Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 102016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
“I never wanted you to do that.”
I nod as relief rushes through me. “Good. I like her. She’ll be fun in class.”
“Dani, about today.” He frowns, and his fingertips brush over my cheek, and it sends a shiver down my whole body, waking up the nipples that had just calmed down. “You jumped into the water.”
I swallow hard as the terror from those few seconds settles around me again. “Don’t remind me.”
“Thank you for that.”
“You already thanked me.”
“Yeah, but I know how fucking hard that was for you, and I don’t want you to have nightmares from it, sweetheart.”
I lick my lips and swallow again, because he just called me sweetheart, but then plaster on a brave smile.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Don’t fake the smile with me. I know better.”
“What do you want me to say? That I’m afraid to go to sleep tonight? That having my head under the water, even for those few seconds, took ten years off my life? All of that is true. But, I survived it. I’m right here, lying under the stars with you, and I didn’t die today. And, most importantly, nothing happened to Birdie, that little daredevil.”
He grins, just like I’d hoped, and then he sighs, and I can’t help but smile back at him.
“Dani?”
“Yeah?”
His eyes dart down to my lips, and I instinctively lick them again.
“I want to kiss you.”
“You do?”
His brown orbs come back up to my own, and he nods as he sobers once more. “Yeah, I fucking do. So, if that’s a problem for you, I need you to say so.”
I lift my eyebrows, but I don’t say anything at all because the idea of Bridger’s lips on mine is absolutely not a problem for me.
But before he can press his lips to mine, his phone rings, and he winces.
“I’m sorry, this is work.”
“Then you’d better answer it.”
He sits up again, fishes his phone out of his pocket, and answers. “Blackwell. Shit, okay. I need to contact one of my family members to stay with Birdie.” He looks down at his watch, and I can see the internal war taking place.
“Bridger, go. I’ll watch her,” I whisper. He looks at me, and there’s indecision in his eyes.
“One moment,” he says. Man, does he sound sexy when he’s in fireman mode. My ovaries are doing the hula. “You sure, sweetheart? I can call one of my brothers or—”
“Happy to.”
He turns back to the call and says, “ETA is twenty minutes.”
He hangs up and then shoves his hands through his hair. I push myself to my feet and then brush my hands together. “Go ahead and go. I’ll head over to your place and watch her. She’ll just sleep anyway.”
“You don’t have to—”
“We can stand in the driveway and argue about it, or you can go to work. It’s fine. I know my way around a kid, and Birdie knows me.”
Bridger blows out a breath. “Thank you. Go grab whatever you need, and I’ll meet you over there.”
“Deal.”
I rush inside and gather my pillow and a throw blanket, and then decide that’s really all I need and hurry across the street. The door opens before I have the chance to knock.
“She’s out cold,” he says. He’s already changed into his uniform, and it makes me salivate.
Good God, Bridger’s hot in uniform.
“Dani?”
“Huh? Sorry. Don’t worry about us. You’ll be home before she even wakes up.”
“I should be,” he replies grimly. Just when I think he’s going to leave, he pulls me to him and hugs me tightly, and my whole body is on high alert. Bridger gives the best hugs. I hope he can’t feel my nipples harden through my shirt. Again. “This was really shitty timing.”
I grin against his chest and shrug a shoulder as I pull back. “Oh, are you under the assumption that I’d put out on the first stargazing night?” I smirk. “No way, Chief.”
He blanches at that and cups my chin in his hand. “Did you just call me Chief?”
“Yeah. I did.”
“No.” He shakes his head.
“No? I can’t call you chief?”
“Fuck no, Dani. My guys call me that. Not you.”
I laugh and then shrug again. I shrug a lot when I’m nervous. “Okay, fine. So, what’s going on here, anyway?”
“I don’t know.” His face is sober as he brushes the backs of his knuckles down my face, and holy moly, my nipples take notice, puckering up again, and Bridger’s eyes drop down. “But it’s not nothing.”
“That’s…not helpful.”
He grins, then pulls away.
“No nightmares tonight.” It’s not a request, it’s an order, so I nod once.
“No, sir.”
His eyes narrow on me. “You’ve gotten sassy, Dani.”
“I’m working on it. That’s the goal.”
With a grin, he presses his lips to my forehead. “Good night.”
He turns to leave, and I feel chilly without him pressed against me. He wanted to kiss me. Just the thought still has chills running down my spine. How did we get here so fast?