Page 15 of Single Mom for the Firemen

Every now and then, I catch her shooting a look at me out of the corner of her eye. It’s as though she knows that I’m the one who’s going to be the hardest to impress, after what she pulled last week, and she’s checking that I’m still part of this and still having a good time. And there’s something about the way her eyes linger on me that makes it hard to think straight, in the best way possible.

Eventually, though, my head starts drooping. I’m tired, and I know I need to be up early for first patrol tomorrow.

“We should get going,” I announce when a lull in the conversation hits.

“Yeah, probably,” Mason agrees, rising to his feet. “This was great, Vanessa. Thanks for inviting us.”

“And thanks to Callie for the decoration,” I say. Callie flashes me a delighted grin, clearly pleased that I’ve paid attention to her contributions here.

“And that too,” Mason laughs.

Killian stays seated. “I’m going to hang around and help Vanessa clear up,” he replies, in a tone that could be mistaken for casual if you really don’t know my brother at all. He locks eyes with the two of us, and I know he’s silently telling us to get out of here so he can get this woman to himself. I’m almost tempted to call him out on it, but honestly, it’s way too funny to try and shut down.

And besides, I can’t say that I would miss the chance to be alone with her, if it was offered to me.

Mason and I head for the door, and Vanessa follows us. She’s still barefoot, and my eye trails to the flash of leg I can see beneath her dress. It could just be the wine talking, but I’m curious to know if she’s bare anywhere else too.

“It was so great to see you both tonight,” she tells us, leaning in to give Mason a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. He loops his arm around her waist for a moment, pressing her close to him, before he pulls back.

“And I hope the second impression I made was a whole lot better than my first!”

She moves in to hug me next, and for a moment, the scent of her drifts around my senses, filling me with a want I can’t control. I pull her in close to me before I can stop myself, both arms around her, inhaling the scent of her, letting myself get completely and utterly lost to it.

And then I remember where the hell I am, and what the fuck I’m doing—who the fuck this is, no less. Has it really been so long since I’ve been close to a woman that it hasthiskind of effect on me? Damn, I need to get it together…

“It has been,” Mason assures her, and I realize that I’m still standing there, silent, unsure of what to say.

“Uh, yeah, it was,” I blurt out quickly. I feel like if I don’t say something, then it’s going to be blazingly obvious what’s going through my mind right now, and the last thing I need is for her to find out.

“Good,” she replies, and she lifts a hand and waves. “I’ll see you guys soon, huh? And I won’t keep Killian for too long…”

As she heads back inside, Mason lets out a slight snort. “Yeah, I don’t know if she’s going to be getting rid of Killianthatquickly.”

“Agreed.”

The two of us hit the path, falling into silence. Though he doesn’t say anything, I can tell where Mason’s head is at. Because it’s the same place mine is at too—thinking about Killian and Vanessa, back at the house. And wishing that we could have been the ones to stay with her instead.

We make it back to the house without saying a word, though everything that has gone through my mind since she hugged me makes up for every sentence unspoken.

I head inside and go straight to my room. I want to be alone tonight. If I can’t be with her, at least.

7

VANESSA

“Areyou sure you don’t need help?”

I can’t help but laugh softly at how intent Callie is on being useful, even when she’s on the brink of passing out right there in my arms. I nod.

“I’m sure. But thank you. It’s very sweet of you to ask.”

I lean over and plant a kiss against her forehead, tugging up the covers around her shoulders.

“You get some rest. I’ve got Killian to help me out, remember?”

But I barely get a chance to finish what I’m saying before her breathing starts to smooth out and she falls into a deep sleep. For a moment, I just linger there, taking in the sight of her like this—my little girl, passed out for the count and ready to sleep the night away. She’s just like me, honestly.

I straighten up and head for the door, pulling it shut behind me and flicking out the light as I head downstairs to see how Killian is getting on.

---