The Firefighter (The Working Men Series Book 7)

by Ramona Gray

  Chapter Two

  Elijah

  I ducked my head under the hot spray of water and let it beat down on my neck. Showering before going to the gym was stupid, but it hadn’t stopped me from doing it. Not when I knew I was going to see her there. I couldn’t do much about the way I looked, but I’d be damned if I showed up smelling like a rank gorilla.

  I closed my eyes, knowing it was dangerous to picture her beautiful face and her gorgeous curvy body, but I couldn’t help it. As steam filled my small bathroom, I thought about Mia’s mouth, that full bottom lip and the way she ran her tongue over it when she was really concentrating.

  My dick was hardening, and I groaned and tried to think of something other than the way Mia’s ass looked when she was doing her squats. Fuck, the flex of her thighs and ass was mesmerizing. When we were at the gym, I couldn’t even glance her way when she was doing them. Mia and everyone else in the gym seeing my shorts tenting would be the humiliation to end all humiliations.

  Just watching her at the gym was becoming a turn on. In the last two weeks, she’d started jogging on the treadmill, and the way her tits bounced was gonna fucking kill me. Could a man die from blue balls? From a build-up of too much cum? If I didn’t stop going to the gym when Mia was there, I was gonna find out.

  I couldn’t stop though. The last two months had been some of the happiest of my life. I was friends with Mia. Friends with the woman I’d been in love with for over a year. I’d never even thought she’d talk to me, let alone be my friend.

  I thought about her laugh, about the low sexy sound of her voice, and my dick throbbed anew. Without thinking, I reached down and gripped my cock, stroking it roughly as I braced one forearm against the slick tile.

  I pictured Mia’s mouth again, pictured kissing it, imagined Mia kissing down my chest and stomach, her low laugh as she kissed each hip bone, teasing me, making me beg for her mouth.

  I rubbed harder and faster. My balls were tightening, and I was so close. Maybe Mia would blow me in the shower, or maybe she’d let me fuck her in the shower, let me shove my aching dick into her tight pussy until that maddening need for her was finally eased.

  I rubbed my thumb over the tip of my cock, gasping Mia’s name as my hips pumped back and forth. Maybe she’d let me fuck her on her hands and knees, let me cup those amazing tits of hers as I fucked her until she was begging me for release. Until she came all over my cock, screaming my name.

  I arched my back, my hand tightening around the base of my cock. One more stroke was all I needed to –

  Dirty boy! Sinner! Fornicator!

  My hand clamped around my dick hard enough to hurt, and I released it with a hoarse shout of pain, my urge to cum disappearing immediately.

  On your knees, dirty boy! You will pray for your sins to be forgiven. Pray to be relieved of the burden of your filthy, dirty mind! Pray for forgiveness for your lustful, wicked thoughts! Dirty boy! Vile boy! Sick boy!

  My gorge rose, and I could barely contain my urge to vomit as shame and – I hated to admit it – fear flooded through me. I ripped open the shower curtain, not caring that water sprayed onto the bathroom floor, and stared at the small room.

  My heart was thumping along like an out of control bass, and adrenaline kept my dick ramrod stiff. Trying to cover it with one hand, I listened intently for any small sound, but the whoosh of blood in my ears and the sound of the shower made it difficult to hear anything.

  I was just about to get out of the shower when common sense roared back in. I sagged back against the wet wall, my stiff muscles and dick both wilting.

  “They’re not here. They’re not here and they’ll never find you again,” I said in a low voice.

  My pulse still thudding, I stared at my limp dick and tried not to feel disgust and shame about what I was doing. It was natural. It was normal. I wasn’t a damn freak.

  I repeated it to myself, but even just the thought of continuing made me sick to my stomach. I pulled the shower curtain back in place and reached for the soap. I had to stop doing this. I had to stop thinking about Mia as anything other than a friend.

  Mia was beautiful and perfect, and a woman like her would never want a man who looked like me.

  * * *

  “Elijah, I don’t mind. I swear.” Mia, her face flushed from her workout, wiped the hand towel across her forehead before draping it over her arm. “I’ll just pick you up at the station tomorrow before work and drop you off. Did you take your car to Jack Williams’ shop?”

  I nodded and ignored my urge to check out her tits in her tight tank top. “Yeah. But I can ask one of the other guys at the station to -”

  “I don’t mind,” she said again. “It’s on my way to work anyway. But I usually stop for coffee for Matt and me, you okay with that?”

  I nodded, trying not to let her see the way my jealousy reared its ugly head at just the mention of the guy she was in love with. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

  “Okay, good. You’re done at seven?”

  I nodded again, and she smiled at me before dabbing at the sweat on her upper chest.

  Do not get an erection. Do not get an erection.

  “Perfect. I’ll be there by seven-thirty at the latest.”

  “Thanks, Mia. I appreciate it.”

  “Anytime,” she said. “Hey, would you mind spotting me? I want to try and -”

  “Elijah? Dude! I didn’t know you went to this gym!”

  I gave the man who’d joined us a cursory grunt. “Yeah.”

  “Cool, cool.” He looked Mia up and down, and I was one hundred percent not okay with the way his gaze lingered on her crotch and then her tits. “Hey, how are ya?”

  “Good,” Mia said.

  There was a moment of silence and both of them looked at me expectantly. I wanted to pick up Mia and carry her away. Instead, I said, “Mia this is Buck. He’s new at the station. Buck, this is Mia. She’s an EMT.”

  “Nice to meet ya, Mia,” Buck gave her that grin. The grin that said - yeah, I’m a fucking stud, and you and I both know it.

  “You as well,” Mia said politely.

  “You need some help with lifting?” Buck said.

  He ignored my furious glare and gave Mia an idiotic wink. “I couldn’t help but overhear you.”

  Mia shook her head. “I’m good. Elijah will help me. Right?”

  I nodded, feeling my own smug sense of satisfaction even though Mia didn’t belong to me and never would. “Yeah.”

  “Hey, that’s cool. That’s cool.” Buck gave me another shit-eating grin, this one more along the lines of – I’ll stop hitting on your woman now.

  Mia wasn’t mine, but I nodded to Buck like she was, before turning to Mia. “Ready?”

  “I am. Nice to meet you, Buck,” Mia said.

  “You too, Mia. See you at the station, Elijah,” Buck said.

  “See you.” Keeping my gaze on the back of Mia’s head and not on her amazing ass, I followed her toward the weights.

  * * *

  “Mia, are you sure it’s okay?” I repeated.

  “I’m positive. Nana loves it when I bring my friends over,” Mia said with a grin. “Says it reminds her of when I was a teenager.”

  I shifted in the seat, pulling at the seatbelt. Mia’s car was on the smaller side and even though I was slouched down, the top of my head still brushed the ceiling of the car.

  Mia gave me an apologetic look. “Sorry about it being so cramped.”

  “It’s fine. Listen, maybe you should just drop me off and -”

  “Don’t be silly. Nana is a fantastic cook, and I know you’re hungry. I heard your stomach growling at the gym. We’ll have a bite to eat and a quick visit and then I’ll drive you to the station for your shift. Okay?”

  “Okay,” I said. “Your nana raised you, is that right?”

  “Yep. Me and my cousin Wyatt.” Mia turned left and gave me a quick smile. “You remembered.”

  I remembered every single thing she said to me, but
admitting it made me sound like a crazed stalker.

  “Do you ever talk to your mom or dad?” I asked.

  “Mom calls about once every year or so. It’s always awkward. I mean, what do you say to the woman who abandoned you when you were two years old, you know?” Mia said. “My dad – I don’t even know where he is and neither does Nana. I’ve asked Mom a few times, but she refuses to tell me anything about him.”

  She turned left again and slowed her speed a bit. “It used to bug me, but now…” she shrugged, “I’m kind of over it. In fact, I think I’m luckier than most. So many parents screw their kids up, but Nana was an awesome parent. Neither my mom nor dad would have done as good of a job as Nana did in raising me. What about your parents? You never really mention them. Are you close?”

  Sweat immediately broke out on my back. “No,” I said and then quickly changed the subject. “Why did your nana raise your cousin as well?”

  “Wyatt’s parents died in a car accident when he was four,” Mia replied. “Drunk driver. I think it’s partially why he decided to become a cop. Speaking of Wyatt…looks like he’s gonna be eating with us.”

  She parked in the driveway behind the police cruiser and shut the car off. I unfolded my large body out of the front seat and cracked my neck as I waited for Mia to join me on the sidewalk.

  “You look nervous,” she said.

  “I’m not.”

  She put her hand on my upper arm and squeezed it in a friendly way, but all of my nerve endings jolted to life like she’d grabbed my dick. Her hand was so soft. How would it feel on my dick? Would she know exactly the right way to touch me?

  Buddy, you don’t even know the right way to touch yourself. Why the fuck would she? Besides, she’s not into you and even if she was, you wouldn’t have a fucking clue what to do. Remember? You really wanna embarrass yourself like that in front of Mia?

  The stiffy I was starting to sport just from Mia’s innocent touch, vanished like a rabbit in a magician’s hat.

  “Elijah?” Mia was giving me a concerned look. “If you really don’t want to have dinner with us, you don’t have to. I’ll take you to the station right now.”

  “No, I do,” I said.

  She stared at me doubtfully and I forced myself to smile at her. “Really, I want to have dinner with you and your family. Thank you for inviting me.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  I followed her up the sidewalk, trying desperately not to stare at her ass, to the small pale blue bungalow. Decorative shrubs were planted along the front of the house and there was a small wooden plaque on the front door engraved with the words ‘Nana’s Place’ on it.

  “Wyatt made that for Nana when he was fifteen,” Mia said as she opened the door and stepped inside. I followed her in, and we removed our jackets before Mia hitched her thumb over her shoulder. “Kitchen’s this way.”

  We followed the mouthwatering scent of beef stew down the narrow hallway to the first door on the left. Feeling a little self-conscious, I stood in the doorway as Mia walked into the kitchen.

  “Hey, Nana.”

  “Hi, sweetheart.”

  Mia’s nana was standing at the counter with her back to us. She was short, plump and had long silver hair that hung to her waist. It was braided with a bright pink ribbon weaved throughout the braid. Mia tugged gently on the braid. “I like your hair today, Nana.”

  “Thanks, honey. Chelsea next door did it. She’s such a sweet child. Only twelve years old and already knows what she wants to do. She’s going to be a hair stylist to the stars, she says, and you know what? I believe her.” Mia’s grandmother turned and smiled at her. “The girl’s got – oh, hi there.”

  I stepped into the kitchen, holding my hand out as Mia’s grandmother looked me up and down.

  “Nana, this is my friend, Elijah. He works -”

  “At the fire station,” Nana said. She shook my hand, her grip was dry and strong. “I’ve seen you around town. You’re kind of hard to miss – just like that Stokes fellow. Oh, what’s his first name again?”

  “Asher,” a voice said behind us.

  I turned and nodded to Mia’s cousin and sheriff’s deputy, Wyatt Reynolds. “Hey, Wyatt.”

  “Hello, Elijah.”

  “You two know each other?” Mia’s grandmother asked.

  “In passing,” Wyatt said. “We see each other at work sometimes.”

  “I suppose you do,” Nana said. “Is that how you and Mia met?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said.

  “Oh please,” Nana waved her hand in front of her face. “You may call me Nana or Martha, all right? I assume you’re joining us for dinner?”

  I glanced at Mia who grinned at me and said, “He is, Nana.”

  “If you have enough food,” I said.

  Nana laughed. “There’s always enough food.”

  “I’m just going to use the bathroom quick,” Mia said. “Elijah, have a seat.”

  I sat down as Mia left the kitchen. Wyatt sat next to me. He was wearing his uniform and he ran a hand through his dark hair as Nana placed a glass of lemonade in front of him.

  “Elijah, what would you like to drink?”

  “Water, please, ma’am. I mean, Martha.”

  “Such a polite young man,” she said as she handed me a bottle of water. “I like you. How long have you and Mia been dating?”

  My face went an embarrassing shade of red and I twisted the cap off the water bottle so hard that the cap cracked. “We’re not dating. We’re just, uh, friends. I gave her some tips about lifting and then we, uh, became friends.”

  Martha gave me a puzzled look and Wyatt said, “He means lifting weights, Nana.”

  “Oh.” Nana glanced at Wyatt before smiling at me. “Well, isn’t that nice.”

  I drank a few swallows of water, as Wyatt said, “I’ll have the last of the renovations done on the guest house by the weekend.”

  “Oh, that’s brilliant,” Nana said happily. “You did the renovations so quickly, my sweet boy.” She smiled at me. “I have a small guest house in the back that I’ve decided to rent out. If you know of anyone in town who’s looking for a one bedroom, one bath, darling little cottage type place, send them my way.”

  “Um, okay,” I said.

  Mia returned and slid into the seat next to mine. “What did I miss?”

  “We’re just discussing the guest house, dear heart,” Nana said. “It’s almost ready to rent out, thanks to Wyatt’s hard work.”

  “Nice work, Wyatt.” Mia held her fist out and Wyatt bumped it before grabbing a bun from the basket on the table.

  “Do you need help, Nana?” Mia asked.

  “Maybe I’ll get you to bring the pot to the table,” Nana replied. “It’s heavy and my arthritis is acting up this week.”

  “Sure.” Mia bounced to her feet and I gave her jean-clad ass a quick glance before looking away.

  Wyatt was giving me an inscrutable look, and my fucking face turned crimson again. I stared at the empty bowl in front of me, Wyatt’s gaze boring into the top of my skull. I was stupidly grateful when Mia set the pot on the table and Martha patted Wyatt’s shoulder. “Help yourself, sweet boy.”

  As Wyatt ladled some stew into his bowl, Mia leaned close and said in a low voice. “You okay?”

  “Fine,” I said as Mia’s scent washed over me. Fuck, she always smelled so good. “The stew smells delicious.”

  Mia smiled at me and handed me a warm roll. “My nana’s the best cook in town.”

  * * *

  “Thank you again for inviting me to dinner,” I said as Mia pulled into the station.

  “You’re welcome,” she replied. “Thanks for coming.”

  Like a thirteen-year-old boy, my mind immediately went to sex. What would it be like to cum inside of Mia? I’d cut off my right hand to find out. I gave Mia a strained smile. “I had fun.”

  She studied me for a moment. “I’m really glad we’re friends, Elijah.”

  My stomach
twisted but I widened my smile. “I am too.”

  “Okay, well have a good shift. I’ll see you tomorrow morning around seven-thirty, okay?”

  “Sounds good. Bye, Mia.”

  “Bye, Elijah.”

  I waited until she drove away before walking into the station. Buck was washing down the truck while Peter, the oldest of our crew, was watching.

  “You missed a spot on the bumper.” Peter picked at his teeth as I joined him.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Buck said with a good-natured roll of his eyes. “I see it, old man.”

  “Kids these days,” Peter said. “No fucking respect.”

  “Hey, my dad says the same shit,” Buck said. His grin widened when Peter flipped him the bird.

  “See what I mean?” Peter said to me.

  I didn’t reply. I was only a few years older than Buck and when I first started at the station, Peter had said and did the exact same things to me that he was doing to Buck. It was a time-honored ritual at the station to rag on the new guy.

  “Hey, Peter? Did you talk to your wife about switching shifts?” Charlie joined us and barely gave me a passing glance.

  I resisted the urge to punch his face. Up until six months ago, Charlie hadn’t been just a coworker. He’d been my best friend. I knew most people in town considered Matt to be my best friend, but while we were close, it was Charlie who I’d spent most of my time with.

  “Yeah, I can switch.” Peter found something interesting between his teeth, examined it briefly on the tip of his finger and then wiped his fingers on his pants.

  “Thanks, man,” Charlie said.

  “Yeah, don’t mention it.”

  Charlie left, and Peter gave me a scrutinizing look. “The fucking tension between you two is a real drag, you know that?”

  “Yeah, well maybe he shouldn’t have been such an asshole, then,” I snapped.

  “Hey,” Peter gave me a commiserating look, “I’m not saying him spilling your condition to the whole crew wasn’t a shit move, but -”

  “It’s not a condition,” I snapped again.