WHILE WEST HAD no problem appreciating a beautiful woman, he could usually keep his hands to himself, especially at work.
He’d seen a few of his fellow employees lose their shit over women over the years. One captain he worked for had had a sweet, unsuspecting wife at home and a trashy girlfriend who’d visit him while he was on shift. They’d disappear nightly—rumor had it she’d given him blowjobs out back behind the garage.
Yeah. That entire scenario had disgusted him. Rumor also had it that his own father had had a few illicit affairs himself back in the day. His parents’ marriage had been on shaky ground at one point. But somehow, his mother had forgiven his dad and taken him back. Their relationship was stronger than ever.
But based on that tumultuous moment in his parents’ marriage, West’s view on relationships had been forever skewed. His feelings about his father were forever altered too, not that the old man cared too much. They still hadn’t spent any time together since West returned to Wildwood. Claimed he was too busy fishing out in his boat.
Figured his father would rather fish alone out on the lake than see his son. Not that West really wanted to see him either.
He’d never had a woman visit him while he was at the station. He’d never wanted a woman to visit him. Seemed best to keep his work and personal relationships separate, thank you very much. Yet seeing Harper when she emerged from her car wearing those tiny shorts and that clingy tank top had turned him into a slobbering fool. His hands had literally itched to get on her. And once they had, he still wasn’t satisfied. He wanted more.
He wanted naked.
Breathing deep, he tucked her close to him and glanced around, thankful no one was outside. They were all in the barracks, hanging out in the commons area and watching a movie. Ice-cream sundaes were being prepared when he’d gone outside to meet Harper and, while he could appreciate hot fudge sauce as much as the next guy, for once in his life he wasn’t thinking with his stomach.
Instead, he was thinking with his unusually needy dick. Not the smartest move on his part. But one look at Harper smiling shyly at him, hot as hell with all that exposed skin, and he’d been a goner.
A goner with a slight boner—that was a reckless combo. And there was the root of his problem. Harper made him feel reckless. Careless. A few days ago he had firmly told himself he couldn’t touch her. A few weeks ago he’d been pissed that he was in Wildwood in the first place.
Now he was thankful to be back in his hometown because it meant that Harper was there too. And he’d not only touched her, he’d had his hands all over her, his fingers inside her, and oh yeah, his cock too. He wanted that again. Soon.
If he hadn’t been called into work, he’d be doing it—her—right now. Talk about feeling resentful. And when she brought up their first kiss from so long ago? The night he both idealized and regretted, all at once? He’d broken out in a nervous sweat, too damn afraid she’d tell him to go to hell and run out on him once and for all.
He deserved her resentment. Why she’d given him another chance, he wasn’t sure. But he wasn’t about to question it either.
“What’s going on with that fire?” Harper asked.
West blinked, trying to recall exactly which fire she could be referring to. Oh yeah . . .
“Ten thousand acres and only eight percent contained.” At the shocked look on Harper’s face he continued. “It’s in El Dorado County, lots of rolling hills and forest up there. It’s all so dry it’s igniting with a snap of a finger.”
“That’s awful,” she murmured against his chest.
“Most of the land is unpopulated. No structures have
been threatened beyond a couple of old barns,” he reassured her, giving her a squeeze. He liked the way she felt in his arms. Probably liked it too much, but he couldn’t analyze that right now.
He didn’t want to freak himself out.
“So Tate’s out on the fire?”
“Yeah. We sent a strike team up there and Tate’s engine was included.”
West usually loved being called out on a strike team. Providing coverage for a complex fire meant he’d be gone for days, sometimes weeks at a time. And that meant the dollars just kept rolling in. All that overtime money he made over the years had gone straight into his savings account.
But that had been when he was a firefighter. Now that he was a limited-term engineer, he was on a different pay structure. He’d received a decent promotion and pay raise, but it was calculated in another way now. Something he was still adjusting to.
But now he was relieved that he didn’t have to go out on that call. Not like he could go home either what with the station being short on coverage, but at least he wasn’t gone.
At least he had Harper snug in his arms.
“Hey, how are you adjusting to your new position?” Harper asked, pushing him out of his thoughts.
Ah, and she was a mind reader.
“I like it here. It’s familiar. And I like everyone I work with. Tate’s a good guy. I could see us becoming friends.” He was surprised he’d admit that much to her, but it was true. And he’d never had a problem opening up to Harper. He just wasn’t good opening up with regards to the feelings he had for Harper.
And didn’t thinking that just make him stand a little straighter?