Page 47 of One Touch

I would have done a lot more than just kiss her if the station hadn’t called. The moment she reached down and pressed her hand on my raging hard-on, I knew that I planned to make her come harder than she’d ever come in her life. I wanted to be the man who made Lily Lane, the town’s biggest expert on romance, feel like she was just starting out on a voyage of romantic discovery. Sexual discovery. For a moment, I even thought of Vlad, and how I wanted to fuck that pathetic asshole right out of her system.

Thankfully, since then, I hadn’t had a chance. I’d been either at the garage or at training, while she’d been at her store, and then picking Ava up for me. I had almost gone to her bookstore to buy a macchiato a dozen times while working at the garage, but every time, I had stopped myself. I was scared that if I spent time with Lily alone, I’d end up fucking her, and then . . . well, there would be no going back. I’d make myself vulnerable, all over again, in a way that I just couldn’t handle.

It had been a big relief to get some distance from her, and yet, somehow, it had made me hornier than ever.

We finally got the hose stowed away safely.

“Good work,” the chief’s voice sounded out. “That’ll do for now.”

Groans of relief sounded out across the yard.

After showering and changing, a group of us took a coffee break. I was with Mitch and Sam, who’d been assigned as my mentors for the training. They were good guys, but they liked winding me up.

“So, tell me more about this live-in nanny situation.” Sam had a wicked look in his eye.

“Word travels fast,” I grunted, taking a sip.

“Samantha bought some books from Lily’s store the other day. Real racy content. She and Samantha got to talking.” Samantha was Sam’s wife.

“Remind me why it is you don’t shorten your wife’s name,” Mitch teased.

“You know, you’d think you’d get funnier with age,” Sam retorted.

“Sam and Sam,” I said. “It’s got a nice ring to it.”

“Lily must be looking for a rebound guy,” Sam said, ignoring me. “Mitch, you interested?”

Mitch snorted out a laugh. “Maybe if I was thirty years younger.”

“She’s not looking for a rebound guy,” I said, a little more strongly than I meant to.

Sam’s eyebrows raised, as he clearly smelled blood in the water. “Isn’t she? Maybe she already found one.”

“Nope,” I lied. “Nothing like that. I just know she’s not thinking about guys at all right now. Maybe ever again.”

“She’s into girls now?”

“Not as far as I know.”

“That would be kind of hot, though,” Sam said, taking a bite of a cookie.

“I’ll let Samantha know you think so,” I replied.

“Wow! Touchy subject! Didn’t realize you had such strong feelings for her.”

“I don’t. She’s just . . . a good person, all right? She’s been helping Ava a lot. She’s patient and creative, always coming up with fun stuff for the two of them to do.”

Mitch raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like someone’s got a crush.”

“What? No!” I sputtered, feeling my face flush. “It’s totally innocent. I’m just grateful for everything she’s done for Ava, that’s all.”

But even as the words left my mouth, I knew they rang hollow.

Kissing her was one thing, but I couldn’t afford to let myself feel anything more. I didn’t want to risk it. Didn’t matter how much her eyes sparkled when she laughed, how much her hair smelled like strawberries, or how hungrily she’d pumped my cock. . . .

Get a grip, McCoy. She’s your nanny. Your very young, very off-limits nanny, who just ended a long-term relationship.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I needed to focus on training, on being the best damn firefighter I could be.

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