Page 8 of Through the Fire

“Here you go. How’s it been going?”

He accepted the box then began digging through it. My eyes were drawn to the lion tattoo on his hand and the way it snaked up his wrist. I was curious to know if it made it all the way to his shoulder. There was this edge to Shyheim that said not to try him. I was sure he could knock the living daylights out of a nigga with those fists. Not to mention, the veins in them looked so fucking sexy.

Thankfully, he began talking, which distracted me from obsessing over his perfect skin.

“Everything has been good. That other stuff has made a difference as long as we keep her skin moisturized. She’s finally sleeping through the night.”

An orb of warmth bubbled into my chest hearing him talk about his daughter. There was always this tenderness and underlying wave of awe whenever he spoke of her.

“I am happy to hear that. I feel like this set will soak in deep enough to trigger the healing process.”

He nodded his head as he finished his analysis. “I’m looking forward to it. You’ve got a good thing going here, Izzy.”

I swallowed the emotion that wanted to explode out of me.

“Thank you,” I whispered then distracted myself with straightening some business cards on the counter.

“You know what I was thinking about the other night?”

I paused briefly to give him my attention.

“Do you remember that time me and Jayce put those rubber spiders in your bed?”

For the first time in a while, I burst into laughter that included a snort. I slapped a hand over my mouth in embarrassment.

“Y’all should’ve been sent to jail for the torture y’all would put me through.”

He chuckled deeply, and something about the sound had my shoulders easing down my spine. I tilted my head to the side, allowing myself to relax.

“Yeah, fucking with you was fun as hell. Did you ever get over your fear of bugs?”

I shook my head adamantly. “Hell no. I still hate them to this day. I’ll turn into Michael Myers on a bug in a heartbeat.”

We shared a laugh that transmuted the energy in the room to something golden and warm. My eyes drifted to his uniform, and I decided to ask him about it.

“So, you’re a firefighter, huh?”

He nodded shyly. “Oh yeah. You know I always did love to play with fire.”

He straightened his posture by standing to his full height and pushed his shoulders back then said,

“You’re looking at Lieutenant Troy of the 88thstation.”

Something about the way he said it made it sound like a small feat when I knew it had to be a big deal to rise in the ranks like that.

“Wow. That’s so amazing. Congratulations on your success,” I replied cheerily.

He tucked his lips hiding a smile.

“Thank you, Izzy.” He glanced around my shop and waved an arm. “Looks like you aren’t doing too bad for yourself either.”

My smile was genuine for the first time.

“Yeah, I love what I’ve been able to create and the work I can do.”

“You started with an online store?” he questioned then leaned back on the counter.

I sat up straighter and nodded. “I did. After two years of consistent sales, I decided to expand. This is me stepping out of my comfort zone.”

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