No, no. He’s off limits. I can handle this. Just friends. Friends are good. Friends are great. I need friends... and sex. I need sex! Lots and lots of it. We don’t have to have a relationship to take advantage of his sexiness, do we?
Laura reached the door and stuck the key in the lock, thankful Thayne couldn’t read her thoughts. Even though she’d been on her own for far too long, that didn’t give her the right to jump him.
Shaking her head a bit at herself, she swung the door open. “I was afraid you’d leave before I made it home.”
“I was afraid you hoped I’d go. I know I forced you into this.”
The wide smile on his face didn’t look apologetic or worried. Laura wondered how long Thayne would have waited.
“We had some last-minute emergencies, and Vicky decided to take them since we need the business. I wasn’t avoiding you.”
She led the way into the apartment, glad she’d vacuumed the floors yesterday. Her dining table was just inside the doorway; her living room split into two parts to serve as both rooms. A half wall separated the kitchen from the living space, and Thayne headed to it without hesitation.
“I hope grilled baby red potatoes and medium rare steak is okay.” His grin didn’t leave his face as Thayne made himself at home opening cupboards in the kitchen. “I cooked everything the way I like it, and brought fresh salad, too.”
“I’m not picky.” She opened the carrier and took out her latest foster cat.
The black and white kitten meowed pitifully, past ready for her dinner. At least she was up to eating again. The poor thing had been half-starved and too weak to move when Thayne first brought her into the clinic.
Without warning, the heat of Thayne’s chest pressed against Laura’s back, his arms reaching around her as he stroked the kitten’s neck. “She looks better. I didn’t think she would live when I pulled her out of that drainage ditch.”
Laura’s heart pounded hard, feeling like it hit her breastbone. What was he doing? This didn’t feel friendly. It felt... good. So good. Even while afraid she might pass out from a panic attack, she wanted to lean against Thayne’s chest and lose herself in some human contact. In his contact.
She forced herself to take a step forward, though her betraying body rebelled, craving his warmth. “She’s lucky you found her when you did. It was nearly too late. Vicky put her on IV fluids, and we got some food in her. I think she’ll be fine and make a good pet for someone once she’s fully recovered. I need to feed her before trying your steak.”
Kitten talk. That’s safe. That’s friendly.
“Well, hurry. I can’t wait to give it to you.” Thayne winked and turned back into the kitchen.
Burying her face into the kitten’s soft fur, Laura tried to hide her blushes. This wasn’t working. Thayne didn’t intend to stay friends, obviously. How long could she hold out? He was perfect. Everything a girl could want. Why couldn’t he be a nice accountant or retail store manager? Something safe where she’d never have to fear getting a call from his boss to tell her he died?
Vicky’s advice was to sleep with him and forget her ‘silly rules.’ But Vicky didn’t know what Laura went through seven years ago.
Going into the kitchen, Laura gave Thayne a wide berth as she snuck past him on her way to the refrigerator. She set the kitten on the floor and opened the door, pulling out the half-empty can of food.
“Did you give her a name?” Thayne asked.
Laura grabbed a cat dish from the cupboard and shook her head. “I don’t like to get too attached. I’ll only have her for a few weeks, and she’ll go to a new home. They can name her. I call her Kitty—I call them all Kitty.”
“I like Snips. I used to have a cat named Snips when I was a kid. Sort of looked like Kitty.”
“Then maybe you should adopt her.” Laura gave Kitty her food, standing up to find Thayne only inches away.
He ran his hand over her temple, pushing the hair back from her face. “I wish I could have a cat, but I work long hours, and she’d be lonely and hungry by the time I got home. I’d need myself a partner who could help take care of her.” He leaned in even closer, and Laura smelled mint on his breath. “Since we’re friends, maybe you can help me find the right girl. Someone to raise Snips with.”
Gulping, Laura was sure Thayne would kiss her. Even though she admitted when accepting the dinner that a kiss might happen sometime before the night was through, she hadn’t expected it this fast.
“Sure. Friends do that kind of stuff.” She put her hands against his chest and pushed him away gently. “Maybe I can help. What’s your type of girl?” Things had to stay friendly. Either that or she’d need her anti-anxiety pills. She already felt like she needed to change her panties.
Thayne shrugged and turned back to dishing up their plates. “You.”
***
Laura rushed from the kitchen, mumbling something about needing to change out of her work clothes. Thayne knew he went too far, too fast. Damn, but that woman needed to kiss him. Once she did, she wouldn’t want to stop.
It was so stupid. She wouldn’t date him because he was a firefighter. What sort of rule was that? His job was necessary. He saved people’s lives. Why did it count against him in her mind?
He wondered if it would make any difference if he told her he didn’t actually fight the fires anymore, just saved animals and rode along in the ambulance. However, that cushy job could change at any moment, especially with changes happening in the department’s budget. There was talk that he’d be forced back into fighting fires, and soon, unless he wanted to lose his job.
Thayne set the dinner plates on the dining table along with the bottles of spring water he brought. Kitty was busy inhaling her dinner, so Thayne took a moment to inspect the small apartment. One loveseat, a recliner, and a 27-inch television took up the side of the room dedicated to a living room. The half where Thayne stood had a small, round dining table on one wall and a computer station on the other next to the opening to the kitchen. Off the kitchen was a short hallway, where Laura had disappeared to change her clothes, so must be the bedroom and bathroom.
It was a cute place, with gray carpets and big windows. The walls had two large mirrors on either side of the room to make it feel bigger, but no photos or anything to give hints about Laura’s life outside of her job.
Even the pictures that flashed across her computer monitor were all serene landscapes and beaches. Not a single shot of her friends or family. While beaches were nice, and he could think of a lot of fun things to do to Laura on one, that didn’t help him get to know her beyond the wild fantasies he’d been having all along.
He had to get her to open up. If he could figure out the reason she wouldn’t date a fireman, then he could work on changing it. It had to have something to do with her past. Thayne had the impression she was running from something, just from the brief conversations they’d had.
A creaky door opened, and Thayne looked down the hallway. Laura stepped from her room, wearing tight blue jeans and a black and silver sparkly shirt. The jeans hugged her curvy hips and the sparkles on her shirt brought attention to her fantastic chest. When she walked toward him, her hips swayed enticingly, and Thayne chewed on the inside of his cheek.
For a woman wanting to be just friends, she sure was making things hard on him. He wanted to tackle her, push her up against the wall, run his hands over her curves, and plunder her mouth with his tongue. The desire to do so was almost too much, and Thayne forced himself to concentrate on her beautiful face instead.
That only made him want to kiss the cute dimple in her chin, however, so it wasn’t much of a distraction.
He cleared his throat and stood next to the table, holding a chair out for her. “Dinner is served, but I have to say, you look good enough to eat.”
Red colored her cheeks as she sat in the chair and allowed him to push it in. “I haven’t had many friends tell me that before.”
“That’s too bad.” Thayne took th
e chair next to her and cracked the seal on the water, pouring it into their glasses. “You’ve been hanging with some lame friends.”
The food wasn’t as hot as he hoped, since Laura had been late getting home, but when Thayne cut into his steak, it was juicy and tender beneath his knife.
“This looks great, Thayne.” Laura propped her elbow on the table, resting her chin in her hand as she stared at him. “I figured you’d bring takeout or something. I didn’t know you could cook.”
“Wait until you taste it. I used my dad’s secret sauce. No one could grill like that man, and I learned everything I know from him.”
“Could?” Laura’s eyes narrowed and she bit her lower lip. “Is he...?”
“Gone,” Thayne confirmed. “For almost four years.”
Compassion filled her big blue eyes and she rested her hand lightly against his arm. “I’m so sorry. It’s hard to lose someone you love.”
It sounded like she knew something about that, which might have to do with her dating rules. “Loss is a part of life,” he said, trying to sound philosophical and not bitter. “Dad worked on a crabbing ship and went overboard in a storm. By the time they pulled him from the water, it was too late.”
She raised her hand to his cheek and stroked his skin with a gentle caress. “I’m sorry to hear that. How hard for your family.”
Thayne leaned into her touch a moment before making a conscious effort to snap himself out of it. That wasn’t the type of memory to share with her. He was trying to make a good impression and get a second date. Well, friendly outing. He needed to talk about happier times—and there were a lot of those with his dad.
“When Dad was off work and home, us men took care of dinner and gave Mom the month off. Dad taught me everything he knew.” That was safer and wouldn’t put Thayne in a bad mood. He’d loved those nights as a kid when his father was on leave and spending time with him. He wouldn’t trade it for the world. “If you think this steak is good, just wait until I make chicken. Dad’s secret sauce for that dish is the best. It has a kick to it.”
Laura turned her head to her plate and cut into her steak, seeming content to let the subject of his father’s death go without a big discussion about it. “I haven’t had much spice in my life lately.” She put a bite into her mouth.
Mesmerized, Thayne watched her chew, wishing he could get his mouth on those lips before the end of the night. “That’s why you need me around,” he mumbled, wondering if he was slightly brain dead from the lack of kissing and loving the last couple months while he pursued Laura. All he could think about was kissing her. “I’m plenty spicy and a whole lot of fun.”
To his relief, she giggled. “And none too subtle, either.”
“Hey, I’m a man who knows what he wants and goes after it. What’s so wrong with that?”
“Maybe I’m jealous because I wish I could be a little more like you,” she replied. “I’m scared of everything, and I don’t go out of my way to take chances anymore.”
“Anymore?”
She shook her head. “Never mind. It’s in my past.”
Thayne ate in silence, casting around for more conversation topics. She obviously wasn’t ready to tell him about her life. Heck, Thayne didn’t even know where she’d come from or if she’d ever been married. He didn’t know what was safe to ask her about, and the silence was getting uncomfortable. He was going to blow this chance.
“What made you become a firefighter?” she asked, throwing him a life preserver, so he didn’t drown.
Thayne latched on, relieved. “My grandfather ran the firehouse in his small hometown town for forty years. Loved it, and taught me to love it. Serving people is what I was born to do. There’s nothing more satisfying than saving a life.”
Laura nodded. “I can kind of understand, actually. It’s why I decided to be a vet tech once I rejoined the land of the living.” She glanced up, her eyes wide and lips pressed together.
Something she hadn’t meant to let slip. Well, Thayne would be gracious and let her get away with it for now. “Exactly. See, you understand me, Laura.” He grinned, not missing her relieved sigh when she realized he wouldn’t press the ‘land of the living’ comment. “You have the same love for animals that I do. I can see your passion for them every time I visit the clinic.”
Her eyebrows rose. “You mean every day when you visit?”
He worried she might actually be annoyed, but then she winked and Thayne grinned.
“You can’t blame a guy for getting hung up on you. It’s not my fault you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.” Not to mention sweet and kind, but he didn’t want to push his luck.
“Thayne, you can’t say that...” She trailed off and shrugged, apparently deciding not to argue further.
It pleased Thayne that the note of disapproval in her voice wasn’t as harsh as he expected. She was weakening.
He glanced at her plate and realized she hadn’t tried the steak sauce. “Hey, you can’t eat my food without trying Dad’s sauce.” He cut off a piece of his steak and dipped it in.
“I’m not big on sauces. I like the flavor of the steak itself. The spices you used are perfect.”
He shook his head, holding his hand beneath the fork and bringing it to her mouth. “This is perfect doubled. Come on, try it.”
Laura parted her lips, and Thayne fed her the steak, wishing he dared wrap his arm around her shoulder and hold her close while she chewed. This friend stuff was not his forte.
After swallowing, Laura nodded. “That is good. You and your father were culinary geniuses.”
He forced himself to lean away. “Told you.”
Dinner flew by way too fast for Thayne’s liking. Before he knew it, Laura was gathering their plates and thanking him for coming over.
He took the dishes from her hands. “Let me help with that.”
“You cooked. It’s okay,” she said. “I’m sure you have other places to be. Other friends to visit.”
Damn her. Why was she so insufferable? If he kissed her breathless, would she really force him to leave?
“You’re the only friend I want to see. I’m on call for work. Since I’m one of only three of us trained as a medic, I might get called away at some point if they get busy. But I don’t want to leave unless I have to.” He paused, tipping her chin upward with his free hand so she would look into his eyes. “Unless you’re kicking me out.”
She licked her lips, a sign he was quickly coming to recognize as her being nervous. “W-w-we could watch a movie.”
He loved her stutter any time she became nervous. It was charming and a change from the girls at the clubs who were always so sure of themselves and ready to hop on him the second they met.
“Good. You find something to watch, and I’ll put these in your dishwasher.”
Thayne turned to the kitchen before she could change her mind.
***
I don’t need the anti-anxiety pill. I don’t need it. This is fine. It’s fine.
Laura had been repeating the same thing to herself for the last half hour. Sitting next to Thayne on her small loveseat was a test of willpower. She tried to keep herself firmly on her side of the cushions, but the smaller she curled into the corner, the more Thayne spread out.
He smelled even better than earlier today, and his casual compliments striking at random times made her job tougher than before. It would be so nice to curl up under his arm and lay against his chest, watching the movie as a couple.
Friends cuddle, right?
She’d picked a comedy, hoping Thayne liked them. His hearty laugh filled the small apartment. He’d made himself right at home in her kitchen, and now seemed completely at ease on her couch. She wished she could just let herself relax. No more panic, no more worry, just enjoying a show with her friend.
Yeah, right. You don’t want to screw friends that you relax with. Not if they’re just friends.
She sighed, curling up even tighter when Thayne’s
thigh touched hers again.
Kitty chose that moment to decide she was tired of the cat bed in the corner and sat on Thayne’s foot, meowing at him in a demanding tone.
Absently, Thayne picked her up, curling her against his chest. She balled up and rested against him, falling back to sleep in seconds.
“Looks like you have a fan,” Laura said. “Maybe she remembers you’re the one who rescued her. She looks comfortable.”
Thayne’s green eyes sparkled, and he put his other arm around the back edge of the couch behind Laura’s shoulders. “There’s still room to lean on this side if you want to be comfortable too.”
Boy, did she ever want to give in. It just couldn’t happen. “I think that’s too friendly, don’t you?”
He turned his attention to the TV. “Suit yourself.”
What? He’s so hot and cold. Does he really not care?
Laura laughed at herself. It was stupid to be upset that he did what she asked. It wasn’t his fault she put restrictions on the night and ended up making herself uncomfortable.
Suddenly, a police siren sounded from inside Thayne’s pocket, making Laura jump.
“Sorry,” he said, handing her Kitty. “That’s my ringtone for work. Loud, so I don’t ever miss it.” He pulled the phone from his pocket and swiped the screen, frowning. “Shi—shoot.”
“What’s wrong?” Her heart raced, and she felt her entire body vibrate with tension. Why did he have to have a police siren? She never wanted to think about police sirens again.
He leaned over to her so unexpectedly that she didn’t have time to react. Thayne placed a quick peck on her cheek and then kissed Kitty’s head. “I have to go. There’s an accident on First and Parsons and another call for a heart attack victim.”
He raced for the door, opening it before turning back. “I’ll come and see you tomorrow at work. I never got your phone number.”
The door shut, and Laura stayed where she was, shaking uncontrollably. Her hands went icy cold and sweat beaded on her forehead. Recognizing the signs that her panic was out of control, she struggled to breathe deeply and evenly.
Kitty meowed and then clawed her hand, and she realized she was squeezing the cat too hard. Carefully, she placed the kitten on the floor and then stumbled toward the bathroom, wondering if her heart would explode before she got there.
Blazing Hotter (Love Under Fire Book 2) Page 24