His hand stilled. Had he heard her accurately? He positioned his fingers underneath her chin and lifted her gaze to his. “Did you simply say you’re keen on me?”

Her eyes glassed over and he or she appeared so scared he felt her ache. Had she meant it?

“Cassie. You don’t have any concept how that makes me really feel. I like you, too.”

Tears pooled in her eyes and one slipped down her cheek. “Oh, Mike. You do?”

“Is that so exhausting to consider?” He caressed her cheek, his thumb following the observe of her tear.

“I like you a lot. I used to be afraid you didn’t really feel the identical.”

“I do,” he whispered. “I do.” He lowered his lips to hers.

The second his tongue slipped into her mouth, the kiss turned scorching. He licked and stroked and misplaced himself in it. She returned his ardour, pouring each ounce of affection she’d simply confessed into their kiss.

After an extended heart-shaking second, they drew aside gasping. He pressed his brow in opposition to hers. With one finger, he traced her lips. “I can’t consider what you’ve performed to me. What I’m feeling. Cassie, I like you. With every thing in me, I like you.”

“Promise you’ll by no means let me go.”

All his doubts and fears. All his fear over risking his coronary heart and having a lady depart him. And right here she was asking him to not depart her. He hugged her tighter.

“You’re not going anyplace. Not with out me.”

“Good.” She burrowed deeper.

“Cassie? I’ve to ask you one thing.”

The tightening of her physique cautioned him. However then, she half crawled onto his chest, propped her chin on her fingers and gave him a curious look. He needed to tackle the elephant. The one which had plagued him most of his life.

“My profession. I’m a firefighter.”

Her forehead rose in confusion. “And?”

His chest squeezed. He took a deep breath and trudged on. “That received’t change. I’ll all the time be a firefighter.”

“Okaaay.” She drew the phrase out like she wasn’t comprehending.

Dammit. He could also be chopping his personal throat however he needed to know if Cassie was on this for the lengthy haul. “Are you able to deal with it?”

She took a second to contemplate earlier than answering, twisting his intestine each second she remained silent.

“Are you asking me if I count on you to cease?”

“It’s a harmful job. However I’m educated. I—”

She lined his mouth together with her palm. “Mike. I like you. I wouldn’t change one factor about you. Seeing you assist others, figuring out others rely on you, some for his or her lives … it amazes me. I like you. I’ve each confidence in you.”

She studied him for a second and the love he noticed in her expression, grabbed him by the balls.

“I have to inform you one thing,” she mentioned.

Good God, right here it comes.

“Two years in the past, my cousin’s home burned to the bottom. Don’t appear like that. It’s a narrative I wish to share.”

That made him really feel considerably higher.

“My cousin and her husband by no means had a honeymoon and on their tenth anniversary, her husband wished to shock her with a visit. I provided to stick with their son, who was eight. The fireplace was traced again to the dryer, so nobody began it, however I woke to a room crammed with smoke. I panicked. I attempted to seek out my little cousin and couldn’t. I couldn’t even see. Thank God, he’d already made it outdoors and a firefighter carried me to security.”

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