Page 86 of Deck the Fire Halls

We stayed like that for a long moment, me still holding his hand, his head now resting against my neck. Until I pulled his chair closer, our legs tangled, so I could hold him better.

We didn’t seem to need words.

He was very nearly straddling me, and I could have so easily pulled him onto me so I could feel him against me. I considered it, because I was only half-dressed, andhis robe was barely covering anything. But this wasn’t sexual.

It was so much more than that.

I kissed the side of his head. “Thank you for sharing that part of your life with me.”

“Do you... do you think it makes me...?” He shook his head and sat back, but I was quick to take both his hands.

I looked him dead in the eye. “Do I think it makes you compassionate and caring? Yes. Do I think it makes you a better doctor and a wonderful human being? Yes.”

His eyes grew a little glassy, and he nodded, a sad smile on his face.

“Do I think you’re amazing? Do I think you’re kind, and funny, and actually really kinda perfect? Yes.” Sure, it might be premature to be saying this, but knowing he had one lick of self-doubt just fucking killed me. “Do I think I’m the luckiest guy on the planet right now? Absolutely. Hartbridge is lucky to have you. I’m lucky to have you. And I’m glad you made the decision to leave your old job. You deserve to be happy, Rob. Do what makes you happy. Do what feeds your soul.”

His eyes were teary, but he laughed and nodded. “Thank you. I like that: do whatever feeds my soul. It’s a great motto to live by.”

“Absolutely.”

“I think being here might do that. In this cute little town, in my cute little house.” His cheeks flushed pink. “And you.”

God, how hearing him say that made my heart sing.

“And me.” I kissed him softly, loving the revealingrobe and his naked body underneath, but this was the problem I’d wanted to avoid. I knew once we started having sex, we’d want to do nothing else, and the equally if not more important part of getting a relationship right was communication and spending quality time together outside the bedroom.

So then, of course, he had to move himself closer, his thigh over mine, and he kissed me. Soft, open mouthed with a hint of tongue. I knew where this was going. And my body was certainly on board...

But my heart and my head told me to pump the brakes.

I put my finger to Rob’s lips, stopping the kiss. His eyes flashed to mine, and I smiled. “You have no idea how much I want you right now, but we shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because you wanted to go to the youth center, and I will need to go to work.”

“I can go to the center any time. When you go to work or this afternoon. It’s no big deal.”

“Rob, it’s important to you.”

“You’re really saying no?”

I laughed, though it was more of a pained groan. “You have no idea how much I want to take you back to bed right now. Like good god, so bad.” I risked looking down at where his robe barely covered his crotch, how it opened revealing his hairy chest. “Like, damn... Okay, well, maybe we could go later. What time is it?”

He laughed then, a free and happy sound, as he sat back in his chair and straightened his robe. “Your willpower lasted point-two of a second.”

“Were you testing me?”

“No, I honestly wasn’t. But what you said was right. The center is important. You are too, don’t get me wrong, but the center is only open for certain hours of the day where you, my own private firefighter,” he pointed the finger to my chest, “will just have to come back here when you finish work tonight.”

I grinned at him. “Is that so?”

God, I liked the sound of that.

“Yes,” he said seriously. “You cannot let me taste the best sex of my entire life, and then put me on rations.”

That made me laugh. “Rations? I’d hardly call everything we’ve done rations. Four orgasms between us in the last twelve hours. Believe me, coming off a long drought, those numbers are a downpour.”

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