strong,” Aaron praises, kissing my bare shoulder with sensual lips. “Not every woman could live through what you did. Not while being a great mom and a nurse.”
“I could say the same about you.”
We both fall silent. I imagine that we’re both thinking about what we just shared. Nothing about that confession feltcasual, but it also didn’t feel like a marriage proposal.
I could convince myself that it meant less than it did. That it was just idle talk to fill the hours we were spending in bed together. Even if my heart feels otherwise.
“We should get to sleep,” Aaron says after a while, when we both realize that there’s nothing more to say.
I tilt my head up toward him for one last goodnight kiss. As his lips find mine in the dark, it’s gentler than any kiss we’ve shared so far. His lips brush against mine, a whisper of a touch. It’s the kind of kiss that lingers, that doesn’t feel in a hurry to go anywhere.
The kind of kiss that could last for minutes—or days.
When he pulls back to catch his breath, I rest my head back on his chest to keep it from escalating. After our conversation, I know that any sex we have now will be emotionally charged, past the point of no return.
It won’t be the hot, passionate sex we had in the shower, with his hand clamped over my mouth. It would be everything I’ve been avoiding.
I close my eyes, even out my breathing, and pretend to fall asleep quickly. In reality, my skin buzzes with the warmth and closeness of Aaron in my bed, different from how it felt the night Noah wasn’t home.
Eventually, my brain decides to let me sleep, the most restful night I’ve had in years.
Chapter Thirteen
Aaron
Paige is adorable when she sleeps. She makes this small grumbly noise in the back of her throat, almost like a snore but gentler. I don’t know how long I spent listening to it before she started awake at the sound of Noah moving in his room.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” I murmur. I duck my head to give her a kiss, but she practically leaps out of bed.
“Noah,” she says, by way of explanation for her rebuff. And then she’s out the door and down the hall.
And that is my cue to leave.
I tug on my clothes and head downstairs to say goodbye to her. When I pass Noah’s door, I hear her in there, singing to him quietly as they spend time together. My heart tugs at the tenderness, a moment I’m not supposed to see.
Trying to make her morning easier, I start the coffee pot, rummage through her cabinets for a mug, and fix it the way she likes. I leave the steaming mug on the counter, scribble a note, and let myself out.
If she wants casual, I can do casual. Besides, I have to be at the station in a little bit. Might as well stop at the café, pick up a to-go cup of coffee and a muffin, and head in early. Maybe I can convince one of the guys to help me whip up some grub.
I wander into the station with my coffee cup in hand, trying to get my head right for the day. Paige has a way of muddying my thoughts, and our sharing last night has me reflecting on why this work matters.
“Did you make good use of that spare key last night?” Levi is the only one hanging out in the living room. He looks exhausted, probably just about ready to clock out.
“Noah and I had a good time,” I tell him, trying not to think about what else happened thanks to the spare key. I drop it into his waiting palm, pull up a seat next to him, and lean back.
“It’s a big deal.” He looks me in the eye, reminding me how serious this responsibility is. But then, a glimmer of mischief returns, and he laughs. “I mean, I know she preferredme,but you’ll do in a pinch.”
I laugh and punch him in the shoulder good-naturedly, almost like we were real brothers. And if Paige and I were to get serious, if I could win my way pastcasual, he would become my brother.
Best not to follow that train of thought right now.
