Flameover: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Esther E. Schmidt

  The corner of my mouth twitches and I try like hell to keep my laughter at bay. “If you feel like making some kind of statement by claiming my beer, all you’re doing is hurting my damn feelings. I claimed you. The mother of my kid, my woman. You claimed a damn beer over claiming me. Liquid bottled up over flesh and blood you can spend the rest of your life with. I did mention you’re stomping on my feelings, right?”

  My own words flow out and hit hard. What I said was meant as a joke but it’s more like a punch to the gut. Here I am trying to give a shot at becoming a family—with the woman who I’ve thought about countless times over the years—all while she’s pissed I’m opening up to commitment.

  “The bottle of beer isn’t complaining. It’s a damn thing. And don’t make me feel like I’m a bad person here, Kain. I’m not the one who acts without thinking, just taking what you think is yours. Like you said, we’re flesh and blood, asshole. Yes, my daughter is yours too, but that doesn’t automatically make me yours along with it.” She slams the bottle back on the table.

  By the look on her face she’s ready to ignore me again. Fat chance. “You’re her mother, I’m her father; she needs the both of us.”

  Her eyes narrow. “I agree. But again, this doesn’t automatically mean we have to live together and be together.”

  “She’s getting a normal family with two parents who love her,” I tell her between clenched teeth.

  “Great,” she sneers. “Buy a blowup doll and tie it to a chair and tell her it’s her stepmom. Because from what you’re demanding? It doesn’t matter who the mother of your kid is or the wife warming your sheets. It’s the need to fit the label, a kid needs a family so that’s what I’ll give her. You’re just as much a selfish prick as any other man I’ve encountered. And let me tell you something, asshole. We were doing fine all those years without you.”

  “And what if she goes to preschool and grows up with other kids having a family? And they have a daddy day and shit. Or family stuff they question her about? Ever thought about that? She’s three, all that stuff will be thrown at her feet. And it would be unnecessary since we can give her everything.” I try like hell not to bark out my words but this is a touchy subject for the both of us. “And you’re not just some blowup doll or any chick I’m going to put up with. You’re the one woman who I was instantly attracted to. Who left my fucking bed cold early that morning and kicked my damn ego with leaving a simple note saying ‘you were amazing, thanks.’ Thanks? Motherfucker,” I roar.

  “Keep your freaking voice down,” Lee hisses. “I’ve never done the whole one-night stand thing before or since, okay? What was I supposed to do, not leave a note? Leave my phone number instead?”

  I lean in close and growl, “How about not leaving my bed and waking up together and talking? Maybe have some morning sex before parting ways.”

  “Glad to hear you’re an expert with these things,” she bites out her words.

  A string of curses fly through my head and I realize I walked right into that one. With effort I try to calm down and inhale a deep breath. I take a seat next to her and place my forearms on my knees.

  “I wanted to tell you exactly who I was when I woke up that morning. The whole night was one I have replayed over and over in my head many times over the years. The name you used was a dead lead since I did run a check which was easy to do when you own the damn hotel we were in.”

  “An intern made the reservation and screwed up. I was lucky everything was paid for and connected with twelve other rooms since we were responsible for the convention and the speakers,” she states calmly.

  “I don’t want anyone else, Lee. I’m not settling or want the picture-perfect status for our kid. I want this, all of this, because it’s with you. We had one night together all those years ago, and like I said . . . you’ve been on my mind ever since. I compared every woman to you and none of them spiked my attention. Why the hell do you think I’m pushing so damn hard? I want you more than my next damn breath and being around you every second of these last few days only makes me crave you more.” I’m growling again and I hate the lack of control I seem to have when it comes to her.

  I take a slow breath through my nose in an effort to calm down and even my tone when I tell her, “Besides being a firefighter and a biker, I’m also a businessman. And you know as well as I do how in the business world there’s only a small window when opportunity strikes. Well, this is my fucking opportunity, and I refuse to wake up with another note on my damn bed leaving me with just a cold thank you.”

  Dammit. Why does she make anger flow through my veins when at the same time I want to kiss and fuck the shit out of her?

  Her shoulders sag. “Do you really think we can go from total strangers to one big happy family? These past few days have been nice but awkward. I can’t do anything or be myself because of my ankle. Denise considers this a sleepover with the fireman who came to rescue us and it’s all too confusing and weird, don’t you think?”

  I should make a call to the clubhouse and invite all the old ladies over. They could talk her through all of this and help me along with it. Shit. I never thought having an old lady would be so damn complicated.

  Hell, my father’s best friend and colleague, Depay, also knocked up a woman during one hot encounter. She came to find him as soon as she found out she was pregnant. Something Lee did too but it was my own damn fault she couldn’t reach me since I gave her a fake name.

  “We lost so many years because of confusion and weirdness, Lee. Is it too much to ask for a chance to see if we can move forward as one? We owe it to ourselves, to our daughter. And you owe it to me, ‘cause dammit, when we kiss you know damn well how good it feels and how you melt underneath my touch. So, you’re going to give yourself this fucking chance too.”

  Yeah, screw reasoning or clear thinking; every working brain cell goes out the window when she’s involved.

  “Bossy,” she murmurs. “Does anyone ever stand up to you and not do as you say?”

  I can’t help but chuckle. Depay always has a standard reply if someone says something similar, so I give her those very words too. “Sweetheart, I’m a fucking fireman . . . I run into burning buildings. When I say something, people better fucking listen.”

  Lee snorts and simply replies, “Well in this case the fire is in your pants, with all your demands to start one happy family together, sexual innuendos, and scorching kisses.”

  “Scorching kisses, huh?”

  She rolls her eyes. “Head in the gutter while we’re having a fight over your demands to play house.”

  “Woman, if I want to play house you’d be wearing a skimpy maid costume and my handprint would be marking your skin red when I bend you over this couch as I take you from behind.”

  Our eyes meet and hold. I can tell she’s remembering our night in Vegas since I put her in that position and she came damn hard around my cock when I buried my thumb into her ass. I bring my thumb up and rub it slowly across my beard. Her eyes dilate and my dick hardens in response. Yeah, she sure as hell remembers everything we did that night.

  She swallows hard and croaks, “We’re not going to do the sex thing. If you want to do this,” she bounces her hand between us, “then we will take it slow and let Denise adjust to it without forcing the whole mom and dad thing like you did today. We have to think about her first. We already know we get along great between the sheets; Denise is a walking and talking example.”

  “No backing out, no denying. We will go slow but we won’t be hiding our feelings or seeing others,” I add to make sure she might get her demand, but I won’t let her back out.

  Not ever.

  “No backing out, no denying,” she repeats on a whisper.

  “Good. Now, do you want to share another beer or do you want one of your own?”

  There’s a hint of a smile on her face when she says, “Mind sharing with me? I’m a slow drinker and I hate warm beer. If we share one, we will drink it faster and it’ll be co
ld.”

  I give her a nod and make my way toward the kitchen with a bounce in my step. Even if this was a harsh confrontation, I feel we needed it to move forward. Though I still think it might be a good idea to get some of the old ladies to come around. It’ll be good for her too, even if they are older than she is since none of the younger generation have an old lady yet.

  The rest of the night flows without arguments. It seems the both of us enjoy action movies and sharing beer. She eventually falls asleep next to me on the couch and doesn’t so much as stir when I carry her into her bedroom. I take a moment to watch her sleep after I cover her with a blanket.

  Such a turmoil of events and feelings. Yes, when the thought strikes me of having a future with this woman, all insecurities evaporate and a sense of belonging settles. She might not be aware of it, though I did warn her, but I am dead set to make this work between us. Not just for our little girl in the next room, but for the woman in front of me as well as for myself.

  The next morning comes way too quickly when my phone rips me out of a peaceful sleep. I snatch it up and grunt something close to, “What?” and fall back onto the mattress.

  “Sorry, man. I know you have a few days left but two people called in sick today and we need you,” Lars rushes out and coughs his lungs out right after.

  “Sounds to me like you need to be in bed yourself.” I glance to my left and check the time. “Give me thirty minutes and I’ll be there.”

  I end the call and scroll through my phone. I send Archer a text to request a prospect to keep an eye on my place when I’m not there. I instantly get a reply and it soothes some of my concern. The next call I make is to my mom, adopted or not, they are my mom and dad in every way and that’s why I always address them as my parents.

  “Hey, Ma. I have to head into work. Can you swing by to keep an eye on my old lady and my daughter?”

  There’s utter silence until I hear my father’s concerned voice in the background. I’m still waiting for my mother to reply but it’s my father’s voice flowing through instead.

  “Who is this?” he growls.

  I can’t help but chuckle. “Hey, dad, it’s me.”

  “Kain? What did you say to your mother? Her mouth is hanging open and she’s in complete shock.”

  “I might have asked her to come over to my house so she can keep an eye on my old lady and daughter,” I easily supply again.

  It takes a bit more to shock my dad so his reply is instant. “Is that an official claim?”

  “It is, though she’s fighting me,” I sigh and think about the heated discussion we had last night.

  “How old is the kid? She truly yours?”

  “Archer came by a few days ago, the results only confirmed what I already knew. She’s mine. And I think someone is lurking around them with bad intentions, and I have no clue what’s going on. The only thing I’m sure of is the fact that someone set fire to their house. Lee injured herself the night of the fire, she has a sprained ankle. Leontine has been walking with crutches and in another day or two she can slowly start to put some weight on it again. Hence the reason I asked ma to come by to help out. Also, because maybe it would be good for Leontine to talk with an old lady. They just called me and I have to work, and I don’t want to leave them alone.”

  “Request a prospect to keep an eye out,” he orders.

  “All ready taken care of. Archer is sending one over.”

  “Your ma was going to go shopping with Lynn today—” My father’s words stop abruptly.

  I hear my mother mumble something to my dad before she clearly takes the phone and says, “Kain, is it okay if I bring your aunt with me? Or do you want me to come by myself?”

  “I have a twenty-four-hour shift, if you could stay the night I’d appreciate it. Maybe not a smart thing to bring Lynn, she can be a bit overwhelming.” I wince slightly because my aunt, Lynn, is a complete straightforward, not holding back, badass.

  Lynn is a former tattoo artist and a piercer, but she only takes out her equipment if someone from the club needs to be inked. But the mouth on her is why I would rather wait for Lee to meet her. My uncle calls her Lips, or Hotlips, for a reason. But then again, maybe it’s just what Lee needs . . . to have a woman visit who tells it like it is.

  And like I said, she’s a total badass and if something did happen, she would be an extra layer of protection. “On second thought, maybe it would be a good thing to bring her along.”

  My mother chuckles. “Okay, Kain. What are you up to? And why do we only hear about the fact you have an old lady and a daughter today? How old is your daughter? What’s her name?”

  “She’s three, and I only found out a few days ago. It’s a long story and I promise I’ll explain everything, but I need to get ready for work. Oh, and Leontine named her Denise.”

  My mother gasps, her voice is filled with emotion when she says, “She named her after your mother?”

  “Yeah,” I croak.

  I can tell she’s crying the way her voice cracks. “That’s so special. I can’t wait to meet both of them.”

  “I’m coming along too,” my father shouts over the phone before we say our goodbyes.

  It takes a few minutes to grab a quick shower and get ready. I’m in the kitchen when Denise rushes in with a big smile on her face.

  “Cereal?” she questions, shooting me a toothy grin along with it.

  “You bet ya! Why don’t you pick one and also grab the milk? I’ll grab us a bowl. But I also have to leave within five minutes.”

  She stops and the grin slides off her face. “You’re leaving?”

  “I have to work.” I place the bowl on the table and squat down in front of her. “Your daddy is a firefighter, remember? I have to go but I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

  She tilts her head as if to think things through and I actually hold my breath and wait for her to question me mentioning the daddy factor again.

  Instead she says, “If there’s a fire, you have to remember to save the stuffed animals too, like mommy did for me.”

  The corner of my mouth twitches and I ruffle her hair as I stand up. I give her my easy reply once more, “You bet ya, sweetheart.”

  Denise dashes off to grab her unicorn cereal, placing it on the table before she grabs the milk.

  “Mind grabbing me a bowl too?” Lee’s voice flows through the kitchen and when our gazes collide I can tell she caught some of the conversation I had with Denise.

  My suspicion is confirmed when she says, “You have to head out to work?”

  “Yeah,” I answer and pull out a chair for her. “I’ve called my parents and they will be here soon along with my aunt. Fair warning, though. My aunt can be a little overwhelming.”

  “Oookay.” She drags out the word and gives Denise a smile when she hands her the cereal.

  I grab it and stalk over to the cabinet, grabbing the chocolate flavored cereal for Lee instead.

  Her cheeks pink as she mutters a quick, “Thank you.”

  Only a few days living together and I’ve noticed a lot about her. She tries to hide it well but I’m trained to be observant. And it’s the little things that matter. Like how she would eat the unicorn cereal because Denise gives it to her. But if Lee grabs cereal for herself, she likes the sweet chocolate version. So, yes, I traded the cereal just now because I want her to enjoy her breakfast the way she likes it.

  “I have a twenty-four-hour shift. I hope you don’t mind meeting my folks and being stuck with them, but I need to be sure you’re taken care of so I can concentrate fully on my job.” I grab the sugar and place it on the table. “There will also be a prospect outside to keep an eye on things.”

  “Is all of this really necessary? I have crutches and can manage perfectly fine. I think it’s sweet how you arranged for your parents to swing by but like I said, we can manage until you’re back.” She mindlessly grabs the sugar and adds two scoops to the cereal.

  Yep, sweet tooth for sure.

/>   “Just humor me,” I tell her and kiss the top of her head before I lean in and whisper, “The fire at your house was arson, remember? I’m not leaving the two of you unprotected.”

  “You’re right.” Her shoulders sag. “I forgot.”

  “Like I said, I’m handling it.” A quick glance over my shoulder and the sound of a bike approaching lets me know the prospect arrived. “Okay, I’m late as it is and need to go. Call me or text if you need me.”

  She gives me a nod and I kiss the top of Denise’s head before I’m out the door.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  – LEONTINE –

  Soot along with lavender and lemons fills my nose as I wake up. Dammit, I want to sleep for another hour. Kain’s parents just left and I freshened up to say goodbye and give Denise a quick kiss since she went with them to have breakfast together. I have to blink a few times and feel fingertips slide across my cheek. Kain’s face fills my vision.

  “Hey,” I croak. “What time is it?”

  “Almost ten. I heard you girls had fun yesterday. My parents took Denise out for pancakes and Lynn went home early.” His fingers slide over my cheek again and I can’t help but close my eyes for a moment to relish in his touch.

  “She loves your parents,” I murmur. “They brought gifts and gave her so much attention, I’m sure she felt like a princess all day. I hope it’s not too confusing for her. And I also hope they won’t stay away because she almost became hoarse calling them grandma and grandpa.”

  His head falls back and laughter rips out. I can’t help but stare at him. His short, wet hair along with a fresh scent indicates he just came out of the shower and yet the hint of soot reminds me where he’s been all those hours he was away.

  It’s strange how you miss someone you’ve only known for a handful of days and are annoyed and frustrated with too. Well, maybe not really annoyed and frustrated, more like confused. All of this is absolutely complicated. But the way his muscles flex and his throat bobs as he’s staring at me makes me clench my thighs.