Line: Alpha Billionaire Romance

by Colleen Charles

  My knee struck something hard and pain lanced through my leg as I fell to the floor. There the smoke was thinner, but the heat felt almost worse. My lungs screamed for oxygen and I could do nothing but inhale. More smoke. More fire. More everything.

  “Codsworth!” I cried out, crawling to the steps.

  Just before I reached them, the kitchen faded from grey to black.

  Chapter 2

  Blackness and strange noises rang through the gloom. What was this? I floated through it, as though I didn’t have a body, couldn’t feel any sensations. I was pretty sure I’d died, but heaven was black and smoky. Or had I gone to hell?

  Then, there were voices, strange tones which skipped and repeated.

  “Miss?” A gravelly voice, deep and comforting pierced the despotic darkness. “Can you hear me?”

  Strong arms enveloped me, lifting me from the floor. I cracked an eyelid and slammed it shut again immediately. The smoke remained thick and the burning was so bad I couldn’t see through the moisture pooling in my eyes, the flood of tears protecting them. The crackle of fire returned in a rush and my body turned rigid in response.

  “It’s okay. I’ve got you,” he murmured, and folded me closer to his hard chest. Safe. I felt safe in his arms. He took measured steps. “Is there anyone else in here? Anyone who needs help.”

  I shook my head as a bout of coughing took over any ability to speak. Shouts rang out, men rushed by, disturbing the smoke, creating a whirlwind of warm air which brushed the sweaty strands of hair clinging to my forehead. It felt like a film of smoke and perspiration had encased my entire body.

  “Codsworth,” I choked.

  “What?” he asked. He had to be a fireman. Fresh air now. Or, was it him? He had the most amazing smell. I couldn’t open my eyes, could hardly breathe, but the scent of some woodsy cologne — Gucci? — permeated my nostrils through the haze of soot that lingered there.

  “Codsworth,” I repeated. “My cat. He’s upstairs.” I clutched his arm with all my remaining strength. “Please …”

  “Don’t worry,” he replied. “I’ll get him for you.” He quickened his pace and I clung to him with arms like noodles, resting my head against the fire retardant suit. He was as hard as a rock and for some reason, I felt like everything would be okay as he took charge.

  The air grew clearer; there was a rush of wind and sound. Sirens blared, people chattered.

  “Oh my God, can you believe it,” a woman said nearby.

  “It doesn’t look too bad.” That was a man’s voice. Spectators probably, but my eyes were too scratchy to open yet and I didn’t even want to try.

  “Here, take her,” the firefighter carrying me said, his deep voice raspier with the smoke. Then he placed me on a bed, a stretcher. Fingers brushed my ear, and the heat of his breath penetrated. “I’ll come back after I’ve found Codsworth. You’re safe now,” he promised, all calm confidence.

  My skin erupted in tingles as gooseflesh spread across my skin. I forced my eyes open, staring through the blur of tears, but he was already gone.

  “Who—?”

  “You’re fine now, just relax.” A woman in a paramedic outfit appeared beside me and placed an oxygen mask on my face.

  I frowned at her, my eyes had cleared pretty fast, though my chest still felt croaky. My limbs were floppy too. None of it mattered compared to losing the bakery. Or Codsworth.

  I tried to pull the mask off, but she stopped me.

  “No, you rest now. There’ll be enough time for talking later.” The medic lifted a flashlight and checked one eye then the other. “Looks okay there.”

  I let her carry on with her protocol, but I felt stronger by the minute. I’d inhaled a bit of smoke. I’d not been burned to a crisp. The blessed oxygen flooded my lungs, clearing my mind and body. But still, I was exhausted. To the bone.

  I closed my eyes for a second and let a sense of calm wash over me. It was the calm before the storm. This was how I dealt with problems. I let them wait for a moment, lose some steam while I gathered myself. A trick I learned as a child.

  “Miss?”

  I opened my eyes, heart pounding against my ribcage. Was it him? Was it the firefighter?

  No, it was a cop. I inhaled sharply and glanced past him, searching for Matthew. Thank God, he wasn’t here. Maybe he didn’t have a shift tonight.

  “Miss, can you hear me?”

  “We’re about to take her to the hospital,” the medic reappeared. The name tag on her uniform read Deepa. She placed a hand on my arm. “Can’t you talk to her there?”

  The officer pursed his lips.

  I finally ripped the oxygen mask off and sat up. “I’m fine. I don’t need to go to the hospital.”

  Deepa narrowed her eyes. “You need to get checked out, miss.”

  “My name is Allegra Wilson.”

  “Miss Wilson, do you own this establishment?” The officer asked, whipping out a pen and notepad. There wasn’t a smudge of soot on him.

  “I do,” I replied, swinging my legs over the side of the stretcher and lowering my heels to the ground. I was still a little shaky, but I’d manage. Maybe not. I almost passed out so I sank back down but remained in a sitting position. Much better for my wounded dignity. Tough as nails. I always had been and always would be and a little fire wasn’t going to get the better of me. But where was my knight in shining… flame retardant armor? I wanted to thank him. And see if he found my cat.

  “Good, I just wanted to get your statement on what happened here.”

  “I went upstairs to go to bed, smelled smoke and found the fire burning my bakery down. That about sums it up,” I retorted as I glanced past him. Definitely wasn’t in the mood for officer no-name. What if Codsworth was hurt?

  “Any idea what might’ve started the fire?”

  “Yes, I had a couple second hand electric ovens installed. Maybe something shorted. I don’t know.” I paused and chewed my bottom lip. “Have you seen my cat?”

  “No, Miss Wilson, but I’m sure he’s fine.”

  I looked at the bakery and held my breath. “How bad is it?”

  “What, the fire?” The officer, slightly overweight, looked back at the sign over the glass front doorway to my bakery. It read Temptations. “I can’t say yet. We’ll have to hear from those guys first.”

  I looked at the firefighters rushing in and out of the building. I couldn’t tell one from the other, not that I would’ve recognized the mystery man even if he stood a foot away. I hadn’t seen his face. “Miss Wilson,” Deepa said, her raspy voice stern. “We need to get you to the hospital.”

  “I’m really fine,” I replied, my soot stained hands leaving a trail of black in their wake. They hooked on the square shape of my cell in my pocket. I drew it out and checked that it was okay, that it hadn’t melted. “I need to call my—”

  “Ally? Oh my God, thank God you’re okay.” Kelly rushed towards me, carrying a soot-covered lump.

  “Codsworth?” I stared at the cat. He meowed from the safety of Kelly’s arms and I enveloped them both in a huge hug. The pressure of the embrace caused another fit of hacking that I couldn’t control and the heaving racked my chest.

  “I’m afraid Miss Wilson has to go to the hospital now,” Deepa insisted, the impulsion flinging me backwards in to a prone position again. She rolled the stretcher towards the back of the ambulance.

  “I’ll call you!” Kelly yelled. Pat appeared beside her and took Codsworth from her arms.

  “Where did you find him?” I yelled, hoping she could understand my choked words.

  “Some fireman gave him to me,” Kelly screamed as she waved.

  Then they loaded me into the back of the ambulance. The doors slammed shut and all hope of finding my mystery savior disappeared.

  Chapter 3

  “I’m so glad you’re okay,” Kelly gushed the minute I walked through the door of her coffee shop. It was Friday, and plenty of customers had bustled in to get their morning fix. A tripl
e espresso with cream was calling my name. I couldn’t remember a shittier week. Well, I probably could, but I planned to take my internal pity party to the extreme.

  Kelly and Pat’s coffee shop was one of the few independents left in Minneapolis. Everything else was either Starbucks, Caribou or swill, and they’d made a name for themselves with their aromatic flavor combinations. Sensations like Pecan Nut Pie Latte were all the rage. I preferred caffeine only. Shot down the back of my throat just like a needle straight to the vein.

  Pamela, their favorite barista, was behind the counter orchestrating the various orders pouring in. I hoped I could find another Pamela with her hands flying through the air and a beautiful smile that never left her eyes. Customer service reigned supreme in any specialty café.

  Kelly wiped her hands on a dishtowel and crooked her pointer finger at me so I’d follow her into the office. We entered and found Pat sitting behind the desk, feeding Codsworth soft kitty treats from the palm of his hand.

  “Glad you’re okay there, Ally. You had us worried.”

  “I had myself worried. God, that was all I needed the night before my grand opening. I’ve obviously had to delay it until everything’s fixed. I’m so sick to my stomach I feel like a walking puke factory.”

  “You must be frustrated,” Kelly soothed as she stroked my arm.

  I offered up a tight smile, then strode around the desk to stand beside Pat. I petted Codsworth on the head, and he rubbed up against my hand. Poor baby probably had no idea what the hell had happened to our home.

  “Thanks for looking after him. One less thing I have to worry about is really good right about now.”

  “No problem,” Kelly replied. “He’s been a little kitty angel.” She paused and studied me, then Codsworth. “So what’s the verdict?”

  “It’s not a total loss. Just half of the kitchen. It’s fixable. It will take a while but I can’t afford to put off the opening for long, which is a total pain in the butt,” I said, walking to a chair in the corner and sinking down in it. “And you know the attention span of people these days. I’ll lose my buzz and probably not get another chance.”

  My cat evacuated the desk and took up residence on my lap instead. I stroked his silky fur to sooth my frazzled nerves.

  “Any idea what started the fire?” Pat grumbled the question in his usual dulcet tones.

  I lifted a shoulder, answering the question I’d asked myself a million times. “My guess is a short or something, but I really don’t know.” I was so exhausted that I rested my head against the wall.

  The honest answer was … I might never know.

  The initial investigation didn’t reveal outdated electrical systems or arson and the fire wasn’t bad enough to warrant more digging. If I wanted to know the true cause, I’d have to hire my own investigator and that cost wasn’t in the budget. A fire in the kitchen and plenty of paper work to file with the cops and the insurance companies was plenty enough to deal with.

  And yet … I couldn’t get the mystery firefighter out of my mind. I kept having flashes of the sound of his voice and the feel of his strong arms wrapped around me so tightly. The smell of smoke and his cologne were permanently lodged in my nostrils.

  “We could help you fix it up,” Kelly said.

  I smiled at her, loving her for her offer. “No, that’s okay, I’ve got to file a report with the insurance dude and if they think anyone’s tampered with the scene, they won’t pay out.”

  Pat nodded as his brow furrowed. Then he rose from the chair and lumbered to the door. “I’d better keep an eye on things out there. Fridays are always hectic.” He wrapped his arms around Kelly’s waist, pulled her close and proceeded to PDA until my cheeks turned red.

  He left her weak-kneed and shut the office door behind himself.

  “Well,” Kelly said, patting her long brown hair back into place as she blew a kiss to his retreating back.

  “You guys have the perfect relationship,” I said. From anyone else, it would’ve been a swoon. Of envy. But I’d seen the ass-end of a dysfunctional relationship and I didn’t need another one anytime soon.

  Gucci Black and smoke. I pressed my lips together and tried to force thoughts of him from my mind.

  “You’re acting strange, Ally. What’s going on?” Kelly walked to the desk and sat down, swiveling from side-to-side in the chair, her hair floating around her shoulders.

  “I —” I checked the door, then looked at her again. “I didn’t tell you everything.”

  “Oh my God, gossip? Spill, girl, you’ve got me intrigued already.” She leaned forward and planted her hands on the desk. She kept her nails long and they were a different color each week. This week was red with Santa Claus faces.

  “There was a firefighter.”

  “A firefighter?” she whispered, her eyes going round as dinner plates.

  “A firefighter,” I repeated. “I was passed out and he saved me. But here’s the best part … I didn’t get a glimpse of his face.” I kept the whole cologne and smoke thing to myself since I was embarrassed by my inability to whisk it from my mind.

  “Why?” Kelly asked, licking her lips and squishing forward in the chair.

  “Because my eyes were all teared up and I couldn’t open them through the smoke without a cascade of tears,” I said, stroking Codsworth again. “He was so strong.”

  Jesus, had I just blushed? Kelly knew me so well, she’d see right through any façade. I really hadn’t been interested in men in a long time and I wouldn’t make an exception for some hero firefighter. He just fascinated me because I hadn’t seen the face attached to the voice. Probably looked like Jared the sandwich creep instead of Jared Leto.

  But, he’d saved my life. And Codsworth’s. And he smelled and felt amazing. Sounded utterly scrumptious.

  “Allegra, you naughty girl, you’ve got a crush,” Kelly purred.

  I rolled my eyes at her. “I have not. I just — I don’t know. Who did you say gave you Codsworth?” I bit the side of my bottom lip.

  “A firefighter. But I didn’t get a good look at his face. He just kinda shoved Codsworth at me and ran back into the bakery.” Kelly pursed her full lips and shared in my disappointment.

  “Ah well,” I replied, “that’s as far as any mental fantasy I might have been harboring is going to go.”

  It was a good thing. I didn’t need any distractions. I had work to do.

  Kelly gave me a knowing look, but I ignored it.

  “Come on, let’s get you your daily shot of caffeine,” she said.

  I followed her out into the shop. As I stopped and inhaled the scent of coffee grounds, I couldn’t help searching for the scent of his cologne at the same time.

  Chapter 4

  Two weeks had passed since the fire, and I’d managed to scrub down the kitchen and move the burned pieces out back, for inspection by the guys from the insurance company. They still hadn’t been by to check it out, and I couldn’t wait longer to officially launch the bakery.

  Luckily, the firefighters had managed to save the wall before it had gone up in flames. Most of the damage was contained to a small section and I worked around it. Looking at it gave me a pang of sadness. I hoped all of my dreams hadn’t gone up in smoke along with one of my ovens.

  I’d already iced this morning’s feature and set them out in the glass shelves. My assistant, Tess, was hard at work making a second batch. Last week’s launch had gone off without a hitch and we’d gotten plenty of customers in the first week of work.

  I stood behind the counter and admired the cupcakes. Red Velvet Raptures with cream cheese frosting and Dark Decadence with gold sparkle sprinkles twinkled in the morning sunlight. I grinned and rubbed my hands together. Today would be a good day. It had to be.

  The bell above the door tinkled and an old woman entered. She had a sky-colored hairdo and a sweet smile. “Hello, dear, how are you today?”

  “I’m well thanks, Mrs. Atkinson, and how are you?” One week and I alread
y had a regular. It was awesome. The whoop of excitement in my belly translated to a wide smile on my lips.

  “I’m wonderful, just wonderful. I’d love a few of the red velvets. Rapturous Red Velvet, I mean,” she corrected with a wink.

  I grinned and nodded before bringing out the specially designed boxes which had the bakery’s name printed across the top in gold foil, then packed in the cupcakes and rang them up behind the till.

  Mrs. Atkinson accepted the box with a lick of her lips and handed over the cash. “You keep the change dear, these cupcakes are worth every penny.” She shuffled out, grasping the box in her wrinkled hands.

  Even the elderly loved the concept of my cupcakes. I couldn’t believe it. I’d thought the more staid members of society would’ve been upset by it, but they weren’t at all. The older the customer, the more they seemed to get a kick out of Temptations.

  Everybody had a naughty side, apparently. Even Mrs. Atkinson.

  I giggled at the thought and smoothed my hands over the counter. It was still early, the time between the early morning work rush and the brunch hour was pretty quiet.

  I scratched my chin and moved to go help Tess in the kitchen, but the unexpected tinkle of the bell stopped me in my tracks. I plastered a smile on my face for the next customer as I swung back around. A flush stole up my neck and settled into my cheeks. I gasped out loud, then clamped my mouth shut in embarrassment at my reaction.

  Six months of celibacy was knocking on my vagina.

  The hottest guy I’d ever laid eyes on stood about ten feet in front of me, hovering in the doorway like he wasn’t sure if the Red Velvet Raptures would bite. He shoved his hands in his pockets as his eyes drifted over the décor, landing on the crystal centerpieces.

  It was true that Temptations catered to a more feminine clientele, but my cupcakes were delicious and he’d figure that out. Once he tried one. If he tried one. The rigid pose of his uncertainty outlined the angle of his broad shoulders and straining biceps against the sleeves of his North Face coat.