Don blinked, and just that quickly, his expression turned from excited to scowling. “The fuck does he know?”
My eyes bulged at the anger that filled his voice.
“He’s engaged,” I said, biting my lower lip. That was the reason I’d gone to Rescue Four—I’d found out from a friend who worked at the police station. “He’s getting married in three months.” I couldn’t stop myself from divulging the details. “We were together for six years.”
Although we’d broken up less than six months ago.
“Is this the son of a bitch whose ass Corey kicked a few months ago?”
That question yanked me out of my trance, and I laughed.
“Yeah.” After Corey found out that Stephen had cheated on me, my brother had taken it upon himself to get revenge. “He’s lucky Stephen didn’t press charges. Though, I had my connections at the police department make sure he wouldn’t.”
Part of me regretted not beating Stephen’s ass myself.
“Corey told me after the fact,” Don said. “Given what I know now, I wish I had been there to help.”
I started to smirk until I looked up at Don. The expression on his face told me he was completely serious. There wasn’t even a hint of laughter in his look.
I waved it off. “It’s over now. Learning he’s engaged to the chick he cheated on me with…” I ran my hand over my bun, smoothing it out. “It got me thinking about what I want out of life.”
We approached the front of the fire station. I’d become so engaged in the conversation, I hadn’t realized we’d completed the loop and were headed back to where I parked my car.
“Why’d you become a firefighter?” I asked, suddenly wanting to know more about him.
Some unnamed emotion passed through his eyes. That look, coupled with the past few hours we’d spent together, chipped away at the preconceived notions I’d had about Don. On the surface, he was the playboy firefighter that was best friends with my brother. While Corey and I were close, Don and I never had entered one another’s orbits.
“I owe it to someone,” he said.
We stood toe to toe.
My breathing grew uneven.
“You’re so beautiful.” He traced the side of my face with his index finger. “Anyone who could cheat on you deserves to live a miserable life. He wasn’t worthy of your time, your effort, or your love.”
I stopped breathing altogether—my throat constricted and ringing sounded in my ears as I recited his words in my head.
I needed space.
I took a step backward, his presence overwhelming.
“It’s late,” Don finally said. “You should get home.”
Disappointment swelled inside of me, but common sense prevailed. He was right. It was late, and there I was, nearly pining over the biggest player at Rescue Four. Don’s reputation preceded him. I’d gone to the fire station seeking refuge with my brother over one cheating bastard. That was plenty. The last thing I needed was to catch feelings for someone like Don.
“Thanks for the walk and talk,” I said. “And the cheese fries.”
“Don’t forget the sausage sandwich.”
I grinned despite myself. “And the sandwich. Bye.”
I waved, turned, and hauled ass to my car parked across the street. It was time to take my ass home and forget all about that night.
Chapter 12
Don
“That kiss has belongedto me for the past three years,” I said as we stood in Jocelyn’s office.
