Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
W hile Rafferty showered, she dried her hair and wiped the rest of her body down. As sexy as she probably looked when posing as a drowned rat, she definitely didn’t want to get sick. In her underclothes, with the towel around her body, she snooped around his bedroom. He stepped out of the bathroom, putting that delicious body on display again, gave her a pair of boxers and a sweatshirt, and said he was going to check on Cal. She might have nodded in acknowledgement, but mostly she was too busy pressing her nose to the soft cotton that smelled like him.
Standing in front of the full-length mirror, wearing his clothes, she watched as her mouth curved into a smile. The same mouth that was pink from the hungry kisses and the scraping of his beard. Her hair was a mess, but that was a problem for her to solve in the morning. Right then, she was focused on how good it felt to finally take that shot.
And how strong I feel looking at my half-dressed form.
She’d been stressed the whole time he was gone and did her best to not look online. Instead, she asked Cal if he wanted to paint his nails and together they spent a while picking colors. He wanted his toes to match hers—a rainbow of her favorite shades —and while she picked a light blue for her fingers, he chose a pink for his. After his bath, they read one of the Percy Jackson books together and all it took was half a chapter for him to fall asleep. She left Boots with him while she washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.
Then when her anxiety got the best of her, Daisy did the one thing Rafferty told her not to do—read the news.
At first, the reports were scarce and she took that as a good sign. Boots joined her at one point, sensing her worry. She sent him back to bed and grabbed a blanket from the couch to sit on the front porch. The heavy rain managed to settle her nerves, but her mind was spinning so fast she knew that sleep wouldn’t come. She convinced herself that ‘fresh air’ would help with the anxiety building in her chest. It did, until she started reading.
The headlines were screaming ‘arson’. She knew it was a bad idea, but she read every article thoroughly and worked herself into a state. That’s why when he came home, her instinct was to jump into his arms to make sure he was real. The news didn’t say anything about firefighter casualties, but her mind conjured up the worst things possible.
The kiss had been unplanned. To be held by Rafferty that way, his strong hands digging into her ass, beard scraping against her skin and his leather scent permeating through the downpour was enough to turn even the most calm of people wild. She took her shot and he returned it eagerly. Their first kiss had been perfect, but it faded away like magic dust as his tongue plundered her mouth. They’d had a few close calls with their second first kiss and she was glad that it had been cliché as fuck in the rain. Also the hottest kiss of her life.
“Who’s making you smile like that?”
She jumped at his voice and turned to see Rafferty’s amused expression and she ogled him openly. She thought that the daisies were the only tattoos he had because of her, but seeing him shirtless again was a good reminder of how much of an impact she had on him. There was no doubt in her mind that Rafferty still loved her, especially considering he had all her lopsided hearts and stars sprinkled across his chest. Not to mention the stamps and the always printed over his heart. She loved that she would be the only person to fully understand the significance of most of his tattoos.
“You okay?”
“Just admiring my— you ,” she mumbled, blushing at the slip.
“Your what, sweetheart?”
Biting her bottom lip, she took a step forward and set her hands on his chest, before dragging it down to his stomach. He was solid, but not bulging. His abdomen was firm with faint lines of muscles, leading to the V that vanished into his shorts. His arms, however, they were a different story. Every time he flexed, muscles rippled and she had to squeeze her thighs together. There were also the silver tattoos running along his left arm that only enhanced the veins she never thought were sexy.
His hand stroked over her jaw, tipping her head up and she blinked to stare into his golden gaze. “Hi.”
Chuckling, he kissed the corner of her mouth. “Hey, darlin’. You doing okay?”
A soft hum slipped out as she swayed, swooning at the casual term of endearment. Most of the time someone used that word, it came from drunk or condescending men. But it sounded so fucking good when he said it. He could call her anything in that rumbly deep voice and she’d like it.
“I love that,” she sighed softly, hands still pressed against his bare skin.
“What?”
“Being called darlin’ . Where did you pick it up?”
“Poppy used to call Nonna that. The minute I said it, I knew it suit you.”
His thumb traced her mouth and she swayed into him. She had so many more inappropriate things to say about what suited her , instead, she kissed his finger.
“Bring your hairbrush.”
He didn’t ask why as she stepped around him on wobbly legs. She gestured to the bed and he got in, sitting with his back against the headboard. She climbed into his lap and dragged her fingers through his hair. He moaned softly and she repeated the action as his hands landed on her bare thighs.
“I’m assuming you don’t have a routine for your hair.”
He chuckled. “You assumed right. I don’t even comb it most of the time.”
“We’re going to change that right now.”
“Are we ?”
She scoffed and drew a parting down the middle in the center of his head with the comb he’d brought as well. His eyes were closed as she separated his hair, smoothing the two sides down with her hands. She switched to the brush and gently dragged it down one side and the other, stopping every time she hit a knot.
After her divorce, when she moved home to live with her father and stepmother, Pia introduced her to the wonders of having someone else brush your hair. In those thirty minutes, they would talk about whatever hard stuff was going on in their lives. While it was never about finding solutions, it was always a chance for them to get stuff off their chests.
Doing it for Rafferty was more about calming her nerves. Even though he’d come home in one piece and she could feel his strong body beneath hers, there was this constant fear that she might not have that next time.
“You were reading the news, weren’t you?” he asked quietly, fingers brushing against her knees.
“I called you a couple of times, but couldn’t get through.”
“We were out of range. What did the news say?”
“Something about arson.” His eyes popped open and she arched an eyebrow. “Is that bad?”
“They think the fire was set on purpose, but we won’t know more until the investigator finishes up.”
“That’s terrifying,” she whispered, guiding his head forward so she could reach the back. “What was the fire like?”
“Do you really want to know?”
“I mostly want to understand what it’s like when you’re on a call.”
“Why?” he asked, tilting his head back to meet her eyes.
She dropped her hands into her lap, twisting the brush between her fingers as she said, “The two times I’ve been aware you’re fighting fires, I’ve been scared out of my mind, Raff. I only know about firefighting from movies and TV, but they show all of the dramatized versions. And having that play in my head while you’re out there is really not comforting.”
“Will knowing the real thing make it any better?”
“My anxiety has a way of making everything seem worse.”
“Okay,” he said softly, hands pulling her close. She returned to combing his hair, untangling and smoothing out strands as he spoke.
“When we got there, the whole house was ablaze, the family had gotten out, but they were pretty badly banged up. Another firehouse had been called, because they were afraid it might spread. So one group handled the house, the other took care of the surrounding areas. It was pretty crazy, I’ll admit. There were moments when I thought we might be there all night. Thankfully the rain helped.”
She nodded for him to continue and his hands slipped under the sweatshirt, his fingers ghosting over her skin. She shivered and pressed her lips together, doing everything to focus on the task at hand. Her breath caught when he gripped her sides in both hands, tugging her hips flush against his.
Like he wasn’t affected by all of this, Rafferty continued, “Then we walked through the house to identify the point of origin. It’s often something as simple as a candle or an electrical short-circuit. But one of the guys saw a weird burn pattern far away from where the fire should have started. So we cleared out the house while waiting for the investigator. They had to interview each of us and it took forever.”
“Someone tried to kill that family?”
“Possibly. Or they did it themselves.”
The idea that someone was trying to kill people made her stomach turn. “How many arsons have you worked?”
“Quite a few.”
Nodding, she chewed on her lip and set the brush down, staring at his hair. “Do you want me to tie it up?”
“You can do whatever you want.”
Oh, that’s the most dangerous thing he’s ever said to me.
“I like it this way.”
“Okay. Do you have any more questions about fires?” he asked softly, hands smoothing up her stomach. She felt his fingers brush against the underside of her breasts and her body tightened. She shook her head when their eyes met and he did it again, this time she didn’t even bother to fight the moan or the way her thighs quivered. “You feel incredible, Hero.”
“So do you, Raff,” she whispered as she gripped his biceps to steady herself. She wasn’t against sex, not when her body was primed and ready for him. But she also didn’t want to rush into this. She knew that this thing with him wouldn’t be casual or temporary, however, having a little control didn’t hurt. It was also an unearthly hour and they had responsibilities waiting when the sun came out.
“Want me to do yours?”
“Yes.” The word came out on a soft moan as she felt his touch against the waistband of her shorts. But when the words registered properly, she sat up. “Wait, what?”
He laughed softly and leaned in, mouth poised over hers. She melted into him as his hands slid around to rest on her back. “Want me to comb your hair?”
“Oh. Yes to that too.” She grinned and closed the gap, kissing him as her hands moved to cup the back of his head. It was a soft graze before she was sinking into him. Kissing Rafferty set her on fire and she never wanted to lose this feeling.
“Maybe you can even teach me how to braid it,” he mumbled as their lips parted.
“Not today.” She yawned and turned around in his lap, flipping her hair over her shoulders. He pulled her flush against him, her back to his chest, and she shivered at the warmth seeping through her clothes.
“Tell me about your shop.” He dragged his fingers through her hair, gently tugging at the strands and it took everything in her to focus on what he was saying. It had been a while since she’d been turned on from kissing and hair play, but it was obvious that when it came to this man, nothing should surprise her anymore.
A low purr started in her chest and her eyes slipped shut as he slid a hand under her hair and cupped the base of her skull. His fingers pressed against the sides, right where her migraines usually attempted to kill her, all while still playing with her hair. Her body went limp as lust sparked in her veins.
Cool air grazed her neck as he pressed his mouth against her skin, his voice vibrating through her body. “Your shop, Hero. Tell me about it.”
Her head fell back and she moaned. He chuckled, pressing delicate kisses against her throat. She thought this was a good idea? When she could barely keep her eyes open and sit up straight, she thought letting him comb her hair or touch her was a smart thing to do.
“ Daisy .”
“You must be joking if you think my brain is working right now.”
He snorted and kissed her neck again before all contact ceased. She groaned and turned to glare at him, but he smiled, golden eyes dancing with mischief.
“Fine, but don’t stop.”
“Answer my question and I won’t.”
Huffing, she straightened her spine and rolled her shoulders back. “After seeing Nonna’s old shop and working with my grandaunt, opening my own space made the most sense. At first—” she sighed and chewed on her bottom lip “—it kept me connected to you in a way. But I fell in love with flowers in Greenville. When Magnolia died, she left me the shop, but I’d just met Clarke and I didn’t think I was ready for that. So I sold it and moved away.”
“I still can’t remember that I did that,” he said, dragging the brush through her hair.
“I have journals filled with all the flowers you gave me.” She grinned and leaned forward, pulling her knees up. “Anyway, I worked these weird jobs while I was married, but dreamed about the flower shop all the time. Dad helped me draw up a business plan and I realized that it was definitely something I wanted. But we didn’t have the money and Clarke wasn’t convinced, so I put it aside. When the divorce went through, I took whatever savings I had and moved to Wildes.”
“You should be so fucking proud of what you’ve created.”
Leaning into his hand as he returned to massaging her head, she smiled. “I am. It was a one room shop and people could buy flowers through a square that was cut into the wall, sort of like a take-out window.”
“Seriously?”
“I couldn’t afford a bigger space at the time and it was a good way to break into the Wildes market. There had been a flower shop years ago, but after the owner died, nobody had opened another one. I knew I was providing something people needed, but I was also new to town and they didn’t know me, so I had to work harder.”
She felt his knuckles brush against the back of her neck as he tugged on her hair, and while not as erotic, she was definitely still feeling tingly all over.
“How long before you got the shop where it is now?”
“Two years. I stopped expanding about three years ago. I always knew that it didn’t have to be too big or elaborate, enough space and room for what I needed to do.”
“It definitely has a homey and comfortable vibe.”
She smiled. “Then I’ve achieved everything I wanted.”
“I always knew you would.”
His grip on her hair loosened and his mouth returned to her neck. As his arms wrapped around her waist she leaned her head against his.
“Thank you for coming home, Raff.”
“Always.”
Turning her head, she kissed his scruffy cheek and nipped at his face. He growled and she felt it against her back before his hand gripped her jaw and aligned them so he could kiss her. She moaned and twisted slightly, deepening the kiss as she cupped the side of his face. She knew this would happen, the inability to stop kissing him once she started. She broke away from the kiss as another yawn surfaced making him chuckle.
“We should get some sleep.”
She sighed softly, shifting off his lap and noticed the time. “Oh god, it’s already two.”
“Good thing it’s a weekend?”
Grunting, she sat at the edge of the bed and quickly braided her hair, tossing it over one shoulder. “Weekends are when people need flowers the most,” she countered, but reached for her phone and texted Eden that she’d be a little late. With that done, she put the device off and turned to find the covers pulled back for her. She grinned and scooted into the middle so she was mere inches away from him.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” He matched her smile. “Thank you for staying with Cal tonight.”
She shook her head, tracing the daisies on his arm. “Of course. I love your kid, Raff.”
“Pretty sure he feels the same way. Probably why he hasn’t snuck over because of a nightmare.”
“Does that happen often?”
“Soon after we got here, yeah.”
“What happens if he sneaks in while I’m here?”
He frowned. “I don’t know.”
“I’m guessing you haven’t introduced him to anyone you’ve dated and I was serious about not blurring those lines.”
“And I am so grateful that you’re thinking about him, but we don’t have to hide this. Us.”
“Us, huh?” She smirked, hand resting flat on his chest. “So, we’re talking about ourselves as a couple in front of him?”
“Only if you’re okay with it.”
Her heart leaped, but she kept her expression clear. “I’m okay with it.”
“Good,” he said softly, bumping his nose against hers before their lips met in a soft kiss.
She nibbled on his bottom lip and released it with a grin. “Great.”
When another yawn took over she knew that it was pointless trying to stay awake. She’d gone through so many emotions that day and now she needed to let her body rest and process everything.