I definitely want more than just a good time while I’m staying with him and it’s convenient.
Forever. Yeah, that’s totally what I want. I want Torin to be mine, and I want to be his. I want to go to bed every night and wake up every morning knowing that he’ll be there.
The girls ask me a million questions, but I’m only giving partial answers now that my mind is stuck in a spiral of worry. What if I’ve let myself get too invested? What if he really does see this as temporary?
Some part deep inside knows that I’m going to get my heart broken.
The rest of the day is spent vacillating from worry over Torin and his dangerous job to worrying over Torin and whatever this budding relationship is. By the time I close up the store, I’m no closer to an answer about our relationship and even more stressed over his safety.
8 Torin
I pull up in front of my house and smile. I used to come home to a dark, lonely house every night. It made it easy to spend so many nights at the fire station. I had nothing to come home to. Now, there are lights glowing warmly and a beautiful woman waiting for me. Having Lani living with me this last week has been amazing in all ways. My house was merely a place to sleep before her. In such a short time, she’s made the house a home.
Climbing out of my truck, I wonder how I can convince my girl to stay forever. I can’t even fathom her leaving now that I’ve gotten a taste of how sweet life can be when you’re sharing it with the person you love.
“Honey, I’m home,” I call as I open the door. It’s a silly thing, but I love saying that when I come home. Calling out to the woman I love telling her that I’ve come home to her. Yeah, I like it a lot. I always want her to know that I’m coming home to her.
Lani runs around the corner from the kitchen, stopping short when her eyes land on me. Her shoulders sag as a wave of relief overcomes her. It’s then I realize that she’s been worried about me. I feel like a complete asshole for not calling her as soon as we got back to the station. The only thing on my mind was finishing up the report and getting home to her. Never again will I leave my girl to worry. She’ll be my top priority from now on.
“You’re home,” Lani breathes.
I nod, smiling. “Yeah, beautiful, I’m home.”
Without warning, she throws herself in my arms, pressing her lips to mine in a searing kiss. Our tongues duel, fighting for control. She lets out a little growl of frustration when I don’t give her the power she desires. I grip the back of her neck, slanting her head so she’s in the perfect position for me to deepen our kiss. Her frustrated noises turn desperate as she gives in to me.
By the time I pull away, she’s wrapped around me, and I have my hands cupping her ass to keep her pinned to my body. Fuck she feels good in my arms. I’d like nothing more than to carry her off to bed right now and make love to her all night long, but I won’t take her fully until I know she’s ready for forever with me. Even the small tastes I’ve allowed myself will haunt me to the end of time if she decides I’m not what she wants.
“I should leave more often if this is the kind of greeting I get when I come home,” I tease.
“I was worried about you. The way you had to rush out of here this morning… Then I didn’t hear anything from you.” Lani playfully smacks my shoulder and I wince. “Oh my God, are you okay?” Lani asks, slipping from my arms and pulling at my shirt to look at my shoulder.
“I’m fine, sweetheart. Just a little bruise.”
She manages to lift my shirt until I’m practically trapped in the damn thing, so I help her out and pull the t-shirt off and toss it to the ground. Lani hisses between her teeth as she takes in the bruising that will look a hell of a lot worse come morning.
“What happened?”
She looks up at me with haunted eyes. So many emotions play across her face that I can’t narrow in on just one to see exactly what she is thinking right now. Her lip is trapped between her teeth, and her eyes flicker back and forth between mine and the nasty bruise I got when a beam fell on me earlier today. My job can be dangerous, but today was a one-off. I rarely, if ever, get injured beyond a few scratches—cats man—or a couple punches from helping the sheriff with drunk and disorderlies.
Whatever she’s thinking, can’t be good.
“It’s nothing really. I’m fine. Today’s fire was a big one. The barn out off of Lemon Lane… the one behind the old Shaeffer place was set on fire by some idiot teenagers who were using it as a party spot. The barn was already coming down before the fire.
A beam came down while we were doing the walkthrough after we put it out. I jumped out of the way but was just a second too slow, and it caught my shoulder on the way down.” I’m trying my best to be reassuring, but from the wide, fearful look in her eyes, I don’t think I’m succeeding. “I really am okay, beautiful.”
I cup her cheeks in both my hands and lean down to kiss her soft and slow. It takes a few beats before she opens to me. This isn’t the same as our fevered kiss from earlier. It’s a slow mating of mouths. A claiming kiss that promises love and devotion. A
