Chapter 32
MILES
After getting cleaned up and dressed, Hanna and I finally left to head downtown to meet Rae and Leon.
She’s sitting next to me in the passenger seat after I helped her in and is holding my hand securely in her lap.
Out of my periphery, I can see her glance over at me every few seconds with a soft smile on her face.
Her blonde hair sways every time she glances over and quickly looks away when I sneak a peek at her.
“What’s got you so smiley over there?” I ask, squeezing her hand three times. She squeezes mine back the same amount and kisses the back of it.
“Nothing,” she replies as casually as she can with a head shake.
“Is it because of the orgasm I just gave you?” I joke, glancing over at her with a smirk.
Her mouth falls open and she smacks my chest playfully. “Miles!”
“What? I take great pride in making my girl happy. I like the sound of you coming apart because of me,” I hum, pulling her hand to my mouth and kissing it. If I wasn’t driving down the road, I’d lean over and show her just how much I like the sound of her cries and whimpers.
“Don’t say anything to Rae about what we did. She won’t let it go if you do.”
“Trust me, beautiful, what happens between us stays between us,” I promise.
She smiles out the windshield for a moment before her eyes fall to her lap. I see her start to play with one of the gold tassels on her dress and chew on her bottom lip.
“That was the first time I’ve ever done anything like that…” she almost whispers.
“Like what?”
“Like, you know, tell a guy what to do like that.” Her voice is small and she sounds almost embarrassed. When she looks at me, I can see her cheeks are a distinct shade of pink. “I kinda liked it.”
“I kinda loved it,” I praise, bringing her hand towards me again. Instead of kissing it, I turn it over and lightly nip at the inside of her wrist. “You can tell me what to do whenever you want.”
She doesn’t reply with anything more than a smile before looking out the window again.
We share a comfortable silence between us for a beat, something I’m finding I can really only do with her.
There’s a steadiness to her that I didn’t know I needed until I met her.
One that makes the silences comforting instead of deafening.
But now that I have it, I never want to let it go.
Glancing over at her, she turns and looks at me, her silver framed glasses catch the streetlights we’re driving under and seem to twinkle.
She gives me a wink and squeezes my hand again which I return.
When we reach the parking lot of the bar we’re meeting the others at, I turn off the truck and turn to face her.
“Every Sunday I go home and have breakfast with my family. I’d like for you to come with me if that’s something you’re interested in.”
Her mouth falls open for a beat before pulling back in the corners.
“You want me to meet your family?”
I nod. “I’d like for them to meet my girlfriend properly, yeah. If that’s okay with you.”
Leaning over the center console, she places a hand on my cheek and brings her lips close to mine. “That’s more than okay with me, fireman. I’d love to meet them.”
“How’s this weekend for you?”
“This weekend is perfect,” she hums. Her fingers tug me closer and our lips meet. I can’t stop my hand from snaking its way under her hair and pulling her in closer. Pushing my tongue into her mouth, she moans the smallest bit and I have to fight the growing urge I feel in my pants already.
“You better not make those sounds if you want to actually go out tonight,” I warn, breaking away from the kiss just long enough to say it. I reach to fix her glasses which are slightly askew.
“Then you better come open my door so we can get out of this truck. If we’re any later, Rae is going to demand a full interrogation on why we’re so late.”
I chuckle a few times and end our brief makeout with a quick kiss on her cheek. Holding her in place with my hand, I get lost in her eyes for what feels like forever.
“Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?” I whisper, swiping my thumb over her cheek.
Her cheeks inflate when she laughs. “You do, actually. Constantly.”
“And yet it’s still not enough.”
She leans in and gives me another kiss. “Come on, fireman. Let me out of this truck so we can go in. If you don’t I’ll just open up my door on my own and I know how much you love it when I do that.”
“Don’t you even think about it,” I threaten out as I slip out of my seat.
I see her laugh through the windshield as I walk around to open her door.
When I open it, she holds out her hand for me to take to help her down.
I wrap my arms around her in a hug, her hands holding me at my waist. “I take care of what’s mine, always. ”
“I know you do. You’re a very good man, Miles.”
I press a kiss to the side of her temple where it meets my lips. The height difference between us makes it easy. “Only for you, beautiful. Only for you.”
An hour or so later, the four of us are sitting at the bar with Rae and Hanna sitting in barstools and Leon and I standing defensively behind them.
I’ve learned that he works as a commercial contractor for the city rebuilding some of the older homes and buildings in Charleston.
He and Rae met the same night I saw Hanna singing karaoke and she stole my hat from me.
Rae, who, didn’t waste a single second to ask Hanna what had taken us so long to get here.
My girl has no poker face with her friend though and immediately turned bright pink when asked.
“I held us up,” I say with an air of pride to my words. “It’s my fault.”
Rae side-eyes me as I kiss Hanna on the top of the head before turning her dagger-like eyes back on her best friend.
“Mhhm, let the hot fireman take the blame.” When she thought I wasn’t listening though she leaned into Hanna’s ear and told her how happy she is for us and can see how much Hanna likes me all over her face.
“So, what’s it like working for the Charleston Fire Department?” Leon asks before taking a sip of his drink.
“Long days. Mostly boring days, but the days that aren’t boring are days you remember forever.
” I shrug. It’s hard to describe what it’s like doing what I do.
How do you explain to someone that you’re the person that shows up on someone’s worst day and sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can’t make it better?
“I love what I do though. I didn’t really have a direction when I came home from the Marines. Working for the CFD gave me a purpose.”
I feel Hanna’s hand slip into mine and give it a squeeze. Looking towards her, I see that she’s smiling up at me, proudly.
“Well I think what you all do is amazing. You keep our city safe. Just like Rae, but in her own way,” he says, looking at her with conviction.
They share a moment between them that’s hard to miss, one that I’ve had with Hanna before.
One where you can feel the mutual respect they have for one another.
When I catch a glimpse of Hanna again, she winks at me.
“You know, your brother called me the other day,” Rae says, looking at me.
“My brother?” I ask, eyebrows pressed together.
“Yeah, the police officer.” Oh.
“Cooper? He’s not my brother, just a friend. Carter’s my brother,” I explain.
“Carter, Cooper, their names are too similar,” she laments, tossing her hands in the air.
“Oh, trust me, this is something we’ve talked about since we were little,” I chuckle. “He called you?”
She nods. “Yep. He got a call and wanted a social worker to consult with him on it. He’s a good dude.”
“He is a good dude. I hope tonight isn’t too hard on him. Holidays like today are pretty hit or miss, kinda the same story at the firehouse.” I shrug.
“We need more cops like him,” Rae continues. “Ones that stop, take a breath, and try to get to the root of the issue before acting. I think the world needs more of that, honestly. To take a collective deep breath before reacting.”
Hanna sits and nods her head in agreement.
When the song changes over, the air between the four of us physically shifts.
Rae and Hanna catch each other’s eyes which grow wide with excitement.
Sure enough, as the song continues to play, I start to understand why.
The iconic rift of “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” plays loudly over the speakers.
“This is our song!” Rae exclaims, standing up quickly and setting her glass down on the counter. She pulls Hanna from her seat and drags her towards the dance floor. When Leon and I go to follow them, they hold their hands up in silent synchrony.
“Sorry, boys,” Hanna starts.
“This is a girls only dancing song,” Rae finishes.
They look at one another and take off to go dance in the sea of people who are crowding the dance floor in the middle of the bar.
It’s a little before eleven and the place is packed.
Both couples and singles alike are all here to ring in the new year together.
Hanging back, Leon and I stand by the stools to save them for when the girls return, watching them dance and throw their heads back, laughing.
“You and Hanna, you’re good together,” Leon says, glancing away from the girls and looking at me with a smirk.
“I think what you mean is Hanna is good for me. I’m still trying to figure out why she’s wasting her time,” I say honestly.
“Pshh, that girl is totally entranced by you. The way you treat her?” He peaks his eyebrows closer to his hairline. “You’re a good man, Miles.”
I laugh not because I find him funny but because he parroted the words she told me before we came inside.
“You and Rae,” I start, taking a sip of my drink.
“Oh, I’m totally in love with her. Have been since the first time I saw her,” he answers easily. “It was like something out of the movies. Saw her from across the bar and I knew I was done for.”
I look at him then and notice that he isn’t looking at me, he’s looking at her.
Eyes soft and lips pulled back in pure admiration and infatuation.
The look of a man who’s completely consumed by a woman who’s perfectly his match.
My eyes move across the bar and land on Hanna who’s spinning Rae around and swinging her hips back and forth to the beat of the song.
“Yeah, I know the feeling,” I mumble, mostly to myself. Watching her, I feel it in my core. The burning need to keep her close at all costs because the thought of losing her is almost too painful to bear. As I’m watching her and Rae dance, I see two guys slide up behind them.
“Oh, hell no,” Leon growls, taking a step forward.
“Hold on, they can handle it,” I say, pressing my hand into his chest. As much as I want to march over and break some fingers, I also know that Hanna can handle herself.
We wait and watch from across the bar. The two assholes do what they can to slide in behind the girls who do their best to shake them off to show them they aren’t interested.
I try to take steadying breaths so I don’t absolutely lose my mind on the guy who’s getting way too close for comfort.
But when he grabs Hanna’s wrist after she very clearly tells him no, I lose it.
“Okay, fuck this,” I huff.
Leon and I take off towards the girls and cross the room in a few determined strides. I reach an arm around Hanna’s waist and pull her away, her eyes locked on mine as I do. Leon does the same grabbing for Rae’s hand and pulling her into his chest.
“I suggest you learn to keep your hands to yourself, buddy,” I say to one of the strangers, dropping my voice an octave lower than normal.
“Oh, relax, we’re just having a little bit of fun,” he says with the wave of a hand. “The girls don’t mind.”
“It sure looked like they minded to me,” Leon barks, glancing protectively at Rae.
“Listen, buddy, we were just having fun. You don’t have to be such a dick about it,” the other friend says, taking a step towards Leon. Outweighing the guy by at least thirty pounds, I step between them and stare him down. I tuck Hanna safely behind me as I do.
“Unless you want the entire force of the Charleston PD on your ass, I suggest you take a major fucking step back. My best friend pretty much runs the place and it wouldn’t take more than a phone call for him to be down here and arresting you for harassment,” I threaten.
He holds my glare for a moment before rolling his eyes and smacking his friend on the chest. I don’t look away from either of them until I watch them leave the bar completely.
Once they’re gone, everyone takes a collective exhale.
Before I know it, Hanna’s arms are around my neck, squeezing me tightly.
“Thank you,” she says into my ear loud enough for me to hear her over the blaring music.
I wrap my arms around her center and can feel her feet leave the ground as I hug her. “Like I told you, doc, I take care of what’s mine.”
When I set her down, she frames my face with both hands and kisses me right in the middle of the dance floor. The entire world seems to melt away when she does.
“I hope to be yours for a very long time, fireman,” she says, pulling away and gazing up at me.
“As long as you’ll have me doc, I’m yours,” I promise.
When she kisses me again under the strobe lights and house party music, I’ve never been so sure of something in my life. That Hanna has my heart and I never want it back.