lost in my own home.”
His deep, throaty chuckle sent a tingling of awareness straight to the spot between my thighs. “You’re incredible.” I wanted to say that I thought he was, too, but the heated look in his eyes stopped my words dead. His gaze dropped to my mouth, and all the blood in my body headed south, turning me into a throbbing, lightheaded mess. Then his lips were on mine, a soft press that quickly turned more aggressive as I pushed my fingers into his hair and pulled him down to me. His questing tongue licked at my bottom lip before dipping inside my mouth, tasting and teasing me until I almost forgot where I was.
Almost.
A truck horn blared followed by a few cat calls. My face heated and I broke the kiss. “You should go.”
“Yeah.” Kennedy watched me for a moment more, appearing dazed. Another honk of the horn snapped him out of it, and a bright smile spread across his face. “Take that door,” he said, pointing to the front of the building. “Then take a left. Your car is only ten feet away, but if you get lost, give me a shout and I’ll come rescue you.”
I smirked. “Cute. Real cute.”
“That’s what they tell me, anyway.” Winking at me, he grabbed his turnouts from one of the hooks on the wall and began pulling it on at the same time he stuffed his feet into a pair of boots.
Shaking my head, I started for the door. “On that note, thank you for lunch.”
Grabbing the last of his gear, Kennedy hurried for the truck, which just happened to be in the same direction I was heading. Hooking his arm around my waist, I was caught by surprise when he hauled me back, my body twisting around and making my head spin. His mouth crashed down on mine and before I had time to register what had just happened, he set me away again. “Anytime,” he said as he leapt onto the truck. “And be careful driving home!”
Jack, who was behind the wheel, began pulling out of the garage. As I watched, I heard his words echo in my head, and the reality of just who I was dating really began to sink in. Kennedy was about to put his life on the line, and he was telling me to be careful. Pressing my hand against the sudden ache in my chest, I whispered after them, “Be safe.”
7
I stayed up late watching the news, and again the next morning before rolling out of bed. I couldn’t stop thinking about Kennedy driving away on the truck, responding to some unknown emergency. He hadn’t called, not that I expected him to. But it would have been nice to have some confirmation that he was still among the living.
Now, as I stood in front of the kitchen sink, my hands submerged in hot, soapy water, I couldn’t help feeling disappointment and a growing sense of unease. Not only had Kennedy not called, he hadn’t shown up to dinner, either. Granted, he did tell me he wasn’t sure if he would be able to make it, but my screwed up mind only heard “might.” I guess I had set my hopes too high.
“Stop worrying,” Amy chastised from her place in front of the stove where she was busily placing the leftover food into containers. “No news is good news.”
Picking a spot of dried-on cheese from the plate I was washing, I told her, “Only idiots say that. No news could just as easily be bad news.” My mood had been deteriorating all day, and I was perilously close to reaching the unfit-for-human-interaction point.
“Boy, you’re a grumpy Gus today.”
I slanted what I hoped to be my most stern glare at her. “Wouldn’t you be if Doug took off, knowing he was running headlong into danger, and he didn’t even bother to call you to tell you he was okay?”
Turning to face me, she braced her hands on the counter behind her. I tried to ignore the serious, thoughtful look she aimed at me, and began rinsing the dishes and placing them carefully into the drying rack. “You’re right, I would be upset, but only because I love him. You haven’t
His deep, throaty chuckle sent a tingling of awareness straight to the spot between my thighs. “You’re incredible.” I wanted to say that I thought he was, too, but the heated look in his eyes stopped my words dead. His gaze dropped to my mouth, and all the blood in my body headed south, turning me into a throbbing, lightheaded mess. Then his lips were on mine, a soft press that quickly turned more aggressive as I pushed my fingers into his hair and pulled him down to me. His questing tongue licked at my bottom lip before dipping inside my mouth, tasting and teasing me until I almost forgot where I was.
Almost.
A truck horn blared followed by a few cat calls. My face heated and I broke the kiss. “You should go.”
“Yeah.” Kennedy watched me for a moment more, appearing dazed. Another honk of the horn snapped him out of it, and a bright smile spread across his face. “Take that door,” he said, pointing to the front of the building. “Then take a left. Your car is only ten feet away, but if you get lost, give me a shout and I’ll come rescue you.”
I smirked. “Cute. Real cute.”
“That’s what they tell me, anyway.” Winking at me, he grabbed his turnouts from one of the hooks on the wall and began pulling it on at the same time he stuffed his feet into a pair of boots.
Shaking my head, I started for the door. “On that note, thank you for lunch.”
Grabbing the last of his gear, Kennedy hurried for the truck, which just happened to be in the same direction I was heading. Hooking his arm around my waist, I was caught by surprise when he hauled me back, my body twisting around and making my head spin. His mouth crashed down on mine and before I had time to register what had just happened, he set me away again. “Anytime,” he said as he leapt onto the truck. “And be careful driving home!”
Jack, who was behind the wheel, began pulling out of the garage. As I watched, I heard his words echo in my head, and the reality of just who I was dating really began to sink in. Kennedy was about to put his life on the line, and he was telling me to be careful. Pressing my hand against the sudden ache in my chest, I whispered after them, “Be safe.”
7
I stayed up late watching the news, and again the next morning before rolling out of bed. I couldn’t stop thinking about Kennedy driving away on the truck, responding to some unknown emergency. He hadn’t called, not that I expected him to. But it would have been nice to have some confirmation that he was still among the living.
Now, as I stood in front of the kitchen sink, my hands submerged in hot, soapy water, I couldn’t help feeling disappointment and a growing sense of unease. Not only had Kennedy not called, he hadn’t shown up to dinner, either. Granted, he did tell me he wasn’t sure if he would be able to make it, but my screwed up mind only heard “might.” I guess I had set my hopes too high.
“Stop worrying,” Amy chastised from her place in front of the stove where she was busily placing the leftover food into containers. “No news is good news.”
Picking a spot of dried-on cheese from the plate I was washing, I told her, “Only idiots say that. No news could just as easily be bad news.” My mood had been deteriorating all day, and I was perilously close to reaching the unfit-for-human-interaction point.
“Boy, you’re a grumpy Gus today.”
I slanted what I hoped to be my most stern glare at her. “Wouldn’t you be if Doug took off, knowing he was running headlong into danger, and he didn’t even bother to call you to tell you he was okay?”
Turning to face me, she braced her hands on the counter behind her. I tried to ignore the serious, thoughtful look she aimed at me, and began rinsing the dishes and placing them carefully into the drying rack. “You’re right, I would be upset, but only because I love him. You haven’t
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