Page 7 of Hot Touch
Someone who could help me get out.
I dropped my camisole from my nose, and his footsteps faltered, almost as if he was looking at me. For whatever reason surprised by me. Taking in every detail of me. And old habits die hard.Is he worried about having to carry me? Is he thinking I’ll be too heavy?
Or maybe it was my pj’s? They didn’t leave a lot to the imagination, especially without a bra. My face felt hot, and I forced myself not to be embarrassed. I knew I was curvier and heavier than most, but like Jackie enjoyed to remind me, that meant I had big boobs and an ass. But because they were bigger boobs, they weren’t super perky. I hardly ever went without abra. Maybe he thought my boobs were saggy?Who cares!a voice shouted, snapping me out of my thoughts.
Something rumbled, and it felt like the building itself shook.
“Shit,” I cursed, my eyes wide.
“Let’s get out of here,” he ordered. I nodded. Then he moved in closer as I moved to meet him, and when I was within reach, he stopped. “Are you sure you’re okay?” I nodded and coughed, ready to get out of this place.
He took his mask off, and even though there was something covering his nose and mouth, I was shocked as I stared into the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. And my heart did this funny thing in my chest.
“Here,” he ordered. I looked at what he was offering me. “It’s oxygen,” he shared, and I coughed.
“Shouldn’t you have that?” I asked because he was the one who essentially knew what he was doing and how he was going to get out of us here. I’d be okay holding my breath if I needed to. But he simply shook his head, his gaze never wavering from mine, making me want to trust him.
“We can take turns.” He winked, and I nodded.
I put it over my face and breathed in fresher, cleaner air. The big fireman’s arms wrapped around my shoulders, and my body stiffened. Shocked I’d been so distracted by the oxygen I hadn’t noticed he was about to pick me up. I squeaked, making an embarrassing noise, when he lifted me up. Not in a fireman hold over his shoulder like you would expect. Nope. This beautiful blue-eyed hero lifted me up like a groom would his bride. My arms instinctually wrapped around his shoulders.
“I can walk.” My voice cracked, and I could have sworn he smirked or cracked a smile with the way those beautiful blue eyes brightened. He shook his head.
“You’re not wearing shoes, baby.” He held me like I weighed nothing.
“No, I’m serious,” I argued, seriously self-conscious and worried this man’s back would suddenly give out on him under my weight. “I can get some. They’re just in my closet. You’re going to hurt yourself—“ But he wasn’t listening to me.
He simply started to walk like he could carry me like his very own bride all day, every day. The heat from my living room shocked the breath out of me, and I gasped. It was hot, and the air was thick.
“Tuck your head into my neck, baby,” he ordered, and I nodded. But before I did what he asked, my head popped up and our eyes connected.
“You want your oxygen back?” I asked. He shook his head.
“Keep it, baby.”Baby?Maybe it was just something fireman called people to keep them calm? Growing up, my mom would call all our friends baby and honey when she’d pick us up from school or games, and it always made them feel like they were a part of the family.
“Tuck your face back in.” I nodded at his order and did as he asked. I could have sworn he’d saidgood girl,but I wasn’t sure. No, it had to be my imagination.
The moment we stepped out of my apartment, I’m not ashamed to admit I shut my eyes and tucked in closer to him. The material of his uniform was rough, but his body felt good against mine. Like he was big enough and strong enough to shield me against anything, the world if he needed to.A daddy, a voice in my head piped up. I pressed my lips together. A daddy like in some of my favorite romance novels.
I mean, logically, I knew he was just doing his job. But in that moment, I let my own delusion win. Letting my own thoughts drift to what it would be like to have a man in my life, a partner who would take care of me with the gentle, tender way the fireman with the beautiful eyes was doing. Overprotective without being overbearing. Someone sweet and kind whowouldn’t mind me cuddled up next to him while I read and he watched some game or movie.
I clung to him a little tighter.
If I made it through this, I would join a dating app. I’d go on dates and have one-night stands. I’d experience life, sex, and passion. Maybe get lucky and find love?
Cool, fresh air hit my legs before I felt it along my body, letting me know we’d made it out of the literal inferno I’d woken up to. The air was a lot colder than I’d expect from a late summer night, or maybe the temperature difference was a lot higher because of the fire we’d literally walked through; I wasn’t sure. I just knew my skin was covered in gooseflesh and I shivered.
But he didn’t stop and ask me to get down. To be fair, I didn’t stop clinging to him like he was the only thing that made sense.
Without beathing heavily, my blue-eyed fireman kept walking. Carrying me without panting as he moved farther and farther from the building. I could feel people around us, hear people talking to one another as well as into walkie talkies, but I didn’t glance up. For a moment, I could have sworn I felt his nose brush against my temple and breathe into my hairline. I wondered if he thought I smelled.
When he deemed us to be far enough from the building, he stopped walking. “Let me look at you, babe,” he ordered gruffly.
I pulled my head out of his neck and glanced up. Those bright, beautiful blue eyes bore into me, and it felt like time stopped. I’d always heard the saying. Read it in books. But I had never experienced it. Until now. Now it made sense. I swallowed while trying to make sense of it. Like somehow, someway, I was looking into the eyes of someone I knew. Who knew me. Who saw me. Someone who I was in my own world with.
But that was crazy! I knew I’d never met the man, who was still carrying me in his arms like I belonged to him. I couldn’t make out the features of his face or the color of his hair, butthe lines at the outer edges of his eyes crinkled as if he liked to smile. And something about that made my heart flutter while something warm and squishy washed through me.
“Nate!” a deep voice called out, snapping us out of whatever weird bubble we’d been in. Or more than likely, I had been in. For all I knew, he thought I was some weirdo girl just staring up at him adoringly. Something I was sure a man like him was used to. The voice got closer.
