“You can’t guarantee anything, and that is why I don’t date,” she said, dropping her hand from his lips. “I don’t like things with no guarantees, especially things that come waltzing in promising hearts and stars and sparkles and leave broken people behind. I had enough of that growing up.”
Mick nodded, a wave of sympathy for the little girl Faith had been washing through him. He didn’t know a whole lot about her family, but he knew Faith had never had a dad figure around, at least not one who stuck around for more than a year at a time.
“All right,” he said. “It makes me sad for you, but I understand.”
Faith laughed, a sharp bark that echoed down the quiet street. “Don’t waste your energy, Whitehouse. I don’t need anyone to feel sad for me. I’m perfectly happy the way I am.”
A part of Mick was tempted to call her a liar again, but the part that wanted to pull her in for a hug and tell her it was okay not to be so tough all the time simply nodded. “All right then…so I’ll see you around?”
“Not if I see you first,” she said, backing an awkward step away. “But yeah, see you, Mick. Thanks for being cool.”
“No problem,” he said, watching her turn to go, knowing that he was anything but cool. He was warm all over, filled with a strange mix of longing and empathy and curiosity that made his skin feel too small.
No matter what he’d said to Faith, one thing was for certain—he wasn’t about to give up on her. Their conversation had only made him more determined to know her better. He wanted to be her friend, to make her feel safe letting down her guard, and to be the man who was by her side when she finally stopped fighting all that bottled-up longing inside of her.
Call him crazy, but Mick had a feeling a night with Faith would be a night he’d never forget.
With one last glance at the firehouse and the backpack-wearing shadow moving across the second floor to punch another firefighter in the arm by way of greeting, Mick smiled and headed back across the street. Tonight he’d lost a battle, but he was determined to win the war, and another taste of Faith Miller’s incomparable lips.
Click here to purchase HOT FOR YOU by Jessie Evans.
Melt With You (Fire and Icing) Page 17