“A very pretty—” Mike hesitated when he saw Cassie’s scowl. “Uh … like a hungry female.”
“Nice save.”
“Honey, you ain’t seen nothing. Wait till I get mine.”
He turned up his bottle for a swallow of beer completely aware she watched. He loved having her hungry eyes on him. Jade gemstones, filled with yearning. He wouldn’t mind a repeat performance of the other night.
“You looked well satisfied when I walked up. If a burger can do that …” He stared at her lips and leaned in for a taste. “Reminds me of another time I saw a similar expression, with your hair spread out over your pillow.”
Her eyes begged him to kiss her. To make love to her here and now. The very idea of kissing those pouting lips, of tasting her sweet honey, triggered a surge to his beating pulse. Only the sheerest willpower held him immobile.
“Okay, kids. Burgers for one hungry appetite.”
Mike jerked back.
The waitress gave a wink aimed at Cassie. “Don’t think you’ll need a cab.”
That’s when he realized Cassie had nearly crawled into his lap. Her stimulating curves were still pressed against his side. He struggled to speak.
“A cab?”
“I was supposed to be the designated driver,” she said moving away.
“The distressing news was Tammy’s?”
“Yeah. Her ex.” Cassie picked at the label on her beer. “She needs a good lawyer. But I don’t want to talk about it now. She needs this.”
“A diversion.”
Cassie faced him. “She deserves to have some fun. Some enjoyment in her life. She has two kids and …” Her voice trailed off as she turned back to her beer.
“And what?” he asked softly.
“This guy knows how to dance.” Tammy skidded into the booth with a grinning Shep behind her.
“I grew up in a house with four brothers. My mom believed we were made for dancing and took great pleasure in torturing us.” Shep lowered his voice and directed his words to Tammy. “Which is the way we thought of dancing, until we found out girls liked boys who danced. A girl will pick a guy that can dance over the best-looking guy in any place.”
“Like you have anything to worry about.” Tammy’s fingers walked up Shep’s chest. He grinned. Tammy was getting awfully familiar. And Shep seemed to enjoy it.
Which was damn puzzling, since Shep stayed out of the limelight. Flattery never mattered to him. A person’s goodness carried more weight. He was usually quiet around women, too.
More drinks and a few dances later, Shep offered to take one of the tanked females home. Food had helped, but neither woman could walk on their own. Mike settled Cassie in the passenger side of her car while Shep poured Tammy into his SUV.
Still puzzling over Shep’s unusual behavior, Mike had to rag on him a bit. He pointed a finger and spoke in an accusing tone. “You aided and abetted.”
“Don’t worry. They won’t remember a thing in the morning. I’ll take her home”—Shep nodded his head to Tammy—“put her in bed and leave. I won’t even undress her.” Shep slapped him on the back. “You’ve landed a school teacher. She has to be something special.”
“So is her friend.”
“I saw that right away. I figured if the girls wanted to cut loose, let them. Better with us than some other guys that could have happened along. At least with us, they were safe. I’ll take care of Tammy.”
Chapter 15
Cassie wished someone would just shoot her. Put her out of her self-induced misery. Her temples pounded. Her eyes hurt. She didn’t dare move.
“Is Sleeping Beauty awake?”
She flinched, and wished she hadn’t. Pain exploded in her brain.
Mike?
The evening might have been a blur, but she knew Mike had brought her home. She was too miserable to worry about her actions. And now she must surely look like death warmed over.
She took slow even breaths.
“Don’t you dare laugh,” she struggled to say, which only set off the drums to pounding again.
“Come on. Sit up. I brought you some aspirin. And a little special tonic for the morning after.”
She cracked one eye open. He looked so devastatingly handsome, she hated him.
“Come on. I’ll help you.”
Mike arranged pillows against the headboard and gathered her in his strong arms, helping her up. Within a millisecond, she felt better. Soothed, comforted, and then he opened his palm revealing two aspirin. She hoped the tablets didn’t upset her stomach. Thank God, she hadn’t gotten sick.
At least she didn’t remember getting sick. Just how bad had she humiliated herself?
“Bottoms up.” Then the rat chuckled.
“You’re partly responsible for this,” she told him.
“Me? How am I at fault?” His brows arched but his expression was not so innocent.
“You kept giving me drinks.”
His face relaxed with a mocking grin. “Oh, and I guess I poured them down your throat.”
She scrunched up her face in a hateful glare, but the pain in her head made her quickly regret her action.
Mike eased onto the bed beside her. “Here. Drink this.” How could he sound so sexy when she felt so bad?
Good grief, what was in that glass? It looked a little like tomato juice, only more brown in color. She took a sniff and tried not to gag. It smelled a little sweet. But how was she going to get it down? Squinting her eyes, she asked, “What is it?”
“Trust me. It will help.”
Never trust a man who says “trust me”.
She took a sip. Not so bad. She held her nose and drank the rest.
Mike eased her back against the pillows.
“I’ll never drink again,” she groaned.
“Until the next time.” He laughed.
“I hate you.”
He chuckled again. “In my own defense, Shep kept ordering the drinks.”
That’s right. Shep was there too. He and Tammy had sure hit it off.
Tammy.
Cassie struggled once again to sit. “Where’s Tammy?”
Mike shrugged those immaculate shoulders. “I guess at her house.”
“What do you mean you guess?” Cassie quickly took in her surroundings. Yep. This was her bedroom. “Did you bring me here? Did you take Tammy home? What happened?” Her voice rose with each question, which didn’t help her headache at all.
“Slow down.” His gentle hands stroked her arms, stimulating each nerve cell. “Everything is okay. Shep took Tammy home and I took advantage of you.” He said it so matter-of-factly she knew he was lying.
“Hmm. Must not have been worth remembering,” she managed to tease.
“Ouch.” His expression turned sour. “I see you’re feeling better.”
With extreme effort, she achieved a smile. “Then come clean. Why did Shep take Tammy?”
“So, I could have my way with you.” Mike wiggled his brows, reminding her of Groucho Marks.
“Are you sure he took her home?”
“Set your mind at ease. Shep is a good man. He probably helped Tammy inside, settled her on her bed—fully clothed—and left.”
She hoped so. Tammy had really been out of it last night, and Mike’s friends were strangers. Cassie studied Mike’s face. He lifted her hand and laced his fingers with hers, creating a fuzzy warmth in her tummy.
“He’s that kind of guy. He’s not a creep.”
“Well I’m glad to hear that,” she said guardedly, wondering if Mike had read her mind. She hadn’t actually accused Shep or anything, but what did she know about the guy?
“You were thinking something similar.”
A flush rose up her neck. Maybe Mike was clairvoyant.
Some of the tension eased from her shoulders and her headache had lessened to a dull thud. Maybe his concoction was working. The way he looked at her triggered a different kind of tension. His intense gaze and his warm fingers laced with hers sen
t prickles racing over her skin.
She shoved her hair out of her face, thinking she must look absolutely dreadful. Then she realized she wore her nightgown. Mike had to have undressed her. Oh Lord. She shivered at the thought of him rummaging through her under things.
What else could she not remember?
“Now what are you thinking?” His deep voice, evocative.
“Um. Nothing.”
He shifted on the bed, bracing one arm close to her hip. “Um, yes, something.”
She chewed on her bottom lip. When she didn’t answer, he took pity on her.
“I put on coffee,” he said. “Why don’t you rest and I’ll bring you a cup?”
“A man after my own heart.” She looked away. “I need to take a shower.”
He rose, and once again, she admired his physique.
He stretched to his full height. “What do you need? I’ll help—”
“No.” Her voice came out a tad breathless, thinking of him naked in the shower with her. Even though she could not remember the details, she figured he had helped enough last night. “I’ll be fine. I’m not completely helpless.”
He gave her a two-finger salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
She watched his backside as he walked from the room. Mmm mmm.
Hot. And he was taking care of her. There was more to her handsome firefighter than she’d originally thought and she fully hoped he hung around long enough for her to learn all the good stuff.
Tammy.
Cassie reached for her phone. Quickly, her fingers flew over the numbers. One ring, two.
“Hello.” Tammy’s groggy voice sounded like she was still in bed.
“You sound as bad as I feel.”
“Oh, Cassie. I’ve died and gone to hell.”
“Tell me about it.” She leaned back against the fluffy pillows. “When I woke, I wanted someone to shoot me.”
“My head feels like Spartacus raced his chariots from one temple to the other.” Tammy grumbled. “Now Thor is swinging his mighty hammer.”
“Tammy, are you okay?” Cassie had been worried ever since Mike’s evasive answer. She was supposed to take care of her friend. Be the designated driver and make sure nothing bad happened. At least nothing that Tammy hadn’t wanted to occur. Cassie could barely remember getting home herself.
“Are you deaf?” Tammy groaned as if it pained her to speak. “I just told you—”
“Are you alone?” Cassie interrupted.
Silence.
Shit. He’s still there.
“What? Oh … your sister still has the boys. I don’t think I’m up to getting them just yet.”
Crap. Cassie had forgotten about them. “Don’t worry about the boys. There’re fine.” At least they should be. “So, um … you’re not alone?”
She heard shuffling noises and rustling linen sheets. “Hold on a minute.”
What should she do? Hang up? Apologize?
Cassie threw back the covers and swung her feet to the floor. She felt too ill to pace. Finally, Tammy came back on the line.
“Okay. What’s up? Why did you call?” Tammy was back in control. She must have gotten her second wind.
“Took you long enough,” Cassie said crisply. “Did you forget I was on the phone?”
“I took some aspirin. With two boys, you learn to bounce back quickly. Even after a night of spontaneous drunkenness. What was I thinking?”
“Is anyone with you?”
“No, I’m by myself. Who would be with me? What’s with the questions?”
Cassie released a huge sigh. “Neither one of us were thinking. I just wanted to make sure you got home okay.”
“Didn’t you bring me home last night?”
“Um, about that …”
“Please don’t tell me something I don’t want to hear,” Tammy groaned with regret. “Good Lord. What happened?”
Might as well take the bull by the horns. Cassie sucked in a breath. “Mike brought me home. Shep took you home?”
Again … silence.
“Did you hear me? Tammy?”
“I heard you. Shep brought me home? Were you with us?”
“No. I don’t think so.”
“You don’t think? What the hell do you mean, you don’t think?” She shrilled. Cassie flinched. Tammy sounded ready to go off the deep end. And Cassie couldn’t reassure her.
“I don’t remember,” she said miserably. “We both were out of it. Mike told me.”
“Mike? When did … Is he there now?”
Cassie scooted back and planted her feet on the bed. “Yes.”
“Damn. Why couldn’t I get that lucky? And you’re on the phone with me?”
Cassie nodded, not even thinking that Tammy couldn’t see her.
“Now I understand. You called me to see if Shep was still here. Well, I’ll be damned. A chance at a fireman and I blew it. Drunk. Just my luck. How will I ever live that one down?”
She sounded so disappointed Cassie wanted to cheer her. But had no idea how. Especially not knowing what had happened between Shep and Tammy. It sounded like Tammy didn’t even know.
“Oh, noooo,” Tammy wailed. “What if I got sick? Oh God, Cassie.”
She’d had those same thoughts earlier. “Don’t beat yourself up. It’s over now. We did what we did.” It was easier to calm her friend than to appease her own anxiety. “You really don’t remember?”
“Do you?” Tammy countered.
“If Mike hadn’t been here, I’d be at a total loss. I have no memory of leaving the place or how we got home.”
“Shep didn’t bother to hang around, so I must have repelled him.” Tammy sounded so down, Cassie’s heart went out to her.
“Don’t even think that. Mike said Shep was a gentleman. The kind of guy who would take you home and leave without taking advantage.”
“Just what I need. A good Samaritan.”
What Tammy needed—and deserved—was a good man. “You’ve got more spirit than that. Once you feel better, things will be more clear. You’ll bounce right back to your bubbly self.”
“You’re right. I don’t like pity parties. Thanks for the info dump. I’m going to take a shower and rejoin the living. I’ll call later when my head is clear. Or you can call me after your man leaves.”
“He’s not my—”
The line went dead. Tammy had hung up. Cassie stared at the screen, then tossed the phone on the night table.
She needed a shower.
She padded to the bathroom and avoided the mirror. She turned on the water and stepped inside the tiled-shower stall. Warm water sluiced over her body, revitalizing the lax nerves under her skin, but when she stuck her face under the spray, the streaming beads felt like needles poking her sore head. She hoped the concoction Mike gave her worked, although she shouldn’t really complain—it hadn’t tasted that bad.
A strong cup of coffee. That’s what she needed.
She picked up a bar of soap and inhaled the crisp, clean scent. It helped to clear her head and stimulate some energy. Maybe by the time she washed her body, her headache would be mild enough for her to try washing her hair.
Fifteen minutes later, she opened the bathroom door, allowing steam to escape into her bedroom, and noticed a mug sitting on her night stand. You had to love a guy that brought you coffee. She padded to the bed and sat down before picking up the cup. She slowly inhaled. The scent of fresh Columbian beans floated through her nose to her formerly fuzzy mind. Her taste buds anticipated the pleasure of a good cup of brewed java. She took a sip. A little milk, just the way she liked it.
He remembered.
Feeling much better, she tugged on her clothes and checked her appearance in the mirror. The pink top brought out the pink in her cheeks. Turning sideways, she ran a hand down the seam of her jeans. What she wore didn’t matter, but she did want to look her best. She banded her wet hair in a ponytail and went in search of Mike, trying not to dwell on the eagerness in her step or the flurry in her
chest.
What was a girl to do? The man was hot, hot, hot.
Mike stood looking out her kitchen window, sipping his coffee. His shoulder muscles bunched as he lowered his cup. Cassie couldn’t help but sigh. He must have heard her for he turned and braced one hip against the counter.
“Feeling better?” His lips lifted in a slight curve on one side, sending a pool of heat to her belly.
“Much.”
“Let me warm that up.” He took her cup, poured hot coffee into it, and then handed it back to her, grazing her fingers.
She caressed her mug, wistful of the warmth of his touch on her skin. She pulled a chair out from the kitchen table and sat down. Taking a sip of her coffee, she savored the taste while contemplating long, muscular legs covered in washed-out denim. Her gaze slid upward over a shirt tucked into low riding jeans. She swallowed, thinking of the sculpted abs she knew lay underneath his shirt, the cuffs rolled a few turns back showed a sprinkling of dark hair that matched the blanket covering his wide, masculine chest. A sigh escaped her lips as she remembered the night she had caressed those very abs, his skin soft and warm beneath her hand. She glanced at the opening at his neck and the tuffs of black exposed. She swallowed. She could almost—
A sound much like a groan escaped Mike drawing her eyes to his searing gaze.
A slow grin spread over his mouth and her heart took a giant leap. One smile. Just one. And she turned to liquid.
She felt the heat in her face as she flushed with embarrassment. He’d watched her ogle him and knew what she’d been thinking.
“Like what you see?”
She took a gulp of her coffee and nearly choked.
He laughed, soft and deep.
She changed the subject. “What was in that stuff you gave me?”
“Trust me. You’ll feel better not knowing.”
There again with the trust me. She didn’t trust lightly.
“I seem to remember there being no end to drinks last night. Did you deliberately try getting us drunk?”
“You girls were well on your way to getting snonkered before Shep and I found you. I’m glad we did.” He gave her scowl to drive his point home.
Yeah, that wasn’t exactly fair of her. She and Tammy had been lucky. Needless to say, if it hadn’t been Mike, she would never have lost control. Too much alcohol gave courage to the shyest individual, making them lose their inhibitions. For a control freak, she didn’t welcome the idea of lost minutes, or hours of time.
MIKE The Firefighters of Station 8 Page 14
