Page 16 of Curvy Girl and the Firefighter Chief

She smiles and moves toward the door, pausing there like she's waiting for me to follow. My legs feel frozen, my heart hammering in my chest.

"You still need a date for the ball," Sadie whispers behind me. "Seize the moment, Dad."

Even Kane nods in Stella’s direction, a silent endorsement that speaks volumes. I look around the kitchen – all my men have stopped what they're doing, watching me with expressions ranging from amusement to exasperation at my hesitation.

Goddamn it. I'm a firefighter. I run into burning buildings for a living. I protect people, save lives, andface danger head-on. And right now, I want Stella more than I've wanted anything in years.

More than that, I need her – need her smile, her sass, her softness. I need the way she makes me feel alive again.

My feet finally start moving. Each step toward her feels momentous like I'm walking toward something bigger than myself. She's waiting in the doorway, backlit by the hallway lights, looking like everything I never knew I wanted.

I'm done fighting this. I'm done pretending I'm not affected by her. Done maintaining professional distance. She might have been a victim I rescued yesterday, but now she's something else entirely. Something more.

And I'm going to do whatever it takes to make her mine.

I catch up to Stella in a few long strides. "How are you really feeling?"

"Better," she says, offering a tired smile. "The meat was actually incredible, but I'm suddenly exhausted."

"That's normal," I tell her gently. "Your body's still in shock, and it can take a mental toll, too. Nearly dying in a fire isn't something you just shake off."

She turns those green eyes on me. "I imagine running into burning buildings thousands of times isn't easy to shake off either."

I can't help but smile. "Got over that a long time ago. It's just part of who I am now, what I was born to do."

"I'm still looking for that thing I was born to do," she shyly confesses.

The scent of vanilla catches my attention again.

"Isn't illustration that thing?"

She takes a deep breath, rubbing her cheeks in a gesture I'm starting to recognize as a nervous habit.

"I thought so, and I do love it, but lately..." she pauses. "I've been having doubts."

"How so?" I arch an eyebrow, genuinely curious.

"My parents are both lawyers," she explains as we reach the stairs. "They always wanted me to follow in their footsteps, but I hated the idea of being so... exposed, standing in front of people,potentially having to defend criminals. I thought they'd accepted my choice to study illustration, but recently, they started pushing me to go back to school and get a law degree. They even offered to pay for it."

I place my hand on her waist to steady her as we climb, trying to ignore how right it feels to touch her. "But?"

"But it feels like they just want a trophy daughter to show off to their lawyer friends. Like what I want doesn't matter."

"I can't say much about having other dreams," I admit. "I practically grew up in this station. Being a firefighter is all I've ever wanted. But you can't live your life for other people, Stella. Your happiness is what matters. Are you happy?"

She considers this for a moment. "I am, but... sometimes I think maybe I'd rather be illustrating romance novel covers instead of children's books."

"That's something only you can decide," I tell her. "But whatever you choose, I'll support you however I can."

She turns to smile at me, and god, she's beautiful. The soft lighting in the hallway makes her skin glow, and her eyes sparkle, and I'm so caught up in staring at her that I nearly miss that we've reached her door.

"Thank you," she says quietly. "For everything."

Something in her voice, in the way she's looking at me, makes my heart race. We're standing close – too close, but not nearly close enough for what I want.

The urge to kiss her is almost overwhelming.

"Stella," I start, my voice rougher than intended, but I have no idea how to finish that sentence.

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