Flaming Desire - Part 2 (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) Read Online Free Page B

him, surprised to find him grinning down at me with a knowing look in his eyes.
    “Actually, I feel a little like McDonald's.”
    The look on his face made me laugh and I gave him a light slap on the arm. “Don't even go there,” I said, shaking my head. I dug in my purse for my keys.
    “Why not?” he asked.
    I paused, keys in hand, staring up at him in surprise. “Are you always this forward with the girls?”
    He shrugged, the grin still in place. “Only with the ones I like.”
    Before I could reply to that one, he continued speaking.
    “No pressure, Jesse, just some friendly conversation, maybe something to eat?”
    He looked at me appraisingly, and although I know I should've said no, at least not until I had finished mentoring him, I felt my heart trip hammering again. I don't know why I said yes. Maybe it was because I had seen him flirting with Megan, or so I thought. Maybe it was to secretly show Megan up. Then again, maybe it was merely because I was attracted to him. Why fight it? We weren't on duty anymore, and it was nobody's business what we did outside of work, was it?
    “Okay,” I said, glancing down at my soot-smudged scrubs. “I'm hardly presentable though. Are you thinking of drive-through?” The moment the words left my mouth, I felt another blush work its way up my cheeks. Why had I said that? I started to laugh, glancing up at him. “I didn't mean it like that, Matt—”
    He laughed too, shaking his head. “Actually, we both smell a bit smoky, no offense, so I was thinking we could run by a barbecue place that's not far from my apartment. They make really good ribs and no one’s bound to notice.”
    The thought of barbecue got my taste buds going, but then I thought how messy barbecue food was. If it was barbequed, I ate it with my fingers. Not so ladylike. Nothing like making a good impression on a guy with barbecue sauce smeared all over your chin. Then again, why turn down opportunity when it dropped into my lap… oh God, there I went again. Everything I thought or said seemed to have some kind of sexual innuendo or suggestion behind it. I didn't understand what was happening to me, so I just sighed and gave up.
    Why not just let the chips fall where they may? It wasn't like I had guys asking me out every day, and especially not guys like Matt. I had gone through quite a dry spell before he arrived, and maybe that was part of the reason for my intense attraction to him. Maybe I was just deprived… not just sexually, but by any positive male attention. Doctor Linder didn't count. Ugh.
    I nodded. “Barbecue sounds good,” I said, glancing down at myself and gesturing. “A spot or two of barbecue sauce isn’t going to make these scrubs any worse. They're destined for the trash anyway, I think.” Sometimes, the smell of smoke was difficult to get out of clothes, and over the years I had disposed of several pairs of favorite jeans, T-shirts, and other clothes for that very reason.
    “Shall we take my truck then, since I know where the place is? I can bring you back here, or you can follow me in your Jeep,” he suggested. “Whatever you want.”
    Whatever I wanted? I glanced at my Jeep and figured there was no sense in my wasting gas. “We can take your truck,” I said. With that, he nodded and I put my keys away and followed him to his truck, not far from mine. Once again he opened the passenger side door and I climbed in. Moments later, he followed suit.
    He started the engine and drove out of the hospital parking lot. All of a sudden, the tension of the day caught up with me. It seemed like a long time ago that I had rushed into the burning house to get to that baby. Been carried out on Matt's shoulders. Then dealing with the multiple car accident just a little while later. I found that it was easy to keep my mind occupied when I was busy, but the minute I became inactive, feelings and emotions would catch up with me. Even though we hadn't been busy at the firehouse after the