Spark Of Desire. Christa Maurice

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      Kevin sat in his sweltering car looking at the bookstore and wondering what had possessed him to offer to help her. In sixteen years with the department, he’d never offered to help someone get in. The guys he’d helped study for exams had always been guys he already worked with. He didn’t know how to train a rookie, let alone tutor a hopeful.

      Through the front windows he could see Jessica talking to the moody girl who did the magazines. Now that one was more his type, small and feminine. Or at least shaped like a girl. That one was pretty prickly under the wrong circumstances, though. Besides, she was married. Her left hand had a damning silver wedding band. Too bad. He did prefer the small curvy type.

      Not like Jessica. Jessica was too tall, for starters. Nearly as tall as him. She had broad shoulders like a guy too. Plus, she was too young. No matter how old she claimed to be, she looked about twenty-two. How could he be attracted to a too-young tomboy? He liked women who were sophisticated and confident. Women who tended toward perfume, lipstick and dresses. Women who could turn him inside out with a well-timed smile.

      But she had a great, infectious laugh. When she hugged him, it hadn’t been unwelcome either. He’d forgotten what a nice feeling it was to have a woman throw her arms around him. For a minute, he’d forgotten to let go of her hands. Her body was soft, and yielding, too.

      Which it wouldn’t be in a few weeks.

      Why was he sitting here in the parking lot with the windows rolled up, staring through the store windows at a woman so wrong for him? Too tall, too boyish, too exuberant. She’d just about knocked him over when she hugged him.

      It had to be because Jack and Kate were getting married. It had to be. The last couple of months watching Jack pursue Kate had left Kevin a little jealous. Even when Jack had been unhappy, and Kevin had been on the verge of killing him, he’d noticed something different about his friend. Something he wanted. When Kate showed up at the apartment fire, Kevin could still see the joy on her face when Jack proposed. So what had he done? He’d latched onto the first woman to cross his path. Good thing the magazine girl was married or he’d be courting her now. It was probably for the best that she wasn’t available. Kevin had a feeling she’d work him over good, given the chance. No, he wasn’t attracted to the inappropriate Jessica Decker. He just wanted what Jack had.

      As he watched, Jessica left the magazine section. Probably going to call her doctor. He remembered how excited he’d been when he trained for the test. That would be fun, at least. Sharing her enthusiasm. Watching her work for the goal. As long as he kept in mind that she wasn’t his type, he’d be fine. He had to learn to think of her as one of the guys. Like Bobbie down at eleven. He never imagined he was attracted to Bobbie, and he’d worked out with her before. Hated jogging with her. She could out-distance him. According to her, it had something to do with female anatomy, but he just didn’t run with her anymore. Maybe he could call Bobbie and ask her if she wanted to help him out with Jessica.

      That might not be a bad idea. Give her another woman to talk to, and give him another person to distract him from Jessica.

      Starting the car, he rolled down the window and put it in gear. The minute he got home, he’d call Bobbie. He needed another person between him and Jessica.

      At home, he dropped into his favorite chair and dialed Bobbie’s number, priming to get her machine. While he listened to the phone ring, he looked around his house. Bobbie referred to the decorating scheme as guy chic. The walls were hunter green, the carpet navy blue. The furniture was all blue- and green-striped except for his favorite chair, which he couldn’t part with. That was tan.

      “Hello?” Bobbie said.

      “Hi, Bobbie?”

      “Nobody else answers my phone. Who is this?”

      Kevin frowned. He’d forgotten how abrasive Bobbie could be if she wanted to. “Kevin Marshall.”

      “Hey, Marshall, what do you want?”

      Kevin considered lying to her and finding someone else to help him train Jessica. Jack couldn’t help him. He was too busy being a newlywed, even though the wedding wasn’t for a couple of months. Dan wouldn’t be able to stop hitting on her, and that would drive Kevin nuts. Lew? No, he didn’t have the patience to deal with Lew and train Jessica at the same time. Besides, she’d be better off with another woman. There had to be stuff she’d need to learn from another woman.

      “Marshall, do you usually call up people to daydream?”

      “No, I was–never mind. Listen, I met this girl today—”

      “And you want dating tips?”

      “No.” Kevin dug his fingers into the arm of the chair. Arden had one other female firefighter, but he didn’t know her very well. Not well enough to call her up today. “She wants to join the department, and I told her I’d help her study and train.”

      Kevin had to move the phone away from his ear so Bobbie’s braying laughter wouldn’t give him a headache. He could still contact the other woman. City hall would have her number if no one else did. She couldn’t be worse than СКАЧАТЬ