Page 3 of Every Beat of My Heart

She frowned. “You don’t have to do that.”

I’d found over the years that the extra effort, whether it was a reminder to check fire alarm batteries or a fire extinguisher, was all it took to prevent a tragedy. “We have extras for this purpose. I can show you how to use them properly too. My name is Jameson.”

“I’m Claire Coleman. I can’t thank you enough for saving my son.”

I swallowed hard because I couldn’t promise he would have been okay if he’d been alone and hadn’t called 911. A child could easily have inhaled too much smoke and passed out while the fire spread. “You’re welcome.”

Then I left them on the porch to process what just happened. It was normal for me to stop back in and check on the homeowner, sometimes delivering the investigative report and following up with new fire alarms, batteries, and fire extinguishers, especially if the homeowner wasn’t particularly handy or abled.

This situation was different because I was attracted to this woman. I shouldn’t spend any more time with her, but I wanted to see her again when we weren’t in the midst of an emergency situation.

I joined my colleagues in the kitchen. I tried to push the woman and her son out of my head. I ran into attractive women all the time on the job. Why was this one so intriguing?

* * *

I waited a few days to go back to Claire’s house. I didn’t trust myself around her, but I’d promised her I’d bring extinguishers, and I never went back on my word.

I reviewed the report before I headed over. I couldn’t help but think her name matched her appearance. She was a no-nonsense woman who had her shit together. Even if I was attracted to her, there’s not a chance she’d want anything to do with a guy like me. One who couldn’t make a decision on his career choice and had three jobs at any one time.

Besides, this was a business call. Something I’d do for anyone. I needed to stop thinking about this woman as anything more than someone who needed my help.

I waited until evening when I thought she’d be home, noting the sedan in the driveway before I knocked on the door.

Owen opened the door. “Jameson?”

I stepped inside. “I promised to stop by with fire extinguishers.”

“Mom, the fireman’s here.”

His mother appeared in the hallway. Today, she wore a silky see-through-looking blouse tucked into a curve-hugging skirt, but her feet were bare. The painted hot pink nails made her even more endearing. “Is your husband home? I should talk to everyone at once.”

I would have said this to any home I came into. But I wanted to know if she was married. When I was here last, I’d been too caught up in the moment to look for a ring.

Claire balked for a second, then quickly recovered. “It’s just us.”

She was a single mother. That shouldn’t have sent a thrill through me, but it did. “Do you have time to talk?”

She moved toward the kitchen. “You said you’d stop by, but it’s been a few days, and I didn’t think you would. Do you always make house calls?”

“It’s important that every home be prepared in the event of a fire. I want to make sure you have a working fire extinguisher in your kitchen, and you know how to use it.”

Claire smiled as she moved behind the counter. “Before this happened, I didn’t realize the fire department did that.”

“If you ever need to use the extinguisher, you’ll know how in the future.” I’d brought several with me because I’d use one to demonstrate.

“Should we go over it outside?” I asked her.

Claire nodded. “That works.”

She led me through the slider to the back deck.

I battled with my eyes not to let them drop to her ass, which looked incredible in that skirt. If one of the teachers at my middle school had worn curve-hugging skirts, the kids wouldn’t listen to anything she had to say. I certainly wouldn’t have.

I was having naughty teacher fantasies, and I didn’t even know what she did for a living. For all I knew, she was an attorney or a librarian. The heat flared in my belly, quickly spreading through my extremities. The cooler night air was a balm to the current state of my body, which was a raging inferno.

Claire raised a brow once we stood outside. “You were going to demonstrate how to properly use a fire extinguisher?”

She was waiting for me to speak, and I was fixated on how hot she looked which was inappropriate when her son was standing next to her.

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