“That was pretty intense back there.” It’s a statement, but his direct gaze makes me think he’s saying something more that I’m not catching on to. “Foreman just called that they’ve cleared the building, and the vat is finally neutralized. You can head on back to the station when you’re ready.”
“And Cal?” I croak.
“He’s riding back with the medic crew.”
Forming words is beyond my capacity. Relief is so heady that all I can do is nod. I can’t think of what to do next. The fact we didn’t die today is the only thing on my mind.
No, not the only thing. There’s a certain someone on my mind. A certain something I want to do. Fuck the consequences.
I drive back to the station on autopilot, barely registering the other cars on the road around me, until a familiar unit turns ahead of me at the red light.
Kate, Leo, and Cal turn into the station parking lot, and the vise grip on my chest eases. And when I round thestation to pull the engine into the bay, I spot the most welcome sight of my life.
Relief becomes an inferno. A driving force I can’t control. I stop the engine outside the bay door, and I’m climbing down as Maggie’s car door opens.
I’m stalking past the back of the engine as her door slams shut.
The blood in my veins is on fire, and she’s the only thing that can keep me from losing my shit.
I didn’t die today, and Maggie’s here.
Chapter Eleven
Maggie
He’s okay.The sight of him climbing down from the engine steals my breath. Simultaneously stops my heart and socks me in the gut. I take two steps toward him, drawn by the need to touch him. Laying eyes on him isn’t enough.
I’ve been on pins and needles since my shop rumbled around me. News of the explosion traveled hot and fast through Main Street as patrons checked in on each other and then flooded the local social media pages.
Within minutes, I knew just how dire the situation was. Someone was trapped, in need of rescue. My stomach was in knots, because I knew Jackson would be in the thick of it, putting his life on the line to get to that person.
The wait was too excruciating to sit through. I drove past the factory but couldn’t get a glimpse of any of the rescue personnel, so I did the next best thing and drove to the station, where I’ve been waiting for what feels like forever. Waiting for him to come back. I could’ve called.But I needed to confirm with my own eyes that he was okay. Needed to put my arms around him and feel his around me.
This must have been how he felt seeing me for the first time when Jules’s coffee shop caught on fire and that deranged idiot tried to kill her.
Jackson crosses the parking lot like a man possessed. Still in his gear, exuding badass hero from every molecule of his being. Muscled and determined and larger than life.
His long legs eat the distance between us. Jaw clenched, brows furrowed like he’s angry at the world, he’s a man on a mission.
It’s deliciously sexy and terrifying at the same time. All I can do is stare at him as he barrels down on me.
Within a heartbeat, he’s crowding me. The world tunnels as he reaches for me, hands coming to my face, palms skimming my cheeks, his wild eyes glued to my mouth a second before his lips claim mine and his body slams into me. I cling to his wrists as he walks us backward the two steps I gained, and my back lands against my car.
Holy shit, Jax is kissing me.
And not a soft press of his lips to mine. No, he’s kissing me like his life depends on it. With firm lips, in a tight hold that lets me know he’s not fully in control.
He smells like sweat and smoke and metal, and I don’t even care. Because this feels so good. So right. I release my grip on his wrists, sliding my palms to the fabric covering the chest I’ve noticed way too often. The worn material against my palms feels so good, my fingers curl as I pull him closer.
An involuntary sound rises from my throat, and the effect on him is immediate. One of his hands skims down my spine, pulling me into his hard body, while the othershifts to the back of my head, where he grips my hair and tilts me just the way he wants me.
A gasp escapes, and he takes full advantage. His tongue glides between my lips in a delicious, carnal thrust, and Icombust.
More. I need more ofthis.
I unclench my fingers and skim my hands over his shoulders, down his biceps. The need to touch him everywhere, make sure he’s whole and safe and here with me, takes over. I wrap one arm around his back and one around his neck, and arch into him as I drive my fingers into his hair and hold tight, pulling him closer.
He goes feral.
