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.And you might also want to send an ambulance as well.”“They’ll be there in just a few minutes, Miss,” the operator sounded unusually bored considering the chaos that was happening.Though the operator asked her to stay on the phone, Eden clicked her phone off and slid it into the pocket of her shorts before racing into Crow’s piercing studio and grabbing one of the sheets he had on hand for customers.Then she raced back out and began swatting at the fire Wade had obviously started on the carpet just inside the door.Though she would have preferred to find Bailey and make sure he was all right, she had to save her store first.She heard the sirens and men’s voices, but kept swatting at the carpet, hoping to keep the flames from reaching the merchandise.Carpet she could replace easy enough, but she did not want to have to explain to the insurance company how her thousands of dollars of sex toys were ruined.She began to cough from the smoke and fumes, but just kept swatting at the fireWhen someone wrapped their arms around her middle and pulled her out of the store, she began to fight but could not get herself free.“No! I have to save my store!” she screamed as whoever it was carried her out the front door and into the parking lot.“Shhh, sunflower.The firemen will take care of that.But you’re going to get another spanking for scaring five years off my life.”The deep, dark, sexy voice cut through her panic and rage.“Bailey?”“Yes, sweetheart.Bailey.Now what the hell do you think you were doing in there?”“Are you all right? Put me down.I have to see you,” she demanded as she once again began fighting his hold.As soon as her feet touched the ground, Eden twirled around.She looked at Bailey’s face then ran her hands down his arms then over his chest as far south as the waistband of his half-buttoned jeans.“Are you all right?”“I’m just fine, sunflower.I wasn’t even needed.Adam and Tiny got there first.”With that assurance, she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tight.He immediately returned the embrace and kissed the top of her head, something she found as comforting as the strength of his arms around her.“And Wade?” She was not sure she wanted to know, but curiosity got the best of her.“He was so drunk he’ll probably claim he doesn’t remember doing anything, but there are witnesses, videotape, and more than enough evidence to arrest him and keep him in jail this time.And I think I’ll ask that a couple of other charges be added to the list.”“What kind of charges?”“How does stalking and attempted extortion sound for starters.Plus, he drove here on a revoked license and he’s drunk as a skunk.I’m sure the police will be able to come up with a few more besides that.”“So he probably won’t be bothering me again anytime soon?”“I don’t think so,” Bailey said.“But to insure he stays away, tomorrow morning we’re going to the courthouse and ask a judge to issue a restraining order to keep him away from you while I’m gone.”Before Eden could ask if that meant he was planning to come back to her after his deployment, Adam and Tiny joined them.“The police need to talk to you, Bailey,” Adam said.“They have questions about what happened.”“Of course they do.A broken front door and fire in the store isn’t enough to convict him,” Bailey muttered.He squeezed Eden tight before releasing her.“Behave yourself.”Eden smiled up at him then wrinkled her nose.“Behaving is no fun.”He winked but did not say a word.He did not have to.His eyes glowed with a heat that told her she might be getting another spanking in the not-too-distant future, whether she behaved or not.She shifted as her pussy creamed in automatic response.“That’s a good man you’ve got there, Eden,” Adam said.He dropped his arm around her shoulders to give her a one-armed hug.“I think so,” she agreed easily as they watched Bailey talk to the uniformed police officer.It was nearly dawn before the police and firefighters finally left.By then Tiny had run to Adam’s house and retrieved a piece of plywood that he, Adam, and Bailey used to fix the door while she started cleaning up.Though the shop was smoky, the only real damage was to the carpet and front of the checkout stand near the door.She wanted to avoid filing a claim with the insurance company because they had not wanted to write her policy to begin with.She was afraid if she filed a claim only three months after opening the shop, they might drop her, and then she really would have trouble.But looking around, she did not see anything major that she or Adam couldn’t fix.She would have to wait a few days for the wood to dry, but she would have to repaint the wooden structure Adam had built.Thankfully, none of her equipment or papers had been damaged by either the fire or the extinguisher used to put it out.She stood staring at the carpet, trying to figure out if she could find another piece to match the rest of the room or if she should do something else, when Bailey stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.“Come on, sunflower.Let’s go upstairs and try to get a couple more hours of sleep,”She nodded and allowed him to guide her through the shop.After setting the alarm and locking up, he picked her up and carried her up the stairs and through her still dark apartment.“I know we need a shower, but I’m too tired right now.We’ll take a bath later and change the sheets,” he said as he set her on her feet beside the bed.She nodded in agreement, all at once weary to her bones.But she could not sleep yet.She needed to share a few things with this man she had fallen in love with.Seeing Bailey race to her defense then the fire that thankfully did only minimal damage made her realize that all they had in life was this moment.No matter what the future held, she wanted him to know how she felt [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]