Page 20 of Silver Fox Firefighters Next Door

Aiden looked contemplative as he ran his finger around the rim of his water glass. “We never really know how long we’re going to be somewhere. We usually stick around until the town hires someone on and we can train them. Harmony Valley is an unusual case, though, because, like Nash said, there isn’t a huge issue here.”

“So, you could just be gone tomorrow?” The idea made me uncomfortable and I sat up straighter. “Don’t you ever think about putting down roots somewhere?”

The energy around the table shifted and I watched the three of them exchange glances before Tate spoke up. “We have a little more notice than a day or two. And we do think about putting down roots, in that we’ve thought about it and decided against it.”

Something deep down inside of me cracked. I told myself I was sad for them and that the idea of never settling down just made me sad. “But…what about a family?”

Nash shifted in his chair. “We’re a family. The three of us.”

I felt my eyebrows furrow and I shook my head. “I know. I mean…what about partners? Kids? A dog or cat? You don’t want any of that?”

“We chose a different path in life.” Aiden studied my face as he spoke. “We met while doing these bullshit healing weekends almost ten years ago. We each had seen and done some shit overseas that left its mark. Seeing each other weekend after weekend led to us becoming friends and then something closer to brothers. The weekends didn’t touch the PTSD but we got together one of those weekends and decided to take a trip and it turned out that trip helped us more than anything else. The rest is history. Now, the longest we stay in one place is six months. That’s even a bit long for us.”

I didn’t realize I’d been leaning into him until I was at the edge of my seat. “Six months? You’ve already been here for half that.”

“Yeah. We’ll choose our next stop soon and then we’ll plan where we’ll stay and all that. We get to see so much of the country this way.” Nash smiled but it felt a little brittle. “This has always been what keeps our heads on straight.”

I nodded like it all made perfect sense to me but that crack was widening inside me. I finished my third glass of wine and wanted desperately to fill it but it was cavernous and it would’ve taken more wine than we had. “Wow. I’m glad you found something that helps.”

Tate sighed. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.” I realized how open ended that was and hurried on. “I mean I’m sorry you all had to see and do things that hurt you. I’m also sorry there wasn’t something better than weekend healing sessions waiting for you when you got home. You found each other, though, and that’s pretty amazing. And now you go around helping other people. It’s no wonder Grandpa is hoping one of you tastes his spaghetti and decides I’m worth the effort. You’re great guys.”

I stood up and scraped the rest of my dinner into the trash. My appetite was gone and all I wanted to do was retreat to my room and lose myself in the romance novel I was editing.

“Eve…” Tate stood behind me at the sink and lightly gripped my waist. “Are you okay?”

I rested my balled-up fists on the cold metal rim of the sink and ground my teeth together. “Yep.”

“You don’t seem okay. You seem—”

“I’m fine.” I spun around and smiled up at him. “I’m really great. I just realized I have a meeting with one of my authors. I have to go handle that. If you guys just leave your plates, I’ll take care of it when I’m finished with work.”

Before they could say anything else I scurried to my bedroom and shut the door. Leaning against it, I tipped my head back and stared up at the ceiling. The same old water mark stared back at me.

I didn’t know why I was so upset at the idea of them leaving. I’d avoided them for most of the time they’d been in town. Soon they’d be gone and things would go back to normal. I’d have less eye candy but that was fine. I didn’t need it anyway. It wasn’t like I was ready for anything else. Not that it mattered. The neighbors were leaving and they didn’t want anything serious, ever.

That was completely fine. I simply needed to go back to avoiding them and when they vanished it wouldn’t make a difference. It wasn’t their departure that was causing the strange ache deep inside my stomach. It was only the residual effects of what I’d gone through with my ex. That was all.

CHAPTER 17

Eve

Two days later Grandpa informed me he was well enough to go to town and that was exactly what he was going to do. He told me he was staying at his friend’s again and he wouldn’t be home until later the next day. The way he’d announced it felt like a hint for me to get up to something while he was gone. I chose to ignore him and spent the first half of the day working.

I’d just sent off my final edits for one of my favorite authors when I heard the sound of metal hitting wood. Not unlike Pavlov’s dogs, my mouth watered. That sound meant one of my neighbors was chopping wood.

I’d managed to avoid them after that dinner and I wasn’t going to cave because they took off their shirts and did manly things. I turned on a podcast and turned the volume up as loud as it would go. V.H. Springs emailed me back right away about her manuscript and I chatted with her while ignoring the steady thud from outside. We’d become friends during the two years we’d worked together and I could almost tune my neighbors out as we talked.

V was traveling to visit family so she had to go and then I was alone with the knowledge that just outside my window was a man with no shirt on, sweating as he chopped wood. I lasted less than five minutes before I was at my window with the curtains parted just enough for me to stare out.

It was Aiden chopping wood. He was indeed shirtless and he was coated in a fine sheen of sweat which highlighted the way his muscles bunched and flexed as he swung the heavy ax over his head and split the wood. He had on a baseball hat turned around backwards and jeans which sat low on his hips. His stomach was flat and rippled with muscle. I watched him split log after log without slowing down. Sweat dripped down his face and he paused to wipe it away before going right back at it.

The way his body moved filled me with longing. I thought of Nash taking me over his motorcycle and rubbing myself against Tate until I came. My breath came faster and the rise and fall of my chest made my nipples brushing against my tank top a tease. Aiden slammed the ax into another chunk of wood and I licked my lips. He kicked the splintered wood out of the way and dropped another piece on the block he used to hold them. As his ax fell again, I trailed my hand down my stomach.

He stopped to wipe his sweat and looked in my direction. I knew he couldn’t see me through the small gap in the curtain but I froze anyway. Aiden’s chest heaved as he lifted a larger round of wood. His back muscles stood out and his entire body tightened and flexed. He was a work of art. By his next ax swing, I’d slid my hand into underwear.

My lower lips were slick with my fluids and my clit felt swollen and needy as I brushed my fingers over it. Gasping, I braced my hand against the window frame and watched Aiden’s powerful arms as he chopped another chunk away. I settled my middle finger over the sensitive nub and circled it. A broken moan escaped my lips and I gasped again as Aiden looked my way. He couldn’t see me but the thought that he could drove my desire higher. I rubbed faster, unwilling to draw out my pleasure.

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