Chapter Nineteen
LYLA
I paced the apartment again, glancing over at the dark curtains that were pulled together in front of the sliding glass door that led to the balcony.
Being one flight up should have made me feel safer.
It didn’t.
Probably because when I looked out the door earlier, my gaze shifting to the tree line, I got the distinct feeling that someone was watching me.
Maybe this whole situation was just adding fuel to my overactive imagination.
Adam said he was going to try to come home. Part of me wanted him to. But the other, more rational part of me knew he was needed at the station.
The distinctive sound of a key being turned in a lock caused me to whip my gaze toward the front door. I held my breath until the door swung open and Adam appeared.
He shut the door, and my feet were moving before I could even think about it. His arms opened with an obvious invitation, and I didn’t hesitate to take him up on it. I melted against him as he pulled me against his chest, finally feeling safe for the first time in the last hour.
The tension completely left my body as his hand rubbed up and down my back. The touch was simply soothing at first, but quickly morphed into more as my skin heated. Without permission, my breath hitched, and when a groan rumbled from his chest, I pulled back to look up at him.
The heat of his gaze burned into me as it skated across my lips.
Was he going to kiss me? Did I want him to kiss me? A mix of excitement and uncertainty rolled through my body at the idea.
He searched my face, slowly leaning down toward me, but paused a breath away. For a moment, disappointment bubbled up. Until he closed the distance and slanted his mouth over mine.
His lips were gentle but demanding as he devoured my mouth.
I fisted the back of his shirt, anchoring myself to him, and he tightened his arms around me.
Tangling his fingers in my curls, he tilted my head and then parted my lips with his tongue, deepening the kiss.
I struggled to catch my breath, so entirely consumed with his kiss.
Jesus. I had imagined this. But nothing I had ever conjured in my waking or dreaming mind compared to this moment.
He mumbled my name in a tone I had never heard from him before. It was needy. Desperate. And I liked it. A lot.
So many thoughts swirled through my head, but before I could grab onto any of them, the ringing of a phone startled me, and worry about the current situation outside shot to the surface.
I wasn’t sure if Adam sensed it or not, but he broke the kiss and stepped back, fishing his phone from his pocket and bringing it to his ear.
He stared at me as he answered, still trying to catch his breath, and tracked my movements as I brought my fingers to my lips.
What just happened? And what did it mean?
I wasn’t interested in a friends with benefits thing, and I couldn’t imagine he would be either. But did that mean he wanted something serious? Was that what I wanted?
If we went there and it didn’t work out, it could be the end of our friendship. Not to mention it could be disastrous to our working relationship.
I shifted uncomfortably on my feet as my thoughts continued to swirl, attempting to ignore the feeling of Adam’s gaze burning into me.
ADAM
Fuck. I could see the uncertainty in her eyes. Did I just screw everything up? But she wouldn’t have kissed me back if she didn’t feel the same way I did. And she sure as hell definitely kissed me back.
I was too distracted, only half paying attention to what Dylan was saying on the other end of the line.
“You there?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I sighed, wishing I had Lyla back in my arms instead of Dylan in my ear. “Just walked in the apartment.”
“That’s what I was just saying.” He huffed. “Ethan called me saying you were back. I thought you were working the night shift?”
“I was.” I shook my head, technically still was. “I mean, I am.”
“Okaaay…”
Maybe I was hyper-focused on Lyla at the moment, but I was struggling to comprehend what he needed from me.
“So why are you home now?” He spoke like he was gritting his teeth and trying not to snap.
That was fine, because I was right there with him. And I had no plan to sugarcoat my response. He needed to know my intentions.
“No way was I leaving Lyla here by herself with some lunatic out there watching the apartment.”
Her eyes cut to me, studying my face.
“We don’t know that—” he began.
“Doesn’t matter.” I cut him off, and hoped I could convey the meaning behind my next words as I stared at Lyla. “What if it were Hattie?”
Her brows pulled together.
Dylan let out an exasperated sigh. “That’s not really the same.”
“It’s exactly the same. In every way imaginable. No way was I leaving Lyla, just like no way you would leave Hattie.”
Her mouth dropped open, and at least now I could see more clarity in her eyes.
“Noted. Just no trying to play hero, got me? Let us handle it.”
My grip tightened on the phone. If it came down to protecting her, I’d die trying, so I wasn’t sure I could make any promises.
“Call me back if you have an update. I’ll be here.”
Hopefully, with Lyla wrapped in my arms.
I hung up and shoved my phone back in my pocket.
There was so much I wanted to say, but I didn’t have the first clue where to start.
After the way she responded to my kiss, there was no denying she wanted more.
But she needed to understand what I wanted.
Because it wasn’t just her gorgeous body for some short-term hookup.
“Lyla…” I began.
Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip so hard I was surprised she didn’t draw blood. I stepped forward, bringing my thumb and forefinger up to grip her chin and gently prying her lip free.
“I want so badly to finish what we started.” I slid my hand around to cup the side of her face. “But I need you to know that once I have you in my bed, you’ll be mine. In every sense of the word. Not just my friend, but the only woman I’ve ever imagined a future with.”
Her eyes widened slightly. Was she not expecting that? Or had I gone too far with my truth? There was so much at risk, I understood that, but I was ready to lay it all out for her and prayed she felt the same.
“I—” She visibly swallowed and pulled her gaze away.
I wasn’t willing to accept that she didn’t feel the same. Deep down, I knew she did. But I also knew she was busy assessing the possible fallout in her head.
“Love,” I whispered, rubbing my thumb back and forth along her cheek.
Once she met my eyes again I continued, “You’re so damn important to me.
And if you tell me you don’t feel the same, I’ll go back to being just your friend.
Because I can’t imagine not having you in my life.
” Honestly though, and maybe I was overly confident, I didn’t believe she could utter those words.
And if I had to, I would continue to show her how amazing we could be together until she realized it too.
“I don’t understand…” She slowly stepped back out of my hold, shaking her head.
What didn’t she understand? I thought I was laying it out pretty clearly for her. I couldn’t think of any other way to be clearer.
But before I could say anything, she asked, “Have you felt this way the whole time?”
My stomach bottomed out at the hint of suspicion in her voice. I roughed a hand down my face. I wouldn’t lie to her.
“Yes.” I paused when she gasped, but then rushed the rest of the words I needed to say out. “But I convinced myself I was better for you as a friend. I’ve never been interested in a future with anyone. Never saw myself as that type of guy.” I shrugged.
“And now?” She cocked a brow.
“Now all I can see is you.” I silently cheered when her lips lifted into a smile. “After—” Emotion rose to the surface as the words got stuck in my throat. “After the accident…I started to realize it’s you next to me that I see in my future.”
“We probably wouldn’t be able to ride together.”
I bit back a chuckle at the way she pouted at that idea. Frankly, I hated that too. Riding together as partners was something we both enjoyed.
“Probably not.” I stepped forward and ran my hands up her arms. “But you never know. We’re a small station and short on staff. Chief might not have a choice sometimes but to pair us together. But you’re right, we wouldn’t be able to in the same capacity we have been.”
An air of hesitancy still lingered around her. Maybe I admitted too much. Regardless, I needed her to be sure. Because I was damn sure.
I searched for the right words, but a heartbeat later, loud shrieking alarms sounded from the hallway. My body tensed. The last thing I wanted to do was take her outside, especially if this was the arsonist trying to lure us out.
I walked to the door, placing my hand on it to feel for heat. After feeling nothing, I checked the peephole and then opened it enough to see down the hall. The slight smell of smoke hung in the air. Almost immediately, the alarms in my apartment went off too and the emergency lights kicked on.
Now I had no choice. There was obviously a fire, and we couldn’t stay in there.
I grabbed Lyla by the hand and led her into the hallway. Tenants from the other units on the floor stepped out into the hallway to investigate, some already heading straight for the stairs.
“Need to evacuate,” I yelled loudly.
Lyla and I joined the crowd descending the stairs. Smoke billowed out from the end of the first floor where the laundry room sat.
I pulled Lyla into my side, placing my arm tightly around her shoulders as we stepped outside. The patrol car was still in the same position it was when I’d arrived home.
What the hell was going on? If this was the arsonist, was he suddenly bold enough to try something with Ethan still sitting out here watching the building? This would be a huge escalation for him. Or was he just sending a message? A message that he could still get to her.
Was I letting my suspicion get ahead of me? Lead me to an overreaction or rash decisions. Maybe it was just a simple dryer fire and not the work of the arsonist.
Either way, there was no way we were hanging around out in the open to find out.
Ethan appeared on the sidewalk. “What’s going on?”
“A fire on the first floor, maybe the laundry room.” I glanced around as I weighed my options. “I’m taking her to the firehouse.”
Ethan nodded. “I’ll call Dylan and make sure everyone is out.” He waited until we were in my car before turning around and running into the building.
“The fire station?” Lyla glanced over at me as I drove the car out of the lot.
“Yeah, he won’t try to set that on fire.”
She raised a brow. “You sure?”
I sighed. At least I didn’t think he would. That would be pretty fucking bold.
“Do you want to leave town?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Cause I have no problem driving us to the airport and putting us on a plane to the other side of the country.”
She smoothed her hands down her thighs. “The station is fine.”
Our quint truck, the one we used most often here since it was a combination of a pumper and ladder truck, perfect for small towns, flew by us heading toward the fire.
She gasped, and her head turned from the rig back to me, like she’d just realized I was still technically on duty. “Shouldn’t you be there to help them with the fire?”
“No.” I shook my head. “You’re my priority right now. Making sure you’re safe and stay that way.”
She stared at me and then finally let out a long sigh. So much resignation, but also a bit of gratefulness hung on that sigh. Then she was quiet throughout the rest of the drive.
My thoughts were anything but silent as the things left unfinished between us—the frustration and fear of not knowing where she stood—as well as the threat lurking out there flooded my brain.