Page 118 of Burn

He breathes out, slow and easy, my body rising and falling with the gentle breath. “It shouldn’t.”

“I know . . . how was work?”

He chuckles, probably entertained I’m changing the subject on him. “Rescued a girl yesterday.” He brings his lips to my shoulder, making a slow path to the curve of my neck. “She was just a kid. Maybe thirteen. Ran away from home and was living in a car with some dude. They’d been using a propane heater in the car . . . He died at the scene. She’ll hopefully go home to her parents soon.” His voice is muffled now, mouth and tongue busy against my heated skin.

“I can’t imagine the horrible things you’ve seen.” But I can in a sense because of what we saw the other night with the snow storm. And after his reaction, I’m treading lightly, like walking on glass bottles.

“There’re guys out there who’ve seen worse,” he mumbles, his body tensing again, and he’s quick to change the direction of our conversation. “Why are you sleeping on your friend’s couch and occasionally in my bed with a suite like this at your disposal?” he asks, his lips returning to the side of my neck.

“Because I don’t want my dad’s handouts. He gets enough of that crap with my cousin. And I’m not Paris Hilton. I want to earn what I’m given. Everyone thinks I got this job because I’m his daughter, well, that might be true, but I refuse to let it be true, if that makes sense.”

“It does.”

I turn to face him, and his smirk is so freaking cute. “How’s a guy like you single?”

He laughs, rolling his eyes. “It’s a choice.”

Of course it is.

And then like a switch, the smirk leaves and his expression turns serious, as though what’s coming next needs to be heard. “Don’tfall for me.”

You want to know the shitty part here? He honestly believes I shouldn’t. His words burn inside my heart but not as much as his belief in them.

Well, too fucking late. I think, no, I definitely fell in “like” with him, and now I know what’s coming next.

I laugh it off though and stare at the water. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

Big fat liar!

“Do you believe in love at first sight?” I blurt out, wanting to slap my hand over my mouth.

I wait.

I want to see what he’s going to say.

His attention shifts to the window overlooking the city. “No. That’s for fairy tales and romance novels.” He waits a beat, still not looking at me, and asks, “Do you?”

Do I?

I’m stalling because I’m not entirely sure how to answer that question myself. Have I ever even been in love? I’m not sure what I had with Judah was love. And with David, sure, I loved him until he licked my goddamn armpit.

“No,” I finally tell him. My nerves jump at my admittance. “I guess maybe I don’t. I think people throw the word around too easily. They want to say it the moment they lay eyes on someone. Like Scarlet, she thinks she loves Shade, but she loves the idea of him. She doesn’t even know the real him to fall in love.”

Caleb nods, understanding exactly that I mean. “Did you love that drummer?”

I laugh. “I don’t think you can love a guy like Judah Prince. And if you do, you’re fucked up.”

His body tenses, and I’m not sure why but I think I’ve said something that’s made him uncomfortable.

“Did you love Jacey?”

Moving my hair to the side and kissing my neck gently, his lips move with the words, “I was a kid. I didn’t know what the fuck loving someone meant or even how to go about it. Still don’t.”

“Do you think had she not cheated on you with Evan, you’d still be together?”

His answer comes immediately. “No. I don’t think so. We’re too different.”

“Did you love Gemma?” Jacey told me about the stripper, but I’d yet to ask Caleb about her. Don’t think I don’t remember that chick either. She’s the one who wanted to rent the room by the hour.

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