Page 23 of Set Me On Fire

“Will I get that sappy if I get married?” Charlie asked.

“If you’re lucky.” Knox was quiet through most of the noise, but right now I caught him watching the happy couple closely. I remembered when Jase met Sally and couldn’t recall if Knox had a thing for her, or…? Nope, that was a different kind of longing and I knew that because it was one I’d felt plenty of times before.

If I tried hard enough,I could see how this would’ve gone if I’d come with Millie on my arm rather than meeting her at the door. If she was my long-term girlfriend, or shit, my wife. My arm slung over the back of her chair like Blue did Judy’s, my fingers teasing the ends of her hair.

“Another beer, mate?”

I looked up to see Charlie standing there, a knowing smile on his face as he held his empty up.

I wasn’t driving home, Knox having signed up for that duty, so I nodded. Beer hadn’t helped me the night I nearly kissed Millie, but it hadn’t hurt either.

“I’ll get them,” I said, getting to my feet and taking our empties and Millie’s almost drained wine glass.

“Another?” I asked her when she turned my way.

“Sure.”

Her smile, the same one she gave everyone here, I carried its warmth with me as I grabbed another drink and set it down beside her. One drink turned to another and another, the bullshit around the table getting louder and louder until Judy hauled herself to her feet.

“Time to go.”

“C’mon, Hops,” the guys grumbled

“I turn into a pumpkin if I’m not in bed by ten,” Judy replied, patting her stomach.

“It was lovely to meet you.”

Millie got to her feet, which forced me to mine when she wavered a little. Some of the guys cackled in response.

“Don’t tell me you’re a lightweight, Dazza!” Dave shouted.

“Not everyone’s an inveterate pisshead like you, Davo,” Brent replied bluntly, then smiled as he took another sip of beer.

“Excuse me.” Oh shit, I remembered this Millie. Her hands went to her hips as she stared the table down. “I’ll have you know I can drink you pricks under the table.”

Charlie rose to his feet, filling her glass with a flourish before cracking a fresh can of beer.

“Sounds it’s time for a game of Shenanigans then.”

“What the hell is Shenanigans?” she asked.

Chapter 14

Knox

Messy, that’s what Shenanigans was.

“If you’re going to start doing dumb shit like that,” Brent grumbled, “then you can put all the food away first because I’m off home. Knox.” Somehow I knew he’d turn to me. “You good to lock up?”

I nodded, confirming what he already knew.

“Not drinking, Knoxy?” Brian, another firefighter, asked.

“Stopped a while back,” I said. “Someone’s gotta get these pricks home in one piece.” I nodded to what was left of my team, Henry and his family having left ages ago.

“Speaking of home…” Johnno swung Belinda up in his arms. “It’s time to get this little lady to bed.”

Her cheeks were bright pink as some of the fellas made suggestions about what they could get up to, but I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t have weird sexual positions to suggest, nor kinks to try. Instead, I wanted to urge Johnno to hold Bel close, to stare down into her eyes as he made her his over and over, because that connection was far more than any sexual conquest.

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