A Flame To Bear (Fire Bear Shifters 4) (5 page)

“It sounds glamorous, but it’s pretty straightforward. You jump out of an airplane wearing about a million pounds of gear, and try not to hit a tree when you land. Then you spend the next few days basically being a glorified lumberjack. We clear a fire break in the forest, and then set a back fire to burn into the main fire’s path so that they burn each other out. Most of the time, once we’re done with that we have to hike out. And since these fires are during the summer, it’s usually hot as hell. Especially when you’re wearing a heavy jumpsuit and hauling a bunch of gear around. So, basically, it’s one brief, exhilarating moment of jumping out of a plane followed by several sweaty, grimy days of hard physical labor.”

Bailey’s eyes had grown into wide, incredulous circles. “But, still! You get to jump out of a plane.”

Trevor chuckled. “If all you want is to jump out of a plane, you don’t have to be a smokejumper to do that. There are lots of skydiving centers where you can go get your fix.”

“I could never be that brave,” Bailey said.

“I thought that, too. But due to circumstances beyond my control, my only choice if I wanted to continue firefighting was to become a smokejumper. So I sucked it up and learned to jump out of planes. The whole ride up the first time is terrifying. But once you jump and you’re out in all that open air, it’s actually quite an amazing feeling. Almost addictive. Now I love it.”

Bailey shook her head. “You’re so brave.”

“I’m brave? You survived a hotel fire and the death of a friend. Then you told your boss to shove it and basically decided to start your life over. And you’re still sitting here smiling and laughing. I think you’re the brave one.”

Bailey laughed. “Well, thanks. I’m not sure I agree with you, but I’ll admit it’s nice to be complimented by you.”

“Oh, really? Why’s that?” Trevor asked in a flirtatious tone, narrowing his eyes in Bailey’s direction.

She batted her eyelashes at him. “It’s always nice to be complimented by a brave firefighter who saved your life and just so happens to be the sexiest specimen of a man you’ve ever seen.”

Trevor swallowed hard. She was giving him an invitation. Should he take it? His rational side told him to slow things down. They didn’t really know each other, and she had been through so much this week. But looking at the smooth skin of her face shimmering in the sunlight made it difficult to listen to anything resembling rationality.

“Bailey,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. Her face grew serious at his pleading tone, and she locked her gaze with his. She parted her lips ever so slightly, and Trevor’s breath caught in his throat. Was she giving him an invitation to kiss her?

He leaned in slowly, and deliberately, giving her plenty of time to pull away if he had misread her signals and this wasn’t what she wanted. But she didn’t pull away. In fact, she leaned in closer to meet him halfway. His lips touched hers, and he felt a thousand tiny sparks of electricity shooting through his body. Her lips were warm and soft, and she closed her eyes against his touch. He kissed her tenderly at first, and then started to increase the fervor of his lips moving against hers. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, and she moaned as he began to stroke her tongue with his. For what felt like an eternity, they kissed. Connected at the lips by passion and desire, they both took in the feeling of sweet yearning that swelled over them.

Trevor could have kept kissing her forever. He would have loved to undress her right there, taking off his sweatshirt and the sweatpants that hid her naked curves from him. But he managed to maintain a tiny bit of his resolve not to rush things.

“Come on, beautiful,” he said, pulling away from her gently. “Let’s head back to the parking area. I’ve got more surprises planned for the day.”

Bailey grinned at Trevor. “Well, well. Aren’t you a mysterious one,” she said.

“Oh you have no idea,” Trevor said. He gave her a quick wink and then started packing up the Tupperware for the hike back.

Around three-thirty in the afternoon, Trevor and Bailey made it back to the SUV.

“I hope whatever you have planned for the rest of the day doesn’t involve any more physical exertion. I’m beat,” Bailey said as she climbed into the passenger seat.

“Here, take a nap,” Trevor said. He reached into the backseat and handed her a pillow and a blanket. Bailey happily positioned the pillow against the window and snuggled under the blanket. They hadn’t even been on the road for five minutes before Trevor heard the sound of soft snoring coming from the passenger seat. He smiled. The combination of the hike and the alcohol had probably worn her out. Maybe such a long hike hadn’t been a good idea so soon after Bailey had been discharged from the hospital, but she had seemed to handle it well. The fresh air had probably done her lungs some good, anyway.

Trevor drove in silence, not wanting to even turn the radio on for fear of waking her. The blanket rose and fell rhythmically to the beat of her breathing, and her hair started escaping from her hair clip one wavy tendril at a time.

Trevor’s heart beat with anticipation when he looked at her. He wondered if it was possible that she had actually been fated for him. He’d watched over the last summer as everyone in his clan except he and Zach had taken lifemates. He’d begun to wonder if maybe he would never find anyone meant for him. But, as he looked over at Bailey and savored the warmth that had been glowing in his chest since the moment he kissed her, he allowed himself to consider the possibility that he might not spend the rest of his life alone, after all.

Maybe he hadn’t been able to love anyone until now, because, deep down, he had known that he was waiting for someone truly special.

He’d been waiting for Bailey.

She slept the entire hour long ride to a tiny town just outside of Red Valley. Trevor pulled into a parallel parking spot in front of a tiny boutique called The Gilded Thread, and turned off the SUV. When he reached over to give Bailey a gentle nudge, an adorable, sleepy mumble escaped from her lips. She blinked, and looked around in confusion for a moment.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“Just outside of Red Valley. We came here to go to this store right here—The Gilded Thread.”

Bailey sat up straight and looked out the window at the boutique. “The Gilded Thread,” she repeated. “It looks like a clothing store.”

“It is,” Trevor said. “This is part of your Valentine’s Day present.”

A small look of surprise passed across Bailey’s face. “I forgot it was even Valentine’s Day today. I mean, I knew it was getting close thanks to the huge displays of hearts in all the stores. But I lost track of the actual day.

“Well, I remembered. I hope you don’t think it’s too forward of me to do something for you for Valentine’s Day. I honestly wasn’t intending it to mean anything more than friendship when I planned this day out. But I can tell you’re a really special person, and I can also tell that you haven’t had many people in your life treat you like you’re special. And you deserve better than that.”

Bailey blushed and looked down at the floorboard, but then looked up at Trevor again with a confused look. “So, you’re getting me clothes for Valentine’s Day.”

“Well, not exactly. I’m taking you to dinner for Valentine’s Day. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think you look amazing in those sweatpants. But I can tell you feel self-conscious about wearing a cheap pair of sweatpants, and I know you’re going to want a pretty dress for the place where we’re having dinner tonight. So, I’m going to hand you my credit card, and I want you to go in that store and spend whatever you want to get whatever you want. Get yourself a dress for tonight, and then get a few outfits so you have something to wear during the week other than those sexy sweatpants.”

Bailey giggled. “That’s really sweet, Trevor. But, I don’t want to take so much money from you. This place looks expensive.”

Trevor shook his head. “It doesn’t matter how much it costs. I’ve got plenty of savings to spare. I want you to have some nice things. It makes me sad to see you walking around so uncomfortable with your clothes. There’s also a beauty shop next door. Go there, too, and get yourself some makeup and perfume…and whatever other smelly stuff girls like to wear.”

Bailey looked down at her lap, and Trevor reached over to put his credit card over her hands.

“Our dinner reservation is at seven, so you better get moving if you want to have plenty of time to take a shower and get ready.”

Bailey hesitated, and Trevor thought she was going to refuse, but she finally smiled and took the card. “Okay,” she said. “Thanks. It would be nice to wear something that doesn’t feel quite so frumpy. I’ll only spend a little bit, I promise.”

“Spend whatever you want, seriously,” Trevor said. “I’m going to go across the street to that coffeeshop and let you do your thing. Come find me when you’re done.”

Trevor gave Bailey’s arm a squeeze, and then strode across the street without looking back. If he had looked over his shoulder, he would have seen Bailey standing outside the boutique, holding his credit card in her hand and shaking her head in amazement.

* * *

Bailey watched Trevor amble across the street, his broad shoulders held straight and tall. She felt like her head was spinning. This day had not gone how she had expected. She’d been hoping that maybe after spending a day with Trevor, their friendship would be somewhat cemented. Then, they would agree to hang out again. Maybe some romantic feelings would gradually develop, and after a week or so of slow burn, one of them would be brave enough to admit that they liked the other.

She would never have guessed that Trevor would take her on a romantic hike to a waterfall, and then surprise her with an exceptionally delicious picnic. And she had been shocked when he actually kissed her. She put her fingers to her lips, which still burned with the heat from Trevor’s kiss.

Now, he had brought her here to buy something to wear to dinner tonight. She didn’t know where he had made reservations, but if his planning for the evening was anything like his planning for the rest of the day had been, she knew she wouldn’t be disappointed. She felt guilty using his credit card to get clothes, but she had to admit that she really wanted something other than these stupid sweatpants to wear. She was almost embarrassed to even go into a clothing shop looking like this.

But until she got her passport and credit card—which, hopefully had made it to her today—she had no way of buying anything decent. Even if her credit card was already back at the hotel waiting for her, she wouldn’t have time to get anything before dinner. And, damn it, Bailey wanted to look good for dinner tonight. It had been so long since a man had given her butterflies, but her heart beat faster every time Trevor’s eyes locked with hers. And today was Valentine’s Day. How could you go on a date with your crush on Valentine’s Day and not look amazing?

Bailey marched into The Gilded Thread. She would find the hottest damn dress she could, and some sexy clothes for the next few days. She was going to show Trevor that she knew how to work her curves. She would swipe that credit card and just consider it a loan. As long as she paid him back, she wouldn’t feel guilty about spending whatever she wanted right now.

She pushed away the little voice in the back of her head telling her that she didn’t have a job and needed to be sensible. She’d spent the last decade being sensible, and look where it had gotten her. Almost killed in a grungy hotel that had gone up in flames, and with a career that was dead in the water. Today wasn’t a day for being sensible. Today was a day for living.

A slender, smiling saleslady looked up when Bailey came through the front door of the boutique. Bailey thought she saw a look of surprise pass over the woman’s face at Bailey’s appearance, but it was gone so quickly that Bailey couldn’t say for sure whether she’d imagined it.

“Good afternoon. Can I help you?” the woman asked pleasantly.

“I hope so,” Bailey said. “I’ve got a date tonight for Valentine’s Day. The first time I’ve had a date on Valentine’s Day in about half a decade, actually. But I’m from out of town and lost all the clothes I have here in a hotel fire a few days ago. I desperately need something to wear that isn’t, well, this,” Bailey said, gesturing down at her baggy outfit.

The woman put her hands over her face. “Oh, my! You poor dear. Was that the hotel fire in Red Valley? I heard it was awful. They said one guy even died.”

“Yeah,” Bailey said, looking down at the floor. “I knew that guy, actually. He was a coworker of mine.”

The woman clucked sympathetically. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Listen, don’t you worry about a thing. We’re going to make sure you look stunning for your date tonight. Come with me.”

The woman led Bailey to the dressing rooms in the back. The area outside of the dressing rooms was decorated with plush couches and ottomans in vibrant pinks. A gilded glass coffeetable sat in the middle of the couches with a bowl full of colorful candy, and off to the side a water pitcher with icy water and fresh lemon slices sat waiting to be enjoyed. The saleswoman told Bailey to have a seat, and poured her a glass of water. Bailey hadn’t realized how thirsty she was, and she relished the feeling of the fresh, citrusy water cooling off her throat.

The woman asked Bailey a few questions about her size, and color and style preferences. Then she disappeared into the sales racks for a few moments, coming back with five different dress options. Bailey loved every single one.

“Wow, you have some really cute stuff here,” Bailey said, reaching out to stroke the soft fabric of a blush pink halter dress.

“Try these on, dear. If you don’t like them, don’t worry. I have plenty more. What size shoe do you wear?”

“Nine,” Bailey said, still admiring the dresses the woman had brought to her.

The woman nodded. “We’ll get you some shoes and jewelry, too. Just start by trying those on and telling me what you think.”

Bailey did as she was told, grabbing the pile of soft, delicate dresses and stepping behind one of the elegant curtains that cordoned off each fitting room. For the next hour, she felt like a princess as she tried on dresses, blouses, skirts, pants, and shoes. Bailey knew the saleswoman was likely motivated in part by a sales commission, but she did feel genuinely cared for as well.

In the end, Bailey had to use some self control to keep herself from buying the whole store. She loved everything she saw. For everyday outfits she bought a pair of jeans that fit her better than any other jeans she had ever tried, two ultra-soft sweaters, one smooth long-sleeved button down shirt, and a pair of beige ballet flats in rich, supple leather.

For her date, she decided on a long-sleeved dress with a fitted bodice at the top that gave way to a flowy skirt ending just above her knee. The dress had a scalloped neckline and sleeves that were a bit off the shoulder. Bailey had never seen a dress quite like it, and she knew the minute she put it on that she wanted this dress to be the one she wore for her date with Trevor that night. The best part about it was the color—oh, the color. It was a deep, dark purple that almost seemed to bring out specks of violet in Bailey’s eyes.

The saleswoman found Bailey a pair of simple, nude heels to keep the attention on the dress, and a simple necklace with a delicate chain that held one shimmering, crystal stone. Bailey tried the entire outfit on and honestly had never felt so beautiful. She could hardly wait to see Trevor’s face when he saw her wearing this. She swiped Trevor’s credit card, wincing at the total, but telling herself not to worry about it. She would pay him back, and she had a little bit of savings. She would find another job soon enough. No need to worry about money right now.

Bailey went next door to the beauty store and picked up some basic makeup and one of her favorite perfumes. She also got some decent hair products, so she could wash and style her hair better. After a quick glance at the clock on the wall, she realized she needed to get going if she wanted to have time to properly get ready before her big date.

She paid for her purchases and went across the street to find Trevor, who was buried in a paperback book that looked like some sort of science fiction time travel story.

“Looks like you’re really into that story,” Bailey said.

Trevor glanced up in surprise. “Oh, hey. Yeah. My buddy Luke’s girl, River, is a librarian. She got him into these science fiction books, and he kind of dragged me into the series along with him. I was never much of a reader before, but they’re really good. I always keep one in the SUV in case I’m stuck waiting somewhere for a while. Like when I’m waiting on a woman to find a dress for a special dinner,” he said with a wink.

“Sorry, I know it took a while. That place had so many cute things. How did you know about the store, anyway? It doesn’t seem like your type of clothing,” Bailey said with a laugh.

“Actually, River recommended that store to me. I asked her if she knew any good places to buy clothes around Red Valley. Apparently, she gets almost all of her stuff from there.”

“Well, I can see why. River has good taste. Wait until you see the outfit I found for dinner tonight.”

“I’m looking forward to it. Let’s get going,” Trevor said, and let out a throaty growl. Bailey had never a sound quite like it, but she thought it sounded pretty sexy.