Fireworks (True North, #6)

by Sarina Bowen

There is nothing between us at all. Not even twelve lost years.

I’m such a goner.

I was up ’til all hours having porch-chair sex.

“Count of three?” I suggest. “One,” he says. “Two.” “Two and a half.” He grins. “I love you.” It just falls out of my mouth. Benito’s eyes get soft and hazy. “I love you, too, honey. Always have.”

“You’d leave Vermont for me?” That doesn’t even make sense. He props himself up on an elbow. “Baby, I would.

I know you need a few hours to get ready.” He pinches my hip. “You don’t appreciate my efforts,” I say, sitting up. “Oh, honey I do,”

I do need a nice long time to do my face. He’s just going to have to learn to live with it.

we arrive in the coffee shop, but there’s a problem. “Someone is on our sofa,”

You know I could clean up all the crime in Colebury in the time it takes you to paint that stuff on your face.” “Really? Because I think it just took you twelve years to clean up all the crime in Colebury.”

He gives me a heart-melting smile. “You’ll let me mess up that lipstick later, right?”

Would it be weird to throw an indictment party? Is that a thing?”

“She's mine, little dude,” Benito teases. “Find your own girl.” Now that he mentions it, the way the baby is fingering my hair does seem a little possessive. I hope he's doing that just to put Benito in his place.

“Babies are very honest. They lay it all out on the table. They tell you exactly how they’re feeling.” “Yeah? I can do that. How's this? I can't wait to have babies with you.”

Benito as a daddy? I can't imagine a better father. If he guards a child even half as well as he takes care of me, that will be one lucky kid.

“Twins run in my family. Just a warning.” He kisses my neck.

But let’s just say that old deck chair is sturdier than it looks.” His sister rolls her eyes. “I already knew that.”

I loved the part where you asked Misty Carrera what Gage was like as a neighbor.” She chuckles. “I always did like that kid. She said, ‘You know how sometimes when a guy is arrested his neighbors say, I had no idea? Well this isn’t that guy. We all knew he was a criminal.’”

“First the penis and now this! You’re a woman of many talents.”

Wowzers. Benito in a green dress uniform is not to be missed.

“Your boyfriend is hot when he’s angry.” It’s true. But he’s hot all the time. And he is my boyfriend. I’ve never had one of those in my whole life.

You can cover it. It’s not moonlighting anymore.” I’m speechless. “But it’s yours now.” “Nah.” He shakes his head. “She who scoops it, hoops it.”

I’ve just quit my job. I’m going live on-air in a matter of minutes. But all I can think about is skimming my lips across Benito’s clean-shaven jaw. And taking him back to bed. For the first time in my life, it’s a struggle to get my mind out of the gutter. So this is how the other half lives.

After breaking the drug-bust story in Vermont (and after my penis episode—I guess I’ll never know which was more influential) it was suddenly easier to attract the attention of producers and editors.

To paraphrase Audrey Hepburn, nothing ever goes wrong at Sephora.

We each order different dishes, so we can taste each other’s.

I’ve become a lot less shy with Benito. It’s easier than I thought, because every time I surprise him in bed, his look of gratitude is so swift that it makes me want to take those risks.

“I need you near me. I need to come home to you every night, eat dinner in my kitchen, and hear about your day. I want you in my bed, and in my life.”

I extend my legs under the table and capture her feet between mine.

“Nice penis, by the way.” “Thank you,” she and I both say at once.

“Are you ever going to show me your penis?” I ask Skye. “I mean, everyone else has seen it.”

This makes me laugh into the pillow, and I don’t even know why. I’m just giddy. I can’t wait to finally move my girl into my apartment

“You know, I think it’s time,” she says. “For what?” “For me to show you my penis video.”

I want to punch every guy who ever laughed at Skye. But Jesus Christ, that’s a funny video.

“That’s amazing. That station is big in Vermont, you know. Everybody’s in their car a lot because it’s so rural. I can listen to you while I wait to arrest bad guys.”

We both start to laugh until I have to kiss her again.