digestible thing in the world. “You only call me Juliet when you're really frustrated."
"Well, I am.” She lowered her voice and checked to make sure the little ones weren't listening. “You tell me you had that man naked in front of you, and you let him go? That man?"
"Well, technically, neither of us was naked. But I was showing a little boob. A lot of boob, actually."
"Sweet lord,” Claire gasped. “He wants you. When are you going to get it through your thick skull?"
"My skull is not thick. It's just been a little distracted.” She pulled her light cardigan around her, the memory of his lips on her breast still vivid in her mind. She'd done everything she could, short of plunging into a cold basin of water, to try to forget the memory. However, as if it had a searing-hot life of its own, the image refused to be dowsed. “He just got carried away last night. It didn't mean anything more than that, I'm sure."
Claire stared at her, as if her glare would somehow penetrate the wall of resistance Jules had created. “Take it from me, a woman who has conceived and given birth to three children. I can tell when a man is looking for more than a one-night stand."
"He'll hurt me. He might have been into it in that moment, but he rejected me five minutes earlier. He doesn't know what he wants, and I don't intend to be any man's plaything, waiting for him to decide."
"Oh Jules, you're probably just the first woman since his wife. It's natural he'd want to go slow."
"Yeah, well, he's about to go a whole lot slower.” She grimaced. “He says he wants to move out, Claire."
"No! He's perfect for you."
"Is it really perfect I be the rebound woman for a man whose wife is dead?” Jules stared at her sister, eyes wild with a desperation she'd never felt before. Her heart was thumping, audibly thumping, at the thought Shane might dump her if she gave herself to him. “How on earth do I compete with a dead woman? And judging by what I've seen of Shane, that dead woman had to be one fine specimen."
Claire walked over to Jules and put a hand on her cheek, wiping the tear now trailing down it. “Have you looked in the mirror, sis? You're beautiful. And he wants you. He said so himself."
"I can't get hurt again, Claire. I won't survive it.” She rested her forehead on her older sister's shoulder. “What happened with Kevin nearly killed me, and he was a jerk. Shane is a different animal altogether. He's so damn ... wonderful. If I gave in, and he walked away, how would I go on? I'm already in pieces."
"You may not realize it, but you survived Kevin just fine. You're strong.” Claire smiled, and patted Jules’ back. “Besides, you've got to be more positive. Take a chance. Would he have been so upset if he didn't really care? And would he have made arrangements to fix your roof?"
Jules frowned, her stomach pitching. “He didn't exactly say that. He just said he'd called someone."
"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if he takes care of it for you."
"I won't let him. It costs too much. I can't let him."
"He cares, Jules. And so do you."
She thought about it. “I do care. A lot."
"Then we get him back. Anyway,” she continued in a teasing voice, “my baby girls want cousins. We can't let him move out!"
"I'm pretty sure we don't have anything to do with it."
Claire let go of Jules and grabbed the naked Paige as she streaked by. Gently, she moved the little one to the carpeted floor of their living room, and proceeded to dress her. “You leave it to me, sister. I'll think of something. There's more than one way to undress a firefighter."
"Don't you mean ‘there's more than one way to skin a cat'?"
"Whatever,” purred Claire.
Shane was staring at some paperwork on his desk, chin in hands. He'd been staring at it for the better part of an hour, but his eyes were glazed over, unseeing. The whole morning had been that way. The only times he'd been able to focus at all were when they'd had to go out on calls. They
"Well, I am.” She lowered her voice and checked to make sure the little ones weren't listening. “You tell me you had that man naked in front of you, and you let him go? That man?"
"Well, technically, neither of us was naked. But I was showing a little boob. A lot of boob, actually."
"Sweet lord,” Claire gasped. “He wants you. When are you going to get it through your thick skull?"
"My skull is not thick. It's just been a little distracted.” She pulled her light cardigan around her, the memory of his lips on her breast still vivid in her mind. She'd done everything she could, short of plunging into a cold basin of water, to try to forget the memory. However, as if it had a searing-hot life of its own, the image refused to be dowsed. “He just got carried away last night. It didn't mean anything more than that, I'm sure."
Claire stared at her, as if her glare would somehow penetrate the wall of resistance Jules had created. “Take it from me, a woman who has conceived and given birth to three children. I can tell when a man is looking for more than a one-night stand."
"He'll hurt me. He might have been into it in that moment, but he rejected me five minutes earlier. He doesn't know what he wants, and I don't intend to be any man's plaything, waiting for him to decide."
"Oh Jules, you're probably just the first woman since his wife. It's natural he'd want to go slow."
"Yeah, well, he's about to go a whole lot slower.” She grimaced. “He says he wants to move out, Claire."
"No! He's perfect for you."
"Is it really perfect I be the rebound woman for a man whose wife is dead?” Jules stared at her sister, eyes wild with a desperation she'd never felt before. Her heart was thumping, audibly thumping, at the thought Shane might dump her if she gave herself to him. “How on earth do I compete with a dead woman? And judging by what I've seen of Shane, that dead woman had to be one fine specimen."
Claire walked over to Jules and put a hand on her cheek, wiping the tear now trailing down it. “Have you looked in the mirror, sis? You're beautiful. And he wants you. He said so himself."
"I can't get hurt again, Claire. I won't survive it.” She rested her forehead on her older sister's shoulder. “What happened with Kevin nearly killed me, and he was a jerk. Shane is a different animal altogether. He's so damn ... wonderful. If I gave in, and he walked away, how would I go on? I'm already in pieces."
"You may not realize it, but you survived Kevin just fine. You're strong.” Claire smiled, and patted Jules’ back. “Besides, you've got to be more positive. Take a chance. Would he have been so upset if he didn't really care? And would he have made arrangements to fix your roof?"
Jules frowned, her stomach pitching. “He didn't exactly say that. He just said he'd called someone."
"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if he takes care of it for you."
"I won't let him. It costs too much. I can't let him."
"He cares, Jules. And so do you."
She thought about it. “I do care. A lot."
"Then we get him back. Anyway,” she continued in a teasing voice, “my baby girls want cousins. We can't let him move out!"
"I'm pretty sure we don't have anything to do with it."
Claire let go of Jules and grabbed the naked Paige as she streaked by. Gently, she moved the little one to the carpeted floor of their living room, and proceeded to dress her. “You leave it to me, sister. I'll think of something. There's more than one way to undress a firefighter."
"Don't you mean ‘there's more than one way to skin a cat'?"
"Whatever,” purred Claire.
Shane was staring at some paperwork on his desk, chin in hands. He'd been staring at it for the better part of an hour, but his eyes were glazed over, unseeing. The whole morning had been that way. The only times he'd been able to focus at all were when they'd had to go out on calls. They
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