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Authors: Shelli Stevens
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“Kate?”
Folding her arms over her chest, she stood up straight and met his gaze when he came into the living room. He was unabashedly naked as the day he was born, holding his ringing phone.
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t you think you should get that?” she asked instead.
“No, it’s just…it’s no one.”
No one being another woman. Her stomach sank at the reminder of who Todd was and what kind of lifestyle he led.
“I…should go,” she said quietly.
Todd’s brows drew together and he tilted his head. “You’re leaving? But it’s your day off.”
She cleared her throat, her palms dampening. “I know. I just, I have a lot of things to attend to, Todd…”
“Hmm. The kind of things that could wait?” He took a step closer to her, his mouth curving into a seductive smile. “Seeing as we’re both off work and it’s rainy and cold, it just seems conducive to spend a day inside…maybe in bed. Don’t you think?”
As he grew closer, her knees started to weaken along with her resistance.
“ I don’t know, maybe we should just call it what it was. One night of fun.”
She hated that her voice shook. It obliterated any attempt at sounding casual, and her fears were confirmed when Todd caught her wrist, halting her before she could leave the house.
Kate bit her lip as he turned her around, tried to keep her expression nonchalant.
“You’re saying that when you seduced me, you only wanted one night?” he repeated carefully. “That’s really what you wanted?”
“Well what do you want, Todd?” she asked cautiously. “Something more serious? You can’t be thinking of a relationship…”
He seemed to blanch and dropped her wrist, retreating quickly. His reaction, whether conscious or subconscious, cut to the quick. Again she’d been caught with her naïve hat on. No, Todd certainly didn’t do relationships, and she should probably thank him for the reminder.
Her heart tripped and she swallowed hard, deciding she needed to make a clean break for both of their sakes. End things before they got complicated.
“Let me just be honest, Todd,” she forced herself to say.
“Honest about?”
“You were right. I did sleep with you because of the fireman thing. I’d never been with one before.”
Todd stilled, then said harshly, “That’s complete crap, Kate.”
She bit her lip. Fake it better. “I’m sorry. It’s just…before I settle down with someone and start a family, I figured it was a good opportunity to check that sleep with a firefighter fantasy off my list.”
He didn’t say anything and when she glanced up she could see the doubt and yet potential for belief in his eyes.
“Someone as in Walt?”
She didn’t deny it or confirm. Couldn’t bring herself to do either. But it certainly helped her case that way.
He gave a slight nod. “I see.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have picked you. I’d considered Jeremiah,” she whispered a bit numbly. “But with your reputation I honestly thought a one-night thing wouldn’t be a problem.”
Todd’s jaw flexed and he turned away from her with a callous laugh. “Right. No problem at all.”
“Anyway…I’ll just head out.”
“Wait, let me drive you home, Kate,” he said tersely.
Though a twenty-minute walk in her heels would kill, sitting beside him for the five-minute drive would hurt even more.
“I’m fine. Thanks.” This time when she opened the door, he didn’t stop her.
Kate should’ve been relieved that he’d bought the bedding-a-fireman excuse. Instead she bit her lip to stop from crying. She’d gone into last night with him a virgin, and now Todd probably just thought she was a skanky groupie.
Lovely. What a way to kick off the New Year.
Chapter Nine
Tuesday morning Kate walked into her shop, wishing the emotional hangover from hell would go away. She’d gone home Sunday and called Ellie as she’d promised to do, but tried not to tip her off to the fact that her friend’s concerns had
Folding her arms over her chest, she stood up straight and met his gaze when he came into the living room. He was unabashedly naked as the day he was born, holding his ringing phone.
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t you think you should get that?” she asked instead.
“No, it’s just…it’s no one.”
No one being another woman. Her stomach sank at the reminder of who Todd was and what kind of lifestyle he led.
“I…should go,” she said quietly.
Todd’s brows drew together and he tilted his head. “You’re leaving? But it’s your day off.”
She cleared her throat, her palms dampening. “I know. I just, I have a lot of things to attend to, Todd…”
“Hmm. The kind of things that could wait?” He took a step closer to her, his mouth curving into a seductive smile. “Seeing as we’re both off work and it’s rainy and cold, it just seems conducive to spend a day inside…maybe in bed. Don’t you think?”
As he grew closer, her knees started to weaken along with her resistance.
“ I don’t know, maybe we should just call it what it was. One night of fun.”
She hated that her voice shook. It obliterated any attempt at sounding casual, and her fears were confirmed when Todd caught her wrist, halting her before she could leave the house.
Kate bit her lip as he turned her around, tried to keep her expression nonchalant.
“You’re saying that when you seduced me, you only wanted one night?” he repeated carefully. “That’s really what you wanted?”
“Well what do you want, Todd?” she asked cautiously. “Something more serious? You can’t be thinking of a relationship…”
He seemed to blanch and dropped her wrist, retreating quickly. His reaction, whether conscious or subconscious, cut to the quick. Again she’d been caught with her naïve hat on. No, Todd certainly didn’t do relationships, and she should probably thank him for the reminder.
Her heart tripped and she swallowed hard, deciding she needed to make a clean break for both of their sakes. End things before they got complicated.
“Let me just be honest, Todd,” she forced herself to say.
“Honest about?”
“You were right. I did sleep with you because of the fireman thing. I’d never been with one before.”
Todd stilled, then said harshly, “That’s complete crap, Kate.”
She bit her lip. Fake it better. “I’m sorry. It’s just…before I settle down with someone and start a family, I figured it was a good opportunity to check that sleep with a firefighter fantasy off my list.”
He didn’t say anything and when she glanced up she could see the doubt and yet potential for belief in his eyes.
“Someone as in Walt?”
She didn’t deny it or confirm. Couldn’t bring herself to do either. But it certainly helped her case that way.
He gave a slight nod. “I see.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have picked you. I’d considered Jeremiah,” she whispered a bit numbly. “But with your reputation I honestly thought a one-night thing wouldn’t be a problem.”
Todd’s jaw flexed and he turned away from her with a callous laugh. “Right. No problem at all.”
“Anyway…I’ll just head out.”
“Wait, let me drive you home, Kate,” he said tersely.
Though a twenty-minute walk in her heels would kill, sitting beside him for the five-minute drive would hurt even more.
“I’m fine. Thanks.” This time when she opened the door, he didn’t stop her.
Kate should’ve been relieved that he’d bought the bedding-a-fireman excuse. Instead she bit her lip to stop from crying. She’d gone into last night with him a virgin, and now Todd probably just thought she was a skanky groupie.
Lovely. What a way to kick off the New Year.
Chapter Nine
Tuesday morning Kate walked into her shop, wishing the emotional hangover from hell would go away. She’d gone home Sunday and called Ellie as she’d promised to do, but tried not to tip her off to the fact that her friend’s concerns had
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