Page 75 of Irresistibly Wicked

“Just trying to be a good husband.” He picked up a small paper bag and a to-go cup from the coffee table and carried them over to her. “I made you a breakfast…” His brows knitted, and his jaw clenched. He held up the bag, staring at it for a beat before saying, “Burrito. It’s got eggs, cheese, sausage, and a few veggies thrown in for good measure. It should still be warm, and coffee just the way you like it, with enough creamer to drown in.”

She sighed inwardly. How was her heart supposed to survive this man? Nobody had ever taken care of her like this before. “Thanks, but you didn’t have to do all of this,” she said as he handed them to her. “I could’ve grabbed coffee at Cumby’s or the firehouse.”

“I stopped by Cumby’s on the way home the other day. You can’t go there anymore.”

“Why not?”

“There’s a wanted poster with your picture on it for creamer hoarding. It would be embarrassing if I had to bail my new wife out of jail.”

There was no suppressing her smile.

“Damn, darlin’. Seeing those dimples is the best way to start a morning.”

She laughed softly. “You don’t have to be a superhero husband. You’re already the best one I’ve ever had.”

“And I aim to keep it that way.”

Their gazes held for a beat longer than usual, awareness skimming through her entire body. “I’d better get to work. Please tell your family how much I appreciate everything they did for us.”

He opened the door and said, “I’ll walk you out.”

She was about to say he didn’t need to when his hand landed on her lower back, and he said, “They’re your family now, too, darlin’.”

That hit so deeply, she almost let herself believe it.

SHAUNA SAT ON the ambulance bumper reading on her phone, trying to sneak in a few more chapters before she had to cook dinner for the crew. Madigan had sent a group text earlier, trying to schedule a time she and the girls could get together for lunch, and Shauna had mentioned that she’d started the book. Everyone had commented about different parts of the story, being careful not to give away spoilers, which whetted her whistle for upcoming chapters. Coordinating so many people’s schedules wasn’t easy, and they still hadn’t confirmed a date to get together, but she was having fun texting and looking forward to seeing them again.

She tried to tune out the guys as she read. It had been quiet until they’d rolled out of the firehouse giving each other a hard time and trying to rope her into their banter. She’d been keeping her distance, figuring out how to tell them about her new marital status. Earlier, when Lance had said she looked tired, he’d asked what she’d been up to last night and had immediately started teasing her about having gone on a date. Not that they had any reason to believe that, but they’d been in prime heckling form all day. When she and Zander were swapping silly cat videos and funny marriage videos earlier, the guys had accused her of sexting because they said she’d looked too happy. She wasn’t about to follow that up with a marriage reveal.

And then there was Cap. He’d been giving her knowing looks all day, but she knew he’d keep her secret until she was ready to share it. Even if it took a couple of weeks.

“She hasn’t blinked in five minutes,” Mike said, inching closer to her.

“Is she breathing?” Trey asked.

“She’s in a book coma,” Paul said. “I recognize the signs.”

They closed in on her, taunting her with gossip about a male nurse and a female doctor who were supposedly hooking up at the hospital, and when that didn’t get her attention, they moved on to what she could only assume was fake gossip about other members of the firehouse getting caught having sex in the fire truck. She gave them a cursory glance and went back to reading.

“Maybe she’s not reading. Maybe she’s looking at porn,” Howie called from the other side of the bay.

“Do you really think I’d look at porn right here, out in the open?” She had just gotten to a steamy scene, but they didn’t need to know that.

“Is there a rule against that?” Trey asked. “Asking for a friend.”

The guys laughed.

She pushed to her feet, ready to escape their nonsense, but Mike snagged her phone out of her hand and ran across the bay, laughing. She went after him, but he was faster.

“‘Does my sexy scientist want to do a little hands-on research?’” Mike read aloud as he ran.

“Yeah, baby. I could get into a sexy scientist,” Paul said.

“I swear, Mike, if you don’t give me my phone, I’ll end you!” Shauna threatened as she sprinted around the ambulance after him.

He continued reading, practically shouting, “She licks her lips as she wraps her fingers around my cock—”

Just as Shauna snagged the back of Mike’s shirt, “Hey, guys, is my wife around?” rang out from behind her in a familiar deep voice. Zander. Panic flared in her chest, but her stupid heart did a somersault at the ease with which he’d said it, as if they’d been married forever.