Page 63 of Fire in My Heart

He pressed his lips to mine. “I guess we’d better get to work then.”

I sighed. “I don’t think I like your work ethic anymore.”

“Your kitchen will be painted yellow in no time.” The color on the one wall was already lifting my spirits, and I loved the sound of him describing this place as mine. It wasn’t, but I could live in that fantasy where I resided in a cottage on a farm for a little bit longer.

And with this man by my side, it might just be as close to perfect as I’d ever experienced.

CHAPTER 16

TEDDY

On Sunday, I showed up at Charlotte’s cottage in time for her bath. In between getting naked, I helped her paint the kitchen. It was domestic, but I liked it. I didn’t mind helping her. Charlotte made everything somehow more interesting.

Now, I was back at my day job and hating my life. I was dealing with every excuse in the book today about why someone would speed. I had a throbbing headache by the time I went home. On Thursday, I headed to my house to check on the progress.

The new floors were going in, and the roof was done. The water damage in the dry wall had already been replaced. Once the floors were completed, I could move in.

I should have been thrilled by that prospect, but I wasn’t. I liked living close to Charlotte. It was so easy to visit, then stop by the apartment for a change of clothes before heading to work on the farm or at the precinct.

For the first time in my life, I didn’t care so much about what I was doing at work, whether I impressed my boss and he’dconsider me for some kind of promotion. What if doing my best was enough? What if I didn’t have to be the best at everything?

What if being happy in my personal life was my end goal, and not the endless to-do list? The idea of working to get a paycheck and not a promotion had been playing in my head all week.

It wasn’t that I didn’t do a good job. But I usually went above and beyond, volunteering for overtime and staying late after my shifts. But now I wanted to get home to the farm and Charlotte, and I enjoyed spending time with Axel.

Charlotte sent an image of her soaking in her bathtub, and my fantasy about coming home to her in that tub was playing in my mind like a video. I fully intended to leave work on time to fulfill that particular scenario.

When dispatch asked for officers around the time for me to clock out, I didn’t immediately call out on the radio. Instead, I waited a beat, and someone else did. I breathed a sigh of relief as I headed to the precinct to finish some paperwork before going to Charlotte’s.

On the way home, I drove past the line of cars, for once not checking in with Dad to see if they needed my help.

There was no schedule for me. I usually showed up when I wasn’t on shift at the police department. But tonight was mine.

I had a woman waiting for me at home, and she was naked. Was she touching herself, and thinking of me?

My body hummed with desire as I parked my cruiser behind Charlotte’s car. I was too amped up to park at home and walk over

I didn’t care if someone saw my cruiser here all night. It was probably reckless, but my heart was pounding as I used my key for her door.

We hadn’t talked about me having it, but I figured she wouldn’t mind. I kept my shoes on so she’d hear my footstepson the wood floors. I wanted her to be dripping with anticipation by the time I opened the bathroom door.

Did she have the same fantasy as me? I placed my duty belt on the kitchen counter, emptying the chamber, and set my gun on the top of the fridge. If I was staying here more frequently, I’d need to get a gun safe.

But that thought was for another day. I headed upstairs and turned the knob. It was unlocked. The room was full of steam, and it took my eyes a second to adjust.

Charlotte was in the tub, her bare shoulders peeking out, but she looked frightened. I closed the door then held up my hands until the panic subsided in her eyes.

She shook her head. “Sorry, I heard the footsteps and thought someone was in my house.”

“It was me.”

Her lips pursed. “I meant a stranger.”

I slowly unbuttoned my shirt, then set my vest to the side. My undershirt came next. Then I was unbuckling my pants. “I have a spare key to the cottage. Dad wanted me to check on it when it was empty. I should have told you.”

Once I was naked, I knelt next to the tub. “It’s just that I had this fantasy of coming home to you in the tub.”

Her eyes heated. “Oh, I like that one.”

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