Page 11 of Four Firemen For Christmas

I thumbed them away. “You can tell me.”

She attempted a smile, but it fell in an instant. “Unless you have a job and a place for me to live handy, there’s nothing you can do.”

“Let’s see what we can do.” I scooped her into my arms and turned toward the fire truck.

Derek and Henry watched me with rapt attention. Alex pretended like he didn’t care, but his nostrils flared in a tell-tale way that I’d learned meant he wanted to ask me something. He was young but not stupid. If anything, he thought too damned much.

Snow flurried in the air, sending a rush of cold down the back of my neck. I carried Emma onto the truck and settled her in my lap. She curled into me like a cat, her arms around my neck and her breasts against my chest.

The rest of the crew dropped into their positions in the jump seats. Henry's jaw worked but his quiet attention stayed on Emma.

I smoothed a hand over her ribs and felt her sudden inhale, followed by the rush of her breath over my neck.

“Take us back to the fire station,” I ordered Wells.

Alex shifted his feet and leaned toward me. “It’s not safe to have her on here.”

I wasn’t about to give Emma up, and my glare quieted Alex before he said anything else. “It’s fine. I won’t let anything happen to her.”

Henry leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. He watched me and Emma, his gaze roving over her. It paused a few times over her delicious curves, and I caught him discreetly adjusting his cock beneath his suit.

A smirk pulled my lips into a wide grin. Emma wiggled in my lap and for the first time I was grateful for the thick firefighter suit that kept her from feeling my erection pressed into her ass.

Once we pulled into the bay, I stood and carried Emma off the truck.

She lifted her head and looked around, her eyes widening. Her tears dried up somewhere around Seventh Street, but she hadn’t offered to let go of my neck.

“I was here earlier.” She laughed and looked at Henry over her shoulder. “I brought you cookies. Oh, Samuel, you should put me down.”

“Not yet.” I wiggled my eyebrows and she blushed. “I’m enjoying this too much to let you go.”

Henry kept pace beside us and motioned for me to take her to his office. He snatched up a container from the table as we passed and waved it at Emma. “Still got them.”

“Seriously?” She grinned at Henry and her problems seemed to evaporate.

Henry nodded and slapped a hand onto my shoulder. “Put her down.”

I wished I could tell him to fuck off, but he’s the captain and I’m the lieutenant. I’m supposed to follow his orders. And I do. When we’re on duty, I do everything he says because he’s the best firefighter I know except for myself. But that didn’t mean I had to let go of Emma immediately. I waited until we were in Henry’s office to lower Emma’s feet to the ground.

She shoved a hand into her pocket and pulled out a bright yellow paper. “Who can I talk to about a job?”

“What job?” I asked.

Henry took the paper from her and tossed it onto his desk. “The administrative assistant job I posted on the board last week.”

“You’re hired.” I grabbed the paper and tore it in half. “When can you start?”

“Really?” Emma squealed and jumped up and down.

“Hold it.” Henry raised a hand to stop her, although he seemed reluctant to make those gorgeous tits stop bouncing. “I can’t hire someone right off the street. You have to be qualified. This job is rigorous and requires several skills that I don’t have time to teach.”

Emma’s lips turned down, her joyful demeanor fading. She nodded her understanding and smoothed both hands down her thighs. “Alright then. Would you like me to fill out an application, or can we jump straight to the interview?”

“Didn’t you hear me?” Henry yanked off his fire jacket and ran a hand over his stubbled jaw. “You need qualifications.”

“Yep. Heard you.” Emma planted her hands on the desk and lifted an arched brow in challenge. Her pink lips puckered. “I worked the last year as an administrative assistant at a small doctor’s office. Before that, I worked several hours a week in medical records at the hospital. I’ve worked in filing, data entry, and office administration. I can type, answer calls, triage, and field less important tasks with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back.”

Henry’s breath hitched, and I watched his right hand clench and release. It took me a second to realize what had triggered the sudden flex. The captain didn’t usually share any private details about his life, but I’d worked a few things out.

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