The Firefighter's Cinderella Read Online Free PDF Page A

read in hers only made her more desirable. “Thank you.” She averted her gaze. “You don’t look too shabby yourself.”
    He kept walking. “Are you ready to speak about Tim and the charity tonight?” he asked. His emotions were mixed. He knew how much she’d loved Tim. Was she still in love with his memory? Would she ever let him go?
    â€œWho told you? It was supposed to be a secret.”
    â€œGina McGinnis confides in me,” he replied. Theireyes locked yet again and a feeling of desire filled him, to the point that he lifted his head, needing to figure out if he was imagining what he felt.
    â€œC.J.? Please put me down. I’m not a child and I feel utterly silly being carried this way.”
    Ignoring her protests, he carried her at a brisk pace, heading for the elegant entryway of one of San Francisco’s most famous hotels. She put her arms around his neck while he maneuvered them through the doors.
    â€œWe’re here now, C.J. I can walk.”
    He set her on her feet and struggled to compose himself. “I believe the lady is safely in the hotel.”
    On that note C.J. let her go. He needed some time to think. Though he hated to pull away from her, a part of him needed to go into hiding where nothing and no one could hurt him.
    He was keenly aware of the living, breathing beauty who’d brought him to life.
    But how did Tasha view him? As a man…or a connection to the past? One tied to Tim.
    There was no point in kidding himself. C.J. had started to have feelings for her, but she was in love with the memory of his wealthy best friend.
    Except that it wasn’t love. Tim had been her childhood crush. An obsession.
    Tonight C.J. felt a connection between Tasha and himself. They had chemistry. That was a great starting point. There was no reason she couldn’t move on now with another man—and why couldn’t that man be him?
    Â 
    T ASHA NEEDED TO GET a handle on herself or tonight could turn into a disaster. She closed her eyes andbreathed in deeply, trying to cope with all the emotions attacking her.
    For the moment she would blot out the world and focus on the problem at hand. Put all the issues in her mind into a courtroom box to be dealt with later.
    The technique was one she used to calm herself down before a big case. Her problem was how to shrink a six-foot-three fireman to fit into that box.
    Come on, Tasha. There was just too much to do tonight without the distraction of pine and spice wafting past her nostrils. Every time Captain Powell got close, her knees went weak.
    When an Adonis in a tux became her hero for the day, it was hard to believe she could be as spineless as the girl next door, following him like a puppy dog.
    Was she really so shallow? Tim had been gone only a year, yet she found herself attracted to his best friend. Was that because she still missed Tim?
    Or was she attracted to C.J. for himself? The therapist she’d been seeing since the funeral had told her she had to let Tim go and move on. But with C.J?
    â€œTasha, are you all right?”
    â€œOh…you came back.”
    â€œFrom the little boys’ room. Of course I did. You went blank for a moment and I was a bit concerned.”
    Tasha could feel another blush coming on.
    â€œWhere do you want to go now?” he asked.
    â€œI’m in charge of the banquet. I had a ton of assistance from my party planner, but since this charity is my brainchild, I’ve helped where I could and—”
    â€œThe charity was your idea?” he interrupted. Hisexpression grew unreadable. She felt tension between them.
    â€œYes. I went to the McGinnises and my parents with a way for us to put our grief to use. We both know Gina McGinnis is an amazing charity worker who could run a foundation blindfolded. So I pitched the idea of the Tim McGinnis Firefighters against Cancer Foundation.”
    â€œI had no idea.”
    â€œI could do the legal work,