Clearing her throat, she said, "Do you want to watch some TV or something?" She mentally kicked herself for adding
or something
because it brought up more bad ideas, all of which involved taking off her clothes and getting a lot closer to Burke.
"Yeah, we could watch a movie." He walked over to the couch and sat down, then picked up the remote. "I've got
On Demand
. Have you seen any of the new releases?"
"I haven't been to the movies in ages."
"Let's pick one." He patted the couch next to him.
She hesitated for a second, thinking the chair might be a better choice, but in the end she joined him on the couch. This was Burke—he wasn't going to do anything she didn't want him to do.
What if she did want him to do something…
No, she didn't want that. She didn't need to complicate her life any more than it already was. They were just friends. Burke was helping her out because he was a good guy. There was nothing else going on.
That reminder made it easier to sit next to him, and soon they were scrolling through the list of movie suggestions.
"What do you like?" he asked. "Romance, mystery, sci-fi…"
"Anything with a good story. What about you?"
"Same." He flung her a quick smile. "We actually have something in common. Who would have thought?"
"Certainly not me," she said, smiling back at him. "I saw some popcorn in your cupboard earlier. You pick the movie. I'll make us a snack."
"Sounds like a plan."
Fifteen minutes later, Maddie was sitting on the couch next to Burke, a blanket around her shoulders, a bowl of popcorn on the table, watching a World War II adventure and love story. She liked Burke's choice. The movie had enough suspense to be intriguing and enough romance to not be boring. She liked stories that came alive through characters and not just action/chase scenes.
She also liked sitting next to Burke. His body was so close to hers she was tempted to rest her head on his shoulder or cuddle into his arms, but she had to remind herself that this was not a date and they were not anything more than friends.
The movie was long and the battle scenes started to go on and on.
She found her eyes drifting closed. She heard Burke say her name but after that, nothing.
She felt warm, comfortable, safe, and it had been forever since she'd felt that way.
* * *
He should wake Maddie up. He should go to bed and let her stretch out on the couch.
At the very least, he should move her away from him. But as Maddie had drifted off to sleep, she'd curled up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder and putting her arm across his waist. Her silky hair brushed his chin, and he could smell the faint scent of lavender clinging to her skin. Her breath came softly through her parted lips, lips so pink and sweet, he was dying to take a taste.
But this was Maddie.
She was in a vulnerable position. She was fragile and a little scared. He couldn't take advantage of those emotions.
Sighing, he rested his head against the back of the couch. He felt off his game, too.
Memories of the day flashed through his head. The horseback ride on the beach seemed like it had happened weeks ago instead of hours ago, but since they'd gotten back to the city, there had been one nasty surprise after another, both for him and for Maddie.
He closed his eyes, his head starting to throb from the stress and puzzling, unanswered questions. The television hummed in the background. He told himself he'd get up in a minute…
* * *
Maddie woke up feeling deliciously warm and content, as if everything was completely right with the world, but as her sleepy haze turned to awareness, other senses came into play. The steady beat of her heart was mirrored by another. The arms that held her were not her own but belonged to Burke. Her pillow was his chest, and her leg was not entangled in the blanket but wrapped around Burke's thigh.
Blinking her eyes open, she lifted her head and found herself staring straight into his intense blue eyes. His sleepy gaze and sexy morning scruff made her mouth water. But it was the gleam in his eyes that sent the butterflies dancing in her stomach.
He wanted her
.
It seemed almost too surprising to be true.
But she knew what desire looked like…and what it felt like. And it felt like this.
She licked her lips, and the gesture only darkened his gaze. His arms tightened around her.
And slowly, so slowly, he pulled her closer.
Another long look…
A moment to escape…
She didn't want to run. She just wanted him.
There was so much electricity in the air, so much tension between them, it felt like the kiss started long before their lips came together.
She'd expected a tentative, wary kiss, because Burke didn't leap without looking. She, on the other hand, usually jumped right in. Their kiss started somewhere in the middle, but quickly escalated into a fiery, passionate encounter.
She'd wanted to kiss Burke so many times over the years she could hardly believe it was happening. A half dozen fantasies came true with each angled open-mouth kiss, each slide of their tongues, each intermingled breath of passion. Kissing Burke kicked off a desire that ran through every nerve ending.
She slid down on top of Burke, her soft breasts tingling with pleasure as they came into contact with his hard chest. She loved the feel of his body beneath hers. She also loved the way he held her to him with power and strength, as if she were his for the taking. Hell, maybe she was. All she could think about right now was removing the clothes between them. She fought her way to a sitting position and then pulled her sweater up over her head, tossing it onto the couch.
Burke's gaze turned even more appreciative as he took in her hot pink lacy bra with cups that barely covered her generous curves. He pulled her forward, running his mouth along the edge of her bra, driving her crazy with anticipation.
Finally, he flicked open the clasp and kissed one breast, then the other, swirling his tongue around her taut nipples.
She reached for the hem of his shirt, wanting to touch him more intimately.
He helped her get the shirt off, and she stared at his hard, ripped body with genuine amazement. "You're in great shape," she muttered.
He smiled, meeting her gaze. "I like your shape, too." He pulled her back in for another kiss. It had barely gotten started when the sharp peal of a phone alarm broke them apart.
"What's that?" she asked in bemusement.
"My phone." He picked up his phone from the table and shut off the alarm. "Damn, Maddie, I have to go to work."
"Right. Work." She pulled the sides of her bra back together and grabbed her sweater off the couch, holding it in front of her as she slid away from Burke.
Now that she was really awake, now that she was fully aware of exactly what they were doing, she didn't know what to say, how to act. It had been a lot easier to pretend she was just living out a really good dream.
"I guess we fell asleep on the couch," she said, feeling stupid for stating the obvious.
"I meant to get up, but you were so comfortable with your head on my shoulder."
She groaned. "I fell asleep on you?"
"I didn't mind. I liked waking up with you even more."
She couldn't deny the past few minutes had been fairly spectacular. "Me, too."
His gaze darkened with her admission. "I wish I didn't have to leave, but we're shorthanded at work."
"I understand."
"Do you? Because I sure as hell want to blow off work and take this into the bedroom."
Her pulse raced at the image his words created. She licked her lips. "We both know that shouldn't happen. We don't want to do something we'll regret."
"You think you would regret it?" he asked, his question suddenly sharp.
"Me? No. But I'm a lot better at living in the moment than you are. You usually prefer to have a plan. Am I part of any plan?"
His hesitation gave her the answer.
"I didn't think so," she said, pulling her sweater back over her head.
He got to his feet. "I'm going to take a shower."
She was more than happy to send him on his way so she could pull herself together.
He moved toward the hallway, then paused. "Just for the record, Maddie…"
"What?" she asked when he left the sentence hanging.
"Taking you to bed has been featured in more than a few of my plans over the years."
Her jaw dropped at his provocative words, but before she could say anything, he was gone.
What? He'd thought about taking her to bed? She had never expected him to say that.
Her body tingled all over.
If he wanted to take her to bed, and she wanted to go to bed with him, there was a good chance they were going to end up there, but then what?
She'd told herself she was done with men. It was time to concentrate on a career, on getting her life together, and that's what she should do.
But sex with Burke sounded like a lot more fun…
No, she'd had fun. Maybe too much fun. It was time to be a responsible adult, wasn't it?
Chapter Ten
As Burke showered under a cold streaming spray, he couldn't help wondering if Maddie wouldn't surprise him in the shower. If she did, he was going to be really late to work. He'd always felt the sparks with her. She was crazy if she didn't think he'd ever dreamed about her, ever wondered what it would be like between them.
Over the years he'd fantasized many times about how she would kiss, but the reality had far surpassed the dreams. He'd expected passion, impulsiveness, generosity and he'd gotten all that, but he'd also gotten tender, deep and serious, as if the kiss was the start of something more.
That thought was unsettling. He didn't know if he was ready for another relationship, especially a relationship with someone like Maddie.
But damn she was beautiful. Those eyes of her seduced him at every turn. Her lips invited him in with every smile, and she had a really gorgeous pair of breasts. His body tightened at the memory of her soft flesh in his hands.
Damn! He had it bad.
Had he always wanted her? When had annoyance turned to attraction? Not that she probably wouldn't still annoy him, but it might be worth a little irritation to get closer to her. He'd spent the past decade of his life focused on building his career, being the firefighter his father and grandfather wanted him to be and the kind of firefighter he wanted himself to be.
Maybe that focus had caused the rift in his relationship with Leanne. Had he put too much of his energy into work and not enough into her? Is that why she'd cheated on him? She'd had to have felt something was missing from their relationship to go to Mitch. Would they have worked out their problems if she hadn't died? Would she have told him about the baby? Would she have really had the nerve to terminate a pregnancy?
He would never know the answers to any of those questions.
But knowing how much he'd missed in that relationship made him wary of getting involved with someone else, at least not until he knew what had happened three years ago.
He frowned. Now he was sounding like Mitch Warren, so obsessed with the past, he couldn't move forward.
Shivering in the cold water, he finally stepped out of the shower and dried off.
After getting dressed, he returned to the living room to find Maddie had whipped up pancakes for breakfast.
"I know you're probably in a hurry," she said, not quite meeting his eyes. "But maybe you can grab a quick bite before you go."
"You're spoiling me," he said, sitting down at the table. The stack of pancakes was too delicious to resist.
"It's nothing much. Cooking isn't work to me. It's a joy. Better than therapy, my mom used to say, although you probably think I could have used some actual therapy."
He was happy to hear the joking note in her voice. Maddie had a way of making whatever tense situation she was in feel less awkward. "I think you handle yourself really well. What are your plans today?"
"I'm meeting Emma and Nicole at the farmer's market. Then I'm going to practice some cooking techniques in preparation for my interview tomorrow. I should probably also go online and start looking for an apartment. So, lots to do."
Even though he knew she would move out soon, he didn't really like the idea. He'd been living on his own for a long time and had always thought he preferred it that way. But having Maddie around was nice, maybe a little too nice. He could almost imagine them living together, sleeping together, having breakfast together.
The intensity of that thought shocked him a little. He needed to get a grip.
He focused on the other part of Maddie's statement. "I didn't realize you had made plans with Emma and Nicole."
"Is it a problem?'
"No, but I'm sure they're both going to grill you about me."
"I'm sure. Anything in particular you want me to say?"
He shrugged. "Whatever you want, Maddie. I'll leave it up to you."
"Okay." She hesitated. "Burke, should we talk about what happened earlier?"
"I don't need to, do you?"
"I guess not," she said slowly. "We were both waking up and not thinking straight…"
"So you do want to talk about it?"
"No. I'm good."
He was happy with her response, because the last thing he wanted to do was discuss what had almost happened and what might be coming next. "I need to get to work. Thanks for breakfast. Call me if you need anything. Or if you get bored, you can always come by the firehouse. It's at the corner of Hobart and 27
th
." He paused. "If your ex calls you again, if you feel at all worried or concerned about him or anyone else, please let me know."
"I'll be fine, Burke."
"Are you going to call Paul back?" He really hated that idea. He didn't want her to have anything more to do with the guy.
"No, but I have a feeling I haven't heard the last of him."