A Firefighter in Her Stocking

He closed his eyes. “Do you want me to come inside with you, Sarah?”

“What do you think?”

“That I want you to come with me tomorrow evening to a party at my station.”

Stunned, Sarah blinked. “A party at your fire station?”

He nodded. “The crew will be cleaned up and have their partners with them. It’s an annual pre-Thanksgiving meal, of sorts. I’d like you to go with me.”

“But...won’t they wonder who I am?”

A V formed on his forehead. “Why would they? I’ll introduce you. They’re a rowdy bunch, but I wouldn’t trade them for any other.”

He was inviting her to go with him to a party at his fire hall. To introduce her to his coworkers. He was letting her know tonight wasn’t a one-night stand, that there would be a tomorrow night.

Smiling, she nodded. “I’d love to go with you, Jude.”

“Great.” He let out a sigh of relief, then bent and kissed her with the quickest of pecks on her eagerly waiting lips. “I’ll text you the exact details in the morning and pick you up about seven tomorrow evening. We’ll take a taxi if that’s okay with you?”

Did he think he’d set a precedent with the limo that he’d have to constantly repeat?

“I usually walk most places I go,” she reminded him, not wanting him to confuse her with someone who expected grand gestures all the time. “We can do that, or take a taxi if walking to your station is too far.”

“It’s not that far, but we’ll take a taxi.” With that he took a step back from her and didn’t quite meet her eyes as he said, “See you tomorrow, Doc.”

With that he opened her apartment door, practically picked her up and set her inside, handed her keys to her, then pulled the door closed.

With him on the other side.

* * *

Jude leaned against Sarah’s door and fought the urge to rip it off to get back to her.

What had he just done? Turned down an offer from a woman he wanted more than he’d ever wanted any other?

He’d lost his mind. Had to have.

But going into her apartment with her, knowing what would happen, wouldn’t have been right.

Not with Sarah.

Not when spending the night with her would make her think she was no different from any other woman he’d ever known.

She was. So very different.

He wasn’t playing for keeps so what she thought shouldn’t matter so much, but it did.

She wasn’t one of his women.

He wouldn’t, couldn’t, treat her as if she was.

CHAPTER TEN

ALTHOUGH SARAH HAD other plans, she spent the day at a mall instead. Not her favorite thing to do any time of year but as the holiday season was getting under way, the crowds made the whole outing that much more intimidating.

She was intimidated.

She bought clothes to hide her body, to blend in with her surroundings, to not be noticed, things she ordered online and didn’t care if they hung on her body all wrong.