Page 17 of Courageous Demands

Four sets of eyes swung toward him in shock.

“What?” Alec retorted. “It’s true. Where’s the ‘Wee-Woo-Wagon’?”

“Go check it out,” Justin ordered. “Radio back what you find. It’s supposed to be a woman in her late twenties, with possible heart problems.”

“Again,” Alec snapped. “The Wee-Woo-Wagon is where? Hmm?”

“Alec Beckett, if I have to get out of this truck and… oh my gosh…”

“What?”

“Do not make me turn into my father – okay?” Justin blurted out, and everyone started laughing tiredly as Lance nudged his shoulder.

“Go on, brother. There’s white chili in the crockpot at the station, and I can smell you from over here.”

“You are sniffing yourself, Cortes.”

“Maybe.”

“Alec…?”

“I’m going! I’m going!” he exclaimed in frustration, climbing out of the truck.

They always sent up one guy and usually went on rotation. He would go up, knock on the door, open it forcibly if he had to, go inside, and radio back. It was a little weird to see the front door was open, and the screen door was in place; in fact, it reminded him of Mrs. Kendall, in a weird way.

“Wrong neighborhood,” Alec muttered aloud to himself and walked up the path of stepping stones that were lined with tiny little flowers. As he got to the front door, he did his thing. He banged a hand on the frame of the doorway loudly and yelled. “Fire Department!”

Hearing nothing, he tried the handle, and the door opened. Stepping inside, Alec hesitated and saw a very neat, organized tiny sitting room, peering around the corner of the hallway before calling out again.

“E.C.P.D… fire department…”

“Whatcha got, Alec?” echoed in his radio.

“Nothing so far,” he responded and hesitated as he rounded the corner to what was an eat-in kitchen. There, on the table, were two cups of coffee, a plate of cookies, and Willow, sitting primly, wearing a red satin negligee.

“ARE YOU FREAKIN’ KIDDING ME?” he balked.

His eyes nearly popped out of his head as his tongue hit the roof of his mouth. He actually heard a pop and fizzle in his brain as he stared at her. It was probably comical to see his reaction, like one of those cartoon characters where the guy’s tongue hangs out of his mouth, and his pupils turn into stars, stretching from his head with each heartbeat.

Oh mercy…

Willow was glorious. Her hair was all piled in a messy bun, and messy buns were his absolute weakness. All that creamy skin, those curves, and that decadent red satin that fit her snugly. That was the stuff of dreams, fantasies, and this… well, this was a nightmare he never imagined. Never in his wildest dreams had he pictured her pulling a stunt like this – and he could not ‘un-see’ it. The sweep of her shoulders, the curves that…

Alec cleared his throat – and swallowed, trying to pull himself together.

“Sit down, and let’s talk,” she urged softly, pointing at the seat opposite of her.

“Get dressed - and I’m outta here!”

“Alec, wait… please.”

“Beckett, what do you have?”

Alec heard the panic in Justin’s voice and knew that the team was already climbing out of the truck. They would be here within seconds, coming to his rescue. Something unfurled within his soul, dark and possessive, at the idea of his teammates seeing all that skin, that satin, and those curves that should have once belonged to him, he thought explosively.

They could not see Willow in that get-up.

He’d lose his ever-lovin’ mind.

---