6. Matty

Even after quite a few years,Zoe Collins hadn’t lost her spark.

As she talked about her nearly disastrous but amusing first day at work, my eyes settled on her smiling face, admiring the color in her cheeks and the way her nose slightly crinkled when she cringed. I tried not to let my eyes stray, but she looked so good in a skirt.

“Not many bosses would let their new hires get away with spilling coffee on them on their first day,” Zoe said with a laugh.

“If I spilled coffee on Paolo, he’d probably dump his over my head,” Jae replied with a chuckle before checking his watch. He clicked his tongue and stood up. “And if I don’t want to have to drink ten cups of coffee to get myself going tomorrow, I better head out.”

I let out a playful groan, gesturing to Angus and Tobin’s empty chairs.

“You guys are so old,” I said, even if they weren’t really.

Jae waved his hand dismissively at me, amusement glinting in his eyes. He turned to Zoe and smiled at her.

“It was nice talking to you. I’ll see you around,” he told her.

Zoe smiled back up at him and nodded.

“See you,” she replied.

I bumped the side of my fist against Jae’s before he walked away. My eyes shifted to Zoe, watching her eyes trail him until he disappeared.

When Zoe turned back, she gestured to me.

“Your turn. Tell me a funny work story,” she said as she leaned a little closer with eagerness.

I chuckled and thought for a second before speaking.

“First time I tried to use the firehose, the impact of the blast caught me off guard so much that it made me fall flat on my ass in front of everyone,” I told her, sharing a moment from my first few months as a firefighter. I had come a long way from that, but it was still funny to look back on those memories.

Laughter bubbled from her as she shook her head at me.

“But you got back up. Look at you now,” Zoe pointed out as she tilted her third glass of beer toward me.

“Always,” I replied as I clinked my third glass against hers. We sipped at the same time, my eyes lingering on her over the top of my glass. Damn, she was beautiful.

I could tell the others noticed too. She seemed a little flustered from all the attention, but she would get used to being around all of us soon. We were all tight-knit, even the newer guys like me, so I hoped everyone would be welcoming to her.

“Got a boyfriend back in the city?” I asked her, our knees brushing as we turned toward each other more. When the other guys started to leave, our chairs started to get closer together.

Zoe laughed a little and shook her head.

“I tried dating, but it just didn’t work out. I’d rather just focus on work now I guess, especially now that I’m on this case,” she replied. “I don’t know if I’ll get anything as good as this.”

I flashed her a pointed look.

“I bet you will. Especially after you nail this story,” I told her, not wanting her to put herself down. She was the smartest person I knew, and if anyone could help us figure out what the hell was going on, it was her.

“You have quite a lot of faith in me,” Zoe commented as she raised an eyebrow at me.

“Of course, I do. You accomplished what you set out to do,” I replied. “When I heard you left to become a journalist in a bigger place, I had no doubt you’d do it. I don’t think anyone doubted you.”

Zoe’s face softened.

“Well, that means a lot because I did doubt myself for a while there,” she said. “Sometimes, I still do. If I’m honest… this case makes me nervous.”

I frowned and completely turned toward her.

“Why?” I asked.

Zoe shrugged.

“It’s the biggest story I’ve been put on. If I mess it up, I don’t think my boss will trust me again with anything this big,” she explained with worry in her voice.

I shook my head and reached out to take her hand, feeling her tense up in surprise at first before relaxing. Maybe I was making things up in my head, but I swore she tightened her grip a little.

“You don’t have to worry about that because you won’t mess up. You have the whole crew to help you,” I assured her, feeling an electric current pass through us as our gazes locked. We were connected in a way that we hadn’t ever experienced before.

Zoe smiled a little, but there was uncertainty in her eyes.

“I don’t know if the whole crew will help me. I haven’t met all of them yet, and I know that Cohen isn’t a big fan of me,” she pointed out.

I scoffed and waved my free hand in a dismissive manner, not wanting her to worry about him. He could get worked up about certain things and shut down. Media people were one of those things.

“He’ll come around. You’ll just have to give him some time,” I told her. “He’s like the grumpy old man of the group.”

Zoe laughed a little.

“Well, I’ll win him over,” she said with a determined gleam in her green eyes.

“You’re already winning the others over,” I replied before drumming my thumb against her knee. “And you didn’t have to try with me.”

A faint pink hue adorned her cheeks as she shook her head at me.

“Oh, stop,” she said.

I chuckled and leaned even closer, able to smell the sweet scent of her shampoo. It reminded me of strawberries.

“What?” I teased her.

“You,” Zoe replied as her eyes met mine. “And all your sweet words.”

Something told me the alcohol was getting to her a little.

“I am a sweet talker,” I admitted before giving her knee a squeeze. I wanted to continue sweet talking her and making her blush, but it was getting late. She had enough to drink, and we both had a long, busy day ahead of us tomorrow. I supposed I had to be somewhat responsible. “Can I walk you back to your place?”

A warm expression filled her face as she nodded.

“That’d actually be nice. I’m getting kind of tired,” she said as she rubbed her eyes.

I rose to my feet and extended my arm out to her to help her out of her chair, my other hand digging into my pocket to drop a few bills on the table.

“Where are you staying?” I asked once she took my arm and rose from her seat.

“On Red Cove,” Zoe said as we walked out of the bar together, her hand still remaining on my arm.

That was… interesting. Of course, we were never touchy-feely with each other in the past because I was dating Rachel, so this was new. But I wasn’t complaining in the slightest.

A light breeze blew through the air as we strode under the dim glow of streetlights. A dark night sky with a dash of stars and a crescent moon hung above us, near silence lingering around us beside the faint sound of nearby cars. We were only a few blocks from the fire station, and I knew that Red Cove Avenue was only a five-minute walk from the station.

“Not too far away,” I replied, enjoying the feeling of her tight grip on my arm.

My high school self would’ve never imagined us doing this. Leaving a bar late at night after having a bunch of laughs and sharing memories. I didn’t even see this coming when I found her in the hospital, but I was glad this happened.

In the past, part of me certainly wanted to get closer to her, but I wasn’t a cheater. I cared about my girlfriend, and I cared about my girlfriend’s relationship with her best friend. So, I moved forward without trying anything or dwelling on anything.

But things were different now. My desires were stronger, and we were two people of passion with no limitations.

“Thank you for sticking up for me earlier. I wasn’t even sure if I could get Paolo to agree and let me work with you guys,” Zoe told me, our steps becoming slower as we approached a dark blue vinyl house with a wooden front porch.

Something told me that she didn’t want the night to end so quickly either. I placed my hand over the one holding my arm as we walked up the steps to her front door, standing under the soft glow of the porchlight.

“You would’ve convinced him eventually. You’re probably one of the most stubborn people that I know too,” I said with a teasing grin.

Zoe smirked and rolled her eyes at me, still not letting go of me as we stood close to each other.

“Still. Thanks,” she replied.

I shook my head, not wanting her to thank me when she was the one who put in all of the hard work. She was the one risking so much by deep diving into this case.

“No need. I hate the circumstances, but I’m glad you’re back in town,” I told her as I turned to face her, my hands brushing down her arms.

Zoe smiled up at me.

“It’s weird being back, but I suppose there’s a silver lining,” she replied.

I could only imagine how much darkness loomed in this town for her because of her mom passing a few years ago. It was a blow to the entire community.

“If you need anything, you know where to find me,” I said as I brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

Zoe’s breath hitched as my fingertips brushed her cheek. Her eyes swept down my face to my lips and then back up to my eyes again.

How could I resist? How could I not give into my desires as they swallowed me whole? I was only human after all.

Succumbing to the magnetic pull between us, I stepped toward her and closed the distance between us, my lips crashing against hers. My hands lifted to her face, drawing her closer as our lips brushed and moved in tandem.

Zoe slid her hand up the back of my neck, kissing me harder as the seconds ticked on.

Heat burned hotter and hotter beneath my skin, working me up more and more as our hands roamed. Giving in like this felt like taking a breath of fresh air after years, and I wanted so much more. Could she feel my desire for her?

Zoe’s chest pressed against mine as my hand rested on the small of her back, pressing her flush against me. I couldn’t stand a single inch of space between our bodies. When my teeth grazed her bottom lip in a light bite, a soft moan drifted from her, making desire thunder through me.

I slid my hands along her figure, caressing her delicious hips and the enticing curve of her ass as she gripped my shirt tight enough that she could’ve ripped it off. Hell, I wouldn’t mind.

Zoe slightly parted her lips, and I felt a flash of her wicked tongue. The same one that had spoken words that I’d held onto for years. Fuck, she had me so hooked, and as I swiped my tongue into her mouth, I reveled in how good she tasted.

I couldn’t even imagine how good she tasted between her soft thighs pressing against mine.

Shit. I needed to stop now, or I wouldn’t be able to. I pulled away and rested my forehead against hers, catching my breath as a smile crossed my lips. She just got back into town. I could wait a little bit longer before making things even more complicated.

“Goodnight, Zoe,” I said, fighting every urge I had to kiss her again.

Zoe rested her hands on my forearms, her eyes slowly opening to meet mine.

“Goodnight, Matty,” she replied in a breathless voice.

This wasn’t the end for us, but how far would we go?