OPERATION: DATE ESCAPE (8 page)

“Your favorite heels for a date.  I’m off duty Saturday.  Let me take you out to dinner.”

Warning bells went off in her head.  This was the one man who could get beyond the protective barriers she’d put up.  With that
devastatingly sexy dimpled grin and deep, soothing voice, it would be too easy to risk her heart with him.  No matter how attracted she was to Cole Maxwell, she couldn’t go out with him.

“I’m sor—”

“She’ll do it,” Nanci said, cutting her off.

The paramedic examining her chuckled, but continued
on about his business.

“Good.  I’ll pick her up at seven.”  That said, Cole deposited
her heels on her lap and walked away, whistling as he went. 

She
looked up at her friend in disbelief.  “I can’t believe you just told him I’d go out with him.  Who do you think you are, my mother?”

“I happen to be your best friend and it’s my job to know what’s good for you.”  Nanci
glanced in the direction of Cole’s departing form.  “And that man there is mmm...mmm...good.  So is his friend over there.  Did you see how he man-handled that big truck?”

“That would be Joe,” the paramedic supplied with a
chuckle as he slid the blood pressure cuff off Kelsie’s arm.

“Is he single?” she asked, her eyes alight with interest.

“As single as they come.”

“Well then, if you two will excuse me, I’m going to go see about getting myself a ‘cup of Joe’.”  And off she went.

Kelsie could only imagine what it took for this man to remain professional, but he did.  With only the barest hint of a smile, he filled out his paperwork while she slipped her heels back on.

“Okay, you’re free to go,” he said when he was done.  Then he helped her out of the vehicle.  “Oh, and in case you’re worried, Cole really is a good guy.”

Too good.
 
That
was the whole problem.

*
              *              *

It appeared Cole
Maxwell wasn’t the only hunky firefighter in the Worthington fire Department.  Nanci crossed the yard with a smile, heading back to the rescue truck that had been used in getting Kelsie down.

“Impressive,”
she muttered as she stepped up behind ‘Cup of Joe’ who was bent over, reaching into one of the truck’s countless side compartments. 
Nice ass.

The
fair-haired firefighter straightened and turned, his blue eyes meeting hers.  “Excuse me?”

“The truck,” she said, pointing past him with a playful grin.  “It’s so big and you drive it so well.  Then again, I’ll bet you’re good at almost anything you do.”

He smiled.  “Everything.”

“What?”

“I’m good at everything I do,” he said with a cockiness that made her stomach flutter wildly.  The man was flirting with her.  Let the games begin. 

“I’m sure you are,” she replied.
  Her gaze moved over the hunk in blue, taking in every manly inch of him, the broad shoulders, muscular arms, narrow waist.  She’d never dated a guy in uniform, but after checking out the fine specimen in front of her she found herself wondering why that was. 

She held out her hand.  “I’m Nanci.”

“Cupcake’s friend.”

“Cupcake?”

“The woman Cole pulled from the tree.”

“Oh,” she laughed.  “You mean Kelsie.  Yeah, I’m the one who called for help.”

He nodded and reached for the hand she was offering him.  “Lucky for her.  I’m Joe.”

“Unfortunately, Kelsie doesn’t share your opinion.  She wants to strangle me for calling 9-1-1.” 

“It’s better than spending the night in a tree,” he said with a grin as he released her hand.

“And outside of a strip club at that.”
  She met his gaze.  “And FYI, she didn’t know it was that kind of place when she went inside.”

“Some exit she made.”

“Long story.”

“
No doubt.”  He removed his fire helmet, leaving his sun-bleached blond hair slightly mussed and sexy looking.  Unlike the rest of his crew whose haircuts were short and neat, Joe’s shaggy blonde hair hung long, just brushing the top of his uniform collar. The man looked like a real rule-breaker and he was hot to boot.

“Was there something you
needed?” he asked after a few moments of silence, silence brought about by her mental assessment of his
assets
.

Nanci’s guilty gaze shot up to meet his.  “Just to thank you.”

“For what?”

“For coming to Kelsie’s rescue.”

“I didn’t rescue her.  Cole did.”

Those blue eyes of his were killer.  “Maybe, but you helped.”

“It’s part of the job.  Although I have to admit that was the first woman in a tree rescue the station’s ever had that I know of.”

She’d be glad to make it two if he’d be the one rescuing her with those big, muscular arms. 
Toned, no doubt, from hauling those heavy hoses with him into burning buildings.  Her appreciative gaze returned to his broad shoulders and then moved downward.  She’d almost bet there was a six-pack beneath that fitted uniform shirt.   

“Are you all right?”

A little fevered maybe...

“Better now that you’re here,” she told him and then quickly added, “There’s no way I could have gotten Kelsie out of th
at tree myself.”

“How
is your friend?” 

“She’s fine.” 

“Glad to hear it.  But not surprised.  She was in very capable hands.”

“So she tells me.”

He raised a questioning brow.

“Cole helped her out of another situation.”

“You mean the one at the hospital.”

Had the kiss Cole shared with Kelsie affected him as much as it
had her friend?  “He told you about that?” she asked, her tone hopeful.  This could be a good thing for Kelsie.

“Not exactly
,” he replied.  “Though he would have.  Cole and I are pretty tight.”

“Then how did you find out if he didn’t tell you?”

He gave a husky chuckle.  “That’s easy.  Firefighters are a pretty close knit group.  Everyone knows everyone else’s business.”

“
So he told another guy at the station and he told you?” she surmised.

“
No,” he said, shaking his head.  “One of the firefighters from another station saw your friend and Cole together at the hospital – kissing.”

So Cole hadn’t said anything.  Normally,
she would have taken that as his not being as interested as she had hoped.  But the man had held her friend’s heels hostage to get a date with her.  Kelsie had obviously made some sort of lasting impression on him. 

“Kind of like news in a small town,” she acknowledged.  “It gets around fast.”
  She knew that from her foster home days.

“Exactly,” he said with an all-out grin that made her pulse race.

What was it about this man that affected her that way?  Sure, she’d been attracted to guys before, but never like this.  And she always flirted.  The only difference was that she’d always been the one in control when it came to handling the other sex.

She eyed the handsome firefighter with a curl of heat in the pit of her stomach. 
Something told her that Joe was not a man easily controlled and that alone sparked a sexual excitement she’d never felt before. 

His gaze skimmed down her face to the low cut front of the
lime green tank top she’d been lounging in when Kelsie called her.  Her nipples tingled under his inspection.

“So
, do you work there, too?” he asked with a nod toward the building behind her.

“What?”
Nanci gasped and then laughed.  “At the strip club?  You think I’m a stripper?”

He didn’t answer, simp
ly grinned and did another once over of her tank top and shorts.

“You can put those mental dollars away you’re thinking about stuffing down my top.  I’m a dental hygienist, not a stripper.”

“Their loss,” he muttered. “A woman like you would bring in a ton of business.”

She glanced back over her shoulder.  “
Once City Council finds out about them, they won’t be around to miss me.  But thanks for the compliment.”

“Just stating a fact.”

“I’ll have to keep stripping in mind in case I’m ever in need of another job.”

“
True.  Well, seeing as how I’m not going to have the chance to stuff money in your clothes, how about we settle for my ‘stuffing’ you with food and drink instead?”

“Are you asking me out?”

“Depends.”  He reached for her hand and lifted it for his inspection.

“What are you doing?”

“Just making sure you’re not married before I answer that one.”  He nodded with a smile.  “No ring.  Good.”

She looked down at the large hand curled around hers.  His thumb moved in a light caress over the back of her hand, sending a warm tingle from the tips of her manicured fingertips to every other part of her body. 

“How do you know I’m not married,” she said, pulling her hand back, “and choose
not
to wear a wedding ring?”

“Good point.”

“So,” she said, firing right back at him, “are you married?”

He chuckled.  “Would I be asking you out if I was?”

Nanci shrugged.  “A lot of men would.”

Men like Kelsie’s asshole of an ex who thought the ‘to have and to hold’ referred to his having and holding any woman who caught his eye.  If she’d have been in Kelsie’s place the scumbag would have learned what ‘until death do us part’ meant pretty damn fast.

“Lucky for you, I’m not one of them.  So how about it?  Go out with me.”

She wanted to say yes so bad it scared her.  “I’ll admit you’re one hot firefighter, but dinner might be just a little too committal for a first date.”

He let out another hearty chuckle.  “I appreciate the compliment, but I’m not sure where the ‘too committal’ part is coming from.  I offered to feed you, not take you to bed.”

“D
oes that mean you aren’t interested in having sex with me?” she asked with a teasing grin.

The helmet nearly slipped from his hands.  “Okay, now I’m confused and I can’t even blame it on smoke inhalation.  Are we having dinner or sex?”

“Drinks,” she told him.  “And if you play your cards right, I might just throw in sex, too,” she added as she pulled a piece of paper and a pen from her purse.  She scribbled down her phone number and stuffed it into the front pocket of his shirt and then walked away calling back over her shoulder, “Call me.”

Nanci walked back to where Kelsie was seated at the edge of the medic rescue truck, slipping on her heels.  “Everything check out okay?”

Kelsie refused to look up at her big mouth best friend.  “Go away.  I’m not speaking to you right now.”

“Okay, how about just giving me a hand signal or something,” her friend replied with a grin, showing no regret whatsoever for having butted into
her business where Cole was concerned.  “Hell, a simple thumbs up works for me.”

She scowled at her friend.  “There’s only one hand signal I’m tempted to give you right now and it doesn’t involve a thumb.”

Nanci burst into laughter.  “You’re a riot when you’re pissed.”

“That
wasn’t meant to be funny.”

“Well, then
by all means do it if it’ll make you feel better.  It wouldn’t be the first time someone’s flipped me off.”

“Forget it,” Kelsie muttered under her breath.  What satisfaction was there in giving someone the finger
when they didn’t care? 

“I
came over to tell you the invite still stands for you to swing by and watch a movie with me.  You won’t even have to talk to me if you don’t want to,” she added with a grin.

“Fine.  I’ll
be over, but I’m not going to be talking to you.”

“Suit yourself,”
she said, unruffled by the threat.  “Do you want me to give you a ride around to the main street to get your car?”

“No need,” a deep voice replied behind Kelsie, making her jump.

She turned to find Cole standing there.  “You again!  Come to hold something else of mine hostage for your own personal gain?”

He studied her for a moment and then replied with a grin.  “How about your lips?”

“Forget about it, buster.”

“
If you two are going to stand here all night and have sexual banter, I’m going to head home.”  Nanci looked to her friend.  “You okay with that?”

“
Fine.”  Her gaze shifted to Cole.  “And, for your information, I can walk to my car myself.”

Nanci frowned.  “I’m not so sure that’s a very good idea tonight.
”

“Why not?” Kelsie asked.

“Keep in mind jewelry guy is in there and can see the street through those tinted front windows.”

“
Jewelry guy?” Cole repeated.

Kelsie
groaned at the reminder.  “Don’t ask.”

He
chuckled.  “I take it he’s your blind date.”

“Was,”
she corrected.

“
Then I agree with Nanci that you shouldn’t walk to your car alone,” he said with a determined nod.  “That’s why I’ll be walking you there.”

She
scowled up at him.  “Excuse me, but contrary to what you two seem to believe, I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions.”

“Already made a few good ones tonight,” he pointed out, his grin widening.

“Kiss my-”

“Uh-uh-uh,” he said, shaking a finger at her.  “I’d think twice before offering anything of yours up for me to kiss.  I just might take you up on it.”

“That’s it,” Nanci said.  “I’m outta here.  Oh, and Cole, be forewarned, if you haven’t noticed already she’s still a little on the cranky side.”  She waved goodbye, winking at Kelsie before walking away.

She
watched her traitorous friend get into her car and drive away.  “Remind me again how many years I would get for strangling her.”

“Too many,”
he replied with another chuckle.  “Come on, I’ll walk you out to your car before we head back to the station.”

“
I hate to take up any more of your time.”

“
I don’t mind.  Besides, you never know what kind of riffraff you’ll find hanging around outside a strip club.”

“
Oh, I think I’ve got firsthand knowledge on that one,” she said as he walked her around the building to the main street.

He
nodded.  “I suppose you do.” 

She pointed across the street. 
“My car’s over there.”

Slipping an a
rm around her waist, he walked her over to it.

Tossing her
purse onto the seat, she turned to him.  “Thank you for your help.”

“
Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“I should have known there was a catch to your offer to walk me to my car.
  You want to kiss me again.”

“
Can’t deny that, but that isn’t what I was referring to.  I need to get your phone number before you leave.  However, if you’d rather pay me back with a kiss instead...”

“Nice try.
  Not happening.”  She grabbed a small spiral notebook from her purse.  The one she used to make notes on after her ‘date escapes’.  Then she began to dig around for a pen.

Cole slid a pen from his shirt pocket and handed it to her.  “Here, use mine.”

“Thanks.”  She hurried to scribble her number onto one of the pale pink sheets inside and then tore it off, handing it to him along with his pen.  “Here you go.”

He stepped back as she
opened the driver’s side door and slid in behind the wheel.

Instead of pulling away, she found herself lowering the window.  “Cole, I...”
  She what?  Wanted him to kiss her?  Wanted him to hold her pressed up against him like he had when he’d rescued her from the tree?

He stepped up to the car and
leaned into the window with a smile, his face lit up by the glow of the streetlight shining in through the sunroof above.  That lone dimple drew her attention solely to his mouth, reminding her of how good it felt to have it moving over hers in a heated kiss.  “I’d offer to make sure you get home safely tonight, but-”

“
Driving a woman around in the city’s fire truck isn’t allowed,” she finished for him.

He nodded. 
“I’m pretty sure I read that somewhere in the company handbook.”

“
Maybe next time, when you’re in your own truck,” she heard herself say. 

“I’m going to hold you to that.”  He glanced back over his shoulder
and then met her gaze.  “I should get going.  There’s a crew of hungry men waiting to go back to the station and finish their dinner.”

“You were eating when Nanci called for help?”

“Starting to.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said, feeling terrible that her poor choice of date escape had taken them from their
meal.”

“Happens all the time,” he assured her, easing some of her guilt.  “That’s what microwaves are for.”

“I should let you go then.”

He straightened and stepped away from the car.  “I’ll call you.”

She forced a smile and pulled away before she gave in to the urge to ask with as much impatience as she felt –
When?
  Had she completely lost her mind?  After trying so hard to forget the hunky firefighter who’d given her the most incredible kiss of her life, a man too perfect for her own good, she had committed to seeing him again – on a date of all things!  Then again, he had been holding her favorite heels hostage.  And she had been through a traumatic experience.  And...

Who was she kidding?  She had accepted because she wanted to go out with Cole Maxwell.
  She doubted there was a woman alive who was completely immune to that sexy smile of his.  She’d tried.    

Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed her apartment.  When the answering machine kicked on, she punched in her code and listened to her messages.

The first two were from phone solicitors.  The last from the strip club gigolo she’d ditched that night.  He wanted to tell her that he couldn’t see her again.  That, despite her being a hot redhead, he didn’t date crazy women.  Apparently, he’d found out she’d been the one the fire department had come to the club to rescue from the tree.

Maybe he had a point.  Maybe she was crazy.
If she was, her ex was at least partly to blame for it.  He’d messed up their ‘perfect’ life.  Messed her up.  After the initial shock and hurt, she’d finally come to the conclusion that her life was better off both emotionally and physically if she remained man-free.  Then Cole Maxwell had to go and show up in her life and make her start wanting things again.  To be held close again by a man.  By him.  And kissed passionately.  By him.  To...

She pushed any further thought of what the hunky firefighter made her
want from her mind with a groan as she pulled into the gas station on the corner.  Nanci had wine, but after a night like she’d had one bottle was not going to be enough.

A few minutes later, she was standing at her friend’s door.  When Nanci didn’t answer the knock, she opened the door and stepped inside, calling out,
“I hear there’s a chick flick party going on in here.”  

Nanci
popped her head out of the living room a second later.  “You came!”  

“You invited me
, remember?”

“
Seeing as how I’m numero uno on your current shit-list, I wasn’t sure you’d show up.”

“And miss a night of cheap wine and movies
with my best friend?” she said, tossing her purse onto the end table by the sofa.  “Not a chance.  I even brought another bottle of wine.”

Nanci
laughed.  “Good.  After the tree incident tonight, we’re going to need it.”

Kelsie laughed.  “My thoughts exactly.”

“I’ll grab some glasses from the kitchen.  You want some popcorn?”

“
Do you even have to ask?  What good’s a movie without popcorn?  I just hope you bought the really bad kind with extra salt and butter.”

Her friend smiled. 
“Boy, are you living on the edge tonight or what?  First, you attempt to play jungle girl and climb down a huge, sprawling tree.  And now this.  Who are you and what have you done with my friend?”

“Ha ha.”  Kelsie
followed her into the kitchen, ignoring her playful taunts.  “Tell you what, I’ll make the popcorn and you pour the wine.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.  Popcorn’s in the cupboard above the sink.”

“As if I don’t already know that.”  She’d spent enough time there over the years to know where Nanci kept everything.

A couple minutes later,
she pulled a steaming bag of buttered popcorn from the microwave and emptied it into the plastic bowl Nanci had handed her.  “I’m still mad at you, you know.”

“I’ll survive,”
her friend replied with a grin.

“I can’t believe you actually called 9-1-1.”

“You certainly didn’t expect me to climb up into that big ass tree myself to rescue you.”  She opened the fridge door.  “You know how much I hate heights.”  Reaching in, she grabbed for the bottle of strawberry wine chilling on the door shelf between a carton of pulp-free orange juice and a squeeze bottle of ketchup. 

Kelsie reached past her for the spray butter.  “You could have brought a ladder
with you and propped it up against the tree limb.  I could have gotten down myself.”

“
Not safe.  Besides, I did bring you a ladder.  It just happened to be hooked onto the back of a fire truck.  And let’s not forget the hunk that came along with it to help you down.  If anything, you should be thanking me.”

Kelsie
sprayed the liquid butter onto the mound of steaming popcorn.  “I guess that means I should be thanking you for the news crew, too.”

“No need.  I didn’t bring them
.” She pulled two wine glasses from the cupboard above the sink.  “News crews have scanners in their vans that tell them where all the action is.  And you, my little money friend, were the action tonight.”

She rolled her eyes. 
“Lucky me.”

“Look, I don’t know what you’re so worried about. 
Even if they did get a good shot of you, you always take great pics.  You’re naturally photogenic.”  Nanci crossed the kitchen, disappearing into the other room.

Was
she kidding?  It wasn’t as if she’d posed for a photo shoot.  She’d been photographed being rescued from a tree outside of a strip club.  How could any shot taken during that fiasco be good? 

Grabbing for the popcorn bowl, she turned to follow her friend. 
“Maybe I’m worried about my patients finding out I was anywhere near a place like that.”

Nanci set the wine glasses down on the magazine-strewn coffee
table and began filling them with wine.  “When you’re sharing a picture with a hunk like Cole Maxwell, none of your patients are going to even notice where it was taken, just who you were with at the time.  So be glad it wasn’t your date who rescued you from that tree.”

The strip club gigolo. 

As much as she hated to admit it, Nanci was probably right.  Most of the patients that came into their office were women.  They all wanted the ‘perfect’ smile without having to invest the time into orthodontic procedures.  Porcelain veneers were fast and all the rage.  Mostly single women on the hunt.  If she and Cole did make the paper, it would be him they’d be checking out.  Oddly enough, the thought of other women ‘checking’ him out didn’t sit well with her.