Page 36 of Four Firemen For Christmas

“Oh?” She wiggled her eyebrows and lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “Do you need something taken care of?” Her gaze dropped to my belt and her tongue darted out between her lips.

This woman. She likely had no idea the effect she had on me.

I didn’t bother hiding my erection as I smiled and raised my palms. “That depends on you, sweetheart.”

“Hmm.” The look in her eyes was utter devilry and playful abandon. She propped her elbows on the counter on either side of her plate and dropped her chin into her hands.

The bulge in my pants grew hotter with every look she shot my direction. Her lips puckered in a perfect O, and she drummed her pink nails on her cheeks while watching me. She waited for me to say it, and I obliged. “I’d like to have sex with you.”

Alex dropped his fork. It hit his plate with a clang and bounced, skidding across the counter. “You came here to ask Emma to have sex?”

“Something like that.” I knew he wouldn’t want me to admit I came to check on him. So I left that part out.

Emma’s brows drew together slightly as her foot jigged up and down on the stool.

No time like the present to come right out and ask her. It’d been on my mind all day and kept me awake most of the night. If she said no, then at least I had an answer. What was the worst that could happen?

Alex picked up his fork and started to eat. He seemed oblivious to the need growing between me and Emma. That or he was ignoring it. I’d seen his reaction to her touch, though. The boy was hurting something fierce. He wanted Emma.

“Here’s the thing.” I looked deep into her eyes and prayed this turned out well for all of us. “Alex needs you too.”

Her gaze darted over to Alex, taking him in with a slow sweep of those intelligent brown eyes.

“The fuck?” Alex muttered.

I forged ahead. “Have you thought about what we said? I said you could come to any of us, but do you think you could handle both of us?” I pointed at myself, then at Alex, and back to myself.

My pulse jumped when Emma didn’t answer right away. Had I misjudged the situation? She wanted me, that had been obvious since we met. And I’d thought she wanted Alex. Maybe it was the idea of having both at the same time?

She’d already had Derek and Henry, this seemed like the logical next step.

17

ALEX

“You don’t make calls like that for me.” I shoved my plate aside and pushed to my feet. I couldn’t believe the nerve it took for him to tell Emma that shit. He put me on the spot, and I didn’t care for it one bit. My dick had other ideas, and it pulsed hard as thoughts of sex with Emma took hold. I sank back onto the stool and dropped my arm across my lap.

Emma looked back and forth between us, a tiny line between her eyes showing her surprise and concern. I’d burned myself while trying to figure out how to approach her about sex. Then Samuel came in and blurted it out like it was nothing more than asking how she liked her coffee. Which was with lots of cream and sugar. I figured that out yesterday.

I wanted to have sex with Emma, but not when it sounded like they were making a sacrifice to include me.

“It’s true.” Samuel turned that impenetrable gaze my way and held out both hands. “Sorry to blurt it out like that, but I thought she should know.”

“It’s not your decision.” I pointed at him, and then at Emma. “Or yours. If I want to have sex, then I’ll say so. Don’t talk about me like I’m not here.”

I’d thought Samuel respected me, but this showed that maybe I was wrong.

“Okay. Jeez.” Samuel shucked his coat and tossed it onto the coat rack behind the door.

Emma’s eyes followed the motion, and her already flushed face deepened from pink to red. What was that all about?

He rolled up his sleeves and started washing the dishes. “Forget I said anything, if that’s how you want to play it.”

I shifted on the stool, trying to hide my erection from Emma. “That’s how I want to play it. No offense, Emma.”

She shrugged. “It’s fine. I would never try to make you have sex with me.” Her gaze dropped to my lap and her lips twitched. “But that erection is telling a different story.” She tapped her fingers on her cheeks again. “Which one is real, and which is the lie?”

“I can be horny but not want to have sex.” I rolled my eyes and then pinned Samuel with a glare. “Not everyone understands that.”

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