Everything Bared (Six-Alarm Sexy) (29 page)

Jamie folded his arms across his massive chest and frowned. “Why can’t she have her career and a family? Most of the guys do.”

“And what about the female firefighters?” Jamie shrugged and looked out the window again. William snorted. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

His lips pressed into a thin line, Jamie sat across the desk from William. “What are your intentions toward her?”

William laughed. “Are you my big brother or hers?”

He’d hoped his little joke would lighten Jamie up a bit. If anything, Jamie’s expression grew even more serious, more determined. “When you’ve saved someone’s life and they’ve saved yours, you’re closer than siblings.”

Jamie’s words chilled William’s bones, reminding him of the incredibly tight bond between the firefighters. A bond stronger than that of brothers. The realization left him empty and wanting.

“Answer my question, William. If you don’t feel about Dani the way she does about you, let her go. Don’t let her ruin her life for a fantasy.”

“I like her a lot, but I don’t know yet if we can be good for each other.” Did he want kids more than he wanted her? His belly flipped at the image of Danielle wearing his ring, of her pregnant with their child.

Sighing, Jamie stood and grabbed the papers like they were coated in poison. He jammed them into the pocket of his shirt. “I’ll hold onto this for two more weeks. You need to get your shit together and figure out what you want. If she still wants to quit then, I’ll pass her resignation on to Human Resources.”

“Thank you, Jamie.”

“I’m doing this for her. I’d hate to see a good woman destroyed by a self-serving man, even if he is my brother.”

Jamie turned on his heel, and William stared at his retreating back, stunned by what he’d just learned. Danielle loved him enough to change her whole life for him, to give up her career. Hell, she’d even tried to curb her sexual needs and go vanilla for him. Thank God he’d been able to set her straight about that. He loved how she was in bed, her adventurousness and zeal to explore. Those were the same qualities that made her so much fun to be with out of bed too.

But what about her giving up firefighting? Did that make Danielle more or less appealing as a life partner, as a wife? He’d seen what her schedule had been like since she’d moved in with him. Crazy didn’t even begin to describe it. That combined with his own hectic work hours, any children they had would be raised by nannies. And what if something happened to her on the job? His chest tightened and he had to fight for air. Could he raise their children alone? Was what he felt for her enough to risk so much?

Things would be infinitely less complicated with a woman like Kathleen. She’d be there to support him and his career, not the other way around. Their children would be raised by their mother, not by a bunch of strangers. He could count on her always being there when he got home, waiting for him with a drink and dinner in the oven.

Much like Danielle had been doing all week.

He was macho enough to have enjoyed the attention, but he’d enjoyed it even more when she’d let loose in the bedroom—when she’d acted like herself.
Fuck.

He wanted Danielle.

But did he want her enough to let her change her life for him? Or did he love her enough to accept her as she was—a gloriously sexy firefighter?

Chapter 14

Dani stood by Will’s side as he greeted Caldwell Fine Furnishings’ employees and their families, welcoming them to the party. Her platoon, and Drew who’d taken her shift, had set up Ladder 27 near the main entrance. A few of the guys were manning the huge inflatable bounce houses filled with laughing kids while the others were showing off their gear and the truck, explaining how everything worked. Chad and Liam were in Medic 21 right beside them. They were having fun letting a group of kids check out the inside of the ambulance and try out their stethoscopes.

Will’s hand on her shoulder drew her attention back to the gentleman in front of her, the VP of marketing. A thrill flirted with her spine each time Will introduced her as his
girlfriend
. She smiled brightly. Yeah, she missed being with her platoon, but this was nice too, really nice.

From her spot at Dani’s heel, Coco seemed to be getting agitated. The dog’s tail whipped against the backs of Dani’s calves. She tightened her grip on the leash. “What is it, girl?”

Coco whined and tugged on her collar. Slightly alarmed, Dani searched for what was making her so jittery.

“Coco! Dani!”

Coco barked as a dark-haired boy separated from the line and raced up to them, stopping out of leaping range. Dani recognized him immediately. Crouching, she called him forward. “Hi, Matt! Coco’s very excited to see you. Do you remember what to do?”

He nodded and slowly walked up to Coco, who happily sniffed his outstretched hand. He gave Dani a hug, then turned to pet the dog’s back. Dani searched, but didn’t see any adults with him. “Does one of your parents work here, Matt?”

“My d-dad.”

Matt was enjoying a tongue bath when a concerned-looking man hurried up to them. “Sir, I’m so sorry,” he said to Will. Then turned to the boy. “Matt, come here.”

Smiling gently, Will put a hand on the man’s shoulder. “No worries. Matt was just saying hello to Coco. Have you met my girlfriend? Danielle Harris, this is Gordon Walker, one of our line supervisors.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Walker.”

“Likewise, Ms. Harris.” Gordon pointed to Coco. “I don’t mean to be rude, but is it okay to have a dog at an event like this?”

“Not rude at all, sir. Coco is a search-and-rescue dog with the Seattle Fire Department. I’m her handler,” Dani explained.

He smiled then, his shoulders losing some of their stiffness. “So you’re the firefighter that went to Matt’s school last week. He’s been talking nonstop about the two of you. Says he wants to be a firefighter just like you when he grows up.”

Dani laughed and ruffled the boy’s hair. “We had a great time that day.”

Gordon leaned in close and said in a voice low enough his son wouldn’t hear, “I can’t thank you enough, Firefighter Harris. What you did for Matt gave an incredible boost to his confidence. His teacher said he’s talking more at school and making friends. Honestly, we were starting to get very worried about him.”

The words of appreciation wrapped around Dani like a warm blanket. Situations like this, where she’d touched someone’s life unexpectedly, were why she loved her job so much. She blinked and swallowed down the lump in her throat.

“Matt’s a great kid. Any time he wants to see us, bring him by Station—”

Oh God. Realization crashed down on her. She wouldn’t be at the station. No one would ever call her Firefighter Harris again. She’d never get to help kids like Matt again. This was it. Fighting back tears, she fumbled in her purse for a pen and a piece of paper. After writing down her name and phone number, she handed it to Matt’s dad. “Better yet, call me at this number. Matt and Coco can play in the park. They’re obviously great friends.”

After they left, Dani and Will continued to greet the arrivals. When they’d finally made their way to the end of the line, the party was well underway. Will led her inside the building to the cafeteria where buffet-style tables piled high with food had been set up. Noticing the sandwiches, she grabbed a couple along with some vegetables. No way would she have risked eating a burger and dripping ketchup on her new outfit. The thing had cost her a paycheck.

Will dragged her off to the far end of the cafeteria, some distance away from the other diners. They sat side by side and enjoyed the moment of relative quiet and privacy. He smiled at her, his expression soft and happy. “Danielle, what you did for Matt is nothing short of a miracle.”

“What do you mean? I just let him play with Coco.”

Still smiling, he shook his head. “Last time I saw him, he was sullen and withdrawn. He refused to speak to anyone. The Walkers were even considering moving away to get him into another school district with better programs for kids with disabilities. Maybe that won’t be needed now.”

She was happy she’d been able to help Matt in some way. But he’d be the last. When she leaned her head against Will’s shoulder, he brushed her lips in a light kiss. Surprised by his public display of affection, she jerked away from him and glanced around.

“Relax,” he said, grinning. “You looked like you needed a little something.”

“Oh, I need something all right, but it’s not little.” Had this been a week earlier, she’d have found a way to discreetly palm him. Now she just arched a brow.

“You are so naughty, Ms. Harris. Wait until I get you alone, then we’ll see if what I’ve got is big enough to satisfy you.”

“I’m pretty sure we’ve already established that you satisfy me plenty, Mr. Caldwell.” But could he be her everything? Could he replace the satisfaction she got from being a firefighter, from her work with the SAR team, from the work they did with schools?

Will frowned. “You okay, sweetheart? You seem a little sad.”

“I’m fine.” She forced a smile and bit into her sandwich.

He munched absently on a carrot. “You seemed to enjoy talking with Matt, and you’re great with Chloe.”

Her brows rose. Where was he going with this?

“Uh… do you want kids some day?” he asked, the tips of his ears turning red.

Why was he asking her this? Without thinking, she spouted her usual reply. “I love kids, but they’re not for me.”

Will stared at her. “Really? What would make you think that?”

“My work. I can’t raise kids if I’m never—” She stopped abruptly. Her work wouldn’t be a problem anymore.

“Danielle, what is it?”

Although she’d planned to tell him later that evening, she didn’t see any other way out of this conversation. “I—I quit my job. I gave Jamie my resignation letter this morning.”

She wasn’t sure what kind of reaction she’d expected from Will, but it sure as shit wasn’t the stoicism he currently sported.

“May I ask why?”

Her vision blurred. Fuck! She turned her back to him and crossed her arms, circling them tightly around the very conservative skirt suit she wore. What was with the waterworks lately? She ran into burning buildings, crawled through collapsing tunnels, and swung off the sides of bridges to help hapless strangers. She wasn’t some ninny who cried at every turn.

“Danielle.” With his hands on her shoulders, Will turned her to face him. “Why did you quit your job?”

Looking up at him, at his gorgeous blue eyes filled with concern for her, she swallowed any regrets. “I did it for us. So we’d have a chance.”

“Because you want a family—a husband and children.”

Before answering, she paused and studied his expression. Why was he so upset? “Yes,” she said.

“You think you can’t have a family and a career?”

She squared her shoulders. “Not with a man like you.” Despite her struggle, her voice retained a quiver she detested.

“Is that what you want? A family, with me?”

“It is.” She locked gazes with him. “Now the question is, Will, what do you want?”

Before Will could respond, Dani scented something acrid. “Hold that thought,” she said, pushing to her feet. Letting her nose lead her, she hurried down a narrow corridor behind where she’d been sitting, Will and Coco on her heels.

“What is it?” Will asked.

Just ahead, smoke seeped out from under a closed door. She pointed. “Fire. Pull the alarm.”

Will’s eyebrows rose. “What? Are you sure?”

When he approached the door, Dani’s heart lurched. “Shit! Don’t touch that.” She grabbed his arm and shoved him behind her. Christ. Didn’t he know the fire would roar through the door if the room were engulfed? Seeing a fire alarm on the wall, she ran over and pulled it, then as the blare of the warning signal battered her ears, she pulled out her phone and dialed 9-1-1. After quickly relaying the details to the operator, she caught Will’s arm and headed back to the cafeteria.

Jamie came running toward her, the soles of his bunker boots slapping the tiles. “Dispatch said you called in a 2-1-1.”

“I spotted smoke coming through a door down that hallway,” she said, pointing behind her.

“What’s down there?” Jamie asked Will.

“Inventory room.”

“Fuck. Any chemicals?”

“They should be locked up in a different room.” Will looked up at the ceiling. “The fire-suppression system isn’t working, and the alarm didn’t go off until Dani pulled it.”

Jamie glowered at him. “Interesting, isn’t it?”

Turning to the men behind him, Jamie called out orders. “Engines 10 and 13 are on their way. Drew and Colin, go throw a ladder to the Charlie side of the building. That should put us right over the inventory room where the fire seems to be. Evan and Mark, start softening the building. Gabe, you and I will handle evacuation.”

“LJ.” Dani grabbed his arm. “What do you want me to do?”

He stared at her, his mouth stern. “Get outside and wait for the all-clear.”

“Of course.” Her stomach twisted into knots. She wasn’t working today, and soon, she wouldn’t be working at all. This is how she would feel every time she heard a siren—useless. Will took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. They walked outside and into a chaotic storm of crying infants, excited children, and fearful adults.

Under Gabe’s direction, the security team spread out and started urging people into the parking lot, away from the building. Wanting to see what the platoon was doing, Dani tugged on Will’s hand. “Let’s go to the back of the building.”

After casting a look at the CFF employees and their families, he nodded. As they rounded the corner of the building, Engine 10 pulled up beside Ladder 27. Black smoke was rising under the edge of the roof. Drew extended the ladder while Colin got their ventilation equipment ready. The engine company began laying lines into the building. Engine 13 arrived, stopping beside Engine 10. The firefighters got out and hooked up their hoses before the driver drove the three hundred feet to the pump to get a supply, with lines paying out of the back hose bed.

Jamie ran out of the building, the rest of the platoon behind him. Seeing the Battalion 5 chief arrive, he ran over to the man’s vehicle. They conferred for a minute, then Jamie made a beeline for her while signaling to the platoon to continue on. “Suit up, K9.”