Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 91216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
I subtly move toward his touch, feeling brave. “I’m glad to hear it.”
Jack’s hand lingers on my cheek, his thumb gently stroking my skin. The intensity in his eyes makes my heart race. Slowly, he leans in, giving me plenty of time to pull away if I want to. But I don’t want to. I close the distance between us, our lips meeting in a soft, tender kiss.
His lips are warm and slightly chapped, tasting faintly of smoke and pumpkin pie. The kiss deepens, and I feel myself melting into him, my hands finding their way to his chest.
A sudden knock on the truck’s window startles us apart. Melissa and her husband Tom are standing there, an amused expression on their faces. “Sorry to interrupt the lovebirds, but I’m getting ready to leave and wanted to say goodbye,” she says.
Jack and I quickly scramble out of the fire engine, no doubt I’m blushing furiously. I smooth down my hair, acutely aware of how disheveled I must look. This man has the ability to knock the wind out of me with a simple kiss.
“Sorry about that,” Jack says, rubbing my lower back in comfort. “We were just, uh . . .”
“Inspecting the equipment?” Tom supplies with a smirk.
Melissa elbows her husband playfully. “Oh, leave them alone. It’s about time Jack found someone special.” She turns to me with a warm smile. “It was wonderful meeting you, Chloe. I hope we’ll be seeing more of you around here.”
“I’m just glad the man finally made a move,” Tom says with a laugh.
Jack tenses beside me, and though I didn’t catch the look Jack must have given Tom, I do see Tom’s face fall as he realizes his mistake. Melissa quickly intervenes, giving Tom a pointed look.
“Well, I should get going. The babysitter’s waiting,” she says, tugging on Tom’s arm. “Walk me to my car, babe.” She smiles again at me. “Merry Christmas, you two!”
As they walk away, I turn to Jack, raising an eyebrow. “Finally making a move?”
“Um . . .” he runs his hand through his hair, “I might have mentioned to the guys how we’ve met several times at the coffee house.”
I can’t hold back the laugh at Jack’s discomfort. “So you’ve been talking about me to the guys, huh?”
Jack’s cheeks flush slightly. “Maybe a little. They’ve been giving me a hard time about being single for so long. When I mentioned meeting you at the coffee shop, they wouldn’t let it go.”
“And the WinterWatcher thing?” I prod gently.
“I’ve kept that to myself.”
“Oh,” I give a wicked grin, “Don’t want to share our kinky side with all the boys?”
Jack’s eyes widen slightly at my bold comment, but then a slow smile spreads across his face. He leans in close, his breath warm against my ear as he whispers, “Those are just for us.”
He clears his throat and takes a small step back, though his hand remains on my lower back. “We should probably head back to the party,” he says, his voice a little rough. “Before someone else comes looking for us.”
I nod, trying to calm my racing heart. As we walk back toward the community room, Jack’s hand slides from my back to intertwine with mine. It’s a simple gesture, but it feels significant somehow.
The party is winding down when we return. A few families are gathering their things, children yawning and rubbing their eyes. Captain Rodriguez catches my eye and gives me a warm smile and a nod.
“So,” Jack says, turning to face me. “What do you think of your first fire station Christmas?”
I look around the room, taking in the lights, the lingering scent of good food, and the easy chit chat of the people around us. “It’s been wonderful,” I say honestly. “Thank you for inviting me.”
“I’m glad you came,” Jack replies, squeezing my hand. “And I’m sorry about having to run out like that. It’s part of the job, but—”
I cut him off with a quick kiss. “I understand. It’s who you are, Jack. I wouldn’t want you any other way. It’s nice getting to know you better. You aren’t such a mystery now.”
“Merry Christmas, Chloe,” he says, pressing a kiss to my temple.
“Merry Christmas, Jack,” I reply, snuggling closer to him.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Jack
The fire crew for the next shift are arriving, and I’m gathering my things to head home. Well . . . to head to the cafe to meet Chloe. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since I’ve last seen her but I already miss her smile, the way her eyes light up when she talks to me, and her awkward little movements when she’s nervous around me.
As I stuff my gear into my locker, Tom approaches. “Hey man, I never got a chance last night to apologize. I didn’t mean to over share like I did.”