“I’m afraid my dessert offerings are limited to tiramisu or a honey ricotta cheesecake that I already ate half of.”
I glance up to find Luke rounding the corner toward where I’m sitting on his couch. “You’re afraid? They both sound like great desserts.”
“Great but they don’t compare to mint chocolate chip ice cream.” He feigns a frown. “I’ll stock my freezer for the next time you come over.”
He sees a future for our friendship that’s not in my view yet.
I don’t know if it’s because I’ve never had a hot-as-hell male friend or if he still feels like a stranger to me.
I know very little about him other than the fact that he’s a part of one of most recognizable families in the city, he’s a fireman, and the woman he’s in love with married someone else.
“You’re hesitating again.” He stabs a finger in the air. “You want a piece of both, don’t you? You’re not going to find any judgment here, Afton. I once ate an entire cheesecake before I left for work at the crack of dawn.”
“Do you like being a fireman?” It’s a question I’ve wanted to ask since he first mentioned what he does for a living.
He moves around the coffee table to plant himself next to me on the couch. “I fucking love it.”
There’s pride in his voice and in his eyes. It’s a good look for him.
“Is it something you knew you’d always do?”
“Without question,” he blurts out. “Guess what costume I wore every year on Halloween?”
I can’t tell if it’s a rhetorical question or not, so I laugh. “A fireman.”
“You know it.” He nods. “When I was a kid, if I smelled smoke, I’d grab my bike and make my way toward the fire.”
I study his face. “What did your folks think of that?”
“My mom died when I was a baby,” he confesses with a glance toward a trio of framed pictures on a table in the corner. “My stepmom wasn’t impressed. My dad got it. He’d scold me with a smile on his face while he whispered in my ear to keep my distance from the flames.”
“I’m sorry about your mom,” I say softly. “Your dad sounds amazing.”
“He is,” he agrees. “I haven’t told him that I broke up a stranger’s wedding yet. I’m sure I’ll get an earful about that.”
I lean closer to him. “You need to add that the stranger is grateful that you did that.”
His blue eyes hone in on mine. “I’ll do that.”
Heat sprints up my spine when his eyes drop to the front of my dress. His gaze trails slowly back to my face.
“I should go,” I say because I’m suddenly overheating.
“You should stay and have dessert,” he counters.
My breath stutters when I look at his face again. He’s so handsome. It’s distracting in the best possible way. “I have to get a few things ready for work tomorrow.”
It’s a lame excuse, but I feel like the walls are closing in on me.
“I can be your subway buddy ride,” he offers. “If anyone gets too close, they’ll have me to contend with.”
I’ve always been independent and proud of the fact that I can take care of myself. I like that he wants to protect me, but I need to create some distance between us.
He’s still in love with another woman, and I won’t let myself fall into the middle of that.
“Thank you, but I think I’ll grab an Uber.”
He darts to his feet before he offers me his hand. “I’ll walk you down. We can wait on the sidewalk together for your ride.”
I place my hand in his, and this time, I can’t deny how it makes me feel. There’s an unmistakable surge of electricity that powers through me when my palm settles in his.
Drawing in a deep breath, I look up at him. “Thanks, Luke. Thanks for everything tonight.”
As he pulls me gently to my feet, a soft smile settles on his full lips. “It’s my pleasure, Afton. I hope we can hang out together again soon.”
Chapter 18
Luke
My first day back at work was a good one.
My captain, Dane Beckett, greeted me the same way he always does. I got a firm pat on the back and a question about what I’ve been up to.
Diving into that with an honest answer wasn’t about to happen, so I fell back to my standard response. I told him I was good and that I’d used the time off to catch up on a few things.
It was more of a stretch of the truth than an outright lie.
I spent time every single night since Brook got married on my computer. I wasn’t searching for any crumbs she may have left me on her social media profiles. Instead, I worked on something that has been brewing inside of me for years.