Read Online Rapid Entry: Firehouse 69, Book 3 by Delilah Devlin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Delilah Devlin
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backward out of the car. Gage crawled through the window, picked up his helmet from the ground, and began walking away.
“Gage. Wait!”
He paused and glanced over his shoulder. Viviana’s face was streaked with tears. Her glasses were gone.
Coop and the LT were giving him hard frowns, but he really didn’t want to go near her. The urge to pull her into his arms and give her a huge hug was just too great. He walked back, stopping three feet away.
She looked at Coop and then at the LT. “I’m fine. Really. Could I just have a moment?”
The two men walked away, but only after giving him glares.
She turned to Gage. “I’m sorry. If I could take this morning back, I would. I shouldn’t have tried to leave like that.”
You shouldn’t have left at all. But he held still.
“I’m sorry.”
Pain sliced through his chest. He jerked up his chin. “You said that already.”
She took a step forward, but she halted when he stiffened. “I’m truly sorry. I wasn’t thinking. But when I saw those logs coming down…” She glanced away for a second, and when she looked at him again, more tears slid down her cheeks. “I felt regret. Because I wanted to be there for that talk. I wanted to see whether there was something here for me, with you.”
He sucked in a breath and then shook his head. Before he could stop himself, he took two steps toward her. Looking downward, he could see the same confusion in her eyes that he felt. He reached out, slowly, and gathered her gently against his chest.
She sighed and clung to him.
They stood without speaking, and he thought that was better than saying things they couldn’t take back. “You lost your glasses,” he said against her hair.
“Have to be inside the car somewhere. My laptop’s in the trunk. Hope it’s okay. Not that I’ve written a word since I met you.”
He smiled against her hair. “That right? I kill your muse?”
“No, I’ve just had some things on my mind I didn’t want to share.”
He leaned back his head and tucked his thumb under her chin to lift her face. “I have things I want to share. With you. If you’ll give us time. Let us see where this is going.”
Her smile was thin, her chin wobbly. “I can wait. But I left my key to Herman’s place inside.”
“I’ll give you mine.”
Her smile widened. “I might sleep away the day.”
“You’re coming down off the adrenaline.”
“Is that what it is? I thought it was just relief.”
“Because you’re alive?”
She shook her head. “Because you’re still holding me.”
Gage cursed under his breath and bent toward her, fisting his hand in her hair as he kissed her. Everything he wanted to say was in that kiss—that he was glad she was alive, that he was sorry he’d scared her, that he was grateful for another chance. When he drew back, they were both breathing hard. “I better call you a cab.”
“Shouldn’t I stay with the car?”
“I know a guy with a tow truck. Call your insurance company when you get to my place.”
She nodded. “I like it when you go all bossy on me. Makes me feel…owned.”
She whispered that last word, but she may as well have screamed it. His body hardened. He closed his eyes briefly, because staring at her only provided more fuel to the fire building in his groin. “Come sit in the truck while I call that cab.” He kept one arm around her and ushered past the LT, whose mouth was set in a line but whose steel-gray eyes were crinkling at the corners.
So everyone at the station would know he’d fallen like a ton of bricks. They could all kiss his ass.
* * * * *
The paper was delivered early the next morning, just as Luke Harris was finishing cleanup duty in the kitchen. All the firefighters were seated around the long table, drinking coffee. Lieutenant Knox walked in and slapped the open paper on the table in front of Gage. “Chief’s gonna be calling again.”
As the LT walked away, Gage frowned and glanced downward. “Son of a
“Gage. Wait!”
He paused and glanced over his shoulder. Viviana’s face was streaked with tears. Her glasses were gone.
Coop and the LT were giving him hard frowns, but he really didn’t want to go near her. The urge to pull her into his arms and give her a huge hug was just too great. He walked back, stopping three feet away.
She looked at Coop and then at the LT. “I’m fine. Really. Could I just have a moment?”
The two men walked away, but only after giving him glares.
She turned to Gage. “I’m sorry. If I could take this morning back, I would. I shouldn’t have tried to leave like that.”
You shouldn’t have left at all. But he held still.
“I’m sorry.”
Pain sliced through his chest. He jerked up his chin. “You said that already.”
She took a step forward, but she halted when he stiffened. “I’m truly sorry. I wasn’t thinking. But when I saw those logs coming down…” She glanced away for a second, and when she looked at him again, more tears slid down her cheeks. “I felt regret. Because I wanted to be there for that talk. I wanted to see whether there was something here for me, with you.”
He sucked in a breath and then shook his head. Before he could stop himself, he took two steps toward her. Looking downward, he could see the same confusion in her eyes that he felt. He reached out, slowly, and gathered her gently against his chest.
She sighed and clung to him.
They stood without speaking, and he thought that was better than saying things they couldn’t take back. “You lost your glasses,” he said against her hair.
“Have to be inside the car somewhere. My laptop’s in the trunk. Hope it’s okay. Not that I’ve written a word since I met you.”
He smiled against her hair. “That right? I kill your muse?”
“No, I’ve just had some things on my mind I didn’t want to share.”
He leaned back his head and tucked his thumb under her chin to lift her face. “I have things I want to share. With you. If you’ll give us time. Let us see where this is going.”
Her smile was thin, her chin wobbly. “I can wait. But I left my key to Herman’s place inside.”
“I’ll give you mine.”
Her smile widened. “I might sleep away the day.”
“You’re coming down off the adrenaline.”
“Is that what it is? I thought it was just relief.”
“Because you’re alive?”
She shook her head. “Because you’re still holding me.”
Gage cursed under his breath and bent toward her, fisting his hand in her hair as he kissed her. Everything he wanted to say was in that kiss—that he was glad she was alive, that he was sorry he’d scared her, that he was grateful for another chance. When he drew back, they were both breathing hard. “I better call you a cab.”
“Shouldn’t I stay with the car?”
“I know a guy with a tow truck. Call your insurance company when you get to my place.”
She nodded. “I like it when you go all bossy on me. Makes me feel…owned.”
She whispered that last word, but she may as well have screamed it. His body hardened. He closed his eyes briefly, because staring at her only provided more fuel to the fire building in his groin. “Come sit in the truck while I call that cab.” He kept one arm around her and ushered past the LT, whose mouth was set in a line but whose steel-gray eyes were crinkling at the corners.
So everyone at the station would know he’d fallen like a ton of bricks. They could all kiss his ass.
* * * * *
The paper was delivered early the next morning, just as Luke Harris was finishing cleanup duty in the kitchen. All the firefighters were seated around the long table, drinking coffee. Lieutenant Knox walked in and slapped the open paper on the table in front of Gage. “Chief’s gonna be calling again.”
As the LT walked away, Gage frowned and glanced downward. “Son of a
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