St Piran's: The Fireman and Nurse Loveday (12 page)

‘You’re so beautiful,’ he whispered, ‘absolutely gorgeous—and I need to touch you, Flora. I really, really need to touch you.’

‘Yes.’ She barely recognised her voice, it was so low and husky.

He kept his eyes locked with hers as he stroked her inner thigh. Anticipation made her breath hitch; she had no idea how this was going to be, how it was going to make her feel.

And then, at last, he let one finger glide across her sex, and she found out.

Like nothing on earth.

A shiver of pure desire went through her. ‘Oh, Tom,’ she whispered.

He wasn’t going to…?

Her cheeks flamed as he knelt between her thighs.

And then she stopped thinking at all as his tongue flicked lightly over her clitoris. She slid her hands into his hair, sighing his name—not really knowing what she was asking for, but knowing that he was driving her crazy.

He teased her with his mouth and his fingers. Her body tensed even further, to the point where she didn’t think she was going to be able to handle any more, and then suddenly the pressure peaked and released, shocking her with the depths of pleasure. She cried out his name.

He shifted up to hold her close. ‘OK?’

‘I think so.’ She felt the colour in her face deepen. ‘I didn’t realise it would be like that. It was incredible, Tom.’

He stroked her face. ‘Do you know how it makes me feel, knowing I’m the first person who’s been able to make you feel like this? As if I’m king of the world,’ he said softly.

‘I feel pretty good myself,’ she said, her voice shaking.

‘This is just the start, honey,’ he promised.

She wasn’t sure when he’d removed his underpants, but when he climbed off the bed she was left in no doubt of just how big and how strong Tom Nicholson was. Though she knew he’d be gentle with her; he’d already given her pleasure she’d never dreamed existed, and he was planning more.

He found his wallet in his pocket and removed a condom.

‘OK?’ he asked. ‘If you want to wait, that’s fine.’

‘No—I want you, Tom.’ I want you to love me, she thought—and realised in that moment that she loved him, absolutely. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t known him that long; he was kind, gorgeous and strong, and she trusted him to keep her safe.

He rolled the condom on and knelt between her thighs, nudging them apart, then bent to kiss her. ‘You’re beautiful,
Flora. You take my breath away. And I’ve wanted this almost since the first moment I met you.’

A thrill went through her at his words. ‘You’re beautiful, too.’

Slowly, slowly, he eased into her. She felt a sharp twinge and he must’ve realised it too, because he paused, giving her time to get used to his weight and the feel of him.

‘OK, honey?’ he asked.

She nodded. ‘Very OK.’

‘You’re sure I’m not hurting you?’

‘Not any more.’

He kissed her, then lifted her hips so he could push deeper into her. And then Flora discovered that he’d been telling the truth, that the first climax was just the start. Pleasure started to build and build again; warmth spread through her, coiling and pulling tight, and then the release hit her.

She felt his body tighten inside hers; she looked into his eyes and saw them go wide with pleasure as his own climax hit.

He held her tightly afterwards. ‘My adorable Flora,’ he said softly.

Finally, he gently withdrew from her. ‘I’ll be back in a moment, honey.’ He was completely unselfconscious as he left the bed, but Flora wriggled in embarrassment. She couldn’t just lie there, naked, waiting for him to come back. Should she get dressed, or would he expect her to stay in bed? Unsure, and feeling ridiculously shy, she grabbed the duvet to cover herself.

When Tom came back, he was smiling. ‘You, Flora Loveday, are a wonderful woman, and I feel incredibly privileged.’

He climbed into bed beside her and pulled her into his arms. ‘Right now, I just want to hold you; it feels wonderful to have you in my arms, your skin against mine.’ He brushed a kiss over her temples. ‘What I’d really like to do is fall asleep
with you in my arms and wake up with you in the morning, but I can’t do that—it’s not fair to Mum and Dad.’

‘What’s the time?’ She glanced at her bedside clock. ‘They’ll already be worried about you.’

‘It’s almost midnight. They won’t be expecting me back just yet—they knew when they booked the table that there was a band as well, and they’ll guess that I’ll have coffee with you.’

She bit her lip. ‘I didn’t actually make you any coffee.’

He smiled. ‘You can remedy that some other time. I’m not going anywhere and you sure as hell aren’t moving from my arms right now.’

Gradually her tension eased, and it felt good to lie in his arms like this, with her head against his shoulder. Little by little, her eyes closed, and Flora finally fell asleep, warm and comfortable.

T
OM
wished he could stay in bed beside Flora all night—but he couldn’t. His carefree bachelor life was gone now; and, even though he knew that his nephew would be perfectly safe with his grandparents, he also knew that it wouldn’t be fair to them if he stayed here with Flora. They’d worry that something had happened to him, and the car crash that had taken Susie and Kevin from them would be uppermost in their minds. He couldn’t put them through that kind of torment. And it wouldn’t be fair to Joey, either; the little boy needed security, and seeing Tom there in the morning would help.

Reluctantly, and careful not to wake Flora as he did so, Tom wriggled out of the bed and dressed swiftly. She looked so peaceful that he couldn’t bear to wake her. But he also wasn’t just going to walk out and abandon her. Not when she’d given him something so very precious.

He tiptoed downstairs, and Banjo was instantly alert. ‘Shh, she’s asleep. Don’t bark,’ Tom said softly. He went over to the memo pad by her phone and scribbled a quick note.

He left the note propped against the kettle, where she’d be bound to find it in the morning, made a brief fuss of Banjo and persuaded the dog back to his basket, then quietly let himself out of the house.

Driving back to his flat, he thought about Flora. The way she’d responded to him. The wonder in her eyes.

And then it hit him.

He’d felt that exact same sense of wonder. And not just because he’d known that this was a big deal for her—it had been a big deal for him, too. He’d never really let himself connect with anyone in the past: but tonight he’d connected with Flora. Heart and soul. It was like nothing he’d ever experienced before.

Oh, hell.

He’d always promised himself that he’d never let his relationships get serious. It wasn’t fair to expect someone else to face the burden of the risks he took every day in his job.

And yet he’d done it. Fallen for her completely. Her warmth, her kindness, the sweetness in her smile—everything about her drew him. And, at some point over the last couple of weeks, he’d stopped guarding his heart. More than that, he’d actually given his heart to her. Freely and completely.

Oh, double hell.

What did he do now?

Because now the whole world was different. Two months ago, he’d been a carefree bachelor, enjoying life as a single man. Now he was a stand-in father to someone who’d lost almost his whole world—and he couldn’t risk letting Joey lose the bits he had left. And he wasn’t a carefree bachelor any more: he was involved with Flora. Really involved with her, from the centre of his heart.

Letting Joey down wasn’t an option.

Un-falling in love with Flora also wasn’t an option; being with her had shown him that, before, he’d only been living part
of a life. There was much more to it than working hard, and playing just as hard. Football was fun, but teaching Joey how to dribble and score goals was even better. And as for parties with loud music…maybe he’d suddenly grown up overnight, but he discovered that he’d rather have a walk on the beach and a soundtrack of laughter.

With Flora and Joey, he could have a real family. The same kind of love his parents had. The same kind of happiness his sister had had.

But Flora had made him think, the other night, and now he knew that the happiness and love were bitter-sweet: at any time a fire could turn rogue and take him from them. He’d be forced to let them down in the most fundamental way, unable to fight his way back to them.

On paper, it was easy. All he had to do was take the danger out of his life so they wouldn’t have to shoulder the risk of losing him.

Change his job.

In real life it wasn’t quite as simple as that. As he’d told her the other night, fighting fires and rescuing people wasn’t just his job, it was who he was. He’d joined the fire brigade at eighteen, straight after his A levels, and had never looked back. How could he walk away from the job he loved, from what’d he’d done for almost half his life and the whole of his adult life?

Without that, he didn’t have a clue what he’d do.

But maybe the small hours of the morning wasn’t the best time to make decisions. He needed to sit down and work out what all his options were. Make a rational decision. Do the right thing.

When he let himself quietly into the flat, he discovered that his mother was waiting up for him. ‘Did you have a nice time?’

‘Wonderful, thanks,’ he said as he sat next to her on the sofa.

‘Sure? You look a bit worried,’ Lisa said.

‘I’m fine. I just realised I’m a bit late back,’ he fibbed, ‘and I didn’t want you to be worrying about me.’

‘It doesn’t matter that you’re six feet four and thirty-two years old. You’re still my baby and always will be, so I’ll always worry about you,’ Lisa said with a smile, ruffling his hair.

‘Is Joey all right?’

‘Yes, and we all ate far too much ice cream, was lovely—just like taking you and Susie to the cinema when you were little.’

‘Mmm, I remember.’ He gave her a wistful smile. ‘I had a really happy childhood, Mum.’

‘Good. That’s what we wanted.’

‘That’s what I want for Joey, too.’ He sighed. ‘And I’m not making a very good job of it. Flora’s helped a huge amount, but… I’m never going to be good enough, Mum.’

‘Don’t do yourself down, love. Joey’s been through a lot. But he knows you’re there for him and he knows you love him, and that’s going to help him through,’ Lisa said. ‘Don’t worry. It’s all going to be fine. You’re doing your best, and that’s all anyone can ask.’ She kissed the top of his head. ‘I’d better let you get some sleep. See you in the morning.’

Tom lay awake for much of the night, trying to work out what he ought to do. But he still hadn’t come to a decent compromise the next morning. He showered, dressed and made himself a mug of tea, then Joey appeared.

‘I hear you ate lots of ice cream yesterday,’ Tom said as he poured his nephew a glass of milk.

Joey nodded.

‘How was the film?’

‘Good. Can we play fishing?’

Tom smiled. ‘Sure we can.’

They were in the middle of their third game when his mother emerged from the bedroom, wrapped in a towelling robe and yawning.’

‘The kettle’s hot, Mum. Do you want some tea?’ Tom asked.

‘Thank you, darling.’

When Joey went to get dressed, Tom asked quietly, ‘Mum, would you mind very much if I sneaked over and had breakfast with Flora this morning?’

Lisa raised an eyebrow. ‘She’s really important to you, isn’t she?’

He smiled. ‘I’m not answering that one.’

‘Well, she’s the first girl you’ve actually let us meet—and that tells me a lot. She’s lovely,’ Lisa said. ‘I like her very much, and I think she’ll make you happy.’

‘Mmm, but it’s whether I’ll be able to make her happy.’ He bit his lip. ‘I’m a firefighter.’

‘And she’s a nurse, so she’s going to understand the demands of your job a lot more than someone who doesn’t work in the emergency services.’

‘Maybe.’

‘Are you thinking about giving it up, love?’

‘I don’t know.’ He sighed. ‘Mum, being a firefighter. It’s who I am. I can’t see myself as anything else—the world wouldn’t feel right. But… I’ve got Joey to think of now, and Flora, and… It’s a lot for them to have to put up with. All that worry.’ He shook his head. ‘I can’t work this out.’

‘And I’m not the person you should be talking it over with,’ Lisa said softly. ‘Find out what Flora thinks.’

He already knew what she thought. That his job was dangerous and he took reckless risks that could mean Joey was left alone.

‘Talk it over with her. But don’t rush into anything.’

He smiled wryly. ‘Yes, you’re right. It’s too fast. I’ve only known her for a few days.’

‘That’s not what I meant—when you meet the right one, you’ll know.’ Lisa smiled. ‘And I think you might just have met your “the one”, in Flora. I’ve never seen you like this about anyone else. No, I meant you need to talk things through and weigh up all your options, not just rush in and do what you think is the right thing. Now go and have breakfast with your girl. We’ll see you later.’

‘Where are you going?’ Joey asked when he came back from his room, fully dressed and wearing odd socks.

‘To see Flora,’ Tom told him.

‘Can I come?’

‘Another time,’ Lisa said, ‘because I want you to teach me how to make that lovely French toast you say Flora makes. How about being Chef Joey and taking Grandpa some breakfast in bed?’

Tom gave his mother a grateful look, and kissed both her and Joey goodbye. ‘I’ll be back soon. Flora has to be at work at half past eight.’

He called in at the out-of-town supermarket on the way to the farm and bought flowers and croissants. When he rang the doorbell, Flora took a while to answer, and she was wearing her dressing gown, so he’d clearly woken her.

‘Perfect timing,’ he said with a grin. ‘This means I can have breakfast with you and then I can have a shower with you.’

‘Tom Nicholson, that’s shocking!’ But she was smiling. ‘I wasn’t expecting to see you this morning.’

‘Mum and Dad are with Joey and I wanted to see you for breakfast.’ He handed her the flowers. ‘These, because you’re beautiful.’

She sniffed them. ‘Thank you, they’re lovely.’

‘And these, because… Oh, wait. Forget about the healthy
eating stuff you do with your classes. These, because they’re the nicest breakfast ever.’

She peered into the bag and laughed. ‘I love croissants, too. And I have posh strawberry jam from the farm shop.’

‘Brilliant.’ He paused. ‘Did you find my note this morning?’

She smiled. ‘Yes. I have to admit, I felt a bit strange when I woke up and you weren’t there, but I knew you had to get back for Joey.’

‘I wish I’d woken with you.’ He stroked her face. ‘You look so cute when you’re asleep. Like a little dormouse.’

‘A dormouse?’ She raised an eyebrow. ‘Thanks. I think.’ But her eyes were sparkling.

She made them both coffee, put the flowers in water, and Tom thoroughly enjoyed feeding her croissants and licking jam from her fingers. Not to mention having a shower with her after breakfast.

‘Tom, I’m going to be late!’ she said, sounding shocked, when they finally made it back to her bedroom and she glanced at her clock.

‘No, you won’t. I’ll drop you at the surgery. Do you need your car this afternoon?’

‘Only to get home.’

‘That’s easy, then. I’ll pick you up,’ Tom said. ‘I thought maybe we could take Joey out ten-pin bowling and then eat out at that new burger place.’

‘That’d be lovely. Provided you let it be my treat,’ she added. ‘And I insist on that.’

Flora made it to the surgery with three minutes to spare. Kate Tremayne smiled at Flora as she walked in. ‘I’m not going to ask,’ Kate said, ‘but it’s lovely to see you sparkling like this.’

Was what she’d just done with Tom so obvious? Flora felt herself blush to the roots of her hair. ‘Um…’

Kate laughed. ‘It couldn’t happen to a nicer couple. And Tom’s a sweetie.’

Flora was gobsmacked. ‘How did you know?’

Kate raised an eyebrow. ‘Penhally’s not exactly a huge place—and when you’re holding hands on the beach with someone, you can expect someone to spot you.’ She paused. ‘And Nick took me out to dinner last night. The food’s good at The Mackerel, isn’t it?’

‘You were there?’ Flora looked at her, aghast. ‘I’m so sorry I was rude and didn’t say anything to you. I just didn’t see you.’

Kate smiled. ‘I know, love. You two only had eyes for each other.’

Flora felt her blush deepen. ‘I guess so.’

She discovered during her surgery that morning, while doing a blood-pressure check for one of her patients, that Kate hadn’t been the only person to see her and Tom at the restaurant.

Worse still, Mrs Evans, whose venous ulcer she was dressing, had seen Tom kissing her goodbye in the surgery car park that morning.

‘Your young man’s a lovely boy. He rescued my neighbour’s dog from the river last week, and he never made a fuss when Goldie bit him—he’s a smashing young lad,’ Mrs Evans said. ‘He’s a keeper, you mark my words.’

By lunchtime, Flora realised that quite a few people in Penhally had already got her and Tom married off, and her protests that it was still very early days were just ignored.

‘You make a lovely couple, dear,’ was the standard response.

She just hoped that Tom wasn’t getting the same kind of comments, or he might start avoiding her.

But he was there with Joey to meet her from work, and Joey greeted her with a hug. They made a quick stop back at the farmhouse to let Banjo out and feed him, then went off ten-pin bowling. Tom put the bumper bars up on their lane and got Joey to use the ramp, and Joey was thrilled to get a strike.

This, Flora thought, was what it felt like to be a family.

And she loved it.

Josh scanned the hospital canteen as he walked in: force of habit. Most of the time, Megan wasn’t there. It was as if she had some kind of radar system that told her when he was having a break so she could avoid him.

But then he saw her at a table in a quiet corner. On her own.

It was too good a chance to miss. He headed straight over to her table. ‘Megan.’

Her eyes widened. ‘I’m about to go.’

‘Don’t go,’ he said softly. ‘Stay and talk to me. I’m just going to get myself a sandwich. Can I get you a coffee?’

‘I…’

She was wavering; hope bloomed within him. ‘I saw you at the football match, the other week.’ And she’d avoided him at the hospital ever since.

‘I was just passing.’

That might’ve been true, because the football pitch was halfway between St Piran’s and Penhally, where Megan lived. But she wouldn’t be ‘just passing’ after her shift at that time of the morning. Not that he was going to call her on it. He didn’t want her to bolt. ‘Stay and have coffee with me?’

Hell, she was beautiful. Even with her hair pulled back for work, she was beautiful. And he knew exactly what her hair looked like when it was tumbled over her shoulders. Tumbled over his pillow. Soft and silky and…