Hot for Love (Bachelor Billionaire #2)

by Sharon Cummin

  As soon as she finished her sentence, the dam broke. Tears flood her face. Josh turned her body in his arms and held her tight. She wrapped her arms around him, buried her face in his chest, and sobbed.

  “Everything is gone. My entire life was in this apartment, and it is gone. I have nothing except for the clothes you bought me. I didn't have a bunch of sentimental stuff, but what I did have is gone. Just like that. There are a couple of little things, but they mean nothing.”

  Josh didn't say a word. He knew she needed to work through it in her mind. He saw her look over to a piece of something big on the ground.

  “Is that where you found me?”

  “Yes, that was on top of your leg. You couldn't get away from it. I could tell you tried, but you were stuck,” he replied, running his fingers through her hair.

  “I don't want to come back here. I need to look for a place somewhere else. I feel like I can't breathe. I don't know what to do.”

  Josh lifted her chin with his hand and looked into her eyes. They were browner than before. He wiped the tears from her face and she shivered in his arms. She held tight to the back of his shirt with her hands in fists.

  “You're alive,” he said. “You have friends that care about you. We all love you. All of the things you lost, we can get again. Some things can't be replaced, but you have memories. Do you see that spot on the floor? That was not where you took your last breath. You have a long life ahead of you. Appreciate it and live every single day with no regrets. If you ever have a moment that you feel yourself struggle, think about the fact that you are still alive. You can find a new apartment and buy new things. We will do it together. Just make sure you appreciate your life. Not everyone is able to be saved. Some people don't make it out of situations like this. You did. Everything will be okay.”

  Josh felt tears in his eyes. He knew he had to be strong, but was thinking about his own life. She reached up and rubbed a tear from his cheek. Their eyes were locked. Neither of them moved. She pushed up on her good foot and covered his mouth with hers. Caught up in the moment of his own emotions, he thrust his tongue into her mouth and held her tight. He claimed her mouth hard as he thought about her on the floor, barely breathing. He tightened his grip on her, afraid to let her go. Josh kissed her hard as he ravaged her mouth. When he finally pulled back, he could see that her lips were red and swollen. He put his lips against her forehead to catch his breath. Her heart beat hard against his chest. She tightened her arms around him, put her head on his shoulder, and rubbed his back. They stayed still, as he soaked up every moment of her heart beating against him. He finally whispered into her ear.

  “Let's get out of here.”

  “Okay.”

  He held her crutches in one hand and held her around the waist with the other, as they left her apartment together. Josh helped her into the car and walked around to get in silently. In the car, he reached over and took her hand in his.

  “I need to stop by one of the restaurants. Will you go with me? We can have lunch while we are there.”

  “Sure,” she looked over with sad eyes.

  “Appreciate every minute, Lisa,” he said, as he squeezed her hand.

  It didn't take them long to get to the restaurant. She had been there before, but never knew he owned it.

  “I love it here. I can't believe it's yours,” she said, shocked.

  He helped her out of the car and into the restaurant. The hostess treated him like a king as soon as he opened the door. Lisa looked up at him and laughed. He helped her sit down and put her crutches to the side.

  “What's so funny?” he asked.

  “King Josh,” she whispered. “I have never thought of you that way. To me, you're just the cute guy next door. It feels weird to see them treating you like that.”

  He laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

  “What can I say? I'm more than just a pretty face and sexy body.”

  “I never said anything about sexy body,” she answered.

  “That's not how it sounded when you called out my name in your sleep this morning,” he said, with a smile that covered his whole face.

  Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened, as her face turned red. He couldn't help himself. She put her menu over her face and stared at it.

  “That's okay. It sounded hot.”

  He could see her menu shake and he laughed. Josh grabbed the menu from her hand and looked at her face. She was laughing.

  “Why were you in my room?” she asked.

  “I could hear you from the other room. I must have been doing something right in that dream of yours,” he answered.

  She smacked him on the arm and put her head down on the table. He laughed and couldn't stop.

  “What was I doing? Come on, tell me.”

  The waiter walked up with bread and a bottle of wine. Josh poured some for her and him. He ordered for them and could tell his face was just as red as hers. When the waiter walked away, she rubbed her foot up his leg and gave him a flirty smile.

  “Wouldn't you like to know,” she said, as she winked and blew him a kiss.

  Josh couldn't remember the last time he had taken a woman out to eat and had so much fun. He could tell that his staff was shocked by his behavior. There was nobody sitting around them, so it wasn't a problem. He leaned over before he got up to help her out of her seat.

  “You're going to ruin my reputation as a hard nose boss.”

  “I can't imagine you as serious and stern,” she replied, as she put money down on the table.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, as he handed her back her money.

  “You might not have to pay because you're the boss, but we are leaving that guy a tip,” she said. “I can't imagine having to serve the owner and his guest. He had to be so nervous, and he did a great job. He worked on our table along with the rest of his tables.”

  Josh took money out of his pocket to put on the table. She looked at him and he shook his head as he took out more money. Lisa gave him an approving grin as he put it on the table.

  “He deserves it. I bet he was nervous, plus he had to put up with us messing around.”

  Chapter 15

  Lisa was getting ready for bed and could hear the television in the living room. She didn't want to bother Josh, but she wanted to talk to him. If she went out for a couple of minutes, she was sure he wouldn't mind.

  “Can I sit down for a minute?” she asked.

  “Sure, you can come out here anytime. I've asked you to come out here, but you refused.”

  “I don't want you to live different because I'm here. I just wanted to talk to you for a second,” she said.

  “So, should I walk around in my boxers? What's up?” he asked.

  She sat down, held her hands together in her lap, and kept her eyes down on them.

  “I wanted to thank you for today.”

  “What do you mean? I didn't do anything.”

  “Thank you for insisting to go to my apartment with me,” she said.

  “I wasn't sure it was safe,” he answered.

  “That's a bunch of crap and you know it. It had nothing to do with it being safe. You knew I was going to lose it. You went for me. Why can't you just admit it?”

  He didn't respond. She saw him watch her hands as she shifted them around.

  “You knew how bad it was. You had already been there, hadn't you?”

  He still didn't respond. She reached over and took his chin in her hand and looked into his eyes.

  “Talk to me. I totally lost it in front of you today. You have seen me at my absolute worst. Answer the question. You had already been to my apartment, hadn't you?”

  He scrunched his eyes closed tight.

  “Yes,” he grunted. “Please don't be mad. I wanted to see how bad it looked before you went in.”

  “Why would I be mad? You did it because you care. There is nothing wrong with that. It's okay to care, Josh.”

  He sat quietly looking down for a few m
inutes. She wasn't sure what to do or say. Lisa waited patiently for him to say something. He let out a huge breath.

  “It was a fire. My dad died in a fire,” he choked out quietly.

  She hadn't expected that to be what he said. Her stomach dropped. Lisa fought to hold back her tears.

  “What? How?” she asked, as she scooted closer to him and put her hand on his back.

  “I was in college. He was home by himself, asleep. There was a fire and he didn't wake up. By the time they got him out, it was too late. He didn't make it. My mom was with my sister at a school function, and my dad was at home sleeping for work.”

  “I'm so sorry. That's horrible. Is that why you became a firefighter?” she asked, as she rubbed his leg with her other hand.

  “Yes,” he said. “I want to save people. If I would have been there, maybe he would have lived. I don't want other people to go through that. I want to help as many people as I can.”

  Lisa put her head on his shoulder as she rubbed his leg. He put his head down on hers. She could feel his heart beating and could hear his deep breaths. She thought back to what he had said to her.

  “Is that why you are afraid of love? You said you don't want to lose anyone. That's why you won't let anyone near you,” she whispered.

  Lisa looked up and put her forehead against his cheek. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her.

  “I'm so sorry that happened to your dad. That is so sad. Tell me about him, please. I remember seeing him outside with you sometimes. He seemed so nice. Tell me some of the good memories you have of him.”

  Lisa kept her arms around him while he told her stories about his dad teaching him to drive and playing baseball with him. She could feel the sadness he held tight and the love he had for his father. Her heart broke for him. He became a firefighter because of his father. They sat in silence when he was done. She knew he needed the time to think.

  “Why do you fight it?” he asked.

  “Fight what?” she shrugged.

  “Love, why do you fight love? You said you don't believe in it. You don't believe in happily ever after.”

  “Do you believe in love?” she asked.

  “Yes, I believe in it. I just don't want it,” he answered.

  “I don't believe in it. I don't think people should get together thinking they will always be together. It doesn't seem to ever work out. Sure, there are some couples that stay together. Do they do it because of love, or because of obligation?” she said.

  “I believe my parents were meant to be together. They loved each other very much. A horrible tragedy tore them apart. I think people are capable of loving each other forever. I just don't want to risk losing the one I love or leaving them alone. If I never find them, then it will never happen.”

  “I look at my parents,” she said. “I thought they would be together forever. They weren't, and then my father, who I thought loved me, was gone forever. My mother never cared again. She moved away once I was eighteen and never looked back.”

  “Have you ever been in love?” he asked.

  Lisa closed her eyes and didn't answer. After a couple of minutes, she stood up with her crutches and turned to go to bed.

  “Will you stay out here and watch a movie with me?” he asked.

  She looked down at him.

  “Come on, I'll make some popcorn for us. Stay out here, please.”

  Lisa sat back down on the couch and shook her head. Josh hurried out of the room. He came back with two sodas and a bowl of buttery popcorn. He put them on the coffee table and walked back out of the room. He came back with a pillow and a blanket. She gave him a strange look. He laughed as he covered them with the blanket and turned on the movie. She grabbed the bowl of popcorn and laughed.

  When they were done with the popcorn, Lisa was tired. Josh put the pillow behind his head, leaned back on it, and pulled her back against him. She could feel the heat from his chest against her back and his warm breath on the back of her ear. Lisa pulled the blanket up to cover their legs. His steady heart beat against her neck calmed her, and she drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 16

  Josh woke up and looked around. It was bright in the apartment, so it must have been morning. His head was back on the pillow and Lisa was nuzzled into his chest. He was surprised by how rested he felt after sleeping on the couch. He enjoyed the heat and comfort from Lisa being there. Josh laughed to himself. He was glad they were friends.

  He thought about the night before and their conversation. His friends knew that he lost his father in a fire, but he had never told anyone his feelings about love. Lisa was the only person he had ever talked to about it. Maybe it was because he knew she didn't want to find it either. He felt himself getting closer to her and knew they would be friends for a long time. It was nice to have someone to be honest with. He knew she wouldn't judge him.

  Josh reached over and grabbed his phone. He opened it and looked for messages. There was one from Patty, the girl he went home with the week before. She wanted to know if he wanted to get together on his day off. He sent back a message saying he was busy that week, maybe the next week. He didn't want to leave Lisa home alone, in case she needed anything. Josh realized he had only been out that one time since the fire. He was just really busy and didn't have time. Once Lisa went back to Becky and Gavin's house, he would be right back out there.

  He slowly scooted out from behind Lisa and leaned her back onto the pillow. It was early, but he decided to make breakfast. He made omelets, potatoes, toast, and coffee. He felt someone come up behind him and jumped. Lisa laughed.

  “I smelled something amazing and had to come check it out,” she said.

  “Leave it to you to get up because of food,” he laughed.

  She smacked him on the arm.

  “What are you making today?”

  “I was in the mood for an omelet with extra cheese,” he answered. “Go rest your leg. I'll have it out in a minute.”

  Lisa made her way to the table and sat down.

  “I feel like I'm in a five star hotel. I get breakfast made for me in the morning and dinner in the evening. You know you are spoiling me for when I go back to Becky's. It's cereal in the morning and whatever I throw together for lunch. Dinner is the only meal I eat with them. I'm going to have to tell her about the royal treatment I get here,” she yelled out to him.

  They were enjoying their breakfast and talking about the movie she fell asleep during, when he heard the beep. He jumped up, took off to his room, and came back dressed. Josh grabbed his shoes and sat at the table. He shoved some of his omelet into his mouth as he put his shoes on. He grabbed his phone and keys.

  “I'll be back. Call me if you need anything,” he said, as he grabbed his toast and headed to the door.

  “Be careful,” she yelled, as he closed the door.

  ***

  Lisa finished her breakfast. She couldn't help but think about Josh. Where was he going? Was everything okay? Was he in danger? How long would he be gone? Her stomach hurt just thinking about it. How did he do it, she wondered? He never knew when he would have to jump and run at a moments notice. His delicious food sat cold on the table. He hadn't eaten very much and was probably hungry. She thought about how he could be gone for hours, or have to leave right after he got home again. It was amazing to her. She knew he got paid, but she was sure it wasn't enough. There were people at office jobs who made way more money. He was out there risking his life for much less.

  She really appreciated him and the people he worked with. Lisa felt horrible that she had never thought about it before the fire. How selfish was she? They put their lives on the line repeatedly every single day, as everyone else went about their normal lives. How many times were they ever thanked for what they did? Probably only by the people they helped, if that.

  Lisa got dressed and ready for the day. She took her plate into the kitchen, wrapped his plate up, and washed the dishes. Being on crutches was so irritating, but
she was getting better at getting around. She never realized what a pain they were. People always made them look so easy to use, but they were not that easy. She picked up the apartment the best she could. He was still gone, so she turned on the television to take her mind off of him. How did their spouses and children deal with them being gone? He was her friend and she was nervous and worried.

  She sat on the couch waiting for the door to open. Finally, she heard the door and instantly felt relief. Lisa got up and made her way to him. When he walked past her, she noticed he had a cut on the back of his arm.

  “You didn't eat my breakfast did you?” he asked, with a laugh.

  “No, I did not eat your food. How did you get a cut on the back of your arm?” she asked.

  Josh shifted so he could see the cut. She could tell he had not seen it before. He shrugged his shoulders.

  “I didn't have everything on. I only had on my t-shirt and must have rubbed up against something.”

  “It looks dirty. Aren't you supposed to have your arms covered? Come with me. We need to clean it off,” she said as she went into the bathroom.

  Lisa went through his cabinet and found stuff to clean it and some bandages. He laughed at her.

  “It's not funny. You don't want it to get infected. What did you scrape it on?”

  “I don't know. I never even felt it. You are getting all worried over a tiny cut. Good thing you haven't seen me come home worse than this,” he said, messing with her.

  “I can't imagine how families of firefighters deal with it all the time. I was on pins and needles every second you were gone, and we're not together. I can't imagine feeling that fear for someone every day.”

  She cleaned his arm and bandaged it up. He thanked her for caring so much and went to heat his food up. She got him a cup of fresh coffee and sat with him while he ate.

  “How is it?” she asked.

  “A little dry, but it's not too bad.”

  “Thanks for making it. It was really good,” she said.

  The rest of the week was more of the same. Josh cooked for her and they ate together. She found herself leaving her bedroom and spending time in the living room a little more each day. When he got a call and left, she would worry until he got back. They talked, played cards, and watched movies together. She felt comfortable and safe with him. Her dreams about the fire didn't happen as much, and she was starting to feel better about starting over.