“Patient.” Galen leans in and whispers in my ear, his lips barely grazing my skin. “It’s an open-ended offer. Have a think and come find me when you’re ready.”
And then he’s gone, helmet tucked under his arm, strolling back to the fire engine as if he hasn’t left me with my pulse in my throat and my entire body thrumming with want, a subtle sway in his stride that blows my already obliterated mind. Damn, even his walk is sexy. And the pull in the air around him?
Etched on my fucking soul.
Putain, je suis dans une sacrée merde.
Fuck, I’m in so much trouble. A red hot fact underlined by the face waiting for me as I spin around to go find my brother.
Bhodi.
He’s behind me, brows raised, glancing between me and Galen’s departing back, and he doesn’t need to speak for me to know he caught enough context to justify thequestionsdancing in his big blue eyes.
The aftershocks of all things Galen fade, especially as I realise Bhodi is alone. “Where’s Esme?”
“With Tam. He took her to get fudge.”
Of course he did, my brother has a wicked sweet tooth.
Bhodi continues, “SoI came to see if you wanted some, or if you needed help with the last boxes.”
Boxes.
Shit.
I’ve forgotten that’s my sole purpose for being at this bougie fête. I’ve forgotten everything except the murmured words echoing in my head through a fucking loud speaker.
We could, you know, work on that together.
Enfoiré. How is this my life?
“Sab?”
Bhodi’s moved.
He’s in front of me now, peering into my face as if I’ve lost my fucking mind. And he’s not altogether wrong. My feet are planted in a festive wonderland, but my mind—my imagination…
Merde.
All I can think of is warm Irish skin and feather-light kisses. And what might come next.
“Sab.” Bhodi waves a hand in front of my face. “Everything okay?”
“Hein? Tu disais?”
Bhodi’s mild-mannered exasperation amps up a gear. He doesn’t speak French beyond the gist of the sweet nothings Tam whispers in his ear, so I take a chance and let the truth roll out of me while my gaze drifts after Galen.
“Je crois que j’ai eu un coup de foudre.”
Bhodi sighs. “Fine. Have it your way. How do you know Galen?”
I snap my gaze back to him so fast I’m surprised my head doesn’t keep spinning and lift clean off my shoulders. “How doyouknow Galen?”
Bhodi shrugs,vague, and for a horrifying moment it occurs to me that maybe they’ve hooked up. They’re the same age, both smoking hot, bothnice?—
“We’ve crossed paths at work,” Bhodi elaborates, chucking water on the anxious blaze starting a riot in my chest. “Firefighters come through the hospital a lot.”
“As patients?”
