Page 14 of Fire Me Up
The door creaked open, and we jumped apart like we’d been electrocuted.
“Good morning!” Lena’s cheerful voice filled the workshop as she bustled in, carrying a small container. “I bring spanakopita for class. Very nutritious for learning.”
Gael was six feet away from me in an instant, his face blazing red, lips swollen, hair mussed where I’d run my fingers through it. I wasn’t in much better shape, my breath coming in quick pants, my T-shirt rucked up where he’d grabbed it.
“Morning, Lena.” I combed a hand through my hair, then adjusted my clothes, hoping I wasn’t being obvious about it. “Thanks for the snacks. We’ll put them with the coffee.”
I moved to the workbench, making a show of organizing tools, trying to will away the uncomfortable tightness in my jeans. Gael busied himself checking on Bacon, who was still curled in his hammock, completely unperturbed by his owner’s make-out session.
“Brake maintenance today, yes?” Lena asked, setting down her container and peering into Bacon’s enclosure. “What a nice cat house. Very fancy.”
“Dylan built it,” Gael said, his voice slightly hoarse. “For Bacon.”
“Ah, very thoughtful. And kind. I can see why you like him.” What did that mean?
Gael looked at me, his eyes still dark with desire, but something softer there, too. “Yeah, it was really sweet of him. I can see why he’s one of my sister’s best friends.”
I focused intently on my tools, unable to meet his gaze without wanting to push him back against the wall and pick up where we left off.
“Dylan, I…” Gael started, moving closer and dropping his voice. “Thank you. For the cat house. And the, uh…” He lowered his voice. “Sorry if I got carried away. With, you know, what just happened. It was just really nice, and I didn’t want it to end too soon.”
My chest felt tight, my face hot. “It was nothing. Just a little experiment. Now you don’t need to stress if you meet a guy you really like.” Before I could say more, or even see how he’d reacted, the classroom door swung open again.
“Hey guys!” Lennox’s booming voice echoed through the workshop as he entered, followed closely by Lucas, who was already taking notes on something. “I’m ready to learn about brakes! And I promise not to break anything today.”
“Is that a promise you can keep?” Lucas asked.
Lennox laughed and smacked my brother on the back, sending him stumbling forward. “Good one, Lucas.”
Chapter 5
Gael
The last day of motorcycle maintenance class ended with a whimper, not a bang. I’d learned how to change oil, replace brake pads, and clean a carburetor. Plus, Dylan had gone on several long tangents about random motorcycle facts, so I was pretty sure I knew more about motorcycles than most casual riders.
Too bad I still hadn’t figured out how to ask if he wanted to kiss me again.
Because I really wanted to kiss again.
It had been five days, and I was worried he might be upset with me for the way I’d kissed him. It was nothing like the flirtations I’d had with women I’d dated. There were no meaningful glances, no brushing of hands while passing tools, no stolen moments while the others were distracted.
I was starting to wonder if I’d imagined everything—if I was the only one obsessing over the way his body felt pressed against mine, the way his tongue had taken control of my mouth, his fingers buried in my hair, forcing me into the position he wantedme in. Maybe for him it had just been a favor, a pity kiss for the confused firefighter with the annoying cat.
The thought stung more than I wanted to admit. At work, I always knew my place, always had a purpose. Here, all I had was uncertainty and too much time to think.
“Good job, everyone!” Dylan clapped his hands, his purple-tipped hair falling across his forehead. My fingers itched to brush it back. “You’ve officially graduated from Motorcycle Maintenance 101. You all know enough now to be dangerous.”
Lena laughed, wiping her hands on a shop rag. “Now I can convince my grandson to let me have one of those motorcycles with three wheels. Very safe!”
“That’s the spirit.” Dylan’s grin was lethal, his charisma filling the room like it always did. He thrived on moments like this—on being the spark in the group.
I hung back while everyone gathered their things, pretending to be fascinated by the tools I was putting away. My shoulder ached from the day’s work, but it was a good ache—the kind that meant I was healing, getting stronger. Only two weeks until I’d likely be cleared to return to active duty.
Why didn’t that thought make me happy? Firefighting was my life, but the idea of going back to it suddenly felt less like coming home and more like losing something I hadn’t even figured out how to hold yet.
Lucas called out to me, startling me. “You coming to get coffee with us? Lena says her grandson will give us a discount at the food truck.”
“Sure, why not? But I need to get Bacon first,” I said, nodding toward the cat enclosure where my orange menace was curled up in a tight ball, sound asleep in his hammock.
