Dhillon held out another forkful of cake. She took it.
“What makes you think she wasted my time?”
“Because you’re a vet.” And she knew him. She remembered that every time they saw a stray or heard about a lost dog, Dhillon’s heart broke. He had told her that an animal’s love was pure. The way he had quietly tended to various animals over the years was a testament to how he felt about those who could not care for themselves. It was who he was. If Sonia didn’t get that, she didn’t get Dhillon. A spark of victory hit her heart. “I’m guessing she passed on dessert, so you ordered this piece of cake to bring home.”
Dhillon shook his head and inhaled, his eyes incredulous. “She ordered the fruit.”
She took the fork from him. “Are you saying she didn’t waste your time?”
“I’ll say whatever I have to to get you to give me that fork.” He smirked at her.
She moved the fork away from him and cut into the cake. He met her eyes, then bent down and put his mouth over the fork, his eyes never leaving hers. She stopped breathing.
He broke off a small piece of cake with his thumb and forefinger. He brought it close to her lips and waited for her to open, still watching her. She was powerless to look away from him. She opened her mouth and allowed him to feed her, her lips grazing his fingers. He watched her, his voice that seductive mixture of gravel and honey. “Why are you home so early?”
He was so close. Their bodies not quite touching, the scant space between them charged with energy. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from him, and she couldn’t step away.
She could lean in and kiss him, and she could have him again. But it would only be for tonight. And she couldn’t stand being with him again if it was only for the night. She replayed the night they’d been together over and over again. No. She needed to move on from him.
“He just wanted to nail a firefighter.” She rolled her eyes.
“What? That’s a thing?”
“So it would seem.” She shuddered and made a face. “I need a shower.”
His eyes glazed over, and she knew he was thinking about her in the shower. And she did not mind one bit. He cocked a half smile at her, and her knees went weak. “Totally his loss.” He looked quickly away from her, as if he’d said too much.
His words warmed her, but she let them go and loaded up the fork. “Last piece.” She paused, the fork in midair as though she meant to offer it to him, but instead, she ate it herself, wiggling her eyebrows in victory.
“Too bad.” Their faces were inches away from each other. He brought his thumb to her lips and wiped. “Chocolate.”
Silence floated comfortably between them. Riya would have been happy to bask in his attention and eat cake from his fingers all night. She just couldn’t deal with the heartache that would result.
She moved back an inch, but it might as well have been a mile. “Thanks for dessert. I missed out on the tiramisu.”
She stepped toward her house but then turned to face him. He was leaning back on his car, watching her. “For what it’s worth, it’s Sonia’s loss, too.”
Dhillon broke into a small laugh and nodded his thanks. “Good night, Riya-D.”
She turned and went into her house.
twenty-four
RIYA
No sooner had Riya finished her nighttime duties and laid her head down on her pillow than the alarm sounded. She popped back up and stepped into her gear. She was assigned to the engine, so she hopped on. There was a spot next to Walsh, but there was no way she was going to sit there. She stepped over to Evans and motioned for him to scoot over.
Evans looked from her to the empty spot next to Walsh.
Walsh grinned. “She probably can’t control herself around me.”
“You wish,” Riya spit out at him.
Evans scooted over. “Give it a rest, Walsh.”
Walsh mumbled something, but Riya was concentrating on what Dispatch was saying. They were being sent to a neighborhood not far from her parents’ house.
“Smoke and flames visible. Rescue needed.”
