Sweetest Temptations (5 page)

6

I raced through a shower and did all my lady business in record time, hopping in my car with only minutes to spare. Thankfully, I was able to fend off Dexter’s attack; otherwise I would likely still be scrubbing chocolate from my cleavage. Light traffic and a lead foot had me pulling into the adjacent parking lot as the digital clock on the radio changed over to four on the dot.

Turning off the engine, I stared at the brick building warily, wondering what the hell I was doing. For the first time in a long time, my nerves were rattled. Kennedy was the first man I had dated—really dated—in forever. This was our second date, which indicated a certain level of seriousness was brewing, and I felt like a fish out of water. Here I was, a celibate single woman who had, thus far, only dated the occasional weirdo.

Now, I was going on my second date with a guy that burned my socks off my feet with just a look. Already, just sitting inside the stuffy confines of my car, I felt more exposed than if I were completely naked in front of a roomful of people. In just a few short moments, I would be walking into a place full of men I’d ogled every summer since I could remember, and one of them was mine. What would I say? Would they like me? Did I choose the right outfit? Would I—

The knocking on my window startled me, and I jumped. Twisting my head around, I saw Kennedy, bent slightly at the waist, smiling down at me. “You coming in?” he asked, his voice muffled. “Or should I wait until you pass out from heat exhaustion and rescue you?”

My smile was instant, and so was the vibrant blush I felt rising up on my cheeks. He stepped back and I inhaled deeply. Tossing my keys into my purse, I popped the door open and swung my legs out. Kennedy’s hand shot out, palm up, and I took it, allowing him to help me out. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, pretty lady.” He leaned in, and not knowing how to proceed—kiss him?—my brain fritzed out and I turned my head at the last second to give him my cheek. He kissed me, and the simple, friendly act made my knees grow weak. “I hope you brought your appetite,” he said to me as he laced our fingers together and guided me inside.

The firehouse was exactly what I had expected as we walked inside. There were two fire engines parked at the head of the building, perched just inside the open garage doors. Kennedy walked us right between them, giving me an up close and personal view of all the buttons and knobs, and hoses that looked like they weighed a ton.

He gave me a brief tour, showing me where they kept their gear, where they ate, showered, and slept. His bed was one of many, all lined up in a single room, dorm style. Or an orphanage. Either would be accurate.

As I scoped the place out, there was one thing that seemed out of place. “Where is everyone?”

Kennedy shined his clear eyes on me and smiled. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

Leading me by the hand, he took us back through the garage to a door opposite the one we entered through. The bright sunlight gleaming off a glass-top table temporarily blinded me, which was probably a good thing because it gave me time to collect myself. My senses perked up at the sound of deep male voices.

“Guys, I’d like you all to meet Abigail Satcher.”

Immediately, I pasted on a smile that turned genuine the moment my vision cleared and I caught sight of the group of men standing around the small, intimate patio, all eyes on me. They were gorgeous, all bright smiles and hard muscles. The scene reminded me of a pin-up calendar—one I had paid good money for in the past—a hot firefighter for every month of the year. Suddenly feeling a little shy, I raised my hand and gave a small wave. “Hi.”

The man standing to my right, the one I just noticed manning the smoky grill, switched the tongs from his right hand to his left, and offered it to me. “I’m Jack,” he said with a smile that revealed a set of dimples. He cast his gaze out to each of the men. “And that’s Blake, Darrel, Jessie, Ray, Bob, Alex, and Art. It’s nice to meet you.”

I smiled a greeting to each of them, my memory already blanking on their names. “Nice to meet you all,” I said pleasantly. Then, because I felt awkward and didn’t know what to say, I focused on the one thing I knew a little about. “What are you working on over there?” I asked, lifting my chin toward the grill.

“Oh.” Jack’s smile widened. “Just a few of the basics. Brats, dogs, burgers, ribs, wings, corn cobs. You know, a light afternoon snack.” He laughed, patting his flat stomach. “You guys are sticking around, right? There’s plenty for everyone.”

The rich smell of burning charcoal mixed with sizzling meat made my mouth water, and my stomach suddenly felt very empty. I looked to Kennedy in askance. Reading the question in my eyes, he gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “Yep, that’s the plan.”

If this had been his plan, to invite me to a weekend brunch with the boys, then color me pleased. Despite my earlier apprehension, now that I had been introduced and could see that these men were just…men, some of the tension in my shoulders was beginning to ease.

Kennedy dug a couple of bottled waters from a large cooler and passed one to me, then claimed a corner of the patio. Leaning into the iron railing, he pulled me in front of him, aligning my back to his front. It was a very forward movement, something that I normally wouldn’t expect from a second date, but the heat and hardness of his body against mine made me feel more at home in this foreign territory, and I welcomed it.

A couple of the guys, whose names I couldn’t even begin to recall, came over to chat. They shared stories about Kennedy, about some of the runs they had been on with him, how daring he was, how courageous. They told me of some of the pranks they played on each other around the house, making me laugh so hard my eyes watered and my stomach hurt. All the while, Kennedy kept one arm around my waist, holding me close.

We stayed on the patio for over an hour, eating and drinking, sharing tales. Kennedy told his friends about
Sweetest Temptations
, which set off a round of questions and praises that made me blush as much as it made me proud. They loved my treats, describing their favorite one, wanting to know what else I offered. It seemed I had gained lifelong clients, and since Kennedy knew the owner—me—personally, he had been tasked with keeping them in full supply.

I was still smiling from the conversation we were just having as I walked to the garbage to toss mine and Kennedy’s paper plates, when the toe of my sandal caught one of the wooden planks and I pitched forward.

An alarmed squeak escaped me, but it was enough to grab Kennedy’s attention. As I crashed down, I heard plastic chair legs slide loudly across the deck. Unfortunately, Kennedy was not Superman and he had no super speed.

“Jesus, Abby, are you okay?” The question came in several different tones, from several different voices, and from all directions. The one I focused on belonged to the man already knelt in front of me. His attention was fixed on me as he gently rolled me onto my back. I saw the tension in the fine lines around his eyes as he studied me, searching for injuries. I also saw concern as he located the area of my knee where I could feel it beginning to burn with the prick of a thousand needles. And I could see regret, the kind that probably comes from being a hero who didn’t make it in time.

“I’m okay,” I grunted, attempting to reassure him. “It’s just a scrape—Ouch!! What the hell?” I looked down, seeing Jack crouched at my feet, his thick, calloused fingers probing my wounds. “Do you mind? That’s raw flesh you’re manhandling.”

“Sorry.” Funny, but he didn’t look the least bit sorry at all. I’m thinking it was the slight smirk that gave him away.

Kennedy moved in closer, positioning himself behind me and framing my head in his hands, stopping me from unleashing holy hell on his friend. “Stay still for me, Abby. I want to get you checked out and make sure you didn’t get hurt anywhere else.”

I looked up at him, seeing his assessing eyes roaming over me and I could tell right away that he had shifted into professional fireman mode. One of the guys picked up my hand and pressed two fingertips into my wrist, staring at his watch as he took my vitals. Jack had moved on from my knees and was now scoping out my abraded palms. Everyone else had moved on and was either eating again, or talking. But they were all focused on me in some way or another, and I felt the telltale heat of embarrassment begin climbing into my cheeks.

“This really isn’t necessary,” I told Kennedy, keeping my voice low. “I don’t need any more attention than I am already getting.” I felt like a complete idiot, although I shouldn’t. People fell all the time, right?
Right
.

His eyes dropped to mine and his lips twitched. “Just let me take care of you. It’s good for my ego.”

I rolled my eyes. Well, when he put it that way, how could I deny him?

A moment later, Jack stood, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “The wounds are superficial. Just a few scrapes. They probably sting like a sonovabitch though, am I right?”

I could have told him that.

Satisfied with his friend’s assessment, Kennedy helped me to my feet. “Hell, yes, they do,” I declared, grimacing as the skin on my knees shifted, highlighting the prickle of pain where air kissed broken skin.

“Ray?” Kennedy asked, turning his attention to the guy who checked my vitals.

“Everything is good, man.”

Seemingly satisfied with their verdicts, Kennedy cupped my elbow and tugged me toward the door. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

I followed him through the firehouse’s main floor to a private bathroom where he grasped my waist and deposited me on the edge of the sink counter. Without a word, Kennedy dug around in the cabinet below my feet. When he came back up, he held the makings of a first-aid kit.

Slipping my sandal off, Kennedy set it on the counter beside me, and then placed my bare foot against his chest, pressing just hard enough to keep it in place. I felt a string of butterflies fluttering in my stomach on contact, but I found that I liked where I was—in Kennedy’s strong, capable hands.

“You don’t have to do this,” I told him, but my protest was weak, even to my own ears.

Kennedy glanced up at me, studying me closely for a few seconds. “I know.”

Those two words held so much power, so much promise. They said that he wanted to be here with me, he wanted to take care of me. Or maybe I was reading more into it than I should. Either way, I said nothing. I just continued to watch Kennedy go to work on me, using his hands to fix me up.

In the cramped confines of the room, there was nowhere else to look but at Kennedy, which wasn’t a hardship. He was gorgeous, especially when he was in his element, as he so clearly was now. His brows pulled together as he concentrated on dabbing the dried blood from my knee with a wet cloth. Once he sufficiently cleaned the area, he reached for a bottle of disinfectant. “This might sting a little,” he muttered, just before he rained unholy fire on me.

“Ah!” My leg jerked, trying to break free, but Kennedy gripped my ankle. I sucked air through my teeth, willing the burn to go away, when I caught him watching me.

Holding my eyes, Kennedy slowly lowered his head and I found myself beginning to relax as I watch his lips pucker. He blew gently on the area, soothing the burn, and my muscles slowly began to unwind. “Better?” I nodded. “Good.”

I watched his fingers as he finished cleaning and bandaging me up. I was mesmerized by the steady, confident,
competent
way in which he worked, the way the muscles in his arms flexed as he tore open bandages and set them just right, the way his mouth moved each time he blew cool air on my wounds to chase away the burn, and how the light from overhead seemed to cast him in the perfect amount of shadow, making him appear equal parts dark, sexy, and authoritative. I didn’t so much as flinch when he moved to the other knee, and by the time he got to my palms, I was nearly quivering with the need for him to kiss me.

“It’s not too bad here,” he said, smoothing light fingertips over my open palm. “I don’t think you’ll need any bandages.” He lifted his eyes and I felt the fluttering in my stomach increase.

“Okay.”

“Some antibiotic cream should do it.”

“Okay.”

His eyes burned into mine as he stood there, close enough that my knees pressed against his taut stomach, watching me with a quiet intensity that should have been unnerving, but only served to send my heart rate into overdrive. Holy hell, did I want this man.

For a long moment, I was lost in his eyes, in the feel of his warm, strong hand holding mine, creating a fire deep inside. His touch was simple, yet held so much more. It was the unspoken desire I saw in his eyes, the irrepressible need I felt welling within me making my body feel achy, my breasts tender and heavy. It was an undeniable connection and it was the reason I made the first move.

I felt my body sway forward, my lips already tingling in anticipation. Kennedy’s palms glided up my arms, finding the curve of my neck where his fingers wrapped around my nape, holding me in place. He used his hold to his advantage, tilting my head as he brought his mouth closer to mine, leaving me no choice but to follow his lead. My hands found him, smoothing across his rock hard stomach to his sides. My fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt as I opened my legs wide, pulling him in closer. Between my legs, where the throb had grown almost unbearable, I felt his cock pressing against me, and I wanted more. I wanted all of him.