Page 53 of Fall at Once

“No, it’s fine. I’d love nothing more than to spend time with you and your kids.”

I took her hand across the console. “Good, they have been looking forward to it.”

“I love that so much. They’re so great. Do you know what I’m in the moodfor tonight?”

I shifted my eyes to her briefly as I drove. “Tell me.”

“Grilled cheese.” She squeezed my hand. “Never underestimate the power of cheese, Cole. I’m looking forward to this. Fancy places make me nervous, anyway. Give me all the diner food, please.”

“Well, a grilled cheese sandwich is something I’ll never turn down. Or any kind of cheese in any kind of form, if I’m being honest,” I confessed.

“Ha! Same. What else should we order when we get there?”

I shrugged as I turned into the Skytop’s parking lot.

“Chicken nuggets? I maintain that they are not a kid’s only food.” I pulled into a space in front and cut the engine. “Sure, my kids love them, but can’t a man enjoy a high-quality dinosaur-shaped nugget from time to time?”

“Absolutely. I totally agree.” Her laughter rang through the truck, straight into my heart to warm me up from the inside. “We need a strategy. I’ll order the grilled cheese. You get the chicken nuggets, and we’ll share. Oh! We need an appetizer.”

“Wait. Stop.” With a mock-serious look, I turned her toward me, hands on her shoulders. “This is important. Should I get fries or tots with the nuggets? Or will you get wild on me and suggest onion rings?”

She smiled huge and leaned across the console, drifting her hands up my chest to my collar to straighten it with a sideways smile decorating her pretty face. “Onion rings belong with burgers. How about tots? You look like a Tater Tot kind of guy. I mean, you kind of remind me of a Tater Tot.”

“Oh, yeah?” I was breathless, wanting to feel more of her touch, but I refrained from pulling her closer. I did not want to risk this moment by pushing for more since it was perfect as it was.

Her cheeks turned pink as she ducked her head to hide behind the fall of her gorgeous waves again. “You’re smushy on the inside,” she murmured.

My eyebrows shot up. “Don’t stop now. You have to tell me more about how I’m smushy.” I chuckled.

“Well, on the outside, you look, um, you know…” She patted my chest, then pulled back to wave her hand in front of me.

“Crunchy?” I teased. “Golden brown and sprinkled with salt, or possibly doused with ketchup?”

“No, you dork! Um, firm?” She rolled her eyes in exasperated amusement. “Obviously, you work out, Cole.” She gulped as her gaze drifted up and down my torso. “I’ve seen you in your garage with all those weights. And with the other firefighters running all through town, okay? And let’s not forget the entire calendar shoot experience. Yes, you kept your shirt on, but it was thin, Cole. And blue, tight, and—” Catching herself, she met my eyes and bit her lip. “You have to know what you look like. You’re a beautiful man, hard as a rock and covered with glorious, mind-boggling muscles. But on the inside, where it matters, you’re fluffy and warm—you’re smushy.”

My heart raced wildly in my chest at her words. “That might be the nicest compliment I’ve ever received.” I swept a hand around the back of her neck, pulling her close to kiss the hell out of her. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Her eyes burned brightly into mine. I’ve never held such a tight leash on myself as I did at this moment. Forget dinner; I wanted to drive her home and take her to bed. I was tempted to try and keep her forever.

She was beyond beautiful. She made my heart soar.

Pretty pink lips smiling shyly up at me.

Deep brown hair streaked with gold shining in the early evening light.

I wanted my hands in that hair. I wanted my mouth on those lips.

Freckles dotted her nose like little kisses from the sun. Fuck the sun. I wanted to be the one to kiss her. I didn’t dare allow myself to look below her face, or I would get lost in exploring the curves of her body.

I wanted to drown in her, sink inside, and never come up for air.

Our kiss at Bookers had flipped a switch inside me. I wanted to be more than just her friend, and now that it was an actual possibility, I couldn’t stop thinking about how it would feel to be with her.

Before I could get carried away, I suggested we go inside. “I’ll get the door for you. Sit tight.” I got out and went around to help her out of my truck.

The breeze blew her hair over her shoulder as she stepped down, and I tucked it behind her ear as if I’d been doing such things for her forever. As if I had a right to touch her withfamiliarity. Something had changed between us after we kissed, and I didn’t want to return to how we were before.

Hope flooded my heart, shocking my system, and I took a deep breath to center myself. I hadn’t felt like this in way too many years to count.

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