Fire and Ice (Firemen do it Hotter Book 1) (3 page)

God, she was going to go out of her mind.

She pulled into a long line at the cashier and braced her elbow on the shopping cart’s handle before resting her forehead in her palm. She shouldn’t have said yes. She
should not
have agreed. What was the matter with her?

Tonight when she called him, she would say no for good and that would be that.

Right?

She sighed before straightening her back and strengthening her resolve.
Right.
She would say no for good and end this madness.

C
helsey stared
at her cell phone. Moved her gaze to the business card with Grady’s confident male scrawl. Glanced at her cell phone. Looked at the card.

“Damn it, Chelsey.” She clenched the phone, dropped into a chair at the kitchen table, and placed her forehead on the smooth, cool wood. “Get a grip.” She groaned, rose and flopped with her back in the chair. “He’s just a guy.”

But some guy. He could have been in an ad for a physical fitness magazine. Or he could have posed for one of those luscious firefighter calendars.

It was all physical, right? She wasn’t thinking about what a great guy he appeared to be when she talked with him. He had such a great personality and he’d be so fun to be around. She was certain of it.

“Just a guy.” She tried to picture him in a wife beater with holes, and loose, stretch gym shorts. She worked to get the thought in her head of him kicking back in front of the TV with a can of beer in one hand, a bag of Cheetos in his other, and the remote on the chair’s arm, while scratching his balls.

Nope. The image didn’t fit the man she’d met. If he was watching TV, he’d be wearing a T-shirt and jeans, or maybe a team jersey and a nice pair of sweatpants. He’d look casual, a total guy, but not in the least bit like a slob.

Funny how she was already so positive of some things when it came to Grady, and she didn’t even know him. He was one hundred percent male, built like an athlete, and classy in a decidedly masculine way.

But then there was his intelligence, his sense of humor, his heart—the way he spoke about his family and Spot.

He made her wish for more… A family of her own to blend with her brothers and sisters, and even more love and laughter.

The man stirred things in her, too. Long dormant feelings that had awakened and brought her body alive. She wanted sex with the man in the worst way. Or rather, the
best
way.

Nope. Not going there, Chelsey.

She placed her phone on the tabletop and stared at it again. When she’d run into him at the grocery store, she’d been surprised, but she’d been glad, too. She felt confident and comfortable around him in a way she never felt off the ice. It was an intense sensation of being safe and protected. As nuts as it sounded, he made her feel as if she could take on the world.

Jeez. She barely knew him and she already had crazy feelings for him. Feelings she had to put to an end.

She needed to get this done and over with, and tell him she couldn’t go out after all. One thing she’d never done, was call a guy she didn’t know well, a guy who wanted to date her. The shy side of her wanted her to toss his number in the garbage. Again. Her integrity knew it was only right to call him and tell him herself.

When he’d first asked her, she had been excited about going out with him—and here she was, ready to cancel a second time.

She’d never been wishy-washy, so why was she being that way with Grady? He set her body on fire in all the right places, and he was the only one who could put out those flames.

After sucking in air and letting out her breath several times, she picked up her phone. Another deep breath and she entered the code to unlock the phone. It took three tries. She looked at the card then used the keypad to dial his number. Before she pressed the connect icon, she straightened in her chair and braced herself.

When she pressed the icon, the call went immediately to voicemail. A combination of disappointment and relief scattered her thoughts in opposite directions.

She pulled them back together as she listened to the recording. His voice had a husky quality to it. She could just imagine him whispering in her ear while they were in bed together. “You’ve reached Grady. Leave a message and I’ll get right back to you.”

A shiver rolled over her body, followed by goose bumps prickling her skin.

She loved his voice and the way it made her feel. It was so sexy. It made body tingle all over. Dear lord, but she had to get her mind away from the direction it constantly wanted to head in.

A beep and then a pause.
Oh, yeah.
She needed to leave a message. She immediately dismissed telling him “No” in an impersonal way, like a phone message. Instead she left her number and disconnected the call.

G
rady rubbed
sweat from the back of his neck and forehead before drying his hair with a hand towel. He dropped the towel on a bench near the ice rink and grabbed his water bottle before downing most of the contents. At one time, he would have had vodka and Coke in his bottle, but those days were long gone. He’d just celebrated eight years of sobriety a month ago.

Yeah, a celebration.

Memories slammed into him. Non-memories, more like it, when he’d black out for hours and never remember a thing he’d done during his full-on drunk. College had been one big party. Alcoholism was in his blood from a long line of alcoholics in the big Irish family he was so proud of. He’d seen what his family went through at the expense of his mother, aunts, grandmother, and cousins. Every branch of the family on the Donovan side had at least one alcoholic.

Fuck. He’d been told he shouldn’t have touched the shit to begin with, because but of course he’d thought he could hold his liquor, unlike family members. One big lie to himself.

He finished chugging the water and jammed the bottle into his duffel bag. He’d never touch a drop of alcohol again. Not one fucking drop. But like any recovering alcoholic, it was one day at a time. One goddamned day at a time.

“Good practice.” David Hanley slapped Grady on the shoulder, jerking him from his dark thoughts. David frowned. “You okay?”

Grady returned fully to the present. “You bet.” Tension eased from him. “Looking forward to the league game this weekend.”

David nodded. “You’re going to kick ass. With you on the team, it’s like having a ringer. Sure you’ve never played in the pros?”

“I wish.” Grady shook his head and smiled even though the memory sucked. “I played in college until I blew out my knee and broke my leg in three places.” He didn’t mention that the injuries were due to rolling his car when he’d been drunk off his ass. He’d been fortunate no one had been with him—he’d creamed his car. His seatbelt and the airbags saved his sorry hide.

After being in ICU for a week, he had been in a hospital bed for another month. During that time, he’d gone through the tremors to the point they’d nearly had to strap him to the bed. Once he was through withdrawals, he went sober. AA had helped and he still made at least one meeting a week.

He swore he’d never touch alcohol again, and he hadn’t…until…

“Something wrong?” David’s frown jerked Grady back to reality.

Grady shook his head and slapped David on the back. “All’s great here, buddy.”

“Good.” David hitched the strap of a duffel bag over his shoulder. “Gotta have you sharp and ready for Sunday afternoon.”

Grady saluted David. “You bet, coach.”

David laughed. “Head home and grab some sleep.”

“I think I’ll do that.” Grady pulled his phone out of the side pocket of his own duffel. “See you later.”

David grinned and headed off in the direction some of the other players, who’d participated in the scrimmage, had gone.

Grady touched the screen and saw he had a missed call from a private number and had a message. He hoped both had been Chelsey.

His pulse kicked up a notch. He listened to the message and smiled when he heard her sweet voice as she left her number.

He slung his duffel over his shoulder as he pressed her number on the screen and brought the phone to his ear.

When she answered he said, “How is your evening?”

“I’m getting ready to go to bed.” She sounded tired. “Long day at my dress shop.”

He headed out the front doors of the skating rink. “I hope it was a good one.”

“It was.” She sounded tense. “I called you to tell you I can’t go out.”

He wasn’t surprised, but he had no intention of letting her off the hook. “How about this Saturday night?”

She hesitated. That pause told him he had her and he smiled at the warmth in his chest from the certainty that he was going to get a chance with this woman who had captivated him so completely.

“It’s only a get together, Chelsey, to see if we click. I think we will.” He already felt it, and he was certain she did, too.

“A get together.” She said the words as if tasting each one, and with a little more enthusiasm than he’d expected with her being tired and trying to put him off. “Where would you like to go?”

“Do you have a favorite place?” He felt like he’d just struck gold.

“O’Brien’s is on College Avenue,” she said. “It’s an Irish bar, of course. Or we could go to that great Italian restaurant down the street from all the bars. Giovanni’s.”

“Giovanni’s sounds perfect.” Grady preferred to stay as far away from bars as possible. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t go in and have a Coke with friends now and again, but going into bars wasn’t his first choice. “I’ll make reservations for 6:30 and pick you up at 6:10. Text me your address.”

“Okay.” She sounded shy and hesitant. “I’ll do that and I’ll be ready.

He grinned to himself as he reached his truck. “See you then.”

Not long after he climbed into his truck, his phone beeped and he saw that Chelsey had sent her address. He smiled.

Something in his gut told him Chelsey was special. Real special. Now if she would give him a chance to prove himself worthy of her.

After putting on his seatbelt, he jammed the keys into the ignition then paused. Was he worthy? He was a recovering alcoholic but there was always the chance he could be triggered to take a drink, which would lead to another. No matter what he told himself now, and no matter that he no longer craved alcohol and had been sober for eight years, he had to be realistic.

One day at a time.

He mentally shook his head. It wasn’t a matter of being worthy. He’d have to tell her sooner or later, but he preferred to get to know her before he sprung, “I’m an alcoholic” on her. Some people didn’t want to have a relationship with someone who had a history of a drinking or drug problem. He’d never gotten into drugs, thank God, but being an alcoholic was just as bad.

He blew out his breath in a rush. He needed to get to his regular AA meeting and talk with his sponsor.

First he’d get home and pull his head together. The truck’s motor rumbled as he pulled the big vehicle out of the parking lot and headed home.

T
he firm knock
at the door caused Chelsey to jump up from her seat in the living room.

Grady.

She straightened her spine and pushed her hair behind her ears, catching a whiff of the new light floral perfume on her wrists. All day she had been more excited about this date than she’d thought possible, and had been ready twenty minutes early.

Once she’d made the decision to go, she had also decided to be open to anything. If she felt as much of a connection tonight as she thought she would, and he felt the same, she
would
see him again. She wasn’t going to allow her fears to hold her back anymore. When she had skated competitively, she had never let anything discourage her or get her down. If tonight was a bomb, at least she’d given him a chance.

Her flowing royal blue dress swirled around her ankles as she walked across the room. When she reached the door, she put her hand on the bolt lock, took a deep breath, and peered out the peephole. Her blood thrummed in her ears. Even with the distorted view the peephole gave her, she could see how freaking hot Grady was.

Her heart thudded a little faster as she unlocked then opened the door.

For one moment she stood in place, letting his presence surround her as their gazes met and held. She couldn’t breathe as she took him in, drawing in every part of his sheer masculinity. His dark hair looked a little rumpled, and he wore a light blue collared shirt and black slacks. His clothing was loose, yet he filled it all out in a way that still showed what a great body he had.

Most of all she saw the kindness in his eyes. She didn’t know him well, but she liked the caring and consideration radiating from him every time he was near. He really was in the perfect profession for him—100% All-American Male with heart and soul, who rescued people.

“You’re gorgeous.” His husky voice sent a slice of warmth through her, drawing her out of her mesmerized state. “Every time I see you, you take my breath away.”

His words sent tingles to her belly. No man, not even George, had ever said anything so sweet, and so clearly sincere, to her. He’d said it in a way that was almost reverent.

“Thank you.” She smiled, feeling shy as she accepted his compliment. “I’ll grab my purse and coat.” She left the door open as she returned to the living room and scooped her purse off the coffee table and coat off the back of a sofa. He stepped into the foyer just long enough to help her with her coat.

When she walked out the door, she locked it behind her, then removed her key from her purse and took care of the deadbolt.

She dropped the key ring into her purse and smiled at him. God, when he smiled back, heat radiated throughout her body. The kind of heat that made her want to take his hand, drag him back inside the house, and make love to him until they were both exhausted.

Make love?
A little to soon to be thinking those two words. Much too soon.

Her body heated as he touched her lower back at the base of her spine. They made small talk as he guided her down the steps to a big truck parked near the sidewalk.

When they reached the vehicle, he opened the passenger door and grasped her hand to help her onto the running board and up into the cab. Every time he touched her, it was like a shower of electric sparks rained exploded within her. He shut the door behind her and strode around the front to the driver’s side before climbing in.

She had her seatbelt on before he had his keys in the ignition. He paused to look at her and smiled. “I’m glad you said yes to going out with me tonight.”

A laugh rose inside her. “You didn’t give me much of a choice. You’re very persistent.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet.” He winked and a tingling sensation radiated from her belly. He started the truck, then pulled out onto the street before heading downtown to Giovanni’s.

During the ten-minute drive from Chelsey’s home, they talked about the fall weather and discussed how it had been unusually warm for Wisconsin this time of year. The conversation was relaxed and easy, and definitely a safe topic to start with.

Grady found parking in the lot behind Giovanni’s. After he helped Chelsey out of the truck, he escorted her into the restaurant. He had made reservations, and the hostess seated them within a few moments.

Even though she had been to this restaurant before, Chelsey paused to look at the elegant but comfortable surroundings. She noticed something different about the place every time she was there. It was almost as if things in the many murals had moved, making them somehow different every time she looked at them.

The temperature was warm and comfortable in the dining room. A low murmur of conversation filled the air and forks clinked on plates as patrons enjoyed their meals. The aroma of red sauce, pasta, and freshly baked garlic bread surrounded them.

When Grady had taken his own chair after seating her, the hostess set a menu on top of the bread plates in front of each of them. Chelsey picked up her menu, and her thoughts turned to the fact she was out with the handsome firefighter—who appeared to be a wonderful man—she had first seen at the ice rink not long ago.

She looked up from the menu and found him watching her. For a moment, she couldn’t look away. She couldn’t even breathe. He reached across the table and put his hand over hers. The warmth of his touch, the way it caused her whole body to come alive, made her feel as if she could be in his arms forever.

Forever.

She hadn’t even been in his arms once, and she was thinking about an eternity with this man?

A soft gasp escaped her as he slowly rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “I can’t help it.” His smile was wickedly sexy. “All I want to do is touch you.”

“No one is stopping you.” The words came out before her brain caught up with her mouth. He grinned as a wash of nerves nearly caused her to pull her hand away.

“I’m glad about that.” He slid his thumb over the knuckles of her left hand, and she shivered. “You might not get your hand back all night.”

“How am I supposed to eat?” Her playful comeback earned another smile from him. “I’m left handed.”

He released her and took her opposite hand. “Then I’ll take your right in exchange.”

If she had tried, she couldn’t have stopped the smile that curved her lips. “What if I’d like it back?”

He shrugged. “Unless you want to end up in my lap, you’ll let me hold your hand.”

Chelsey laughed just as the server stopped by. Grady ordered an iced tea and asked her what she wanted. After having a husband who was an alcoholic, she rarely drank, so she told the server she would stick with water. Grady checked with Chelsey and then ordered caprese for an appetizer.

When the server left, Grady turned back to Chelsey. “How often have you been to Giovanni’s?”

Chelsey found herself mesmerized again by the blue of his eyes. “Many times over the years.”

He linked their fingers. “What do you recommend?”

“I’ve never had a bad meal here.” She heard the smoky warmth in her voice when she responded. “I would have to say that my favorite meal is the tortellini conpazze. I also love the gnocchi pistachio. Tonight I think I’ll go for the gnocchi.”

“I’ll try the other one. The tortellini.” He set his menu aside without looking at it, and she put hers on top of his.

The server returned with the iced tea and water, along with a bread basket. He took their dinner order and retreated.

Once they were alone again, Grady lightly squeezed her fingers. “Tell me about your years as a figure skater. I want to know everything.”

She smiled, even as his touch did funny things to her insides. “I want to say there’s not much to tell, but there’s actually a lot to it. Still, I don’t want to bore you.”

The corner of his mouth curved. “I don’t care what we are talking about, but you could never bore me. Hell, tell me about when you took the garbage out this week, and I’ll be hanging onto every word.”

She burst into laughter. “It was quite the adventure. There was this rabbit with a timepiece and he seemed to be in a huge hurry.”

“You had me at first giggle.” Grady laughed, too. “Now, why don’t you tell me your ice skating story. How did you get started?”

“My parents took me out onto the ice as soon as I could walk.” She tilted her head to the side. “Mom had always dreamed of being a figure skater, but it didn’t work out for her. So as long as I had the same desire, she wanted me to be the best.”

Grady shifted her hand so that he was now stroking her fingers. “I take it you loved it from the beginning.”

“Did I ever.” Chelsey felt almost like she slipped into another world as she thought back to those early days. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve been on the ice almost daily. Even after my ‘retirement’, I continued to skate and teach in my spare time. It wasn’t easy once I was raising my siblings, but it worked out.”

Money had been tight, and Chelsey had worked two jobs. When her sisters were old enough, they had taken on cleaning houses together for an income, which had helped their little family tremendously.

Grady picked up a piece of bread from the basket with his free hand. “Tell me how you came to be a champion.”

She tipped her head, thinking back to those days. “Coach Markus, my trainer, knew one of the best figure skating coaches in the world, Vlad Ivanov. As a favor to my trainer, Coach Ivanov came to watch me skate in a local competition for my age group. I was fourteen. After I was off the ice, he took me aside and told me he’d like to train me for the Olympics. He said it would be a lot of work, and I would have to move away from my home in Appleton and go to Colorado Springs if I was to train with him.”

“Did that scare you?” Grady bit into the bread and chewed.

“A little.” Chelsey smiled. “Let’s just say I was lucky to have that opportunity and so very happy it happened.”

“Opportunities don’t just happen.” He set the piece of bread on the bread plate beside him. “You made the opportunity by all the work you did by practicing over and over.”

She considered what he had to say. “That’s true. Coach Ivanov never would have made the trip from Colorado Springs if my first coach hadn’t seen what I could do, and that came from practice.”

“Exactly.” Grady smiled. “What competitions have you been in and won?”

“Pretty much every level you can participate, I won at one time or another.” Chelsey wasn’t bragging, and she knew he understood that. She was stating what were facts from her past. “There was a time I was almost unbeatable.”

“The Olympics?” Grady asked. “I’m pretty sure I would have recognized you.”

She hesitated. “My grandmother passed away from a heart attack six months before the start of the upcoming Olympic games. I had no choice but to come back and raise my siblings. I am the only surviving relative and they would have been put into foster homes.”

“How old were you?” he asked.

“Not quite nineteen.” She felt almost defiant as she added, “I would never let them be put into the foster care system.”

Time to talk about something else. Besides, she wanted to know more about him.

“Tell me about you and that enormous Irish family you grew up in,” she said just as the caprese arrived.