Toronto Fire

I knocked on Lauren's door and waited, Mitch leaning against the frame next to me. We heard her shuffling around followed by a few soft swears before she appeared behind the dark oak.

"Hey- are you alright?" Her cheeks were flushed and a thin sheen of sweat lay on her exposed skin, reflected in the overhead light of the hotel hallway. I glanced down at her sweatpants and the tank top she donned, noting that it was inside out. "Did we interrupt something?"

She shook her head, ponytail bouncing with her movements, and smiled nervously. "Nope, I was just um... nope. What's up?"

"We were gonna go grab some dinner, wanna come with?"

"I thought you guys had a team thing tonight." Her brows furrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"That got cancelled. Mickyforgot to make reservations and we can't just show up with forty people so coach told us to do whatever. You in?"

I tried my best to focus on her eyes, only once dropping my gaze to her breasts and then following the delicate curve of her neck. Strands of hair hung loose and kissed the tips of her shoulders, the red a sweet contrast to the light brown of her skin.

"Auston?" Mitch shattered my focus with an elbow to the rib and I looked to him, feeling the burn of a blush on my cheeks. "What was the restaurant called again?"

"Um, Tin? Tan? Something like that. It's supposed to be really good."

"Well then I guess I'm in." She looked at me, a smirk on her lips so sweet and devious, and I reddened even more with the thought of kissing it off of her mouth. I watched her drop her arms, pert nipples poking through the thin fabric of her tank top as she leaned into me. "Can you guys give me a few minutes? I'll meet you guys in the lobby in ten."

I could hear Mitch gulp as I nodded, stepping back from a slamming door.

"Dude, she was so flirting with you!" He tugged on my arm and I shook him off, grinning hard as we made our way to the elevator. "What do you think she was doing when we knocked?"

"What do you mean?"

"She was all sweaty and red. And did you notice her shirt was inside out?"

"Yeah," we stepped into the elevator and shuffled behind the group of older ladies that were already there, "so what?"

"So, dude, she was masturbating!"

I clamped a hand over his mouth as all eyes turned to us, a few scowls accompanied by the sly smiles of women who knew what we were talking about. He laughed against my palm and I mumbled a quick apology, earning more smiles and a few chuckles.

"She wasn't- she wasn't masturbating, Mitch." I dropped my voice to a whisper and yanked him to the back corner of the car. He donned a shit-eating grin and shook his head, ignoring everything I said and waiting for me to finish. "She was... whatever she was doing is none of our business."

"She was flirting with you because she was getting off to you because, guess what... she likes you!" The bell of the elevator rung and we shuffled off, stopping only when an older woman grabbed my arm.

"That girl you were talking about, good luck with her."

~

"Auston, you really didn't have to treat for dinner."

I looked down at her, the fabric of her dress swirling around her legs as she walked next to me with a smile. Her hair hung in a loose braid over her shoulder and the bare skin next to a thin strap had my mouth watering. "Lauren, I..."

She eyed me with a gentle curiosity and I froze, shaking my head and looking down the street.

"Hey, what were you going to say?" She set her hand on my arm and I warmed. "Are you alright?"

"Uber's here!" Mitch clapped his hand on my shoulder and I winced, watching a whimsical grin dance across Lauren's face. She glanced from him to me and cleared her throat.

"I think I'm gonna walk." We both looked at her and she shrugged, "What? It's a nice night, I've never seen Dallas, why not? I'll see you guys back at the hotel." I watched her turn on a heel and head into the night, her perfume lingering between us for a moment.

"Are you not gonna-"

"Shut up!" I shoved him towards the car and jogged off after her, the night air cool on my cheeks. "Do you mind if I walk with you?" I huffed, setting an arm on her shoulder. She shot me a killer grin and nodded.

"I was hoping you would."

We fell into step and made idle conversation, talking about family and how she got into the training industry. Her laugh was so contagious, so sweet falling from her lips, and I nearly tripped over my feet as we made our way through downtown Dallas. We were stopped at a cross walk when she grabbed my forearm, pulling me to face her with wide eyes.

"Hey, what were you going to say earlier? Before Mitch interrupted, you started to say something."

I looked from her to her hand on my arm and blushed, shaking my head. "It was stupid, nothing important." We crossed the street to the hotel and made our way through the front lobby, her pressing the issue.

"Come on, what was it?" She leaned forward to push the elevator button and I set my hand on her lower back, following her in after the doors slid open. "You can tell me."

I sighed and gave in, keeping my eyes set on the panel in front of me and my hands in my pockets. "Okay well, Mitch seems to think that uh, you were- that maybe we were flirting earlier. Like, when we knocked on your door for dinner and all that."

"And?"

I did a double take, her eyes were clear and set on me. I watched them trail down my face before coming up and meeting my gaze, one eyebrow raising in amusement.

"Were you?"

The bell rung and the doors opened, our floor sitting empty in front of us while the silence of the elevator grew heavy. She took my hand in hers and stepped onto the carpeting of the hallway, looking over her shoulder with a sly smile. "I was."

I followed her towards her room, my eyes dropping to her hips as she sashayed. I was mesmerized by the way she swayed, the dark orange dress against her curves so enticing that I didn't realize she'd stopped. She squealed as I slammed into her, tipping backwards and starting to fall.

"Holy- oh my gosh!" I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her upright as she steadied herself on her feet, her hands coming to rest on my shoulders. She bit down on her lip and dropped her eyes before bursting into a fit of giggles. "Lauren, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" She nodded and kept laughing, pressing a hand to my chest and sighing.

"That was close."

I nodded, noting how soft her lips looked. She cleared her throat and knocked me out of my trance, dropping her hands from my body as I dropped mine. "Sorry about that, I guess I uh, zoned out."

She reached into her bag for the room key and opened the door, keeping her hand on the frame and turning to me. I shoved my hands in my pockets and looked around, eyes meeting everything but her until she took my chin between her thumb and forefinger and pulling me down to meet her in a soft kiss. I melted into it, her lips brushing against mine with a gentle intensity that I'd dreamed of. As soon as it had started, it was over.

"Auston," she mumbled, her mouth dangerously close to mine, "do you want to come in?"

Notes