Blaze Ch. 03

And yet a part of her had to admit that she wasn't sure what her limits were. What she had done tonight, what she had participated in, was far beyond anything her imagination could have conjured. As sleepiness swept over her, she found her mind wandering to the myriad sexual fantasies she'd entertained over the years. Women, men, multiple partners...the images swirled in her mind, lulling her into a kind of aroused sleep. She pressed her groin into David's thigh and heard him moan in his sleep. His hold on her tightened. His lips brushed her hair.

Light tilted into the room. She opened her eyes to see David leaning over her; he was dressed for work. It was hard for her to reconcile the David that she knew in bed with the one who fought fires for a living.

"I'm sorry," he said, "but I need to drive you home."

"Okay," she said, sitting up with a trace of reluctance.

The drive was silent. Even with his sunglasses on, he looked tired. Whereas Holly could go back to bed, David had a full day ahead of him. For the first time ever she experienced fear in association with his job. She didn't want him going to work half-exhausted, possibly putting himself in danger.

As they pulled up in front of her house, she was surprised when he cut his engine. He turned to her and withdrew his sunglasses. His eyes were slightly bloodshot. He gazed at her with deep concern. Though he said nothing, she sensed his thoughts.

"Give me another chance, Holly," he said at last.

"Respect my boundaries," she replied.

"What are your boundaries?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I'll have to tell you as we go along."

His eyes widened even as his full lips curved into a smile. "Well," he drawled huskily. "That's certainly something to look forward to."

Tentatively he leaned in to kiss her. Holly let his mouth capture hers, then opened to him. He groaned and dragged her against him. His hands swept up into her hair and held her while his mouth ravaged hers. His kiss had never before been so passionate and sincere, so full of longing and vulnerability. He pulled away abruptly, struggling to catch his breath as he laid his forehead against hers.

"I love your openness and honesty," he said, his eyes closed as he held her. He drew in a quivering breath and sighed. "I love you, Holly. I love you in a way that scares me."

His eyelids lifted and he looked at her, gauging her reaction. She had heard him. She simply found his words hard to accept.

"I'm in love with you, David," she admitted. "But I'm afraid. You have the power to hurt me in a terrible way."

He shook his head. "I'll do everything in my power to keep that from happening."

She wanted to believe him, and yet experience had taught her otherwise. Whatever promises David made, he seemed powerless to control his natural urges. Handling him was like trying to handle a wildfire: sooner or later, she was bound to get burned.