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Ididn’t even botherto pretend I was unaffected by the stress of the day and fears of losing her as we got ready for bed. “Will you let me hold you tonight?” I asked.

Her face softened as she looked at me in the lamp light. “Jimmy. I’m sorry I scared you today.”

I shrugged before turning out the light and gathering her in my arms. I spoke softly into her hair. “I’m sorry I pushed.” I inhaled, searching for the hint of jasmine.

Melena scooted around, nestling further into my arms before running a finger down my forearm where it crossed her body. “I’m glad you took me with you. You know, you scare me too.”

“I scareyou? Why?” I asked. I’d done everything possible to be gentle with her. What had I done wrong?

“It’s more accurate to say I’m scared for you,” she admitted softly.

Oh. My job. I was silent a few moments. “All jobs have their risks. You might think the biggest risk I’d face would be fires or the people we try to help, but it’s heart attacks.”

Her hair caressed my bicep at the shake of her head. “Heart attacks? Really?”

My lips twisted at the irony. “Exertion injuries and heart attacks are a thing. It’s one of the reasons for my excellent medical insurance. Still, clients on calls present their own safety risks. There’s no room for arguments. Did I tell you I got sued once? Had to pop a guy in the chin to get him and his daughter out safely. He was high and thought the flames were pretty. It was a last-ditch effort to get them out. For the record, he swung first.”

“It’s not right. You’re one of the sweetest men I know.”

I nuzzled closer. “Shh. The case was dismissed due to the circumstances, and that’s a deep, dark secret. Keep it between us.”

Her sigh gusted heavily. “As much as I always want to keep your secrets, this shouldn’t be one of them. People stink.”

I chuckled at her complaint “Some do. I meet more than my fair share.”

“Yeah, well, I’m tired of people and the world in general sucking.”

I’d bet anything her beautiful face was contorted in a scowl. I ran a palm from her shoulder to her hand, clasping hers in mine with a squeeze. “I hear you, but the only thing we have control of is us.”

“So, you’re saying I should work on not sucking?”

I laughed, letting the timbre deepen until a shiver ran down her spine. Her reaction sparked an answering one in me, and I shifted my hips back slightly before clearing my throat. “I know you don’t mean it that way, but someday I would very much like you to do some sucking.”

She groaned at my suggestive tone. “Jimmy. Mind out of the gutter. We’re talking about the state of humanity. Big, lofty stuff here.”

“Guilty. Suffice it to say, I don’t think you suck at all.”

She snuggled deeper into my embrace, not realizing every wiggle was torture. “You don’t suck either. And on that positive note,” she yawned. “Let’s get some sleep.”

I whispered my final words. Unable to resist. If I had to suffer, the least I could do was share. “Sweet dreams of a little pleasurable sucking at a future date.”

She giggled softly but didn’t say anything, letting the silence linger. A few minutes later, her breathing evened, and she relaxed into my hold. I ran through the different combustion chemical reactions to distract myself from the heat she inspired in my shorts. Then had to start all over again when thoughts of my boxers and their proximity to her warmth derailed my equations. When you were hard, so was math. True story.