Chapter 5

5

EMMA

W ow. Crow put my comfort at the same level of importance as a fire call? Nobody has ever been that concerned about my comfort before. It’s one of the zillion reasons that I’m falling so hard and fast for him.

How can I not be developing huge feelings for a man who is not only a talented artist, but also volunteers as a firefighter, using his vacation time for training? Who lives his life on call just to help others?

That’s…incredible.

I slowly run a purple hand-crocheted cloth over the front counter, then automatically go through the motions of putting on a fresh pot of coffee and straightening up the displays while Desire clangs some pans around in the back, taking fragrant herbed scones out of the oven.

Crow really has his life together. I respect that. He has a house, and a business he clearly loves. A volunteer position that helps three towns. I feel like I’ve hit my personal jackpot. Like my sisters did with their perfect husbands who dropped right into the perfect lives of their dreams.

I have no specific dreams. I’m too scared to think about the future, since there are so many expectations weighing me down.

But I don’t think I want to live in a giant cookie cutter house with perfect beige furniture and three kids, and my husband who has a fancy professional job.

I’m pretty sure Crow isn’t a beige kind of guy, but still. I don’t know him very well. Yet it feels like my heart already does. I can’t wait to see him again. Can’t stop thinking about him. Every single time we touch it feels like I was meant to be with him.

It’s the first day here at the café that I’ve watched the clock like a hawk. Watching like a hawk for a Crow? I laugh to myself as I walk toward the kitchen. “Is it okay if I take my lunch now?”

“Sure, go ahead!” Desire pops her head out, grinning. Today she’s wearing her hair up in four pigtails that stick out at strange angles. “It’s a beautiful day. Take your time.”

I grab my purse and head over, loving that I don’t really have to worry about jaywalking in this small town, since there’s so little traffic.

I’ve walked past the tattoo shop a few times, but never really looked in the windows. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it’s crisp and pristine. Aside from the artwork on the walls, it’s surprisingly like a medical office.

I go inside and am surprised to see a huge rack of t-shirts on the wall. There’s also a big display of jewelry and wristbands, some truly amazing skull and flower hair clips, and other rock ‘n’ roll paraphernalia.

“There she is!” Crow strides out from the back, sweeping me into his arms. I sigh happily, clutching him against me as we kiss with such fire anyone would think we’d been apart for months.

“Hold that thought,” he murmurs, stepping away to stick the “Just closed for lunch, don’t panic!” sign on the door as he locks it.

He takes my arm and escorts me through the store and out the back door, and I let out a gasp when I see what he’s done. The picnic table is covered with a bright pink and orange floral tablecloth, and our lunch is already set out for us.

In the dappled shade of a big tree, the sandwiches and potato salad are great, but it’s the way Crow keeps touching me that makes this the most romantic lunch I’ve ever had. We talk about books, our go-to funny news websites, and our favorite kinds of retro candy.

Chatting with him is effortless. It’s like everything clicks. Even when our opinions clash – honestly, how can he not love pixie sticks? – we both agree to disagree instead of fighting to change the other one’s mind.

Everything about Crow feels deeply good . As he reaches across the table to pull a small plate of chocolates closer, his left t-shirt sleeve pulls up higher, revealing a tattooed emblem that looks like a shield with some lettering.

“What’s a VFFT?”

Crow pops a dark chocolate with caramel filling into my mouth. “Volunteer Firefighters of the Triangle.” He chuckles, his dark eyes blazing. “There was no name for the group for the longest time, to the point where it started becoming awkward. We pronounce it Vift . One of the guys came up with the rough idea for the logo, and I cleaned it up a bit. A few of us got tattoos of it. I do them for free for any of the team who wants one. Plus we got t-shirts made, of course.”

My fingertip traces the outline of the shield. His arm is so thick and solid. I could just picture him saving anyone in trouble. The mark of a quality man. “Is this something that you plan to do forever?”

His head shakes. “No. I’ve heard of guys who stay in it too long and end up getting hurt. When I hit the point where the training doesn’t feel comfortable, I’ll switch to dispatch.”

I smile. “So you don’t need to prove yourself as a man or whatever. I think that’s good.”

His arm slips around me, pulling the two of us close together. “I’ve honestly never cared what other people think of me. Other than, you know…common decency.” His lips brush my temple in a featherlight motion that isn’t quite a kiss. “But suddenly I care very deeply what one person thinks of me.”

“Is it Desire?” I tease. “She can be a bit over the top.”

“No, Sparky. It’s you.”

Every time he kisses me, I feel something different. This time there’s something urgent in his breath. In the way he clutches my back to pull me closer and the way our lips part so naturally, needing to taste the other.

My heart beats faster as real feelings wash through me. I’m falling for him, super hard. Every single thing about Crow makes me want him more. Need him more. Not just physically, but…

Crow breaks off the kiss, lightly stroking my back. “Are you okay? You feel a little…I don’t know. Flustered.”

“No, I’m good.”

It’s amazing to see such a sweet smile on a guy who some people might think was big and scary. “I want you to know that I’m fine taking my time with this. With us. I’m not in a rush.”

My fingers run around the neckline of his t-shirt. “Well, thank you, but… Maybe I am?”

His deep eyes blaze. “ Interesting .” His phone buzzes with an old-fashioned alarm bell. “That’s the two minute warning to get you back to work.”

Okay, what kind of man is that considerate? It’s crazy. Crow walks me through the shop, and I pause in front of the t-shirt display. “You know, I had no idea you sold t-shirts. If you put some of these in the window, I’m sure you’d sell more.”

He nods, staring between the t-shirt rack and the large front window. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right.”

“Put the funniest shirts front and center and add tags saying ‘ Fun t-shirts make great birthday gifts!’ or something.”

He laughs, putting his arm around me and squeezing. “You’re a brilliant marketing person.”

“Thank you. But I’m also a girl who likes weird accessories, and here I was working right across the street and I had no idea you sell leather bangles. Not to mention, it would get people in the door and they can see exactly what the shop is like. You know, for those folks who still think tattoos are a big mystery.”

“You make many excellent points.” He unlocks the front door and walks me arm-in-arm across the street. Then Crow stops suddenly, looking around. “Emma, have you ever heard any gossip about me?”

“No. Why?”

He shakes his head, sending a few chunks of jet-black hair flying. “Sometimes I wonder if people still gossip about how both my uncle and I went to school too far away and lived away from town for a while.”

“I’ll keep an ear to the ground if you’d like, but also…” Stretching up, my hands wind around the back of his neck as I kiss him. “I’m on a mission to live my own life my way. So other people can take their opinions and shove them up – err, I mean, fling them over a rainbow.”

His head tips back as he laughs hugely, then he leans in to kiss me again. “Such provocative behavior and language from the sweet young lass at the café,” he says, brushing our noses together. “My saucy, sexy Sparky.”

As I start to walk away, he lightly taps my ass while giving it a squeeze. I glance back in surprise, catching the look of hunger in his dark eyes. Crow wants me. Like, really, seriously wants me.

And there is zero doubt in my heart – not to mention everywhere else – that I want him.

All of him.