Fahrenheit (18 page)

“You’re thinking on a whole and not a singular basis. That’s a good thing. So, the line jump set you all back.”

“Yeah, but it’s not threatening the homes in the area—yet. The Palm Coast Fire Department and the Division of Forestry threw quick-strike resources into high gear and attacked it quickly; trying to make sure it didn’t pose any danger beyond the brush. The budget isn’t as high as it should be. We’re strapped, we’re working on volunteers, but we’re getting help. We have trucks coming from Jacksonville to help too, so you know things are going better than what they could be going without the help.”

She understood that. She had obtained information from Mitch about the help the firefighters in Palm Coast had been getting, but unfortunately the Espanola seemed to be taking its sweet time dying out.

“With the containment where it’s at those trucks are going back north and they’ll be on standby in case we need them again. I’d feel better if they all stayed down here until the fire was out—but that takes money and politics,” he rolled his eyes. “Like that’s going to come together in this election year…idiots,” he nearly growled. “There are bigger things than slinging mud at each other you know.”

“I know.”

“The surrounding cities, man they’re good. St. Augustine and Jacksonville are committed to helping us. They’re close by so a quick phone call and we have help. I’m grateful for that. We all are. Actually,” he picked up the plates and carried them to the kitchen. She followed behind him.

“Actually?”

“I’m joining the new unit next week.”

“What new unit?”

“You can’t say anything to anybody.”

She held up her hand. “Swear. And I don’t go back on my word, Adam, so you can trust me.”

“I’m not leaving the guys, and they know that. A few of us are just being stationed in other areas. People don’t realize that there’s a real system for fighting these fires. It’s not just hitting the fire where it’s at. We have to have units ready to respond if it becomes a threat to surrounding structures, homes and businesses—homes being the priority here.” He rinsed off the first plate and she joined in, running dishwater in the sink. “So there are units stationed on standby near the surrounding areas to make sure if a fire jumps the line we can hit it before it hits a home or business. There is a method to our madness.”

“I should hope so,” she laughed. “So, which one of these teams are you going to again?” She hoped he was going to the one that was safest—homes, because right now there weren’t any fires affecting the homes…well, not any of the wildfires at least.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” he grinned.

“Yes, I would.”

“I don’t know yet. Wherever they need us. Talk has been either we’ll go back to the Espanola fire or we’ll get the White Eagle fire, but yesterday I heard we might end up with the structural unit. Either way I’m going somewhere.”

She laughed. “Well at least you know you have job security.”

“Yeah, but I’m still local so we’ll still have our time together. Don’t get too comfortable with not seeing me.”

“As if I could get comfortable with that.”

“They’re trying to get a state of emergency declared. If we can get a presidential disaster declaration then it would pave the way for more funds. Right now, overtime is running about four hundred hours a week and costing the city about forty thousand a week so we’re strapped here. It’ll all get reimbursed if we can get the FEMA resources granted.”

“Here’s hoping,” she said as she started washing dishes with Adam.

“You do know that the professional firefighters are only about ten thousand of that cost right? So it’s not like we’re hoarding all the money.”

“I didn’t figure you were. Although I do wonder where the other thirty thousand is going.”

“Administrative and the what not,” he shrugged. “Who knows where it ever goes really.”

“So, when does any of this information go on the record?”

“It doesn’t. Big Brother has closed the meetings to the press, to a lot of us in the firehouse too. They’re not releasing information. I don’t know why, but they’re not doing it. So what I just told you about the fire strategy—”

“What fire strategy?” She smiled. “Adam, seriously, I’m a photojournalist. I tell my stories with pictures, and when I start adding words to that I can’t imagine the addition will change the essence of who I am. I don’t think it’s right to throw people under the bus to make a fast buck. If this is off the record, then it’s off the record. It stays here, in this house, between us.”

“Thanks,” he exhaled slowly. “I needed to let out that information to somebody and I’m glad I decided to trust the right person.”

“Now, I have one more question for you about the fires and then we’re going to stop talking and start kissing.”

He laughed. “What’s the question?”

“Do we, or do we not have a chopper that could be assisting in putting these fires out?” She already knew the answer. They did have a helicopter—the
FireFlight
helicopter was purchased in two thousand two and from what she had heard of the
FireFlight
, it was a multi-functional investment for the city.

“Yeah. The
FireFlight
is great. It can reach any area in the county in under fifteen minutes, and it has a two hundred ten gallon water bucket. And if we have another nineteen ninety-eight maybe they’ll actually pull it out and use it,” he snapped. “The problem is that it’s used for everything from medical transport to law enforcement support. We’re sharing it—not just with our own emergency personnel, but with other counties too. We really need it for the fires though. If we can’t get in to an area it’s the best first line of defense. Thus far nobody has been willing to authorize it since Espanola is almost completely contained and White Eagle was never as big as that one, so who knows when they’ll authorize it. Would be nice though.”

“I wasn’t here in ninety-eight, so what was so different—other than more devastation?”

“The fires converged due to winds. It was bad. I wasn’t down here then, obviously, but trust me; you can’t become a firefighter down here without hearing the horror stories.”

“I hear the nineteen eighty-five fires were bad too. They burned down to the beach.”

“Yeah. It seems the fires are about thirteen years apart so I guess we’re due another big one; but I’d prefer if we didn’t get it.”

“Wouldn’t everybody? I smelled the fire again today. I hadn’t smelled it as strongly in a little while so I thought maybe it was almost over.”

“Winds are shifting. And yes, before you ask, we’re worried about that.” He used a dishtowel to dry the droplets of water from the sink before turning to her with a devilish grin on his face. “Now, you asked more than one question and I think that should entitle me to more kissing time.”

She smiled. “Couch looks comfy.”

“Oh, it is,” he winked. “Very comfortable.”

“Then maybe we should take this over there.” She took his hand in hers and led him to the couch. They had enough shop talk for one night. Right now she was more interested in doing something far more relaxing than thinking about fires. “When you find out where you’ll be, will you let me know?” She didn’t want to worry at every ounce of news she received. If she knew he was at the White Eagle fire then she would worry if she heard news on that one. If she knew he was still at the Espanola fire then she would worry if she heard something on that one. But good Lord, she didn’t think she could handle worrying about both fires at the same time. She would drive herself crazy.

“Absolutely. As long as you don’t show up with your camera.”

She laughed. “I can’t promise you that. Mitch has already told me the mayor, and now the governor, wants us covering the Espanola and any other aspects of the almost contained fires that we can. Espanola is their priority of course. So, I’m going to be there whether you are or not.”

“Then maybe I should hope for the Espanola so I can keep an eye on you.”

“Which eye?” She grinned.

“Oh, quick with the tongue are you? Well, we’ll just have to see what else you can do with that mouth of yours smart Alec.” He leaned in and stopped her laughter with one sweep of his tongue across her bottom lip.

Adam was a fabulous kisser, and everything about him screamed sexy. But for some reason, her mind wasn’t focused on the good kissing, or the sensations going through her body as he touched her, not even when his hand slid beneath the bottom of her blouse and edged upward toward her breasts. She placed her hand on his chest.

“That house fire yesterday, any news on whether or not it was the ex who set the fire?”

He pulled back and looked at her as if she was speaking a foreign language. “That’s what you’re thinking about right now?”

“Hmm…” she moaned as his lips descended on her neck. “But seriously, any news?”

He pulled back once more and looked down into her eyes. “No. And I’m not a fire investigator so I don’t know what’s going on with the case.” He started to kiss her again and she put her hands against his chest to hold him at bay.

“But it was arson?”

“Looks that way,” he sighed. “But I don’t know because there’s an ongoing investigation and I’m not the person doing it.”

“Maybe it was our Palm Coast Arsonist. Do you think he deviated from his routine?”

“I’m afraid to think anything right now,” he mumbled as he leaned in and started kissing her neck again.

“There would be some type of call sign though, right? I mean he’s been really into leaving his chemical signature and letting us know he’s setting the fires. At least I would assume he is since all the wildfires that have been arson induced have been linked to him.”

Adam pulled back just a little. “I must be doing something wrong.”

“Well it’s not like it’s your job to stop this guy.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” he mumbled. He started to pull away again, but she looped her arms around his neck, pressing the palm of her hands against the back of his head.

“I’m sorry. My mind just never really stops thinking about things. It’s just curiosity. Like why would a man hell bent on setting wildfires, deviate to home fires?”

“There’s no proof that he did.”

“I know.”

“Besides, there wasn’t anything left of the place. Everything is pretty much scraps that the investigators are going to have to go through. That is going to take some time to figure out. You’re not going to get answers tonight.” He groaned. “And I’m apparently not getting my kiss tonight.”

“Don’t be so sure about that last one,” she pulled him a little closer. “We’ll kiss first, talk later.” She pulled him down completely, letting her mouth make contact with his first. He was very forgiving of her moment of distraction, as if it hadn’t happened at all actually. His tongue slipped inside her mouth, dancing freely with hers. His hand brushed under her blouse again and swiftly made its way up to her right breast where he deftly slipped his palm inside the satin fabric of her bra and begin to stroke her warm flesh. She moaned, feeling the rough calluses on his hands brush against her smooth skin. The contrast felt good, intoxicatingly good and she wanted more of it.

His fingers found her nipple, pinching it lightly and causing her to arch her body into him, trying to be closer to the source of her sudden thirst. “Please,” she moaned and he did it again, letting his fingers stroke her, tease her, coax her into something more, something higher than the pleasure that was already building in her body. Heat pooled between her legs, need flooded her body, desire and lust and want and craving all mingled together to create something bigger, something deeper than just this kiss.

She spread her legs, letting him rest against her more completely and when she did she could feel his erection press against her. She tore her mouth from his, let her head fall back to the cushion and her eyes close tightly as he rubbed against her once more. “God, that feels good,” she moaned.

“So I’m doing something right?”

“You do everything right,” she said breathlessly. “Just don’t stop yet.”

He pulled back a little. “I have to.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

He rocked his erection against her middle. “Oh,” she whispered. “How about if you just hold me then?” He agreed, leaning back against the arm rest of the couch and bringing her to rest on top of him.

“Comfortable?” His voice was low and seductive.

“Absolutely. You?”

“Getting there,” he mumbled as he held her in his arms, her head nestled against his chest. The sound of his heartbeat lulled her to sleep, right there in his arms on that beige suede couch. At that point in time she didn’t want to be anywhere else.

Chapter Eleven

“I
t’s not fair.” He knocked a series of photos off the desk. How could they ignore his work? How could they not even mention him? They mentioned that firefighter again. They put his pictures in the paper, but they couldn’t even mention the fire-starter. They didn’t just overlook his call sign; they didn’t give him any credit at all. It was as if they didn’t know it was him. Well now he would have to change that. He would have to set another fire—a bigger fire. Bigger was better with the media; it always had been. He would get the attention he wanted, and then he would get rid of that pesky spotlight thief. The firefighters were destroying his art. They didn’t deserve credit for that. He would make sure they paid for what they had done. He would make sure they all paid—starting with that one—“Adam,” he mumbled. “Let’s see if you really were made in God’s image. Let’s see if you can survive my hell.”