And yet, I didn’t even know if I was ready to tell him this.
“We used birth control,” I murmured again, weakly, as if I could try to logic myself out of what I already knew.
I tried to replay our encounters in my head, but they were all a blur. I knew there had to have been one or two points where he teased his thick crown through my folds before he filled me and before he remembered to put the condom on. Hell, if it had been my job to put a condom on, I couldn’t say I would have remembered.
“I can’t have a baby,” I announced to myself, idly stroking my fingertips through the soft hair along Bella’s back.
I didn’t know what I was going to do. And, I really didn’t know what I was going to tell Kincaid.
“Oh my God,” I murmured again.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Tori
Four days later
* * *
“Come on back,” Maisie said, gesturing for me to follow her.
I trailed her down the hallway at the fire station into the back area, glancing around curiously. There was a locker room and a glimpse of showers through a door to one side. The hallway opened up to an area with a kitchen and a large table, a glassed-in workout room, and a lounging area with a large sectional and a flat screen TV mounted on the wall.
“It’s nice back here,” I commented.
Maisie tossed a grin over her shoulder, her dark curls bouncing in her ponytail. “They try to make it comfortable. Guys will sleep here sometimes, but not officially. Even the local crew, mostly they just respond when they’re paged.”
“How much longer until they get here?” I asked.
We walked through the back door and stepped into the sunshine, where I discovered a small cluster of friends already waiting. Madison, Tish, Stella, Luna, and Casey were all gathered as Maisie and I approached. “Wow. It’s a party.”
“It’s been almost a month,” Casey said with a dramatic sigh. “I knew what I was signing up for, but damn, it’s inconvenient to be in love with a firefighter. Especially a hotshot.”
Maisie nodded. “You do get used to it.” She paused, tapping her fingertips on her chin. “I think the absence—okay, I’m not trying to be cheesy—doesn’t exactly make the heart grow fonder, but it definitely gives you more gratitude when they’re home. You learn to savor every moment.” She rolled her eyes. “Okay, that was a little cheesy.”
Just then, the distant thrum of a helicopter reached us. A few minutes later, it landed, sending up a swirl of dust in the wind created by the propellers. Firefighters spilled out, hefting heavy gear as they stepped into the parking area.
I had one arm curled around my waist and the other nervously fiddling with the neck of my T-shirt. I was impatient. I wanted to see Kincaid. For the first time in days, I didn’t obsess over the news I hadn’t yet shared with anyone other than my dog.
When he finally climbed out of the aircraft, he was laughing at something Leo said. But the moment Leo spotted Casey and peeled off, Kincaid’s attention shifted, his gaze arcing around.
His eyes locked on mine, and my heart flipped in my chest, slamming against my ribs as if clapping in joy. I didn’t even realize I’d started running until he was moving toward me with long, purposeful strides. He met me halfway and pulled me into a strong, fast hug.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he murmured, his hand cupping the back of my head, holding me tight.
My throat closed with emotion. I could feel the press of tears threatening, but I forced myself to take a few long breaths—breathing him in, grounding myself—before I stepped back.
“Hey,” I said softly. “I missed you.” Well, that was more direct than I’d intended.
He tipped his head slightly, a slow smile unfurling across his face. “I missed you, too. I probably smell like smoke and dirt.”
“You definitely smell like smoke and dirt,” Beck said dryly as he walked past, one arm slung around Maisie’s shoulders and a backpack over his other shoulder.
Kincaid chuckled. “Yeah, I do. Let me grab my bag.”
There were jokes and quips being tossed around as everyone made their way into the station. Once we were in the hallway, he caught my hand and walked beside me.
“Should I shower here?” he asked.
