Page 20 of The Firefighter's Angel
Maybe he was right, maybe I am ruined for anyone else.
His slow thrusts turn into a rough rhythm, and it isn’t long before he’s called forth another orgasm from within me, like he can command my pleasure at his whim.
By the time I make it out of bed and into the shower, my whole body is sore in the best way possible.
I take a long, relaxing shower, letting the warm water soothe my aching muscles. Closing my eyes, I lean back against shower wall and let my mind wander, thinking about…last night, this morning…how it’s all so life-altering. Not just the way he touches me, but the way he looks at me. Like I matter. Like he sees something in me no one else ever has.
Minutes later, I pad barefoot into the main room, the floorboards warm under my feet from the morning sun streaming through the wide windows. The scent of coffee and something delicious hits me before I even round the corner.
Daniel’s at the stove, shirtless, in a pair of low-slung sweatpants that hang off his hips in a way that should be illegal. His back muscles flex as he flips something in a skillet, and my mouth goes dry for a second. Not just from the view, but from the way he glances over his shoulder and grins at me like I’m his entire world.
“Hey, baby,” he says, his voice thick with warmth. “Feel better?”
I nod, leaning against the doorway. “Better than I have in…maybe ever.”
He jerks his chin toward the coffee pot. “Poured you a cup. It’s on the counter.”
“God, I think I love you.” I sigh dramatically, making my way over.
His chuckle rumbles from across the room. “That all it takes? Coffee and pancakes?”
“Well, that and last night,” I tease, shooting him a look as I take a long sip. “Which, by the way…still recovering.”
He looks ridiculously smug about that, and I kind of love it.
I hop up on the edge of the kitchen counter, legs swinging, as he plates two stacks of pancakes and sets them down on the small table near the window. We eat quietly for a few minutes, just the sound of the birds outside and the occasional hum from the coffee pot filling the space.
“You ever think about this?” I ask softly after a moment, watching steam curl from my mug.
“About what?”
“This. You know…a quiet morning. With someone. Making pancakes. Drinking coffee. This peace.”
Daniel’s eyes find mine across the table. “I’ve thought about it a lot more than I’d ever admit.”
A smile tugs at my lips. I take another bite, then set down my fork, tucking my legs beneath me on the chair.
“I always had this silly dream,” I admit. “I used to picture myself in a little cabin somewhere like this, running a tiny trinket shop or a secondhand bookstore or something. Just enough to get by. Living simple. Far from all the noise.”
Daniel sets his coffee down slowly. “That’s not silly at all.”
I raise my eyes to his.
“In fact,” he says, leaning forward slightly, “sounds like it fits real well into the life I’ve been picturing lately.”
I freeze for half a second, heart skipping. “You’ve been picturing a life? Like…with me?”
He shrugs, but the soft grin he gives me is enough to send warmth flooding through my chest. “Let’s just say…a few days ago, I didn’t know what the hell was missing. But now that you’re here?” His eyes burn into mine. “Everything makes sense.”
My throat tightens, and I look down at my coffee, then back up at him. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Dead serious, baby girl.”
I reach across the table and slide my hand into his, and he holds on like he’s never letting go, his thumb stroking gently over my knuckles.
I’m still scared. Still wondering what happens when this bubble pops. But right now, in this cabin, with his hand in mine and his voice wrapping around me like a promise…I start to believe.
Not just in him.
