Chapter 5
5
I f Buddy were a teenager, he'd want to go find his best friend and brag about going three times in one night. He rolled to his side and checked the clock.
Six in the morning.
Kaelie had mentioned she needed to be up by seven for work. That gave him just enough time to run out and get another box of condoms and something for breakfast, since she had almost nothing, so he could wake her up proper.
He slipped from the bed, doing his best not to disturb the sleeping beauty, and found his clothes. Once dressed, he stared at Kaelie. The sheet covered only one breast, and her leg peeked out from under the covers. Her hair pooled partially over her face.
The space in his pants just got a whole lot smaller.
Carefully, he closed the bedroom door and made his way across the street. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to make her one of his famous breakfasts or buy something premade.
His male prowess demanded the latter.
"Making a run for it?"
Buddy jumped at the sound of Duncan's voice.
"What the hell are you doing out here?" Buddy tossed his wallet into the front seat of his pickup, giving Duncan a dirty look.
Duncan raised his mug. “Enjoying a cup of coffee while I watch the sunrise, wondering where the hell my roommate spent the night. Dude, I was worried,” he said with a shitty grin and a huge dose of sarcasm.
"Right. Besides, I sent you a text telling you I wasn’t coming home." Buddy reached in the cab and turned the key. The engine roared to life. He glanced over his shoulder, hoping it hadn’t woken Kaelie. The last thing he needed was for her to think he wanted to avoid the morning after.
No. He wanted a good morning only lovers could share.
“Imagine my surprise to see your truck here all night, but your bed was never slept in.” Duncan smirked. “Where, oh where did you sleep?”
“I’m not going to answer that,” Buddy said, biting back a smile.
“So, you and the new investigator, eh?”
“Shut up Captain Obvious and you’re not Canadian.” Being single meant anytime he took a girl out, his fellow firemen could and would harass him. It was always all in good fun. While his ego preferred to be on the other side, his body was quite pleased.
“What’s she like?” Duncan asked, blowing into his mug. “Besides being smoking hot.”
“Did you seriously just ask me that?”
Duncan rolled his eyes. “I meant her personality. I can tell by the smile on your stupid-ass face that the evening festivities were mind-blowing.”
“Screw you,” Buddy muttered as he covered his mouth with his palm, his thumb and forefinger tracing his jaw, as if to erase the evidence from last night.
He liked everything about Kaelie from her off-color remarks to her sexy body, but especially the way she held her end of a conversation. Smart didn’t cover her intelligence.
“I heard she’s in tight with Gunner.”
Remembering the look on Kaelie’s face when she’d talked about her family made Buddy’s heart ache. “She knows him well.” He put one foot on the runner. “I like her, so don’t go doing stupid shit, and if by chance she comes here looking for me, I’ll be right back. She’s got no food, so I’m getting breakfast.”
“Why don’t you raid our kitchen? We’ve got plenty.”
“I’ve got to pick up some other things.” He rubbed his jaw, contemplating asking Duncan. It wasn’t like they’ve never helped each other out before. “Unless you’ve got what I need.”
Duncan raised his hand. “Dude. How many times do I have to tell you, I’m not your type.”
“You’re not anyone’s type and not what I was asking for.”
Duncan laughed. “I have no condoms and have no need for any, which is about as pathetic as a fisherman with no hooks.”
“What about Chastity?”
Duncan shook his head. “She’s smart, a good firefighter, pretty, but I spent two hours listening to her go on about her ex. She’s still hung up on him, and I’m not going down that rabbit hole. Besides, she’s young and I think needs to live a little.”
“Holy shit, Duncan, you sound like a goddamn grown-up.”
Duncan shrugged. “Better get going before Kaelie thinks you snuck out on her because that, my friend, is one of those things a woman will never forget.”
Nothing worse than waking up alone after a long night of the kind of sex you only read about in books. Kaelie pulled the sheet around her body and padded to the window. She frowned when she lifted the shade. Buddy’s truck was nowhere to be found.
Maybe he had to work and just didn’t want to wake her.
Only when she mentioned what time she had to head in, he said nothing. And he’d just worked an overnight.
Something vibrated on the nightstand. She turned and let out a sigh of relief. He’d left his phone, so he was probably coming back.
Hopefully before she had to leave for work.
She quickly jumped in the shower, letting the hot water roll over her skin, reminding her of Buddy and his tender kisses. Talk about an oxymoron. His lovemaking was both rough and gentle and nothing in between. He’d been demanding, and yet he’d been so giving and kind. She lathered up her loofah and reluctantly cleansed her body and washed her hair.
As soon as she stepped from the shower, she wrapped herself in a towel and checked the window.
Still no Buddy.
She put on her firefighter uniform. It felt strange. She’d been used to a military uniform, but this also gave her a sense of confidence that right now had taken a hit because she hadn’t thought Buddy to be the type to sneak out, even if he’d changed his mind on wanting to see her again.
A thought that stung more than she dared to admit.
Snagging his phone, she made her way into the kitchen when she heard the sound of a diesel engine. Peeking out the picture window, she saw Buddy’s truck.
He jumped from the cab and jogged across the street carrying a bag from the local grocery store in one hand and flowers in the other.
She normally wasn’t the floral arrangement kind of gal. She didn’t need those types of gestures, but she found this to be sweet and Buddy the icing on the cake.
“Hey,” she said, pushing open the front door.
“I was hoping you’d still be in bed,” he mused before kissing her cheek. “But this took longer than I thought.” He held out the bouquet of flowers. She hadn’t a clue about what type, but she enjoyed the fresh array of yellow, purple, blue, red, and orange colors.
“Thanks.”
“My pleasure.” He gave her the once-over. “That uniform looks good on you.” He moved past her and into the kitchen. “How long before you have to leave?”
“Half hour,” she said, knowing she technically had a little more time than that, but she wanted to get in long before her first meeting.
“Just enough for a quick breakfast and maybe a quick something else.” He emptied the contents of the bag on the counter. A carton of eggs. A box of microwave bacon. Bread and butter. A half gallon of OJ and the best part, a bag of fresh coffee.
“The quick something else will have to wait, unfortunately.” She snagged the coffee pot and filled it with water. “But I will take breakfast. I’m famished.”
“Then I guess we’ll have to put these to good use later.” He set a box—a large box—of condoms on the counter.
“You’re feeling fairly confident that there could be a repeat of last night.”
He glanced up over the bowl as he cracked an egg. It splattered out on the countertop.
“Relax, cowboy, I’m just messing with you.” She patted his biceps.
He yanked her into his arms. “I owe you a proper good morning kiss.”
“That would have been in bed, while we were still naked.”
He arched a brow. “But then you wouldn’t have had a good breakfast before heading off to deal with crime involving arson or idiot firefighters who don’t follow procedures.”
“Next time, I’ll go hungry.”
He growled before taking her mouth in a soft, but commanding kiss that didn’t last nearly long enough as the pan sizzled on the stove, waiting for its eggs.
“Finish making the coffee,” he said, letting his lips linger on the side of her face. “Someone kept me up half the night.”
She laughed. “I think it was the other way around, but whatever.” She filled the pot with water and measured out the coffee while stealing glances at Mr. Sexy with his ruffled bed hair and the same clothes he had on last night. He whisked the eggs with the precision of a surgeon. She couldn’t think of one thing she didn’t like about Buddy, and that scared the crap out of her.
“What are your plans for tonight?” he asked as he placed the bacon in her microwave.
“More unpacking and obviously grocery shopping.”
“I can help with the unpacking and if you want to text me a list, I have to go to the store anyway today.”
She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the counter. Her grandmother told her that if a man seemed too eager or too good up front, then she should run for the hills. Every man had a flaw, and if they didn’t show it quickly and up front, they were most likely hiding one of the darker traits of the male species.
Of course, her grandmother had been married to a gambler and a cheat and she’d never remarried nor had a long-lasting relationship with another man again.
“What’s wrong?” Buddy asked as he dumped the eggs on two paper plates and pulled open the pouch containing the crisp bacon.
“Huh?”
“You’re crinkling your forehead.” He waved his hand over his forehead. “My sisters all do that when they are deep in thought or troubled by something.” He pushed the plate across the counter.
“I haven’t even known you for twenty-four hours and you’re offering to go grocery shopping for me?” She turned, not wanting to focus on the confused expression on his face. She poured the coffee into two mugs and sucked in a large breath before facing him. “Why don’t we start off with a walk later this evening.”
“I understand,” he said, smiling.
Why the hell was he grinning?
“Do you?”
He nodded. “I’m in no hurry for anything. I like being with you, and I certainly don’t want that to end, so if it means slowing things down to a steady walk, I’m good with that.” He held up a piece of bacon. “But I still have to do my own shopping today, so really, I’m just being neighborly.”
Before she had a chance to respond, his phone blasted some heavy metal song she didn’t recognize.
“Shit,” he mumbled as he raced across the room to where she’d left his phone on the counter by the door.
“That is a horrible noise.”
“The only one that would wake me in an emergency,” he said as he tapped his phone. “Arthur, what’s wrong?”
She picked at her food, staring at Buddy’s back.
“I’m on my way.”
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
“There’s a fire. A bad one. I’m sorry, I’ve got to run.” His face contorted as if someone had punched him in the gut.
“Why do I get the feeling its more than a bad fire?”
“The house belongs to a fellow firefighter. I’ll call you later.” He turned and gripped the door.
“Buddy?”
“Yeah?” He glanced over his shoulder.
“Be safe out there and please, text me or call me and let me know you’re okay and what’s going on.”
“I’m sure you’ll be hearing about this, being internal affairs and it involving one of our own,” he said.
“Probably, but I was asking because you’re going to be putting your life on the line and I just wanted to?—"
“I’ll text you when I can.”
With that, Buddy raced across the street, his roommate, Duncan, meeting him in the driveway. In a matter of a minute, the truck peeled out of the driveway.
“Well, shit. I’m going to spend my day checking my phone, worrying about a man I barely know, yet know in ways I’m sure no other woman does.”