Read Online Playing With Fire (Firehouse Fourteen Book 2) by Lisa B. Kamps - Free Book Online Page A

cloth then absently straightened the heavy silverware.
    He sat back in his chair and watched her, wondering why she suddenly seemed to find the table so much more interesting. "Is everything okay, Angie? Did I say something wrong?"
    She looked up at him, a shadow of something uncertain flashing in her dark eyes. She shook her head, paused, then shrugged and took another sip of wine. "No, nothing's wrong. I guess I was just a little confused."
    "About what?"
    She looked over at him again, her gaze direct and unwavering. "Is that what this really is? A date? Or is it something else?"
    Discomfort quickly filled Jay and he glanced away. How was he supposed to answer that, when he had been grappling with the same exact question not even a half hour ago? He knew what he wanted it to be, no matter how much guilt he felt about it. But he didn't know what Angie thought about the whole thing.
    She shifted in the chair across from him and he realized he had waited too long to answer her question. That by saying nothing, he had given her the wrong idea, left her with the wrong impression. He opened his mouth, but she started talking before he could.
    "Jay, listen, I appreciate it. Really, I do. But you didn't have to do this. I'm a big girl, I don't need you doing—" she paused before waving her hands over the table between them, "whatever this is that you're doing."
    "Angie—"
    "No, it's okay, really." She gave him a small smile then pushed her chair back from the table, ready to stand up. "Let me see if I can catch the waitress. It's probably not too late to cancel the order and—"
    "No." Jay stood up and walked over to her, his hand gently pushing her back into the chair. "Angie, no. I don't want to cancel this. I want to be here tonight, with you, and enjoy our dinner together."
    She strained her neck back and stared up at him, looking uncomfortable. He realized that he was now towering over her so he shifted and bent down so they were eye level. Before he could stop himself, he reached out and took her hand, his thumb tracing a circle against her knuckles.
    "Listen, I don't know if this is a date or not. I guess that's up to you. What I do know is that I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I should, but I can't. And I'd like to get to know you better. So maybe this is a date, I don't know. But will you at least have dinner with me, and see how it turns out? You don't have to stay after that if you don't want to. I'll take you to your car and even pay for your parking."
    "Jay—"
    "No, I'm serious. I was a complete ass for making you drive when I should have—"
    Angie reached over and pressed her fingers against his lips, effectively silencing him. He ignored the excitement he felt at just that little bit of contact, enjoying instead the sight of her broad smile.
    "Jay, you should probably get up before people thinking you're proposing or something."
    "What?" He pulled away so quickly that he nearly lost his balance and fell on the floor. It was only then that he realized he had dropped to one knee. He turned his head and noticed several of the patrons, and even the wait staff, watching them with smiles.
    "Holy shit." He scrambled back to his chair and sank it into it, wishing he could sink into the floor instead. But the embarrassment was worth it when Angie laughed, the sound clear and genuine. He shook his head and reached for his beer, taking a healthy swallow before he joined in her laughter.
    "I have no idea what to say right now."
    Angie laughed and shook her head. "That makes two of us. But if it makes you feel better, I'll stay for dinner."
    "Thank you."
    "And you don't have to take me to my car, because I didn't drive down here."
    "You didn't? Then how—"
    "I took the light rail down then caught a cab from the stadium."
    Jay opened his mouth to reply then immediately snapped it shut. Certainly he had misunderstood her. Hadn't he?
    "You did what?" His shock must have been clear in his voice because Angie looked