Page 60 of Five Alarm Kiss

“Tori, check her out, would you?”

“I’m fine,” Laurel protested.

“I don’t care,” Jake countered, but the statement didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’re getting checked out.”

“Really, it’s not nec?—”

“Laurel.” His stern expression and it-doesn’t-matter-what-you-say-it’s-happening tone dared her to argue.

“It’s protocol,” Tori said.

“Keep her here,” Jake told Tori. He donned his gloves and started to put his mask on. “I’m going back in.”

“Wait, Jake!” Laurel dropped one side of the blanket to grab his arm. “I thought you said the fire was out.”

“It probably is,” he hedged. “I just wanna be sure.”

“Yeah,” Tori piped up. “A fire can double in size about every thirty seconds if you don’t knock it out.”

“What?”Laurel shrieked.

Jake pinned Tori with a way-to-go look.

“You never told me that!” Laurel did not want Jake going back in there if it was dangerous.

Of course, it’s dangerous, dodo head! He fights fires!

Consciously, Laurel knew that. Firefighters had one of the most dangerous jobs there was. Still, she couldn’t help asking, “Are you sure it’s safe?” The thought of him getting hurt made her stomach twist.

“I’ll be fine, Princess. This is what I do. But it’s nice to know you can’t live without me.”

She blinked. “I never said?—”

“Stay put,” he ordered. His gaze dropped to her bare skin. “And wrap back up.” The blanket had fallen off one shoulder, exposing her legs again. “I’d say no one gets to see your underwear but me,” he told her in a low voice, “but that would be presumptuous.” Taking a step closer, he added, “But I am a bad boy, so fuck it.”

The possessive look in his eyes held her captive, banishing the air from her lungs.

“No one gets to see your underwear but me.”

Chapter Fifteen

The next hour was a whirlwind of worrying, noise, police reports, and relief so intense when Laurel saw Jake emerge from the building with the rest of his crew, it nearly brought her to tears.

She rationalized her reaction was due to being happy no one had gotten hurt because of her—which was true—and not that Jake had come to mean something. How could he possibly mean anything to her? They’d barely spent any time together. They didn’t even know each other. She was happy he was safe, nothing more.

Keep telling yourself that.

After talking with his captain, Jake walked over to where Laurel was sitting on the back end of the ambulance, huddled under the blanket trying to stay warm.

“How’re you doing?”

“Fine,” she said.

He scowled at her choice of words. “Again with the ‘fine’?”

“Better,” she clarified. After a beat, she added, “Andfine.”

He shook his head, a what-am-I-gonna-do-with-you expression on his impossibly handsome face. “Cuteandstubborn.”

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