by J. H. Croix
I shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Is he back yet?”
I was nodding before I realized it. “Yes, he got back last night,” I said tersely.
“Have you talked to him?”
“Not yet.”
“You can only avoid him so long, you know.”
I glared at her, resting a hand on my hip. “I know. It was late. I’m sure I’ll see him soon.”
“I don’t usually stick my nose in things, but I’m going out on a limb here. It’s obvious you like him. Don’t be stupid,” she offered with a pointed look.
At that moment, my mother stepped into the garage from the entry from the kitchen. “Do you need help, dear?”
I hurried over to the corner where the kiln was stored. “I’m sure I can get it, Mom. I’m not gonna take it today. I just wanted to make sure I could get to it.”
Lucy followed me over, and before she had a chance to touch anything, my mother was all but shoving her out of the way. I chuckled, enjoying Lucy’s discomfort.
I realized my mistake the moment she glanced toward my mother. “Have you met Donovan?”
“Of course I have,” my mother replied. “He’s helping Janet with her B&B.” At that moment, I saw the light bulb go off in her head. “I wasn’t even thinking about how he’s your neighbor there. Donovan is the nicest guy. He has been a godsend for Janet. It’s a blessing his house isn’t done yet. He’s getting her B&B all taken care of without charging her a penny. The materials alone are expensive, so his help makes a big difference. I know the café keeps her busy and she makes a good profit, but I don’t like her worrying about things.”
“His house will be done soon,” Lucy offered, piquing my curiosity.
She caught my eyes, smiling slowly. “You didn’t know that? We’re finishing his house for him. He started it last summer, but then he said he realized it was going to take forever trying to do it by himself in between fires. So, he hired us. Another month or so, and it should be done. You’d better take advantage of his help while you’ve got it.”
Lucy wasn’t saying anything that gave anything away, but I knew she wasn’t going to let the topic of Donovan drop until I talked to him. Turning away, I moved a few boxes out of the corner until I came to the one at the bottom. “Here it is,” I said, smiling over my shoulder.
Shifting the other boxes out of the way, I pulled my measuring tape out and quickly measured it, entering the measurements in my phone.
“What are you measuring it for?” Lucy asked.
“I need a stand for it. It’s been years since I used this kiln, so I wanted to check the measurements.”
Somehow, I got the topic off of Donovan as we walked into the house, my mother offering us coffee once we reached the kitchen.
Lucy demurred with a sigh. “No coffee for me.” She patted her stomach. “I can do without the alcohol, but I hate missing my morning coffee.”
“Oh, you’ll make up for it,” my mother added. “Wait until the little one’s born, and you’re hardly sleeping through the night.”
I glanced at my watch. “I need to get going. I want to take some measurements in Janet’s garage too.”
“I’ll walk out with you,” Lucy said.
We both got kisses on the cheek from my mother as we headed out. Lucy elbowed me in the side on the way down the stairs.
“Don’t be stupid. I’m gonna tell Levi if I have to.”
“Tell Levi what?” I asked, spinning to face her.
She burst out laughing. “I’m not telling Levi anything. But maybe that’ll be a wake-up call.”
“What is it with you? Usually you’re all about ‘live and let live.’ Why is this a thing for you?” I asked, honestly curious.
Her teasing gaze faded. “I don’t know. I like Donovan. He’s totally a good guy, and it seems like you really like him. After Glen fucked you over, I figure you deserve an awesome man.”
“Yeah, but you don’t even know …” My words trailed off when she rolled her eyes.
“I can’t see the future. You’re right. I don’t even know how he feels about you.” I bit my tongue because she hit it spot-on with what I’d been about to say. “I just think it’s worth at least trying to talk to him,” she finished.
At that, her phone rang, and she pulled me into a quick hug before stepping away.
I returned to town, parking at the B&B before walking over to Firehouse Café and letting myself into the back garage. I jotted down some more measurements for what I wanted where, and then looked at my watch. God, I so wanted the studio ready. I would’ve given just about anything today to bury myself in throwing pottery. It would’ve given me something to do to take my mind off Donovan.
Instead, I hurried over to the B&B to grab some of the cleaning supplies Janet kept downstairs. She told me I could help myself, as long as I replaced anything I used up. There was probably twenty years of dust in the garage, so I settled in to clean for a few hours.
Later that evening, I realized I’d left my purse with my inhaler in the B&B. With the doors and windows to the garage open, my asthma hadn’t really been a problem, but I realized I should finish up. I returned, dusty and dirty and ready for a shower. When I walked into the B&B, a gust of sawdust hit me in the face. Donovan was working downstairs. I hadn’t even noticed his truck was here because I’d come in from the back.
In a flash, I was coughing heavily. For the second time in a few weeks, I was in the midst of the run up to another bad asthma tack. My purse with my inhaler was upstairs. I didn’t know if Donovan heard me because the saw was running.
As I heaved, frantically trying to catch my breath, I suddenly felt his presence. His arms came around me as he lifted me against him.
“Jasmine? What the hell is going on?” he asked, his words sharp.
I couldn’t answer. I could hardly breathe and felt my lungs constricting. I managed to look at him and saw awareness dawn in his eyes. As a hotshot firefighter, I knew he was a trained medic. He carefully set me down and ran upstairs, his feet thudding against the treads.
As I gasped and desperately tried to get air in my lungs, he was back at my side in seconds, where I’d fallen against the wall in the stairwell. He held an inhaler to my mouth, and I breathed in the heavenly air. I knew it was technically a dose of medicine, but to me, it meant oxygen to my lungs.
After a few moments, I was breathing somewhat normally. I was about to tell him that I needed to get out of there. Because even though he’d stopped whatever he’d been doing, fine sawdust was still floating in the air.
I didn’t need to explain though. As soon as he saw that I was breathing okay, he lifted me up, efficiently bundling me into his arms and carrying me upstairs.
He didn’t ask where I wanted to go. All I knew was I wanted to stay right there in his arms. He kicked open the door into his suite and carried me inside. Setting me down on his couch, he held the inhaler up to my mouth again, giving me another dose.
My skin felt clammy, and I had that funny lightheaded feeling I got when I made it through to the other side of an asthma attack. The combination of not getting enough oxygen and then the bliss of getting enough of it all of a sudden was dizzying.
I was so relieved Donovan was here. He was quiet, just sitting beside me. When I finally rolled my head to the side, I found his concerned gaze on me.
“You okay now?” he asked, his voice gruff.
I nodded. “Uh-huh,” I managed, my voice raspy.
I glanced down at the inhaler held in his hand. “That’s not mine.”
“No, it’s not. I have a medical kit. It’s a little more tricked out than most. Now I know to keep an extra stock of these around,” he murmured.
We stared at each other. Even though I felt dizzy, it was so, so good to see him. I tucked my head against his shoulder. He dipped his head, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
Emotion rushed through me. I couldn’t tell if everything I was feeling was more intense because I’d just
had an asthma attack. That never failed to leave me feeling punch-drunk for a few minutes. I was beyond relieved Donovan was here. I forgot my frustration with him and simply relaxed into his side.
After a few shuddery breaths, with his arm resting over my shoulder and his fingers sifting through the ends of my hair, I managed to speak again.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me,” he murmured, the low sound of his voice sending a familiar hot jolt through me. Mingling with my dizziness, I was tingling all over at his mere presence. “You could’ve mentioned you had asthma.”
I shrugged, burrowing a little closer into his chest. “I don’t think about it very much. I don’t have attacks often anymore. I was cleaning next door and it was a little dusty.”
His fingers were still sliding through my hair. My tension eased, the relief of him being home so immense I felt tears wicking up from the knot in my throat. Only Donovan had this effect on me. In a matter of seconds, I was a bundle of emotions. He glanced down just as I looked up. My tears must’ve shown in my eyes.
“Why are you crying?” he asked, his concerned gaze sweeping over my face.
The truth slipped out. “I missed you.”
As soon as I spoke, I was scrambling inside to clarify, to take it back. “I get all emotional when I have an asthma attack. I don’t mean to sound weird,” I said quickly, stumbling over the words.
Donovan was quiet for a beat, his eyes studying me. We were sitting in the corner of the couch. He angled to face me more fully, his back resting against the armrest of the couch. Lifting his other hand, he brushed a lock of hair off my forehead, tucking it behind my ear and sending a trail of goose bumps over my skin, heat following in their wake.
“I missed you too.” His words fell into the quiet, something flickering in his eyes. “I should’ve explained why I needed to leave so quickly. An old friend was injured in a fire. He died.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Donovan. I didn’t know.”
I suddenly felt bitchy for being angry with him.
“Of course you didn’t know. I didn’t tell you. For a bit there, it looked like he might pull through. But then he got an infection. That was it.”
Uncertain what to say, I reached over, catching his hand in mine and giving it a squeeze.
“There was some baggage with Bill. He was my best friend growing up. We went to college together and did our hotshot training together. I came home one day after being out for a couple weeks at a fire and found him with my fiancée. Like I said, we had some baggage.”
Donovan’s gaze met mine, regret swirling in the green and gold depths. My heart squeezed, realizing how painful that must’ve been. I had a similar experience in the sense of finding someone screwing around on me. Yet, Lisa was more of a casual work friend. Most definitely not a best friend from growing up.
I said the only thing that came to mind. “I’m so sorry.”
Tears glistened in his eyes, his throat moving as he swallowed. “Yeah. It sucked. He tried to apologize about a year or so after, when she screwed around on him.” There was no bitterness in his tone, just acceptance. “I was still too pissed off to deal with him. If you’re wondering why I didn’t want to talk about it, it’s because I was feeling like shit and I never took the time to mend fences with him. And now he’s dead. I’m as okay as I can be, but it sucks.”
He was quiet then, leaning back and running his free hand through his hair. His shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath. I could hear the steady beat of his heart with my head resting against his shoulder.
Drawing back, I took a breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t answer the door last night. I was …” My words ran out because I didn’t know what I meant to say. I wasn’t sure now was the time to announce that I was falling in love with him and I’d been an emotional mess as a result.
He spoke, filling the silence. “It’s okay. I’m a little rusty when it comes to relationships. I should’ve told you as soon as I got the call about Bill. Honestly, I just shoved all that shit away for a bit.” He paused, his eyes widening at whatever he was thinking. I adjusted a little, still nestled in the crook of his shoulder, but shifting so I could see him better. “Don’t go worrying I’ve still got a thing for my ex, Katie, either. I was long over her. When all was said and done, I should’ve thanked Bill. It wasn’t like things were awful with Katie, but we were young. It took that for me to see her true colors. So don’t think that,” he said solemnly, his eyes locked with mine.
I hadn’t been thinking that, but I supposed it was reassuring to know he was concerned I might’ve been. His gaze coasted over my face, and it felt as if he could see right into the center of my heart.
“Katie came to the hospital.”
My breath drew in sharply. “Why?”
I didn’t say it aloud, but it seemed like a shitty move. At best, a horribly tactless move. To know that Katie had screwed around on Donovan with his best friend, and then screwed around on his best friend with somebody else, well, I couldn’t fathom why she’d show up at the hospital under those circumstances.
Donovan chuckled at the look in my eyes. “Lord knows what she was thinking. I guess she felt bad and wanted to say something to somebody about it. They had Bill in a drug-induced coma, so she didn’t get to say it to him. One good thing came out of it.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Everything came into focus,” he replied.
His fingers were trailing across my shoulder, his touch light. A shiver ran through me at the look in his eyes.
“What’s everything?”
“You. What you mean to me.”
“Oh,” was all I managed to say to that.
My pulse was pounding wildly, and I still felt a little fuzzy from my asthma attack.
“I’ll just get right to the point, sugar. I wasn’t looking for this. I sure as hell wasn’t looking for you. But I love you. I don’t expect you to feel the same way I do. Maybe not now. But I know what we have isn’t something you find every day.”
He paused, as if giving me a chance to say something, yet I couldn’t form a single word. With my pulse pounding and a giddy sense of joy spinning in my chest, I simply stared at him.
“You see, sugar, seeing Katie brought it all into focus. I thought I loved her once. And I suppose I did, in the way I could love someone when I was only twenty-six years old. But I never felt the way about her that I do about you. I’m not a stupid man, so I’m not about to let you get away. We can go as slow as you need; like molasses, if that’s what works for you. But I’m telling you right here, right now”—he paused, lifting a hand between us and tapping me right over the heart with his fingertips before tapping his own heart—“this doesn’t come along every day. My mama would never let me forget it if I let you get away.”
By this point, I was fairly certain my heart was going to fly straight out of my body. I felt like a bird in a cage, wings flapping loudly to the beat of my heart.
“Oh,” I said again, wonderingly.
He dipped his head, pressing his lips to mine before drawing back swiftly and swiping his thumb across my bottom lip. My lips tingled where he touched me, my breath hitching as I tried to slow the wild spin of joy in my heart and body.
I finally gave up, the smile blooming from my heart and tugging at the corners of my lips. “We don’t have to go slow,” I finally said.
“We don’t?” he asked, his mouth kicking up at the corner.
Oh geez. His grins were dangerous for my sanity. They made me hot all over, stole my breath, and kicked any functioning brain cells to the curb.
I shook my head slowly. “I mean, it’s not like we’ve gone slow so far.”
His green and gold gaze seared into me. “I suppose not, but I know you just came out of your own break up. I know I’m not your rebound. But I just want to make sure it’s what you want.”
In a flash, I realized my own clarity about my feelings for Donovan had crystallized because of
Glen.
Shaking my head again, I reached out to trail my fingertips along his jawline, savoring the subtle prickle of his stubble. “You’re not a rebound. I know that. Maybe because of the timing, it might seem like that. But you’re not.”
When my words trailed off, I shrugged. “Glen wasn’t what I thought, he wasn’t who I really wanted. He did me a favor too. If it weren’t for him, I might not have found you.” I paused, taking a deep breath and letting it out with a shuddering sigh. My heart was kicking and screaming inside my chest, clamoring for me to say what I knew to be true. “I wasn’t quite ready to say it, but I am now. I love you too. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have gotten so pissy about you going away without telling me where you were. Sometimes I can be a little dramatic,” I offered with a roll of my eyes.
My temper didn’t flare often, but it was definitely there, especially when my feelings were concerned.
“That’ll never happen again,” he said flatly. Then he brought his lips to mine again, tugging me into his lap.
This was no chaste kiss. In a hot second, his tongue was delving deep in my mouth, tangling with mine. Shimmying closer, I tunneled my hands into his hair and held onto him with everything I had.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Donovan
With a lapful of Jasmine and her soft luscious body, I lost myself in her mouth. She kissed like a dream. There was no hesitancy with her. But then, it had been like that since the first time I kissed her—like being dipped into a fire and loving the burn.
She was straddling me, and I could feel the heat of her hot, tight pussy through the layers of fabric between us. Suddenly remembering she’d just had an asthma attack, I shackled my need. With every ounce of discipline I owned, I drew back from the unholy temptation of her mouth, smoothing my hand through her hair and down her spine.
“As much as I would love for this to go a little further, you just had an asthma attack. I’m guessing you need to take it easy for a little bit,” I murmured.
