Page 8 of She’s Got that Spark
We both moan contentedly as the kiss deepens, taking over our entire bodies. Her legs rub against mine, her fingers spear through the back of my hair. I untuck her shirt so my fingers can caress her side, then the base of her spine. Damn, the way this girl moves drives me wild.
The need to slip my hand into her pants becomes almost overwhelming, so I break off the kiss to pull myself together.
There’s a sharp chatter, and we both look back to the bike to see a perky chipmunk running around the tires.
“Hey – I just wondered. Do you drive the motorcycle in your firefighter gear?” Emma asks.
“No. If I’m answering a call, I’ll take my truck, which has some equipment in it.” My chest puffs out. “Us burly mountain men have to have a truck out here. It’s in the rules. And if you’re a volunteer fighter, that goes double.”
She laughs. “Sounds expensive.”
“All of our gear is provided. Depending on what kind of call it is, someone will either grab a water truck, or an equipment van, or both. There are thirteen vehicles spread across the three-town zone, so someone will always get there quickly.”
Her eyes widen. “Wow. Okay, that soundsreallyexpensive.”
“We’re very well-funded.” I glance shiftily from side to side, as if checking for eavesdroppers. “Don’t tell anyone, but there’s an anonymous donor who buys the volunteers all the gear we need and pays for our training – two weeks a year in the summer, together with a couple of long weekends in the spring and fall. Plus we’re given a generous honorarium every year. The Fire Marshall and admin assistant are paid. It’s not how most volunteer firefighter teams are set up, but it works for us out here in the mountainous sticks.”
“Do you have any idea who the donor is?”
I chuckle. “Nope. On a completely unrelated topic, what’s the name of this mountain again?”
She taps the side of her nose. “Aha. Gotcha.”
We chat for a while about Wolfe Mountain, how Emma’s Aunt Tish and Uncle Boyle have lived here for ages, and before that her uncle’s family, including her dad. When she tells me about her two older sisters, her eyes narrow so slightly I don’t think she even realizes she’s doing it, but there’s definitely some tension there.
The wind picks up, so I drive her back to town, taking the slow, scenic route. Just before we get there, I feel my phone vibrate. Pulling over, I check the text.
Dammit.
“It’s a call. I’ll drop you at your place, then go straight there on the bike. Trucks are already enroute.” I look at her carefully. “I won’t speed, but I’m going to have to drive a bit faster. Is that okay?”
She nods. “Sure. Whatever you have to do.”
“Great. Hang on, Sparky.”
We get to her house in no time. Then I check my phone again. “Oh my god, they canceled the call,” I chuckle.
“The fire’s already out?”
“Yeah. Sometimes people panic and call before they realize they can take care of it themselves.” I respond to the text that I’ve got the message, then turn to Emma. “It’s fine. We’d much rather respond to a false alarm than have someone lose their house because they didn’t want to bother us.”
“Make sense.”
I take the helmet from her hand, then sling my arm around her. “Do you know what time you get lunch tomorrow?”
“One-thirty, after the midday rush. But I only get half an hour. Why?”
“Would you like to check out my shop? I can totally feed you in half an hour.”
Her eyes light up.
“Really? I’d love to see more of your art in person.”
Man, this girl is unnaturally pretty. I’m going to eventually freak her out from staring at her precious face all the time. My hand gravitates to her hip, squeezing gently. “It’s a date.”
Just as I start to lean in to kiss her, Emma stiffens and steps back a bit. Her eyes flick to the house, and she shakes her head slightly.
“They’re watching?” She nods imperceptibly. “Fine.” Keeping a polite distance, I smile. “Remember how I was kissing you up at the lookout?” Her cheeks stain faintly pink. “Now imagine if I had picked you up and backed you up against a tree, cradling the back of your head with one hand while the other roamed all over every inch of your body as I kissed you so hard you felt it down to your toenails.”