Burning Desire by Marie Harte

Chapter Sixteen

Tex spent early Monday morning in Issaquah, about half an hour outside of Seattle, on the Chirico Trail to Poo Poo Point. It was a terrific if steep hike that gave the best views. Luckily, he had another cloudless day off to enjoy.

The late afternoon he spent on a Pets Fur Life adoption with the guys and Bubbles as his sidekick. The pet store holding the adoption had been terrific about donating money to the charity as well as some pet food for foster families. Tex also turned down a few invitations to grab coffee or drinks from a few happy animal lovers.

People seemed drawn to him. They always had. It had made more than one relationship in the past tricky to navigate. But he’d been honest with Bree. He needed a woman who would trust him, no matter how many women came on to him.

Fortunately, with Brad, Reggie, and Mack along for the adoption, he wasn’t the only guy getting chatted up by the ladies. Brad stuck closer to him, though, not wanting to give his girlfriend any issues, since she’d arrived to show her support.

They got all but one older cat adopted, and the crew considered it a huge success. He bought Bubbles a bandana to celebrate, and the crew plus Brad’s girl decided to adjourn to Tex’s house for a celebration dinner.

As they readied to leave, Reggie elbowed him.

“Ouch.” Tex glared.

Reggie shook his head. “You’re getting soft. Too much time spent ogling a pretty woman and not enough time in the gym.”

“I still outran your sorry ass.”

Mack overheard and raised his brows. “What’s this? Slow man Reggie Morgan losing again to speed demon, Tex McGovern? Brad, did you hear? Reggie lost another race.”

“What’s that make you?” Brad asked Reggie. “Zero for twenty?”

“Everyone’s a comedian,” Reggie grumbled. “Not like you can beat him.”

“But we’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you,” Brad countered and winked at Avery.

His girlfriend laughed. “Ignore him, Reggie. He’s just jealous of your looks and strength.”

“I knew I liked you.” Reggie smiled at her.

“Wait. You think I’m jealous of Reggie?” Brad frowned.

“You’re jealous of everyone,” Mack muttered.

Brad ran a finger across his throat, then pointed at Mack while he let Avery drag him away to his car, much to Tex and the guys’ amusement.

Mack elbowed him. “So, I’m thinking pizza?”

“It’s the best thing I know how to make.” Tex nodded.

“Yeah, takeout is your thing,” Mack agreed. “My man with the plan. I’m game. See you losers there.” He headed for his car with a swagger in his step.

Reggie shook his head. “Guess that means I’m riding with you.”

“Where’s your car?” Tex unlocked the doors of his truck.

Reggie got in. “I wanted a break. I’m sick of parking in this city.”

“I hear that.”

They drove to Tex’s house with the usually taciturn Reggie playing twenty questions.

“Did Mack and Brad set me up for this?” Tex wondered aloud, under his breath.

Reggie heard him. “What? No. I just want to know. So, Bree. When do we get to all hang out together?”

“Never.”

“Come on, Tex. You know she has to pass our test before you get the okay.” Reggie gave him a firm look. He’d already learned about Tex’s date at the ball cage, as well as a sanitized version of Tex hanging with Bree on Saturday. “Besides, you’re in the early stages of young love. You can’t just bang and bail. You have to pay her attention.”

“Who said anything about banging?”

Reggie just looked at him.

Tex felt himself turning red. “We might have hooked up. But you can’t say anything. I mean it.”

“Who am I going to tell?”

“Mack, Brad, Wash, Hernandez, Nat, Lori…”

“Okay, okay.” Reggie grinned. “I swear, I won’t tell anyone outside our circle.”

“Reggie.”

“Brad and Mack probably already know. You’ve been way too happy today. It’s your own fault.”

“Shit.”

“Yep. You have a certain glow about you when you have a new girlfriend.” Reggie paused. “But Bree is a lot more than that, isn’t she?”

“Maybe. I don’t know.”

“You like her a lot. Hell, you about had a fit when you blew that first date. And that was what? Like, seven months ago?”

“Nine and a half months and a few days. Technically speaking.”

Reggie sighed. “Yeah, you have it bad.”

“I can’t help it.” It felt good to get the words off his chest. “She’s special. I like her. Like, all of her. Not just her body. She’s the real deal.” Every time he thought about how he might screw up a good thing, he started to sweat…and wondered if he should bail early before he ruined things for good.

“Uh-huh. Well, it’s still new. Who knows? But the nice thing is that I like her. She’s not some beauty with no brains. We both know you’ve gone there before.”

“And you haven’t?”

Reggie shrugged. “Well, sure. I’m a guy. But dating for me isn’t a pastime like it is for you. I’ll eventually find some girl, we’ll date, end up getting married, and settle down. The idea of having a steady woman in my life doesn’t give me hives.”

Tex stopped scratched his arm. “Aren’t you funny. And now who’s telling stories?”

Reggie had the grace to look abashed. “So I’m taking my time after Amy. But I know the world keeps turning. My time will come.”

Tex didn’t have the heart to tell him how unsure he sounded.

“Question for you,” Reggie continued.

Tex groaned.

“Why not invite her over to hang with us some time? You’re being smart by taking things slow, but it’s time to step it up.”

Tex didn’t think he’d been slow with Bree at all, but he had no intention of prolonging the discussion.

Reggie, however, did. “You and Bree are learning about each other. Privately, right? Where no one but your buds know you’re seeing the battalion chief’s daughter.”

“Thanks for reminding me. I forgot about her dad.”

Reggie ignored the sarcasm. “Now it’s time to slowly insert her into more of your life. Have her meet your friends in a social setting. See how she fits in with us.” Reggie, like the others, knew that the ultimate girlfriend test was in how well she tolerated their four-man crew. “Then, of course, you have to work in a sleepover. But that’s a whole other level.”

“I have dated before, you know.”

“Not someone like Bree.”

Reggie had a point.

“What makes you an expert on women, anyway?”

Reggie snorted. “Besides my overbearing older sisters, my father has been on my ass for months with unasked-for tips about dating. I’m thinking a few of them might be legit. Consider this my taking a bullet to share wisdom. You should count yourself lucky my father isn’t sharing details of his social life with you.” Reggie grimaced.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He paused. “Back to the advice… After you and Bree share a sleepover, move on to the meet-the-parents thing, but that’s way down the line.”

“Oh, uh, well, I already met her dad and stepmom.”

Reggie frowned as they pulled into Tex’s driveway. “When did this happen?”

“You remember my mandatory I’m-checking-you-out dinner at Chief Gilchrist’s last week.”

“Oh, right. But that was work-related. Not boyfriend-related.”

“Of course not. He doesn’t know we’re dating.” He can’t know, not yet. Not ever—and how realistic is that for a lasting relationship?

“I’m still not sure how you’re going to bridge that one.”

Tex sighed. “Me neither.”

“Well, that’s more worry for another night. Now, let’s go eat and enjoy ourselves. We’ve only got one more day before we’re all back to work.”

Tex gave a high-pitched squeal as they headed inside his home. “Oh, I’m so excited!”

“I knew you missed us. Brad owes me ten bucks.”

But as Tex laughed and enjoyed his time with his friends, a part of him missed Bree, the night incomplete without her by his side.

He wondered if she missed him as well, and why the thought of reaching out to ask had him even more anxious about reinforcing their exclusive relationship—that he wasn’t exactly sure Bree wanted.

***

Bree had a tough time getting used to being by herself in her studio Monday, but she made it with only one smiley-face text from Tex to hold her over. And not to be the needy one in their new relationship, she focused on herself and her job—what really mattered, ignoring silly emotional needs.

Since he texted her first thing Tuesday morning, she let herself relax about their newness. She hadn’t appeared insecure, letting him talk first to her. Should she chat him up when she had some free time? Or should she remain somewhat distant, still a prize needing to be won? Wait. I’m a prize? I mean, I am amazing. But we’re just two people dating. Why is this so hard? Should I…?

Bree blew out a breath. I’m such a nutcase. She wished she could stop thinking about the man and focus on work. Which shouldn’t have been difficult since she’d sequestered herself in her studio to finish the grant.

Her project was really coming along. She’d taken all the shots she’d needed, and now came the hard part. Figuring out lighting, any filters—if she decided to go that route versus a more purist form of expression—and framing.

Her phone buzzed. An incoming call. Immediately, her heart raced, that Tex might be on the other end of the line. She’d been planning to invite him over for dinner but didn’t want to initiate. Except he’d asked her to dinner last time, so maybe…

She answered the call with a breathy, “Hello?”

“Hi, Ms. Gilchrist? This is Stefanie Connor from IAG—Illuminae Art Gallery.”

Bree’s heart raced for another reason. “Oh, hello. What can I do for you, Ms. Connor?” IAG had a reputation for making or breaking an artist’s career, and they’d been instrumental in making the careers of some of the country’s top photographers.

“We’re interested in showing the work you’re doing for the city. Congratulations again on winning the grant.”

That was unexpected and completely awe-inducing. “Thank you so much. I’ve been working for years with photography as an artistic medium, not just as a way to pay the bills.” Shut up, Bree. Don’t bring up your commercial work when she’s offering you a showing! “Not that I’m ashamed of my studio work, but it’s not the same,” she ended feebly, making it worse.

Ms. Connor laughed. “Hey, artists need to eat. And please, call me Stefanie.”

Relieved, Bree chatted with Stefanie for a few minutes, firmed down some dates, and hung up with an internal squeal. Then she shouted and pumped her fists, jumping around like a fool.

“Um, is this a bad time?”

She turned around, feeling foolish, as Tex wandered into her studio. Her cheeks hot, she answered, “Oh, ah, no. Not at all.”

He smiled, and that grin added to her already great day. He wore jeans and a T-shirt, his usual wear, combined with boots and a ballcap in hand. This one had a Seattle Seahawks logo on it. “So, what’s with all the cheering?”

“I just got an invitation to show my work at Illuminae!”

“I take it that’s good?”

She grinned. “That’s great. That’s like getting drafted into the major leagues!”

“Well, hot damn.” He rushed to her side and drew her into a hug, whirling her around until she grew dizzy. Then he kissed the breath out of her, leaving her seeing stars.

“Sorry, Bree. I couldn’t help it. You look so pleased and pretty.”

“I am happy. Aw, you’re such a sweetie.”

He blushed, and she wanted to kiss him until their clothes melted off. Instead, she led him to the pictures she’d been editing.

“Those are great.” He seemed to really like the shots of his fellow firefighters working to save lives and of the obvious heartache she’d highlighted in the survivors’ faces. Having gotten everyone’s signed permission, she’d finally decided on what shots to use.

“So honest. Hurting,” Tex said. “You captured the emotions of what it’s like going through a real fire.”

Then he frowned at a picture of himself—her favorite, because it showed him in an unguarded moment laughing with his crew. The four of them, with Tex highlighted because he’d been closest to her shot, together at the station in the engine bay. A picture of togetherness, a band of brothers who fought fires and saved lives at the threat of their own safety.

“I think this one really encapsulates what it’s like to be a firefighter.” Next to it, in a separately framed shot, she planned to add a photograph of men and women in uniform covered in smoke and dirt, working tirelessly to save lives. She told Tex, and he argued she should leave the picture of him and the guys out.

“Why would I?” she asked. “It’s okay to be seen having fun and living life, especially with all the grim stuff you guys have to deal with.”

“I guess you have a point.” He shrugged and gave her a smile. “You’re the artist getting her work hung in a big-shot gallery, after all.”

She still couldn’t believe it. “It’s so incredibly awesome but also nerve-racking. Now I really can’t screw up this project.”

“You won’t.”

She felt his hand on her cheek and glanced up at him, away from her photos.

His soft kiss, surprisingly tender, moved her.

Oh, wow.She blinked up at him. “So, um, what are you doing here?”

He straightened and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I figured to stop in and visit. I won’t stay long. I don’t want to take you away from work. Just wanted to say hi.”

“Hi.”

“Hi.” He gave her a goofy grin. “I guess I should leave. But, ah, I was also gonna ask if you wanted to do dinner. I have to be in tomorrow, early, but I’m off the rest of today. I would have called before, but I didn’t want to bug you.” He frowned.

She snorted. “I was going to call you, but I thought the same thing. I didn’t want to bug you.”

He shook his head. “Nah. You never get on my nerves. Well, except now that I know you like true crime and serial killer stuff. But that’s mostly because you scare me. Not because it’s annoying.”

“Muhuhahaha.”

He gave a mock shiver.

“Dinner sounds great. How about we eat at my place? Is that okay? And bring Bubbles.”

“How about I bring dinner too? Chinese work? I have a hankering for Mother’s Chicken.”

“Sounds great.” She pulled him down for a kiss that satisfied but still left her wanting. “Seven o’clock sharp?”

“Sure,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I’ll get outta your hair.” Quietly, but she heard it anyway, he added, “Damn, girl. Setting me on fire.” He left in a hurry, and she did nothing but smile for the rest of her day.

***

Tex arrived at seven on the dot. Bree opened the door and gave Bubbles some loving attention before turning to him.

“I see you dressed up for the occasion.”

He wore a Stetson instead of the Seahawks hat. “Yes, ma’am.” He also carried a paper bag filled with good-smelling cartons.

He set the food out while she grabbed dishes, and they had an awkward silence before she blurted, “I missed you.”

He gave a slow smile. “I know.” Silence. “About time you admitted it.”

“Shut up.”

He laughed. “I missed you too.” He waited for her to finish with the rice before scooping a ton on his plate. “So, what have I missed? What’s going on with Carrie? Your dad and Charlie? How about Melissa?”

As usual, mention of her stepsister’s name annoyed her and added to the ache of regret, deep inside. That ache Bree refused to acknowledge. “Well, not much else is going on with me but work. Dad is still Dad. Charlie said to tell you hello if I see you again. So, hello.”

He groaned. “That woman is the best cook. And so pretty. Your dad’s a lucky man.”

She agreed. “Which brings me to your question about Carrie and Melissa.”

After a moment, he prodded, “Well?”

“I don’t know. I talked to Carrie once since our date. She’s been hanging with Melissa, and it’s freaking me out.”

“Why?” he asked between bites of an egg roll. He’d purchased four of them. She wondered if she’d get one or he’d eat them all. Talk about an appetite.

“Carrie’s my best friend. For ten years we’ve been tight, like sisters. Then there’s Melissa.” She paused, the hurt festering. But this was Tex, and he wouldn’t tell anyone. “She’s the sister I always wanted, got, then turned into a bitchy nightmare.” High school had been hell. “And it’s going on fourteen years.”

“Ouch.”

“You met her. You talked to her.”

“Yeah, but she was nice to me. I mean, she was kind of vulnerable, and it was a little awkward, her asking if I thought she was pretty and all, but—”

“What?”

He flushed. “She was bummed about her boyfriend dumping her.”

“Fiancé.” Bree fumed. Had Melissa put the moves on Tex, knowing Tex belonged with Bree?

“Right. Fiancé. It wasn’t flirty or anything,” he hastened to add. “She was just feeling down. Probably ugly and dumb, all the things you feel when you get dumped.”

“Have you ever felt those things?”

“Well, no. Not really. Once, back in middle school, a girl chose my older brother over me. That hurt. But then I discovered baseball and never looked back.” He grinned.

She didn’t.

Tex groaned. “Come on, Bree. Let it go. Your sister didn’t mean nothin’, and you know I’m only looking at you.”

“Are you?” Oh, man. Her insecurities were showing.

“You have to be kidding me. I know I’m lucky to be dating you.” He pointed from her to him, his finger going back and forth. “Us, together, is the best thing ever. You think I’m going to mess that up by coming on to your sister?” He cringed. “I’m not a dog, Bree. No offense, Bubbles,” he said to the canine under the table.

Bree couldn’t help a grin when Bubbles gave a soft woof.

“I’m so into you, the guys are making fun of me,” Tex admitted. “And you don’t make it easy. I have to work for you.”

“Oh?”

“See? There’s that snippy tone. Now I need to work back into your good graces.”

“Hmm. I think I like that.”

“You’re hot, smart, and forbidden. How can I look away?”

She laughed. “So, I’m forbidden fruit?”

“If I say you’re ripe fruit that I want to peel and bite into slowly, will you deck me?”

“Probably.”

“How about if I just take a bite anyway? I promise you orgasms if you smile at me pretty-like and forget what an asshole I can be.”

“How many orgasms?”

“Two? Three?”

“Well, we’ll have to see about that. After dinner.”

“Best. Girlfriend. Ever.”

She laughed. “Let’s not talk about Carrie and Melissa anymore. Tell me something funny instead.”

After swallowing a mouthful of chicken, he said, “Okay. How about a joke? Mack and a hot chick walk into a bar…”

“And?”

“That’s the joke. Mack and a hot chick.” He laughed. “How about, how many Marines does it take to piss Reggie the hell off?”

She chuckled. “I’d say one, but this sounds like the beginning of a good story. I give up. How many?”

“Well, it all started out with a misplaced cell phone…”