Page 8 of Playing with Fire

Willa’s eyes pierced through him like she was trying to get a read on his aura, or soul, or whatever makes people who they are. Finally, she sighed and smiled at the cashier. “I guess it’s on him.” When she turned back to Beckett, the smile was still there but he could see her guard was back up a little. “I’m not always such a mess,” she mumbled.

Beckett’s eyes came together as he watched her curl into herself a little. “Who said you were a mess?” Fury at anyone who ever made her feel bad for a simple slip up ripples through him as did the need to draw her into his arms for a comforting hug. “We all forget things from time to time.”

Willa nodded, straightening herself again as the apprehension seemed to drain from her body. “Well, thank you.” She had all her groceries gathered and made to leave. Beckett knew that this might be his only shot, so if he was going to take it, he needed to move.

Passing the station credit card off to Dale, Beckett nodded for Willa to follow him toward the door. “You’re welcome.” Coughing into his hand, Beckett stood a little taller and decided to just go for it. “Earlier you said subtlety was overrated, so I am just going to go ahead and tell you that I like you and would love to take you out on a date.” Willa’s eyes widened with pleasure, but soon her apprehension returned.

Her teeth dug into the plush pink of her lower lip as she peered up at him. “I don’t know. I mean, we just met.”

Beckett reached up and started rubbing the back of his neck as he shrugged. “Well, how else were we supposed to get to know one another?” When he saw the wheels of her mind still turning, he smiled and tapped the department logo on my chest. “Tell you what. You know I’m a firefighter now. Why don’t you think about it, and come find me when you have your answer?”

Willa eyed him for a moment before nodding. “I can do that.”

No longer holding his breath, Beckett let the relief of making that first, small step fill his lungs along with some much needed oxygen. Smiling, he reached out to shake her hand. “Until then, it was nice talking to you Willa.”

Willa returned his smile and slipped her hand in his. Her skin was soft and smooth, and he couldn’t help but wonder if herwhole body felt the same. “You too, Kemp.” Her fingers trailed lightly along his as she pulled back and turned to leave.

Beckett would laugh at the ridiculousness of her thinking his first name was Kemp if it weren’t for one thing keeping him silent and rooted to the spot. The sensations traveling all throughout his body at the brief touch had him staring down at the place their palms were just joined, searching for tangible evidence of what he felt so strongly, more than he had ever felt it before. There was no visible mark on his skin, but there was one currently being burned onto his soul.

“What’s up, Kemp?” Dale asked as he joined Beckett.

There was a cart full of groceries to get to the truck and a drive back to the station to make, but Beckett couldn’t be bothered with any of that. He stared blankly at his hand for another moment before he met Dale’s gaze, his lips pulling back into a grin. “Sparks.”

Chapter Six

~Willa~

Apprehension coursed through Willa’s body as she made the final turn toward the trailhead where she’d agreed to meet Dan, her first match on the Apples to Apples app. He was a local and seemed like a nice enough guy, so when he messaged Willa and asked to meet up, she couldn’t think of a reason to say no. Dan worked as the manager of a small hobby farm on the edge of town, a job that allowed him to pursue his real passion, which was participating in as many outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, and river rafting as possible.

As someone whose favorite pastime was couch surfing and gossiping with her best friend, Willa realized they weren’t exactly a perfect match, but that was also kind of the appeal. Since this was her first foray into the dating world in a long while, Willa thought it would be good to take the pressure off by choosing someone who would be a good trial run, but not necessarily someone she saw much of a future with. Not like the sexy fireman from yesterday.

Kemp was an unusual name, but the only thing unusual about the man himself was just how drawn to him Willa had been. Obviously she’d felt attraction before, but nowhere near as powerfully as she had with him. Willa was helpless against his pull. No, not helpless. She felt herself goingwillingly, finding that no matter where he stood, her body angled toward his, her feet pointing in his direction. Even as she left the store, Willa found herself turning back more than once to catch another glimpse of his handsome face and tall, muscular body.

It wasn’t just his looks that had caught her attention, thoughby God, they were spectacular. Long thick legs and arms the size of pythons, one of which was covered in a half sleeve of near-black tattoos that disappeared up into his shirt.The intricate designs laid over hard muscle had short-circuited Willa’s brain, causing her mind to slip down a rabbit hole of wondering just how far they went and where else she might find them. His body seemed like a scavenger hunt that would reveal one delicious surprise after another.

The sheer height and mass on display had been a bit intimidating, but the open and inviting expression on his face coupled with his slow, easy smile had instantly put Willa at ease, making her want to curl up against his chest as his large hands ran through her hair. Never in her life had she wanted that, so to be hit with the desire so intensely had thrown her for a loop. It’s what had her scurrying out of the cereal aisle and almost leaving behind a week’s worth of groceries when she saw him again at the checkout.

It would have been so easy to say yes to dinner with him, but the fact that Willa could see a future with the man was what had her saying no, using the very lame “we just met” as her excuse. The last time she saw a future with someone, the relationship turned into something twisted, and she lost a lot of herself along the way. Willa liked to think she knew better now, but the truth was she just wasn’t sure she trusted herself yet. He didn’t seem like the type of guy to turn into a controlling monster, but Willa had thought the same thing about Jeff. It was better to stick with a surefire one-off for now. At least, that’s what she kept reminding herself as she pulled her older beater of a car into a parking space.

The parking lot was fairly empty, though that wasn’t surprising given the weather forecast. Dan assured her it was unlikely to rain until much later that night, but the gray clouds overhead weren’t giving Willa the same confidence. After giving herself a once over in the rearview mirror and deciding she looked as put together as she ever would, Willa stepped out to the main signpost, waving when she spotted Dan waiting for her.His long black hair was pulled back into a tight man bun, and he wore hiking gear from head to toe, resembling a model from a Patagonia catalog.

As Willa approached, she saw his expression go from one of excitement to confusion as he took in her own choice of apparel. “Willa?” he asked, still looking bewildered.

“That’s me,” she announced with a smile. It wasn’t quite genuine, but this was definitely a “fake it ‘til you make it” situation.

They shook hands. Willa felt nothing, not even a whiff of chemistry between them. Kemp’s touch had zapped her, waking her up from a long hibernation. He had lit up her nerves to the point where every sensation was magnified tenfold. Dan’s touch was the opposite, like slipping into a tub filled with tepid water, experiencing nothing but disappointment and slight irritation at the lack of heat.

Dan’s gray eyes moved up and down her body, but not with interest. Instead of leaving a trail of heat on her skin, like Beckett’s perusal of her body had, Dan’s left her feeling cold. He scrutinized Willa’s outfit and, from the slightly curled upper lip on his face, he found her wanting. His expression reminded her a little too much of Jeff. She already regretted going to this date.

“Is that what you’re wearing for the hike?” His tone was slightly patronizing, but he seemed to be an expert in the outdoor arena, so she gave him a pass this time.

Slightly irked by her date, Willa peered at her jean shorts, oversized chambray top, and sneakers, shrugging at what she had previously thought was a pretty good choice, given the activity. “Yeah. I mean, I’m from Florida, so hiking is more of a short walk down to the shoreline, but I think I’ll be good.” Her eyes tilted up at the sun that managed to just peek through the clouds. “Besides, you said it won’t rain until later, right?”

“I did,” he agreed, his voice skeptical. Dan’s expressionshifted and he smiled politely as he gestured toward the trail. “Shall we?”

As they started what Dan assured her was an easy, one-mile hike, they made small talk about where they were from and what they did for a living. He seemed to be impressed that Willa worked for the mayor, even when she mentioned only having been there a week. He spoke fondly about his own job before they switched topics to their shared interests, of which they had very few.

“You really don’t ever want to go spelunking?” When Dan turned to Willa, he stared at her as if she’d grown a second head. Apparently, he couldn’t imagine someone not wanting to partake in the wonders of cave exploration while she couldn’t fathom why someone would.

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