At the touch of his hand along her cheek, a soft gasp slipped from her mouth, but she remained motionless. He took one of her hands with his free hand, and when she gently squeezed, he leaned toward her, but stopped short of kissing her.
Make her want it.
He was so close, the warmth of his breath brushed across her lips, but when his mouth hovered millimeters from hers, she thought she would die from anticipation.
“Is it all right if I kiss you?” he murmured.
“Yes,” she breathed out, desperate now to feel his mouth on hers.
Their gazes were still locked together, and she could tell by the way small crinkles appeared in the corners of his eyes that he was smiling. Then the crinkles disappeared as he became serious, and a split second later his eyes closed as his mouth finally, finally found hers.
Lacey’s eyes drifted closed as her entire world was consumed by the sensations rolling through her—desire, safety, pure joy. Then his arms went around her waist and her arms slid around his neck, and it was if she’d waited her whole life for this moment, and she never wanted it to end.
Thirty-One
Nearly breathless, after several wonderful moments, Jake released her, but he kept her in the circle of his arms.
Wow. That was…wow.
Staring at this woman who he’d met only three weeks earlier, he was shocked at how much she’d gotten under his skin, at how much she’d grown to mean to him.
She didn’t say anything, but a soft smile tugged up the corners of her mouth and he knew waiting to kiss her had been the right thing to do.
Any doubts Lacey had first harbored that Jake wasn’t who he appeared to be had slowly vanished with each hour she had spent with him, but now she was completely certain that he was a good man, a man she could count on, and that certainty allowed the petals of her heart to open wide enough to let him in.
“Thank you for inviting me on this hike,” she said as she kept her gaze steady on his.
He smiled at her. “We’re not done yet.” Softly chuckling, he added, “In fact, we’ve barely gotten started.”
She hoped he meant more than just their hike.
“Shall we go on?” he asked as he loosened his arms from around her and took her hand.
Excited to reach their destination and see how her attempt at drawing would go, she nodded. “Yes.”
They walked side by side, although in places it was a little narrow and single file would have worked better. Still, he kept hold of her hand, and she was thrilled that he didn’t want to let her go.
They talked as they walked, and when they finally reached their destination and he draped one arm around her shoulders as they stood on the edge of the lake, she pressed herself to his side, sliding one arm around his waist and resting her head against his shoulder.
With her body leaning against his side, Jake tightened his hold on her, wrapping both of his arms around her. The soft floral scent of her hair filled his senses, and the feel of her arm around his waist felt so right.
What was happening to him? He had only been interested in having some fun with a beautiful woman at his side, but now he was falling for her. Hard. How had that happened?
But he knew how. There was something about Lacey that felt right and felt familiar, like he’d been waiting for her his whole life. It had just taken him by surprise.
“Look,” Lacey said in a loud whisper as she pointed to the other side of the lake. “Is that a moose?”
Jake looked in the direction she indicated, then looked at her. Enthusiasm lit her face. He watched her watching the moose. “Yes. Good eye.”
She grinned at him, and he couldn’t stop himself. He pulled her in for another kiss.
He thought he was falling in love with this woman. And he didn’t think he could stop it. And he didn’t think he wanted to stop it.
Happier than he’d been in a long time, he relished the feel of her in his arms and her lips against his.
What was happening to her? Could she really be falling for him so hard and so fast?
But she knew that she could, because she was. Enjoying every second of their kiss, she sank against him, delighted that she’d found someone she could feel this way about.
When he finally released her, she smiled at him with a feeling of contentment she’d never felt before.
“Should we eat here?” she asked. “Then maybe I can try to draw this lake.”
His lips curved into a broad smile. “I think that’s a great idea. I want to see what you can do.”
Pleased beyond measure that he actually wanted her to draw, Lacey was nearly overcome with emotion, and she turned away before he could see the tears that flooded her eyes.
Jake could tell something was on Lacey’s mind, and he was determined to discover why she got so emotional sometimes. It wasn’t that he disapproved, but he sensed there was much more going on below the surface.
“Hey,” he said, and he gently tugged on her arm until she turned and faced him. Her eyes were soaked with tears, alarming him. “Hey, what’s wrong?” His eyebrows pulled together. “Are you worried that you won’t be able to draw?”
She gazed at him a moment, like she was trying to decide if she should tell him the truth. Finally she said. “No. It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
She bit her lip as if she was trying to control her emotions, then she drew in a shuddering breath and slowly released it. “It’s just that…I’m not used to…being encouraged.”
Unsure what she meant, he shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“This is kind of personal.” She quietly laughed. “But I guess I can tell you.”
Please do. “Of course you can.”
“My last…boyfriend. He…well, he kind of hated it when I drew or even talked about drawing.”
What? What kind of jerk had she been with? “I’m sorry, Lacey. I don’t know what to say. That’s just…so wrong.”
A soft sigh slipped from her mouth, and he desperately wanted to take away the pain he saw in her eyes.
“I would never do that,” he said. “I hope you know that.”
He really was wonderful.
“What did he do?” Jake asked. “When you drew?”
She almost didn’t want to admit it, but she felt she should. Just so he would know it would never happen again. “I…I kind of gave up drawing while I was with him. It’s what made him happy.” Her lips compressed. “But I’ll never do that again.”
His mouth fell open. “You gave it up? For how long?”
She looked at the ground. “Two years.” She felt his fingers under her chin, lifting her head so that her gaze met his.
“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” His voice was soft.
Much to her mortification, tears filled her eyes again, but she ignored them. She needed to talk about this, make it clear that it was her own fault. “It was my choice, Jake. My decision.”
Couldn’t she see that it was all kinds of wrong for this guy to make her feel like she had to give up her passion, just to please him? Yet she blamed herself.
Jake remembered what she’d said two weeks earlier, when she’d blamed herself for burning her hands when all she’d been doing was trying to help someone else with no thought for herself.
His eyebrows slammed together as his anger toward this other man nearly swallowed him. This guy had convinced Lacey that everything was her fault. No wonder she believed that it was.
“I’m sorry, Jake,” she said now, her chin quivering. “I know I’m flawed.” Her lips pressed together. “If you…if you don’t want to see me anymore, I’ll understand.”
Completely stunned that she would think that, he dragged her against him.
Lacey didn’t understand why he was holding her this way. Then she knew. It was because he pitied her. She had admitted her flaws, her inadequacies, and just like she had feared, he felt sorry for her. But that was better than laughing at her.
He
loosened his hold, and as Lacey lifted her gaze to meet his, she braced herself for the derision she would see in his eyes. But that wasn’t what she saw at all.
“You’re not flawed, Lacey,” he said, his green eyes dark with intensity. “You’re perfect. And the thing is, you don’t even know you are.”
Holding back a scoff, which was her instinctive reaction, Lacey let herself be drawn in by the potency of his gaze, the caring—love?—she saw there.
“Please don’t say that.” Her face burned with shame at her inadequacies.
He placed his hands on her upper arms. “See?” His voice was soft. “You have no idea how perfect and wonderful you are.”
She couldn’t accept that. He had it backwards. “You’re the one who’s perfect,” she said. “You’re so good at everything you do. You’re too…” She couldn’t continue, not with tears clogging her throat.
“Too what?”
She swallowed hard. She had to get this out. “Too good for me, Jake. I’m just a waitress who likes to draw. You’re good at so many things. Why would you possibly be interested in me?”
Jake couldn’t believe she was so blind to all the good things about herself.
“Lacey, listen to me. When I look at you not only do I see a beautiful woman, but I see a woman who is intelligent and kind and selfless and sweet.” He chuckled. “Not to mention good at puzzles.” Don’t do it, Jake. Don’t say it. But he refused to listen to the part of himself that feared admitting his deepest feelings. “I see a woman I’m falling in love with.” You did it. You went there.
But it felt good and it felt right.
Thirty-Two
He was falling in love with her? With her? Really? She couldn’t wrap her mind around it. “Are you just saying that because you feel sorry for me?”
He recoiled. “Are you kidding me? Were you there when I kissed you? Are you telling me you didn’t feel it too?”
Despite herself, Lacey grinned. “Yes, I felt it. I just didn’t know you did.”
He laughed, then he immediately sobered. “Wait. What did you feel?”
Suddenly shy, she looked away, then she met his gaze. “I…I think I’m falling in love with you too.”
His face brightened, and he tugged her into his arms, burying his face in her hair.
Savoring the feel of his arms around her, Lacey melted against him. Was this really happening?
But she knew that it was, and she was happier than she ever thought she could be.
He pulled back slightly and kissed her cheek with a tenderness that sent waves of love crashing over her.
“I don’t know about you,” he said, “but I’m kind of starving.”
She laughed. “Me too.”
They sat on the grass and took the food out of the day pack. The moose was still grazing across the lake, and after eating a few bites of her sandwich, Lacey took out her sketchpad and began sketching the lake with the moose in the background. Immersed in the imagery in front of her and in the feel of the pencil moving against the paper, she forgot that she was supposed to be worried that her skill level had been compromised by her injury.
After several intense minutes of drawing, she paused and looked at her work, and to her everlasting joy, her work looked as good as it ever had. Heart bursting with exhilaration, she turned to Jake with the biggest smile.
“I can still do it,” she said.
Watching her draw had been fascinating. He couldn’t believe someone who cared about her would even hint that she should stop. She was so good at it. And at the look of elation on her face, Jake felt elation of his own.
He smiled at her. “I’m so glad you can still draw, Lacey.” His gaze went to her sketchpad. “I had no idea you were so talented.”
Her face radiant, she set her sketchbook down and smiled at him. “I have to tell you, this is one of the best days of my life.”
Thrilled to know he had played a small part in that, a secret smile turned up the corners of his mouth.
Lacey tilted her head. “What?”
Softly chuckling, he said, “I have a little secret surprise for you.”
Lacey had no idea what it could be, but she didn’t think this day could get any better. “What?”
“The very first time I met you was when you ran out of gas.” He grinned. “I asked you out, but you turned me down. Then, two weeks ago I found you again.”
She thought about the day of the fire. It had been horrible, but the one bright spot had been Jake. “You took care of me.” Her heart blossomed with love.
“Yes I did.” He gazed at her a moment, then he pressed his lips against hers, sending a riot of emotions spiraling through her. After several moments he pulled away. “But there was one thing I had to do that day that made you sad.”
Replaying that day in her mind, she tried to figure out what he was talking about. She hadn’t liked her hands being touched, but she didn’t think that was it. She hadn’t liked when he’d left her alone at the hospital, but that didn’t seem like the right answer either.
Then it came to her and she was filled with sorrow all over again. “You had to cut my grandmother’s wedding ring off of my finger.” Her shoulders drooped. “That was my favorite ring. It meant so much to me.”
“I could tell it was important to you, and I felt terrible when I cut it off. But I had to. Your fingers were swelling.”
She’d never held him responsible. “I know. You did what you had to. It’s okay.”
His pained expression disappeared, and instead a sly grin curved his mouth. “Well,” he said as he pulled something out of his pocket. “How would you like to wear it again?”
Really? “I’d love to.” Barely holding back her excitement, Lacey waited for him to uncurl his fist and reveal what he held in his palm.
With a gleam in his eye, his fingers opened. “Then here you go.”
She stared at the ring, which was now intact. “But how…” She took it from him and slid it onto her finger. It fit perfectly.
Laughing, he said, “I asked Amber to find it for me, and then I took it to a jeweler’s to get it repaired.”
“Oh my goodness, Jake. You’re incredible. Do you know that?” She threw her arms around his neck, and when his arms wrapped around her waist, she snuggled against him.
“I have my moments,” he said into her ear.
The vibration of his voice against her cheek sent chills racing up her spine, and as she pulled back far enough for their eyes to meet, his mouth found hers, and she knew she had found her Prince Charming, and that she would find her happily ever after.
Thank you for reading Rescue My Heart. If you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, make sure to check out my other KU books by clicking HERE.
I thought it would be fun to share the lasagna and pizza loaf recipes with you (which are both favorites of my family), as well as to show you pictures of the puzzles that Jake and Lacey did. You can even get these puzzles for yourself. To see these things, go to the “Extras” section at the end of this book.
I’m excited to tell you that I’m writing a Park City Firefighter Romance about Tyler, the firefighter/paramedic who works with Jake. That book is called Hearts on Fire and will be out in February 2017.
If you enjoyed Rescue My Heart, you’ll want to read the other books in the Park City Firefighter Romance series.
Rescue Me by bestselling author Taylor Hart, is available now. You can get it HERE. To read the first chapter of Rescue Me, go to “Excerpt from Rescue Me”.
Two Hearts Rescue by Daniel Banner is also available now. You can get it HERE. To read the first chapter of Two Hearts Rescue, go to “Excerpt from Two Hearts Rescue”.
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Excerpt from Rescue Me
Chapter 1
Damon Freestone stared down at the five-mile trail run he’d just done. It had been fun. As fun as Damon could deal with at the moment. Truthfully, he hadn’t even felt it. All he’d known when he’d gotten off his first full forty-eight-hour shift at Park City Fire Department was that he needed to do something to get his mind off everything.
Sucking in air, he pulled the water bottle off his hip and took a long drink. Honestly, it hadn’t been that bad of a shift, considering it was his first one since he had come back from Boston. And he had been demoted to a truckie.
His mind flashed to his first day as captain six months ago in Boston, to the burning building. At this point, he usually clamped down on the memory and refocused his thoughts. At least, that was what he’d been taught to do by the stupid shrink he’d been forced to see for weeks on end after it had all happened. The one who told him none of it was his fault. After all, he’d followed protocol. Squeezing the bottle between his fingers, he crushed it and then tucked it back into the water holster at his hip. Forget the shrink.
His mind opened to that day—his first call as the captain at Boston Fire. He’d done everything right. They had vented the building first and then sent in the truck crew to make entry and start search and rescue.
Rescue My Heart: Park City Firefighter Romance Page 15
