by Piper Stone
“You really do know him?”
“Yep. Met him a couple years ago. He’s a great guy with a huge heart. I thought you two would be perfect for each other.” She pushed a glass across the counter, giving me a hard look. “Did something happen more than just a drink?”
I had no idea how to answer her without sounding like a foolish little girl. “Maybe.”
Karen slapped her hand over her mouth. “You’re kidding me? I had no idea it would go that well. That’s wonderful!”
“It’s horrible. What are you talking about?”
“Do you want to tell me why?”
I found myself gulping the wine, almost hyperventilating. This wasn’t my normal reaction to anything, let alone a man for God’s sake. “He’s a firefighter. I’m the new investigator and trust me, things aren’t getting any better on the well liked list, if you get my drift.”
“He’s got a level head on him. Plus, he’s freaking gorgeous.”
“Then you date him!” I recoiled, hearing the sound of my voice. “I’m sorry. I’ve had an incredibly shitty two days and I really don’t see them getting any better, not for a long time. The firefighters hate me, the captains tolerate me, and I know it’s only a matter of time until the press starts following me around, looking for dirt or some nefarious relationship. Plus, there’s something else.”
“Uh-oh.”
“The contract I signed explicitly forbids me to date anyone in the department. No firefighter, no EMT. Nothing.”
“That’s utter crap. I’m certain the forced conditions won’t hold up in court,” Karen snapped. I was surprised at her vehemence.
I rubbed my eyes, hissing at the realization the mayor had gotten the upper hand. I’d gone back and reread the contract I’d signed in haste, over those two glasses of wine with the mayor. “I can’t afford to go to court. You know that.”
She tapped her hand on the counter. “There has to be a way.”
“This gorgeous firefighter doesn’t want anything anyway, so don’t worry about it. You should have seen the way he acted today. Asshole.”
“Uh-huh.” Karen developed a wry smile on her face and she swirled her wine. “He’s like you, isn’t he?”
“What do you mean, like me?”
“Into domination, spankings. All those things you crave.”
I know I turned fifty shades of red at that point. As I tried to answer, I think I was actually blubbering. “He is very commanding in his own way and he’s... Well, he has a way about him that’s authoritative.”
“I knew it!”
“What exactly did you know?”
“Just something he said one day in passing.” She chewed on her lower lip. “You are perfect for each other.”
“And I told you all the reasons he’s not. Besides, I already told you that I’m through with dominating men, no matter how much I crave the darkness. Am I missing something?”
“What you’re doing is admirable and you’re the most tenacious woman I’ve ever met. You’re also very good at what you do. This job will be tough for a few weeks, maybe months. When you gain the respect of the various departments, everything will calm down. Don’t make your relationship public and you’ll be fine.”
“You don’t know their anger and frustration level and I’m not going to hide forever.” I took another gulp of wine, reaching for the bottle. There was no relationship. Nothing. Nada. I needed to concentrate on the job at hand, one that was already messy. “Everything I read concerns me. Captains who’ve asked, begged the city council for money for new equipment and training. Damn good firefighters who leave because the pay is so low. Then let’s throw in arson on top of everything, fingers pointed at and against certain firehouses and you have a combustible mix ready to explode into an inferno.”
“See, you’re already talking like a seasoned veteran.”
I slumped against the counter. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”
“You put everything into perspective. You’ve been on the job for two days. There is no way you can determine what is going on in that time. You met a man it seems you like a hell of a lot who just happens to be a fireman. You go slow with that. You know, a slow burn?” Karen’s eyes were twinkling.
I couldn’t believe I was actually listening to her. I wanted to lash out, to hate her for putting me in this position, but on the other hand, I wanted to kiss her. “He’s really a good guy?”
“He’s from Texas. Has a great family, although he lost his sister to some tragedy he won’t talk about. He adores animals and is nice to everyone. He’s giving with charities and helps little old ladies cross the street. He’s a very honorable man, at least as far as I can tell.”
“Sounds like a poster boy. His sister, huh?”
“Yeah, I asked him about his family. It’s a sore point. That much I can tell. Seriously, he’s a great guy. I say give him a chance.” Karen’s eyes opened wide. “Here’s an idea. You could just continue your relationship in secret. You know, have clandestine dates, sleepovers. No one has to know a thing. I assume you had sex with him.” She burst into laughter, allowing me to laugh.
“He’s just so dominating,” I chortled. Secrets. Lies. I wasn’t certain I could even handle something like that if I wanted to give the man another try.
“You already said that but is he good in the sack?”
“You’re incorrigible.”
“Why you love me.”
I thought about what she’d said. “He was really nasty to me today, raking me over the coals. I was surprised.”
“That’s his testosterone talking. Next time, you give it back to him. After that, you kiss and make up behind closed doors. Sounds like a great plan to me.”
“I don’t know. I need some time to think about it.” The thought was sinful and just might work.
“Sweetie, I’m not your keeper. You need to do something special for you. I do know this, you’ve been pining away to live your life the way you want to for as long as I’ve known you. If this is your chance and you pass it by, imagine how angry you’ll be with yourself.”
The voice of reason. Groaning, I wanted nothing more than to drown myself in my sorrows. “The way we left things was disparaging to say the least.”
“Let me guess, you don’t have his cell phone number.”
“I was Jane and he was Fred. Okay?”
“I love it. So mysterious. Hence the secret love affair.”
“It’s not about love,” I snapped yet again. “I couldn’t love him.”
“Why not?”
I gripped the counter, asking myself that same question. “Because he’d learn all my dirty little secrets and if he’s such an honorable man, he couldn’t tolerate me.”
“Why do you do that to yourself? You’ve done nothing wrong. Nothing.”
There was no way I could tell her anything. Not now. Not when she believed in me. “Just trust me.”
“Said the spider to the fly.” She lifted a single eyebrow before grabbing her cell phone. “I happen to have his phone number, just in case you want it.”
“I’m not calling him. Not right now,” I insisted although my voice was wavering. All I wanted to do was talk to him and try to figure out if we could move forward.
“Grab your phone and program it in. Just in case.” When I hesitated, she issued a growl.
“Fine, but I’m not calling him.” I did as she asked and polished off my wine, wondering why Blaise and I couldn’t handle this like adults. I had my own answer. I certainly didn’t want anyone to know I was a born submissive. Would he gloat and tell his buddies? I had no way of telling. If anyone had an inkling they might go searching. What would they find? Enough to write a disturbing article for any of the local papers. No, I couldn’t risk that. I’d given up my old job, my previous life for a chance at... I didn’t even have the answer. But here I was, positioned as a powerhouse in a city that I knew nothing about.
“Do you want to stay the night?” Karen asked,
pushing the bottle of wine closer.
“Tempting, but I’ve had my fill of ice cream as well as men. I’ve got a lot of work to do.”
“And phone calls to make.” The gleam in her eyes was almost infectious.
Almost.
* * *
“Captain Waters?” I stood outside the man’s door, trying hard not to look in various directions, searching for Blaise. I’d made some headway at least. Not a single person in the firehouse had issued a condescending word when I walked in. I’d even gotten a single hello from one of them, although I couldn’t remember his name.
“Come in.” He seemed out of sorts, exhausted, and his face was almost gray.
“Are you all right?”
“Everyone keeps asking me that. I’m fine. Just under a significant amount of stress, as I’m sure you can imagine. What can I do for you?”
I’d caught a single email exchange between the captain and the mayor. The two certainly weren’t friends. The captain was bugging the mayor about the upcoming vote on the budget. That’s about all I knew about their relationship, except by Mayor Zane’s reputation. He had creative methods of squashing his enemies.
“I came to give you my final report on your firehouse.” I had the file in my hand, had spent a better part of the night working on all of them, as well as searching the internet. What had I spent the majority of my time on? Looking up anything I could find on Brendon Tompkins. From what I’d been able to find, his record was squeaky clean. He’d transferred here from just outside of Dallas three years before. He’d received two commendations while serving for his engine company there. Here? He was considered a bit of a troublemaker, a man who took no shit. From what I could tell, his entire persona had shifted. Maybe the mayor was pushing everybody’s buttons.
The captain waved his hand as he sat back in his seat. “Why did you take this job?”
“I’ve been asked that a lot lately.” I laid the file on his desk and he simply pushed it aside.
“I think I at least have a right to know what I’m looking at.”
“You say that as if I have a hidden agenda.”
“Well, do you?” he demanded, his face hardened.
“No, sir. I want to do what’s best for every firehouse in the city. Nothing more and nothing less.”
He softened, giving me a respectful nod. “Well, I hope you’re serious. I have good people here that I’ve worked hard to keep. I’d hate to lose any of them because of bullshit going on with the city council.”
“And you’re not going to. I took this job because I thought I was qualified.”
“Gonna take a special man, excuse me, person to work with the mayor. Just be warned.” Captain Waters had a smug look on his face.
I could tell there was nothing else he was going to offer, although he was angry at the world. “Is Blaise here? I mean Lieutenant Tompkins?”
“In the common room.”
“Thank you.” I hesitated at the door, noticing his fingers were on the file. “You guys came through with flying colors. You need a few pieces of equipment and I’ll make certain you’re on the list for the final budget meeting. But you’re right. You have wonderful people, very talented.”
His smile genuine, his expression held a look of relief. “Appreciate that.”
I closed his door and waited just outside, perhaps garnering my nerves. I did count to twenty before heading toward the common room. The second I noticed Blaise, I had the same reaction that I’d had the night we met and even yesterday—raw lust. I exhaled and walked closer, plastering on a smile that I’d learned to master in difficult times. “Lieutenant Tompkins?”
He looked up, his smile fading but his eyes traveling down my different attire. I’d heard his teasing at my staunch uniform, far too fancy for the work I was doing. Today’s choice? Jeans. Black jeans and a simple shirt, along with tennis shoes. The time spent in the warehouse collecting forensic samples had left me covered in grime and soot, the stench of the fire clinging to my clothes. I honestly think he looked at me with some form of amusement.
“I think we’re past formalities. Don’t you?”
“Okay then, Blaise. Can we talk?”
“Sure.” He shot the man sitting beside him a knowing look. I’d seen that expression before, shared between men who held a secret. I had the distinct feeling the man across the table knew about our night spent together.
“Be nice,” the other man said before leaving.
I sat in the same place the firefighter vacated, dragging two files from my briefcase. “Let’s go over yesterday’s fire.”
“Have you been to the location? Looks like you have.”
“I was there, collecting evidence.”
“And I’m certain you’re not going to tell me anything about your investigation either.” When I said nothing, he rolled his eyes. “Not much to tell,” he said almost in an exasperated fashion. “We were called out and you heard about the explosion. Once inside we were able to curtail the fire but as soon as we were in the middle of the building, I heard clicking noises.”
“Clicking noises.”
“Yep. I reacted, pushing everyone back. Then an explosion occurred. I have a sixth sense about these things.”
“You think someone detonated it from outside?” The bomb squad had already been in and from what limited information I’d received, Blaise was correct.
Blaise nodded. “I do.”
“Do you have time to go over the other reports, a couple fires that occurred during the last few weeks?”
“What the hell. I have nothing better to do.”
One hour turned into two and with his help, I had a much better picture of what I was dealing with and I didn’t like anything I was hearing. In my experience, we were dealing with a serial arsonist with his own agenda. I had a very bad feeling that there was more to this than just setting fires.
And dear God, I hoped I was wrong.
“That’s all I need at this time.” I gathered my things, so many thoughts on my mind. I’d caught him staring at me then turning away. Everything between us was tempered, just as professional as I’d hoped, although his attitude still reflected anger.
He exhaled and leaned over the table. “About the other night.”
“What about it?” I’d longed for this moment, to break the ice and talk.
“Shouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry. I was wrong in taking advantage of you.”
“You didn’t. We are both adults. We enjoyed spending time together. I had a wonderful time.” I felt the flush on my skin, creeping along my jawline. I was short of breath, my nipples fully erect. Even the scent of him created moisture between my legs. He was all male and so rugged, his eyes searching yet reaching into my very soul.
“You’re right. We are both adults and so we can understand what we shared was a one-time thing. We can’t see each other again. And I think you know why.”
I wanted to scream at him, call him a liar. I could see in his eyes that he wanted more, that he craved dominating me, but he was terrified of something or someone. Maybe his damn friends were more important. Okay. Whatever. I’m not certain he could notice or feel the level of hurt that I was experiencing. He seemed so cool about it, callous, as if he didn’t give a shit about what had occurred. The discipline, the uninhibited sex, the electricity. I waited for another few seconds and when he didn’t say anything, I smiled. The mask was firmly in place. I wasn’t going to let my guard down again. He’d made his position known and I was a big girl. I could accept that.
“I totally understand. I have a clause in my contract anyway. I’m not allowed to date anyone within the department. I’m certain you’re very happy about that. Gets you off the hook,” I sneered, resisting slapping him for his condescending manner. All I could think about was how much of a fool I’d become. “We will see each other as necessary. I’m certain I’ll have additional questions.”
“I’m sure you will,” he said smartly as he got to his feet. For him,
this meeting was over.
“Thank you again, Lieutenant.” I couldn’t have hurried any faster to get to my car and even before I reached my door, tears had already formed. There was no reason for me to be upset. I’d had one-night stands before. I’d shared intimate relationships that lasted for one week and no more. He was just another man I’d enjoyed and nothing more.
I’d convinced myself of this very fact until I was down the street.
Then I burst into tears. Some strong chick I was.
* * *
A long, hot bath, a frozen pizza, and a very full glass of wine helped convince me that he was right. We weren’t meant to be together. We weren’t living in some fairytale. He was sexy and hot, a man with a penchant for danger. I could find that with anyone. Right? Yes, I could. The most gorgeous baby blues, a two-day stubble that scratched my face as he demanded attention. He was commanding in every way, driving my wildest desires to the forefront and... I allowed a long and very slow hiss. No man was going to unfurl my resolve.
I sat at my computer, searching the files, trying to make every connection to the burned-out buildings that I could. I’d also been able to make several phone calls, rattling a few chains before the clock struck five.
I was able to put a few pieces together, although none of them made any sense. What I did suspect was that there were more people who had knowledge about the fires than had opened up to the various officials. That wasn’t something I was going to go spouting off. Not yet anyway. Still, if there was a group working together, why and for what reason?
I glared at my empty wineglass, debating. It was early, only eight. I could have one more glass and continue working. The second I was out of the chair, I heard a noise, noticing a flash outside the window. My instinct kicked in and I jumped forward only seconds before the something burst through the window, glass shattering everywhere. I dropped to the floor, training activities kicking in, and crawled toward the kitchen, huddling against the wall. My phone was still on the table. Damn it. I controlled my breathing, doing everything I could to calm my nerves. The threats were getting out of hand.
I waited, listening for any additional sounds. Other than the squeal of tires, there was nothing else. I counted to ten then peered around the door. The object was solid, about three inches tall and six inches long. The piece was covered in what appeared like a note. Swallowing, I crawled toward it, staying low to the floor. A brick had been tossed through my window. My hands were shaking like a damn leaf as I reached out, attempting to pull the heavy lump in my direction.
