Danny's Main

“What?” Julie stared up into the gaze that claimed her heart more and more each day.

“You’re biting your upper lip, baby.” Da

This is it. You need to tell him; no more dancing around the issue. In all the time they had spent together—at Chester’s while she worked, at her house on the nights they stayed together, the trip to meet his family, the hours of talking and making love until the sun came up, fucking when gentle just wasn’t enough for either of them, the possessiveness he emitted as he watched her tending bar, the jealousy she felt when women tried to flirt with him and she could do nothing but serve drinks and smile—in all that time spent loving on one another, they had never professed it to one another.

The lack of words hadn’t been an issue, not even a thought really, as they were affectionate and vocal about their pleasure in each other. She’d say she loved his touch, his laugh, his eyes. He returned with he loved her smile, her lips, her heart, and her sweet pussy, but never had they crossed that final threshold. He was hers, and she his. They were young, but she believed in him, in them. She knew in her heart that he would never hurt her. Yet each time the image of him surrounded by flames crossed her mind, she got breathless, panicked, and petrified. The idea of losing him was more frightening than any of the losses she’d dealt with before. Emotions built up in her chest like champagne bubbles, trying to reach the surface without care as to which got there first.

“I’m yours, Da

Da

“You love me, huh?” His long, muscled arms circled around her waist, securing her in a hug, a feeling she longed for when they were apart. “Well, thank God for that, honey, because I’ve been in love with you since the morning I woke up hung over with nothing but a fuzzy memory, a glass of water, and a couple of aspirin.”

What? Astonished by his admission, she stood silently for a beat.

“Don’t look so surprised, Jules. You’ve known that you love me if not just as long, then close enough,” he murmured into the top of her head. “I learned back in the begi

“J-July?” Julie stammered.

“Yeah, honey, July. You couldn’t get those words that I’ve seen floating around in your eyes out of your mouth by our one-year a

An unrestrained laugh burst from Julie’s chest. “Da

“Talk to me, honey,” Da

“I’ve lost the only people I ever loved. Admitting, even to myself, how I felt about you scared me. Deep down I knew my feelings, hell, on the surface I knew them, but I couldn’t voice them without feeling selfish.”

“Selfish?” He cocked his head. “In what way?”

“I guess I was scared if I admitted my feelings, something would happen to you. And you, Da

“I’m certainly not complaining, baby, but what changed your mind?”

She inhaled deeply before letting the breath out slowly. “In a couple of months, you’ll be discharged from the army and start the Fire Training Academy. You’re going to be a firefighter.”

The process was a lengthy one though. The application process took almost twelve months, then he’d go through twenty-one weeks of training. Afterward, he needed to find a job. Hopefully his brother’s friend would pull through on that part.

Sighing, Julie closed her eyes, reached for the strength deep within her, and finished her thought. “You’re going to fight fires, Da

***

INCREDIBLE. THAT WAS the only word he could use to describe the feeling surging through his body. Hmm, maybe invincible, indestructible, and head-over-fucking-ass in love. Yeah, those would work too.

“Honey?” He reluctantly placed a few inches between their bodies while keeping her hands firmly grasped in his own. “I know how much you love me. I feel it every single day, deep down in the marrow of my bones. I feel it because you own me.” He moved one hand to her chin and tilted her head back so he could look directly into her gray stare. “You…own…me. You’re part of the reason I’m on the path I’ve chosen. If I’m not fighting to make our world safer for you, the least I can do is watch over our little section of it.”

“But—”

“No, babe, listen, I know you’re scared. Firefighters, like soldiers, risk their lives every time they go into the field.” He slid his hand up her cheek and through her silken hair until he cupped her head. “But my father was a fighter, and Neal is too. The protective gear that’s issued is state-of-the-art stuff, honey. Plus, why do you think the training is so intensive? It’s go

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she muttered before wrapping her arms tightly around him.

Smart woman, Julie was. The only response he gave was a tighter hug and a silent prayer that he’d never make a liar of himself.

Chapter Six

Now You’ve Got Her

“SCARED OR LIBERATED?” Chester asked as he slid an icy mug of beer in front of Da

“What’s that?” Da

Chester’s deep chuckle pulled Da

The question wasn’t one he’d given any conscious thought to, but it had definitely swirled around in his chest over the past few weeks.

“Peace,” Da

He’d joined the army as a boy on a revenge mission. He’d wanted to avenge his brother’s death, his mother’s demise, and his family’s pain. He had dragons to slay and monsters to kill. What he got instead was a sense of unity, the strength of knowledge, and an understanding of his brother that he’d have never gotten had he not committed himself to the armed forces. Jeff had died believing in his country, fighting for his people, and honoring his oath. After four years, Da