Page 61 of Heating Up (Nugget)
“Like what?” Harlee insisted.
“Like signs I can’t talk about. Not yet, anyway. But good try.”
“All right, I’ll check back with you later. I’ve got to get going. Now I’ve got two big stories. Thanks, Dana. You rock, girlfriend.”
When Harlee left, Aidan asked, “What was that about?”
“I got it confirmed that Ray Rosser has accepted a plea bargain. And . . . Ray accepted my buyer’s offer. It looks like the deal is going through.”
Aidan lifted her in the air and spun her around. “You did it.”
Dana grabbed onto Aidan’s shoulders, afraid he’d drop her, and quickly scanned the room for Carol, who seemed to have disappeared.
“I’ve got you, you know?” He continued to hold her as if she weighed nothing.
“Aidan, stop. I’m getting dizzy.”
“Kiss me first.”
“What? . . . Why?”
“Because I want you to.” He’d stopped the spinning and slowly put her down on the floor, tipping her head back so he could go in for the kiss.
It started out slow at first, just his lips brushing her lips, soft and supple. When she twined her arms around his neck, he went in for more, melding his mouth to hers, working his way between her lips with his tongue. He tasted so good, like warm, sweet breath and yearning. Cradling the back of her head in his big hands, he hummed his pleasure as he took the kiss deeper. She could feel further evidence of his desire hard against her belly and pushed herself into him as close as she could get without crawling inside of him. He felt so good. Strong, solid, and safe.
And that was when the little voice in her head reminded her that Aidan was on the rebound. He was strong, solid, and safe for the woman he’d lost and still loved. Not for her. For her, he was heartbreak waiting to happen. So little by little, as difficult as it was, she inched away from the kiss, trying to find her equilibrium.
Aidan reached out to steady her, running his thumb over her swollen lips. “You okay?”
“Yes. But we shouldn’t do that in my office.” Or anywhere.
“Then let’s go home and do it.” He tossed her a cheeky grin. The rogue.
“I have work,” she said but couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to go home with Aidan McBride as his lover instead of his roommate. If his kiss was any indication, he’d be good. Probably the best she’d ever had, which wasn’t saying all that much.
“What about celebrating?”
“Still don’t want to jinx it. No celebrating until the place closes escrow.”
“I get that, but we’ve gotta do something.” He scrubbed the scruff on his face as if he was thinking about where they could go.
“We already went out to dinner last night,” she said.
“So, why can’t we do it again, or something else fun? Let’s go bowling.”
“Don’t you have an arsonist to find?” she asked.
“Sweetheart, it’s not like the movies, where I spend my days and nights buried in the case. At this point we’re in a holding pattern. But I’m a very patient man.” He winked at her like that last statement had a double meaning.
Maybe Sue had left him because he was a big flirt and a lady’s man. Otherwise, she’d been crazy. Who would willingly give up a man like Aidan McBride, firefighter hero, builder of closet organizers, and kisser extraordinaire? And someone who seemed to truly know what it meant to be a friend.
“I’ll go bowling,” she said, although she’d only gone once in her life, as Griffin’s date at one of Harlee and Darla’s bowling parties. It had been humiliating. Everyone at the party knew Griffin was in love with Lina and that Dana had been a mere placeholder.
“I’ll pick you up at six. We’ll start our date with dinner.”
“It’s not a date, Aidan. Just two friends and roommates hanging out.”
“You call it what you want,” he said. “I’m calling it a date, which is my First Amendment right.”
