Free Baby, Don't Go by Stephanie Bond Page A

remaining fire extinguishers sitting under the counter. Again, he grunted when his back caught. Alicia held her tongue, but she moved to take the fire extinguisher from him. He allowed her, but moved his arm around hers. Even with the light touch, she could feel what a powerful man he was. It gave her a glimpse of what it might feel like to be in his arms.
    Not unpleasant, she acknowledged.
    “First, you would pull the pin,” he said, pointing to the ring in the nozzle.
    His mouth was close to her ear; his deep voice raised gooseflesh on her arms.
    “Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire and squeeze the lever.”
    Suddenly, she was finding it harder to breathe.
    “Then sweep it back and forth.”
    He guided her hand and pressed lightly to simulate the movements.
    “Don’t stop until the flames are completely out.”
    Except another kind of fire had started in her midsection. “What if I run out of foam?” she murmured.
    He seemed to take his time responding. “The first extinguisher might not have a full charge,” he said, his voice sounding husky. “So if there’s another extinguisher close by, use it.”
    She swallowed. “What about throwing water on it?”
    He made a rueful noise that bordered on a moan. “Not on a grease fire. If a canister of flour is sitting close by, that would smother the flame.”
    “Okay.”
    “Unless the fire is spreading,” he added. “If that’s the case, then pull the fire alarm and get out.” He suddenly released her and stepped back.
    Alicia let go of a pent up breath and turned toward him. “That was…enlightening.”
    He didn’t seem to share her gratification. In fact, he looked supremely annoyed. “Have you had a chance to enter your employee information into the payroll system?”
    “Er…no.” She’d been dragging her feet over completing employee forms because she’d have to fudge her information.
    “I’ll show you now,” he said, heading toward the tiny office adjacent to the kitchen. “Since everyone else has worked here at one time or another, they’re already in the system. This way you’ll know how to add future employees.”
    She bit her tongue to keep from saying she wouldn’t be here long enough to learn the ins and outs of the payroll system. “Okay.”
    Her pulse was still jumping when she followed him into the cubbyhole where he turned on the notebook computer sitting on the desk.
    “Have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the lone chair on wheels. She sat, very aware of his big physique in the close quarters. The demonstration with the fire extinguisher had fueled her imagination. There was something primal about the sheer size of him and how her body responded to being around him.
    “Are you comfortable working on a computer?” he asked, pulling out a drawer of a file cabinet.
    Alicia almost laughed. Between her smartphone, her laptop and her desktop computer, she was wired 24/7. “I can usually figure things out.”
    He nodded idly and withdrew a folder, then scanned the contents. He pulled out a form and frowned. “You didn’t complete your W-4 withholding form.”
    “I must have been interrupted,” she said, stalling. “And I didn’t know what mailing address to use.” Plus she didn’t intend to sign a government form swearing to information that wasn’t accurate.
    “You can designate General Delivery and pick up your mail at the postal counter inside the General Store unless you want to get your own P.O. box.” He stepped behind her chair and leaned down to point to an icon on the screen. “Open this program.”
    She didn’t have to fake her klutzy navigation—his body was practically enveloping hers, sending little shudders all along her shoulders. He, on the other hand, didn’t seem to notice they were practically touching. His warm breath on her neck was calm and steady.
    She opened the program and, at the sign-in screen, typed in the user ID he’d assigned to the manager of the diner.
    “Who did I replace?”