Chapter 24

Dawson

My heart thudded awayin my chest as the sound of the shower filled the otherwise silent air of my home.

I'd fought plenty of fires in my lifetime, but this one was different. I'd never been in a position where I felt so powerless before.

It was my job to go in and save people, to pull them out of burning buildings and residences, get them the help they needed.

But as I ran with Nolan in my arms, it was the first time I'd felt sincerely panicked, worried that I might have failed.

And if something happened to him, I wasn't sure I could handle it.

It had taken everything in me to leave him with Jordan and the other paramedics, and focus on my job.

But I prayed that when I returned, he'd be okay. I had to believe he would, because I couldn't stand to think otherwise.

The sight of him, alive and okay, made my damn heart feel like it was going to explode. I knew his apartment would be out of commission for the next couple days until the claims and everything settled, and maybe I offered for him to stay out of a sense of guilt, or maybe I did it because somewhere deep down where I didn't want to admit, I was scared. Scared that I'd almost lost him.

Scared that something could have happened to him and I wouldn't have been able to protect him. It was a weird tug in my chest, the thought and desire to protect this bratty, infuriating, beautiful man.

There was no way I was letting him out of my sight.

Not tonight, not ever.

"Hey," his voice cut through my wandering thoughts, bringing me back to the here and now, reality staring at me with a well-toned chest and a rather delicious Adonis belt poking out of the size too big sweatpants I'd loaned him.

Nolan's hair was still wet from his shower, his dark eyes behind his glasses full of apprehension.

"Wow," I murmured under my breath without warning, heat returning to my body to remind me I was alive, and Nolan was here.

In my apartment, dressed in my sweats, looking like my fantasy come to life.

"I, uh... appreciate your, uh... letting me stay. I promise, I'll figure things out tomorrow. I just—"

I pushed away from my counter, taking my time as I walked across the room, drawn to Nolan Harding like kerosene to a fire.

"You can stay as long as you need," I said as I stopped in front of him. Nolan's gaze searched mine, for what I wasn't sure, but I couldn't help myself in his presence.

Every time I got close to the man, I found it hard to resist touching him, to resist falling into his enchanting spell.

"Dawson, I..."

"Are you hungry?" I asked, pushing some stray strands of hair out of his glasses, watching the way his eyes sparkled in the dim light of my hallway.

"What?" Nolan asked, though his voice was soft, and he didn't break my gaze.

"I said, are you hungry?" I repeated myself, the innate desire to take care of this man overriding the rest of my ill-formed psyche that was losing its last marble.

"I... kind of... I mean..."

"Sit down on the couch," I commanded as I turned away.

"What?" he asked as he followed me, the sound of his bare feet on my tile echoing in the small space.

"I said, sit down. Take a load off. I'll grab you something," I told him as I headed for my fridge.

"Fine," Nolan grumbled, but he did as I asked.

So, he can listen... when he wants to.

I set about to grabbing the ingredients for the one thing that always made me feel better. I wasn't entirely sure it would work for Nolan, but it was worth a shot. I set the chocolate and Nutella spread out, gathered my latest batch of specialty marshmallows from Penn's Bakery, and fished the graham crackers out of the cupboard.

I turned to see Nolan curling up on my couch, noting how good he looked in my clothes. Like he was well and truly mine.

I swallowed at the thought of the word. I wasn't the possessive type, and I'd never been. But something about Nolan brought out a side of me I'd never known, and I didn't dislike it.

Not one bit.

I quickly slathered my graham crackers with the equal amounts of chocolate and Nutella spread, taking my time as I assembled my plate of s'mores. It didn't take long until I had four of them done, and I tossed them in the air fryer.

I turned, setting my gaze on Nolan, who was watching me intently.

"Is there anything you don't do?" he asked, his voice edged with sarcasm.

"I..."

"It's like, just when I think I know you... you find some way to keep me guessing."

It was my turn to smile. "I could say the same about you, you know."

"Me?" Nolan's eyes widened and I smirked, noting the blush that crept onto his cheeks made my cock twitch and my heart race.

"Yeah, you. For the last two years, I thought I had you pegged. Then all of a sudden, you show up to bar bingo and get all cocky with me... then you beat me running, and then you—" I swallowed, my words dying in the air as I remembered Nolan and his mouthwatering kiss, his rigid hardness against my own causing me to see stars as I came in my damn pants like a teenager.

How my heart panicked when I saw him in the hallway earlier.

The air fryer dinged, perfectly on cue to break up the tense moment.

"I, uh... hold that thought," I said as I pulled the s'mores out with my fingers quickly to avoid getting burned.

I grabbed the plate and made my way over to the couch, taking a seat next to Nolan. The cushions moved only slightly where I sat, making Nolan slope toward me in the slightest movement.

He looked at my plate with eyes as wide as saucers.

"Air fried s'mores?" he said with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Whenever I have a shit day, a little chocolate therapy usually does the trick. Unless, of course, you don't like—"

"I like it, Dawson," he said, his dark eyes focused on me intently. Something about his words felt off, like he wanted to say more but thought better of it.

I offered him the first bite, and he took it.

His eyelashes fluttered, and he groaned as he took his bite, the sound going straight to my cock, and I had to cover my own mouth to stifle a groan.

Fuuuuuck.

"Oh man, that's good," he said, licking his lips of the remains of gooey marshmallow and chocolate.

I smiled as I reached for a s'more of my own, letting the warm, smooth sweetness coat my tongue and settle my nerves a bit. I leaned back into my cushions, the motion bringing my shoulder right against Nolan's. I expected him to move away, but he didn't. In fact, he leaned a little closer.

Instinctively, I wanted to wrap my free arm around him, but I also didn't want to ruin this perfect moment.

To my surprise, he shifted his position, turning toward me. In the light of my apartment, his pale skin took on an almost angelic glow, his dark frames and eyes captivating me like the sucker I truly was in his presence.

God, was he pretty like this. Relaxed, freshly showered, lips begging to be kissed.

Fuck me sideways.

"I need to tell you something," he said with a sigh.

I slowly chewed the remainder of my smore as I nodded, completely dumbfounded under his gaze.

"Well, out with it then," I said as I swallowed the sweetness down my throat.

"I need to apologize," he said as he ran a hand through his dark hair, his eyelashes fluttering, lips pursed in a tight line.

"Apologize for what, Nolan?" I asked as I shifted my position, turning my body to face him. The motion made us both sink into the cushions, our legs brushing one another in a soft collision.

I licked some chocolate off my thumb, watching his nose and cheeks redden as he let out a shaky breath.

"For being a dick earlier tonight, at M's Place... I..."

I wanted to stop him, tell him it didn't matter. All that mattered now was he was safe, and he was here. With me.

But something told me, that wasn't what I should do, and so I said nothing.

Nolan continued. "I think your asshole tendencies might be rubbing off on me," he said with a nervous laugh.

The sound made me smile, and instinctively I reached out and set my hand on his thigh, patting him with a gesture that was somehow both assuring, and soft all at once.

"You know what I think?" I asked with a smirk.

Nolan raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked, pulling his pouty bottom lip in between his teeth, causing my cock to twitch again.

"I think you're just a natural brat," I said, my voice much darker than I intended.

Nolan looked back at me in question, chewing his lip. "I—" he started, just as I shook my head, placing a finger on his lips to shut him up.

"It's not a bad thing, Nolan. I kind of... like it. I..."

Nolan's soft lips against my fingertips were warm, igniting a fire in my blood that was hard to ignore.

The words fell out of my mouth without warning. "I kind of like... you."

The weight of those words left me feeling lighter after I'd said them.

Because I understood at that moment the truth they held.

I did like Nolan.

I liked him a whole hell of a lot, and on some deeper level, I needed him to know that. I needed to be clear, and honest, just like Cade had told me to be.

But first, I needed to admit the truth to myself, and that truth was that Nolan Harding was more to me than some thorn in my side, pain in the ass arch nemesis.

He was the match and I was the fuse.

Nolan leaned into my space, the couch creaking just a bit as his motion drew me closer into him, like quicksand.

Nolan reached out a shaky hand, sliding his fingers in my hair softly, gripping as if he were afraid I would disappear at any moment.

Like he was afraid of upsetting the delicate balance of the cliff we were both on.

I slid my hand up and down his thigh, trying to reassure him the best way I knew how that this was what I wanted, because I couldn't speak. I could only focus on feeling him beneath my fingertips, because I didn't want him to disappear either.

I pulled him closer, the position once again putting him in my lap, and Nolan let out a sigh that cut straight through to my heart, my cock, and my feeble Nolan-obsessed brain.

"I kinda like you too, Dawson," he whispered, his breath warm on the edge of my lips, and I didn't wait.

I closed the space between us without warning, tasting his sweet lips and the remains of sticky sugar on my tongue.

Nolan let out a contented sigh as he relaxed into my hold, his fingertips tightening their grip in my hair. I let my tongue stroke his, exploring his mouth like it was uncharted territory.

And in a way it was, because this kiss wasn't rushed or surprising like the last time.

It was deep, and warm, and new and I never wanted to stop. I wanted to die in that kiss on my couch, with Nolan in my arms, wearing my goddamn sweatpants.

My cock throbbed, and I groaned in response, knowing if we didn't stop now, I'd fucking own this man before he'd finished his dessert, and cold s'mores did not go down as well.

I broke away, regrettably, my gaze settling on his swollen lips, on his bright eyes and the way his lips turned up in the corners into a smile.

"But I also like warm s'mores, not cold ones, so let's not let my grade A baking skills go to waste, okay?" I teased.

Dawson blushed a bit as he nodded. "Yeah, yeah, of course, where are my manners?" he taunted me as he languidly reached over my fucking lap, right over my throbbing cock, to grab another delicacy.

Such a fucking brat.

He shot me a dark look as he bit into his s'more, groaning louder this time, making a show of it, if only to irritate the hell out of me.

And it worked.

"Now, be a good boy and eat your dessert and maybe I'll reward you.'

Nolan stared back at me as he took another bite, some stray marshmallow fluff spreading across his lips. I shifted my position on the couch as I reached for the last s'more, if only to hide my erection at the moment. I didn't want a repeat of last time.

No this time, I'd get it right. Because Nolan was more than a good boy.

He was fucking perfect, and I wasn't going to let him forget it.