Mr. January: A Forbidden Romance

I can’t help but grin as she eyes my biceps. “You think I look good?”

She nods.

“You know I think you look good, Mr. Sterling.”

I grin again, flexing a little to make her laugh.

“Well, firefighters have to stay in shape at all times, so we work out like maniacs. The physical fitness test each year makes us stay young,” I wink.

She gasps.

“OMG, you guys get tested on your fitness?”

I shrug.

“Yeah, just basic stuff to make sure we’re not way out of shape. Speaking of which, honey, this revelation means that I’m also two decades older than you. Is that alright? Two decades is a lot, I won’t lie.”

Sam bites her lip for a moment.

“Is that why you didn’t call me?” she asks, quirking her head in my direction. “After the first time, I mean. Because you thought I was too young?”

I nod.

“Yeah. Even I have some morals, honey, and because I thought you were in high school, I decided to let things go. Two decades is a lot, baby girl, and now you know just how much more I’ve lived.”

But Sam takes it in a stride.

“No, it’s fine. Age is something that will fix itself because we’re all getting older, every second of every day. Besides, I don’t care about any of that. You aren’t taking advantage of me, Randy, and the fact that you care enough to even think of it that way just proves it. If anything, I find your age and experience to be very attractive. Maybe you’re exactly what I need in my life,” she ends breezily.

I smile as I lean forward, suddenly gaining a new lease on life.

“You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that, sweetheart,” I growl. “Because I feel the exact same way. You’re exactly what I need in my life.”

“Really?” she asks, arching a playful eyebrow.

“Hell yeah,” I drawl.

“Well then prove it, big guy,” she murmurs.

When her eyes flicker down to my lips for a few moments, I know exactly what she wants. I lean in closer and seize Sam’s plush lips with my mouth, and as soon as I do, I’m overwhelmed with a newfound sense of fulfillment. This kiss feels right. It feels as if we’ve done this a million times before, and it’s as if we were meant to be together. The pretty girl sighs blissfully against my mouth, and I know she’s experiencing the same thing. This kiss feels like home, and that’s definitely something I can get used to.