by Jen Talty
“No. I don’t.”
“We need to fix that.”
“Only way we’re going to do that is if you change,” she said.
“I suppose. But I think we need a little team bonding time, and we can start tonight with some more questions and answers, and I challenge you to some trust exercises, but maybe we do those when we get back to Lake George. Maybe even get the rest of the crew in on it.” He pulled open the door and nudged her forward. “Let’s get some beer and chips and work on some more honesty for the next few hours.”
“I don’t see how this is going to help.”
“Trust me.” He laughed as he walked through the store, snagging a thing of corn chips and salsa. “Tonight will be about getting to know each other. It will be a childish game of truth or dare with a little bit of alcohol. When we get back home, we’ll work on some real work trust issues. I want you to feel comfortable with me.” Truth or dare? What was he? Twelve? Fuck. What a dumb idea. But he did want to kick back with a couple of beers. And he did want to spend time figuring her out. Not to mention he wanted to prove to her he wasn’t the enemy.
Worse, he wanted to kiss her so bad it was all he could think about which was why this was about the most ridiculous idea he’d ever come up with.
“If I didn’t want a beer right now, I’d tell you to take a hike,” she said. “Besides, our hotel has a nice rooftop. We can go hang out up there.”
One of the things he really liked about Renee was her ability to partially put aside her issues and get the job done. He used the word partially simply because she constantly put the digs into him and never let him forget she didn’t like him or trust him, but when it came down to saving lives, she did it.
She was a true professional, as well as an oxymoron.
She was an enigma wrapped in a pretzel doused in mustard and laced with sugar. But he was determined to open her up and examine her with a fine-tooth comb.
He set an eighteen-pack on the counter along with some snacks. He figured they were there for a few nights and his room had a fridge, so why not. Besides, tonight could totally backfire on him, and he could be spending every other evening completely alone.
The walk to the hotel was done in silence. He didn’t know what she spent her time thinking about, but his mind raced with a million questions he wanted to ask.
And a few dares he’d come up with, if she chose one.
If she actually continued to agree to the stupid, childish game.
He pushed open the door to the rooftop. Thankfully, no one else had decided to use the spacious area. He ripped open the bag of chips, setting them on a small table while she twisted off the cap to the salsa.
Arranging two chairs quite close to each other, he opened two beers. “Who wants to start?” he said.
“You can, since you came up with this insanity.”
“We don’t have to do it, if you don’t want to.” He felt the sudden need to give her an out.
“No. I think you have a point, and since I know my cousin and he’s not going to change our rotation, we do need to find a way to make it work, so bring it.” She clanked her bottle against his. “Besides, I’m genuinely curious as to what you might ask and how you’re going to answer my probing questions.”
“Oh, good grief.” He rolled his eyes, taking a good swig. “All right. Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“You were raised by a cop and a firefighter. No one took after the old man. Why?”
“I think for Gavin it had to do more with his ride along with our mom when he was in high school. It changed how he saw what our mom did over what our dad did. For me, I just thought my mom was fucking badass, and I wanted to be just like her.”
“That’s cool.”
“My turn. Truth or dare?” She stuffed a chip full of salsa in her mouth and chewed.
“Let’s stick with truth.”
“How’d you find out your ex was cheating on you?”
“That’s a personal one.” He hadn’t expected her to go so deep so quickly, but he set up the game, and he owed it to her to be honest. “My ex-wife’s lover was attacked by bees while they were fucking in his backyard. He’s allergic. They had to call 9-1-1, and me and my crew were dispatched.” Fletcher left out the part that his wife had been five months pregnant because that hadn’t been part of the question. “Imagine her surprise when I showed up.”
“Fuck. That sucks.”
“Tell me about it,” he said. “It was not a fun day for anyone.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t imagine.”
“One of the most embarrassing days of my life,” he admitted. “Okay, my turn. Truth or dare?”
She chugged half her beer. “Truth.”
“Let’s see here. What do I really want to know? Hmmmm.” Trust came in many shapes and forms. She needed to understand he would have her back on and off the job. Both with her physical person and with her emotional well-being. But where he wanted to go with this line of questioning had nothing to do with being professional.
He could handle finding her attractive. Hell, he found Spencer’s sister to be a head-turner, but Renee had him thinking about taking the kinds of risks that would only leave him standing in a heap of pain and hurt.
“Two-part question.” He reached over and covered her mouth with his hand so she couldn’t protest. “Have you always worked at the 29 and if you haven’t why not and where did you work?” he asked.
“I suppose those are related enough.” Her plump lips curled over the long neck of the bottle as she took a draw of her beverage.
He stared at her like a horny teenager, mesmerized by the action. He opened two more beers, handing her one and doing his best to squelch his intense response to her simple movements.
“My mom was the captain of the 29 when I first became a firefighter, and while I was working on my education to be a paramedic, I didn’t want her in my face giving me shit or cutting me slack. I wanted to start off on my own, without the safety net of my brother, all my cousins, and mostly, my mom.”
“Wow. I’m impressed. That’s a pretty mature decision to make for a young kid.”
“I had the advantage of watching Cade and Gavin, as well as all the Bryant siblings struggle with working with so much family right off the bat.” She shifted to the side, bending her legs. She flipped her blond hair over her shoulder. When she loosened up and let her guard down, she was this laid-back girl who he could relate to and wanted to spend time with. “My turn.”
He chugged, letting the effects of the alcohol dull his senses just a little. The entire point was to gain trust, which meant he needed show her he would do his part. “I think I’ll change it up.” He opened his third beer. “Bring on the dare.”
“Oh. I’m not prepared for that.” She raised her hand to her temple. “I will need a moment to think.” She tapped her forehead. “Oh, I’ve got it.” She put her hands under her white shirt and wiggled. “I dare you to take off your T-shirt and wear my bra.”
He choked. Wow. Talk about wild. He wasn’t sure if he was impressed, turned on, or scared to tears. He lifted his shirt over his head and tried not to stare as she pulled a Flashdance move, taking off her bra without showing off the goods. She tossed the black lacy undergarment in his direction. He held it up, studying the curves, impressed that there was no padding. His eyes widened. A full C-cup. His skin burned with desire. He reached behind and tried to clasp it behind his back, but it didn’t stretch that wide. “This isn’t going to work.”
“I give you a ten for trying.” She reached out and took the piece of clothing back.
He ran his index finger up and down the scar snaking across his chest. He studied her as her gaze followed the path his hand made. The scars and burns on his body weren’t necessarily hideous, but they did stand out. Not as bad as Gavin’s, which covered the side of his face.
Fletcher could cover all of his scars with clothing, and for the most part, he didn’t even notice them, except f
or the burns on his chest. He’d gotten those the night Devon died. “It’s your turn,” he said.
“I’ll stick with truth.”
“Where was the first time you had sex?” He shouldn’t be asking anything about her love life. That kind of intimacy had nothing to do with trust on the job.
“In the back of a 1966 Mustang convertible,” she said.
“Nice.” He held up his beverage in cheers. “Here’s a freebie. I lost my virginity in the back seat of a Camaro when I was nineteen.”
“Oh. I’ve got you beat. I was seventeen.”
“You slut,” he said with laugh. “Dare I ask with who?”
“One of Gavin’s friends and a fellow firefighter.”
“Does Gavin know?”
Renee nodded. “He wasn’t thrilled when he found out, and fists flew the next day. But they are friends now.”
“Oh, shit. Is he at the station now?”
She shook her head.
“Thank God,” Fletcher mumbled. He didn’t do jealousy well.
“But I did date Newman, Easton, and Edge.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“Nope,” she said. “I think if I hadn’t married Devon, Cade would have made me sign a contract stating I wasn’t allowed to hook up with my co-workers.”
“I guess you have a thing for firefighters.”
“I sure do.” She winked. “I think we’re back to you. Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“Where’d you get the burn? Job-related?”
He nodded. He also contemplated lying to her about how he got it, but if he did that, he’d lose her trust once she found out the truth and that would totally negate the purpose of this exercise. “The night Devon died,” he said softly.
Her lashes fluttered, and she let out an audible sigh. “When, exactly?”
“Carrying Devon out,” he admitted. “A beam fell, knocking me over. Unfortunately, my suit was partially open in the front.”
“Why was that?”
“I hadn’t secured it when I went in after him the first time.”
She set her empty in the bag they’d brought for trash and pulled out a water. “That right there is why I think you’re dangerous.”
“If I had known, I would have fixed it.” He wanted to say if her husband hadn’t raced inside, he wouldn’t have had to chase him, but why go tit for tat? It did nothing other than cause more conflict. “I don’t unnecessarily risk my life more than I have to.”
“So you say, but your actions speak louder than your words.”
He stretched out his arm and heaved her chair as close to his as possible. Taking her hand, he pressed it against his scar, letting her fingers linger over the raised, damaged skin. “I don’t wear these as badges of honor or medals of some kind. I’m not proud of them.”
“You’ve been sitting here with your shirt off for about forty-five minutes. I think you wanted to me to see them. And ask about them.”
“Maybe I just thought you’d like staring at my muscles. I mean, you haven’t put your bra back on, and that shirt is a little see-through in the moonlight. Not to mention formfitting. What am I supposed to think about that?”
She dropped her gaze. “You’ve been staring at my tits this entire time?”
“I’ve desperately been trying not to.”
Leaning over, she took his shirt and lifted it over her head, tugging it down over her body, covering the girls. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t want to embarrass you.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “And since this was supposed to be all about trust, I should be totally honest.”
“I’m listening.”
“I was really enjoying the view.”
“I do have nice boobs. I’m really proud of them. Probably my best asset as a woman.”
A guttural groan vibrated in the back of his throat. “While they are beautiful, they are not even close to being the best thing about you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”
No question about it now, he was going straight to hell. He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “You’re sexy as hell, no question about that. There isn’t a man who has breath that doesn’t turn their head when you walk into a room, but being pretty doesn’t have any substance.” He slipped his hand behind her neck. Unless she slapped him or pushed him away, there was no stopping him now. He’d allowed himself to cross that line, and he couldn’t pull back if he wanted to. “The best part about you is no matter who you’re with, you are always the smartest person in the room, hands down.”
Her lids blinked over her passionate, yet confused gaze as he pressed his mouth against her hot lips. Her tongue greeted his with a fierce desperation. She wrapped her arms around his neck and dug her fingernails into his shoulders. There was something purely raw in the way she kissed. It was unbridled and free.
But it also had a dangerous edge, and he knew he had to put an end to it before it got out of control.
She shifted, straddling him and pulling both his shirt, and hers, over her head, exposing those wonderfully perfect breasts.
He swallowed.
Hard.
His body went rigid. He gripped her hips and held on tight as if she were his life raft and he were drowning in the deep end of the pool. His chest heaved up and down as he gasped for air.
Her hands slowly glided across her midriff, palming the swell of her breasts. She flicked her thumbs over her tiny, hard nipples.
Sitting up taller, he took one into his mouth, twisting it and turning as she arched into him. Her nails scratching across his scalp.
His heart told him to stop.
His body begged him to lift her into his arms and carry her to his bed, making sweet love to her all night long.
His mind reminded him that wasn’t a good idea.
She pressed her lips against his neck, dotting his skin with soft, warm kisses.
“Renee,” he whispered. “We need to stop.”
“I don’t want to.”
He hissed as she scraped her teeth over his nipple and slipped her long, deft fingers into his pants.
“And from what I’m feeling in here, you don’t really want me to either.”
He curled his fingers around her wrist. “I’d say that’s a fair assessment, but we’ve both been drinking.” He found his shirt and covered her up. “I want you like I haven’t wanted a woman in a long time, but not here. Not like this.”
“Then not like ever.” She stood, turning on her heel and stomping toward the staircase. Pulling open the door, she didn’t glance over her shoulder. Nope. She just disappeared.
Well, that hadn’t gone as planned.
And Fletcher had a feeling he might have made things worse.
4
Renee dangled her feet in the refreshing water, wishing it would cool her raging hormones. Every time she looked at Fletcher, she either blushed over total embarrassment for shamelessly tossing herself at him, or her body heated and her sexual organs throbbed.
She’d always had a healthy sex drive.
Maybe a little too healthy.
She told herself that her sudden out of control lust for Fletcher came from the fact she hadn’t had sex since her wedding night, which was over eight months ago.
The sound of feet brushing against the tall grass caught her attention. She glanced over her shoulder. “Hi, Ryan.”
“Hey, stranger. How was your week in the Big Apple?” Ryan had become a close friend since Devon had died. She’d gone out of her way to make sure Renee had everything she needed, including opening up the carriage house so Renee didn’t have to spend a single night in the house she shared with Devon, or another night at her parents place.
“It was interesting,” Renee admitted.
“Why do you say that?”
After the big make-out session on the rooftop, Fletcher had gone out of his way to be the perfect gentleman. When she told him she’d prefer to act as
if it hadn’t happened, he agreed. He didn’t even get upset when she said she’d only behaved that way because she’d downed three beers too quickly.
She’d barely been buzzed.
But she still had no idea why she’d basically attacked Fletcher or why she tossed and turned every night, thinking about knocking on his door, offering up her body.
“I kissed Fletcher.” Renee needed to confide in someone. She didn’t understand what the hell was going on. Nothing made sense anymore.
“That is intriguing.” Ryan plopped down on the breakwall and rolled up her pant legs. “How’d that happen?”
Renee chuckled. “It started out with a game of truth or dare to which I dared him to put on my bra.”
“Oh, my God. Did he take off his shirt? Because I bet he’s got some nice muscles hidden under his clothes.”
“Oh, he does.” Heat raced across her skin like an out-of-control forest fire on a mission to destroy everything in its path. She rubbed her hands, remembering something else and how it felt pressed against her body. “But I got a little cocky about my breasts.”
“You didn’t?”
“I did.”
“So, you did more than just kiss him.” Ryan lay back on the dock, folding her arms across her middle.
Renee followed suit, staring at the darkening sky. The moon etched out its place and cast a glow over the lake. “I threw myself at him, and he turned me down. Worse, the rest of the week, he kept me at arm’s length.”
“Ouch,” Ryan said. “Did he say anything about what happened?”
“He brought it up, mostly saying that he wanted me, but he didn’t think I was ready. Who the fuck does he think he is to make that decision for me?”
“Are you ready?” Ryan asked.
Renee stretched her arms over her head and sucked in a deep breath, taking in the fresh crisp air. “I could have some sex.” At least her body told her she could. Her mind and heart weren’t so sure.
“With a co-worker? That’s probably not too smart.”
“That is my MO.”
“Is that what you want to go back to? Screwing the men you work with, making it awkward for everyone for a little while until you move on to the next one. I mean, haven’t you run out of men at the 29?”
