Fire at Dawn: The Firefighters of Darling Bay 2 by Lila Ashe Page B

been fair. He wouldn’t kiss her again until she kissed him first.
    Her eyes were sad. Had he done that to her?
    “It was just a kiss,” she repeated. “I have to go.”
     
     

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
     
    There were few things good about a knock at the door at 7 a.m. on a day off, but the worst part of it was that Lexie knew who it would be.
    She was right.
    Her mother stood on the doorstep, a basket in hand. “May I come in?”
    Lexie stood the door open and turned around, going into the kitchen. She poured water in the carafe and didn’t ask her mother what she was doing there. She’d know soon enough.
    “You haven’t even made coffee yet?” Mira sounded incredulous.
    Lexie did a half turn to show her mother that she was still wearing pajamas. “I hadn’t gotten up yet, either.” She’d been lying in bed, thinking about the kiss from the night before. About Coin.
    Mira pointedly looked at the watch on her slim wrist. “You know what they say about the early bird.”
    “I don’t like worms,” said Lexie. “They’re slimy.”
    “Your date. Tell me.”
    Oh, crap. She’d forgotten she’d told Mira about her blind date. “It was great.” And by great, Lexie meant horrible. Thomas had been a bore, she’d been horrified at how amazing Ginger was, and then, out of nowhere, Coin had kissed her.
    He’d kissed the blazes out of her. And worse, she’d liked it.
    She’d loved it, actually, although she hadn’t told him that—she couldn’t. That was only the second worst part of it, though.
    The very worst part was that somehow he had feelings for her. Feelings! For Lexie!
    Lexie knew Janice, Coin’s ex-wife. She’d been a perfect firefighter’s wife—pretty and popular. She was a tiny little thing. Petite. She had birdlike wrists that looked as if she wouldn’t be able to wear more than one bracelet at a time.
    For that reason, Coin had always existed in Lexie’s mind as someone who liked a thin woman. She’d never thought, even idly, what it would be like to kiss him, although apparently she should have.
    All that he’d said? About feeling that way for her for so long? It couldn’t be true. It just wasn’t possible. When Lexie was at work, she felt like she was camping. Being at work for two days straight didn’t lend to marathon makeup sessions. She didn’t do her hair. The guys had seen her a million times in the middle of the night, bleary eyed with lack of sleep, and she’d seen them the same way. There was no romance at the station.
    That was how she thought about work. That was how she thought about Coin . As a friend.
    Such a good friend.
    Why, then, could she still feel him on her lips? Why was it she could still taste him, feel the weight of his mouth on hers?
    And why had she had so many dreams about him all night? In the most disturbing one, he’d pulled off her dress and touched her in the places she’d never imagined Coin touching. She’d wanted him to. Then he’d disappeared, and she’d heard his voice, calling out for her on the radio. She’d known he was trapped, pinned, hurt somewhere, and she couldn’t help him. She’d woken with her hands shaking and tears on her cheeks.
    Lexie put the coffee into the filter and hit the red button. Behind her, Mira twittered about something, flitting in and out of the kitchen. She’d settle soon enough, and Lexie would have to listen. But now, as she leaned against the counter—which reminded her of how she’d leaned against his sink last night—she put her fingers to her lips.
    Online, men who liked big women just came right out and said it. In fact, men online were often disappointed that Lexie didn’t weigh more, which was always a strange kind of treat. Online dating meant she could weed out the ones who had issues with bigger girls. “Please be height/weight proportionate.” If Lexie knew one thing, she knew that’s something she was. Her round curves suited her frame, they always had. It had taken years and years for her to