The Fireman's Christmas

by Meg Lacey

  Stunned by his confession, Tessa took her cue and threw him a tie-off line so the boat didn't drift. In a few minutes he'd completed his knot and was mounting the steps to the deck. For a moment Tessa couldn't move. She wasn't sure what was supposed to happen next, and from the look of him, neither was Danny. Finally she broke the silence, attempting to regain normalcy.

  "So what do we have to eat—your favorite meal of peanut-butter sandwiches?"

  Danny shook his head. "Oh, ye of little faith. Now, just sit back and relax. We have something much better than plain old peanut butter."

  With a disbelieving look, Tessa asked, "And that would be?"

  "A chef never tells," Danny said as he disappeared into the galley to locate the picnic basket he'd brought. A few minutes later he emerged with the basket in one hand and a small folding table in the other. Tessa rescued the table he gripped so precariously. "Thanks. The damn hinge was pinching my finger."

  After looking around, Tessa decided to set the table where the aft bench met the port side bench in an L-shape. "How's this?"

  "Excellent." He set the basket to the side before opening it with a flourish. He proceeded to set the small table with silverware and two china plates. Then he unearthed crystal wineglasses from the depths of the basket.

  Tessa was impressed as she stared at the place settings. "I don't believe this. I expected plastic cutlery and paper plates."

  Danny just grinned and presented a bottle of champagne, which he uncorked with as much drama as possible before pouring the liquid into their glasses. He held up his goblet. "A toast. Here's to a lovely day and an even lovelier companion."

  "And to a beautiful restoration," Tessa said, nodding at the sailboat before touching her glass to his. "Cheers, Captain."

  "Cheers, First Mate."

  After their first sip, Tessa asked. "Okay, now I'm curious. What else is in that basket?"

  Danny placed his glass on the table and rooted around inside before withdrawing a few plates covered with aluminum wrapping. "Hard-boiled eggs, celery with Cheez Whiz and carrots are our appetizer. For dessert we have strawberries and chocolate-and-cream pastries. And for the main course, the pièce de résistance—drum roll, please…" He whipped the aluminum foil from the plate. "Voilà!"

  Tessa stared for a moment before fixing an accusing eye on Danny. "Those are peanut-butter sandwiches."

  "These are peanut-butter, blackberry preserves and banana sandwiches on special-occasion bakery bread with the crusts cut off—much more elaborate than the everyday common-variety peanut-butter sandwich." He placed the sandwich on her plate as grandly as if he'd been serving Queen Elizabeth. "This 'Super-Duper Santori Special' is an old family recipe made especially for your enjoyment."

  Tessa stared at the concoction on her plate, then raised her gaze to meet Danny's humorous one. "You are…" She started giggling like a little girl. "Words fail me."

  With a grin, Danny nudged her plate toward her. "How about eat up?"

  Nodding, Tessa did just that. After a few minutes of silence, a chagrined Danny mumbled, "I might have used too much peanut butter."

  Tessa took a drink of champagne before she could unstick her lips to answer him. "I don't know what makes you think that."

  Danny reached for his own drink to take a big gulp, then refilled their glasses. "How about some celery to clear the palate?"

  "Quitter," Tessa said, taking another bite of her sandwich.

  Not to be outdone, Danny took a bite and attempted to respond with a mush-mouthed comment of his own. "Can't refuse a challenge."

  Finally they both gave up and reached for the strawberries and the chocolate-and-cream pastries, better known as Oreo cookies. Leaning back against the seat cushions, Tessa closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "This is the life. I'm so relaxed I might slide right off this bench."

  "It gets better."

  Tessa opened one eye. "Impossible."

  Danny dipped a strawberry in champagne and popped it into her mouth. "How's that?"

  "Mmm," Tessa said, licking the juice from her lips. "Heavenly." She couldn't remember when she'd last been able to stay still and listen to the sounds around her, content to smell the air and feel the soft sunlight on her face. The table screeched on the deck as Danny shoved it away, but she still didn't move, knowing this was the moment she and Danny had been dancing around all afternoon.

  She sighed, but Danny's lips caught her sigh as they descended onto hers. Her eyelashes fluttered in response, but it was too much effort to lift her lids. Instead she relaxed more, enjoying the pressure of Danny's mouth. It was soft and questing, drawing a response from her without conscious will, just need. Tessa let Danny take the glass from her hand, then raised her arms to rest her hands on his shoulders as she deepened the kiss, slipping her tongue inside his mouth to meet his. With a soft moan, Danny grabbed her forearms to fasten them around his neck while he enfolded Tessa in his arms in return.

  "Tessa," he said, his voice low and husky. "Ah, Tessa. You are so sweet. Sweeter than I imagined. I want to taste and taste."

  Tessa pressed closer, lifting her lips to say, "It's been such a long time."

  "For me, too, sweetheart. For me, too."

  He pulled her over onto his lap and proceeded to rain insistent pulsating kisses on her face, her lips, her neck, the tender area behind her ears, and all the while his hands were exploring her body, learning her shape, her scent, which resembled summer flowers, and the feel of her in his arms. His hand crept under her top, skimming over her silky skin until he reached the sweet curve of her breast. Tessa groaned and pressed herself more fully into his palm.

  "Touch me," she whispered. "Please, touch me."

  "Don't worry," Danny whispered back. "I couldn't stop myself even if I wanted to." He struggled to unsnap her bra one-handed, which took some doing, since it snapped in the back. With a final frustrated growl he released the hooks and pushed her top up so he could reach his prize, filling his hands with her before tasting her flesh, sucking her nipple into his mouth then laving it with his tongue before repeating the same caress on the other side.

  "God, you're beautiful, like a classic statue, but warm—"

  "Not warm, hot," Tessa whispered, smiling as she worked impatiently at the buttons on his shirt so she could touch his chest, from the soft spread of curls that arrowed down to his six-pack abs to his nipples standing out in relief from the sculpted muscles. She spread the shirt and leaned forward to stroke him with her hands, lips and tongue. His warm masculine scent went to her head faster than the intoxicating whiff of sweet roses in the heavy heat of midsummer.

  Tessa wriggled closer to press against his chest. As their flesh met, Danny lifted her and laid her on the bench next to him, following her down to cover her body. Both of them tried to get closer as curves met angles, softness met hardness; both were caught in the joy of exploring, learning, feeling, teasing the way lovers do to extend the final moment of satisfaction.

  "Danny, oh Danny…"

  "Tessa" was all he said in response, his voice raspy with need.

  For the next few minutes the sounds of nature at its most contented were echoed by the groans of desire from Tessa and Danny as they moved toward fulfillment.

  As Danny's hands slid her zipper down then moved to spread her thighs, he pressed rhythmically to heighten her pleasure. Tessa was almost passing out with feeling when she gasped, "Danny, Danny, tell me the truth. Tell me you've never brought Connie here?"

  Danny raised his head from the grand tour of Tessa's body on his way to his final destination. "Who?"

  "Connie." Tessa had no idea where the question had come from or why she had asked it during such an intimate time when her body was aching for satisfaction. Was she jealous? Was that it? Had her secret desire for Danny eliminated her caution?

  Eyes unfocused with passion, Danny kissed her, a deep, soul-searing kiss that almost tore Tessa apart. "Forget Connie."

  "Okay, but…" Now that she'd asked, she had
to know. "Danny, you said you've been here with one other woman. I have to know if it was Connie so I know if what's happening between us could be as real as I think it is." Tessa might as well have had a mischievous imp sitting on her shoulder, urging her on in the wrong direction.

  With a frustrated scowl, Danny levered away from her and almost fell off the bench before catching himself. "Did anyone ever tell you that for such an opinionated, sexy woman, you talk too much?"

  At Danny's response, Tessa's hungry passion went from full boil to simmer. She raised herself onto her elbows. "Is there some reason you don't want to talk about her?"

  "Hell, yes. I'm trying to make love to you."

  "I know. That's why I have to know about her." At Danny's annoyed curse, Tessa wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Why did she need reassurance that she was different from the other woman he'd brought here, that their relationship was different, that she was special and not one of the crowd? Did this attitude come from her husband's many affairs, so she was attempting romantic self-sabotage with someone new?

  Danny sat up, his face a study in exasperated frustration. He buttoned his shirt, buttoning it wrong before swearing and ripping it open again so buttons were flying like assault bullets. "The woman was my dog, Trixie. Connie is Laurie's great-aunt. She's seventy-two years old and recovering from a hip operation."

  Tessa jerked to a sitting position. "What? For God's sake, why didn't you say so? Why pretend it was a hot date?"

  "What did you expect me to do when you're running around flaunting your boyfriends in my face?"

  "I wasn't flaunting. And it was just one boy…uh, man. And he was—" Tessa stopped, unsure whether to admit her own deception. "He was a blind date that Rhonda set me up with."

  "What? Why?"

  "I didn't want to get romantically involved with you."

  "Didn't or don't?"

  That was the real question that Tessa needed to answer to herself, although she already had a suspicion, but she was afraid to admit it. Instead she tried to change the subject, but Danny wouldn't let her.

  "I asked you a question, Tessa."

  "I can't answer it, Danny. I don't know what I'm feeling now. I can't…"

  "A minute ago you sure could have, and so could I." Danny grasped her shoulders. "Look, I haven't been involved with anyone since Laurie died three years ago. God knows if I had been it wouldn't have been someone like you." At Tessa's outraged expression, he backtracked. "That came out wrong. I only mean, I thought it would be somebody who could put me first."

  Tessa stiffened before swinging her legs to the deck, attempting to fasten her bra and make herself tidy. "That is an archaic attitude."

  "I'm not denying it. But let's face it, what I do is very demanding, a lot more important than potting plants. My job has a lot of responsibility. I never know what I'm walking into when I leave my house or even if I'll be back, so I have to be sure that the woman in my life is—"

  Tessa reared back, scooting across the bench. "How…how…dare you! Who are you to tell me what's important? You save lives and property, but I bring beauty into people's lives. I add to the environment. I—oh, forget it. I don't know why I'm even trying to explain, not when you've just made it clear what you've always been thinking." She started to get up, but was stopped by his hand on her arm.

  "No, wait, Tessa. I didn't mean that exactly the way I said it. Sometimes I say things that…" He grabbed his hair and yanked, his frustration evident in every muscle of his body. "Forget that. What I'm thinking was very clear to you a few minutes ago." He glanced down at his visible erection. "It still is. Or it should be."

  "That was sex, pure and simple. You don't have to think to have sex. It's a programmed response, like a bee knowing she has to collect pollen so she can make honey to feed the young."

  "I'm not a bee and you sure as hell aren't as sweet as honey."

  Eyes narrowed, Tessa stood up. "You know what, Danny Santori, you aren't a Neanderthal—you're more like a prehistoric worm."

  With a haughty head toss she stood, but groaned when she realized she couldn't go anywhere. She was standing on a sailboat in a secluded inlet made for romance. In order to make a dignified exit she would have to sail back to the dock, ride back in the car and leave from his house. That would teach her to have an argument on a boat in the middle of a lake. All she wanted to do now was find a hole and hide so she could sob herself to sleep. If only she had kept her mouth shut, things might have been different. If only Danny had kept his mouth shut, things might have been different. She wasn't the only one who talked too much.

  "Tessa," Danny said, walking over to touch her shoulders. "Let's sit down so we can talk about this like two rational adults."

  "I don't want to talk." Tessa knew she sounded like a hurt child, but she couldn't help it.

  His hands slipped down her arm. "Okay, we won't talk, then."

  Tessa hunched her shoulders and moved away. "We aren't doing that, either. I want to go back. It's getting late and I have work to do."

  Danny watched as Tessa walked to the steps, leaped onto the bank and furiously began untying the line holding them stationary while he wondered what in the hell had happened.

  One minute he was in paradise and the next the serpent was gnawing on his insides. He ducked to avoid the line Tessa pitched in his direction. From the look on her face she was considering throwing the tree stump, too, but she resisted, climbing the stairs to the deck instead. Deciding retreat was the wisest course of action, Danny busied himself starting the motor so he could back from the inlet. Once on the water, he considered raising the sails, but one look at Tessa standing near the scene of almost sexual bliss changed his mind. He kept the motor running, skimming over the water so that they reached the dock in record time.

  The ride home was quiet, with his comments being answered in abrupt sentences. Finally he gave up. Danny pulled into his driveway, but hadn't completely stopped when Tessa opened the car door.

  "If you'll excuse me, I'll get back to my little pots of flowers."

  He stepped hard on the brake as she scrambled from the seat. "Tessa—"

  "Thank you. I had a lovely time." Her polite voice resembled a child thanking a hated relative for a crummy gift.

  "Uh, okay, uh…thanks for coming." He got out of the car, too, waving toward the backyard. "Make sure you turn on the work lights so you can see back there. It's getting dark."

  "I'm not an idiot, Danny," Tessa snapped.

  Danny shrugged. "I was just trying to…" He hesitated for a minute, then removed the picnic basket and walked to the house. "I'm on duty tomorrow."

  "I remember. My memory is excellent," Tessa answered as she stalked over to the walk leading to the backyard.

  Danny was left staring after her, remembering the feel of her in his arms, wondering how something so wonderful had gone so wrong. Women are so damn irrational.

  He defended himself—Tessa had started it. She was the one who had broken the mood by mentioning Connie. Who could think about another person at a time like that? The only thing he'd been thinking about was Tessa. But why in hell couldn't he have kept his mouth shut? He could have gotten the mood back. He could have—

  Then he remembered his impulsive comment about their work, replaying it in his mind. After the fact, his statements sounded condescending. No wonder Tessa had lost her temper. The best thing he could do now was back off and leave her alone, even if the thought was killing him.

  In the backyard, Tessa was thinking the same thing. She'd been so determined not to get involved that she hadn't been prepared. She hadn't been prepared to fall in love with Danny Santori. But she had.

  More than that, she hadn't the faintest idea what to do next.

  Chapter Ten

  A loud pounding on the door woke Danny at five the next morning, a half hour before he had to get up to go to work. Swearing under his breath, he threw back the covers and padded to the front door, wearing nothing but a pair of jockey shorts a
nd athletic socks. He was stunned to see a tousle-haired Tessa dressed in one of his old flannel shirts and leggings coming from the living room to see what the racket was about. After a puzzled look at her, he turned his attention to the pounding on his front door.

  "All right, already," he muttered, opening the door to find himself facing a tall, handsome, annoyed man with Eric and Josie yawning beside him.

  "Where is my wife?"

  "Your what?"

  "My wife, Tessa."

  At his voice, Tessa darted around the door to stand next to Danny. "Colin, for heaven's sake, what are you doing here?"

  "Collecting my wife—"

  "Ex-wife."

  Colin ignored her comment. "You're supposed to be home with our children in the morning."

  "Mommy," Josie said, rubbing her eyes, "can we come in? I'm sleepy."

  "Of course, honey." Tessa held the screen door open for Josie and Eric. "Go on upstairs to your beds, kids. Pancakes later this morning."

  Danny watched as Tessa's children trailed up the stairs before turning his attention back to Colin. Tessa got to him first, however.

  "What are you doing here? You said you were bringing the kids back this morning."

  "It is morning and I have to catch a plane, which you would have known if you'd been home to hear that my plans have changed. I have to go back to Chicago immediately."

  "I see. The company is going to fall apart without you, I suppose?"

  "No, my fiancée has a difficulty that I have to take care of."

  "Your what?" With a small encouraging squeeze, Danny's hands on her shoulder reassured a shocked Tessa of his support.

  "You're engaged?" Danny asked.

  Colin looked directly at him, then back at Tessa. "I don't know what is going on here, but I would like to speak to my…to Tessa in private."

  Danny looked down at Tessa. "Are you okay with that?"

  "Yes, go back to bed, Danny."

  Danny grinned a wolfish grin. All his protective instincts had come to the fore as soon as Colin announced his relationship to Tessa, and he said the first thing that came to his mind. "I'm up now, sweetheart. I'll start the coffee and then I'm going to take a shower. You can join me when you finish here."