Her eyes shine brightly. “Oh yeah, I’m a bad girl, aren’t I?”
Groaning in the back of my throat, I wonder what I’ve done to deserve this. It’s both amazing and fucking torture. She stands on the tips of her toes, fusing her lips with mine. She’s hot as fuck when she presses her body against mine, rubbing in all the right places. Everywhere she touches, it’s as if she’s leaving her imprint in its wake. Warm and everything comforting.
I’m a goner, easily letting her do whatever she wants, forgetting where we are for long minutes. Instead of playing it safe, I take what I want, yanking her thigh up around my waist. If I were sure she’d be able to withstand the motion, I’d turn us around so she was the one against the wall.
But given the way she tastes, she’ll definitely be feeling this in a few hours, if she chooses to get up for work in the morning.
Pulling back from her, I slide my hand under her skirt, up her thigh. “This isn’t a good idea, babe.”
“Oh I’m loving it.” She tilts her head back, allowing me free rein over her body.
Even though my mind is cautioning me against this, my libido is raging. Fingers slip up to the lace of her panties. Her heat is what brings me back to my senses. “No, fuck no, we can’t do this here.”
Somehow, I manage to pull myself away from her, and that’s when I hear it.
“I’m glad someone realizes this isn’t a show fit for a firehouse.”
Fuck. My. Life.
It’s the Chief’s voice, and that’s when I know I’m done.
* * *
We’re sittingin his office. Hayden is doing her best not to giggle and I’m hoping my balls don’t shrivel up and fall off. I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous.
Not even when my mom caught me in bed with my first girlfriend.
“How long has this been going on?” He looks between the two of us.
“Oh, come on daddy-o.” She gives him a grin. “I’m an adult now. You can’t tell me who to date.”
He raises an eyebrow at her, tilting his head to the side. I haven’t had one of these looks thrown at me yet but, if I were her, I’d definitely shrink back.
Not my girl, though, she raises her chin in defiance.
“You’re right.” He swallows roughly. “I can’t tell you who to date, but I can tell him how this’ll go in my firehouse.”
Shit a brick.
“Chief, I don’t want to disrespect you, sir. At first, I didn’t know who she was…”
“But when you did, you shouldn’t have gone through with this.” He points a finger at me. “You know I must trust the men who are here with me. How am I supposed to trust you?”
This is rough, rougher than I imagined it would be. “I hope before this I’d done enough to gain your trust and I hope after this I will gain your respect. Yes, we should’ve told you.”
“But I was scared,” Hayden interrupts. “Nobody wants to disappoint you. Especially not us.” She seems to sober up slightly. “Not when I come from a woman who was such a disappointment,” she whispers.
Chief is up and on his feet. His arms go around her, pulling her up and out of the chair. “Hayden, listen to me. You could never disappoint me in the ways she did. It’s not even an option.”
There are tears flowing down her cheeks. The wet streaks are apparent from this distance. He holds her arms tightly, bending down so that he’s on her level. “I love you. You are not your mother.”
“Sometimes I feel like her,” she cries. “I left for college when I should’ve stayed here.”
“But you came back,” he reminds her. “And I wanted you to leave. I wanted you to experience everything you could. So often in your childhood not having a mother or my job held you back. There were times when you cried because there were things you wanted, but there wasn’t a mom to take you and, bless Hailey, she tried.” He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “But I asked way too much of her. Both of you, really. You were girls and you had to be older than your years. I’ve wanted to apologize for years but I didn’t know how to.”
“We were doing the best we could.” She throws her arms around him. “As were you, which is why I didn’t want to go against your rules.” She pulls away, looking back at me. “But I like him a lot. More than anyone else I’ve dated since I could date.”
“Here’s what I ask,” Chief begins. “Be honest with me. Let’s meet outside of the setting where I’m his boss and let’s get to know each other on a personal level not having to do with this place.” He motions to the station. “Would you be willing to do that?”