Feisty Firefighters Bundle

Her lips tightened, but she remained silent until they exited the building.

It was a glorious Southern California day. The sky was a deep, brilliant blue and scattered across it were little puffs of white clouds.

A picture-perfect scene.

Now if only the woman next to him could slow down enough to enjoy it.

Instead, she spun on her heels away from him and started walking.

Dax spared a moment to admire her stride. “I’m coming with you,” he called.

“Like I could stop you.”

He moved to keep up with her. She was pale, but never faltered. The slight wind tossed her hair, played with the hem of her skirt. Dax avoided thinking by concentrating on traffic. He avoided touching Amber by keeping his hands in his pockets.

Three blocks later, they came to a park. All green and woodsy, it had a series of trails and welcoming benches. A perfect place to ask a woman-for the third time-to marry him.

A perfect place for his future to be decided.

They were hidden from the street by trees. The sounds of birds singing drowned out any traffic they might have heard. They were alone, isolated, surrounded by beauty.

“Well,” he said after a moment.

“Well.”

They stared at each other stupidly, and Dax wondered if she could possibly be as attracted, as confused, as totally, irreversibly in love as he was.

Then he saw the unmistakable signs-red-rimmed eyes and damp lashes.

Dammit.

“I’ve thought about…you know,” she said, her voice a bit ragged.

“You mean about spending the rest of your life with me?” he asked gently. “Is that why you’re crying?”

She looked away. “It’s been hard being a single parent. No family support, few friends. Both are my fault, but it’s fact.” Then she turned back to him. “Having you in my life, taking responsibility for helping with Taylor, it’s been a real gift.”

“But?”

“But I can’t accept your offer. It’s generous, kind and almost overwhelmingly irresistible, but as I told you before, I can’t do it.”

“Mind if I ask why?”

“It’s obvious neither of us were meant for marriage.”

“I don’t believe that,” he said softly. “And I don’t believe you believe it. Don’t chicken out here, Amber. Don’t hide, not from me. Tell me the truth. I deserve that much.”

“You know the truth. I’m not marriage material, and you…you like women too much to give it all up just because we have a baby.”

“First of all, I stopped looking at other women the moment you came into my life.”

“Which time?”

“Both,” he told her grimly.

“I understand getting married is a logical solution to the unexpected unit we’ve become.” She hugged herself. “We have a baby. We both love her with all our hearts. We’re willing to share her, but the truth is, neither of us really want to be separated from her. Getting married would solve that.”

“Yes,” he agreed, sliding closer. “It would also solve another, deeper problem.”

“Which is?”

“I want you.”

“You-” She closed her eyes. “You just had me recently. A few times as a matter of fact.”

The memory, as well as her tone, made him smile. “I want more than sex,” he clarified. Because the admission was a new one for him, and scary, his humor vanished. “I’ve never said this before about anyone else, but sex with you isn’t enough. I want to spend nights together. I want to be together. I know we started out in a whirlwind, that we’ve done everything backward, but let’s fix it.”

“Marriage won’t do that, Dax.”

“Why are you so resistant?”

“Because…because, dammit, it’s not enough for me!” She blushed and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I know this sounds stupid, but to me a marriage should be about…about love. I’ve never thought of myself in those terms, but deep in my heart, if I’m going to do it, that’s what I want.”

“Love.”

“That’s right.”

“Well that’s convenient, since I happen to be madly in love with you.”

“What?” She flew to her feet and stared at him as if she’d just discovered he was an alien. “What did you just say?”

He stood, too, and when she would have turned away, he took her shoulders in his hands. She trembled. That made two of them. “I think you heard me just fine.”

“I’ve…I’ve never heard those words before.” Her voice was a mere whisper. She licked her lips. “I’d like to hear them again.”

His heart threatened to burst out of his chest. “I love you.”

“You can’t.”

“Why not? You’re perfectly lovable.”

Her mouth was open, her eyes wild. Her hand went to her chest. “Oh God. Now I can’t breathe.”

“Good. Neither can I.” He resisted the urge to laugh because he wasn’t kidding. He really couldn’t breathe. “I’ve never said those words to a woman before, Amber.”

They stared at each other.

“You’re mistaken,” she decided tremulously. “You have to be.”

“No.”

“You have no idea. I don’t let people in, I’m not-”

“Amber.” It was so easy, so right to touch her, he thought, as his thumb gently stroked her jaw. His fingers slipped into her hair. “I’ve loved you from that very first day.”

“But I don’t know how to love you back.”

“You could practice.”

Moisture gathered in her beautiful eyes and she shook her head back and forth.

“Practice with me, Amber,” he whispered, his heart raw.

Her eyes were huge. “I’m not ready. I need time.”

“How much?”

“I don’t know!”

Because she was still shaking, he gathered her stiff body close. “I’m sorry,” she whispered against his chest, but her hands snaked around his neck and for a moment, she clung.

He stroked her back and tamped down any regrets. “Don’t worry. It so happens, time is in plentiful supply.”

And strange as it seemed, given she’d turned him down yet again, Dax felt an inkling of hope for their future.

12

THAT NIGHT, Dax lay in his bed staring at the ceiling wondering how long it would take for sleep to claim him when the phone rang.

Given how his heart picked up speed, he knew who it would be. “Hello?”

“Did you mean it?”

Amber. Unsure and unhappy. “I meant every one of those three little words,” he assured her grimly.