Page 86 of He Sees You When You’re Sleeping

“This is where the magic happens,” he says, his eyes shining with pride. He begins pointing out various gauges, switches, and communication devices, explaining their functions. I try to follow along, but I’m more captivated by the passion in his voice than the technical details.

As Jack explains the intricacies of the fire engine, I find myself imagining him in action—racing through the streets, sirens blaring, ready to face whatever danger awaits. It’s a stark contrast to the man sitting beside me now, his face animated as he describes the truck’s water pumping capacity.

“And this,” he says, reaching across me to point at a small button near the dashboard, “is the air horn. Want to try it?”

I hesitate. “Won’t it be too loud?”

Jack grins mischievously. “Nah, it’s fine. Go ahead, give it a press.”

Tentatively, I reach out and push the button. The resulting blast is deafening, echoing through the bay and making me jump in my seat. Jack bursts out laughing at my startled expression.

“Sorry,” he chuckles, not looking sorry at all. “I couldn’t resist.”

I playfully swat his arm, trying to look stern but failing to hide my own smile. “You’re terrible.”

“Yeah, but you like me anyway,” he says, his eyes bright.

Our gazes lock, and for a moment, the air between us feels charged with possibility. I’m acutely aware of how close we are in the confines of the cab, the warmth of his body next to mine.

“You know,” I begin. “I thought we were crossing into friend zone. Before you became WinterWatcher that is.”

Jack reaches out, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “I most definitely don’t only want you as a friend.”

I subtly move toward his touch, feeling brave. “I’m glad to hear it.”

Jack’s hand lingers on my cheek, his thumb gently stroking my skin. The intensity in his eyes makes my heart race. Slowly, he leans in, giving me plenty of time to pull away if I want to. But I don’t want to. I close the distance between us, our lips meeting in a soft, tender kiss.

His lips are warm and slightly chapped, tasting faintly of smoke and pumpkin pie. The kiss deepens, and I feel myself melting into him, my hands finding their way to his chest.

A sudden knock on the truck’s window startles us apart. Melissa and her husband Tom are standing there, an amused expression on their faces. “Sorry to interrupt the lovebirds, but I’m getting ready to leave and wanted to say goodbye,” she says.

Jack and I quickly scramble out of the fire engine, no doubt I’m blushing furiously. I smooth down my hair, acutely aware of how disheveled I must look. This man has the ability to knock the wind out of me with a simple kiss.

“Sorry about that,” Jack says, rubbing my lower back in comfort. “We were just, uh...”

“Inspecting the equipment?” Tom supplies with a smirk.

Melissa elbows her husband playfully. “Oh, leave them alone. It’s about time Jack found someone special.” She turns to me with a warm smile. “It was wonderful meeting you, Chloe. I hope we’ll be seeing more of you around here.”

“I’m just glad the man finally made a move,” Tom says with a laugh.

Jack tenses beside me, and though I didn’t catch the look Jack must have given Tom, I do see Tom’s face fall as he realizes his mistake. Melissa quickly intervenes, giving Tom a pointed look.

“Well, I should get going. The babysitter’s waiting,” she says, tugging on Tom’s arm. “Walk me to my car, babe.” She smiles again at me. “Merry Christmas, you two!”

As they walk away, I turn to Jack, raising an eyebrow. “Finally making a move?”

“Um...” he runs his hand through his hair, “I might have mentioned to the guys how we’ve met several times at the coffee house.”

I can’t hold back the laugh at Jack’s discomfort. “So you’ve been talking about me to the guys, huh?”

Jack’s cheeks flush slightly. “Maybe a little. They’ve been giving me a hard time about being single for so long. When I mentioned meeting you at the coffee shop, they wouldn’t let it go.”

“And the WinterWatcher thing?” I prod gently.

“I’ve kept that to myself.”

“Oh,” I give a wicked grin, “Don’t want to share our kinky side with all the boys?”

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