Heating up the Holidays

“You really think I should have said yes?”

“Yes. I really think you should have. Maybe he’s a really great guy whose only fault is saving people’s lives for a living. That beast.”

“Maybe he’s a real jerk.”

“Maybe. Don’t you want to know? I know I would.”

Toni pulled in a long breath. Dammit, she did want to know. She didn’t want to want to know, but she did. Which was really annoying. And frightening.

“What if I discover he isn’t a jerk?”

“Would that really be so terrible?” Jayne asked, her big blue eyes filled with compassion.

“Yes. No.” Toni raked her hands through her curls. “I don’t know. I have so much on my plate right now, with the shop and upcoming bank review-I need a man like I need a bad rash.”

“I disagree. After six months with no sex, I think a man is exactly what you need. A few man-induced orgasms would be a perfect Christmas gift to give yourself.”

Toni refused to consider how perfect a few man-induced orgasms would be. “If he isn’t a jerk…I’m afraid…I don’t want to end up liking a guy whose occupation would remind me every day of something I’ve worked very hard to put behind me and forget.”

“Well, as I said before, it isn’t necessary that you marry the guy. Again-you haven’t had sex in six months.”

“Way to rub it in.”

“I’m just stating a fact.” Jayne grabbed the calendar from the bag beneath the counter and flashed Mr. December’s picture. “If that’s not enough to make you want to end your sexless streak, you don’t have a pulse.”

Toni grabbed the calendar and shoved it back beneath the counter. “Fine. He’s hot. Fine. I’m horny. Doesn’t matter since he’s gone and won’t be back. It’s for the best.” Right. Completely for the best.

“But if he came back?”

“He won’t. I was very clear.”

“But if he did?” Jayne persisted.

“If he did, then I’d-”

The door opened and the jingling bell cut off her words. She turned and her pulse stuttered as Brad, dressed, she guessed, as himself, in jeans and a green polo shirt, entered. With his gaze steady on hers, he approached the counter. God help her, he looked good enough to eat. An image instantly popped into her mind. Of her running her tongue down his torso. Licking her way beneath his waistband-

“It occurred to me,” he said when he stood in front of her, “that you never mentioned a teacher.”

Toni had to swallow to find her voice. “Teacher?”

He nodded. “In addition to being a firefighter, I’m also a teacher. At the Ocean Harbor Beach Community College.”

“What do you teach?”

“An Emergency Medical Technician training course. I worked as an EMT before joining the fire department. I teach on my off days.”

“I see…Professor.”

He flashed a grin then pulled out the now-very-familiar gift card from his back pocket and set it on the counter. “Another cowboy bit of wisdom is-when you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. So that’s what I’m doing.” He nudged the card toward her. “Have dinner with me. C’mon, Toni. Just one little dinner.”

Dammit. Her resolve was melting like chocolate left in the sun. “How do you know so much about cowboy wisdom?”

“I spent three summers during high school working on my uncle’s ranch in Wyoming. I’d be happy to tell you all about it over dinner.”

“Are you always this persistent?”

All traces of amusement faded from his eyes, which now looked more green than blue thanks to his shirt. “No.”

That single softly spoken word rendered a direct hit to her rapidly weakening resolve.

“And just so you know,” he continued, “I can keep this up for a while. I have the next two days off.”

“What about your class?”

“The semester ended last week. School doesn’t start again until after the new year.” He nudged the card closer to her. “So…are you free tonight? Please say yes. I really don’t want to come back here dressed as a circus clown.”

Her lips twitched. “Would you?”

His gaze dipped to her mouth and heat flared in his eyes. Heat that sizzled over to her like an electric current and whooshed straight to her core. He raised his eyes to hers. “Yes, I would.”

Somehow resisting the urge to wave her hand in front of her flushed face, she fixed him with a hard stare. “Just one dinner.” After all, what could be the harm in one little dinner? A girl had to eat-right?

Relief flickered in his eyes. “One dinner,” he agreed. “Tonight?”

Might as well make it tonight and get it over with, she decided. Surely this one ill- advised meal that she annoyingly couldn’t seem to resist would drive home the fact that getting involved in any way with a firefighter was a bad idea. Meanwhile, she’d just pretend he was nothing more than a teacher. A really hot teacher. A really hot teacher she already knew looked incredible all wet.

“Tonight,” she agreed. She’d give him one evening, then put him from her mind. And put her focus back where it belonged-on her business.

A huge grin split his handsome face. “I’ll pick you up-”

“I’ll meet you at Sea Shells,” she said firmly. “Eight o’clock.”

“Eight o’clock,” he agreed. After saying goodbye to Jayne, he left the store. The instant the door closed behind him, Jayne said, “Thank God you said yes. If you hadn’t, I would have told Santa to let a reindeer kick you. I would have kicked you.”

“It’s just dinner,” Toni said, trying to ignore the fissure of jittery anticipation running through her.

“Of course it is,” Jayne agreed in a calm voice. “Still, be sure to bring some condoms. Just in case you decide you want dessert.”

4

BRAD SAT in a corner booth at the bustling Sea Shells restaurant and forced himself not to look at his watch; he knew less than a minute had passed since he’d last peeked at the time. Which meant it was five minutes to eight. Five minutes that he suspected were going to pass ve-e-ery slowly.

Dammit, he was nervous. He tried to recall the last time he’d felt so jumpy about a date and realized it was probably in high school. Great. Thirty years old and struck down by teenageritis. It was just a date. Just one little dinner.

Yeah. With a woman you’ve wanted for three months. With a woman you clearly have one shot with. Screw this up and you’re finished.

No pressure.

Yet in spite of his nervousness, he felt more alive than he had in months. Because of the number of women who made themselves available to the guys at the station, it had been a long time since he’d actually had to do any pursuing. In fact, he didn’t know one firefighter who was single who had trouble finding a woman. When was the last time he’d had to put any effort into getting a date or a one-night stand? Damned if he could remember. But then, when was the last time he’d experienced the sort of wild attraction he felt toward Toni?

Never. He never had.

In an effort to relax and not glance at his watch again, he looked out the window at the foamy waves rushing onto the sand. The star-studded sky resembled diamonds tossed on inky velvet, and the full moon cast the beach with a bright silvery glow that reflected off the water. A few people walked along the sand: teenagers jostling each