Page 13 of When You Saved Me

Thick clouds of smoke wafted past me when I opened the door. I nearly choked on the smell as it threatened to pull me back to those memories again. Determined not to go there, I kept my mind settled on the task at hand.

Grabbing the fire extinguisher from under the kitchen sink, I put out the blazing fire in the hearth so I could get a better look as to what was blocking the smoke path.

Coughing sounded behind me, and I turned to find Charlie waving her hand back and forth while her other arm still held her cat.

Rising, I said, “You don’t need to be in here while I do this.”

Her free hand settled on her hip, drawing my eyes down the length of her body. I was so amped up before I didn’t notice she was wearing tight-fitted Long Johns pajamas. The cream colored top draped over her figure, showing the swell of her breasts. I nearly cracked a tooth from clenching my jaw when my gaze trailed further down her waist to the curve of her hips.

Fucking hell.

I forced myself to look back to her heart shaped face. One red eyebrow was arched as she said, “Neither do you.This place is filled with smoke and none of us need to be in here until it all clears out. Let’s just open the windows and come back in a little while.”

“Come back?” I questioned. “Where are we going to go in the meantime?”

Her delicate shoulders shrugged. “Back to your place for a bit?”

Damnit.Just the thought of having Charlie in my home had ungentlemanly thoughts running through my mind. What it might be like to have her in my bed. To feel her soft skin pressed against mine. To see those perfectly pink lips moaning my name as I…

Raking a hand through my hair, I silently chastised myself.Keep your fucking head on straight.

She was already consuming every part of me, and she was all the way across the room with unbreathable air between us. How the hell was I going to survive having her in my space?

But then she brought her hand to her mouth and started coughing and the decision was made.

“My house. Go get in the truck,” I commanded.

“I can help with the w?—”

“In the truck.” I pointed out the open door behind her.

Without another word, she spun around and walked out the door. It was all I could do not to stare at her ass. Letting out a haggard sigh, I quickly opened all the windows in the cabin and opened the back door so the smoke could clear out faster.

Finally opening the driver’s door of my truck, I was hitwith the scent of smoke and something like vanilla cut through. It was warm and sweet and whollyher.

I tried not to breathe in too deeply but fuck if it wasn’t intoxicating. With a groan, I slid across the seat and turned the engine on.

Meow!

Right. We weren’t alone.

“Is it going to freak out while I drive?”

Charlie’s giggle sent a bolt of electricity down my spine that had me stiffening. “Itis ahe. And he has a name. Remember?” That same right eyebrow arched at me and the smirk playing on her lips had her cheeks rising.

She was so damn beautiful it was difficult to look away. When her smile faltered under the scrutiny of my gaze, I finally looked behind us and shifted the truck into reverse.

“Just make sure he doesn’t leave your lap until we get to my place.”

The drive back to my house felt like an eternity with her in the passenger seat of my truck. My palm ached from white knuckling the steering wheel the entire way. I was thankful to be out of the small space and for the biting cold that woke me from my stupor when I got out of the truck and went to her side to open the door.

“Thank you,” she nearly whispered when she slid off the seat and her feet hit the gravel.

The cat—Casper—gave a weird squeaking sound as we walked up the front porch and I opened the door for them.

As she passed me, I got another whiff of the warm vanilla scent. Not able to help myself this time, I closed myeyes and breathed in deeply. When I opened them again, I took in the long curls of her red hair and how they cascaded down her back. The ends nearly reaching the curve of her ass.

Everything about her was perfect. I knew it the moment I saw her seven years ago when those crystalline blue eyes shone with gratitude at the sound of my voice when I burst through her bedroom door.

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