She laughed along with the girls, not ready to face what just happened.
“So…put his number in your phone, silly.” Tanya urged.
Layla glanced at the paper clutched in her hand. “I don’t know.”
“What’s to know? The man is drop-dead gorgeous and interested in you. Plus, he’s only a door away.”
“Yeah, but…he had his chance a decade ago, and practically every holiday ever since.”
“I thought I was getting a familiar vibe between you two.” Tanya cocked her head. “You have a history.”
She snorted. “Yeah, of me pining over him, and him moving away. His parents own the ranch next to the one my grandfather owned. So…why?” She frowned, staring at the closed door as if the answer would magically appear. “Why is he looking at me like that now?”
“Maybe it’s because he’s finally come to his senses,” Kelly said, her gaze drifting over to Jade. “Sometimes it takes some people longer than others.”
Layla got the impression the woman was speaking from experience.
“True. So put that number in your phone or I will,” Tanya warned.
Thankfully, the door opened and their four o’clock appointment of a family of six, who lived in an apartment building that didn’t allow pets arrived to get their weekly cat fix, and the focus shifted to work, where it belonged. Not on her love life.
Until today, she hardly thought of Noah at all. Only on even days and the odd ones that fit in between. Shoot. She headed into the back room office to grab her phone from her purse she locked in the drawer. But not to put in his number. No. To call her sister and find out why she hadn’t gotten a warning.
“Christie.”
“Hey, Layla. What’s up?”
She snorted and began to pace across the tile floor from the back wall to the front. “I could ask you the same.”
“What do you mean?”
“Noah.”
“What about him?”
She swallowed a curse.
“He moved in across the hall from me this morning.”
“What? Noah’s back?”
The pitch of her sister’s raised voice caused Layla to stop her pacing and frown. “You didn’t know either?”
“No. Of course not. I would’ve told everyone,” her sister claimed. “Oh my God. I wonder if Robert and his parents know.”
She shook her head and sank down in the nearest chair. “I’m not sure. He’s starting at Station 58 tomorrow.”
“That might explain why he grabbed the apartment. It’s more convenient than staying at the family ranch.”
True…but, it felt like more, Layla’s gut insisted.
“Must’ve been a spur of the moment thing.” Her sister’s tone was becoming firmer. “He’s probably already called his family.”
Layla had no idea. Probably. Didn’t seem like he’d deliberately leave them in the dark. The Donovans were close-knit.
“Just in case, can you knock on his door and make sure he gives them a call tonight?” her sister asked, her tone now full of concern. “They deserve to know, and not from anyone but Noah.”
Her sister was right. Dammit.
And she didn’t have the heart to tell her the guy was out with his buddies eating and drinking beer. Then she remembered the paper still clutched in her other hand. She didn’t have to see him. She could call…or better yet, text him. Yeah. She’d text him and ask if he’d let his family know.
“All right. I’ll take care of that now. Talk to you later,” she said, then hung up and stared at the paper. Her pulse increasing each passing second.
It was just a text. No biggie.
Sucking in a deep breath, she punched his number in her phone along with a message asking if his family knew he was back.
A second later he replied: Yes. Just walked in their door to surprise them.
Oh. She blinked. That explained things. Sort of. A small smile tugged her lips as she imagined his mother’s happy face. Then wondered if Jeremy and Nico were bummed to miss out on their pizza and beer. But, none of it was her business.
Layla?
Yes?
Just wondered if you were still there.
Yes.
It was great seeing you again.
Shoot. How was she supposed to answer that?
Thankfully, he didn’t wait for a reply.
See you later. Bye.
She responded with a Bye and stared at the screen a long time, willing her body to stop its stupid shaking. His sudden turn about was good and bad. Mostly bad. With her sister marrying his brother, they couldn’t afford to give it a shot in the off chance their relationship would fail. That would make family get-togethers beyond awkward.
But what if it didn’t fail?
Chapter Three
The next day, after dropping the guys at the airport, Noah parked his truck behind his apartment building and headed inside. Since he still had an hour before he reported to the station for the start of his first 24 hour rotation, he wanted to double-check the lock on the door in the stairwell that led to Layla’s office in Coffee Cats.
Yesterday he and the guys had gone around and covertly scouted the exits, checking windows and doors of the café, before moving to the cat room where his heart nearly rocked clear out of his chest when he caught his second glimpse of paradise, Layla style. He smiled, despite the torture the image brought to his body. He’d been sporting a hard-on ever since he found her in his apartment, and that second glimpse nearly did him in. Luckily the others had been around to keep him on track, herding him into Coffee Cats to check her security. The only areas he hadn’t checked were the office and Layla’s apartment.
By the weekend, he’d remedy that. Somehow. Today was Thursday. That gave him two days.
Entering the building using his key fob, he felt a little comforted the landlord had up-to-date security, replacing keys with the electronic device that required the swipe of the fob past a sensor to gain entrance. It was also how Layla gained access to Coffee Cats, he noted standing by the door. He crossed the threshold to her office and twisted the handle. Relief washed through him. Whoever was leaving those notes shouldn’t be able to get to her too easily.
But she was still accessible, his mind reasoned, removing every trace of his short-lived relief. Damn. What if the guy already had access? Maybe it was a relative of one of her employees. His mind was still trying to figure it out when a flash of fur caught his eye. Rescue ambled over to brush against his leg and meow.
“Hey, buddy. What are you doing out?” He bent down to scoop up the cat, who immediately started to purr. “Where’s your mom?” He glanced up the stairs, expecting to see her, but they were empty. Did Layla let him out? Instinct told him no. Adrenaline shot through his veins and he sprinted up the stairs two at a time with the still-purring cat in his arms. “Come on, level with me, buddy. How did you get out?”
Meow.
Great, he got an answer but he didn’t speak cat.
Reaching her closed door, he tried the handle and found it locked. Alarm tightened his chest. Did someone else let the cat out? He knocked on the door. “Layla? Are you okay?”
Nothing.
“Layla? It’s me, Noah.” He knocked louder. Longer.
There was no sign of a forced entry.
Just when he was getting ready to set the cat down and bust the door down, it opened and a sleepy-eyed Layla frowned up at him.
“Jeez, Noah. What’s all the ruckus? It’s early.” She stifled a yawn and blinked up at him, hair all sleep-tossed, face devoid of makeup, sexy damn night shirt falling mid-thigh, brushing her curves. Her unhindered curves.
Jesus, her nipples were poking the material, kind of like his thickening erection.
Her gaze fell to the cat still purring in his arms. “Rescue?”
“I found him downstairs.”
“Darnit. How does he keep getting out? I don’t understand.” She stepped back to let him in, then shut the door. “Maybe you ca
n figure it out. Please look around while I get dressed.”
He nodded, not trusting his mouth since it wanted to protest her getting dressed. Which was not why he was there. Her safety was of the utmost importance, not his libido. Setting the cat down, he was only too happy to oblige her wishes to take a look around. Exactly what he’d wanted just a few minutes ago, well, almost, but his body was just going to have to wait until he figured out how to gain everyone’s approval…including Layla’s.
After a quick sweep of the room, he found nothing, and no explanation of Rescue’s disappearing act.
“How are you getting out?” he asked the cat again, walking over to pet the feline on his perch on the back of the chair. Noah received a stretch in response.
“Good luck getting him to talk.” Layla appeared, wearing shorts and a tank top, which did nothing to relieve the pressure behind his zipper. She put coffee on and tossed two bagels in the toaster before turning to face him. “I hope you have time for a quickie before your shift.”
His whole body stiffened and he blinked, but before he could find his tongue, she clarified, full blush reddening her face.
“Breakfast quickie.” She groaned and tried again. “A quick breakfast. It’s the least I can do for you rescuing Rescue. Again.”
“It’s all right.” He smiled and walked across the apartment laid out identical, but opposite, to his and sat at her island snack bar. “Thanks for a quickie breakfast, I appreciate it.”
She nodded and grabbed two mugs from a cupboard. “Guessing you dropped your friends off at the airport?”
“Yeah. I came back to kill a little time before work and found your cat in the stairwell.”
She set both mugs on the counter and slid him one, muttering under her breath as she placed milk, sugar, and flavored creamer in front of him, then fetched their bagels. “That’s the fourth time this week.” He watched as she added creamer to her coffee and shook her head. “And I don’t know how he’s getting out.”
Noah had to admit, he was stumped, too.
As they ate, they hashed out a few scenarios, but none appeared correct. Time for drastic measures. “Would you be okay with setting up a camera in here?”
She stilled, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth in an innocent gesture that had him thinking far from innocent thoughts.
Damn, he wanted to suck that lip into his mouth then sooth it with his tongue.
“Yes.”
His heart rocked against his ribs, and it took him a full two beats before his mind caught on. “I can take care of that for you on my day off.”
Her brows rose. “That’s sweet of you, but I can do it. Just sorry I didn’t think of it myself.” She grabbed their dishes and carried them to her sink. “Kind of stupid of me.”
He smiled and walked toward her with his empty mug. “You’re not stupid, and I’d be happy to help. Anything for you.”
That seemed to fluster her further. She blinked at him, mouth open, watching him approach, as if helpless to move, gaze widening, but she remained still when he reached around her to place his mug in the sink.
A dangerous move, especially considering his chest brushed hers and he felt her indrawn breath straight to his groin. And just like that he was hard. And hungry. He stared down at her, ordering his body to step back, but his libido was calling the shots and he stepped closer instead.
“I don’t—” She paused, her gaze drifting to the door. “Did you hear something?”
His back stiffened a moment before he shot to the door and flung it open to find the hall empty…but there was another damn sticky note on her door.
“Noah. What are you doing?” She came up behind him and gasped when she spotted the note. “Anyone out there?”
“No. Stay here,” he ground out, sprinting down the hall, then the empty stairwell, to burst outside at a dead run but no one was near. The parking lot was quiet. He twisted around only to discover he was the only one in the general vicinity of the building.
Son-of-a-bitch!
Where the hell did he go? Noah listened to try to discern if a car peeled away, but only normal traffic noise met his ear.
“Noah?”
Jesus. His heart slammed in his throat as he twisted around and marched to Layla standing in the doorway. “Thought I told you to stay inside.”
“Yeah, except I’m not a dog.” She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. “You can’t tell me what to do.”
“But you are going inside.” He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her all the way back to her apartment to look at the note stuck to the door. “‘We need to talk’ What the hell does that mean?”
She tugged from his grasp and shrugged. “That someone wants to talk to me.”
His heart dropped to his feet at her nonchalant tone. “Layla.” He grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him. “Please tell me you see this is dangerous.”
Another shrug. “I don’t know. Doesn’t exactly sound like a threat to me. Not really. Same with the others.”
“How many others?” he asked, trying to sound surprised without blatantly deceiving her with dumb questions.
“This makes four.”
He worked to calm his pulse, and asked an obvious question, “Have you called the police?”
“Yes, my parents and godfather insisted, but there’s nothing they can do.” She patted his chest, and he felt like an ass for asking questions he already knew the answer to. “Thanks for trying to catch whoever left this, but you should go. You’re going to be late for your first day back at Station 58.”
Shit. She was right. He glanced at the time on his phone. Twenty-five minutes to seven. Swallowing a curse, he lifted his phone and took a photo of the note on the door, then turned to her. “Leave that. I’ll send someone over.”
“Ah, no. Noah, please don’t tell my godfather. He’s already worked up about it.”
“I have to, Layla. He’s my boss, and he’s has the right to be worried. I’m worried.” He reached out to brush his knuckle across her cheek. God, if anything happened to her…“Please go inside and lock your door. Hold on, let me check it out first. Stay here.”
Without waiting for her to respond, he rushed into her apartment and quickly searched all the rooms. After he found it empty, he returned to discover she didn’t listen. Again. She stood by the chair petting Rescue, a slight frown creasing her forehead.
“You okay?” He stopped in front of her to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, and hell, he needed it too.
She nodded, picking up her cat and cuddling him to her chest. “I guess. You really think they’re threats?”
Blowing out a breath, he tried to rein in his concern. He didn’t want to add to her fear. He just wanted her to be cautious. “I don’t know, Layla. Maybe. Just don’t take it lightly. If someone wanted to talk to you, they just would. No need to leave notes, right?”
“I guess.” She brushed her cheek against Rescue’s head and the sweet, vulnerable action ricocheted through Noah’s chest, cracking the wall he’d built around his heart. The one he’d erected a decade ago to keep her out and she just decimated in less than twenty-four hours.
With a groan, he pulled her into his arms, careful not to crush Rescue in the process. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She nodded. And shook. Rescue apparently didn’t like being a sandwich, so he squirmed and jumped out of her arms—removing their barrier. Her gaze met his and held as awareness kicked up, heating the air around them. Layla’s breathing increased, bringing that gorgeous chest of hers in contact with his.
“Noah.” She ran her hands over his shoulders to cup the back of his head. “We shouldn’t…”
“I know,” he replied, wrapping one arm around her back, crushing her closer while he thrust his other hand in her hair to hold her face where he wanted it. “We’ve waited too long. And I’m not waiting anymore.” Unwilling to waste another second, he lowered his mouth to hers and took his first taste
of Layla.
And, damn, what a taste. Hot and sweet with a hint of coffee, and he couldn’t stop dipping and tasting, sweeping his tongue inside for a long, thorough kiss. She let out a sexy little sound in her throat and melted into him, brushing her thumbs on the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine.
All these years, he knew…he knew her kiss would be amazing. It was the reason he’d avoided her for so long.
But not anymore.
This changed things. He couldn’t undo what he’d just done, and God, he didn’t want to.
If his family or his boss had an issue, then it was their problem. He was done being told to stay away from Layla, and hell, the way she was rocking against him, pressing her tongue to his, devouring him like he was all she ever wanted, was a clear indication she felt the same.
If he didn’t have to break for air, he would’ve prolonged his first taste. “Damn, Layla,” he uttered against her temple, working to catch his breath.
“That…was…” She panted into his shoulder, warm breath hitting his neck, sending more shivers down his spine. “Wow.”
He smiled. “Good wow, I hope.”
“Yeah, but—”
“No buts.” He drew back to catch her gaze. “It happened. It was wow. Let’s go with that.”
Her lips curved. “Okay.” She released her hold on his shoulders and gently pushed him away. “Too bad we can’t do it again.”
“Why can’t we?”
“Well, for one, you’ve got work in a few minutes. And two, you—”
His phone began to ring and vibrate in his pocket. Swallowing a curse, he withdrew his cell and frowned. “Donovan.” He stepped back when his captain’s voice came on the line.
“It’s quiet here for a moment. Come over so we can have our conversation before the rest of the crew switches out.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll be right there.” He hung up and shoved the phone back in his pocket. He had a lot to report. “I have to go in early. But, we’re not through with this conversation, Layla.”
“Yes, we are, Noah. We have to be.” She shook her head and he took solace in the fact misery darkened her gaze.
Dallas Fire & Rescue_Whine and Rescue Page 3
