by Sarah Gay
“Yes. And it’s not that I don’t think you can protect yourself…” He swayed from side to side, as if choosing his words.
“But you don’t,” she finished his thought as she led him to her master suite.
“No. I don’t. I’m sorry. It’s really difficult for any woman to fight off a man. It has nothing to do with mental strength, it’s a physical reality.”
Julia clenched her jaw, reliving those domestic violence cases. She had represented some serious creeps. Physically, women could put up a good fight and should, but men had an advantage. “You have a point.”
Dax squeezed her hand. “I could teach you some self-defense moves.”
Abi peaked around the corner. “We don’t need that. Julia has peppercorns in her pockets.”
Julia shrugged. “They’re more effective than pepper spray. I’ll show you sometime.”
Dax wrinkled his face as they stepped through her bedroom and into her master bath. “Please don’t show me.”
Julia released an amused sigh. “I didn’t mean I would use them on you.”
Panic constricted her muscles.
Dax stood erect in front of the benefit calendar pinned to bathroom wall.
Her entire body seared from absolute mortification. She tilted her head down and closed her eyes. Perhaps if she shut her eyes tight enough, he wouldn’t actually see her. She cupped her face with one hand, shaking a finger with the other. “My birthday is in February.” She could play this off. “So, I’ve gotten in the habit of always displaying that month.”
Firm hands folded around her waist. She didn’t dare open her eyes. His chin rested on the crown of her head as his hands found their way up her back. He pulled her in to a tight embrace, his lips slipping down the edge of her face to her neck. She took in a sharp breath, causing a nervous gurgle to bubble up her throat as her head rolled to the side, offering him complete access to her neck. She melted from the warming breath on her skin. Time evaporated as she once again sizzled from the inside out at his fiery touch.
“I thought that firefighters were supposed to put out fires.” She opened her eyes and smiled at him.
“Quench,” he corrected, pressing his lips to hers with urgency.
Julia responded to his spirited kiss with equal fervor.
“You guys get lost?” Abi’s voice drifted from the kitchen, cutting into Julia’s conscience.
Julia stole one last deep kiss before pulling back.
“About that date?” he questioned as they walked back to the kitchen.
“Why don’t we start with a self-defense lesson while the jury is deliberating?”
Dax gave a flirtatious smile. “I’ll take what I can get.”
Abi dipped a ladle in the pot. “You get a hot cup of cocoa.” She poured the steaming liquid into a mug and handed it to him.
Dax relaxed back into the cream microfiber couch he would spend the night on and sipped his cocoa. The thick liquid warmed his throat and chest with its temperature and spice. “This has a kick.”
Julia nodded as she sat next to him and placed a blanket and pillow on the end of the couch. “Cocoa powder, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne are some of the best spices to ward off the common cold. Abi and I have progressively added more spice in over the years.” She looked at him with concern. “Is it too strong for you?”
“No. I can handle heat.” He looked at her and smiled. “You can take that however you like.”
Abi coughed as she clanked a dish into the dishwasher. “Well, good-night.” She nodded to them as she passed the couch. “It’s almost two and Stone and I have a date to go snowshoeing in the morning.”
Dax craned his neck. “Thanks for the hot chocolate, Abi.”
She gave him a friendly wink before descending the stairs.
He wanted to know more about what made Julia tick. “Now that you have a cup of hot chocolate in your hands, what did you wish for on that falling star?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Good memory. You should go into medicine. I’ve heard it’s all memorization.”
“Like be a paramedic?” He couldn’t help but tease.
“Exactly.” She laughed. “What are you waiting for?”
“I’m waiting for you.” He touched her arm. “To answer my question.”
When she responded by blinking her eyes at him, he tried not to become a mound of moldable putty. She tapped her knee with her thumb for a few seconds before opening her mouth. She hesitated, pursed her lips, and then opened her mouth again. “For my own sanity and personal growth, I’ve begun placing people into one of two categories: those who enrich my life and those who have come into my life to teach me a lesson.”
Dax set his mug down on the distressed wood coffee table and wove his fingers together in thought. “You place every single person you meet into two categories? Like Chase and Walter?”
Julia shook her head as she rolled her eyes. “Abi tends to have a loose tongue. Yes, they would definitely be in the ‘learn from’ category.”
“Why are you an attorney, Julia? Why would you put up with people like Walter?” He pressed his palm to his forehead. “Why did you have to be an attorney?”
“Sometimes I ask myself that? Especially when I think about Walter.”
Dax grabbed her hand. “You can’t keep beating yourself up about that.”
She sighed. “I wish I could stop. What saves me are days like today where I see the justice system working. All the facts were brought to the table, and there was evidence against my client, but life is about more than evidence. Testimony.” Julia balled her fist. Her hazel eyes burned with a type of fire he had never seen before. “A truthful testimony can be a powerful tool.”
Dax sat back into the couch and marveled at how, in sixty seconds, this amazing woman had completely altered his opinion of attorneys.
“My wish tonight was that you would become someone who enriches my life, not someone I’m destined to learn a life lesson from.”
“Destiny?” He placed his hands over hers. “Do you think destiny has played a part in the two of us coming together?”
“I think we should sleep on that and talk more about it tomorrow.” She leaned in to him and closed her eyes.
He gave her a short, tender kiss. His attraction to her had altered over the past few hours. He gazed at her daring, yet innocent face. He was still physically attracted to her, but now all he wanted to do was shield her from all the bad in the world. That was a lie, that wasn’t all he wanted to do with her, but it was now the dominant driving force behind his emotion. He had seen more crap in his profession than a person should ever have to witness.
She smiled. “Thank you.”
“I’m sleeping on your couch. What are you thanking me for?”
“For how you’re looking at me right now.” She tickled the birthmark on his neck with a light touch of her fingertips. “Thank you for seeing inside of me. And thank you for sharing your light.” She kissed his cheek and stood.
She glided back to her room as if dancing to the pulse of the starlight, at least that’s the only way his mind could comprehend her fluid, hip-swaying movement. He arranged his bedding, stripped down to his boxer shorts, and wiggled into a comfortable position on the couch.
An hour later, he adjusted his covers for the umpteenth time. He couldn’t get Julia’s face out of his mind. Her confident smile occupied his thoughts. He needed to find out why she wouldn’t go out with him. He had sensed her desire for him, and the calendar on her wall only supported that assumption. A fireman was good enough for her sister, then why not for her? Her house proved that she liked the comfortable lifestyle, but she didn’t appear to be overly materialistic.
Julia brought out the side of Dax he was proud of. He wanted to be a better man around her, for her. He grunted and turned on his stomach, willing his mind to wind down so he could get a few hours of sleep.
Dax woke to the sound of a garage door opening. He wasn’t sure what time his mind finally s
urrendered, but it had been at least an hour after turning onto his stomach. He despised that half-sleep, groggy feeling that accompanied a late night followed by a late morning. He would never grow accustomed to the lack of sleep. Needing to wake at a moment’s notice for those 48 hours on the clock messed up any normal sleep rhythm a guy could hope for. Not to mention, his testosterone was at an all-time high and needed a release. He threw on his suit pants and dropped to the floor. Fifty crunches, followed by fifty push-ups, should do it.
Julia splashed cold water onto her face. It took time for the hot water to make it through the pipes and she hated watching clean water flow down the drain. Considering the amount of water her bath consumed last night, the cold water on her face saved her conscience undue stress.
She didn’t feel right showering until she offered Dax breakfast and a toothbrush. She toweled her face off as she grabbed a toothbrush and mini toothpaste from the drawer. She had a habit of saving the complimentary toothbrushes they gave her after dental cleanings for unexpected guests. She counted eight toothbrushes. They didn’t have many overnight guests.
Julia approached the kitchen and living room area with caution after hearing heavy grunts interrupted by loud gasps. She leaned over the back of the couch to find Dax’s shirtless body glistening with sweat as he huffed out a one-handed push-up. She tipped her head to one side, studying how the muscles in his back and arms flexed and strained. Her entire body flushed. She had been wrong. Turns out she really liked a man with muscles.
She couldn’t tear her eyes from how he exerted his brawn. She wondered at his strength and endurance, not being accustomed to watching a man exercise. She hated going to stinky gyms. Even in college, her exercise was limited to a morning run outside, or a dance class in a large, well-aired studio. Those early morning, freezing runs are what got her accepted into law school. For her application essay, she had written how she hadn’t missed one day of running that year, even on those glacial mornings where her shoes crunched along the ice-ridden roads, or on a blistery summer’s day that breached a hundred degrees. She had promised the admission’s board that she would be equally dedicated to her academia.
Dax rested into his elbows. “Good morning.”
She ducked down behind the couch. “Good morning.” He hadn’t looked up at her. Maybe he didn’t know she’d been watching him. “I’m just looking for an earring I lost last night.” She ran her fingers along the plush rug.
He stood and walked around the couch. “Earring?” he questioned with amusement. By his inflection, he’d noticed her gawking.
She shrank even farther into the floor before glancing up at him. His intoxicating smile lit her body down to the small places in her toes. “Oh, you’ve been exercising as well?” She wiped the fresh moisture from her forehead with her sleeve. “I do my own mat Pilates session in the mornings.” She was a sweaty mess, but not from exercise. She needed to take a shower, and he most likely wanted one. “Do you want to take a shower?”
Now he gave a wickedly handsome and annoying smile. She could be such a babbling idiot. Her eyes lowered to his chest, then his abdomen. She took in a sharp breath as the internal circuits in her head fried.
“Not together of course.” She shook her head as if declining his inviting look, but it was to get the wires in her brain to touch properly again. “You know where the guest bath is. Here’s a toothbrush.” She handed him the toothbrush and paste and turned to leave before she could embarrass herself anymore.
“Jules?” His voice was calm and deep.
She looked back at him, drinking in his body one last time.
He lifted the toothbrush. “Thanks.”
Julia bit her lower lip and nodded. She couldn’t trust herself to speak.
After a fifteen-minute Pilates workout, she finished with a few Yoga poses to relax her racing heart. She wished she could blame her heart palpitations on the exercise, but she never pushed herself that hard during her home sessions. She saved that endorphin high for her runs. No, the handsome fireman in the other room showering was what got her heart pumping.
Not waiting for the water to warm, she flung herself into the shower. Her body erupted into a million goosebumps. She lathered up with her favorite all-natural blackberry soap from a fabulous local boutique, Suite 716. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, her mind lingering on the essence of wild fruit. She suddenly found herself walking along the sticky, red clay Georgia road on a sweltering mid-summer’s day. It was the street her cousin lived on when they were children. Julia and Abi had spent one blistery summer there with her cousin when their parents went on a two-month world tour. Julia had found adventure with the snakes and all the other creepy things in the woods along the road. Her favorite spot was a stretch of wild blackberry bushes. Abi popped a blackberry into Julia’s mouth, only it wasn’t Abi. It was Dax, shirtless.
Julia’s eyes flew open. If only she had a current case load to divert her mind from his ripped abdomen. She had reluctantly agreed to take vacation time. It would be the first time off since she had started as a deputy public defender. Work had always been an effective diversion from men, until now. And Abi would be no help, she had her own hot fireman to be sweet on.
As Julia dressed, she counted her blessings to combat the rising anxiety. Her feelings for Dax stressed her out. She had never allowed a man to get past her cool exterior before. She had simply planned on snagging a boyfriend for show in a few weeks to appease her mother. She hadn’t bargained on the intense attraction, but the attraction wasn’t what scared her. What frightened her to pieces was how he made her feel, like she was more than a body with brains. She had thanked him last night for seeing inside her, but the light she sensed in him scared her silly. He was one of the good guys, a guy she could seriously fall for.
She put her hair up in a high ponytail and applied a light application of mascara before venturing out of the safety of her bedroom.
The aroma of bacon and eggs tickled her nose as she walked to the kitchen.
“Hope you don’t mind,” Dax called out. “I wanted to make you breakfast to thank you.”
She giggled when she saw him. “I like your apron.”
He turned around in a slow, bouncy circle to show off the frilly polka dot apron that came to his mid-thigh and tied around his upper back. He had taken a shower and was now dressed back in his suit pants and the light, cotton undershirt he had worn under his crisp white dress shirt.
“How in the world did you tie that?”
“I pulled it over my head.” He chuckled. “But I may need some help taking it off.” He quickly loaded a plate for Julia with a scrambled egg concoction, sliced tomatoes, and bacon. “Take a bite,” he said eagerly.
She said a quick, silent grace, then stabbed a few pieces of her omelet. The creamy texture and savory flavor blew her away. “This is amazing! What’s in this?”
“Feta cheese, tarragon, and fresh cracked white pepper.”
Julia wrinkled her brow. “We have tarragon?”
“Fresh tarragon.” He laughed. “I’m guessing between the two of you, Abi is the chef.”
She nodded. “Abi’s an amazing cook. She plans functions at Deer Valley Resort. I think with all that tasting she does, she has become accustomed to high-end cuisine and now attempts to replicate it. Thank heavens for her job or we’d be eating out every night. I really don’t have the time or the inclination to cook.”
Dax tapped his chest. “Good thing I went to culinary school.”
She finished another large bite before agreeing. “I must say, the jury is enjoying the evidence being presented.”
“Don’t we have this backwards? Doesn’t the lawyer present all the evidence before the jury deliberates?”
He had a point.
He continued, “Shouldn’t we go out on a few dates first, then the jury can deliberate?”
“The problem is, I don’t date—”
“Firemen,” he finished with a lowered head and a sigh.
“But you never told me why you don’t date savvy, selfless, strong, sincere men.”
“That’s a lot of S-es.”
“I left one out.” He raised his eyebrows and gave her a sultry smile. “Can you guess what it is?”
“Nope.” She tried to keep a straight face as she gulped down a swish of orange juice, praying he didn’t notice her blush. She needed a diversion. “Computer, play—”
“Latin dance music,” he said, cutting her off with a wink. “You’ll love it.”
A guitar strummed to a quick Spanish beat.
“I do love it. How did you know?”
“Man’s intuition.”
She rolled her eyes, but at least it had worked. She knew he was trying to get her to admit she found him sexy. Not happening. Not today at least. She needed to know that he wouldn’t dump her after the first three dates. He couldn’t know how amazing she thought he was, and sexy.
“I love that you do something that scares you every day. You know what scares me?”
“I’m afraid to ask.” She winked. “So, I’ll ask.”
“Latin dancing. How in the world do they move their hips like that?”
Julia put her fork down and stood. “You mean like this?” She did a little Salsa swish of her hips.
“How?” He threw his hands in the air. “Do you have a distant relative who’s Latino?”
“I took a few Latin ballroom classes in college. We had a group that would practice at this hole-in-the-wall dance club, but it was one my favorite things about college.” She reached for her fork, but he had made it around the counter and grabbed her hand before she could take hold of it. “Wait,” she laughed out. “I’m still eating.”
“Please teach me,” he begged, pulling her away from her yummy food.
His touch, coupled with the pure joy and excitement in his eyes, caused her to forego her breakfast and focus on him. “I’ll teach you a few steps if you promise to fight your fear and go to a Latin dance club to try out your new moves.”
He drew an X over his heart with his finger and gave her a crooked smile as he placed a hand on her waist. She taught him not to wiggle his torso, but to slightly bend his knees as he stepped from side to side with an occasional step-behind. The motion gave him the right amount of hip sway without looking like a limp green bean.
