Burning Up: Firefighter Contemporary Romance Series Box Set

by K. C. Crowne

  As soon as Pierre hurried off, I sat down next to Julia and asked the questions that had been weighing heavily on my mind. “What the hell happened, and when did you learn French?”

  Her cheeks flushed redder than before. “I don't speak French, I have no idea what he said to me, it just sounded pretty.”

  At this point, with everything that had gone wrong, I still found it hard to hold back a laugh. It was partially from stress, but mostly from the ridiculous turn of events of the morning. Once I started laughing, however, there was no holding back. Julia started laughing with me, and before long, we were getting stares from others in the office.

  If I wasn't Madeline Byers, daughter of the one and only Greg Byers, someone might have said something. But no one said a word.

  At least not until my father's voice caught my attention. I looked up to find him hovering nearby, glaring at us. In the midst of the fun we were having, neither one of us had noticed him approach.

  “Madeline, we need to talk. Now.”

  The laughter ceased, as did any semblance of happiness. My heart sank. Julia cleared her throat and pretended to work on her computer, watching me from the corner of her eye.

  “I'll be right there,” I said, keeping my voice firm and steady. My father was no longer going to boss me around, I told myself. Julia was scared for me, it showed in her eyes. Hell, I was more than a bit nervous, but I wasn't about to let my father intimidate me.

  I was going to prove to him that I had everything under control.

  Even if that morning seemed to prove otherwise.

  ooo000ooo

  “Was that Pierre Chevalier I saw leaving the office?” Dad asked as soon as I was inside his office with the door closed.

  “It was,” I said. “I'd set up a meeting with him this morning, hoping we can get him to work on some of our upcoming condominium projects.”

  Dad shook his head, the deep lines in his face more evident than before because he was frowning. Something that should have been good news, and there he was, scowling as if I'd told him his pet died.

  “And why didn't you talk to me about this before setting things up?” he asked.

  “I wanted it to be a surprise,” I said. “Besides, it was only a quick meeting to feel things out. Nothing has been proposed just yet.”

  “And nothing will,” dad said.

  My jaw nearly hit the floor.

  “Why not?” I asked. “His work is renowned, he's known around the world for designing luxury spaces, and--”

  “Because he's too expensive, and too-- what's that word? Gaudy? Yes, gaudy.”

  “Excuse me, but Pierre Chevalier is not gaudy,” I said. “If we want to compete in a market like Manhattan, we need to look into spending a little more money. We need an edge over our competition, and Pierre has yet to work on a project in the United States. This could be big for us.”

  “I said no,” he said plainly. “Stop wasting your time, Madeline. Talk to Derek next time you get a crazy idea like this.”

  My mouth was still gaping open. I couldn't believe my ears. Even though we were a multi-billionaire dollar company, my father had always kept his eye on the bottom line. While I understood the need to budget, our other condo projects had failed to capture the market and we were forced to sell the property at a discount just to get it off our books. The reasoning, according to articles I'd read, was that our company was failing to adapt to the changing desires of consumers.

  As one writer for Forbes had put it, “Byers is still living in the 1990s, and think people are willing to shell out big bucks for a basic condo without any amenities or luxurious components.”

  Simply put, Dad was happy doing business the way he'd always done it. It worked in the past, but it was no longer going to work in the future, and I needed to make him see that.

  Dad cleared his throat and continued talking, not letting me get in another word on the subject before switching gears, “Speaking of Derek, you two need to make up.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me, Madeline. Get over this petty little fight and move back into your penthouse,” he said.

  “Petty little fight?” I scoffed. “Did he tell you what the fight was about?”

  “He said you're jealous and insecure,” he said.

  “No, that's not it at all, Dad,” I said, leaning back in the chair, arms crossed in front of me. “He's cheating on me and has been since the beginning.”

  My father sighed deeply and gave me the disapproving father look. His blue eyes were just like mine, except his always looked cold and distant. It was weird staring into my own eyes, yet without a hint of warmth or understanding within them. I wasn’t sure why I expected my dad to care about what Derek had done. Maybe because it had been his money that he spent? In that moment, I knew there was no getting through to him. My mother thought it was normal behavior because, to them, it was.

  “Cheating happens in every relationship at some point. Life isn't all sunshine and rainbows, Madeline, but you don't give up when life gets hard either. You made a commitment to Derek, and I expect you to honor it as you would honor your commitment to this company.”

  “Dad--”

  “No, Madeline. I've had enough,” he said. His voice was rising, and the way he gripped the arms of his chair made me think there was no getting through to him. Not now.

  Probably not ever.

  It didn't mean I had to go along with whatever he wanted, however. I just had to keep my head down until it all blew over. The media didn't have to know about the split. No one did.

  Jax

  It had been a while since I’d been out on a date. I wanted to look nice. Maddy always managed to look gorgeous no matter what she did, and I wanted to make sure I looked my best while out with her. Never having much interest in fashion outside of jeans and a t-shirt, I stared at myself in the mirror for a long time before getting up the guts to head out.

  My palms were sweaty, and my heart raced. I shouldn’t be feeling that way for her. I knew I was falling hard, and that it would only end in heartbreak for both of us if I wasn’t careful. I had to make sure I kept myself level-headed. We were hooking up, not dating. Neither one of us were in a good place to date right now.

  Yet I couldn’t seem to get my heart on board with what my head knew. I continued to allow myself to slip down the rabbit hole with her. With all the shit going on with my job, it was nice to have something positive to focus on; something that made me happy.

  Maddy made me feel alive.

  It was cliché, but it was also true. Even Finn had noticed it when he’d dropped off the tickets. He’d told me that I seemed happier.

  “It’s the girl, ain’t it?” he asked as soon as he saw me.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I’d answered, but we both knew I was a terrible liar. He just smirked and nodded, handing me the tickets. “Enjoy the show.”

  “Thanks, man,” I said. “Never been to a Broadway show before. All my years of living here, and this is a first.”

  His parting words had been, “Wear something nice.”

  Yeah, if only it were that easy.

  Checking the time on my phone, I realized I had to leave. I took one last look in the mirror to confirm that I looked good enough to be seen with Maddy. I wore black dress pants, a light blue button up shirt and a black jacket. I chose to go without a tie and hoped that that was the right choice.

  Mostly, I hoped I didn’t embarrass Maddy.

  Grabbing the tickets and my phone, I headed out the door. It was a long train ride into the city, and I didn’t want to be late.

  ooo000ooo

  Maddy looked amazing, as expected. In a simple black cocktail dress and heels, she still looked like a movie star to me. Even though it wasn’t chilly, she had a thick, cashmere scarf wrapped around her neck. A pretty, delicate pink. I assumed it was to give her outfit a more feminine, girly touch, not that she needed it. Her dress hugged her curves, showing off the slight
swell of her breasts and hips. It was hard to take my eyes off her.

  We took an Uber over to Broadway, and of course, it was packed. Hamilton was one of the most popular shows. I’d heard a lot about it, knew friends who were obsessed with it, and now I was about to see it myself.

  With a beautiful woman on my arm.

  When we got out of the car, Maddy looked around at the crowd, frowning slightly.

  “Yeah, it’s pretty busy,” I said.

  “It is,” she said, pulling the scarf up over her neck higher and glancing around. Apparently, she didn’t like crowds. Not that I could blame her - I wasn’t really one for them either. But she seemed extra nervous.

  Her hand clasped mine, taking me by surprise, and she leaned into me, almost burying her face into my neck as we stood outside the theater and waited to get inside.

  “Have you ever seen it before?” I asked her.

  “Yes, a few times,” she said. “It’s my favorite show right now.”

  “Oh yeah? You go to Broadway shows a lot?” I asked. It was expensive, not something most people could do all the time. Unless you had some money or connections, of course.

  “When I can, yes,” she said, her voice muffled a bit by the scarf.

  “Are you cold?” I asked her, reaching for my jacket. It wasn’t that chilly, but maybe in a dress, it was colder than I realized.

  She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I just want to get inside and away from the crowds,” she said.

  “I understand. We’ll be inside soon.”

  Her body was stiff beside me, and she wasn’t the talkative, friendly girl I knew. I began to regret taking her. It all seemed overwhelming to her. I’d never have pegged her as an introvert. And not like it was any busier than normal - if she’d seen the show before, she should be used to the crowds.

  A part of me hoped that maybe she just wanted to be close to me. But something in my gut told me she was hiding rather than snuggling up to me. “We’re almost there,” I said.

  “Good,” she replied quietly.

  We took a few more steps forward and a flash caught my eye. Someone with a camera was about ten feet away from us, taking photos of the front of the building, I assumed. His eyes fixed on us and he smiled, wide. Next thing I knew, he was rushing over to us.

  “Madeline? Madeline Byers?” he said.

  Maddy looked like she’d seen a ghost. Before I knew what was happening, she pulled away from me, covered her face with a scarf and ran off into the crowd behind us.

  “Maddy!” I called out, trying my best to keep up with her through the thick crowd of people. “Where are you going?”

  The photographer was also on our heels. I glared at him. Obviously, he was someone she didn’t want to see. An ex, maybe? I had no clue, but I wasn’t about to let him mess with her. I was focused on catching up to her, and so was he.

  “Madeline, wait! I just have a few questions for you,” the man yelled.

  Maddy didn’t even look back. Not at the man. Not at me. Nothing. She turned a corner, and I was right behind her now, catching up. The photographer was right on my heels, however. When I turned the corner, I stopped suddenly, and he collided into me. I was a much sturdier man, so it didn’t faze me too much, but he went flying forward - with his camera crashing into the ground.

  I stood there on the corner, completely dumbfounded She’d hailed a cab and climbed inside before I could stop her.

  I grabbed the man by the back of his shirt and pulled him up, forcing him up to standing.

  “Who are you?” I snarled.

  The man smirked at me. “I should be asking you that question.”

  “What did you want with Maddy?”

  “Maddy? Is that what you call her?” he asked, chuckling as if I wasn’t on the verge of beating the shit out of him. “I want what everyone wants from her. A good cover story.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” I asked.

  The man pulled something out of his front pocket and showed it to me. It was an ID - more specifically, a press ID.

  “Todd Parker,” I read. “Haute New York?”

  Todd rolled his eyes and put the badge away. “I wouldn’t expect someone like you to have heard of it.”

  “Someone like me?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

  “Who are you anyway?”

  “I’m not going to tell you that,” I said. “What did you want with Maddy?”

  “I already told you. I wanted a cover story,” he said. “Seeing Madeline Byers snuggling up to a man that isn’t her fiancé is a pretty big exclusive.”

  He spoke to me like I was a kindergartner, and I didn’t appreciate the condescending tone. And since I had several inches - and easily thirty or forty pounds - on him, it surprised me that he was as cocky as he was. There was no fear in his eyes. He felt absolutely sure of himself.

  At least one of us was.

  “Madeline Byers?” I said, speaking slowly.

  “Uh, yeah, the woman you were just seen with,” he said. “Now unless you’re willing to talk, I really should be going.”

  He picked his camera off the ground, and I let him. I still didn’t have the answers, but I wasn't even sure what the questions were to ask. My head was spinning. A few moments ago, Maddy and I were getting ready to head into a Broadway play, and now I was standing on the street by myself, wondering what the hell had went down. And who was she?

  The name rang a bell. Madeline Byers. I kept repeating her name in my head, rolling it around and trying to put together the pieces. With nothing coming up in my old noggin, I reached for my phone. I left it up to Google to guide me in the right direction.

  A quick search and Maddy’s face popped up. So did a number of articles with her name in the headline. One thing I noticed, however, is she’s not a brunette, but a blonde. Her hair, in all the photos, is a very light blonde, almost white. She was beautiful before, but breathtaking in the photos. Many of which included her in lavish gowns, walking the red carpet at several very fancy events.

  And then I noticed she had a Wikipedia page, so I clicked on it.

  Just like that, I had all the answers I never knew I needed.

  ooo000ooo

  “Wow, man,” Finn said, handing my phone back to me. “You’re off work for a few days, and suddenly you’re front page news.”

  He took a long pull from his beer bottle. He was grinning from ear-to-ear, happy as a clam. Clearly, he was enjoying my brush with my fame more than I was. I’d called him over after he got off work, to pick his brain about what I should do. Not just with my fifteen minutes of front-page fame, but about Maddy as well.

  “They still don’t know my name,” I mumbled. “I guess that’s something.”

  “Yeah, you’re just some Joe Nobody to the media,” he said. “But you’ve been spotted with one of New York’s hottest socialites, so it’s only a matter of time before they track you down.”

  “Nah,” I said, leaning back in my chair. I took a swig from my bottle. “No one gives a fuck about me. It’s all about her.”

  “And you seriously didn’t know she was famous?” Finn asked, raising his eyebrows.

  “How was I supposed to know? I don’t keep up with that shit,” I said. “She’s the daughter of some rich guy, so suddenly that makes her a celebrity? I don’t understand it.”

  Except, I understood more than I was letting on. I knew something was different about her. I assumed it was my growing feelings for her making me think the world of her, but apparently, I wasn’t the only one who lusted after Maddy - err, I mean Madeline.

  “So she’s engaged?” Finn asked me.

  I shook my head and took another swig. I’d already finished off two bottles, heading for a third. Why the hell not? Not like I had anything better to do. I was still forced to remain off work, Maddy wasn’t returning my calls. If I had to stare at the same four walls for another day, might as well do it under the influence.

  “They broke up,” I said.


  “Or at least that’s what she’s told you,” Finn said.

  “I believe her. The guy was a royal dick from everything she told me,” I said.

  “I just find it surprising that you know about the breakup before the media does. These people are vultures, man. They pick up on anything, and this is the first hint that the two of them are no longer together? I’m not buying it.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you,” I said, shrugging. “Not that it matters anyway. That’s the last I’ll probably see of her.”

  My heart dropped at those words. I hated to admit it, but I liked Maddy more than just a casual fling. She was a fun girl, had a lot of class. It was early still, but I was starting to let my guard down. Last time I’d ever think about doing that. Apparently, I didn’t know the woman at all.

  “You know where she lives, why not stop by? Pay her a visit?” he asked.

  “Because I can take a hint, Finn. If she wanted to see me, she’d have responded by now. I was just a fling, nothing more.”

  More painful words. But even as I spoke them, I didn’t want to believe them. She agreed to the date with me, even knowing the risks. That, to me, said that she’d wanted to spend some time with me outside of the bedroom. Maybe it had been a mistake, but clearly, she was letting her guard down too. Had I known the truth, of course, I could have done a better job at protecting her from the paparazzi; but I’d had no clue.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right,” Finn said. “She only wanted a fling. Sorry, man.”

  “Don’t be sorry,” I said. I chuckled, trying to sound less affected than I was. “It was only two days and both of us had talked about not wanting anything serious.”

  I only had myself to blame for developing feelings. But they’d pass, I told myself. Two days with a woman wasn’t enough to be in love. I’d get over it. It was just one more letdown after a series of them.

  But I’d live. I always did.