I felt like I was holding my breath, waiting for him to just haul me to sh.o.r.e and drop me like the proverbial hot potato. But he didn't. He surprised me.

"You wanna try to swim now?" He asked, surprising the ever-loving s.h.i.t out of me.

I clung tighter.

He chuckled. "Alright, we won't do that today. We'll just get used to the water. So why the big secret? ADHD isn't that much of a surprise, now that I think about it. It doesn't make you any different than half of the United States."

My snort escaped before I could contain it.

"What?" He asked, momentarily tightening the arm that was still clamped tightly across my back.

I lifted her head from his shoulder, and looked into his eyes. They reminded me of beer. A light beer, with the golden brown color. "That's a bunch of bull. It's affected my whole life."

"You've let it affect your whole life. You've got it in your mind that you can't change it, and you've sat in the same rut. You're a very smart woman, I've learned that in the time I've been allowed to spend with you over the past couple of weeks."

My temper flared. "My last boyfriend left me because I kept zoning out during s.e.x. He said that I didn't pay enough attention. That it was causing him to be s.e.xually unsatisfied. That was his answer anyway, when I caught him wining and dining some blonde."

Sebastian's arm went from around my back to cup my a.s.s, tilting it so my core grinded against his hard abs. "Honey, if he lost your attention during s.e.x, he wasn't doing it right."

His arrogance astounded me. That and the hot pulsing need that was now coursing through my veins, and settling in my overheated core. Good thing we were in the water, otherwise he'd be able to tell I was soaking wet by his high handedness.

"I zoned out during conversations with him. We'd watch a show, and I couldn't sit still for more than an hour, and then couldn't tell you what it was about. I wrecked his car. I'm sure I did more to deserve the break up." I practically snarled.

His eyes turned from amused to serious. "You did nothing to deserve him cheating on you. What he should've done was tell you he was no longer interested in you, instead of finding a new woman to f.u.c.k behind your back. And who the h.e.l.l doesn't get tired of sitting for more than an hour? Why do you think they make concession stands and s.h.i.t at the movies?"

Our conversation was interrupted when Sebastian's father yelled that the food was ready. Everyone that had been milling in the water around us went in, but Sebastian stayed. His hands didn't stray from their perch on my a.s.s, either.

"I work a lot. But I would love to have dinner with you sometime. We can go to the boats and gamble if that doesn't bore you. Whatever you'd like to do." He asked hopefully.

I smiled at his attempt to find a solution to my boredom. "I can't say that I won't get bored doing that, too. Just don't get mad at me if my mind wanders easily."

"I'll promise not to get mad. Now, let's go eat before I decide to do something you're clearly not ready for." He instructed before he started moving us out of the water.

Our bodies stayed together, even when he'd made it completely out of the water and we were standing on the sh.o.r.e. His hands stayed glued to my a.s.s. My v.a.g.i.n.a continued to be so super-heated that I feared I'd need some ice a little later on. And his eyes still stayed connected with my own.

"Eat." He said again, either trying to convince himself, or me. Maybe both.

Reluctantly, I let my feet drop from around Sebastian's stomach. Sliding down, my crotch encountered Sebastian's and it killed a little part of me to slide past that hard ridge.

Sebastian's groan didn't help any. When my feet were firmly planted on the wet sand, I let my arms slip from around his neck, and took a good two-foot step back from him, just to make sure that I didn't try to jump on top of him and start dry humping him.

That would be embarra.s.sing.

Sebastian's cheeks were slightly flushed, and I wondered if it was from the sun that was just beginning to set in the sky, or the fact that he had an erection that could compete with a Louisville slugger in the hardness department.

I was betting on a little bit of both. h.e.l.l, I was flushed, and couldn't even tell.

The rest of the afternoon went well. Winter and Shiloh were well and truly sloshed by the time we were piling them into the back of Sebastian's truck and getting ready to go.

We were the last to leave.

It was nearing eleven o'clock at night, and most had gone home to their kids. Only a few of the ones I'd met that belonged to Sebastian's MC were not married. They also didn't act like any MC I knew... or thought I knew. Son's of Anarchy couldn't prepare me for them.

They were down to earth. Family men. Held jobs as firefighters, police officers, mechanics, and one man even owned the local hardware store. Their chapter was one of five that spread over the Southern states.

Although some of the men that attended the party were also not affiliated with the MC, they were part of the local police and fire departments; which was cool too. It made me feel like I wasn't totally separate from the rest of them.

"You don't think they'll throw up, do you?" I asked worriedly, staring at the two woman who were pa.s.sed out on the back seat.

"If they do, their husbands are going to be detailing my truck." He grunted.

I smiled and leaned back. In the next instant, I was out.

I must've slept through pulling in to drop Winter and Shiloh off, because the next time I woke, we were in the driveway of James' home, and the radio Sebastian had in his truck started squawking like the one in our ambulances' did when they were receiving a call.

"Truck one, truck three, medic one, medic three. All available units to 3331 Old Miller Rd. Structure fire. Multiple occupants." The radio did the whole white noise thing before another voice responded.

"Truck one, truck three, medic one and medic three responding. Have you called in the volunteer departments?"

And so it went.

I knew the fire had to be bad if they were calling in all available personnel. Kilgore was a small town that ran off one main fire department. We'd just started our own medics, which was good; otherwise we'd have to rely on another company to help any patients that needed it. And there was really a hit or miss on where each medic would be located at the time.

My phone, which hadn't made one single sound all day, rang and I groaned when I saw the number. "h.e.l.lo?"

"We need you to come in. Winter's out, but we have what looks like a five alarm, and we need your skills. We're going to have a lot of victims." Chief Allen Shepherd snapped into the phone.

It had to be bad if he was the one doing the calling. He only worked as a higher authority now due to a heart attack that had happened a little over a year ago. His doctor had told him to slow down even more, and only now supervised. Which meant that he worked regular hours. Nothing after hours. And it being nearly midnight, they wouldn't call him out of bed unless it was extremely serious.

"I'll be there." I ensured before hanging up and throwing open the driver's door.

Sebastian, who had been standing on the front porch speaking to James in the dimness of the porch light, turned and looked at me.

"I need to go. They're calling in all available personnel to oversee a five-alarm fire. Can you take me?" I asked urgently.

"You can't wear that." He informed me.

I looked down at the shorts and tank top I was wearing and grimaced. Nevertheless, James solved the problem before I could really get worked up over it. "Shiloh has some of your clothes; jeans and a t-shirt you could wear. Want those?"

I thought about it for a moment before nodding.

Ten minutes later, I was giving directions on where to go, and we arrived at a place that was utter chaos.

Chapter 7.

You said quiet. Now we're f.u.c.ked.

-EMS rule number 1 Sebastian I collapsed on the back of the tailgate, only my tired body wouldn't even hold me up that far. I fell onto my back with a groan. My body felt like it weighed four hundred pounds, with my head being two hundred of it.

The movement of my body made the truck shift, and Baylee moaned and rolled over from her side to her back, throwing her arm over her eyes to block out the morning light.

She didn't wake, however.

We were both utterly and thoroughly exhausted.

The fire that Baylee had been called to was enormous, and had evolved fast. What started out as an apartment fire turned into a fire that had taken over nearly the entire block: houses and apartments alike. The source of the fire was yet to be determined, but it looked to have originated from a grill at the very back of the apartment's property line.

The scuffle of boots coming towards me had me sitting up, with the upmost reluctance, and coming face to face with an older man that looked to be just as tired as I was. He'd been the one to ask for volunteers, and since I kept my bunker gear in my truck, I'd been more than willing to help in any way I could.

He'd introduced himself as Captain Allen Shepherd, checked my credentials, overlooked the fact that I wasn't registered in the State of Texas as a firefighter, and sent me to do my best at containing the fire from spreading to any other neighboring homes.

I'd lost Baylee in the chaos, as she was immediately treating multiple people for smoke inhalation upon arrival. Her job had been done well over an hour before my own, and I'd seen her take a load off on the truck. Once I'd made sure she was alright, and only sleeping, I came back to my a.s.signed job until the last smoking ember had been extinguished.

The Captain extended his hand, and I extended my own, giving him a firm shake before dropping it back down to my leg in exhaustion.

"You look a little worn out there, young man." The Captain observed.

"Long day and really long night. I'm not as young as I used to be." I agreed.

The Captain acknowledged that with a nod of his own. "I understand what you mean. Mind if I take a seat?" He asked, indicating the empty tailgate beside me.

"Of course. Just kick her feet over. She's dead to the world." I joked.

The Captain laughed. I moved Baylee's extended legs onto my lap, and made room for Allen to take a seat.

"You did a fine job tonight. I just wanted to say thank you for all your help. How long have you been in the fire service?" He asked conversationally.

"A while. I started in the Marines as a firefighter when I was nineteen. Been doing that in some way, shape, form, or fashion for going on fifteen years now." I explained.

Allen nodded. "Sounds like me, only I went Army. Slowed down a lot about a year ago. Had a heart attack that made me get my head out of my b.u.t.t and take better care of myself."

"Heart attacks are the main cause of firefighter's deaths each year. You may be as healthy as an ox, but still be dropped down low from one due to the stress of the job." I told him.

"Yes, that's what I heard from my doctor. I still hear it from my Linnie every day, too." He chuckled. "You don't happen to need a job, do you?"

I burst out laughing. "To be honest, I've been thinking about a change in pace. I'm tired. Sounds to me, though, that you're looking for someone to put that much effort in on a daily basis. This body isn't up to too many more days like this."

Thirty-four wasn't old, per say, but it wasn't nineteen either. Not that I didn't love my job, but I didn't want to die doing it, either.

He nodded in understanding. "Well, if you're ever interested in one, let me know."

He shook my hand one more time before walking away into the smoke-filled night.

Hopping down myself, I shucked my bunker gear, stowing all of it in the tool box in the back of my truck. It was good that I had that, because I reeked of smoke to high heaven.

Even the noise of stowing my belongings didn't rouse Baylee; so, instead, I scooped her up as if she were a child, and stashed her in the pa.s.senger seat, belting the seatbelt, and closed the door as quietly as I could.

The ride to her house was quiet and soothing. There weren't many people out on the road, and I didn't have to deal with any road raged idiots trying to fight me for the fast lane.

When I pulled up, I shook her gently awake; she groaned. "What?" She croaked.

"Where're your keys, darlin." I asked quietly.

"Bag." She told me.

I laughed. She sounded cute when she was grumpy.

"Where's your bag?" I chuckled.

"Dunno." She mumbled before falling back to sleep.

After ten more minutes of trying to find the elusive bag, I gave up and pulled out of her driveway. I remembered her taking it into James' place when she went to change. She'd wanted to get out of her swimsuit, and must've left it there in the process; that was why I was driving us back to my place. It was too late to worry about it now.

When I pulled up outside of my house, I cajoled her awake, and practically carried her inside, even though her feet were on the ground.

Her feet shuffled like a zombie, but then again, I wasn't feeling much better myself.

"Will you be okay to take a shower?" I asked her.

"Mmm-hmmm." She agreed, head resting on my shoulder.

I decided that maybe it would be best to just go ahead and put her into the shower in my own bathroom. While she was doing that, I'd go to the one that my son used, and rinse off quickly in there.

I turned the water on, stripped her down to her bra and panties, and sent her into the shower with a tiny shove to get her moving.

She moaned as the steaming water hit her flesh, and I shot out of there like my a.s.s was on fire. I didn't get out fast enough, however. I did happen to notice that when she was wet, her bra and underwear became transparent. Which, in turn, made me see the dusty brown areolas of her nipples, and the dirty blonde thatch of hair at the apex of her thighs, before I could get out of the door.

Dammit.

I grabbed a pair of underwear, a pair of flannel pants, and hurried to the other bathroom, less I get tempted to go back in there and do something we both definitely were not ready for.

I made quick work of my shower, using my son's baby shampoo to wash off before quickly drying off and dressing. I might've had ideas of lingering to take care of my little...big problem, if it hadn't been for all the creepy as s.h.i.t Dory and Nemo memorabilia staring at me as soon as I made it through the door.

I'd hated it when Shiloh had done it, and hated it even more so now. I'd have to make a mental note to never come in here with those kind of intentions. Nemo and Dory would c.o.c.k-block me again for sure.

Slipping on my underwear and pants up slightly damp legs, I opened the door, flicked off the light, and headed back to my bedroom. My mind was working on overdrive thinking about where exactly I'd stash her for the night. That was taken out of my hands, however, when I came into my room and stopped dead in the doorway.

"f.u.c.k," I hissed.

Baylee was lying on the bed, face down, wearing one of my t-shirts, which had ridden up revealing the small of her back. Her b.u.t.t was covered with my huge black down comforter. Thank G.o.d. Although I could only guess what she was wearing, if anything, underneath that comforter.

I contemplated what to do, but in the end, my exhaustion decided that for me. There was no way I was sleeping on the couch. It was about three inches too short for me on a good day, and I wasn't even going to go into the width. I was also, definitely, not sleeping in my son's bed, either.