Page 47 of Nanny for the Firefighters

If there's one thing that makes me uncomfortable, it's a woman crying. But standing here with this ridiculous towel around my waist, I want nothing more than to be the one stopping her tears. When did I get this cringy?

Ella's lower lip trembles.

I don't think. I just act. I pull her into a kiss, my lips crashing onto hers with a fierce urgency. She struggles at first, her fists pounding against my chest, but then she melts into me, her body softening like butter in my arms. Her lips are warm and salty from her tears, and it feels like the world narrows down to just this moment, just her.

When she finally stops fighting and kisses me back, it's like an explosion, all heat and need. I tighten my grip, one hand cupping the back of her head, the other keeping her firmly against me. The kiss deepens, and it's as if everything I've ever wanted is right here, in this connection, this feeling.

My mind races, fragments of thoughts flashing by. All those nights playing the Casanova, all the flitting from one woman to another—it all seems meaningless compared to this moment. This kiss, this woman, is real in a way nothing else has ever been.

We finally break apart, both of us gasping for breath. I rest my forehead against hers. "You're not running away from me, Ella," I say, my voice rough but tinged with a dry laugh. "Not now, not ever."

She pulls back slightly, her eyes searching mine. "I was cheated on, Ethan," she whispers, her voice cracking. "I built my life around someone who turned out to be a fraud. It hurts more than I can put into words."

With that, she pulls back. "It's stupid, isn't it?" She wrinkles her nose slightly and wipes it with a mini-trumpet-like sound on her towel. Never did I think I'd find this adorable. What black magic is this?

"What's stupid?" I try to look composed, which is no mean feat given how my heart is thundering.

"That something so ordinary could unravel a person completely? People break up all the time. People get cheated on all the time. It's supposed to be one of those inevitable things that happen when you're growing into a person."

I snort. Her eyes narrow. I realize my reaction must seem insensitive. It's hard for me. I'm not used to being there for a woman.

"No," I say, reaching out to take her hand in mine. She doesn't respond but doesn't resist, either, being content to simply let her palm rest idly in mine. "It's not stupid. It's not stupid when someone else does things intended to make you fall in love with them. It's not stupid when you give in and think that, hey, finally, here's someone I can call my own. This is a huge world filled with strangers. We are all looking for small connections, so when something big unexpectedly happens, it's not stupid to cling to it with all you've got."

Her lip trembles again. Her fingers wrap around mine.

"What's stupid is what the asshole who cheated on you did," I finish, my voice low and scornful. "He had the most special woman in the world at his beck and call. And he cheated on you? Good God, was he blind?"

She chokes out a laugh. "I wish."

My heart aches at her confession. "Ella, you deserve so much better," I say softly, my thumb tracing her jawline. "You deserve someone who sees you, who values you. And if you'll let me, I want to be that person."

She looks at me, her eyes filled with tears but also something else—hope. "You think you can handle that?"

I chuckle dryly. "Handling you? That's the easy part. Not letting you go? That's where the real challenge is."

She laughs softly, the sound like music to my ears. "You're an idiot, Ethan."

"Yeah," I say, pulling her closer. "But I'm your idiot."

We stand there in the moonlight, holding onto each other. "I don't know if I can trust again," she admits, her voice small. "It's too hard."

I tilt her chin up, making her look at me. "I'm not asking you to trust me overnight. But let me prove it to you, one day at a time."

She looks at me, vulnerability etched in every line of her face. "And what if you break my heart?"

I give her a crooked smile. "Then I'll spend every day putting it back together. I'm not going anywhere, Ella. Not now, not ever."

Her eyes soften, and she leans into me, resting her head on my chest. I wrap my arms around her, holding her tightly. "You're a stubborn man, Ethan," she murmurs.

"Stubborn enough to know what I want," I reply, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "And that's you, Ella. Just you."

We stand there for what feels like forever, just holding each other. The night air is cool, but with her in my arms, I feel warm, complete. It's a strange feeling for someone like me, who's always kept things casual, always kept my distance.

"I'm scared," she admits, her head still down.

"So am I," I say honestly. "But we'll face it together, one step at a time."

She lifts her head and looks at me, a small, tentative smile on her lips. "One step at a time," she repeats.

---