Fake flame, p.13
Fake Flame, page 13
Eva could scream at the way Krystal and Sean were fussing over her safety and security. In more normal times, both of these two would be charming and funny, making everyone laugh.
Now? They seemed to be bonding over the fact that her ex was the worst sort of jackass. Possibly a criminal one, not that they could prove that. She wished she could believe it was just some random, malevolent act, nothing personal. But she couldn’t. When they parted at the end of their walk, Krystal’s eyes were worried, and Eva hated being a source of stress for her friend.
“Let me make you breakfast,” Eva said as she let them into her house. “Unless you have to run off again...” She hated the way her stomach seemed to twist around itself at that idea.
“No. I can hang around for a while. Hopefully long enough to take you to where they have your car. If they’ve been able to replace your tire, that is.”
“Right.” God, she’d tried so hard not to be a burden to this man who had already done her so many favors. Feeling more weary than she had since the split with Darren, she crouched to unclip Timmy’s leash. Her dog, apparently sensing her emotional state, wagged his tail and tried to lick her face. “Thanks, sweetie, not now,” she said, pushing his muzzle away.
“Hey.” Sean’s strong hand caught hers as she stood, then pulled her to him, an echo of the night before. God, the comfort of his body. Her hands explored his back muscles as he pulled her close. The words I could fall for you were on the tip of her tongue, but she resolutely kept them inside her mouth.
Now wasn’t the time for that kind of truth telling. As much as they got along, their age difference was going to come into play at some point. This whole scary situation made her feel so tired, so old. And here he was, vibrant and full of life and making her feel like he was ten years younger, not five.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled back and gave him the brightest smile she could muster. “Breakfast?”
* * *
Eva was most definitely not okay and Sean wanted to pull Darren apart at the seams like a rag doll. But that wasn’t on the table, so instead he followed her to the kitchen, sitting on a tall stool at her island and watching her perform. There was no other word for it. Her expression was oddly neutral. Her movements were quick and sure. She made him a perfect omelet and toast, putting the plate in front of her like a prize. When he didn’t pick up his fork right away, she nodded at it. “Eat it while it’s hot. I’ll make another for myself in a minute.” He dug in. The woman had a way with eggs, which were perfectly cooked and delicious, wrapped around a ham and cheese filling. Together with the sourdough toast, it was possibly the best breakfast he’d ever had.
Watching her move around her small kitchen, he imagined for a moment that this was his life, their life, together. This cozy domesticity might be his for the asking if he could get her to move beyond seeing what they had as a fake scenario. Because it sure as hell felt real to him and was feeling more real every moment they were together.
But now wasn’t the moment to bring this up, not when she was under so much stress. Adding to it by declaring his feelings would only compound her worries. Finally, she sat next to him and quietly consumed her own breakfast. He got up to refill their coffee cups and tried not to stare at her, wanting nothing more than to wrap her up, keep her safe and out of the world.
Her phone chimed with a message and she glanced at it. “My car’s ready,” she said, her voice weary. She got to her feet and gathered their dishes, but stopped when Sean reached out a hand and laid it on her shoulder.
“Are you going to be able to take today off? You hardly got any sleep last night.”
“If you know that then you didn’t, either.” Her expression went tight with concern. “That seems like it would be dangerous for you.”
“It would be, but I’ll go to the station and nap until we get called out. I’ll be fine.”
“What if you get called out right away?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be careful. My squad is good. We look out for each other.”
Her expression softened a little, easing the weary look in her eyes. “Good. I don’t want to worry about you any more than I already do.”
She worried about him? A tiny flame of hope flared in his chest at the thought. The very idea that he might be one-tenth as important to her as she was to him was like a shot of whiskey, warming him from the inside out.
But right now they didn’t have time, even if she wasn’t under so much stress. They had to get her car and he had to get to the station.
* * *
Sean did one more walk around her car, looking it over when they arrived at the garage. He even got a tire pressure gauge out of his glove compartment and checked all of them. Eva had to remind herself firmly that she couldn’t get used to being taken care of like this. It was all going to go away, probably in very short order.
“Are you going to campus?” he asked her, brows lowered.
“I wasn’t planning on it. I need to finish up my syllabus for the summer session class I’m teaching and I don’t need to be there to do it.”
“Okay. That’s good. Be sure to lock your door when you get home.”
She wished she could tell him he was being ridiculous, but the situation gave her a sickening feeling of wrongness and she couldn’t summon the energy to not believe that this was happening to her. “I will. And Timmy might not be able to do damage, but he’s very loud when someone rings the doorbell.”
“Good. You might also research alarm systems.” Her face must have shown how bleak she found that thought and he reached out and pulled her to him. “I’m sorry. I just know I’m going to worry about you when I can’t be there.”
She sighed, inhaling his comforting scent and rubbing the smooth cotton of his T-shirt on his back. “Don’t worry too much. I don’t think you should be distracted on the job.”
“I can multitask.”
“I know you’re joking, but it seems like if you have a life-and-death job maybe you shouldn’t?” she asked, tipping back in his arms to look up at him. A pang shot through her as she examined the planes and angles of his face. He looked rugged and handsome and rather absurdly young at the moment, even though his cheeks were unshaven and his expression was stern.
“Okay. I gotta get going. But maybe text me a few times over the next twenty-four hours?”
“You need proof of life?” Now it was her turn to have a joke fall more than a little flat.
One corner of his mouth hitched up. “I need proof of you. Sometimes I think you’re too good to be true.”
Okay, as a cheesy line, that needed work, but as a joke it was an improvement on what had come before. She was slightly relieved. Maybe their usual banter was returning. “Come back with your shield, not on it, Hannigan.” She was all too clear on the fact that, between his fatigue and his dangerous job, that there was more than one way to lose this man.
He ducked and landed a swift kiss on her lips. “You’ve got it, sweetheart.”
* * *
Sean was distracted over the next twenty-four hours. Distracted enough that Felix commented on how often he looked at his phone and Thea singsonged about him being in a tree and k-i-s-s-i-n-g. The shift was almost entirely uneventful, so at least he was able to catch a long nap. But the occasional text from Eva was like oxygen. She accompanied her messages with photos, walking him through her day visually. Her desk and laptop, with what he presumed was her syllabus on the screen. Her lunch of soup and grilled cheese. A little video of Timmy on his leash as they went for an afternoon walk.
And then there was the photo that he immediately saved to his photo roll. Because she’d sent him a selfie, squatting in her yard, with Timmy pulled up beside her, their faces side by side. Her blue eyes were direct and solemn in contrast to Timmy’s perpetual bug-eyed expression and lolling tongue. But the more he looked at the photo—and, to be fair, he’d looked at it a lot since she sent it—there was a private sort of amusement and warmth underlying her expression that drew him in.
Christ, he had it bad for her.
“You look at that photo one more time and it might actually incinerate,” Felix noted dryly behind him. Sean turned in the armchair he’d been relaxing in, taking in his friend’s amused face. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s a very decent selfie of a very pretty woman. But isn’t it imprinted on your retinas by now?”
Sean sighed and resolutely got to his feet, jamming the phone into his pocket. “Yeah. She’s kind of imprinted on me in all kinds of ways.”
“Is it still fake? What you’re doing?” Felix asked.
Sean rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. She makes it pretty clear that’s the deal in what feels like every other conversation.”
Felix groaned. “I wish I’d never brought up the whole fake-dating thing. I should have known you’d end up getting your heart in a meat grinder.”
The idea of not having what—well, whatever—he had with Eva seized him like panic. Was he setting himself up to be hurt? Yeah, probably. He still wouldn’t trade it for anything. “I’m fine.”
Felix looked at him like he was about to argue, then seemed to decide against that. “Okay. We’re all set for the county fair thing this weekend, right?”
Sean snapped his fingers, remembering. “Yeah. And Eva’s going to be helping out with the cash box. We’ve got some extra T-shirts, right?”
Felix’s eyebrows flew up at that. “Oh, she’s helping, huh? That’s interesting.”
“She’s a good person.” Sean wasn’t sure why his shoulders had gone into a defensive hunch, but they had.
“I’m sure she is. But there are a lot of good people who still wouldn’t volunteer to hang out on a sweltering day—Capitol Weather Gang says it’s going to be an early scorcher—to help their fake boyfriend.”
Sean’s back teeth clenched. “What are you saying, Felix? Talk to me like I’m five.”
His friend shrugged. “I’m just saying you may not be the only one who’s overinvested in this thing.”
“Didn’t you hear what I said about how she talks about the fake-ness a lot?” It hurt that she had to continually remind him of it. He knew what the deal was.
Felix sent him a serene smile. “Loud and clear, cupcake. And maybe the lady’s protesting too much.”
Seventeen
On Saturday Sean arrived at Eva’s house bright and early with a T-shirt that advertised the fundraiser. “I washed it, so don’t worry. It won’t be all stiff with chemicals and whatnot.”
“Aww, thanks.” Almost as a reflex, she brought the shirt to her nose. It smelled like Sean’s laundry soap, sending tingles to her stomach. “I’ll just put it on and we’ll be ready to go.” She retreated to her powder room to swap shirts, Sean’s voice penetrating the door.
“Did you sunscreen up, woman? It’s going to be sunny and hot today.”
She laughed as she pulled the shirt over her head. “Sunscreen is my religion, my friend. Don’t worry about it.”
He muttered something that she couldn’t make out, but when she emerged in her new garment, his eyes went smoky, sending even more tingles lower down. No, don’t tug me closer to that cliff. If I fall over, I might never come back. She pasted a chipper grin on her face. “No time for that, oh, best fake boyfriend in the world,” she said, grabbing a Nationals cap and threading her ponytail through the back before settling it on her head. “What’s wrong?” she asked, noticing his brows had drawn together.
“Nothing. Let’s get a move on.”
She gave Timmy a final pat and told him to be good then followed Sean out to his truck. “So what’s the deal for today?”
“Pretty simple. Five dollars a hug, all proceeds going to a children’s cancer charity.” Aww. Was there any image in the world more adorable than a hot man hugging a child?
“Wow. What about photos?”
“What about them?”
“Do you charge extra to have someone take their phone and snap a few shots of the hug as a memento?”
He nodded approvingly. “Nice idea. Maybe we’ll have to do that next year. At this point, no. One hug, five bucks, no waiting.”
Privately, Eva considered how much more she had gotten from Sean than mere hugs—though his hugs were nothing to sneeze at. And all for the low, low price of free. “I’m looking forward to meeting your colleagues,” she said. She wondered especially about the one who’d originally recommended that first romance novel to him. She was both curious and grateful to that unknown firefighter.
“And they’re looking forward to meeting you.” He shot her a lopsided smile that sent her heart skittering before returning his attention to the road. “Felix especially, though Thea probably will be awfully curious, too.”
“Is Felix the one who started all this?”
His chin dipped in a brief nod. “Yeah.” Then his mood seemed to shift and he appeared pensive. While Eva felt like she knew Sean pretty well at this point, this apparent moodiness was something new. And concerning. She couldn’t ask if something was wrong again; that would seem needy and badgering.
But something was definitely off.
“Has Darren pulled any other bullshit?” he asked. Ah. Maybe that was the issue. She hurried to put his mind at ease even if hers wasn’t.
“No. The rest of the week has been decidedly Darren-free and therefore bullshit-free.”
“Good.” But the set of his expression didn’t change. So maybe that wasn’t the issue.
“I know you said nothing’s wrong, but you seem kind of, I don’t know...off.”
His lips tightened and he seemed to be wrestling with something.
“I mean, I don’t want to pry if it’s too personal or anything, but if I can help in any way, I will.”
* * *
If I can help in any way, I will. Oh, damn. She could help by being half as crazy about him as he was about her. The precipice of emotion loomed in front of him. Had he packed his parachute? Or was he going to land splat at the bottom? Only one way to find out.
Time for emotional BASE jumping.
He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay, yeah. There’s a problem. You keep saying this is fake. And yeah, I know that was the agreement. But it’s feeling more and more real every day. And every time you say I’m such a great fake boyfriend I kind of die a little inside.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her shift, fidgeting with the seat belt. “You die a little inside?” Her voice was tiny.
He swallowed around the tightness in his throat. “Something like that.”
“So it’s not just me, then?”
“What?” He whipped his head sideways just long enough to see her pale face, then returned his attention to the road. “What do you mean not just you?”
“I’ve been trying so hard to say fake out loud to be sure I remembered where we were supposed to stand. I didn’t realize I was hurting you. I’m sorry.”
Hope, that foolish, wild, lumbering emotion, scrambled his chest. He reached out to clasp her hand. “Baby, no. It’s okay.” He squeezed and swallowed hard when she squeezed back. “That makes sense. I might have kind of done the same thing.”
“Yeah. Maybe you did.” Her voice sounded a little thick, as if she was fighting back tears. He pulled into an office complex parking lot, throwing the truck into Park and trying to gather him to her, both of them laughing when the seat belt held her in place. She unbuckled and he hauled her over the center console, feeling reborn as she straddled his lap and he gazed into her watery eyes.
“So we’ve both been trying to convince ourselves this was fake because we thought that was what the other person wanted and expected?”
She nodded, swallowing hard.
“So this is real, huh? For you, too?”
She smoothed her hand along his cheek. “Yeah. Turns out you’re not the best fake boyfriend in the world.”
“I’m not, huh?” Pure joy was bubbling up inside him because Eva was touching him. Touching him. Not fake-boyfriend-with-benefits Sean. Just Sean.
“No. You’re the actual best boyfriend in the world. Nothing fake about it.”
* * *
When they got to the fairgrounds, Eva’s stomach did a little flip. Their first outing as a couple—a real couple, only minutes after they became one. It was a little absurd that this was freaking her out, but there it was. And she was going to have to meet a bunch of his coworkers at the same time.
Suck it up, buttercup, she told herself as she climbed down from the truck and followed Sean across the fairgrounds to the small tent with a table, a cash box, some chairs and a big sign that read Hug a Firefighter for Charity: $5.
“Sean!” She recognized the Black man from the quad. Fit, but shorter and leaner than Sean, he stepped forward and fist-bumped him. “And this is the lovely Eva. We haven’t been introduced, but I do remember you.” He shot her a dazzling smile and Eva’s face felt like it was going up in flames. “I’m Felix, by the way.”
“Um, nice to meet you. And yeah. Sorry about that whole getting your squad called out because I overreacted to my ex being a jerk.”
Felix waved her comment away. “Pshaw. I’d far rather be called out for a nothing burger like that than something where lives were lost.”
“Well, when you put it that way, I guess I did you guys a favor,” Eva joked, earning another bright smile. “But honestly, I’m usually a model citizen.”
“And you’re proving that by showing up to help us out today. Very model citizen of you.”
Sean gave an exasperated growl. “Are you going to keep flirting with my girlfriend, or are we going to get things set up here?”
“We’re all set. No need to get your panties in a wad. Eva, since you’re going to be taking the money for the first shift, this cash box is your domain. We have a setup with the fair organizers that if we need change, we can send someone to the management office to get it. So if you start to get low, just let one of us know and we’ll handle it.”
Now? They seemed to be bonding over the fact that her ex was the worst sort of jackass. Possibly a criminal one, not that they could prove that. She wished she could believe it was just some random, malevolent act, nothing personal. But she couldn’t. When they parted at the end of their walk, Krystal’s eyes were worried, and Eva hated being a source of stress for her friend.
“Let me make you breakfast,” Eva said as she let them into her house. “Unless you have to run off again...” She hated the way her stomach seemed to twist around itself at that idea.
“No. I can hang around for a while. Hopefully long enough to take you to where they have your car. If they’ve been able to replace your tire, that is.”
“Right.” God, she’d tried so hard not to be a burden to this man who had already done her so many favors. Feeling more weary than she had since the split with Darren, she crouched to unclip Timmy’s leash. Her dog, apparently sensing her emotional state, wagged his tail and tried to lick her face. “Thanks, sweetie, not now,” she said, pushing his muzzle away.
“Hey.” Sean’s strong hand caught hers as she stood, then pulled her to him, an echo of the night before. God, the comfort of his body. Her hands explored his back muscles as he pulled her close. The words I could fall for you were on the tip of her tongue, but she resolutely kept them inside her mouth.
Now wasn’t the time for that kind of truth telling. As much as they got along, their age difference was going to come into play at some point. This whole scary situation made her feel so tired, so old. And here he was, vibrant and full of life and making her feel like he was ten years younger, not five.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled back and gave him the brightest smile she could muster. “Breakfast?”
* * *
Eva was most definitely not okay and Sean wanted to pull Darren apart at the seams like a rag doll. But that wasn’t on the table, so instead he followed her to the kitchen, sitting on a tall stool at her island and watching her perform. There was no other word for it. Her expression was oddly neutral. Her movements were quick and sure. She made him a perfect omelet and toast, putting the plate in front of her like a prize. When he didn’t pick up his fork right away, she nodded at it. “Eat it while it’s hot. I’ll make another for myself in a minute.” He dug in. The woman had a way with eggs, which were perfectly cooked and delicious, wrapped around a ham and cheese filling. Together with the sourdough toast, it was possibly the best breakfast he’d ever had.
Watching her move around her small kitchen, he imagined for a moment that this was his life, their life, together. This cozy domesticity might be his for the asking if he could get her to move beyond seeing what they had as a fake scenario. Because it sure as hell felt real to him and was feeling more real every moment they were together.
But now wasn’t the moment to bring this up, not when she was under so much stress. Adding to it by declaring his feelings would only compound her worries. Finally, she sat next to him and quietly consumed her own breakfast. He got up to refill their coffee cups and tried not to stare at her, wanting nothing more than to wrap her up, keep her safe and out of the world.
Her phone chimed with a message and she glanced at it. “My car’s ready,” she said, her voice weary. She got to her feet and gathered their dishes, but stopped when Sean reached out a hand and laid it on her shoulder.
“Are you going to be able to take today off? You hardly got any sleep last night.”
“If you know that then you didn’t, either.” Her expression went tight with concern. “That seems like it would be dangerous for you.”
“It would be, but I’ll go to the station and nap until we get called out. I’ll be fine.”
“What if you get called out right away?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be careful. My squad is good. We look out for each other.”
Her expression softened a little, easing the weary look in her eyes. “Good. I don’t want to worry about you any more than I already do.”
She worried about him? A tiny flame of hope flared in his chest at the thought. The very idea that he might be one-tenth as important to her as she was to him was like a shot of whiskey, warming him from the inside out.
But right now they didn’t have time, even if she wasn’t under so much stress. They had to get her car and he had to get to the station.
* * *
Sean did one more walk around her car, looking it over when they arrived at the garage. He even got a tire pressure gauge out of his glove compartment and checked all of them. Eva had to remind herself firmly that she couldn’t get used to being taken care of like this. It was all going to go away, probably in very short order.
“Are you going to campus?” he asked her, brows lowered.
“I wasn’t planning on it. I need to finish up my syllabus for the summer session class I’m teaching and I don’t need to be there to do it.”
“Okay. That’s good. Be sure to lock your door when you get home.”
She wished she could tell him he was being ridiculous, but the situation gave her a sickening feeling of wrongness and she couldn’t summon the energy to not believe that this was happening to her. “I will. And Timmy might not be able to do damage, but he’s very loud when someone rings the doorbell.”
“Good. You might also research alarm systems.” Her face must have shown how bleak she found that thought and he reached out and pulled her to him. “I’m sorry. I just know I’m going to worry about you when I can’t be there.”
She sighed, inhaling his comforting scent and rubbing the smooth cotton of his T-shirt on his back. “Don’t worry too much. I don’t think you should be distracted on the job.”
“I can multitask.”
“I know you’re joking, but it seems like if you have a life-and-death job maybe you shouldn’t?” she asked, tipping back in his arms to look up at him. A pang shot through her as she examined the planes and angles of his face. He looked rugged and handsome and rather absurdly young at the moment, even though his cheeks were unshaven and his expression was stern.
“Okay. I gotta get going. But maybe text me a few times over the next twenty-four hours?”
“You need proof of life?” Now it was her turn to have a joke fall more than a little flat.
One corner of his mouth hitched up. “I need proof of you. Sometimes I think you’re too good to be true.”
Okay, as a cheesy line, that needed work, but as a joke it was an improvement on what had come before. She was slightly relieved. Maybe their usual banter was returning. “Come back with your shield, not on it, Hannigan.” She was all too clear on the fact that, between his fatigue and his dangerous job, that there was more than one way to lose this man.
He ducked and landed a swift kiss on her lips. “You’ve got it, sweetheart.”
* * *
Sean was distracted over the next twenty-four hours. Distracted enough that Felix commented on how often he looked at his phone and Thea singsonged about him being in a tree and k-i-s-s-i-n-g. The shift was almost entirely uneventful, so at least he was able to catch a long nap. But the occasional text from Eva was like oxygen. She accompanied her messages with photos, walking him through her day visually. Her desk and laptop, with what he presumed was her syllabus on the screen. Her lunch of soup and grilled cheese. A little video of Timmy on his leash as they went for an afternoon walk.
And then there was the photo that he immediately saved to his photo roll. Because she’d sent him a selfie, squatting in her yard, with Timmy pulled up beside her, their faces side by side. Her blue eyes were direct and solemn in contrast to Timmy’s perpetual bug-eyed expression and lolling tongue. But the more he looked at the photo—and, to be fair, he’d looked at it a lot since she sent it—there was a private sort of amusement and warmth underlying her expression that drew him in.
Christ, he had it bad for her.
“You look at that photo one more time and it might actually incinerate,” Felix noted dryly behind him. Sean turned in the armchair he’d been relaxing in, taking in his friend’s amused face. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s a very decent selfie of a very pretty woman. But isn’t it imprinted on your retinas by now?”
Sean sighed and resolutely got to his feet, jamming the phone into his pocket. “Yeah. She’s kind of imprinted on me in all kinds of ways.”
“Is it still fake? What you’re doing?” Felix asked.
Sean rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. She makes it pretty clear that’s the deal in what feels like every other conversation.”
Felix groaned. “I wish I’d never brought up the whole fake-dating thing. I should have known you’d end up getting your heart in a meat grinder.”
The idea of not having what—well, whatever—he had with Eva seized him like panic. Was he setting himself up to be hurt? Yeah, probably. He still wouldn’t trade it for anything. “I’m fine.”
Felix looked at him like he was about to argue, then seemed to decide against that. “Okay. We’re all set for the county fair thing this weekend, right?”
Sean snapped his fingers, remembering. “Yeah. And Eva’s going to be helping out with the cash box. We’ve got some extra T-shirts, right?”
Felix’s eyebrows flew up at that. “Oh, she’s helping, huh? That’s interesting.”
“She’s a good person.” Sean wasn’t sure why his shoulders had gone into a defensive hunch, but they had.
“I’m sure she is. But there are a lot of good people who still wouldn’t volunteer to hang out on a sweltering day—Capitol Weather Gang says it’s going to be an early scorcher—to help their fake boyfriend.”
Sean’s back teeth clenched. “What are you saying, Felix? Talk to me like I’m five.”
His friend shrugged. “I’m just saying you may not be the only one who’s overinvested in this thing.”
“Didn’t you hear what I said about how she talks about the fake-ness a lot?” It hurt that she had to continually remind him of it. He knew what the deal was.
Felix sent him a serene smile. “Loud and clear, cupcake. And maybe the lady’s protesting too much.”
Seventeen
On Saturday Sean arrived at Eva’s house bright and early with a T-shirt that advertised the fundraiser. “I washed it, so don’t worry. It won’t be all stiff with chemicals and whatnot.”
“Aww, thanks.” Almost as a reflex, she brought the shirt to her nose. It smelled like Sean’s laundry soap, sending tingles to her stomach. “I’ll just put it on and we’ll be ready to go.” She retreated to her powder room to swap shirts, Sean’s voice penetrating the door.
“Did you sunscreen up, woman? It’s going to be sunny and hot today.”
She laughed as she pulled the shirt over her head. “Sunscreen is my religion, my friend. Don’t worry about it.”
He muttered something that she couldn’t make out, but when she emerged in her new garment, his eyes went smoky, sending even more tingles lower down. No, don’t tug me closer to that cliff. If I fall over, I might never come back. She pasted a chipper grin on her face. “No time for that, oh, best fake boyfriend in the world,” she said, grabbing a Nationals cap and threading her ponytail through the back before settling it on her head. “What’s wrong?” she asked, noticing his brows had drawn together.
“Nothing. Let’s get a move on.”
She gave Timmy a final pat and told him to be good then followed Sean out to his truck. “So what’s the deal for today?”
“Pretty simple. Five dollars a hug, all proceeds going to a children’s cancer charity.” Aww. Was there any image in the world more adorable than a hot man hugging a child?
“Wow. What about photos?”
“What about them?”
“Do you charge extra to have someone take their phone and snap a few shots of the hug as a memento?”
He nodded approvingly. “Nice idea. Maybe we’ll have to do that next year. At this point, no. One hug, five bucks, no waiting.”
Privately, Eva considered how much more she had gotten from Sean than mere hugs—though his hugs were nothing to sneeze at. And all for the low, low price of free. “I’m looking forward to meeting your colleagues,” she said. She wondered especially about the one who’d originally recommended that first romance novel to him. She was both curious and grateful to that unknown firefighter.
“And they’re looking forward to meeting you.” He shot her a lopsided smile that sent her heart skittering before returning his attention to the road. “Felix especially, though Thea probably will be awfully curious, too.”
“Is Felix the one who started all this?”
His chin dipped in a brief nod. “Yeah.” Then his mood seemed to shift and he appeared pensive. While Eva felt like she knew Sean pretty well at this point, this apparent moodiness was something new. And concerning. She couldn’t ask if something was wrong again; that would seem needy and badgering.
But something was definitely off.
“Has Darren pulled any other bullshit?” he asked. Ah. Maybe that was the issue. She hurried to put his mind at ease even if hers wasn’t.
“No. The rest of the week has been decidedly Darren-free and therefore bullshit-free.”
“Good.” But the set of his expression didn’t change. So maybe that wasn’t the issue.
“I know you said nothing’s wrong, but you seem kind of, I don’t know...off.”
His lips tightened and he seemed to be wrestling with something.
“I mean, I don’t want to pry if it’s too personal or anything, but if I can help in any way, I will.”
* * *
If I can help in any way, I will. Oh, damn. She could help by being half as crazy about him as he was about her. The precipice of emotion loomed in front of him. Had he packed his parachute? Or was he going to land splat at the bottom? Only one way to find out.
Time for emotional BASE jumping.
He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay, yeah. There’s a problem. You keep saying this is fake. And yeah, I know that was the agreement. But it’s feeling more and more real every day. And every time you say I’m such a great fake boyfriend I kind of die a little inside.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her shift, fidgeting with the seat belt. “You die a little inside?” Her voice was tiny.
He swallowed around the tightness in his throat. “Something like that.”
“So it’s not just me, then?”
“What?” He whipped his head sideways just long enough to see her pale face, then returned his attention to the road. “What do you mean not just you?”
“I’ve been trying so hard to say fake out loud to be sure I remembered where we were supposed to stand. I didn’t realize I was hurting you. I’m sorry.”
Hope, that foolish, wild, lumbering emotion, scrambled his chest. He reached out to clasp her hand. “Baby, no. It’s okay.” He squeezed and swallowed hard when she squeezed back. “That makes sense. I might have kind of done the same thing.”
“Yeah. Maybe you did.” Her voice sounded a little thick, as if she was fighting back tears. He pulled into an office complex parking lot, throwing the truck into Park and trying to gather him to her, both of them laughing when the seat belt held her in place. She unbuckled and he hauled her over the center console, feeling reborn as she straddled his lap and he gazed into her watery eyes.
“So we’ve both been trying to convince ourselves this was fake because we thought that was what the other person wanted and expected?”
She nodded, swallowing hard.
“So this is real, huh? For you, too?”
She smoothed her hand along his cheek. “Yeah. Turns out you’re not the best fake boyfriend in the world.”
“I’m not, huh?” Pure joy was bubbling up inside him because Eva was touching him. Touching him. Not fake-boyfriend-with-benefits Sean. Just Sean.
“No. You’re the actual best boyfriend in the world. Nothing fake about it.”
* * *
When they got to the fairgrounds, Eva’s stomach did a little flip. Their first outing as a couple—a real couple, only minutes after they became one. It was a little absurd that this was freaking her out, but there it was. And she was going to have to meet a bunch of his coworkers at the same time.
Suck it up, buttercup, she told herself as she climbed down from the truck and followed Sean across the fairgrounds to the small tent with a table, a cash box, some chairs and a big sign that read Hug a Firefighter for Charity: $5.
“Sean!” She recognized the Black man from the quad. Fit, but shorter and leaner than Sean, he stepped forward and fist-bumped him. “And this is the lovely Eva. We haven’t been introduced, but I do remember you.” He shot her a dazzling smile and Eva’s face felt like it was going up in flames. “I’m Felix, by the way.”
“Um, nice to meet you. And yeah. Sorry about that whole getting your squad called out because I overreacted to my ex being a jerk.”
Felix waved her comment away. “Pshaw. I’d far rather be called out for a nothing burger like that than something where lives were lost.”
“Well, when you put it that way, I guess I did you guys a favor,” Eva joked, earning another bright smile. “But honestly, I’m usually a model citizen.”
“And you’re proving that by showing up to help us out today. Very model citizen of you.”
Sean gave an exasperated growl. “Are you going to keep flirting with my girlfriend, or are we going to get things set up here?”
“We’re all set. No need to get your panties in a wad. Eva, since you’re going to be taking the money for the first shift, this cash box is your domain. We have a setup with the fair organizers that if we need change, we can send someone to the management office to get it. So if you start to get low, just let one of us know and we’ll handle it.”
