Читать книгу The Firefighter's Cinderella - Dominique Burton - Страница 9

Tasha moistened her lips nervously. “We need to go so we aren’t late.” She had to get out of the pheromone-filled entryway.

Being so attracted to C.J. on the night that was meant to honor Tim seemed such a betrayal. She marched away from him with little dignity. Damn race. She couldn’t even walk right tonight.

“Marathon legs?”

“You noticed.”

“I know the hobble well.”

Of course he did. He ran, too, when he wasn’t on duty. Mr. Wonderful in every way. Tasha continued on to her car.

“Hey, I thought I’d take us. I know how hard it is to walk, let alone drive after a race. That’s why I pulled the Stang out of the parking lot.”

“Thanks, but no. I’m driving tonight.”

“Why?” She could feel his warm body following closely behind her.

“It’s called self-preservation.”

“What does that mean?”

She stopped in her tracks and turned around. She was feeling better by the second. It had helped to get out of that claustrophobic building and into the night air. “I want to make sure I have a ride home.” She gave him her tough courtroom stare.

“Well, of course you’ll have a ride home!”

Tasha folded her arms at her waist, biting her lip. “I highly doubt that. When I used to hang with you and Tim, there wasn’t one gala I can recall ever getting a ride back from.”

“You and I never went to any galas together,” he countered.

The familiar jab in the gut was there again. That old sting of being easily forgotten. “Oh, I went to some events with you two. Let’s see ….”

She put her clutch under her arm and began counting on her fingers. “There was the Governor’s Ball. We were at the Mayor’s Ball twice. Then there was the VonGreen’s Napa Valley Wine Club party, the—”

A perplexed look crossed his face. “Are you sure you came with us?”

“Yes.” She couldn’t keep the icy tone out of her voice. “You and Tim usually forgot me in five minutes, tops! Once let loose, you’d scope for the hottest girls in the room, create the game plan and go in for the kill. You had it down to a science, and I was forced to call a taxi for a way home more times than I care to remember.”

C.J. smiled. “Same old Tasha. You always could tear a person apart in one sentence.”

“That’s not true.”

“Yes, it is.” His smile stayed beautiful. “One of our favorite games was to watch how fast you could cut a guy down at a bar. Would it be in one sentence, or in four?”

“What are you talking about? I never got hit on.”

“Actually, you did. You just sent them away like poor little puppy dogs.”

“Puppy dogs?” She smiled, unable to remember being approached by men.

“Look, Tasha, I’m sorry for whatever you thought I might have done in the past, but I can promise you it won’t be happening tonight.” C.J. looked at her with a possessiveness she’d never felt from a man.

An apology from Powell? I must be losing it.

“Let’s drop the subject.” She lifted one eyebrow before continuing to her car. “I still prefer to drive.”

TASHA PARKED THE CAR at the entrance of the famous landmark hotel, and a valet was prompt to open her door. “Welcome to the Rosemont.”

C.J. watched Tasha hand her keys to the man while she tried to get out of the car with as much decorum as possible.

The ride over had been pure hell for him. Looking at her in that delectable dress, her silky hair swept up on her head, was a new experience for him.

He’d always thought Natasha was cute, but the woman next to him was incredibly alluring. C.J.’s mind wandered back to carefree times before Tim’s death. When he stole looks at Tasha now, he wondered how his friend hadn’t been able to see the amazing woman who’d loved him.

She was a vision tonight, with those wispy curls floating around her neck. She brought out something in him he’d forgotten existed. Life. He’d been so caught up in Tim’s dying at such a young age, he’d stopped living, too. Yet for some reason seeing Natasha Bennington this morning had brought him back.

He’d felt a similar moment of truth just over a year ago when he’d faced his twin brother, Jake. For too many years to count, they’d been estranged over a misunderstanding about a girl who never really mattered. To finally reunite with his brother had healed something in his soul that he’d thought couldn’t be mended.

Over the years, C.J. had dated scores of women, going through one woman after another. But when he’d stood as best man at his brother’s wedding, just a little over a year ago, he had realized that he, too, wanted to find love and have a family of his own.

The discovery had shocked the daylights out of him. Until he’d been able to figure it out for himself, he’d never mentioned it to anyone. Then tragically, a week later, Tim had been diagnosed with cancer, and C.J.’s whole world had fallen apart.

Just as he had thought he could put the pieces of his life back together, he’d discovered he was wrong. Life was just an endless journey of despair. All he could do was hide his pain and throw himself into work….

“Sir? Do you need help?” the valet was asking.

Embarrassed, C.J. collected his thoughts and climbed out quickly. “No.” He could see that Tasha was still struggling to emerge, and he was the man for the job. He walked around the Lexus, sending the smitten valet running with one look.

“Can you get out?” he teased. “Or do you want me to call the station for backup?”

Tasha was ready to explode. “You know I need help,” she said impatiently.

He bent a little lower. “Did I hear a please with that?”

The look she shot him was pure frustration. Tasha hadn’t changed. Once you got her riled, she was fun to watch.

“Tasha? Stop!” he ordered, when she grasped one leg, intending to lift it out of the car.

She looked up at him, and he could see he’d pushed her too far. Her green eyes were livid and her full mouth tense. If he kept gazing at her, he was likely to jump in the driver’s seat, take her back home and kiss her senseless.

“Stop what?” she retorted.

He smoothed his thumb over his lower lip, trying to focus on the evening and not on the beautiful woman he wanted to keep for himself.

In a swift motion he picked her up, cradling her in his arms. Her body felt so right against his, as if they were made for each other. Her perfume wafted around him, driving him crazier with every second.

He looked down to check her reaction. The flush on her cheeks gave her away. “You look incredible tonight,” he said.

Their eyes met once more and the vulnerability he read in hers only made her more desirable. “Thank you.” She averted her gaze. “You don’t look too shabby yourself.”

He kept walking. “Are you ready to speak about Tim and the charity tonight?” he asked. His emotions were mixed. He knew how much she’d loved Tim. Was she still in love with his memory? Would she ever let him go?

“Who told you? It was supposed to be a secret.”

“Gina McGinnis confides in me,” he replied. Their eyes locked yet again and a feeling of desire filled him, to the point that he lifted his head, needing to figure out if he was imagining what he felt.

“C.J.? Please put me down. I’m not a child and I feel utterly silly being carried this way.”

Ignoring her protests, he carried her at a brisk pace, heading for the elegant entryway of one of San Francisco’s most famous hotels. She put her arms around his neck while he maneuvered them through the doors.

“We’re here now, C.J. I can walk.”

He set her on her feet and struggled to compose himself. “I believe the lady is safely in the hotel.”

On that note C.J. let her go. He needed some time to think. Though he hated to pull away from her, a part of him needed to go into hiding where nothing and no one could hurt him.

He was keenly aware of the living, breathing beauty who’d brought him to life.

But how did Tasha view him? As a man … or a connection to the past? One tied to Tim.

There was no point in kidding himself. C.J. had started to have feelings for her, but she was in love with the memory of his wealthy best friend.

Except that it wasn’t love. Tim had been her childhood crush. An obsession.

Tonight C.J. felt a connection between Tasha and himself. They had chemistry. That was a great starting point. There was no reason she couldn’t move on now with another man—and why couldn’t that man be him?

TASHA NEEDED TO GET a handle on herself or tonight could turn into a disaster. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to cope with all the emotions attacking her.

For the moment she would blot out the world and focus on the problem at hand. Put all the issues in her mind into a courtroom box to be dealt with later.

The technique was one she used to calm herself down before a big case. Her problem was how to shrink a six-foot-three fireman to fit into that box.

Come on, Tasha. There was just too much to do tonight without the distraction of pine and spice wafting past her nostrils. Every time Captain Powell got close, her knees went weak.

When an Adonis in a tux became her hero for the day, it was hard to believe she could be as spineless as the girl next door, following him like a puppy dog.

Was she really so shallow? Tim had been gone only a year, yet she found herself attracted to his best friend. Was that because she still missed Tim?

Or was she attracted to C.J. for himself? The therapist she’d been seeing since the funeral had told her she had to let Tim go and move on. But with C.J?

“Tasha, are you all right?”

“Oh … you came back.”

“From the little boys’ room. Of course I did. You went blank for a moment and I was a bit concerned.”

Tasha could feel another blush coming on.

“Where do you want to go now?” he asked.

“I’m in charge of the banquet. I had a ton of assistance from my party planner, but since this charity is my brainchild, I’ve helped where I could and—”

“The charity was your idea?” he interrupted. His expression grew unreadable. She felt tension between them.

“Yes. I went to the McGinnises and my parents with a way for us to put our grief to use. We both know Gina McGinnis is an amazing charity worker who could run a foundation blindfolded. So I pitched the idea of the Tim McGinnis Firefighters against Cancer Foundation.”

“I had no idea.”

“I could do the legal work, but didn’t have the time, money or know-how to start the actual foundation. I’ve been touched by how the community has rallied to support it. I’m convinced this charity is going to make a big difference in the lives of many firefighters and their families in the Bay area fighting cancer.”

“Now it makes even more sense why you’re speaking tonight.”

“I’ve asked that I just be known as the lawyer for the charity. I don’t want my father turning this into a political rally. He’s running for Congress again this election.” Tasha moved closer to C.J. Her eyes searched his for the warmth that had been there earlier.

“So what do you need to do now?” he asked.

She bit her lip. “First off we have to find Terrance and see how things are going. Or you could go to the bar and relax until the banquet starts.”

“Natasha? Where have you been?” a voice called. She looked over her shoulder and as if the mention of Terrance had conjured him up, saw the main coordinator of the event hurrying toward her, clutching a sheaf of papers. “You look fabulous, darling!”

Her thoughts had been so full of C.J. she’d almost forgotten her responsibilities for the evening.

“We’re in a crisis!” The man lifted his shoulders and shook his head dramatically, almost dropping his clipboard. “The band is fighting with the caterer and the chef is about to walk out the door. We need major damage control.” He sounded about to weep.

Tasha turned away from C.J. and took a deep breath to pull herself together. “First off, that haircut is marvelous on you. I love the purple highlights.”

Terrance beamed and fluffed his hair.

“Listen to me. I hired you because you’re the best.”

The coordinator’s narrow shoulders straightened and his confidence appeared to return.

“Now get that amazing suit back in there and tell them I’m coming. I realize Chef Renard is difficult, so leave him to me. You go deal with the band. We’ll slice and dice this problem together.”

Terrance hugged her. “You’re marvelous, not to mention delectable in that outfit. Like a fruit,” he added before kissing the air near her cheek. “Who’s this?” He’d just noticed C.J., and his eyes went wide with curiosity.

“This was Tim’s best friend, Captain C. J. Powell of the San Francisco Fire Department. C.J? This is Terrance Young, my miracle worker.”

After they shook hands, C.J. said, “I’m also Natasha’s date for the evening.” He slid his arm around her casually and pulled her close.

Terrance adjusted his black-rimmed glasses and raised his eyebrows. “Tsk-tsk. It seems our Tasha has been holding out on us.” He looked back and forth between the two of them, then pursed his lips. “When were you going to tell me you had a hot man in your life?”

Tasha felt as if she was losing control of everything she’d carefully pieced together over the past year. “C.J. and I have been friends for ages.”

Terrance laughed. “When you’re ready to tell the truth, come and have a chat with me. I’ll be taking care of the band. But Renard is about to leave. I suggest you say your goodbyes quickly,” he said, before breezing away.

Tasha looked up at C.J. and felt her heart race when their gazes locked. How could a man have such blue eyes? Feeling utterly juvenile, she glanced away. “I guess I better head to the kitchen before my ill-tempered chef leaves. See you after the speech.”

THE ROOM GREW QUIET as Natasha stood at the makeshift podium that overlooked the famous baroque-style ballroom. Emotion began to bubble up inside her. It needed to be quelled before she began her speech.

She’d never been nervous addressing groups even larger than this on immigration law. But she’d never had to speak about her best friend before. At Tim’s funeral only family had spoken, leaving out whole aspects of his life, such as fireman and friend. This was her chance to talk about the man she’d known and loved.

Stares from the elegantly dressed assembly grew more probing as the guests waited for the program to start. Tasha broke out in a cold sweat. She could see that all her hard work over the past year had paid off, for the room was packed. But none of that mattered if she let stage fright get the best of her.

She should have brought cue cards, she decided, feeling her hands tremble. She had arrogantly thought she could handle anything. After all, she’d been blessed with a good memory and had never needed to use them before.

With her thoughts reeling wildly, she realized the hubbub in the ballroom had subsided. How could a gathering of over four hundred people be this silent? Great! Now the press had something else to add to the embarrassing faults of Congressman Bennington’s daughter.

Tasha’s breathing came faster. She clung to the podium for support, noting she’d been up here too long without saying anything. Her eyes searched out C.J., who was seated nearby.

Those deep pools of blue were full of concern and encouragement. In that instant, memories of Tim flooded her mind, and the speech she’d prepared didn’t seem right anymore.

She cleared her throat. “I’d like to thank all of you for coming to the Tim McGinnis Firefighters against Cancer Foundation Charity Ball. I hope some of you enjoyed the marathon today. I know I did. Though I doubt I’ll be able to walk normally for a week. It was a great experience I wouldn’t have missed.” She heard a few hoots from the audience.

“Those of us who knew Tim recall he was a man who lived life to the fullest. He was far too young to die.” Tasha looked over at Tim’s parents and could see tears in Gina’s eyes.

“Statistics tell us that one in two people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. This is not a disease that affects someone else. It affects everyone, whether it be the patient or their family and friends.” Her throat began to constrict. “Tim was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a tricky one to catch at an early, treatable stage.

“Cancer statics for firefighters are staggeringly higher than the norm. Researchers found they have a one hundred percent greater risk of developing testicular cancer, a fifty percent higher risk for multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and for prostate cancer it’s a twenty-eight percent increase, compared with non-firefighters.

“For all of us who knew Tim, the tragedy of cancer was brutal, since the disease wasn’t caught until it had metastasized, leaving him with only a few weeks left to live. But that didn’t stop him from living every moment to the fullest. He rode his wheelchair around the hospital wards cheering up other patients, trying to make them laugh. Sometimes a laugh was all he had left to give after a round of chemo. He fought his cancer like the hero and firefighter he was, to the very end.”

Tasha blinked back tears. “I was one of those lucky people who had the privilege of knowing Tim McGinnis my whole life. We were best friends ever since I can remember. I know he would want to help fight this disease by putting money into research, by aiding families with co-pays, and by funding extended hospital stays for his fellow firefighters.

“Tim’s parents, Timothy and Regina, created this charity along with many other benefactors to help prevent other parents from losing their children at such a young age. The charity’s goal is to aid these true heroes who face dangers on the job every day. The money raised will fund research programs, and give financial aid to firefighters of the Bay area with cancer, so that they don’t have to worry about fighting cancer fiscally, too.”

Tasha took another breath and grabbed her glass of water. “We’re now going to look at a slide show. There are pictures of a young and vibrant Tim, and then some that show him just a week after he was diagnosed.

“I’ve interspersed photos of other firefighters in the city, all fighting various forms of cancer. Some of them are children of firefighters.” Her voice faltered. “They are the toughest and most resilient heroes of all.”

She stared out over the audience. “Thank you for coming. After the visual presentation, I hope you’ll enjoy the rest of your evening with dancing and a dessert bar. Please be generous for our city’s finest and bravest.”

Everyone stood and clapped. Many guests had tears in their eyes. For the first time since Tim had died, Tasha felt she’d done something right.

She looked down at the table with the empty seat between C.J. and her parents. Protocol required her to sit down and watch the slide show with them, but she couldn’t. Breaking down in front of them was something just she couldn’t handle. Tasha had to get out, and quickly!

She saw her escape through the kitchen. No one would question if she was needed somewhere, to take care of an emergency. Hopefully, her physically weak state wouldn’t draw attention.

With every ounce of strength she could muster, she walked as normally as she could off the podium toward the kitchen. Once the doors shut behind her, the tears stinging her eyes became a flood. Tasha’s limp returned. She didn’t know where she was headed, she just needed space to breathe.

C.J. WATCHED TASHA’S poised departure from the podium. He’d been awestruck by her presentation. Now he was filled with conflicted emotions as he looked at pictures of Tim fighting his cancer. C.J. saw himself in one of them with Tasha, the ever beautiful woman inside and out. She was the real hero tonight.

It was a picture of the three of them at the hospital a few days before Tim had passed away. The woman staring back at him was different from the one on the podium tonight. She had been in love with Tim, but now had had a year to mourn him. C.J. was eager to see if Tasha would be willing to try to move on with him.

He turned to her mother. “Excuse me, Genevieve. I need to talk to Tasha.”

She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture as she sipped her wine. “Why don’t you stay here? She’s in charge and is probably busy.”

“I feel I should go find her,” he answered curtly, disgusted by the way her mother just blew her off. How could she not be proud of her daughter’s speech and her ability to think up something this big? C.J. stood and went through the kitchen doors to find her.

TASHA WAS LEANING against the railing of the roof garden. She’d needed a respite from the draining day and had taken the elevator to the top of the hotel. Somehow she’d maintained her cool through the problems of the evening with the chef and band. And somehow she’d gotten through her speech.

Terrance had promised he would call or come find her if another disaster arose. She just needed a few moments to compose herself before she faced everyone again.

Ever since she was a young girl, this had been one of her favorite places to eat lunch with her parents. That’s why she’d chosen to come up here. On this mild night the air was filled with the intoxicating scents of jasmine and gardenias from the secluded bar and restaurant called the Garden of Eden.

It was famous for its fountains and exotic flowers reminiscent of One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. The dim lighting invited visitors to find a quiet alcove to sip a drink or get lost with a lover.

Tasha wished she hadn’t run into C.J. at the marathon today. Even if she shut her eyes tightly, she couldn’t block his image from her mind. How handsome he looked in his tux tonight, his smile gorgeous when he gazed at her.

More than anything, it brought back all the feelings of inadequacy she’d felt with Tim. The constant third wheel, unloved. The kind of girl who could only be a friend.

Tasha was feeling very sorry for herself tonight. It was pathetic.

“Tasha?” The deep baritone tones that had been haunting her all day took her by surprise. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

She felt a shudder as he drew closer. “Why?” She knew the one-word question sounded lame, but she was at her wit’s end.

Instead of answering, C.J. handed her a flute of champagne. His eyes never left her face as he rested one arm on the railing. “You’re my date. Or did you forget?”

“I don’t remember it being a date. I clearly recall telling you we were coming as friends in order to remember a friend.”

C.J. gave her a weary smile. “That sounds like one of my lines.”

With that remark, she coughed on the champagne she’d just swallowed, and shook her head. Tasha turned to look at the Golden Gate Bridge, beautifully lit, but her coughing spell continued.

C.J. patted her back. “Let me know if you need CPR.”

“Then you’d get to be—” another round of coughs interrupted her “—a hero twice in one day. I couldn’t bear to put you through that.”

Tasha sipped from her flute to suppress another cough. “Seriously, how did you find me? If Terrance told you …” She could feel herself getting all riled up again.

“You can rest assured he didn’t give you away. I remember you talking to Tim about the views from the garden of this hotel. When I couldn’t find you downstairs, I thought I’d look for you up here.” C.J. gave her a thorough appraisal as he sipped his champagne. “You were right. The sights are incredible.”

“But you’re not looking at the city,” she said, going warm from head to toe. “I mean … Oh, I don’t know what I mean.” Tasha rubbed the tense muscles at the back of her neck.

“Bennington off her guard? I don’t believe it.” His smile was warm and inviting.

“I’m exhausted, C.J.”

“You gave an incredible speech tonight.” He inched closer as she reeled from his compliment.

Tasha found she had to tip her head back to look up at him as C.J. grasped her hand and led her to a quiet spot. “Where are we going, Captain?”

“Somewhere private.”

Too tired to put up a fight, she let him lead her through the enchanting garden. He found a hidden corner behind a large fountain lit from below to create the appearance of an underwater cavern. There were mosaic tiles on the floor and flowers climbing the walls, all designed to provide a romantic ambience.

She found she didn’t care why he’d brought her back here. The champagne had begun to take effect, making her relax a little. That was, until she saw where he wanted to sit—on an overstuffed love seat. She glanced around in confusion, feeling trapped.

“Have you been here before?” she asked.

“No,” he replied lazily.

C.J. sat down and with a simple tug pulled her onto the fat pillows beside him. Their bodies were touching. The contact brought flickers of desire to every cell of her body, terrifying her.

“Do you have any idea how striking you look right now, Tasha?”

She needed to calm that fluttery sensation in her stomach, but when he traced his fingertips across the back of her hand. Tasha felt as if he’d cast a spell on her. She had no option but to give in to her feelings for him.

His fingers grew bolder as they began to make their way up her arm, filling her with a storm of emotions. Against her better judgment she turned toward him. Their eyes met.

“You look like the goddess Aphrodite.”

“Have you ever seen her?”

“No, but I’ve heard of her,” he said in a husky voice. As C.J. rubbed her shoulders and played with her hair, something hot raged in his eyes, causing her heart to beat double-time.

Tasha watched his mouth, and her mind reeled with thoughts of how it would feel against hers. His palm cupped the back of her neck, drawing her against him.

So this was what it was like to be seduced.

A little voice in her head urged her to run, but she was too tired. For once she was going to be reckless.

The tender way he kissed her neck was driving her to distraction. She moved her cheek so it would rub against his smooth jaw. Their lips were millimeters away from connecting when C.J.’s cell phone buzzed.

“Shall we stay hidden?” He flashed a smile that made her think anything was possible with him.

“I’d like to, unless you’re on call tonight?” Tasha queried playfully.

C.J.’s eyes never left hers as he shook his head. “I’m not on call until tomorrow.” She could see him fumble with his phone before turning it off.

“Will you get in trouble for that?”

“No. I carry another phone on me just in case there’s an emergency.” He gave her a slow wink. “Tasha, you always were a worrier.”

“It’s what my clients expect me to be for them.”

“No more talk of work. I can take care of myself and the station.”

C.J. clearly had other things on his mind. She could see his eyes exploring her face and upper body.

“Okay,” she whispered.

His fingertips ran up her arms to her neck, sending shivers coursing through her. Instead of talking, she decided to enjoy the sensation. Now he was drawing circles at her nape.

The air crackled with electricity. He drew her closer and gave her a light kiss on her lips. Just as he moved to deepen it, a phone with a fire alarm ring went off. C.J. reached into the pocket of his tux and pulled out a sleek silver cell. “Powell here.”

Tasha leaned back in the seat, still aflame from his touch and kiss. He jerked back into firefighter mode as if nothing had happened between them. “I’ll be right there, Chief. Thanks for the tip. I owe you.”

She turned to look at him, and found his whole countenance had changed. She wondered what he’d heard that had altered him so drastically. “Did somebody you know get hurt?”

“Tasha, we need to go!”

“What are you talking about?”

“The station has been trying to find me.” C.J. stood up and grabbed her hand as he began to run.

“Stop! I can barely move.” Tasha was struggling to keep up.

He paused and swung her into his arms. “Your condo is on fire.”

She was stunned. “My cat! Stormy’s there!”

“I know the commander in charge of the fire,” C.J. said, striding to the elevator with her in his arms, “and he’s the best there is.”

They reached the elevator, and he pushed the button frantically.

Tasha’s heart plummeted as they descended. She loved her home, her life, her memorabilia, but only Stormy was irreplaceable.