“You mentioned that you were in a bad place when you hooked up with Jolene. Was it because you were injured?” She finally asked.
His gut ached. “No. Part of Zena’s training is to search for survivors as well as the deceased after a fire. In that fire, we didn’t find any survivors.”
“Oh.” Her voice softened. “I’m sorry.”
“Me, too.” It had been ugly, and he wasn’t going to talk about it. “That’s the other thing that makes me bad at relationships right now.” Considering he wanted to kiss her the sweeter she got, it was only fair to warn her.
She turned to face him fully. Those eyes were unreal. Green didn’t come close to describing them. “What?”
“I don’t bring it home.” There wasn’t much more of an explanation than that. “Sometimes I get home and need a few days to decompress, and the last thing I want to talk about is dead and burned bodies. Ever.” He had to keep this place,his home, clear of that pain. Period.
“I can understand that.” She looked past him to the dog. “I hadn’t realized dogs could find bodies after a fire.”
He leaned to the side to make sure Zena still had water in her bowl by the deck. “Not only can this princess find bodies after a fire, she can also find cremated ashesinfire ashes. Like if somebody had an urn on their mantle and their house burned down, she could find the actual ashes from the urn.”
“Really?” Heather’s brow furrowed, and she searched his eyes for the joke.
“Yeah,” he said softly. “It’s pretty amazing, really. They actually smell the ground-up bone matter from the cremated remains.” That reminded him that he needed to buy more dog treats on the way home. Zena had definitely earned them. “They’re good at finding historical remains, too. That’s not our focus, though.”
Heather looked at him like he was something intriguing. He could get used to that look. “Your focus is parachuting into a forest fire,” she murmured.
“Yeah.” He grinned. “Or I rappel down if necessary, but I’d much rather jump.”
Her answering smile slammed through his chest stronger than an anvil. Oh, he was in trouble with this one. He forced himself to look away, only to see his Nonna smiling at them from across the lawn.
His sigh was silent.
Chapter 7
It was dark by the time Quint drove her home, and Heather had to fight to keep her eyelids open. After not sleeping well the night before, the day had been fun and tiring. So she didn’t argue when he lifted her out of the truck and carried her to the front door through a walkway that needed to be shoveled. She’d have to find a local kid to hire. “What is it with you carrying me?” she asked, trying not to snuggle right into his broad chest.
“I find it easier to get from point A to point B when I’m in charge,” he said, using her key to open the door. His breath was minty and his arms strong. He also didn’t sound like he was joking.
She chuckled anyway. “I like the way your mind works.”
He stepped inside and flicked on the light. “That’s what you think.”
Awareness flickered to life along her nerve endings. “What do you mean?” She tilted her head back to see his face, and her gaze immediately dropped to his firm looking lips. He had great lips.
His sigh showed he was on the same wavelength. “Heather.”
“Yeah.” She tangled her hand in his thick hair, noting that even his neck felt strong. Her body was tired and her mind fuzzy, but she knew what she wanted. So she leaned up and kissed him.
Just one taste. She only wanted one taste.
He stiffened, even as she traced the contours of his mouth.
Then he kissed her back.
Wildfire heated her veins, igniting her cells, throwing her into an inferno. She curled her fingers tighter into his silky hair and moaned into his mouth.
His hold tightened around her, his arm beneath her knees and the one banded around her shoulders, keeping her exactly, gently, firmly where he wanted her.
He tasted like whiskey and minty coffee, and her mouth automatically opened beneath his, letting him deepen the kiss.
Gone was the good ole boy who’d joked with her, and in its place was a dangerous force of pure masculinity. Oh, she’d sensed the depths of Quintino Albertini, but she hadn’t considered she’d be plundered by them.
Intensity and control surrounded her, took her. She shivered against him, wanting more but needing to hide the desperate, hungry part of her that didn’t belong in a friendship.
