Play With Fire (The Men of Fire 1)

Bull shrugs his shoulders and places the bags down on the kitchen counter. “I didn’t know what you liked, so I got a bit of everything.”

“You just ‘got a bit of everything’, huh?” I grumble. All he can do is grin back at me, and I shake my head. “You’re crazy. You know that, right?”

Bull laughs to himself and starts scooping containers out of the bags. Before I know it, I’m diving for my favorites and rummaging through my drawers for cutlery.

We take our food into the living room and drop down onto my couch, where he tells me all about his brother, Tanner, a member of The Black Widows MC. He has a daughter Ashlee who is looked after by his mom every time that he’s away on club business.

Listening to the way he talks with such love for his family reminds me of what I’ve lost. It's just the girls and me now. I would have given anything to have a big family with hundreds of siblings with nieces and nephews to spoil. But it was just Dad and me until the girls came along, and now without him, our family is even smaller.

The empty containers get tossed on the coffee table, and before I know it, it’s after midnight, and the huge day I’ve had is starting to catch up with me. Hell, I’ve been so lost in Bull’s charm that I didn’t even remember to call the girls and say a quick goodnight before Zoey tucked them into bed.

I get up from the couch and take all the empty containers into the kitchen, and throw our cutlery into the sink. Bull follows, bringing the empty glasses, and places them down beside me. “Why do I get the feeling you’re about to kick me out?”

I turn around to find him standing right there in front of me, and I step into him, placing my hand upon his chest, right where I feel it belongs. I look up into his eyes and find myself thinking about my future. “I don’t want you to. It’s just …”

“You’re tired. You need space to think.”

I slowly nod my head.

“Angel,” he murmurs, taking my waist. “I’m going to lay this all out on the line for you. This is happening. We are happening. I feel it just as I know you do. You’re mine, and you want to be. It’s okay that it scares the living shit out of you because this is new for me too. No matter what, I’m all in. So, you need to get on board and jump in with both feet because I want to make this work. I need you in my life. I need those girls running around my feet. I need everything that you are to fill my life.”

My heart scrambles to keep up as his words sink in, filling me with emotions that I’m not ready for, emotions that I don’t even understand. His fingers tighten on my waist, and all I can think about is him. He consumes me. Tonight has been incredible and the thought of him leaving is killing me.

He looks down at me, inviting me in, and I can’t resist it any longer. I raise my chin and slowly move into him as my eyes drop to his lips. I hesitate for a moment before I push up on my toes and gently brush my lips against his.

Bull’s lips move against mine, and he lets me take control for all of three seconds before he takes over and kisses me in the way that every woman dreams about. His hands drop to my ass, and he lifts me with ease as a deep groan pulls from within his chest.

Bull lifts me onto the kitchen counter, and my legs instantly wrap around his hips, holding him close. My arm wraps securely around his neck as the other weaves into his hair, holding on tightly. Bull pulls me in against his body, and I find my legs tightening around him, needing to feel more of his body against mine.

Our kiss goes on, and I find myself melting into him. I never want this moment to end. My heart is telling me to go for it while my brain is needing this to slow the hell down. I’ve followed my heart once before, and that got me nowhere good, but for the life of me, I can’t seem to stop.

Bull pulls back and drops his forehead to mine, both of us struggling to find breath, and it’s almost as though he can read my mind. His voice comes out as barely a whisper. “If we don’t stop now, this is going to go somewhere that you’re not ready for, and I don’t think I’m willing to risk losing you.”

My eyes meet his. “I think you’re right.”