Page 21 of Knot Your Baby

But as I step back inside the shop, the heavy smoke from outside rolls in with me. I slam the door to stop it, but it still creeps through the cracks.

With no time to spare, I pick up the order book and diary as smoke comes from nowhere.

My chest tightens as mild panic sets in.

I need to get out of here.

I rush back to the door as a loud bang reverberates through the shop. It sounds like the ceiling from the shop next door fell to the ground.

I crouch on the floor and shuffle until I’m under a table. With a plan to crawl table to table until I’m at the door.

But smoke stings my eyes and makes me cough with its acrid scent.

“Who’s in here?” A voice cuts through the chaos.

Damn!

“Me. My name is Freya and I own this bakery. I was just…” I sigh. “I’m sorry for not listening.”

And suddenly there’s a massive fireman beside me, wearing full protective gear, a safety hat and an oxygen mask and he’s staring at me, still wearing my pink pajamas like I’ve lost the plot.

I think I have.

Baby brain—no doubt.

He scoops me up effortlessly in his strong arms before I can even protest.

I wrap my arms around his neck, and his muscles tense as he carries me outside where I gulp desperately for breath.

Behind us, there’s a deafening crash. And when I glance over my shoulder, I watch as a section of ceiling in my shop collapses.

Dust fills the air as debris rains down like confetti onto the floor and the table. I was just under seconds ago.

I gasp. “Oh my God.” My throat burns as I speak. “Thank you.”

He strides to the fire truck and sets me on a step while he fumbles with an oxygen mask, sliding it over my head.

“Breathe,” he instructs gently as he fits it over my nose and mouth.

I suck back a breath and my heart pounds against my ribcage as I watch flames lick hungrily at my bakery from a distance. Everything I’ve built is going up in flames right before me, and all I can do is sit here and watch it disappear.

Sitting on the fire truck’s steps, my shoulders sag as I stare at the floor. My blood is racing so fast it is pounding in my ears. But my heart feels like it stops beating and now it’s sinking so low, I think it’s going to plunge all the way to the ground.

The fireman hovers nearby. I glance up at him, his eyes locked on me. Surprise, no doubt that I dared to defy his boss’ order.

My hand lifts the mask to tell him I’m sorry.

“Keep that mask on,” he growls, his voice deep and commanding. “You need to breathe properly.”

I glance up at him, about to argue, but the words die in my throat.

When he removes his helmet, he reveals tousled bleach blond hair that looks soft enough to run my fingers through. His jaw is sharp but has dark stubble over it that my fingers are itching to touch.

He has beautiful green eyes. Darker than mine. In fact, his eyes are so dark they are like storm clouds ready to unleash something fierce.

I can’t believe how gorgeous he is.

I want to take off my mask and breathe him in, smell him, but the second I reach for it, he steps closer.

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