Page 28 of Five Alarm Kiss

Jake laughed while Laurel turned every shade of red on the color wheel.

“Skye, what’re you doing? I never said to?—”

“I’ll remember it,” Jake promised. “Talk to you soon, Princess.”

Chapter Eight

“Ow!” Laurel dropped the knife she’d been using to trim broccoli florets. It fell onto the kitchen counter with a clatter. “Cranberries!”

She’d just sliced through her left index finger because she hadn’t been paying attention. Instead of concentrating on what she’d been doing, she’d been thinking about a certain fireman and what Amy had told her about him at school this morning….

“I met him on that ski trip to Brundage I took in February,” Amy said. “We hooked up.”

“Wait. That was Jake?” Laurel remembered when Amy had told her about “the hottest guy she’d ever laid eyes on.” Amy had rented a cabin in McCall, Idaho, about eight miles from Brundage ski resort, and had gone to Lardo’s Grill for dinner after a day on the slopes. She said she’d noticed him sitting a few tables over, then ran into him later, when she and her friends stopped by Foresters for a drink after dinner.

Apparently, they’d slept together that night resulting in multiple orgasms—mind-blowing orgasms, according to Amy—and she’d never heard from him since.

“If he wants to go out with you,” Amy had said, “definitely go. I promise, he’ll burn down the bed! It’s not that I wasexpecting to hear from him again, but the vibe I got was, don’t expect to hear from him again.”

“So, what’re you saying? You think he’s a player?”

“I think he’s effing Beethoven, but, wow, can that man play those keys!”

Laurel ripped a paper towel off of the roll and squeezed it around her finger. The pressure helped the pain, but blood soaked through the white paper in seconds.

Hearing Amy dub Jake a player had brought a surprisingly intense rush of disappointment. Figures she’d meet a guy who could make her melt in her shoes with one simple kiss, and he was a good-time guy.

Says Amy. She’s not looking for a relationship, and like she’d said, she hadn’t been expecting to hear from him. Maybe they’d agreed upon that up front.

Moving to the sink, Laurel turned on the water and held her finger under the stream. When the water hit the cut, she hissed in a breath as pain shot through her hand, the sting bringing tears to her eyes. She pumped some soap into her hand and gingerly washed out the cut, wincing every time her fingers touched it. It wasn’t deep, but dang, it hurt! Luckily, she’d gotten a tetanus booster before the school year had started.

I’m not looking for a relationship either.

Good thing because she basically sucked at relationships. On the flip side, she was incredibly talented at picking men who—plain and simple—simply sucked.

After rinsing away the soap, she turned off the water and grabbed another paper towel. She was wrapping it around her finger when her cell phone rang. Instantly, her senses went on high alert.

She stared at the phone lying on the other end of the counter, debating whether or not to answer.

It’s not him. Get real.

But what if it was?

Chewing her bottom lip, she walked over to the phone and peered at the screen to find Skye’s face smiling up at her. She picked it up and hit accept with her thumb.

“Hey, Skye.”

“Did he call yet?”

Laurel ignored the question and sarcastically responded, “I’m fine. How are you?”

“Who cares? Did Mr. Not Some Guy call?”

Laurel rolled her eyes. Too bad Skye couldn’t see. “No, and he’s not going to. It’s been two days.” Not that she was counting.

“Maybe he couldn’t remember your number,” Skye rationalized. “You should’ve gotten his. Ooo, maybe you can call the fire station and get it from them.”

“I’m not doing that!”

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