Too Near the Fire (11 page)

“You like kids?” he asked, breaking the silence between them.

Leah leaned back against the table, drawing up one leg and wrapping her arms about it. “Love them. They’re so much fun. It’s like watching a flower blossom right in front of you.”

“You had Scotty wrapped around your little finger.”

She smiled tentatively. “Part of that was the fascination with the woman fire fighter image.”

“You must have handled him well, because he’s a pushy little kid when he wants to be. I’ve never seen him so attentive.”

“You make him sound as if he’s hyperactive or something.”

Gil rubbed his jaw. “I think he is. I know he drives Bob’s wife crazy.”

“He seemed curious and I like that trait in kids.”

He nodded. “That kid has more energy than ten put together, and a million questions up his sleeve. Better watch it or he’ll hang around you from here on out.”

“I could suffer a much worse fate, believe me,” she answered.

“Ever have any of your own?” he inquired gently.

Leah chewed on her lower lip, staring fixedly at the green grass at her feet.

“Jack really didn’t want any. He was too busy being a jet jockey and impressing other women with his status,” she said, an underlying edge to her voice. She allowed the anger of the old hurts to surface. Children gave her a special kind of happiness and often, when she watched a mother with her baby, she wistfully dreamed of being in that situation someday. Being a fire fighter didn’t preclude her becoming pregnant and then returning to the job after having a baby. She ran her fingers distractedly through her loose hair. The problem was finding a man. She stole a look at Gil and knew he would make a wonderful father.

“Then he was a fool,” Gil said, catching her startled look. “Any man that would throw you away ought to have his head examined.”

“It was my fault too. I married Jack because I thought I loved him. It was an infatuation that lasted about a year.”

“You were probably too young and inexperienced to be able to know the difference.”

“I don’t know,” she murmured. “I wonder if I’ll ever really find the real pieces of myself. The me that I’m happy with even if others aren’t. I’m so distrustful.” She gave a shake of her head. “And that’s stupid. You’ve always been fair with me and stood up for me when I needed help. You’re the only one in the department who’s never tried to make me feel small or worthless.”

“You’re searching for yourself, Leah,” he returned gently. “We all go through growth stages when outer pressures force us to go inside and find out what we’re really made of. You’re just going through a reevaluating period.”

“How do you know so much about the way I feel?”

It was his turn to shrug but she saw the pain in his eyes. “It was because of Jenny, wasn’t it?” she asked gently.

He was silent, his face becoming an inscrutable mask. Leah got up, conscious of the tension within him. Stuffing her hands in her jean pockets, she murmured, “I’m sorry, Gil. I didn’t mean to bring back painful memories.”

Standing, he motioned toward the lake. “No need to apologize. Friends never need to say they’re sorry for trying to understand each other. Grab your suit and towel. Let’s go take a swim and get away from this crowd for a while.”

Leah had worn her suit beneath her jeans and short-sleeved pink blouse. “Sounds great,” she agreed, reaching for a towel.

The ground sloped downward toward the inviting blue lake, which was surrounded by cattails. She suddenly felt free, her stride lengthening as she walked at Gil’s shoulder. When they reached the small sandy beach, Scotty and his two friends accosted them. Their shrill laughter of delight filled the air as they ran back into the water, begging Gil and Leah to come and play with them. In no time Leah had shrugged out of her clothes.

“You’re going to cause a riot,” Gil said, breaking into an appreciative smile as his gaze flowed across the lime green suit that clung to her slender figure.

Leah waved her hand at him, caught up in the enthusiasm of the children and his obvious delight. “I’m going to forget that those people on the hill exist. Right now all I want to do is revert back to a kid myself and have some fun.”

She turned and skipped lightly into the water, gasping as it closed about her knees. It was colder then she’d first thought! The little girl came swimming up like a dog. Leah leaned down, scooping her up.

“And who’s this little guppy?” she asked.

“Susie,” the child giggled shyly.

“You’re an awfully good swimmer, Susie,” Leah whispered conspiratorially, putting the little girl back down. “Do you think you might swim with me out to that platform with the diving board on it?”

“Yay!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands.

Leah placed a kiss on her forehead. “Come on, I’ll race you!”

By the time Leah had allowed Susie to win the “race” out to the floating platform, both boys had swum ahead and were waiting for them. Leah helped Susie climb up, treading water until the child was safely aboard.

Scotty yelled, “Look out, Leah!”

A strong arm slid across her waist, pulling her backward away from the platform. Leah twisted out of Gil’s grasp, laughing. Her hair was plastered against her head, bringing out the natural prominence of her high cheekbones. Gasping, she caught the mischief in Gil’s eyes as he lunged toward her a second time. He was too strong to outdistance but she was more nimble, diving down into the murky depths to escape his charge.

She surfaced yards away to the sound of the kids laughing and warning her again. Looking around, she didn’t see him until she felt his hands capture her waist. In seconds he propelled her out of the water and she landed with a big splash a few feet away. She surfaced, laughing with all of them, and swam back to the platform. Gil helped her up and she sat there, watching as he pulled himself up beside her. She had never realized how truly beautiful his body was until that instant. The water glistened on his tightly muscled shoulders and chest. Dark hair covered his broad chest and flat stomach, disappearing beneath the waist of the swimming trunks.

Susie climbed into her arms and snuggled contentedly, her head against Leah’s shoulder. Gil reached over, tousling the girl’s blond hair playfully.

“This is Apache’s daughter, in case you didn’t know.”

Susie looked over at him. “My daddy’s not an Indian!” she exclaimed indignantly.

Leah smiled, hugging the girl and rocking her gently. She looked up, catching Gil’s unshielded reaction, and melted beneath the tender flame she saw in his eyes.

“You’d make one hell of a mother,” he murmured, brushing stray tendrils of hair from her cheek.

The rest of the afternoon was a melee down at the lakefront. It was as if every child knew that there was fun going on, and soon, to Leah’s delight, the small beach was filled with youngsters that ranged in age from eighteen months old to fifteen years of age. Gradually the mothers came down to watch their children, as if sensing that Leah was less of a threat than they had first thought. Gil suggested a water battle, and soon they were carrying the young children around on their shoulders in the chest-deep water in sparring matches. Leah got dunked the most, but she took it in stride.

After three hours she retreated to the opposite end of the lake, where a small patch of open bank was surrounded by cattails. Flopping down on the grassy bank on her stomach, she tucked her hands beneath her head and closed her eyes. Soon after, Gil joined her, lying close by. The sun was warm, drying the water from her skin. She languished in a semidoze, a good kind of exhaustion filling her. She heard Gil get up at some point and then she must have fallen asleep.

She awoke slowly, aware of a strong hand massaging her shoulders in slow lazy motions. Groaning, she turned toward him. Gil smiled down at her as he knelt by her side, rubbing in the protective lotion. “You were starting to look like a lobster.”

Leah moaned, relishing his touch on her back. “It feels great,” she murmured. “Don’t ever stop.” The pressure of his hand disappeared for a moment while he changed position. His fingers moved gently up the length of her spine, massaging the tight muscles. It was heavenly and Leah surrendered completely to his ministrations. His fingers were strong and coaxing against her yielding flesh as he worked her back, shoulders and neck free of tension. Another more disturbing sensation coursed electrically throughout her body. Each skillful touch of his hands stirred her senses. She could not recall Jack ever taking the time to do something like that for her. Yet Gil seemed to sense she needed it. His fingers glided up her spine, lightly caressed her shoulders, traveled slowly down the sides of her back. She was acutely aware that his fingers were within a mere inch of her breasts; she almost wished he would touch her….

“You’re in good shape,” he murmured. “I like a woman who is supple and has muscle tone.”

“You can thank fire fighting for that,” she murmured drowsily.

“Mmm, I never realized how beautiful your legs were. It’s a shame they have to be hidden in a pair of navy blue slacks or bunker pants all the time,” he teased.

Leah smiled. “You’re not in such bad shape yourself.”

“Compliments will get you everywhere.”

She laughed softly. “You’re spoiling me absolutely rotten, do you know that?”

“One of the small pleasures I allow myself. You’re purring like a cat, lady.”

She rolled on her side and sat up. Gil looked boyish, his face devoid of tension, his blue eyes warm with humor. Strands of his dark hair lifted in the inconstant breeze. Reaching out, she took the suntan lotion from him. “Turnaround is fair play. Lie down.”

“That’s an invitation I’ll never decline,” he said, lying on his stomach.

“You wouldn’t,” she noted dryly, pouring out the oil into her hands and warming it up before she applied it to his back. She rose to her knees and moved beside him, hands against his flesh. His muscles were firm and taut from continual workout. Leah reveled in the exercise, aroused by the touch, smell, and closeness of him. It was a pleasurable few minutes. She sat back, wiping the excess lotion off in the grass, and then lay down on her back.

He reached out to capture her hand. “Thanks,” he murmured.

Her heart skipped a beat and she automatically returned the pressure of his fingers. His grip relaxed, his hand remaining on top of hers as they both closed their eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the sun. Leah lay there, her body reacting strongly to him. She hadn’t forgotten the burning kiss that had seared her lips or the way the touch of his callused hands ignited new fires of longing deep within her. She sighed softly. One part of her hungered for his touch, another desired the friendship he had offered, and yet another hung back, terrified. She laughed at herself: that last part was called wisdom.

She must have dozed off again because when she awoke, she opened her eyes to see Gil propped above her, studying her with a raw intensity that made her pulse leap strongly at the base of her throat. Her lips parted unconsciously as he leaned over her. Breath suspended, heart pounding wildly, Leah felt a jolt of electricity flow through her body as his mouth descended demandingly against her lips. His hand moved to her slender neck, fingers against her jaw. He held her still so that he could taste the sweet depths of her mouth. Instinctively, her arm slid around the curve of his neck, fingers entwining in the dark curls at his nape. Fire, more raging and uncontrolled than any she had fought, swept through her with fierce new intensity. The sandpapery texture of his cheek against her face, the moist hotness of his breath fueled the flame ignited between them. She responded wantonly, unafraid to match his volcanic fervor.

His mouth moved against her lips, becoming more gentle and caressing. A soft moan rose in her throat as he broke contact, his face hovering only an inch from her wet, throbbing lips. Her eyes were wide, her breath coming in shallow gasps as he studied her in the intervening silence. “I want you,” he breathed thickly, his voice trembling with husky vibration. “All of you, Leah. Every square inch of your lovely body.” He groaned, closing his eyes, exhaling forcefully. “I’ve never wanted a woman more than you,” he whispered, his eyes turbulent and hungry. Managing a shaky smile, he traced the line of her brow. “This is a hell of a fix.”

She swallowed convulsively; her body trembled with desire. Finally, she found her voice.

“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice wispy.

He looked beyond her at the quiet lake. His profile was rugged. She noted that small lines fanned out from the corner of each of his eyes. He turned to meet her gaze, and a self-deprecating smile edged the corners of his chiseled mouth. “I offer you friendship and then take advantage of it. I didn’t mean to kiss you…. God knows, I fought myself long enough. Just watching you sleep with the sun glinting in your hair pushed me over the edge,” he admitted.

“I’m not sorry,” she whispered huskily.

Surprise flared briefly in his cobalt eyes. “I don’t want you to think I’m playing a game with you. I’m a strong man in some respects, but you’ve hit my weak spot.” He laughed. “I just can’t keep my hands off you.”

Her heart was beginning to come back to a normal beat. She reached up and caressed his jaw and cheek. “I know you’re not playing a game with me. You don’t have to apologize. I liked it as much as you did.”

He captured her hand, holding it tightly against his bare chest. “I wasn’t going to apologize,” he murmured, mirth returning to his eyes.

She smiled. “Awfully sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

Gil laughed, sitting up and releasing her hand. “Hell of a beginning for a friendship, huh?”

“Yes,” she murmured, “a hell of a beginning.”

It was nearly dark when the picnic was officially over. They had rejoined the group near dinnertime and had helped the children roast marshmallows and wieners over the fire. The adults seemed to silently accept her within the fold upon their return. The fact that the children rushed up to them helped to break the ice. Scotty and Susie never left Leah’s side for a moment, and she settled in to play with them during the long evening hours.