bumping into a woman who was standing by the front one of them.
At least she was good at getting out of the way. That was exactly the kind of aptitude she’d need. Ben caught a trace of her scent before she stepped quickly to one side and he came face to face with Eve and Pete, in full protective gear, standing beside the chrome fender, both with fixed smiles on their faces. That looked absolutely fine to him but, then, he wasn’t in the business of art photography.
‘Okay...let’s break it up.’ It seemed that the rest of the crew had decided that the taking of a few photographs required them to stand around watching. ‘Give us a minute, will you?’
‘Good to see you back, boss.’ Eve grinned at him, taking her helmet off and unbuttoning her jacket. Ben heard the click of a camera shutter beside him and turned to the woman standing next to him as the crew dispersed quickly.
‘Hi. I’m Callie Walsh.’ She was holding the camera loosely in one hand, the other stretched out towards him. ‘You must be Ben Matthews.’
‘Yes.’ Ben shook her hand briskly, omitting to say that he was pleased to meet her. ‘The station commander told me you’d be here.’
She nodded, looking up at him. She had green eyes, the kind that seemed wholly dedicated to making a man stare into them, and the prettiest face he’d seen in a long while. The softness stopped there. Her short, corn-blonde hair was streaked with highlights and slicked back from her face. Spray-on jeans, a fitted leather jacket with more zips than seemed entirely necessary, and a look of determination on her face gave the overall impression of a woman who knew how to steamroller her way over pretty much anything.
Instinctively, Ben stepped back, leaning against the chrome on the front of the fire engine. When she raised her camera, pointing the bulky lens in his direction, he frowned.
‘Before you take any more photographs, I think there are a few ground rules we need to have in place.’
‘Of course.’ Her face was impassive, and Ben wondered what she was thinking. That didn’t matter. It didn’t matter what he thought either. What mattered was the well-being and effectiveness of his crew.
‘This is a working fire station...’
‘I understand that. I know how to keep out of the way.’
That had only been his first concern. There were many more. ‘As Watch Manager I’m responsible for the safety of everyone connected with Blue Watch...’ His gaze drifted to the high heels of her boots. What she was wearing didn’t come close to practical, if she was reckoning on venturing anywhere other than the ready room.
She seemed to read his thoughts. ‘I’m hoping to just get everyone used to the idea of me being here today. I won’t be accompanying you to any calls...’
‘You won’t be doing anything, at any time, unless I allow it.’
Perhaps he should qualify that. She could do whatever she liked, as long as she didn’t mess with him or his crew. Callie was regarding him thoughtfully, as if she was assessing her next move.
‘I can handle myself in emergency situations and I know how to follow operational and safety guidelines.’ She unzipped her jacket, pulling a sheet of folded paper from an inside pocket. ‘You probably haven’t had a chance to look at my CV yet, but when you do you’ll see that I’m a paramedic.’
If she’d been trying to surprise him, she’d pulled off a master stroke. When he took the paper, it seemed warm to the touch. Ben put that down to his imagination, rather than the heat of her body.
‘When did you change jobs?’ He unfolded the paper, scanning it.
‘I didn’t. I did an evening course in photography when I was at school and found that I can take a decent portrait. The income from that helped put me through my training as a paramedic, but now I want to extend my range a little. I think my first-hand experience of working with the emergency services gives me something unique to bring to this project.’
It was either a canny career move or some kind of personal crusade. It was difficult to tell what sparked the passion that shone in her eyes, and it really wasn’t Ben’s job to decide. All he needed to concern himself with was the practicalities, not whatever made Callie Walsh tick.
‘All the same, I’d like to have first sight of all the photographs you take...’
Callie shook her head. ‘That’s not the way I work.’
‘It’s the way I intend to work.’
The edges of her mouth curved slightly, as if she already had her answer ready and had been waiting for the right time to slap him down.
‘Then you’ll have to adapt. I decide which of my photographs goes forward, and they go to the individuals concerned first, so they can review them and choose whether they want to sign a release. After that they go to the station commander. It’s all agreed and I’m sure he’ll show them to you if you ask nicely.’
Ben ignored the jibe. The procedure sounded reasonable enough but he would have no hesitation in circumnavigating it if he saw any threat to the welfare of the firefighters on his watch.
‘All right. But if I feel that any of the photographs are inappropriate, I won’t hesitate to block them.’
She folded her arms. ‘You want to give me some artistic direction? What do you mean by “inappropriate”?’
He shouldn’t feel embarrassed about this, even if her green eyes did seem to rob him of his capacity to stay dispassionate. It was simply an observation.
‘I won’t have any of my crew treated as...eye candy.’
Ben had expected she might protest. But her gaze travelled from his face, looking him up and down slowly. He tried to suppress the shiver that ran up his spine.
‘You think you’d be good eye candy?’
Ben had a healthy regard for disdain, particularly when it emanated from a beautiful woman. It was almost refreshing.
‘No, that’s just my point.’
‘Good. We’re in agreement, then. Anything else?’ Callie smiled. Her face became softer when she did that, and the temptation to enjoy this confrontation became almost overwhelming.
‘Don’t leave any of your equipment around. I don’t want anyone tripping over anything.’
‘I’m looking for spontaneity, not posed shots, and my camera is all I need. I never leave it around.’
‘Okay. And if the alarm sounds, I need you out of the way. Quickly.’
‘Understood. I’ll flatten myself against the nearest wall.’ Her gaze met his, and the thought of crowding her against a wall and kissing her burst into Ben’s head. Maybe he’d muss her hair a little first and find out whether the soft centre that her lustrous eyes hinted at really did exist.
He dismissed the idea. If the alarm sounded, that would be the last thing he should be thinking about. And if it didn’t then it was still the last thing he should be thinking about.
‘That’s
