I don’t even realize she’s taken the pizza and bag filled with the garlic knots and salad from my arms.
“Janine?”
“Wait … Emanuel, you live in this building, too?” Angela questions.
I shake my head to gather myself, and turn to glare at Angela. “How do you know Emanuel?”
She gives me a funny look. “He works with Eric. He’s the new guy at Rescue Four. Oh!” She snaps her fingers again. “He’s also the guy I was about to tell you to hoo—”
“Pizza’s getting cold. Go eat your food,” I say, shoving her into the apartment. I turn and am startled when I realize he’s moved closer, practically standing over me now.
A long finger reaches out, moving under my chin, pointing my head upwards so that I can only look him in the eye. “Janine,is it?” His voice is low.
I swallow and nod.
“I knew Nadine wasn’t your real fucking name.” He removes his finger and steps back.
“So you really are a firefighter,” I mention, not knowing what else to say.
“I never lied to you.”
My heart sinks at his words. He never did. And I never even suspected that he lied.
“I’m sorry. I—”
He takes my chin into his. “Don’t apologize, butterfly.” His eyes lift to the door behind me. “There are much better things you could be doing with those lips to make it up to me.”
My mouth parts on a gasp. “Like what?”
His lips widen into a mischievous grin. “You’ll find out.” He steps back, releasing me. “I have to go to work now. But I’ll be seeing you real soon.” He turns and saunters off down the hallway, reaching the entrance to the stairway and giving me a final look before disappearing behind it.
I stumble backwards into my apartment and close the door behind me. Of all of the places to move in this world, in this country, inthis city, and I wind up directly across from the man who swept me off my feet while on vacation. How does that even happen?
After locking the door, I turn and my head lowers when I see Angela standing there, arms folded, tapping her foot against the hardwood floor.
“Spill it all,” she insists.
I don’t even bother trying to pretend that I don’t know what she’s talking about. I simply plop down on one of the put together barstools, open the pizza box, place a slice onto one of the Styrofoam plates, and hand it to her.
“You’re going to want to sit down for this.”
Chapter Eight
Emanuel
I wake up with her on my mind again this morning. The longing that I was certain would’ve ended by now hasn’t let up. And there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. By the time I got up, dressed, and was ready for my shift, I had already determined that I was going to give Christian a call to get in contact with someone who could find her. Then I step out of my condo and there she is.
Janine.Not Nadine as she’s told me. She lied. I should’ve been pissed at the confirmation that she lied to me but it was a relief to know her real name. And to find out that not only was she here but that we’re neighbors.
Now, as I enter the doors of Rescue Four, there’s a whistle emanating from my lips and a calmness in my stride that wasn’t present just the day before.
“Someone got laid last night,” Sean chuckles as he walks past me, clapping me on the back.
“Mind your fucking business.”
He just laughs harder. “Hey, you’re on kitchen duty today.”
I frown. “You fuckers are just lazy and don’t want to make your own food.”
