Just Count on Me: Counting on Love Prequel (4 page)

“It’s okay,” Sam told her, his face tight with emotion. “It’s okay. You didn’t mean for anything to happen.”

“But I should have—”

“Yes,” Sam interrupted. “You should have. But it’s over now. Everyone’s okay and that’s what we should
all
be concentrating on.”

Sara was next passed to Ben, then Jessica. Then Conner.

He’d been standing at the end of the hugging line and gave her a huge grin as she came face to face with him.

“I’m right here, where you told me to be.” He essentially directed the comment at Mac.

Mac gripped both hands into fists. Okay, Conner could hug her. He’d been great tonight. He’d been focused and commanding, yet lighthearted on the phone with Sara to keep her calm. He’d directed his crew, he’d worked with the firefighters, he’d taken care of the kids that needed him.

Fine. He could have one hug.

Sara stepped into his embrace and it was a nice, platonic hug.

For exactly three seconds.

Then Conner dipped her back and put his lips to hers.

In a very non-platonic kiss.

Mac’s fists clenched harder and he could almost feel the satisfying thud of his fist meeting Conner’s jaw. He stepped forward. “Dixon, you’re going to hurt for days.”

As if that was his cue, Conner brought Sara back upright and grinned at her. “And that, sweetheart, is just a little of what you’re missing.” Then he spun her toward Mac and sauntered off.

Mac had to admit that Sara looked a little stunned…and not at all pissed off.

Mac took her shoulders in both hands. “You okay?”

Sara’s eyes widened. “Well…yeah.”

She said it as if it was the dumbest question he’d ever asked. Gabby snorted behind him and Sam was clearly fighting a smile.

“Uh, huh. I think you might need treatment after all. Clearly there’s something wrong with your head,” Mac told her.

Sara exchanged a glance—and a grin—with Gabby. Which Mac completely noticed.

“Sure,” Sara said. “That must be where these tingles are coming from.”

Mac gave a little growl, then swung her up into his arms and headed for the ambulance that would take them back to St. Anthony’s. “I think I need to remind you what
real
tingles are like.”

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”

Part Five

“The locker room is off limits for the next thirty minutes.”

Sara buried her face in Mac’s neck and giggled as he strode through the break room the paramedics used at St. Anthony’s. There was no question what he was talking about—exactly why he’d carried her through the break room like this.

He was still technically on the clock, but he needed to shower and he was taking her with him.

Not that she couldn’t use a shower. But this was much more than a convenient way to get clean—this was a way of staking his claim

Conner Dixon was in the break room.

As was her big brother.

“Seriously?” Sam demanded from where he was standing next to the coffee pot. “You couldn’t just walk through quietly?”

“She’s pregnant,” Dooley said, throwing a Styrofoam cup at Sam. “Probably time to get over the Mac and Sara having sex thing.”

“Yuck,” Sam muttered.

But Sara knew it was a strange day when Mac not only failed to respond to Sam with the usual very suggestive comment about his and Sara’s sex life, but he didn’t even slow down.

He’d swept her into his arms as soon as the ER doctor had said “she’s fine”, clearly on a mission.

As if Mac had to stake his claim. Everyone knew she belonged to him. Even Conner. Especially Conner. If Mac wasn’t madly in love with her and she wasn’t head over heels for him, Conner would never joke and tease as he did.

Not that it wasn’t fun being the object of Conner’s supposed obsession.

He was a good-looking, charming guy who seemed to know a bit about romance. His four sisters had likely taught him a thing or two about how to get on a girl’s good side.

And he could kiss.

She giggled and Mac squeezed her. “What’s funny?”

“Nothing,” she quickly assured him, running her hand up the side of his neck. “I’m just feeling good.”

“You do feel good.”

She smiled. He was trying to keep his tone and words light but she knew he was on edge. Not because of Conner. Not really. Conner pushed his buttons, no doubt about it, but the tension vibrating through Mac’s body as he held her wasn’t Conner related. It was about her and their baby and the fire. And when she thought about it she got choked up. Knowing that he was hurting, that he was letting himself think about all of the horrible things that could have happened, made her hurt.

She’d been in love with Mac for years before she’d done anything about it. But even in her best daydreams she hadn’t imagined being loved back as fiercely and deeply as she was by him. It had taken him some time to come around, but when he had—her heart sometimes felt like it couldn’t hold all the emotions he made her feel.

He’d helped her make a home, he’d helped her find her place, he’d helped her become a mother, he’d helped her become less selfish while making her feel treasured. She was a better woman since he’d been in her life. And even when she’d been in love with him as a kid, had him on a pedestal, thought he was perfect, she’d felt nothing compared to how she felt about the real man.

So, him hurting, made her hurt.

He shoved the door to the locker room open, stepped inside and swung her feet to the floor before turning and locking the door.

“What if the guys need something in here for a call?” she asked.

He started unbuttoning his shirt. “Don’t care.”

“You don’t care about the victims they’ll be going out to help?” she asked, knowing it wasn’t true.

“They’ve got everything they need for the call out there. In here they’ve got extra socks, gum and hair gel. They’ll be fine.”

She laughed. “Besides, you said it would only be thirty minutes.”

He tossed his shirt to the side and toed off his shoes. “You feeling especially dirty?”

She breathed in relief. He was teasing. That was a good sign.

She pulled her shirt up and off, letting it drop on top of his. “I always feel dirty when you’re around.”

He stepped in close, possessive heat in his eyes. Then his gaze shifted to her cheek and his brows pulled down. He lifted a hand and ran his thumb over her cheekbone.

“Mac?” She could feel the change in his emotions.

“Soot,” he said simply. When his gaze returned to her eyes there was pain again.

She put her hand against his face. “Stop it. I’m fine. We’re fine.”

His head dropped forward and he took a deep shuddering breath. “I know. Deep down I know that. But…” He lifted his head. “Let’s get the smoke smell out of your hair. That’ll help.”

He went to the shower stall and turned on the water, letting it warm up. “Come here, Princess.”

The nickname never failed to make her tummy flip. She crossed the cold tile floor to him, limping only slightly on her sore ankle and trying to hide even that. It was a twist, not even a sprain. She was fine. But if Mac saw it…

“Dammit.” He met her, hoisted her up against him with one arm and turned toward the shower, setting her down just outside.

“It barely hurts.”

“Just let me…take care of you.”

He always took care of her. Always.

He reached behind her and unhooked her bra. She let it slide from her shoulders and drop to the floor. His eyes heated slightly as he looked at her breasts. They were definitely bigger with the pregnancy and while he’d never complained before, she knew he loved holding the heavier weights.

He cupped one, brushing his thumb over her nipple. Increased sensitivity was another plus to the new hormones. She gasped and pressed closer.

His other hand got busy on the button at the front of her jeans. With surprising dexterity he got the button undone and the zipper down.

She hooked her thumbs in the waistband of the jeans and her panties, pushing both to the floor and stepping out of them.

She reached for him next, but he stepped back. “In the shower.”

She had no hesitation about sex in the shower, but he was overdressed. “Mac—”

Again he picked her up and put her inside the shower stall, right under the spray. She was drenched before she could protest.

“You’re coming in, right?” she asked, swiping her wet hair back from her face.

“I’ll…” He cleared his throat. “Let me wash your hair.”

Sara took a deep breath. He was holding back. She could feel it. She hated when he did this. It hadn’t happened in a long time but Mac had a misplaced idea about how vulnerable and fragile she was sometimes. It had faded before the pregnancy, but since he’d found out that she was expecting their first baby it had amped up again.

“Come in here with me,” she said, running her fingers through her hair.

The motion thrust her breasts forward and she knew her husband wouldn’t be able to resist getting closer.

She was right.

He shucked out of his pants, leaving his underwear on, and stepped into the shower with her.

He grabbed the generic shampoo from the shelf and poured some into his palms. Sara turned to present her back to him and sighed with pleasure as his hands began massaging the shampoo into her hair, his fingers pressing deliciously against her scalp before spreading the suds along the long tresses. But it wasn’t long until his slippery hands slid over her shoulders and down to cup her breasts.

His thumbs rubbed the stiff points and she reached back, her hands on his butt as she pressed against his erection.

“How’s my hair smell now?” she asked huskily.

She felt his deep breath.

“Lemony,” he answered.

She smiled and turned, tipping her head back to rinse the shampoo.

His hands drifted over her waist to her hips, but he simply held her, watching.

When the soap was gone, she looked up at him, trying to read his expression. He looked thoughtful. Not exactly hot or turned on, which frankly was a little tough on her ego.

Whenever she was naked, he looked hot and turned on.

“Mac?”

“I could have lost you today.” He drew in a deep breath. “Jesus, Sara.”

He almost never called her Sara. He called her Princess and honey.

“You didn’t lose me. I’m here. I’m right here.” She put her hands at the back of his head and pulled him in for a kiss. He was a lot taller than her, even when she wore heels, which she definitely wasn’t at the moment. But he bent to meet her lips.

The kiss wasn’t intended to be sweet. She needed to show him that she was fine, not fragile, not hurt. She was more than fine.

She opened her mouth under his, stroking his lower lip with her tongue. He groaned and she felt his fingers curl into her hips as he brought her closer.

Sara tipped her head, pressing her body against his.

His hands moved to her butt and lifted her slightly, bringing her up against him more fully.

“Make love to me, Mac,” she whispered against his lips. “I need you.”

“You were just—”

“I’m fine. I’m great.” And she’d prove it. She moved her mouth to his ear and bit his lobe gently. Then she moved her lips to his neck, then his collar bone and down to one nipple, where she licked, then sucked.

One of his hands went to the back of her head. “Sara,” he said, roughly. “We shouldn’t—”

“Everyone in the break room thought I was about to get some…including me,” she reminded him. “You better not back out now.”

He chuckled lightly. “It doesn’t matter what they think.”

She knew deep down that was true. What did matter was what
Mac
thought and right now he was consumed by thoughts about what could have happened, about a loss that he
could have
sustained. He needed to think about what he had, what was here and now, what was alive and well.

She licked over his ribs and the well-defined muscles of his abs. She wanted him to lift her up against the shower wall and thrust deep. And she knew exactly how to make that happen.

“Sara.” His hand tangled in her hair and he stopped her southward progression.

But she on her knees, with her mouth at his belly button and she’d just slid his wet briefs out of the way. She wrapped her hand around his cock, stroking then squeezing the hot shaft.

“Yeah, babe?” she asked, lifting her eyes to his face as she clasped his throbbing erection.

His hot gaze met hers. “I don’t remember.”

“Was it something about me not feeling well or not being up for this or something else ridiculous?”

“Maybe. But it might have been ‘put your sweet mouth on my cock’.”

She grinned and licked her lips. “That’s better.”