Safe From the Fire Read Online Free

his shoulder.
    He
could pin me to the bed with no effort at all , she thought, her clit
throbbing.
    “Matt,
that’s so sweet, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
    His
face fell.
    “I’m
sorry, I wasn’t sure – are you seeing somebody else?”
    “No. 
God, nothing like that,” replied Grace quickly, before realizing that that would have been the kinder lie, instead of making it sound like she found him
unappealing.
    Matt
was trying to hide it, but he still looked like someone had kicked his puppy,
and Grace was suddenly ticked at him for putting her in this position to begin
with.  She knew Adam was watching them, along with the whole fucking diner.
    I’m
trying to protect you, you idiot.
    The
hurt on his face that he was trying to smother was unbearable, and Grace attempted
to ignore the little voice that wondered if she really wasn’t just trying to
protect herself.
     
    OUCH, THOUGHT
MATT. GRACE’S rejection hurt more than he had anticipated, but really, what had
he expected?  She was a delicate, exotic fairy who smelled like wildflowers, and
he was an oafish giant.  He tried to will himself to turn around and walk away,
but his feet seemed stuck to the floor.  The sympathy etched on her face was
going to kill him.
    “I’m
sorry,” she murmured.
    Impulsively
she reached out to squeeze his hand, and despite the cement truck crushing his
heart, Matt felt the tingle spread from where her warm, soft fingers touched
his to the rest of his body, spearing a delicious arrow of sensation straight to
his cock.  He wanted those fingers all over him.
    This
is it, he thought, morose, This one little touch is all I get.
    It
shouldn’t be such a big deal.  Guys got turned down by girls all the time, but
suddenly Matt was furious – at his father, at the world, but mostly at himself
for ever being born and for thinking for even one second that someone like
Grace would welcome his advances.
    He
had to get out of there.
    “Forget
about it.  It was just a thought.  I’ll see you around.”
    Blindly,
he turned and stumbled for the exit, nearly taking out a waitress carrying a
full tray in the process.
     
    ADAM
MALLOW REGARDED HIS sister thoughtfully as she unlocked the front door to her
little blue house on the edge of town.  She’d been quiet since a devastated Matt
Harris had left the diner, looking like she’d turned him down for prom in front
of the whole school.  Adam didn’t know what the problem was, but Matt would
have to be an idiot not to see that despite the rejection, Grace lit up like a
firefly when he approached.  She tried like hell to hide it, but she was
seriously into the guy.
    “So,
why’d you turn him down?” he finally asked as Grace ushered him inside.
    Grace
just glared and moved to hang her coat up.  Adam took a moment to look around. 
The house was as he remembered it when he’d helped her move in five years ago,
but more lived-in.  There were books everywhere, of course, with a few tasteful
gothic touches and rich jewel tones that included lots of purple.  It looked so
much like Grace that Adam felt a lump rise up in his throat.
    “Well?”
he prodded as she guided him up the stairs to the guest room.
    “You’re
not going to drop it, are you?” she muttered.
    “Probably
not,” Adam replied cheerfully, “You should have said yes.”
    Grace
scowled and began yanking sheets out of the closet to make the bed.
    “He’s
not my type.”
    “So
what?”
    Three
years ago, Adam would have died before pushing his sister at such an obvious
goody goody, but now he’d seen enough of the darker side of humanity to want
Grace kept as far away from it as possible.  Matt was a straight shooter, a
solid, upstanding guy, and he was clearly over the moon about Grace, which
showed excellent taste.  And the fact that he hadn’t taken one look at Adam and
dragged him out back to pound him into the dirt was major points in his favor.
    It
didn’t take a rocket scientist to see that