Page 3 of Four Firemen For Christmas

“You’re safe now.” He smiled at me through the clear face shield, and I swore amusement danced in his eyes when I kept holding on. “I have to go back and check on my buddies.”

He was hot. I knew he would be. Warm brown eyes and lips built for kissing smiled at me. I unlocked my fingers one at a time and my hands fell to my sides.

A man in a blue uniform rushed over to my side. The fireman and the EMT conversed in a rapid-fire exchange that made no sense to my addled brain. I should know what they meant after working in a doctor’s office for the last year, but my mind couldn’t stop spinning long enough for words to sink in.

The EMT strapped a blood pressure cuff over my arm and slid an oxygen mask over my face.

I sucked in the oxygen and felt my head clearing. A cough seared through me, and I pulled the mask away.

Warm hands wrapped around mine and guided the mask back into place. “Keep that on. You took in a lot of smoke.”

I looked up into clear blue eyes and my heart stuttered with more than smoke inhalation. Was being hot a requirement for working on a fire truck or ambulance? The EMT hovering over me released my hand and finished checking my blood pressure. “You inhaled a lot of smoke. Probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to go to the hospital and get checked out.”

I swung my legs off the side of the gurney and removed the oxygen mask. “I’m fine.” The world spun and nausea rose in a wave. I clapped a hand over my mouth and leaned forward, praying I wouldn’t puke on the cute man’s shoes.

He patted my shoulder and handed me the oxygen mask. “Just a recommendation. Sit here for a few minutes and breathe. I’ll check you again in a few minutes.” He ducked down and met my eyes. “Don’t run off, okay? You really do need that oxygen.”

I nodded and placed the mask back over my mouth and nose. Pure oxygen smelled funny, but I made myself breathe deeply. I couldn’t afford to go to the hospital. And honestly, I felt mostly fine.

Shouting voices pulled my attention back to the building. Smoke poured from the shattered windows. People in the crowd covered their mouths, and I searched for the firefighters. Where were they? My fireman had said he was going back inside. My heart thudded painfully. Was he still inside? Were they trapped?

Four people in yellow firefighter suits rushed out of the coffee shop and the tightness in my chest eased to a tolerable level. I picked out my rescuer even before he removed his helmet. He was the tallest of the four, and his broad shoulders filled out his bulky suit in a way that only one other came close to matching.

The other three removed their helmets, and pure awe swept through me. Holy hotness. One sexy firefighter was good, but four? My shitty day took a wild turn as I sat there watching the men take control of the situation.

I’d heard two names while I was inside the shop. Derek and Henry. I was pretty sure my rescuer was Derek. Which one was Henry, and who were the other two? Derek and another man took over the fire hose and aimed it at the building. The two other men, both of whom looked to be in their forties, helped the police push the crowd back. I’d never seen anything more beautiful than the four of them working together to keep everyone safe. Their voices carried toward me, but I couldn’t make out the words.

I had to meet them so I could thank them for coming in to save me. Derek carried me out, but they all put their lives on the line to enter the building. They all deserve a thank you.

Looking around for the EMT, I found him taking care of another woman with a burn on her arm. I winced for her. He’d be busy with her for a while, and I was not about to miss my chance to thank the man who’d saved my life. I ran a hand through my hair and straightened my skirt. My fingers caught on a snag and I jerked my head down. My skirt had a tear on my hip. An irrational surge of tears threatened to spill over. This was one of my favorite skirts.

I pushed the tears back down. I was alive. What did a skirt matter in the grand scheme of my life? I wished I had time to check my makeup, but I knew that was likely a lost cause. The best I could hope for was that my face wasn’t covered in streaks of tears and smoke.

Both were highly likely. Oh well. This was a once-in-a-lifetime situation, and I was not about to pass it up.

I strode toward the four men with a purposeful swing to my hips, and miraculously no one tried to stop me.

How could I give one of them my number?

2

DEREK

Iaimed the hose at the coffee shop and watched the water arc through the air. Alex shouted behind me, but I ignored him and focused on the task. What a fucking rush. My blood surged, and I was pretty sure I could run a marathon with the adrenaline pumping through my body.

I’d never get tired of this. Not in a million years. The last two weeks as a probationary firefighter had passed so fast that I barely remembered each individual day.

But I remembered every single fire. This was my third one since joining the Rocky Valley Fire Department. The first two were abandoned structure fires. But this one… I looked over my shoulder at the crowd pressing in. This one was drawing a crowd.

“I thought you were fucking with me.” I shouted at Alex and slapped a hand to his shoulder. “You said it would be busy at Christmas.”

“Just wait.” Alex tightened his stance and nodded toward the building. “Pay attention. You’re missing the fire.”

I rolled my eyes but did as he said. He wasn’t my boss, but he’d been on the team for a few years, and I was supposed to listen to him.

He wasn’t the one who pulled that hot brunette out of the building though. I smirked at the memory, and another shot of adrenaline caused my hands and legs to shake. I breathed deep and pushed the adrenaline aside so I could keep my focus.

“Too bad about the shop.” Alex leaned forward so I’d be able to hear him over the crowd and the rushing water. “They made great coffee.”

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