Page 62 of Almost Always

“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 tokillthat 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.

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