Spark Of Desire (31 page)

Stretched out on her stomach, she had one arm crooked under her pillow and the other hanging off the side of the bed. He hoped she didn’t sleep that way all the time because if she did, the guys she ended up working with were going to use it against her. Last night they hadn’t left the bedroom. They hadn’t left the bed. The light on the dresser still burned. They had lain curled together in her bed, talking a little and floating in their own euphoria. When she moved into his house, they would sleep in her bed, and she should move in soon. Within days, if possible.

Lightly he touched her shoulder. Turning toward the touch, she sighed in her sleep. He caressed along her hip, feeling her warm satin skin with his palm.

She twisted around, her eyes drowsing open. “Good morning.” Her hands teased down his sides, shifting him on top of her. “I love you,” she whispered.

Immersed in a warm salty sea, he moved inside her, half aware of what was happening. She arched, exposing her throat and pressing her heavy breasts against him. Her tension twisted through him until her body tightened and her mouth formed a taut, silent O. He squeezed his eyes closed and buried his face against her neck as his own climax took him.

She stroked her fingers through his hair as he brought his breathing back under control. “You learn fast,” he murmured.

“I thought you would have noticed that by now.” Her voice was low and sultry. “You know, you didn’t have to propose to get me into bed. You could have managed that with a sincere and garbled apology.”

“I had to propose if I wanted to be doing this when we’re a hundred and two.” Kevin realized that that’s what he’d wanted all along. He’d wanted the right to wake up next to her every morning for the rest of his life. Two mornings in three until retirement. Well, one morning in three once she got her assignment. That would be enough.

She laughed. “I’ll be a hundred and two, you’ll be a hundred and nine.”

He caressed her cheek. “At that point, I don’t think it’ll matter.”

“I don’t think it matters now.”

He kissed her shoulder. “We should get up.”

“Why? I don’t have to be downtown for hours.” She stretched and her body moved against his.

Why hadn’t he liked full-sized women? There had been some reason. He seemed to remember thinking her inappropriate because she was too big. Whatever it was, it had been, as Jack so delicately put it, an excuse.

“Well, if you’re going to lie there awestruck and not entertaining me, I’m going to take a shower.” She swung her legs off the side of the bed and sat up. “I don’t think I need the run this morning. I’ve had enough exercise.”

“I have one question. Why were you on birth control?”

Jessica shrugged. “I wanted to be prepared in case I had the chance to pick up a firefighter in the Reference section.”

He watched a blush spread across her face. “Are you embarrassed about this?”

“How could I get to thirty as a single virgin on birth control and not be?”

Kevin rolled over and put his hands behind his head. “I didn’t think anything embarrassed you.”

“That was it.” She wrinkled her nose. “Too bad you can’t use it on me anymore.” She kissed his cheek and stood up.

“Maybe not, but I want you to do me one favor.”

She stopped in the bathroom door. “What?”

“Will you grow your hair out?” He wanted it to be a joke, but knew there was too much truth to the request.

She looked at him for a long moment. “You hate it.” She touched her hair. It was too short to get very messed up.

He remembered the day of the wedding, the day they had been kissing on the couch when her father called. When she was trying to make sense of his raving, her hair had been tousled around her head. The sight had nearly made him stop and take her in his arms, promising to take care of her if that’s what she wanted. Strange how it wasn’t what she wanted at all. “I liked it better before.”

“Okay. I only did it to irritate you anyway.” She walked into the bathroom and turned on the water.

“Hey, does this mean every time you’re mad at me you’re going to cut your hair?”

She shrugged. “Maybe.” She stepped into the shower.

Kevin rolled onto his back. There were worse things she could do. He could live with the occasional haircut, and it would make for a pretty clear indication of how badly he’d screwed up. He could hear the guys now. ‘Hey Marshall, your woman chopped off her hair again. What the hell did you do this time?’

* * * *

Kevin leaned on the rear bumper of his car, waiting for Jessica to come out. He’d read the entire paper, including the comic strips he usually skipped. Any time now she would be out and, short of threatening the mayor with death, she’d be a member of the fire department. He sighed. Now things would get interesting.

A car pulled into the lot and parked nearby. Jack jumped out, slamming the door. “So, it went okay?” He strolled over to join Kevin leaning on the bumper.

“Great. We’re getting married in about a year and a half, once she’s through her probational year and before she’s eligible for the paramedic exam.”

Jack nodded as if he’d expected this outcome.

“Kate’s car?”

Jack picked up the front page. “Yeah. Needs an oil change, so she took my truck to school today.”

“Domestic bliss already?”

Jack shrugged. “You’ll see. It’s got its perks.” He dropped the paper on the trunk.

Another car pulled in and parked in the next aisle. Lew and Dan got out and came over.

“So does this mean there’s good news?” Dan asked.

“Marriage,” Jack said.

“Oh, that’s terrible. I’m so sorry.” Dan grinned. “Does this mean we can’t play poker at your house anymore?”

Kevin snorted. “What are you two doing here, anyway?”

“We thought she might need some post-exam company.” Lew folded his arms. “But it looks like there’s plenty. Including Bobbie.”

The other three men watched Bobbie’s car pull in. She parked beside Dan and sat there for a minute before she got out to join them. Her face seemed a little paler than normal and her eyes glittered with tension.

“Hi, Bobbie.” Lew grinned at her.

“What are you guys all doing here?” Her voice was faint and uncertain.

“Waiting for Jessica to get out of her interview,” Jack said. He stood away from the car so he was between Kevin and Bobbie. “What about you?”

“Same.” Her eyes narrowed as they settled on Kevin. “You?”

“I—I drove her here,” Kevin stammered and swallowed. He didn’t want them knowing all the details. Jack raised an eyebrow at him and Bobbie’s eyes narrowed a little further, but Dan and Lew didn’t seem to pick up on the significance.

“Is that so?” Bobbie said. “I guess you don’t need me here then, do you?” Her ears started to turn pink.

“Bobbie, you don’t have to leave,” Kevin murmured. How many years had she had a crush on him and he hadn’t noticed? Had he talked about other women in front of her like she was one of the guys? How could he make up for that track record of insensitivity?

“That’s okay.” She took a step backward. “I can go.”

“Bobbie!” Jessica cut through the middle of the group and hugged the other woman. “I passed. It’s not official yet or anything, but they told me I passed. I start training in a month. I want to play with your chainsaw some more before then, is that okay with you? Hey, are we still on for dinner?”

“Dinner?” Bobbie asked. Her cheeks were beginning to match her ears.

“You said you wanted to go out to dinner to celebrate.”

“But… I thought… What about Kevin?”

Jessica glanced over her shoulder at Kevin, but turned back to Bobbie before she had a chance to move. “What about Kevin?”

“I just thought you’d have dinner with him.” Bobbie shifted her feet, managing to gain another half step away from the group.

“Why would I do that when I already had plans with you?” Jessica asked.

Kevin registered the false innocence in Jessica’s voice. She was babbling at Bobbie to keep her from bolting. Bobbie had to be humiliated after her spectacular display at his house a couple of days ago, and she didn’t even know they were getting married yet. The other guys were watching, covering their fascination as best they could. Jessica might just be able to work out this little problem he had with Bobbie.

“I thought that might have changed,” Bobbie whispered.

“No. Why would it?”

Bobbie looked at the ground. “I don’t know.”

“So I’ll meet you at your place about six. Is that okay or do you want to go earlier?”

“Six is fine,” Bobbie answered. Her voice rasped like she’d eaten too much smoke.

“Okay then, I’ll see you at six.”

Bobbie nodded and turned away.

“Hey, Bobbie,” Kevin called before she got too far away. He needed to take a lead from Jessica. If Jessica was going to keep plans she’d made with Bobbie before, then he should too. Bobbie turned back. “You coming to play poker next week?”

“Sure. I guess so.” The smile Bobbie directed at Dan and Lew before retreating to her car and driving away had a serious twitch.

Dan whistled as Bobbie pulled out of the parking lot. “You don’t play poker, do you?” he asked Jessica.

“No, why?”

“Because if you decided to use that talent for evil, you could be a rich woman.”

Epilogue

Jessica limped through the door and looked around the dining room. “They aren’t here yet.”

“Of course they aren’t here. We’re fifteen minutes early.” Kevin crowded through the door behind her. “You go find a table while I order.”

“But why Wendy’s?” Jessica shifted her crutches for better balance.

“I don’t know. Jack said something about reliving a first date and getting to needle his sister at the same time. Go find a table before you fall off those things.”

Jessica worked her way through the maze of tables. Kate had been right, not many people chose to eat at Wendy’s on Valentine’s Day. They had considered going to Meechan’s, but decided since they all ate there pretty regularly it wouldn’t be much of an occasion. Jessica eased into a chair. At a fire this morning, she’d twisted her ankle on a slippery sidewalk. It would be healed up in time for her to go back on duty the day after tomorrow. Unfortunately, it limited her mobility on her one day in three with Kevin.

She watched Kevin at the counter. The department had solved its problem of having a couple working together by scheduling them on different shifts at different stations. He came home from work about half an hour after she’d left. Her parents had been amused by the exchange when they visited over Christmas. Her mother referred to it as the changing of the guard.

She had never been so glad to see them leave as she had been this year. Normally, they stayed in a hotel because she’d never had a guest room. Kevin had a guest room and had offered to let them use it. Ten days of her parents being within sight or hearing had driven both of them crazy. They’d left all the decorations up and pretended it was Christmas Eve the day her parents left. Kevin had learned to manage her mother much better than Jessica ever did. He’d gotten along with her father like an old chum. Now she had his family to conquer.

“What are you smiling about?” Kevin asked, setting the tray on the table beside her.

“I still don’t know how my father talked you into the model train extravaganza in the basement.”

“Oh.” Kevin chewed his lips. “You know, we were talking, and one thing led to another and the next thing I know we’re at the hobby shop on River Road talking about track.” He moved a chair and pushed another table against the one she’d chosen.

“It’s taking over down there,” Jessica pointed out. “Funny how Dad hasn’t put down a single length of track since after New Year’s, yet it keeps getting bigger and more elaborate.”

“Isn’t it, though? I’m afraid it might build itself a scaffold so it can come up to the first floor. Now that a certain professional artist is finished painting the nursery at Jack’s, I might talk her into helping me build some scenery.”