the custody arrangements. Maggie’s father had been adamant that his daughter wasn’t moving too far away from him. Josie sighed. He was a good father, if he hadn’t been a faithful husband. His sexy, redheaded coworker had benefitted after Josie was snipped from the picture—getting trips to sunny destinations, luxury cars and the comfortable house.
The hollow cavern in Josie’s belly returned as she thought about her house. All gone. Everything. She didn’t have a pair of shoes to go to work in and Maggie had lost her prized teddy bear.
At least Josie had good insurance to cover the losses, but it might take months to receive a check. In the meantime, she’d have to empty her savings. Probably rent an apartment.
“Who was the fireman who pulled us out? I’d like to thank him.”
A grin stretched the social worker’s face. “You and everyone else. The press is already after him, and he’s been given an award for heroism. It seems the house had been about to fall and they only send one man in on missions like that.”
Josie sat forward, adjusting Maggie on her lap. The little girl was nodding off—it was early morning and she had gotten no sleep. “Do you know his name?”
“No, I don’t, but I’ll find out for you. Wait right here.” She patted Josie’s hand, stood up, and vanished into the bustling hospital.
“Like we have anywhere else to go,” she murmured to herself.
Maggie’s eyelids fluttered open and then shut again slowly. Josie’s heart broke and wept for the ordeal her daughter had endured. But she was well aware that the end could have been much worse. Fortunately she only had to replace a teddy bear. And even some of the pictures could be gained back because Maggie’s dad had an album or two.
Josie rocked her daughter out of years of habit. Minutes passed and the sounds of the hospital blurred into the background. She stared at the pale wall, exhausted but unable to sleep in this hard chair with Maggie in her arms.
Suddenly the door opened again. She swung her gaze upward, expecting the kindly social worker, but a man walked in. Tall with bulky muscles and very short, wheat-colored hair. His face and forearms were a light golden tan. She could only imagine that tan ran all the way into his low-slung jeans.
She met his gaze and did a double take. Her breath caught in her throat.
“Luke?” Her voice was a harsh croak.
His features rippled, running through a display of unknown emotions, and then settled. He ran his very long fingers—she knew those fingers intimately—through his hair, sending it into spikes. A muscle jerked in his jaw.
“Yeah, it’s me. Are you okay, Josie?”
She shifted, dying to stand and be at his level, to wrap her arms around the man who had once consumed her college years. Right now, she ached to feel a strong set of arms around her. Being alone with the weight of the night’s events was working under her skin like a thousand needles, the sharp memories and loss drawing blood and tears. She couldn’t even lean on her asshole ex because he was off on spring break with her .
Tears blurred Josie’s vision.
Luke made a noise in his chest that instantly raised the fine hair on her body. That quiet sigh was almost a moan, and all too familiar after hearing him make it in bed so many times.
He crossed the room, his big boots thumping softly. Kneeling before her, he met her gaze fully. God, had he ever been this beautiful or rugged? Age had chiseled his features into those of a god. His wide-spaced ice-blue eyes pierced her. Even if her daughter’s weight wasn’t pinning her to the chair, she couldn’t have gained her feet. Her knees were suddenly jelly.
He nudged her chin up with his big thumb. The touch ignited her, sending shocks to her fingertips and toes, and low into her pussy.
“I knew when I saw you in that burning house that it was you,” he said gruffly.
“Wh-what? You saved me?” Her senses reeled. She tried to recall the figure
The hollow cavern in Josie’s belly returned as she thought about her house. All gone. Everything. She didn’t have a pair of shoes to go to work in and Maggie had lost her prized teddy bear.
At least Josie had good insurance to cover the losses, but it might take months to receive a check. In the meantime, she’d have to empty her savings. Probably rent an apartment.
“Who was the fireman who pulled us out? I’d like to thank him.”
A grin stretched the social worker’s face. “You and everyone else. The press is already after him, and he’s been given an award for heroism. It seems the house had been about to fall and they only send one man in on missions like that.”
Josie sat forward, adjusting Maggie on her lap. The little girl was nodding off—it was early morning and she had gotten no sleep. “Do you know his name?”
“No, I don’t, but I’ll find out for you. Wait right here.” She patted Josie’s hand, stood up, and vanished into the bustling hospital.
“Like we have anywhere else to go,” she murmured to herself.
Maggie’s eyelids fluttered open and then shut again slowly. Josie’s heart broke and wept for the ordeal her daughter had endured. But she was well aware that the end could have been much worse. Fortunately she only had to replace a teddy bear. And even some of the pictures could be gained back because Maggie’s dad had an album or two.
Josie rocked her daughter out of years of habit. Minutes passed and the sounds of the hospital blurred into the background. She stared at the pale wall, exhausted but unable to sleep in this hard chair with Maggie in her arms.
Suddenly the door opened again. She swung her gaze upward, expecting the kindly social worker, but a man walked in. Tall with bulky muscles and very short, wheat-colored hair. His face and forearms were a light golden tan. She could only imagine that tan ran all the way into his low-slung jeans.
She met his gaze and did a double take. Her breath caught in her throat.
“Luke?” Her voice was a harsh croak.
His features rippled, running through a display of unknown emotions, and then settled. He ran his very long fingers—she knew those fingers intimately—through his hair, sending it into spikes. A muscle jerked in his jaw.
“Yeah, it’s me. Are you okay, Josie?”
She shifted, dying to stand and be at his level, to wrap her arms around the man who had once consumed her college years. Right now, she ached to feel a strong set of arms around her. Being alone with the weight of the night’s events was working under her skin like a thousand needles, the sharp memories and loss drawing blood and tears. She couldn’t even lean on her asshole ex because he was off on spring break with her .
Tears blurred Josie’s vision.
Luke made a noise in his chest that instantly raised the fine hair on her body. That quiet sigh was almost a moan, and all too familiar after hearing him make it in bed so many times.
He crossed the room, his big boots thumping softly. Kneeling before her, he met her gaze fully. God, had he ever been this beautiful or rugged? Age had chiseled his features into those of a god. His wide-spaced ice-blue eyes pierced her. Even if her daughter’s weight wasn’t pinning her to the chair, she couldn’t have gained her feet. Her knees were suddenly jelly.
He nudged her chin up with his big thumb. The touch ignited her, sending shocks to her fingertips and toes, and low into her pussy.
“I knew when I saw you in that burning house that it was you,” he said gruffly.
“Wh-what? You saved me?” Her senses reeled. She tried to recall the figure
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