“Is Monday to Friday okay with you?” he asks. “And weekends off.”
“It’s fine.” I stare at the queen-sized bed and imagine tumbling on it with Brad on top of me. I look up and meet his eyes, and for a few seconds, I see a reflection of what I’m feeling. Heat courses through me at the realization that he wants me as much as I want him.
“Is it easier for you to sleep here during the week?” His voice comes out husky, and his words hold so many promises.
My chest rises and falls. The downside of having a big bosom. When I breathe fast, anyone can see it, and now Brad’s eyes are clamped on my chest.
“I think so. Thanks.”
He raises his glance to my mouth. Unconsciously, I part my lips and then realize what I’m doing and shut it.
“That’s settled then,” Brad says. “We haven’t talked about money …”
I wave a hand away. “We will. I know you’ll be fair.”
“Thank you.”
He stands to the side of the door, and I sway my hips the slightest bit as I walk past. I can feel his eyes burning my back, and I feel sexier than I ever have. Jessica will shit her pants when I tell her I’ll be living in the same house as my crush.
I chuckle at the person I’ve become. Brazen, careless, and a total slut. And I’m loving every moment of it.
Chapter 5
Brad
Today was a long day, and I’m glad it’s over. We’ve responded to three MVA’s, and we lost one of the accident victims. He was stuck in a mangled vehicle, and we managed to get him out. The medics were ready and waiting, but he couldn’t be revived.
It’s always a bad day when there’s a loss of life, and no matter how many times you experience it, the sadness never goes away.
Collins claps me on the shoulder and walks me to the exit of the station.
“Bet you are glad to be going home,” he says.
I think about Mila and Isaac, and the knots in my stomach begin to untangle. “Yeah, I love the job we do, but sometimes it’s an absolute drainer.”
We stand outside the station, and I get the feeling that Collins had a reason for walking me out. He clears his throat. “Debbie told me you have a new neighbor watching Isaac.”
I smile. Just the mention of her existence is enough to make me smile. I have to keep reminding myself that she’s Isaac’s nanny now, and any ideas I might have had must be nixed. I’m not one to mix business and pleasure, and I’m not about to start now.
That doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy her company and beauty.
“Yes, her name is Mila.”
Collins rubs the back of his neck. “Look, I don’t want to butt into your business, but I promised Debbie I’d ask. Is it safe to have a stranger watch over Isaac?”
I understand his worries, and I appreciate how the firefighting community and their families have rallied around Isaac. I can see why Debbie is worried; after all, Mila is a complete stranger. The thing is, I trust my gut instincts, and from the moment I met Mila, I was at ease.
She’s not a danger to Isaac. She’s a danger to me and my heart if I allow that to happen, but I won’t. I can’t tell all that to Collins. These are not the kind of things that men talk about.
“I’ve employed her,” I tell Collins. “She’s Isaac’s part-time nanny now. Please tell Debbie not to worry. Mila’s safe.”
Collins runs his fingers through his hair. “I can have her checked out, you know, to be sure.” He has a contact in the FBI that we’ve all used at one point or another. I’m grateful for the offer, but there’s no way I’m having Mila checked out. It’s not fair, and all she has done is be kind to us.
“We’ll see,” I tell Collins.
He looks relieved when the conversation is over. I stifle a chuckle. Collins is the buffest of all the guys in the station, but when it comes to his wife, he’s a pussy cat. Love does that to a man. I remember my marriage to Brenda. I’d have done anything she asked, including walking on a tightrope hanging a hundred feet off the ground.
The loyalty had not been mutual. I’ve come out of my marriage a wiser person. Your heart is yours to keep, and I have every intention of keeping mine under lock and key. The days of giving my all to a woman, no matter how beautiful or sexy she is, are over.
Collins claps my back. “Tomorrow then.”
The drive home is smooth, and the traffic is not too bad. I’m home in fifteen minutes. I grab my bag and sprint up to the front door.