Bad Boy's Touch (Firemen in Love Book 3)

by Starling,Amy

  “How could I forget being taken hostage, almost getting shot, and barely escaping a burning strip club with my life?”

  “Not that stuff. The kiss.”

  She dropped her pen and swallowed hard. When I handed it back to her, our fingers touched. I lingered for a moment, enjoying the spark, before she pulled the pen away.

  “That kiss,” she muttered, “should not have happened.”

  “Why not?”

  She gaped. “You don't know me. What kind of man goes around kissing strangers? Do you make a habit of asking random women to sleep with you?”

  Ah, so she was one of those types. Had to get to know a guy before taking her clothes off for him.

  Usually, when I found that out about a girl, I moved on. Wasn't worth my time and energy when there were so many other, more willing ladies in the sea.

  But Madison entranced me in a way those others didn't.

  “Sorry if I offended you, but I couldn't resist.” I grinned. “Guess being locked up in handcuffs really does it for me.”

  “Keep pushing your luck, and I'll be glad to lock you up in them again.”

  I gently put a hand on her shoulder. She didn't remove it.

  “Is that a promise?”

  “Great! Now we got cops snooping around here too. Just what I needed.”

  We were rudely interrupted by Toby, who stood in the doorway, watching Madison with some suspicion. With all the not-quite-legal stuff that went on here, he was right to be wary.

  “You're the owner and manager, I take it?” She stuck out her hand. “I'm officer Madison Finley. I'll be working with Brett to help determine the cause of the fire.”

  Toby did not accept the handshake. “Yeah, that's me. Look, is this gonna take long? I'd like to get this place fixed up ASAP. I'm bleeding money as we speak.”

  “We'll work as quickly as possible. If you have the time, I'd like to ask you a few questions.”

  He begrudgingly accepted. Now, I was supposed to be digging through the crime scene for clues, but watching Madison play detective was much more entertaining.

  “Nah, I wasn't here last night. My assistant manager, Randy, had run of the place. You wanna talk to him.”

  “Do you or the club have any enemies? Anybody who'd want to do you harm?”

  He laughed. “Lady, I'm sure there are hundreds of folks who hate us, all for their own reasons.”

  She nibbled the end of her pen. That drew my attention to her full and luscious lips, which snowballed into fantasies of her tearing off my pants and sucking me dry...

  Oops. There'd be no hiding that hard-on now.

  “Excuse me, but I was here last night,” said a young woman's voice. “And I think I saw something.”

  One of the club's dancers, Holly, had come into the bar. She fiddled with the ends of her hair and wouldn't look up at any of us.

  “Tell me,” Madison said to her. “What was it? Be as detailed as you can.”

  “I arrived here at eleven for my shift. Parked in the employee lot, as always. On the way in, I noticed a strange car parked in front of the emergency exit. You can get in trouble for blocking that, which is why it caught my eye.”

  “Can you describe it?”

  She nodded. “It was just a black Honda, nothing really to make it stand out – except there was no license plate on it, which I thought was odd. Windows were darkly tinted, too.”

  Madison and I exchanged knowing looks. Unless this was a brand-new car, why would someone have no plate? That's what criminals did when they knew they'd be caught on camera.

  Hey, wait – the cameras! A place like this had beefed-up security for sure. I made a note to ask Toby about it.

  “When I came in through the back way, I knew something wasn't right. I heard screaming, and then gunshots.” She teared up. “I thought I was gonna die.”

  Madison tried to soothe her. Holly wiped away a tear and continued.

  “I knew I had to get out of the building. I ran back the way I had come in, and that's when I saw him. There was a guy coming out of a side room, and he was wearing a pig mask.”

  “A pig mask?”

  “Big guy. Built like a football player. I was so terrified that I hid in the shadows until he was gone. If he had seen me...”

  Well, I hadn't been expecting that one. The club attracted a lot of crazy guests with weird fetishes, but none that I knew were into wearing animal faces. With luck, that just might be our culprit.

  While Holly further described the man, I went to find Toby in his office.

  “Hey, man. Sorry about the club.”

  He grunted. “Eh, at least the insurance will cover it. I'd been meaning to remodel the bar anyway.”

  “This place has cameras, doesn't it? I'm interested in the hallway leading to the emergency exit.”

  He opened some files on his computer. “Oh yeah, the security feed. We got a camera covering the parking lot, too. Let me pull up the video.”

  I watched the screen as he got to work. A window opened up, each camera's feed displaying in its own square. Two of the squares, though, were nothing but static.

  “What the hell is this? Looks like both of these ones malfunctioned.”

  Bullshit. No way those cameras, the exact ones I needed, had gone on the fritz.

  The rest of the screens displayed the chaos of last night, but our porcine friend showed up on none of them.

  This wasn't your run-of-the-mill arsonist. This one was clever – and clever, from my experience, meant extra dangerous.

  Back in the bar, I found Madison alone. She was mulling over her notes, pen in her mouth again. Jeez, this woman was making it real hard to focus on the job.

  “Learn anything?”

  “Just that we're dealing with a psychopath, from the sound of things. I mean, he wore a creepy mask to hide his face, and he tried to burn the place down in the midst of a shootout.”

  “He probably planned this before and when guns started going off, he took advantage of the distraction.” I headed for the hallway. “Come on. I got a feeling we'll find more down here.”

  She smiled again. “So you're finally taking the job seriously. About time.”

  “Is that what it'll take to get you into bed?” Mm, what a nice ass she had. “I'm not the straight-laced, responsible type you're used to, but I guarantee I'm a lot more fun.”

  She pushed past me with a groan. “Here we go. You know what? Asking me to have sex with you is the worst pick-up line I've ever heard. Seriously, you thought that would work?”

  She paused in the room where Holly had seen our culprit. I moved behind her, so close her body warmed my skin. When she didn't get out of my way, I took that as a hint.

  Madison needed a thorough pounding, but she'd never admit it. That's where I came in. Usually, I went after the easiest chicks and scored them quick. I wasn't used to the slow burn; the idea of wearing down a woman's resolve was foreign to me.

  It also made me hornier than I'd been in a long time. Finally, a real challenge.

  “Okay, you win. I'll stop asking.” I gently rested my hands on her shoulders. “Who needs words, anyway?”

  She shivered as I brushed the stray hairs from her neck. This was a big gamble, one that could get me fired if she complained to the right people.

  She was worth that risk.

  “W-what do you think you're doing, Silver?”

  I whispered, tickling her throat with my breath. “Convincing you of how much you need this.”

  My lips found her collarbone. She gasped when I kissed her there.

  “I don't... Don't need anything from you.”

  “Then tell me to stop.”

  She held her breath. Said nothing.

  That was my way in. I'd found her weak spot. It wouldn't be long before she caved in completely.

  “This is an awful idea.” She shut her eyes as I nipped the arch of her neck. “If someone sees us... It's totally unprofessional.”

  I chuckled. “Oh
, I've been called that and much worse in this job.”

  “It's not you I'm worried about, damn it. Don't you get it?”

  There was irritation in her tone. Though my arms were where she belonged, I wisely elected to let her go.

  She moved slowly away from me, stroking her neck where my lips had been.

  “What don't I get?”

  “I'm the only female officer in my department. Basically, I'm surrounded by men all day. You have any idea how hard it is to gain respect in that environment?”

  I shrugged as she wandered the room, pretending to look for clues. “What does that have to do with you and me?”

  She paused by a magazine rack and leafed through the pages of Entertainment Weekly. I waited patiently for her reply because, obviously, Madison wasn't a woman you could rush.

  “When I got hired on the force, Victor Patterson decided he wanted me.”

  “The police chief?”

  “He chased me, charmed me, all of that stuff. I resisted, of course, because he was my boss.” Her laugh was bitter. “At last, he was so relentless that I gave in. What a mistake that was.”

  “God, I'm sorry.”

  Then it struck me. He chased and charmed her, just like I was trying to do now. What if she saw her asshole ex-boyfriend in me when I did that?

  “There were rumors, naturally. And when I got promoted from grunt-level officer to detective...” She shook her head. “I never knew grown men could gossip as much as teen girls.”

  “They thought you were sleeping your way up the ladder.”

  She turned away before a tear fell, wiping her cheek quick so I wouldn't see.

  Must be tough to be a woman in a guy's world. She had to keep up her guard, never showing weakness. Had to work smarter and harder to prove her worth to everyone.

  But under her hardened exterior, she hid a soft, feminine core. When was the last time she let that side of her out?

  “My point is, I don't have the most stellar reputation on the squad. If I get caught with your hands all over me – when I'm supposed to be conducting an arson investigation – it won't look good for me.”

  “So no flirting on the job. I get it.” I winked, hoping to cheer her up. “How about when you're off the clock? You gotta let your hair down sometime.”

  “Sorry. I don't make a habit out of dating criminals.”

  “First of all, I'm not a criminal.”

  She gave me that yeah-right look, scoffed, and turned on her heel. Like a trained puppy, I followed.

  “Okay, I might do some questionable things, but that doesn't make me a bad person.”

  “Do you realize how many times I've heard that?”

  “Second of all, who said anything about dating? I'm not asking for your hand in marriage – just one night.”

  For a moment, it looked like she might be thinking about it. She wandered to the dining table, where staff probably ate meals on their breaks. Then her eyes widened, and she pointed to something with a shaking hand.

  “What is this?”

  I joined her, peering over her shoulder. Duct-taped to the table was a piece of paper, a letter, maybe. It was typed in all capital letters.

  “THIS PLACE OF SIN DESERVES TO BURN. I AM DOING GOD'S WORK. AMEN.”

  That was all it said and yet, it was enough to make my hair stand on end.

  “Shit,” Madison cursed. “Did the arsonist leave this?”

  “If so, it's almost like he was bragging about what he planned to do. But what if the paper burned up in the fire? Then we'd have never seen his message.”

  Maybe he wasn't as clever as we thought – or there might be something more to it than that.

  She took out a pocket knife and carefully sliced through the tape.

  “Shouldn't you be wearing gloves to touch that? I mean, what if the guy left fingerprints?”

  “I'll handle it by the corners of the tape.” She peeled it off the table, then flipped the sheet over and blanched. “Oh, no. There's more.”

  “MY WORK IS NOT DONE. WILL YOU COME FOR ME NOW? I LIKE GAMES. LET'S PLAY.”

  “This guy is a certifiable lunatic,” I muttered. But that wasn't all.

  “DRUGS ARE BAD. THEY HURT PEOPLE. I WILL MAKE THEM STOP.”

  Madison shivered. “Is he... telling us what he's going to do next?”

  “Sounds that way, but it's not much of a clue. There are drugs and dealers all over this town. Lord knows who he plans to target.”

  “Or when. He could be out there setting another fire right now.”

  Waco and Kingston were neighboring cities, and both had seen their share of deliberately set fires, but none like this. Usually, they were caused by some idiotic high-school kid who wanted to impress his friends.

  This was different. The arsonist had methodically planned this out. He'd cut the camera feed, removed his car plates, wore a mask. Did what he could to ensure he wouldn't be identified.

  And he planned to strike again. That made him dangerous, an unpredictable wild card. Nobody got hurt in the fire this time. But next time...

  Madison pressed the letter between some napkins she'd found on the table. She scanned the area for clues, but there weren't any to be found.

  “Now what are we going to do?” I asked her.

  “You? You're a firefighter; there's nothing you can do anymore. Not until he does this again, which I pray that he won't.”

  “I'm not just going to relax and wait for that to happen.”

  Her soft hand curled around my arm. My breathing slowed; the anger left me.

  “Your job is to put the blaze out, not track criminals down. That's not your responsibility.”

  “Yeah, but I'd like to keep the fires from getting started in the first place. You have no idea how it feels, how much it sucks, when there's an incident and you can't quite get there in time.” Oh, there'd been too many of those. “Houses burned to the ground. Lives destroyed. People get hurt. Killed.”

  The sternness on her face faded. She understood, didn't she? The two of us were more alike than she would admit.

  “If there's something I can do to stop this bastard, anything, I want to do it.”

  “I know you do, but –”

  “How many people did Victor assign to this case, huh? You're the only one?”

  She hung her head. “Yes, but... I'm sure when he sees this letter, he'll allocate more resources to tracking the guy down. He wanted me to find evidence for or against arson. This, plus all the other things we've learned here, should be enough.”

  The tone of her voice told me she didn't quite believe that, though.

  We went back outside to our respective cars. Jayce had come with me and he was still inside, so I was stuck here until I rounded him up. Madison was already getting into her cruiser. Her gaze was distant; if she'd been thinking about me, she wasn't anymore.

  But I couldn't just let her leave like this. Even now, with this mess unfolding around us, I wanted her. She was too special to give up on.

  “Wait.” I grabbed her car door before she slammed it shut on me. “Go out for a drink with me. Sure looks like you could use one.”

  She groaned. “Really? Of all times, you picked now to ask me out?”

  “What's the matter with it? You can't just focus on stopping crime all the time. When's the last time you took a break?”

  She was so stressed out, I could feel the tension radiating from her. But I could help her.

  I'd show her a good time if she let me. I'd take her home and fuck her for hours. Make her moan and beg for more.

  Bet she wouldn't be so tense after that kind of plowing.

  Just as she started to reply, her car radio went off.

  “All available units, we have an incident at the Best Buy Electronics at Little Road and Church Street. Shoplifter pulled a knife on security after attempting to flee with store merchandise. Any officer, please respond.”

  She stared at me as she returned the call. “I'm close by that location.
Be there soon.”

  “So that's it? You're just gonna drive away without giving me an answer?”

  She started the car and leaned against the steering wheel. “I have to go.”

  “No, wait –”

  But she wasn't waiting. She slammed her door and sped out of the parking lot, then disappeared over the hill.

  “Damn it!” I kicked my truck's tire. “What the hell am I doing wrong?”

  “Y'know, I gotta say I don't think she's your type.”

  Jayce came up behind me, grinning like he always was. Of course, he had good reasons to be smiling. He had a wife, a son, a family who loved him.

  Was I jealous?

  I told myself no. Assured myself that freedom, the ability to do what I wanted and screw any girl I liked, was far better than being trapped by marriage. Sex with just one woman? Not for me.

  “Not my type, huh?”

  “She's a workaholic who takes things way too seriously. You, on the other hand? Sometimes I'm surprised you manage to drag your ass into the station on time.”

  I punched his arm. He laughed and got in the truck.

  “Maybe we're not soul mates, but so what? She's gorgeous. I want her. That's all that matters.”

  “And how are you going to convince her of that?”

  I took the wheel and drove us back toward the station. Should have told Jayce about the arsonist's note, but that could wait. Right now, I could think of nothing but her.

  “I kissed her last night. Didn't hear any complaints.”

  “You kissed her after she tried to arrest you? Man, you've got bigger balls than me.”

  “And it was awesome, too. That's why I don't understand it – why does she keep pulling my chain?”

  “Maybe she's scared by your aggression. Or could be she thinks you're bad news.”

  “I am bad news, but what does it matter? This is just sex we're talking about.”

  “I used to say the same thing, too.”

  This was why I generally stuck with the simplest of conquests. Girls like Madison were too smart, too sensible. They asked too much. Wanted me to change.

  But I wasn't changing for anybody. The only person whose opinion mattered was me.

  “It's not my place to say stuff like this, I guess, but since you asked...” Jayce shrugged. “Women like her, they're not impressed by you showing off and getting into trouble. They appreciate sensitivity. The ability to hold a conversation. Crap like that.”