Page 64 of Five Alarm Kiss

“Besides, I can drive, you know. They gave me a license and everything. I’ll be fine.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Good,” she corrected, rolling her eyes.

He chuckled. “First off, I’m not going anywhere until I make sure you don’t try to stay here. And, second, you keeping tabs on me?”

“What?”

“My schedule,” he clarified. “You’re keeping track of my days off.”

Laurel was positive she must’ve looked like a kid who got caught a week before Christmas opening presents her parents had hidden. “No, I’m not.”

Yes, you are.

“Really?” He crossed his arms over his broad chest. “How do you know I’m not off until Saturday, then?”

“People are usually off on the weekends,” she hedged. “I forget your schedule is different.” That sounded plausible, right?

“Sure, you did.”

She ignored his sarcastic tone and raised him feigned indifference. “Regardless, you’re still working.”

“Ah, but you’re wrong,” he said, pointing a finger at her. “Logan’s covering for me. I’m taking one of his days next week. As of thirty minutes ago, I’m officially off for four days.”

“You are?”

“Yep.”

“Why?”

“So I can make sure you’re okay,” he said simply.

He had his friend cover for him to be with me?

For a moment, she forgot to breathe. Ethan never would’ve done something like that, and they’d been together for almost four years. Work was too important to him, and it wasn’t until after she’d walked away that she realized he’d never put her first. Yet here she and Jake had only been on two, or rather, one and a who-knows-what-it-was dates, and he’d rearranged his schedule for her.

Emotion lodged in her throat.

“Laurel? You good?”

No, not at all.

She swallowed hard, overwhelmed by the feelings engulfing her.

Cranberries.

She was falling for the bad boy.

Chapter Sixteen

After gathering a few things and arranging to meet Britt at her place once the restaurant closed, Laurel found herself sitting in Jake’s living room while he took a shower. Since they’d both smelled like smoke, he’d offered to let her take one first, but she’d declined. After all, she could’ve taken one at her apartment before they’d left, but she hadn’t. Something about being naked while Jake was in the next room made her feel too exposed, so she’d opted to wait and take one at Britt’s.

The problem was, even though she was fully clothed—thankfully, now including pants—Jake was naked in the shower. The thought of him wet underneath the spray… yeah, that was doing some serious damage to her common sense.

What would he do if I joined him?

See? Major damage.

---