Page 43 of Nanny for the Firefighter

There is too much at stake, too many complications that could ruin not just his everyday routine but his entire fucking life.

I won’t do that to him.

“You said it was the wrong move.” My eyes shoot up to his, my heart in my throat again. “But you never came back to fix it.”

“Mason,” my voice is quiet, the grief making it thick and choked, “I didn’t…I wanted to.”

“Then what was it, Bridget,” Mason responds. “It’s been five years of trying to forget you, of throwing myself into something just so that it wouldn’t hurt so fucking bad anymore. But I can’t get you out. You’re in too deep—a part of my goddamn blood—lacing through me every day. ”

“Mason, I…”

But I can’t speak. Jai could very well be here already. Pain and terror and loss swirl through me so intensely I can hardly breathe.

Icannotrisk Mason or Mia. If Jai found them and hurt them…

The bite of Mason’s expression burns into me, and I can’t stand there another moment.

Rushing out of the room, my heart racing as my mind twirls about trying to process what just happened, the tears finally break free.

Looks like I need that fresh air after all.

TWELVE

Mason

The horrid dryness of my mouth is only eclipsed by the furious pounding in my skull that bounces from side to side, temple to temple, front to back.

“Fucking hell.”

I scrub my hand over my face, my skin feeling greasy and tight in equal measure. As more of my hungover brain comes back online, one memory stands out from the rest.

I kissed Bridget.

Hell, I was about to do more until her brother came knocking at the door.Dammit, the fuck is wrong with me?

Sitting up in my bed, I groan. Nausea creeps at the edges of my awareness getting stronger by the second.

I never let myself get that drunk, not since Jess’s death, anyway.

There’s a water bottle on my nightstand, a typical habit of mine, and I take a large gulp as I pad around in the drawer for aspirin.

Swallowing down four of the little pills, I’m lucky enough to find some Pepto Bismol as well, and I’m quick to chew up two of the tablets.

That should fight off the worst of it, but it still doesn’t change the fact that I went way too far with Bridget and then proceeded to finish off the bottle of whiskey I’d brought up to my room.

Being alone and drunk and hornier than I wanted was not how I thought the night would go.

Sighing, I stand up from my bed, still wearing my clothes from last night, and decide that a shower is in order.

As I shuffle over to the closet, I’m all groans and desperate burps, hoping that I’ll start to feel better soon.

Sure, the physical stuff has a treatment, but I have no idea what to do about Bridget.

I hang my head as I work to pull off my pants. “I can’t believe I kissed her. How fucking stupid am I?”

Because, come on. It’s been five years, and as Bridget said, our lives are really different now. I can’t see a future where we’re able to rekindle what we had, even though I want that more than I want to admit.

Timing really is everything in life, and it continues to look like Bridget and I can’t get ours right.

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