The Firefighter's Cinderella. Dominique Burton
distraction. She moved her cheek so it would rub against his smooth jaw. Their lips were millimeters away from connecting when C.J.’s cell phone buzzed.
“Shall we stay hidden?” He flashed a smile that made her think anything was possible with him.
“I’d like to, unless you’re on call tonight?” Tasha queried playfully.
C.J.’s eyes never left hers as he shook his head. “I’m not on call until tomorrow.” She could see him fumble with his phone before turning it off.
“Will you get in trouble for that?”
“No. I carry another phone on me just in case there’s an emergency.” He gave her a slow wink. “Tasha, you always were a worrier.”
“It’s what my clients expect me to be for them.”
“No more talk of work. I can take care of myself and the station.”
C.J. clearly had other things on his mind. She could see his eyes exploring her face and upper body.
“Okay,” she whispered.
His fingertips ran up her arms to her neck, sending shivers coursing through her. Instead of talking, she decided to enjoy the sensation. Now he was drawing circles at her nape.
The air crackled with electricity. He drew her closer and gave her a light kiss on her lips. Just as he moved to deepen it, a phone with a fire alarm ring went off. C.J. reached into the pocket of his tux and pulled out a sleek silver cell. “Powell here.”
Tasha leaned back in the seat, still aflame from his touch and kiss. He jerked back into firefighter mode as if nothing had happened between them. “I’ll be right there, Chief. Thanks for the tip. I owe you.”
She turned to look at him, and found his whole countenance had changed. She wondered what he’d heard that had altered him so drastically. “Did somebody you know get hurt?”
“Tasha, we need to go!”
“What are you talking about?”
“The station has been trying to find me.” C.J. stood up and grabbed her hand as he began to run.
“Stop! I can barely move.” Tasha was struggling to keep up.
He paused and swung her into his arms. “Your condo is on fire.”
She was stunned. “My cat! Stormy’s there!”
“I know the commander in charge of the fire,” C.J. said, striding to the elevator with her in his arms, “and he’s the best there is.”
They reached the elevator, and he pushed the button frantically.
Tasha’s heart plummeted as they descended. She loved her home, her life, her memorabilia, but only Stormy was irreplaceable.
Chapter Three
On the way out to the car—she was still in C.J.’s arms—Tasha reached into her clutch for her cell phone and called Terrance. Once she’d told him what had happened, she gave him instructions on what to do for the rest of the evening.
“Aren’t you going to call your parents?” C.J. asked after she clicked off.
“No.”
He pulled her closer. “You’re going to need family to deal with this type of upheaval in your life.”
She shook her head. “All they’ve ever done is make matters worse. Didn’t you ever listen when Tim and I used to talk about our parents?”
He put her down, then gave the parking stub to the nearest valet. “I listened all right. I just have a hard time believing parents can be that bad.”
He opened the passenger door for her, then walked around to the driver’s seat. She was happy to let him drive. She pulled out a couple of bills and shoved the money into the valet’s hand, then turned to C.J. “Hurry!” she cried.
They took off as fast as traffic would allow.
THEY COULD SEE SMOKE billowing from the building when they were a block away. “I was hoping the fire would be more contained,” C.J. muttered as he slowed to hunt for a parking spot.
Tasha shot him a confused look. “Why are there firefighters on top of the roof with picks and axes?”
His features hardened. “They’re letting heat out in an attempt to create a safer environment to get inside to check for civilians and animals.”
“Oh! Do you think they’ve found Stormy?” Her voice shook and a tear slipped from her eye.
“Let’s go and find out.” C.J. maneuvered the sports car into a tiny parking spot on San Francisco’s famed Lombard Street, just a half block from the fire. “If they haven’t found your cat, I’ll go in and find him for you.”
“No!”
“Why not?” He looked at her as if she were crazy as he unbuckled both their seat belts.
“I’m not letting you risk your life for me and my cat!”
He took her face in his hands. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. I give you my word.”
“I’m terrified.” Her eyes were glossy with tears.
“I know and I’m going to bring you past the perimeter, to see if we can find Stormy. But we’ve got to hurry, okay?” His eyes searched hers, imparting a sense of assurance. No wonder he was a captain.
Tasha nodded. But there was no way she was going to let him go in. She had to talk him out of it once they were at the fire. She knew she wasn’t thinking clearly. But after that kiss she couldn’t fathom losing C.J. right after finding him again.
Before they even had a chance to get out of the car, a firefighter came running. “Sorry, folks, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave the area immediately.”
C.J. nodded and began reaching for his wallet. “Officer, I’m Captain C. J. Powell. Mac Jefferson, the geographic chief, just called me and asked me to come down.” He showed him his badge.
“I can let you through, sir, but not your girlfriend.” He was emphatic about it.
Frustrated, C.J. got out of the car so he could stare down at this rookie. “This is Natasha Bennington. It’s her condo that’s burning. Mac called us here to see what was going on.” C.J. folded his arms. “You phone him. Go ahead. See what he tells you.”
The officer had the grace to look embarrassed. “Sorry, sir,” he mumbled.
C.J. was done with talking, and turned to comfort Tasha. To his horror, the woman who’d set his heart on fire tonight was gone! He threw his jacket in the car and sprinted down the street to find her.
The scene at a fire was something he was used to, but he was viewing it for the first time through a civilian’s eyes. It looked like a war zone, with engines lining the winding narrow road as far as the eye could see. He could only imagine what Tasha would think, seeing ladders hoisted against the Spanish-style condo, pairs of men rushing into her building with hoses that would run at full pressure once inside. Black smoke billowing out meant the condo was cooling down, but she couldn’t know that.
He thought about all the terrible things that could happen to a civilian at a catastrophe like this, and knew paralyzing fear for the first time ever. His fingers furrowed through his hair as the acrid smell of smoke filled his nostrils. Closer to the building, the air became dark with soot. What if she was struck by a hose? Worse, what if she tried to go into her condo?
He ran to the front of the condo, where he finally spotted Tasha. She was standing beside Mac, arguing with him.
She was all right.
C.J. hurried over just as Tasha was saying, “But you don’t understand, Chief. My cat, Stormy, could