Page 104 of Five Alarm Kiss

“I wanted to call you,” he said.

What did I ever see in this jerk?

She knew the answer, and it didn’t paint her in a very good light. She’d thought she’d been in love with him because he’d paid attention to her. Her. The unremarkable grade school teacher who’d never been good enough in her parents’ eyes.

Ethan had told her the things she’d wanted to hear and offered her what she’d longed to have… security, companionship, a house and two point five kids, acceptance… love.

Only, it was clear now that everything he’d said had been a lie. He didn’t like kids. He’d never spent much time with her. He, like her parents, had thought teaching grade school was second-rate. He’d never loved her. If he had, he wouldn’t have cheated.

How could she truly have been in love with a man like that?

The answer was, she couldn’t. She just hadn’t realized her own self-worth and had settled for less than what she’d deserved... what Jake had made her realize she deserved.

“I was going to call,” Ethan added, probably as an afterthought to make himself look better. “I meant to.”

“I’m sure you did,” Laurel said, not buying it. “And I’m also certain I don’t care.” She honestly didn’t, and that was so freeing. “Goodbye, Ethan. Sonotgood seeing you.” She dismissed him with a turn of her back.

When she started to walk away, he grabbed her arm again.

“Laurel...”

Enough. I’m so done!

There was no way she was going to put up with him a moment longer. She didn’t owe him a thing, and she wasn’t about to stand there and listen to him spout more rubbish. He needed to back off and never touch her again.

She spun around to tell him as much. The quick movement made Ethan flinch. He released her, holding up both hands in front of his face.

I’d thought I was in love with that?

She shook her head at his pathetic display, secretly elated to see him cringing before her. What a scummy, low-life weasel. She deserved better than him. Jake had helped her realize that. She deserved… Jake. She wanted Jake.

“Don’t worry, Ethan,” she said with a sardonic grin. “I’m not going to hit you again. You’re not worth it. I won’t stoop to your level.”

“I will.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Jake had been talking to a backer of the college for the last thirty minutes. Turned out, the guy was also a retired fire chief, so they may have gotten a little long-winded talking shop. Even so, Laurel had seemed interested… asking questions and participating in the conversation.

He’d never known a woman who wasn’t on the job who took the time or even wanted to venture past the “hot firemen” stereotypes and “Are you in a calendar?” questions.

He was, by the way. “Mr. October,” but that was beside the point.

The thing was, Laurel cared. She cared about his occupation and wanted to learn more. She cared about the people doing the job and supported first responders. And, hopefully, she cared about him as much as he’d come to care about her.

Hell, who was he kidding? He was in love with her. He just wasn’t sure if that was a good thing… for her. Or him. Being in love with her was going to make it that much harder to lose her if she decided the novelty of being with a “bad boy” wore off. Was he a novelty to her? He didn’t think so. She’d never given him that impression, and the woman’s face was an open book. He’d be able to tell if she was faking. The way she looked at him, theconversations they shared, how she responded when they made love… she couldn’t fake that. He’d bet his life on it.

And if he was wrong? Fuck, that would make her the best actress in the world.

The retired chief said something, so Jake forced his thoughts back to the conversation. At least, he tried. Laurel had excused herself to speak with her dad. Jake wasn’t certain how long ago that’d been. Ten minutes? Fifteen, maybe? But suddenly, all he could think about was being with her.

He looked over to where she was standing with her father and caught her staring. So, she was thinking about him as much as he was thinking about her. The realization warmed him from the inside out, like a shot of whiskey going down. When he gave her a wink, her eyes softened before she lowered her lashes. That little display of shyness made his cock stir.

When had he come to crave her every second of every day?

The physical attraction had been instantaneous, but needing her on a deeper level? That had snuck up on him. Little by little, she’d chipped away at his walls without even trying. She’d succeeded at something no one else had been able to… making him feel. He’d started longing for things he’d never wanted before. Things he’d never thought would be possible to have. But she’d made him believe that, maybe, they might be. God, he hoped they were, because he’d come to realize no other woman would ever matter to him as much as she did.

When a passing couple recognized the chief, Jake seized the opportunity to bow out of the conversation and go to Laurel. He missed her hand in his, like it had been when she’d been by his side.

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