Page 14 of Burning Love
Not quite like some of the pictures of her he’d seen online. This was more the girl next door vibe. Both were appealing, but he wasn’t positive which was her personality.
“No clue,” he said. “Why can’t it be?”
She laughed. A soft one that came off a touch husky. “So... what made you want to be a fireman?”
“Let’s take that tour and we can talk.” They moved out of earshot of his men. It’s not as if he was going to volunteer all that much they didn’t know. “Doesn’t every little boy want to be a policeman or fireman?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “None of my brothers did and I’ve got six of them. I’m going to assume you know who my family is.”
“I do. I didn’t at the time. Not until your mother brought cookies and handed me your card. Then I put it together.”
“About that,” she said. “Talk about embarrassing. I’m not sure I’m going to live it down that I turned the oven on without looking. Then my half-naked appearance dripping water everywhere. Yeah, I’d like to put it from my mind. But my mother having to come here and pimp me out only added to it.”
Guess she knew how her mother worked.
He got that impression too, but he was positive Aileen wasn’t doing it so that her daughter could go on a date.
He’d bet Talia never had a problem getting a man.
“I’ve seen worse, or less.” She turned to look at his smirk.
“I bet you have. People probably run out in all sorts of manner of dress if there is a fire.”
“Did you think you’d have to run out of the house looking like you were?”
“I don’t know what I was thinking,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Thankfully it didn’t come to that. You didn’t tell me why you wanted to be a fireman. Or is that your polite way of saying mind my own business?”
“I wouldn’t do that,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. Might as well get a bit of flirt on since she was throwing hints out. “I reserve those conversations for after working hours.”
“Ahhh,” she said. “Maybe we can get a drink sometime and talk about it.”
“You want one with me?”
“I wouldn’t have brought it up if I didn’t. I’m not what people think when they hear my name. Just putting it out there.”
He didn’t know what that comment meant let alone what he might be thinking.
“At the end of this tour we can revisit it, if you want.”
“I’ll want to,” she said, smiling. “If you’re single and mean it. If you’re not or are just playing nice to get money from the foundation, don’t waste either of our time. You’ll get a donation for something. My mother would have it no other way even if I didn’t approve it.”
“Meaning she’d do it personally?”
She shook her head, her hair shifting around. “No. She’d go over my head. Or the foundation’s head and straight to West. She’d play the whole they kept your sister and me safe routine, do you think we can find a way to take care of them?”
“That’s low.”
“That’s my mother. And if for some reason West said no, which he absolutely would never do for several reasons, then my mother would do it herself and that would only piss West off.”
He’d read West could be ruthless, but that could mean anything.
“You have the final say?”
“No. I’m new at this job. And that is something that could be talked about over a drink. Shall we?” She held her hand out for him to keep walking.
He showed her around the station, the gear they had, the things that were in the budget to be upgraded, the wish list ofother equipment that would make their jobs easier. Then he told her about the money they raised for victims of house fires and what it was used for.
“Anything that the Carlisle Foundation wants to donate, we’ll be thrilled to have,” he said.
