Page 30 of Frosting and Flames

I chuckle. “Maybe. But I swear I’ll be a good influence, too.”

I realize then I’m fully reclined against the chair cushions, my legs tucked up underneath me. Wait, we’re supposed to be working, not chatting. Leaning forward, I grab my list of fundraiser ideas off the coffee table and hand it to Nick.

“I put together some ideas if you want to look them over.”

His brows raise. “You did all this already? Shit. I feel like a slacker.”

“No, no. I don’t mind researching stuff like this. Honestly.”

He looks like he doesn’t believe me, but turns his attention to the list, reading it through.

I peek over at him, my gaze snagging on his tattoo, fully visible in the shirt he’s wearing today. The intricate knotwork coils around his arm in bold, black ink, perfectly aligned with the contours of his muscles. Subtle shading gives it a three-dimensional effect, making the lines appear to twist and weave beneath his skin. I have the sudden urge to stroke a hand over it, to discover what it feels like, and when I shake off the thought, I look up to find him watching me.

It’s that moment in high school all over again, a spark of intensity I can’t brush away as my imagination. Not when I feel it so acutely.

There’s awareness in his eyes. Of me. Of him. Alone together in my house.

I get up and head to the kitchen, pouring myself a glass of cold water. I’m acting crazy. Certifiably insane.

“Do you want anything to drink?” I ask, trying to explain away my reaction. “I have water and Diet Coke.” I open the fridge, searching for something else. There’s only almond milk, which I doubt he wants.

“I’m fine,” he says, no trace of anything I was feeling in his voice.

“I was looking at your tattoo,” I say, gesturing toward his arm from the safety of the kitchen. “Does it have any special meaning?”

He glances down and shrugs. “No, I just thought it looked cool. I was eighteen when I got it.”

“It looks good on you.” I swallow hard, my throat full of cotton. “I mean, cool. I mean, not on you, specifically. The tattoo’s design is cool. It’s Celtic, right?”

Jesus Christ, what is up with me? I take a gulp of water, but it somehow goes down the wrong way and I splutter, then cough uncontrollably. It seems to echo through the house, tears springing to my eyes, my face flushing.

“Are you okay?” Nick asks, concern all over his face as he gets up from the couch and joins me in the kitchen.

I nod, incapable of speaking at the moment, and turn my back to him, unable to believe myself. Let me crawl in a hole and die right now.

His touch is featherlight on my shoulder, but burns hotter than it should through the cotton of my shirt, like a brand. I squeeze my eyes shut, not understanding how I both want to slink away so he’ll never touch me again and ask him to keep it there, reveling in the warmth. It suddenly seems like forever since a man touched me.

Not that he’s touching me. He’s probably trying to figure out why I went berserk.

I turn, his hand dropping, and smile as best I’m able.

“Sorry,” I whisper. More like croak, actually. “The water.” I point to my chest, as if that explains it.

He nods, bewilderment still lingering. “Do you need anything?”

I shake my head. “Tell me what you think of the list.”

Giving me one last glance, he returns to the couch and picks up my list of fundraiser ideas. “The chili cookoff sounds cool. Honestly, all of these are great. I bet the kids in town would love this firefighter for a day one.”

“Maybe we could do a separate day for adults and kids.” Oh, good. My voice is back to normal. I return to the living room and take my seat in the armchair again. “I don’t know if there would be liability issues, though.”

He rubs his jaw, studying the paper. “Right. I’d have to ask Chief.”

He’d only called him Chief during the pancake breakfast, too. “You don’t use his first name?”

Frowning, he says, “I guess I never really thought about it. I’ve been calling him that since I was fifteen.”

“When you did community service?” I ask hesitantly. It’s the closest we’ve come to acknowledging what happened after the fire. Well, other than when I went on that tirade to Kyle in front of Nick.

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