Page 40 of Firecracker

“Sure. And I think he does fine. But he’s not trying to become a millionaire or a big restaurant chain owner. He just loves what he does.”

“And that’s awesome. That’s how life should be.” She glanced sideways at him. “That’s how you are.”

“Well, I’m not gonna lie. I want to work my way up in the fire department.” He’d passed his lieutenant’s exam. Now it was a matter of waiting, since promotions were based on seniority, and there were a lot of people ahead of him.

“Do you want to be fire commissioner one day?”

“Eh, don’t know about that. That’d be a dreaded office job. Then again, maybe when I’m older, I’llwantan office job.”

They turned the corner onto their street and kept walking. The leafy trees formed an arched canopy above them, shifting gently in the breeze. Arden let out a soft sigh.

“Are you tired?”

“Oh yeah.” She flashed a wry smile. “My feet and legs are killing me.”

“Shit.”

“I can handle it.” She lifted her chin.

“I know you can.”

After a beat, she said in a quiet voice, “Thanks.”

“Want me to carry you?” He would. He’d pick her up and carry her all the fucking way home.

She choked on a laugh. “Um, no.”

“You work tomorrow night again?”

“Yes, but earlier. Eleven till seven.”

“Ah.” He nodded.

“Emma is coming over tomorrow night, after I get off work.”

“Cool.”

“I’m so excited to see her again!” She actually gave a little hop, despite her fatigue.

“That’ll be nice. She never left Chicago?”

“No. She went to college here and then started working at Hutter Golding.” He recognized the name of the big asset management firm. “We kept in touch of course, and she came to visit me in Phoenix a couple of times.”

They walked up the short sidewalk to the dark house.

“Wonder if Mila’s home. She was going over to her boyfriend’s place earlier.” He frowned, remembering his convo with Jamie and his concerns about Mila. But Jamie’d brushed it off, so he was probably just being an old lady.

“I have to meet him.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you will.”

He let Arden go up the stairs ahead of him, locking the front door behind them, then following her. He allowed himself to watch her ass in those snug black pants. She couldn’t tell he was ogling her from behind her. And her ass was definitely worthy of ogling.

In the upstairs hallway, the motion-sensitive light came on and they stood there outside their apartments.

“Well, thanks for walking me home. Even though you didn’t need to.”

They were about a foot apart. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, with a few strands loose around her face, and it gleamed in the overhead light. The opening of her shirt was modest but revealed a hint of cleavage, the white cotton fitted to her breasts. Those sparks he always felt around her prickled and heated his skin. Awareness shimmered between them. Her eyes darkened and her lips parted. She felt it too. Shedid.

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