Page 32 of A Gift for her Festive Firefighter

“Not at all,” he smiled. “I’m just marveling at how things have changed between us and grateful for it.”

She slowly looked back at him, her eyes glistening and he could see the fear and hope warring within her. He gave her hand a little tug to pull her closer to him and smiled down at her as their shoulders touched. Knox was walking around them, sniffing the grass, and weaving the leash around his legs, making his presence known.

“Relax,” Cade whispered, smirking. “It’s just me.”

“I’m trying, but this feels so… ugh, I don’t even have the words.”

“We’re friends, remember?”

“That’s the problem.”

“Is it a problem?”

“Well, no… I’m just suddenly nervous, and I know it’s silly.”

“Not silly,” he replied softly, searching her eyes. “Intense, maybe…” and heard her breath catch with awareness. “Shall we show the town how good these friends look together as a couple?”

“Y-Yes,” she choked out and let a tiny anxious laugh slip between them as he buried his nose against her hair and took a deep breath.

“My girlfriend smells amazing,” he said intimately to her, whispering in her ear just to keep her preening and melting. He was going to do everything he could to reinforce the magic between them now that he saw the spark of wonder there.

“Cade…”

“Let me go put Knox up and let’s get going.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Starved,” he admitted and then smiled at her. “But the sooner we eat dinner, relax, and light this town on fire with the talk about the newest romance blooming here… then the sooner I can kiss you.”

“You could kiss me now…”

Holly was breathless, focused, and staring at him with an expression he’d never seen before on anyone’s face. This woman before him wanted her man to kiss her. She looked at him like he’d hung the moon, and was willing to do anything to make this happen.

Cade released her hand – and slid it around her waist, pulling her to him. He triumphantly savored her slight gasp as she put her hand against his chest. He didn’t want to cross a line or make her even more nervous, but instinct was telling him to claim his woman.

His woman, he thought distractedly as his head dipped to do as Holly had suggested. Who was he to disappoint?

Chapter 12

HOLLY

Oh. My. Gosh…

Those three words kept bouncing in her mind, heart, and soul as she stood there in Cade’s arms. The man she had the biggest crush on was here, now, before her, holding her close and about to kiss her. Her pulse was racing so fast right now, trying not to sound breathless, start panting like Knox, or let out a squee of excitement – but it was there! Every nerve, every hope, dream, fantasy, all of it was there and focusing like a laser as his head descended toward her.

Her hand was on his chest, clinging to him. She could feel the warmth of his body emanating from the cotton fabric of his shirt, craving it. Was it so wrong to want to freeze this moment forever?

“Holly…” he whispered, his breath tickling her lips.

“Don’t,” she began, hoping he wasn’t about to back away. “Don’t unless you really mean this…” she uttered brokenly, begging softly. If he kissed her and this was a joke, a prank, or meant nothing to him but a quick entertainment – she would never recover.

Cade’s breath caught as he swooped in, closing the gap between them almost forcefully, capturing her lips. The man kissed like he did everything, aggressively, charging forward with reckless abandon and giving it his all. Oh mercy, she thought idly and melted as he deepened the kiss.

Her hand which had been lying flat against his chest, curled painfully, twisting the front of his shirt to keep him from retreating. If she died in this moment, she could easily imagine that this is what love, lust, and all the other emotional words felt like in one sensation.

He broke the kiss and pulled her close, hugging her. She could hear his heart hammering against his chest as he kissed the top of her head, both of them silent. Her hand was still smushed awkwardly between them – and she didn’t care. Right now, she was clinging to this second, this feeling, this moment, pinching her eyes closed and deathly afraid it would evaporate like a fog in the rising sun.

“Holly?” he whispered hoarsely, trembling in her arms.

---