OPERATION: DATE ESCAPE by Lindsey Brookes Page B

over her shoulder.  “ Once City Council finds out about them, they won’t be around to miss me.  But thanks for the compliment.”
    “Just stating a fact.”
    “I’ll have to keep stripping in mind in case I’m ever in need of another job.”
    “ True.  Well, seeing as how I’m not going to have the chance to stuff money in your clothes, how about we settle for my ‘stuffing’ you with food and drink instead?”
    “Are you asking me out?”
    “Depends.”  He reached for her hand and lifted it for his inspection.
    “What are you doing?”
    “Just making sure you’re not married before I answer that one.”  He nodded with a smile.  “No ring.  Good.”
    She looked down at the large hand curled around hers.  His thumb moved in a light caress over the back of her hand, sending a warm tingle from the tips of her manicured fingertips to every other part of her body. 
    “How do you know I’m not married,” she said, pulling her hand back, “and choose not to wear a wedding ring?”
    “Good point.”
    “So,” she said, firing right back at him, “are you married?”
    He chuckled.  “Would I be asking you out if I was?”
    Nanci shrugged.  “A lot of men would.”
    Men like Kelsie’s asshole of an ex who thought the ‘to have and to hold’ referred to his having and holding any woman who caught his eye.  If she’d have been in Kelsie’s place the scumbag would have learned what ‘until death do us part’ meant pretty damn fast.
    “Lucky for you, I’m not one of them.  So how about it?  Go out with me.”
    She wanted to say yes so bad it scared her.  “I’ll admit you’re one hot firefighter, but dinner might be just a little too committal for a first date.”
    He let out another hearty chuckle.  “I appreciate the compliment, but I’m not sure where the ‘too committal’ part is coming from.  I offered to feed you, not take you to bed.”
    “D oes that mean you aren’t interested in having sex with me?” she asked with a teasing grin.
    The helmet nearly slipped from his hands.  “Okay, now I’m confused and I can’t even blame it on smoke inhalation.  Are we having dinner or sex?”
    “Drinks,” she told him.  “And if you play your cards right, I might just throw in sex, too,” she added as she pulled a piece of paper and a pen from her purse.  She scribbled down her phone number and stuffed it into the front pocket of his shirt and then walked away calling back over her shoulder, “Call me.”

CHAPTER SIX
     
    Nanci walked back to where Kelsie was seated at the edge of the medic rescue truck, slipping on her heels.  “Everything check out okay?”
    Kelsie refused to look up at her big mouth best friend.  “Go away.  I’m not speaking to you right now.”
    “Okay, how about just giving me a hand signal or something,” her friend replied with a grin, showing no regret whatsoever for having butted into her business where Cole was concerned.  “Hell, a simple thumbs up works for me.”
    She scowled at her friend.  “There’s only one hand signal I’m tempted to give you right now and it doesn’t involve a thumb.”
    Nanci burst into laughter.  “You’re a riot when you’re pissed.”
    “That wasn’t meant to be funny.”
    “Well, then by all means do it if it’ll make you feel better.  It wouldn’t be the first time someone’s flipped me off.”
    “Forget it,” Kelsie muttered under her breath.  What satisfaction was there in giving someone the finger when they didn’t care? 
    “I came over to tell you the invite still stands for you to swing by and watch a movie with me.  You won’t even have to talk to me if you don’t want to,” she added with a grin.
    “Fine.  I’ll be over, but I’m not going to be talking to you.”
    “Suit yourself,” she said, unruffled by the threat.  “Do you want me to give you a ride around to the main street to get your car?”
    “No need,” a deep voice replied behind Kelsie, making