Page 15 of Living with Fire
Groaning, she brings her hands up to her face to give it a good rub, almost like she can’t believe what she’s about to tell me. As I hear the story, I find myself growing increasingly angry with her landlord. It’s no wonder she looked like she wanted to murder the guy.
“I’m almost regretting pulling you away from him now,” I tell her honestly.
Savanna is quick to shake her head. “No, you were right to do it. I shouldn’t have made a scene, but I wasn’t thinking. I was just reacting. I was coming down from all the adrenaline, but seeing him had it rushing back, and I just…”
“Reacted,” I finish with understanding, nodding. “Believe me, I get it. I’m trained in using those adrenaline dumps to my advantage, so I can only imagine how it was for you, someone who isn’t used to them.”
I don’t understand the frown that pulls her lips down and makes her eyebrows furrow, as if she disagrees with me, while her words contradict the look. “Exactly. I’m not used to them, so it was a lot to handle.”
“I do have one question,” I say to her, my foot dropping to the ground as I lean forward and place my elbows on my knees. My voice is low as I ask, “Why were you taking the trash out in your underwear?”
This is further proof I don’t have game. The second the words are out of my mouth I wish I could take them back, but they’re out there, and they’ve caused Savanna’s mouth to pop open, her eyes bugging out in horror. Based on her reaction I’d say she forgot that I saw her practically naked, along with everyone else at the scene.
When her cheeks flame, I almost take back wishing the words away. I can’t help but think how becoming the blush looks on her, causing her gray eyes to stand out from the rest of her.
“I’m sorry,” I say, cringing at her embarrassment, and that I’m the cause of it. “I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s not my business to be asking that anyway. Forget I said anything.”
“I had clothes on,” she grits out, and I’m pretty sure she’s warring with herself on whether or not she wants to tell me to get out. “But there was smoke coming up under the door, so I took them off and used them to stop it.”
It’s my turn to look shocked. Sitting up straight, I stare at her, totally enraptured by this woman who isn’t just beautiful, but is also smart as a whip. For her to have the insight, even in a dire situation, to keep the smoke out the way she did, impresses the hell out of me.
“You’re a firefighter’s goddamn wet dream,” I tell her without any thought to how that sounds.
Once again, her mouth is dropping open, and that beautiful color is returning to her cheeks as she looks away from me and down at her lap. Christ, I promised I wouldn’t hit on her, but I’m not doing a very good job.
I’m saved before I stick my foot any farther into my mouth when the curtain is pulled open and Jordan steps in the room, closing the drape behind her again.
I can feel her eyes dart back and forth between Savanna and me before she says, “Do I need to kick him out?”
I’d be offended if I hadn’t just spoken about wet dreams.
“No,” Savanna says hurriedly, shaking her head. “No, it’s been nice to talk with someone. Helps pass the time until I can get out of here.”
“Which won’t be much longer,” Jordan tells her. “Dr. Verdeem is two patients away from coming to see you.” Her eyes flicker to me for a moment before looking back to Savanna. “Do you have someone you can call to come pick you up?”
“Oh. I, uhm, don’t have my phone with me. Everything is still back in my apartment,” she says with a frown, and I notice that she’s back to picking her fingernails.
“Here,” I say, pulling my phone out of my pocket. “You can use mine.”
“There’s also a phone at the nurse’s station that I can bring you,” Jordan says quickly, giving me a reproving look. “In case you’re not comfortable using Nate’s.”
There’s a long silence from Savanna as she looks back and forth between Jordan and me, and I can see her trying to decide if she’s comfortable using my phone. I can’t blame her if she’s not, and I finally mumble, “Sorry. I was just trying to be helpful. I didn’t think how that might make you feel.”
“It’s okay,” Savanna says after another beat of hesitation just as I’m about to shove my phone back into my pocket. “I don’t mind using yours. If you don’t mind.”
It’s not like I’m about to get her phone number, so I’m not sure why I suddenly feel like puffing out my chest like a damn caveman. Maybe it’s because my sister is standing there watching the exchange, and she was on Liam’s side the other night. Maybe this will be the proof to convince them both I’m not totally useless when it comes to the opposite sex.
“Not at all,” I say, handing Savanna the phone after unlocking it for her and she smiles her thanks at me.
“Nate, why don’t you give her some privacy to make her call?” Jordan suggests, but I know it isn’t really a suggestion. “And Savanna, feel free to delete whatever number you call afterwards.”
I watch as Savanna’s face falls completely, and she nods like she understands something I’m completely missing. “I will.”
“I’ll be right back,” I assure her as I get to my feet, hoping that the smile comes back to her face. It doesn’t, and for some reason that irritates me.
Or maybe it irritates me that she’s going to delete whoever she’s going to call from my phone, and I won’t have any way of contacting her after this is all said and done. Because I’m not going to ask for her phone number; I promised I wouldn’t hit on her, and I’m going to keep that promise—despite the wet dream comment.
Jordan crooks her finger to follow her when we step outside the room. She leads me to the nurse’s station and stops in front of a small pile of clothes sitting there. I look from it to her and raise an eyebrow as she picks it up and shoves it in my direction.