Her legs nearly buckled.
His head hung, his shirt had blood on it and she couldn’t see the rest of his body. Oh my God. Had he been in the wreck?
Jared motioned to a policeman to let them through. She hurried forward, closing the distance to the medic squad, fearing the worst and praying he was all right.
“Mike?”
His head jerked up. Glazed eyes bore into hers.
“Hey, girls,” Jared said. “Just the medicine my ole buddy needs.”
Cassie’s eyes soaked up every inch of Mike. Black smudged his face and he looked a mess, but he was the most wonderful sight to her. When he smiled, she started breathing again. She wanted to touch him, be sure he was safe and unharmed.
“Are you okay?” she managed to get out. “What happened?”
“I’m fine.”
He didn’t sound fine.
“Jared and I saw the SUV on its side and stopped to help.” His deep voice grated, rolling over her, making her already shaky nerves tremble.
“Mike, here, saved the driver,” Jared explained.
Tammy gestured to the ambulance pulling away. “Is he okay?”
“She,” Jared corrected. “Mike pulled her out.”
With Cassie taking in every detail of Mike, Jared’s words barely registered. When they did, she wanted to scream.
“Out of that?” She pointed to the car that now sizzled with steam. Her gaze locked on Mike. She swallowed a cry of horror, knowing only moments before he’d been in a burning death trap.
“I got her out before the flames engulfed the car.”
She would not cry. But God, how she wanted to hold him. Run her fingers over his face, through his hair. Assure herself that he was all right. She clasped her hands together in an iron grip to keep from reaching for him.
Mike’s gaze consumed her. To the point where her fear slowly dissipated. A budding heat grew in its place and threatened to develop into a full-blown fever. Damn. He made her hot. And he looked like something a tomcat dragged to your back door.
“Was that you we saw fall from the demolished car?” Tammy’s worried voice jolted Cassie back to reality.
“He didn’t fall,” Jared said. “He jumped.”
Cassie gaped at Jared. “Jumped?”
Mike didn’t move.
“Would you mind taking him home? He’s refusing to go to the hospital.”
Chapter 5
Cassie bent to examine Mike’s side. Burnt cloth stuck to his skin, making her want to cringe. The smell of smoke was so strong she covered her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Mike, you’re hurt.” She wanted to sob. He’d pulled a woman out of a burning car without a second thought. He acted like it was no big deal. She knew men who would take credit for anything just to get into a girl’s pants. Not Mike. He pushed it aside. Said it was his job.
Cassie shivered. Knowing Mike was the man on top of the burning SUV … she’d never been so terrified. What if … what if … The chilling thought was too horrible to contemplate. Cassie slowly breathed in. The last thing she needed was her dreadful imaginings paralyzing her.
“It’s nothing,” Mike said.
She glared at him in disbelief. “A burn is nothing to mess with. It can get infected.”
“I’ll take care of it.” He brushed her concern aside.
“How?” she demanded. His casual demeanor pissed her off. A burn was serious. Men. Maybe he didn’t want to be labeled a hero, but his refusal to go to a hospital was just stupid. Jared and Tammy had disappeared, giving Cassie time to convince Mike. She wasn’t having any luck.
“I’ll go to the clinic in the morning.” The tone of his voice revealed how much the ordeal had taken out of him. He seemed more weary than aggravated. Even though he clearly could take care of himself, he’d been injured. He needed care.
“You’re unsteady on your feet. Jared said you’ve been drinking. I promised him I’d take care of you.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
She had to handle this carefully and be sure not to injure his misplaced pride.
“But you do need a ride. And if you’re not going to the hospital, someone needs to look at your side.” As a teacher, she’d received some training from the nurse in the school clinic. Although, skinned knees and splinters from the playground were not the same thing as burns. Mike needed care. Jared said he’d been drinking. He shouldn’t drive. She inhaled a deep breath and took the plunge. “You’ll stay with me tonight. I’ll hear no argument.”
His eyes glimmered, sucking the breath out of her body. All sorts of thoughts flashed in their depths.
She could look at this as a perfect opportunity, to have him in her care, be able to touch him, spend time with him. But in all honesty, she just wanted to help him and she feared he would go home and not take care of his wound. At least not as well as he should.
After a long silence, he relented. “I’ll probably regret this.”
She wasn’t sure if he meant for her to hear. She released her breath and did a happy dance in her head.
With a grunt, Mike stood and led her to a large, shiny-black truck. He handed her a set of keys, then slid into the passenger side. Most men treated their trucks like gold and this one looked brand new. He must really be hurting if he allowed a mere female to drive his big four-wheel-drive.
Without grumbling or giving her instructions on how to drive, he calmly buckled up and leaned back. He didn’t even tell her to be careful with his baby. A glow of warmth filled her insides. This was one nice—big—truck. Not too big for her to handle. She glanced to Mike as she cranked the engine. Excitement flowed through her knowing he was hers to take care of until morning. Nerves danced in her stomach as she turned on the headlights and maneuvered onto the highway.
He fell asleep not long after. Tempted, she almost headed to the hospital. Since he’d refused to go earlier, she didn’t want to take the chance he might get mad at her, so she decided to take him home and see how much damage had been done.
When she’d seen the fire trucks at the accident, she had immediately thought of her fire guy. A little conversation, a light flirtation, and she couldn’t get the man out of her mind. No one else had ever lingered in her thoughts. She hadn’t had a real boyfriend since high school—not since she’d found out boys were jerks.
Taking a quick peek, she glanced at the sleeping man beside her. A flood of emotion filled her chest. Did she dare go down this path? Should she be scared of him? Or should she embrace this sudden attraction? For even though Mike radiated sex appeal, and his eyes promised forbidden delights, he’d been reserved.
At the restaurant, he’d looked at her the way a man looks when he’s interested. She thought he’d wanted to see her again. Then tonight, when she’d offered to take him home, he’d been reluctant. But he had agreed to go with her.
It wasn’t long before she pulled into her apartment complex.
“Mike.” She grazed his shoulder. “We’re here.”
His eyes fluttered open.
Oh God. Smoky, drowsy, bedroom eyes. Fire lit her lower belly. Desire settled between her legs.
“What?” The husky sound stroked her burn.
She was in over her head. “Come on. Let’s get you inside.”
He made it into the building on his own. She shuddered, thinking of how it would feel with the towering man leaning on her. Cozying up with her. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. Right now, he needed care.
Conscious of his breath on the back of her neck, she inserted a key into the lock, then pushed the door open and flipped the light switch. “Here we are.”
Mike stepped inside and did a slow turn, observing her living space. She watched him, holding her breath. The room seemed much smaller with his large frame in the middle of it. He glanced at her and held out both arms.
“Okay. I’m all yours.” His raspy, sensual voice slithered up her spine.
For a second, she allowed his wo
rds to caress her needy mind. Wondering if he realized what they implied.
Jerking her mind back to his injury, she led him into the kitchen. “Sit down and let me tend to that.”
“You don’t have to bother.”
“It’s no bother. Since you won’t go to the ER, I want to look at it.” Her chest tightened with worry. He’d lost some blood—the wound probably needed stitches, but the burn was what worried her most. She pointed to a chair. “Sit.”
When he obeyed, she turned and stepped to the sink.
Hot or cold. I guess cold since it’s a burn.
She turned on the faucet and glanced over her shoulder—and froze. Hot smoldering eyes glimmered back at her. Hot with passion? Or hot with pain? It was difficult to distinguish which.
Cautiously, she placed the bowl of water and a rag on the table.
“Let’s get you out of that shirt.”
Mike slid her a lopsided grin as he unbuttoned his shirt. She inhaled softly. Black springing curls spread across his sculpted chest, with pecs and abs that would make any woman drool. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and realized how ridiculous the gesture looked. Still, she couldn’t prevent her tongue from sliding across her dry lips.
Willing her hands to be steady, she dipped the cloth in the cool water and dabbed at the dark spot on his shirt, hoping the moisture would loosen the cloth bonded to his side. He winced.
Her gaze flew to his, but he stared at the floor. He’d been hurt more than he wanted her to know.
Biting her tongue, she soaked the cloth again and squeezed, allowing the water to dribble over his shirt. Once it was completely saturated, the fabric peeled away. She tried to hide her alarm. The marred flesh looked raw and open—the shirt had ripped the skin away. Mike had to be in pain. And he’d not made a sound.
Mentally, she went over the items in her medicine cabinet. Nothing for a burn. All she could think of was cold water. That’s what was used on burns.
“Mike. Please let me take you to the hospital.”
“I’ve had worse.”
Being a firefighter, he should know. She carefully lifted one arm and eased the shirt from his shoulder. His bulky, muscled, breath-snatching shoulder.
Good Lord, the man was ripped.
His muscles bunched and tightened as he pulled one arm through the sleeve. She stepped around him and bit her lip, watching the ripples expand on his back as he twisted the second arm free.
The breath caught in her throat. Never had she seen more contours on a man. Damn, he was pure sex appeal. Her hands shook. Get a grip.
She wet the cloth again and dabbed around the wound. “You really had me scared. Maybe it’s not as bad as I thought. But you should still see a doctor.”
Mike had known he would eventually see revulsion on Cassie’s face. And tonight, he had. At the accident. A shocking expression of horror and distress. The same expression he’d seen on his mother’s face every time an alarm sounded. Every time the scanner went off. The way she’d stare at the door after his dad had closed it behind him on his way to a fire. The fear and panic she could not deal with. She’d left his father. But she’d also left him.
He ought to say the hell with it. A man has needs. And here was a woman for the taking. Every move she made screamed sexuality. She didn’t do a very good job of hiding her emotions. Maybe she didn’t want to hide her interest. Maybe she wanted him to make the first move.
Before he could change his mind, his hand lashed out capturing her wrist. He searched her eyes for long moments before his gaze lowered to full, plush lips. Her pulse leaped beneath his fingers, and he jerked his gaze back to hers. Heavy lids drooped, not enough to hide her desire. He rubbed his thumb in a circle over her flesh—teasing—caressing.
Slowly, he tugged her closer. The sweet smell he remembered from their first meeting invaded his senses. Her chest expanded when her leg brushed his inner thigh. Encouraged by her response, he drew her nearer still, until she was close enough for them to breathe each other in.
Suddenly he was starving. Hungry for a buxom blonde with green yearning eyes. She leaned forward and he sank his hands in her thick, silky strands. Mouths opened, tongues tangled, and he lost himself in the fervor of her kiss. She moaned, the sound going straight to his erection. He tightened his arms and shifted, forcing his knees between her thighs and settling her on his lap. She gripped his shoulders as he squeezed her bottom, expertly positioning her intimately against the bulge of his arousal.
Pain – an instant flash of fire to his side. “Arrrr …”
“Oh my God. I’ve hurt you.”
He’d never seen a woman move so fast. One minute, she was as deep in the throes of passion as he, and the next she’d jumped off his lap like her pants were on fire. Right when they both had been about to go up in flames.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t … apologize,” he gritted through his teeth. He flung back his head and took a few calming breaths, waiting for the nausea to clear.
“Oh, God. What do I do? I’m sorry …”
“I said don’t,” he barked as he scowled at her. He just needed a minute.
Her concerned expression turned into one of disbelief. Now he’d gone and done it. She’d burst into tears any minute.
He was wrong.
Her eyes lit up like glistening diamonds. She placed her trim hands on her perfectly rounded hips and gave him a cold look that clearly indicated this woman was pissed.
“Don’t what? Don’t say I’m sorry you’re hurt? Or don’t make an idiot of myself by falling all over you?”
Was she kidding?
He’d like nothing more than to have her fall all over him. Around him. In him. Him in her. That wasn’t going to happen if she got up on her high horse.
Mike believed in quick action. As a firefighter, his life depended on it. He needed to defuse this temperamental situation fast. He grabbed her again, jerked her onto his lap, being mindful of his side, and firmly planted his mouth on hers. Her struggles didn’t last long. His thumb added just the right amount of pressure on the bone in front of her ear, making her mouth open, and he took full advantage.
He traced the shape of her lips, tasted her sweetness, and slowly slid one hand over her ribs, caressing, nudging the underside of her plush breast. Her fingers roamed through his hair and danced across the back of his neck, drawing him in deeper. He could kiss her forever.
Suddenly she stiffened, sending his instincts on full alert. He feared opening his eyes, but did so anyway. She leaned back and sucked in a deep breath. When her eyes opened, her blue-green orbs glowed with passion. With a gentle touch, she trailed a fingertip down his right cheek.
“I don’t want to hurt you again.” Before he could protest, she placed the tip of her finger to his lips. “Let’s clean you up. And then we can get more comfortable.”
More comfortable?
He wondered if they had the same idea of comfortable. She’d already felt the bulge in his jeans.
She climbed from his lap and he reluctantly let her go. He watched as she turned back to the pan of water while uttering words of comfort, her voice low and her eyes on her task. He had to admire her control. She might try to act as if nothing had happened, but her trembling hands suggested she had been shaken. Hell, his head was still reeling.
Hot. Passionate. How could she go from instant arousal to poised and unruffled? He couldn’t turn need off like a damn light switch. And she couldn’t hide her desire.
“Will you tell me what happened?” Her voice a tad shaky, she went back to the task at hand. “I saw you on top of that SUV … I thought you fell. Jared said you jumped.”
Talking about something other than that kiss might be a good idea. He remembered her reaction at the crash. Clearly, she’d been scared.
“I was just doing my job.”
“You weren’t on duty. Jared said you’d been to a bar.” Her tone was not accusing. Only concerned.
“Yeah. We h
ad a few drinks.”
As if she needed to keep her hands busy, she twisted the cloth, water dribbling into the pan. “Even though you weren’t on call, you risked your life to save a woman.”
He loved being a firefighter, but he didn’t like being put in the role of hero. He hiked a brow and watched her from beneath his lowered lids, gauging her reaction.
“It’s what I do.”
“You do it well.” She smiled and pressed the cool cloth to his feverish skin.
The wailing sirens, the flash of red fire trucks, were exciting to a kid. Even now the roar of the engine, the blast of the horn, shot adrenaline through his blood stream. Not only the excitement, but the thrill of saving someone or helping people gave him a satisfaction beyond anything else. Nothing compared to the high.
“When I saw you on top of that car, I didn’t know it was you at first. Then when I realized …”
Expecting to find aversion or anxiety, he swallowed his disappointment and pushed her arm away. “That’s enough.”
“You do this every day,” she whispered.
“I told you. It’s my job.”
“It’s more than a job to you, isn’t it?” The catch in her voice caused him to glance up. Was she going to talk his profession to death? This was just what he’d been afraid of. He needed to set things straight.
“It’s my life,” he said holding her gaze. The strength of his conviction resounding in his voice. “It will never change. That’s what I do and what I want to do. What I’ll always do.”
“You’re dedicated,” she said with a smile. Her pleased expression threw him for a loop. “You save people, like that woman tonight.”
Was that approval he heard? Cassie confused his brain. Her sweet face lit up like …
Ah hell.
He didn’t want to be a symbol. He wanted between her thighs, but not if she gave herself as some damn hero devotee.
He scowled. “I’m not a hero. I’m just a man.”
“Oh, really?” She gave him a smirking grin. “I hadn’t noticed.”
“You have a smart mouth on you.” He’d like to taste it again. And every inch of her.
MIKE The Firefighters of Station 8 Page 5