Which means all I can think about is hand placement, the speed I should move in, which way should I tilt my head, or if I should lean in slowly, cradle her rosy-red cheeks, and then start teasing her lips with mine before gently probing my tongue in to beg for entry.
The other option is to say fuck it and just crush my mouth to hers, claiming her as mine and mine only for the whole damn world to see.
And I’m torn between the former and latter, which means I’m a little distracted when the siren sounds for the end of the first period and the players exit the ice just as the Zamboni comes on.
“Hey, you look a million miles away,” Lonnie says, elbowing my side.“Don’t tell me I’m boring you already.”
I turn and take in the crinkles around her deep blue eyes and her perfectly curved Cupid’s bow lips and smile.“Nah.I’m never bored when I’m with you, beautiful.Just thinking a bit too hard.”
“Oh, yeah?And what are you thinking about?”Her brows furrow.“You worried about the exam next week?
I shake my head.“I’ve had the best damn tutor to help me study.Why would I be worried?”
She beams and I feel it like a punch to the chest—the good kind that makes me want to give her the whole world if she’d let me.“Good.Because even Dad says you have nothing to worry about.”
“Probably because he’s been quizzing me every chance he gets.Middle of the fire ground and he’s grilling me on protocol and procedures.Now my head is so full, I’m even dreaming about the damn test.”
“Well I happen to think you’ll make an amazing lieutenant.”
“I don’t wanna leave 101 though,” I say, bringing a frown to her face.
“You think that would happen?I can’t see the brass wanting to separate your crew.You’ve been together for years.”
“Yeah, but unless someone retires or transfers out, there are far too many lieutenants in the firehouse.”
“Too many chefs and not enough waiters, ’ey?”
I chuckle.“Something like that.”
The very last thing I want to do is leave 101.The crew is just as much my family as those of my blood.And working alongside Marco, Rhodes, Zach and even Scotty is what I know.The prospect of having to move to another firehouse and learn the ins and outs of another crew isn’t something I want to entertain.“My future is and always will be at the discretion of the department.”
“I think you could work anywhere and fit right in.That's just your way.But I happen to like visiting my dad and seeing my best friend there.”
“I happen to like seeing you there too.”I smile over at her.“Besides, I would hate to have to travel to keep up our breakfast dates.”
“Oh, it’s all about the breakfast, is it?”
“Nope.It’s all about seeing my beautiful girl sitting across the table from me after a long shift.”That earns me a bashful grin.
As if we’re being pulled together by an invisible force field, we both slowly lean in, eyes locked together, my heart pounding so hard it’s roaring in my ears.
Then “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer starts to play and the crowd cheers.We both slowly turn our heads and there, on the giant 8,600-square-feet screen are our wide-eyed faces.The fans around us chant, “Kiss.Kiss.Kiss.”
I jerk my eyes back to Lonnie, her cheeks a pretty pink, her expression a picture of anticipation and maybe a little trepidation, her lips parting as her tongue darts out to wet them.Then all my awkward thoughts about the kiss redo and the how and the where and the when vanish.None of that matters anymore.
I shift forward in my seat toward her, my gaze locked with hers as I lift my hand to cup her jaw and dip my head to brush my lips against hers, everything Lonnie overwhelming my senses.
“C’mon, that’s not a kiss,” a Blackhawks fan behind us taunts.I move back an inch and turn my head to our mouthy neighbor.“Give her arealkiss, man, and make it good.”
I give Lonnie my full attention before glancing sideways at the screen to see a cartoon heart drawn around us with a giant banner flashing and reading, “Kiss.Kiss.Kiss.”
So that’s what I do, I throw caution to the wind and do what I’ve been dreaming of for the past week.Hell, probably for much longer than that, if I’m being honest with myself.
I shrug and take her in.Her pupils are blown, her skin flushed, and when she worries her bottom lip between her teeth, my mind blanks and I act on pure lust and instinct.I frame her face in both hands and kiss her how Iwantto kiss her, pouring everything into it, nipping at her lips, licking into her mouth until my tongue meets hers and when a breathy moan vibrates between us, I deepen our connection, closing my eyes and losing myself to the taste and feel andeverythingthat is her.
By the time we finally pull apart, we’re both panting, London lifting her fingers to her swollen, well-kissed lips, her eyes wide as we stare at each other.
Fuck.Did I do it wrong?Was it bad for her?Was it—