The Fire Inside Read Free Page B

corner, he
put a nearby blanket on it and lifted her foot to rest on the soft
fleece. “Where’s the ice?”
    “Really, Mason. I can take care of
myself.”
    “I know you can.” He winked at her. “Not sure
I’ll make it up the rope, so I’m actually doing this for selfish
reasons. Ice?”
    “There’s a fridge in the bathroom.” He left
the office, and Tess closed her eyes. For twelve months she’d been
taking care of her foot in hopes of getting back on the line,
despite what the doctors warned…
    The ankle’s weak, Righetti. You’re going to
have to work hard and be sensible at the same time if it’s ever
going to be strong enough… And I’m not sure even that’s going to
allow it to heal enough.
    Tess had said she’d prove them wrong. And now
she’d gone and done something idiotic. Anger at herself swelled
like a fire gone wild.
    “Here we are.” Mason came back in and knelt
before her. He had a full head of dark hair, but she could see some
strands of gray in it, more at the temples. All of it looked soft.
Sexy.
    Hell, what was she thinking? Especially after
his reaction when she’d sprawled on top of him. He was a recruit,
for God’s sake.
    He packed her foot with ice, then wrapped a
large ace bandage around it. “This has to be elevated higher than
the stool.”
    “I can manage by myself.”
    “I’ll help you to the couch.”
    When she was settled with pillows beneath her
feet, he went into the bathroom and returned with a glass of water
and a bottle of pills. “Ibuprofen. It’ll counteract the
swelling.”
    “Thanks. I’ll rest. You can leave.”
    “I could.” He dragged a chair over to the
couch. “Now, what’s this all about? You had a previous injury?”
    Shaking her head, she sighed. “I broke my
ankle when I fell through the floor of a burning building and my
foot crumpled.”
    “Prognosis?”
    “The docs say it’s healed but weak.”
    “I see.”
    For some reason, she wanted to confide in
this man. So she told him their concerns about her ever being on
the line again. “But I’m going to prove them wrong.”
    “Not like this, you’re not. What you did was
foolish.”
    She bristled. “Thanks for pointing out my
flaws when I’m at my worst.”
    He recoiled. “If I did that, I’m sorry. Your
actions were foolish but human. I understand wanting to be good at
things. To be able to show you understand what you’re trying to
teach others.”
    A thought struck her. “Is that why you’re
here? Were you a teacher before?”
    “In a way. But this isn’t about me.”
    “You’re right. I don’t want to know any more
about you.”
    His smile was uber-sexy. “Afraid you’ll warm
up to me?”
    “Not a chance.” Time for comeuppance.
“ You were the one who got aroused in front of six
recruits.”
    “When you sprawled all over me. Plus, you’re
a beautiful woman, though I think you try to disguise that.”
    “Aren’t you embarrassed?”
    “Not like when I was in high school, and all
it took was a glimpse of the head cheerleader to make it necessary
to carry my books in front of me all day.”
    She laughed, despite the pain. “You’re hard
not to like.”
    “Why would you want to dislike me?”
    “Because you’ve disrupted my equilibrium in
the class.”
    “Then, again, I apologize.”
    “Gonna tell me what your story is?”
    “No.”
    “You could. It wouldn’t hurt anything.”
    “I’m not sure why.” He shrugged his
shoulders. “Maybe I’m enjoying being a mystery man.”
    “You enjoy being maddening.”
    “I never have before.” The corners of his
mouth turned up. “You must bring that out in me.”
    She moved on the couch, and pain shot up from
her foot. She cried out.
    “You’re hurting, more than those
over-the-counter pills can cope with. We have to call the fire
department doctor.”
    “I don’t want to do that.”
    Drawing in a heavy breath, he stood. “I don’t
think we have a choice. You’re too involved to know if your