I’d be lying if I said I didn’t leave my door open on purpose. I may have also ignored her telling me that dinner was done. I’m a real bastard, but she’s been so standoffish since she moved in, and I needed to see if she felt the same heat burning between us. Now that I know, I’m a starving man, and the only thing that will clench my hunger is my Lani.
Soon.
I release my cock, knowing that any release without her will never satisfy me. Not now that I’ve finally got her in my house. Not when she’s so close to being mine. I take a quick shower then pull on a pair of jeans—no shirt, I wouldn’t want to make this too easy for her. I want her to lust for me.
By the time she braves coming out of her room, I’ve got breakfast cooked. As soon as I hear her footsteps, I pour her cup of tea, adding the exact amount of sugar and milk she likes. I pass the cup to her. She gives me a shy smile before taking a sip, then looks at me with shocked surprise.
“This is perfect. How did you know?”
“Sweetheart, I know everything about you.”
She quirks an eyebrow at the challenge. “Oh, really?”
“Yep, ask me anything.”
Lani taps her finger on her chin while she thinks, obviously trying to think of something that will trip me up. What she doesn’t realize is that I’ve paid attention to her for our whole lives. From the moment she fell off her bike in front of my house when I was ten years old, and I fell in love with the adorable girl next door.
“What’s my favorite book?”
I laugh. “Easy. Where the Red Fern Grows. Although, you also love New Moon and will read it over and over, skipping the first book in the series just to get to it faster.”
Her mouth falls open in shock. “How… how do you…”
“You forget we were neighbors for years. You read those books so much they were falling apart.”
“Oh,” she says, blushing. “I didn’t realize you paid any attention to me back then…”
I brush her hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear so I can see her beautiful face. “Sweetheart, I’ve always paid attention.”
She gives me a soft smile. Before I can stop myself, I pull her close, kissing her with all the pent-up desire I’ve been holding onto. Lani doesn’t hold back. She kisses me deeply, rubbing her hot little body all over me. I lift her into my arms and sit her on the counter. She spreads her legs, giving me room to stand between them.
I can feel the heat of her against my hardness, and I want more. I want to rip her shorts off her body and sink into her. She runs her hands up and down my chest, touching every inch she can reach while rubbing herself on my cock.
“Baby, you’re driving me crazy here.”
“Me too,” she pants. “God, Torin, I’ve never felt anything like this before… I’ve never…”
I crush my lips back to hers, knowing precisely what she means. I hate that I can’t say the same. She’s pure as fresh snow, and I wish more than anything that I was too. I never dreamed that I would have Lani here like this. I would’ve waited forever if I thought this was in my future. I’d have waited a lifetime if I had known. A small part of me always thought that she’s too good for me. Lani’s always been destined for great things, and I’m just a local firefighter. When she came back home from college instead of taking some fancy job in the city… I knew then that I would do everything in my power to pursue her when the time is right.
Thank fuck, that time seems to be now.
Lani reaches between us, shyly rubbing her hand over my thick length. I groan into her mouth, nearly spending in my jeans. Jesus, she feels good. I should stop her, but I can’t. I want her as bad as she wants me, and there’s no stopping this now. I pull her shirt over her head and take her in. She’s wearing a black lace bra—her pink nipples push proudly against the lace just begging for my mouth. I suck one into my mouth, laving it with my tongue. Hands grip my hair almost painfully tight, holding me to her chest.
As if I would deny her anything.
Especially not this.
And then my phone blares from the counter with an emergency signal.
“Fuck,” I growl into her chest.
She gently runs her finger through my hair. Her heart is racing, but instead of being upset at the interruption, she’s soothing me. “It’s okay, Torin. We can finish this later… right?” she asks shyly.
I grab her up and kiss her one more time before running to get dressed. Within minutes I’m in my truck roaring off to the second fire in so many weeks.
7 Lani
I pace the small space behind the counter at my store for the millionth time since I opened this morning, wringing my hands with worry. By the look on Torin’s face when he rushed out of the house, I know whatever called him away is bad. It’s the first time since I’ve been staying with him that he’s been called in on his day off.
I jump when my phone rings. I rush to grab it, hoping it’s not someone calling to tell me something terrible has happened to Torin. No, nothing is wrong. I’m overreacting. Why am I freaking out? It’s not like he’s my boyfriend or anything. We are friends, though. I’m allowed to be worried sick over a friend, right?
My breath
