that Bo was still there as she drifted off and let it all go for a while.
* * *
BO STOOD IN the shower under the scalding water, wondering if he was losing his mind.
The sex had been every bit as powerful as he remembered, and then some. It hadn’t affected Erin’s memory, but it sure had triggered his. Being with her was dangerous. He had thought he could do this, but now he wasn’t sure.
Yet how could he walk away? What kind of man would say, “Sorry, this isn’t going to work,” after what he’d done with her?
He scrubbed up and got out, grabbing a towel that hung on the back of the door. It smelled like her. That brought back memories, too. They would always shower together under the guise of saving time, but it never did. They ran out of hot water almost every time.
The only way he could manage this was to make it about the sex. He would wear himself out with her, use her, let her use him, in any way they both needed, and then it would be over. Hell, it was over before it started.
He wrapped the towel around himself and went back down to Erin’s room. He should have brought his clothes out with him. He didn’t want to disturb her.
It would have also made it easier to leave. To get some space. Send a clear message that this was about sex, not a relationship. Nothing more than helping her with her problem, and hopefully getting her out of his system.
Or, he could do what he said he would. Wake her up, roll around with her in that big bed for a while, and then go get some food.
He blew out a breath, unsure what he was going to do, but knowing he couldn’t just leave. He’d agreed to help her, and it wasn’t her fault if he was feeling jumpy about the whole thing now.
Going past the bed to where he’d thrown his clothes over the back of a chair, he stopped, making the mistake of watching her sleep. He’d done that a lot before, since she could drop off to sleep with no effort at all, and be snoring without him even closing his eyes.
Then her hair would be tangled, spilled all over the pillow. Now it was too short for that, but mussed from his hands nonetheless. She’d pulled the quilt over her, one delicate shoulder exposed, tempting him.
He could crawl in there with her. Wake her up the way he did so often before. Erin always loved sleepy sex.
Once hadn’t been near enough to sate the need she’d rekindled earlier. He dropped the towel, crawled in under the quilt with her.
Her eyes opened as soon as he did, startled at first, drawing back and then relaxing.
“Sorry. I’m not used to anyone being in bed with me.”
He smiled, but the words only emphasized that for all of the times together that he could remember, she only remembered what happened today.
“Let me go clean up, too, and then—”
“Not yet,” he said, nibbling her shoulder, already hard for her.
“But I’m—”
He cut off their conversation with a kiss, quickly rolling her onto her back and covering her completely. Her arms came around him, and she arched up into him, clearly on the same page.
“Was it always like this? Like we couldn’t get enough?” she asked breathlessly, stroking his back.
“Especially at first, yeah. Pretty much all we did was have sex,” he said with a laugh, looking down into her face.
“I find that easy to believe.”
She pushed on his chest, rolling him onto his back as she came over him and took him deep, as if she couldn’t wait. The eagerness and desire in her face satisfied him as nothing else ever had. Erin had always been good in bed, but she’d never been this open with him. She liked to be in control, and he didn’t mind that one bit, except that it had always put distance between them.
There was no distance now as she rocked her hips, scraping her nails over his chest and making him share some pretty graphic thoughts with her as she did so.
“Come here.” He tugged on her hand until she collapsed over him, seeking his kiss, but he went lower, sucking her nipples, making her frantic as she rode him.
Causing Erin to lose control was the most erotic thing he’d ever experienced, chanting his name and pulling him along with her on the current. When they were done, they showered again, and ran out the hot water.
Bo was exhausted when they made their way back to the bed, falling into it, and he curled around her. He hadn’t been sleeping long when he heard his beeper, buzzing on the dresser.
“I have to check that.”
He slid from the warm cocoon of her body and grabbed his phone, calling in.
“What’s wrong?”
Erin pushed up on one elbow, the blanket slipping down to reveal her breasts. Bo swallowed hard, trying not to look. She was so hot, and all he wanted was to go back to bed and ignore the rest of the world.
“They need me at a fire. I have to go.”
“Now?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so.”
“Can I come with you?”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. I need to close everything else out when I’m there, and I don’t think I can do that when you’re around. Especially looking like that.”
She took a second as if to absorb the information and nodded, blowing him a kiss.
“Okay. Make sure you come back.”
Bo stood transfixed for a second as she relaxed into the pillows. It was like going back in time. She might not remember, but that was what they both said when they went to work. Never goodbye. Always “Make sure you come back.” Because they knew that in their profession, there was always a chance they wouldn’t.
He kissed her quickly and then tore himself from the room, hurrying down to his truck.
Fifteen minutes later, he approached the scene, showing his badge as he made his way past the barricade at the end of the street. His mind clicked over to work.
It was a bad one. Three structures, at least. Several stations were on hand, and a few volunteer units. He counted two ambulances, and then saw the coroner’s van just past them.
“Damn,” he bit out under his breath, grabbing his stuff and exiting the truck, making notes as soon as he did. They were still putting out the fire. It would be hours, perhaps days, before he could get inside to do a real assessment. But the chief met him out near the street.
“Myers. Glad you’re here.”
“What can I do? I can’t investigate yet.”
“Won’t be sure until you take a look, but from what we can tell, it started at four to six different points, simultaneously.”
“A
