by Opal Carew
“You look lovely,” he said.
“Thank you. You look great, too.”
And he did. He wore a charcoal suit and a dove gray shirt with a patterned tie in pewter and soft silver tones. The suit set off his broad shoulders and with his short cropped hair and shadow of whiskers on his face, he seemed an odd mix of gentleman and bad boy.
Once they arrived at the restaurant, which was in one of the hotels in the trendy west end, they sat at a table in an intimate corner. There was a floral centerpiece and a candle casting a soft glow.
“It’s a lovely place. I’ve never been here before.”
“I’m told it’s the best seafood restaurant in town, and I remember that you used to love shrimp.”
“That’s true,” she said as she unfolded the cloth napkin and placed it on her lap.
The waiter came by and they ordered. The crab cake appetizers arrived quickly and when Rikki tasted them, she sighed at the heavenly flavor.
She glanced at Tony to see him smiling at the euphoric expression on her face.
She straightened in her chair. She felt uncomfortable with him looking at her that way. Indulgently. Clearly happy to see her pleasure.
She sipped her wine.
“Did you spend some time exploring Muldone this afternoon?” she asked.
“No, I spent the afternoon in my hotel room. The painkillers I take sometimes make me sleepy, so I arrange to have time for a nap when I take them.”
“You’re still in pain from your injury?”
At her sympathetic expression, he smiled.
“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m sure it’ll ease with time, then I’ll be back to my old self again.”
She couldn’t help it. She rested her hand on his. This man had charged into a burning building to save a woman and her child and had been hurt badly enough to change his entire life. He was a hero and he deserved better than fate had dealt him.
“I’m sorry this happened to you. It’s just not fair.”
He squeezed her hand. “What’s done is done. I’m not happy about it, but I have to learn to move forward.”
Their gazes locked and there was an intensity between them. He started to speak, but the waiter arrived with their entrees.
As soon as the waiter left, she started telling him how much she enjoyed working with Cassie and even mentioned working with the firefighters on a charity event, though she didn’t mention anything about a calendar, not wanting him to think of her taking pictures of half-naked men.
“You just can’t tear yourself away from firefighters, can you?” he said with a grin. “I think maybe we’re your type.” His eyebrow arched. “So are you seeing anyone?”
“Uh … no.” She didn’t know why she’d said it. Probably because she didn’t want to answer any questions about who she was seeing and wind up lying because she wouldn’t admit to him that she was seeing two men. She still wasn’t used to the idea herself.
But she felt guilty. She was in a relationship with Simon and Carter, yet she’d given Tony the idea she was single.
The waiter cleared away their dinner dishes and brought them dessert. Once they were done, Tony paid the bill again, despite her protest, then they walked toward the door and into the lobby. He guided her to the elevator.
“It’s only one floor down to the parking garage,” she said. “We can walk.”
But he pushed the up arrow.
“Actually, when the guys at the firehouse found out I was stopping to see you, they sent something for me to give you, but it was a little too big to bring to the restaurant, so I left it in my room.”
“You’re staying here?”
“That’s right. I thought we’d go up and get it now and maybe you’d stay for an after-dinner drink.”
Before she could answer, the door opened and he rested his hand on her lower back and guided her into the elevator. Another couple followed them in.
He pressed number ten and the other man pressed number twelve. The elevator began to move. They rode in silence, then she followed him down the hall. The place had a homey feel, with rich burgundy carpet and wallpaper with a delicate floral design.
“It’s a lovely hotel,” she said.
He unlocked the door to his room and led her inside.
As soon as she stepped in the door, she saw a large stuffed rabbit sitting on a chair. It had big floppy ears and a pink bow around its neck.
“Oh, my goodness. That’s adorable.”
Her nickname at the house had been bunny because the first time she’d met them was when Jesse had taken her to their Halloween party and she’d dressed in a fluffy white cat costume that she’d sewn herself, but she’d made the ears a little too long and they’d all teased her that she looked more like a bunny. The name had just stuck after that.
She walked to the chair and picked it up, then hugged it. It was squishy-soft and cuddly. She smiled as she turned to face him, the bunny tight in her arms. Tony walked closer, a warm smile on his face.
“I wish I were that stuffed animal right now.” His tone was deep and mellow, and the way he looked at her, with that gleam in his eye, made her stomach tense.
She laughed a little nervously.
“He’s very cute. It was very nice of them to send it to me,” she said, hoping if she just ignored his comment, he’d stop looking at her like that.
But he stepped closer and took the animal from her arms, then tossed it on the bed. Her eyes widened as he stroked her cheek, his dark brown eyes gazing deeply into her own.
“You know, I’ve always been attracted to you,” he said softly, his warm tone curling around her. “But you were with Jesse and I respected that.” He pushed some lose tendrils of hair from her face, his touch soft and tender. “After Jesse died, I started thinking that maybe you and I…” He shook his head. “But even after a year, the time never seemed right. Then you went off to college. I realize now that the time never would be right because I felt I’d be betraying Jesse.”
He stroked her hair, sending tingles through her. She was mesmerized by the depth of longing in his eyes.
“But when you left Ashton for good”—he shook his head—“I kicked myself. So many years have gone by, and you and I both deserve a chance to be happy.”
His arm curled around her waist and he drew her closer. She knew she should pull away, but the familiar musky-spice scent of him and the need in his eyes was compelling. It wasn’t lust she saw there, but a longing for a deep connection.
He cupped her face and brought her lips to his. It was so sweet the tender touch nearly broke her heart.
Then he drew back and searched her eyes.
“Tony, I don’t know what to say.”
“Say that you feel the same way. If you do that, we’ll figure something out about how we want to proceed.”
He stroked her hair again and the feel of his tender touch played havoc with her senses.
She had actually thought of Tony many times over the years since Jesse’s death. She’d missed him. He’d been so much a part of her life when she’d been with Jesse.
But it wasn’t just because of his friendship with Jesse. Tony had always been someone she could open up to. He’d always been ready and willing to help when she’d had a problem.
And there was the attraction between them.
She never even considered acting on that, though. Because he was a firefighter, too, and she didn’t want to be in that position again.
But Tony was everything she realized she loved in a man: strong, heroic, protective.
And with Tony’s injury, he wouldn’t be on active duty, so she wouldn’t have to deal with the constant fear of losing him.
He smiled, then tightened his arm around her and captured her mouth. His lips moved on hers in a sweet, tender persuasion. His fingers glided under her hair and around her neck, sending tingles along her skin, and he drew her closer still.
As he deepened the kiss she melted against him, wanting what he offer
ed. Needing it. Thoughts of going back to Ashton, which was her home, of marrying Tony and living happily ever after … Picking up the pieces of her old life …
Of finding what she’d lost.
She jerked back.
She flattened her hands on his chest, as much to give herself support as to put some much needed distance between them.
He eased back a little.
“Look,” Tony said, “I know this is a lot to take in, and I’m not expecting an answer from you today. I have a lot to deal with right now with getting my life in order. I just wanted to talk to you about this to give you time to think about it. In a couple of weeks, when I head back to Ohio, we can talk again and explore the possibility.”
As she stared at him, seeing the hope in his eyes, she couldn’t find any words.
After he dropped her off at home and she lay in bed, she hated herself.
God, she’d let Tony kiss her … she’d melted into his arms … without even a thought about Simon and Carter. What did that say about her feelings for them?
But she knew what it meant. She was still living in fear. She was attracted to Tony, she always had been, but she was in love with Simon and Carter.
Her heart ached.
Yes, it was love. And that terrified her.
* * *
In the morning, when Rikki woke up, after a long night of tossing and turning, she checked her phone for messages and found a text from Cassie.
Simon and Carter told me they can’t pick you up this morning, but I’ll be there at eight.
That was an hour later than the guys would have picked her up. That meant she could grab some more sleep, but as tired as she was, she knew she wouldn’t get back to sleep now.
She showered and changed, then put on some coffee and texted Cassie.
I can just grab the bus.
She grabbed a yoghurt from the fridge, then poured a cup of coffee and sat down.
No need. I want to talk to the chief about launching the calendar. See you soon.
Rikki sat back and enjoyed the quiet of the morning. Her roommates were all still sleeping and she could hear the birds twittering in the trees out back. It was going to be a beautiful day. The sky was a rich blue, with only a few fluffy clouds in sight.
She saw Cassie’s car pull up in front of the townhouse and hurried to the door.
“Morning,” Rikki said as she slid into the front passenger seat. “Thanks for the ride.”
“No problem.” Cassie started to drive and Rikki settled into the seat.
“So is everything okay between you and Simon and Carter?” Cassie asked, giving her a quick sideways glance.
“Sure. Why do you ask?”
“Well, for one, you’re in my car, not theirs. I would have assumed you’d have stayed over with them last night.”
“I saw a friend from Ashton yesterday who’s passing through town.”
“A male friend?”
“Yeah. So?”
“Do Carter and Simon know you were out with another man?”
“No, it’s not like that. He was a friend of Jesse’s. And I told them I was seeing a friend. They even suggested a restaurant where I should take him.”
“Rikki, is it possible they didn’t know it was a man you were seeing?”
“Well, yes, that’s probably the case.” She stared at her hands. “I didn’t make a point of telling them.”
“Well, hon, I think maybe they found out. And that they’re not too happy about it.”
* * *
When Rikki and Cassie arrived at the firehouse, Simon and Carter were running the men through drills. Cassie went off to meet with Chief Anderson, and Rikki sat down at the desk in the living area and opened her laptop. She began working on graphics to include in the Web site, since she knew Cassie was proposing the idea to the chief.
Rikki couldn’t take more shots for the calendar while all the men were busy.
The alarm sounded around midmorning and the men all ran to the trucks and took off. It was early afternoon when they returned. Cassie and Rikki had made up some hearty sandwiches for lunch and when the men filed back in, they hurrahed in approval.
But Simon and Carter shed their gear and went straight into a meeting with the chief.
A few minutes later, Dodge walked up to her.
“Hey, we’re available for pictures now, if you’re ready. You can start with me.”
She remembered the last photo shoot with Dodge, where he was in the bed looking almost naked and oh, so sexy, sending her heart fluttering.
She hadn’t gotten calendar shots of him yet, so this worked out well.
“That’s great. Thanks,” Rikki said.
Cassie smiled as Dodge headed to the truck. “I’m glad I’m here for this photo shoot,” Cassie said. “Seeing Dodge with his shirt off and all those lovely tattoos.” Cassie sighed, beaming as she stood up and followed Rikki outside.
Rikki took pictures for a couple of hours. Luckily, the weather cooperated, with only a few puffy clouds hampering the bright sunshine periodically.
Once they were done, Rikki and Cassie sat down at the laptop to review the new photos.
When Rikki saw Simon and Carter walk into the room, she stood up and headed them off.
“Hi. You seem to be having a busy day,” she observed, trying to start a conversation.
“Yeah, and it still is,” Simon said curtly as he headed for the door. “We’ve got to do an inspection of the equipment right now.”
She followed them out to the truck. “You don’t have time for a coffee first?”
“Afraid not,” Simon said.
They walked along the side of the truck and opened one of the compartments, revealing oxygen tanks and other equipment.
She watched them start going through the equipment, knowing she should leave them to their work, but her stomach was tied up in knots and she had to say something.
“I get the feeling you’re avoiding me,” she blurted.
“Rikki, we’re just busy today,” Carter said.
She shook her head. “No, it’s more than that. I can sense it. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“The whole point is,” Simon said, “we don’t want to talk about it here. It would be more appropriate where there aren’t other people around.”
“Talk about what?” she persisted.
Anger flared in Simon’s blue eyes, but then it flickered to indifference.
Carter glanced at Simon, then to Rikki.
“We saw you with a man yesterday,” Carter said. “In a restaurant. And you two looked pretty cozy.”
She frowned. “What do you mean ‘cozy’?”
“It means,” Simon flared, “you were holding his hand. And looking at him in that way.”
“I don’t know what way you mean, but he’s just a friend.”
“A male friend that you’ve known for quite a while. Possibly dated?” Simon demanded.
“I never dated him,” she said. “He’s a firefighter … he was one of Jesse’s friends … and he was telling me about an accident on the job. Something that affected him emotionally and physically.”
“That’s rough,” Carter said sympathetically.
Simon turned his assessing gaze toward her.
“And why did you go up to his room after dinner?”
Guilt washed through her, even as she wondered how he knew that. Of course, someone who knew Simon or Carter could easily have spotted her getting on the elevator with Tony … going up.
“He had a gift for me from Jesse’s firehouse.”
Carter’s warm eyes gazed at her. She could tell he saw her pain.
“If you tell us nothing happened in the room,” Carter said, “we’ll believe you.”
Between Simon’s cool blue gaze and Carter’s amber querying one, she felt her heart sink.
“Nothing happened the way you mean, but…” She drew in a breath. She didn’t feel right hiding it from them. “He did kiss me.”
Simon�
��s gaze cut through her like razor blades. “And did you kiss him back?”
Chapter Sixteen
Rikki’s chest tightened.
At her hesitation, anger … and pain … flared in Simon’s eyes.
“Simon, please. I—”
But the alarm blared, then the door opened and the other firefighters hurried toward the truck.
“We can talk about this later,” Simon said coolly. “But not until after shift. I think you should go home when Cassie leaves.”
* * *
“Did I totally blow it?” Rikki asked as Cassie drove her home.
“I don’t know, but maybe it’s for the best. This Tony sounds perfect for you. You said you’ve been attracted to him for a long time. And he’s got the heart of a firefighter, with all those wonderful heroic characteristics, but he won’t actually be going out to fight fires, so you won’t have the painful, worry-filled nights. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I hate the fact that if you choose him, it means you’ll probably move back to Ashton, or maybe even Florida, so I won’t get to see you much.” She rested her hand on Rikki’s arm. “But, honey, I want you to be happy.”
“What if my happiness is with Simon and Carter, but they won’t want me back now?”
“I love Simon and Carter, and I love you, but from everything you’ve ever told me, being with any active firefighter will not make you happy. It’ll just leave you an emotional wreck.”
Rikki sighed as Cassie pulled up to her townhouse.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go out to dinner with me? Then grab some drinks?” Cassie asked.
“No. I don’t really feel up to it. I’m just going to tune into Netflix and veg.”
“And feel sorry for yourself.”
Rikki forced a grin. “Well, if I don’t, who will?”
Cassie laughed. “Not me. You’ve got three sexy firemen mooning over you, two of which you’ve been having hot, kinky sex with. And I’m sure you’ve got your choice of any of the others at the firehouse.” She grinned. “I’ve seen how Dodge and some of the others look at you.”
Rikki got out of the car. “Just what I need. More men’s hearts to break.” She gazed at her friend. “See you, Cassie.” Then she closed the car door and went inside.
