Everything Bared (Six-Alarm Sexy) (5 page)

Glancing around the room, he noted other changes. She’d draped a red scarf over her lamp. Seeing she’d cut a hole over the middle so the heat wasn’t trapped, he smiled. Framed photos lined the dresser and desk. He stepped inside to take a closer look. Most were group pictures of her with other firefighters. A few were of her with another woman with very similar features. Did Danielle have a sister?

The last photo was of a young Danielle, another girl, and a man in a firefighter’s dress uniform with his arm around a woman. This had to be Danielle’s family. He’d had no idea her father was a firefighter too. But why did she carry around such an old photo? Was this the only family picture she’d managed to salvage from her apartment after the quake? He really knew very little about his new roommate, about the woman sharing his home.

As he turned to leave, he noticed she’d changed the curtains, and there was a new matching carpet on the floor along with a pile of clothes in the corner and an open suitcase. If it weren’t for his furniture, all from Caldwell Fine Furnishings, he’d hardly recognize this as his spare bedroom. She had more style than Jamie, but she was just as messy.

Shaking his head, he exited and quietly shut the door. She still had another hour to sleep before their appointed dinner. The dog, who’d stayed in the hall when he’d gone into Danielle’s room as though afraid to get stuck inside again, followed him to his bedroom, but did not enter. Keeping an eye on Coco, he changed into a pair of jeans and a light shirt. He left off socks or shoes. The coolness of the hardwood on his bare feet always soothed him.

When he was done, he walked back to the kitchen, the clickety-click of the dog’s claws on the floor following him. Upon entering the kitchen, Coco raced ahead and went straight to her empty bowls, then sat on her haunches and stared—not at them, but at him.

“All right. I get the message: You’re hungry.” He opened the cupboard under the sink, thinking that’s where he’d have stored the forty-pound bag. But he came up empty. Where could Danielle have put it?

When he straightened, he saw the dog sniffing under the pantry door. “You think it’s in there?” he asked, joining her. He nudged her out of the way before opening it.

“Woof!”

“Score one for the dog.” He heaped Coco’s bowl with the dry pellets and set it down, then filled her water bowl.

As the dog ate, William took out the salad fixings and filled a large bowl with romaine lettuce. Next, he whipped up a quick vinaigrette with olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar, and spices. He covered the bowl and placed it in the fridge. He liked his salad crisp and cool.

Next up, potatoes. He scrubbed two large potatoes until he was certain not a speck of dirt remained and popped them into the microwave oven. When it was time to cook the meat, he’d finish the potatoes on the grill.

Last, he went to his wine rack and selected a bottle of Angel Vine Zinfandel 2009. It wasn’t his most expensive or finest bottle of red, but it would go very well with the steak. After popping the cork, he set the open bottle on the counter to breathe.

“What now?” he asked the dog. They still had thirty minutes to go.

Coco rose to all fours and padded out of the kitchen. William followed her, groaning when she sat in front of the entrance door. “Now that your belly’s full, you need to go for a walk. Is that it?”

“Woof!”

Jeez. Did the dog actually understand English? He tried another question. “Where’s your leash?”

The dog didn’t move. She just kept staring at him, her eyes pleading. Her soft sibilant whine sealed the deal.

“All right. No need to cry. I’ll find it.” He marched over to the front closet and yanked it open. If he were a dog owner, this is where he’d keep all the dog stuff. After checking the shelf, the hangers, and the floor, he concluded that he and Danielle clearly did not think alike. “So where’s your leash, girl? If you don’t tell me, we can’t go for a walk.”

Coco angled her head and continued to stare at him. It had to be in Danielle’s room with the rest of her things.
Great
.

Swiveling around, he walked down the hall and paused in front of her door. Quietly, so he wouldn’t wake sleeping beauty, he turned the knob. She was still stretched out on the bed, her face slack in repose. He spotted her duffle bag at the foot of the bed. Since Coco usually went to work with Danielle, the leash was probably in the bag.

When he knelt to search the duffle, Danielle moaned and turned onto her side. The sound arrowed through him. From his ears, straight to his cock. His instant erection pressed painfully against his zipper. He wanted to hear her moan again, when she was underneath him, when he was inside her, when she was coming.

Get a grip, Caldwell
.

He shook his head to clear it of the visions of her lush body pressing against his, and rummaged in her bag. As his hand closed on the leather leash, she swung her top leg forward. The duvet followed it, exposing all but her foot. He almost bit his tongue. There she was—the perfect firefighter calendar pinup. Her firm ass, barely covered by bikini panties, lay no more than a couple feet from his face. With her legs scissored apart as they were, he got a peek at heaven. The small scrap of cotton couldn’t contain the scent of her, a fragrance sweeter than that of the richest rose.

If he didn’t think her thighs were strong enough to break his neck, he just might take his chances and dive right in. As it was, he had to brace his hands against the bed to keep from launching himself on her. He wanted to touch her, to know once and for all if her skin was as soft as it looked, if she tasted as good as she smelled.

When she moaned again, he grabbed the leash and scrambled out of the room. Hell, he wasn’t some sort of teenage voyeur. She made him crazy. There was no other explanation for his behavior. If she’d woken and realized he was in her room, ogling her as she slept half-naked…

Shit
.

The dog wasn’t the only one who needed some fresh air.

Dani waited without moving until she heard the click of the front door closing. When she was sure Will had left with Coco, she opened her eyes and squeezed her thighs together. She was so fucking aroused, she could barely stand it. When she’d awakened to find Will in her room, she’d been tempted to open her arms and welcome him into her bed. But he wasn’t ready for that, and quite frankly, neither was she. There was so much more fun to be had in the anticipation. At least for a while.

Besides, what had transpired had revved her engine better than any make-out session. The sight of Will, kneeling at the foot of her bed, knowing what he was looking at, imagining what he was thinking, had made her wondrously wet with need. His gaze riveted between her legs had made her pussy clench and quiver. She could still hear his rapid breaths, breaths that had kept time with the pounding of her heart.

She wanted this man, wanted to loosen his tie—and his inhibitions. He’d obviously gotten off on the Peeping Tom routine, so maybe William Caldwell IV wasn’t as uptight as he pretended to be.

After glancing at the clock on the nightstand, she jumped out of bed and dashed into the hall bath to have a quick shower. She wanted to be ready at eight and not a minute later. Dinner with Will was just the thing to get her mind off last night’s heart-wrenching rescue and this morning’s “fun-time” with her mother.

Even though she’d showered after her shift, she thoroughly scrubbed her hair and her skin to get rid of any residual smoke smell. It would clash with the sexy outfit she planned to wear. Naked except for the towel wrapped around her head, she raced back to her room, almost hoping Will had beat her back home and caught her bare-assed in the hall. When she heard nothing but silence, she groaned. No, this was better.

The sleeveless wrap-around dress that reached her knees seemed conservative. That is, until one spotted the slit along the side that ended at her hip, or the fact that the crisscrossed front allowed for a healthy view of her breasts.

With a couple twists, she fashioned a ponytail, high on her head, giving her the air of a flirty co-ed. She appeared deceptively pure. Something she was certain Will would appreciate. After adding a pair of hoop earrings, a few bangles, and a necklace that drew attention to her cleavage, she slipped her feet into a pair of very high, but square, heels. No need to mar her roommate’s gorgeous floors with stiletto pock marks.

She covered the dark circles under her eyes with foundation and pinked her cheeks with blush. A dash of lipstick and a spritz of perfume livened her up some more. She walked out into the living room feeling pretty and confident. She was ready for tonight’s adventure. Ready to take on Mr. William Caldwell. But was she ready for a night of hot—

Before she completed the thought, the front door opened and Coco bounded inside, barking as she raced over to Dani, her leash dragging useless on the floor behind her. Dani crouched to fluff Coco’s ears, and with a laugh accepted her dog’s kiss on her neck.

When she glanced up to say hi to Will, the words froze in her throat. So the man did own jeans. She’d never seen him in anything but a suit, and what a damn shame.

Will filled the doorway, his thighs and hips encased in worn jeans that molded his rapidly expanding groin. A silky blue short-sleeved button-down completed the outfit. She dug her fingers into Coco’s fur to keep herself from reaching out to touch him. To feel for herself the size of his erection. The man was a god in a suit, but he was a devil in jeans.

She swallowed hard and rose. His gaze travelled up her body. Slow and methodical. His appreciation of her efforts clear.

“You look gorgeous,” he said, then winced, maybe regretting his words.

Hoping to set him at ease, she shot him a flirty smile. “So do you, handsome.” Then she turned back to Coco. “Did you have a nice walk, girl? I bet you’re starving now.”

“I…” He shoved his hands into his pockets and cleared his throat. “I fed her before we went out. I hope that’s okay.”

“You did?” So the man who didn’t like dogs took hers for a walk
and
fed her. Interesting.

“She pretty much insisted,” he said, closing the front door.

Dani didn’t move as he walked past her to the kitchen carrying a bag. She petted Coco’s back. The dog tilted her head and wagged her tail. “What did you do to that man? I hardly recognize him.”

Coco smacked her tail against the hardwood floor, making Dani laugh. “So
that’s
how it is. Come on,” she said, pushing to her feet. “Let’s go help Will with dinner.”

As she entered the kitchen, he twisted the cap off a Corona from the six-pack sitting on the counter, and poked a wedge of lime into the throat of the bottle before handing it to her. His brow arched. “As requested.”

She pinched her lips to keep from smiling. “Did you pick this up on your walk?”

A blush colored his cheeks, but he just shrugged.

“Thank you. That was very sweet.”

The corner of his mouth twitched, almost like he wanted to snarl. The guys at the station hated when anyone referred to them as sweet. Apparently Will was made of the same cloth as his brothers after all. Something she’d do well to remember.

Surprise had her almost choking on her beer when he pulled out a large bowl of some fancy salad and a platter of thick juicy steaks from the refrigerator. He pressed a button on the microwave. Soon the scent of cooking potatoes filled the air. “Can I help?”

He pointed to the sliding door. “Relax and enjoy your drink.”

Relax. What was that again? Since she could use an opportunity to chill out and forget last night’s horrors, she left him to his preparations and walked out onto the balcony. The view of Alki beach and the Port of Seattle would no doubt be spectacular as the sun set.

To bolster her lady-like appearance, she opted to sit in one of the chairs around the table rather than the chaise longue. Besides, she’d probably fall asleep if she stretched out on the thick cushion. She took another sip of beer, the tang of the lime hitting her tongue in a burst of summer. The Mexican brew always managed to lighten her mood.

As did the man joining her. She grinned, seeing Coco padding along beside him. “Coco, you slut. He bought you with some food and a walk? Talk about easy.”

Will laughed, his eyes dancing with humor. Her lungs locked, and for a moment, she couldn’t draw a breath. He was so damn sexy when he smiled. And the sound of his laughter? A shiver rippled over her bare arms.

“She just recognizes a sap when she sees one,” he said, his tone light.

“That, and maybe the fact that you’re holding a few pounds of raw meat.”

His smile disappeared and he eyed the dog. “You’re not going to try to jump me and steal these steaks are you?”

Coco grinned, exposing her canines. Will paled.

Shit.
She should have remembered Will wasn’t comfortable around dogs. He’d taken her joking seriously.

“Coco, heel,” Dani said, her voice calm, but firm. Without hesitation, Coco sat beside Dani’s right foot, facing forward. “Will, I’m sorry if she frightened you. Like all good search-and-rescue dogs, Coco is very playful, and clearly she likes you. But this living arrangement is new to her. Dogs have a pack mentality, which means that Coco needs to see you as an alpha, or she’ll try to dominate you.”