Smokin' Hot Firemen

by Delilah Devlin, Jo Davis

  “I was so worried. Dear God, I thought I’d die.” Maggie glanced up into his face. “I was afraid I wouldn’t get to tell you.”

  “Tell me what?”

  “It’s too late,” she babbled, too happy to be coherent.

  “Too late?” Chance held her at arm’s length. “Too late for what?”

  “It’s too late. I promised I wouldn’t fall in love with a jumper.” She sobbed, trying to get close enough to press herself against his chest, but he wouldn’t let her, holding her back.

  “You’re right, Maggie. You deserve a man you don’t have to worry about. A man who’ll be around for you, help you raise children, grow old with you.”

  Maggie sighed. “Got one in mind?” She looked up at him, her hair hanging wet and limp in her face. God, she must be a mess. “I was wrong this morning.”

  “Yesterday morning?”

  She laughed, the sound ending on a sob. “I want to keep on seeing you. I want to be a part of your life.”

  “And I want you to be, and I want to be that guy who’s there for you.”

  “You do?” She smiled. “You didn’t change your mind?”

  “Far from it.” He smoothed a wet strand out of her eyes. “I’m going to ask for a transfer to a desk job.”

  “What?” Maggie shook her head. “You can’t do that. Being a jumper is what you do, who you are. If you quit jumping before your time, you’ll hate it.” She hugged him around the middle. “Being a jumper is what made me fall in love with you from the first time I saw you. You stop fires, you save lives. What woman wouldn’t want a hero like that?”

  Chance’s brows furrowed. “But you said you’d never fall in love with a jumper.”

  She cupped his cheek in her palm and stared into his eyes. “We don’t always get to choose who we fall in love with, and I wouldn’t change one thing about you.”

  “What about the worry? What if I don’t come back from a jump?”

  “Shhh. Don’t say that.” She pressed a finger to his lips. “I promise not to borrow trouble. I want to cherish the time I have with you, whether it’s a minute, an hour, or the rest of our lives. I love you, Chance Muldoon.”

  “It’s a good thing. Otherwise, I’d have to step back under the waterfall to keep from doing this.” He scooped her legs from under her and wrapped them around his middle.

  Maggie laughed and clung to him. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  He tapped her trouser-clad bottom with his cock and grinned. “Right as usual.” With less grace than eagerness, he dropped her to her feet and dragged her trousers and panties off her legs, dunking her in the process. He slung the garments toward the rocks, lining the edges of the pool. Then he pulled her shirt over her head, unclipped her bra, and sent them flying with the rest, leaving her standing there in front of him just as naked as he was. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  She laced her hands behind his neck and dragged his face close to hers. “Absolutely.”

  As his lips descended to claim hers, he scooped her up by the backs of her legs.

  She wrapped them around his middle and lowered herself onto his thick, wet cock. Maggie couldn’t deny her love for this man any more than she could stop breathing. So what if he jumped into harm’s way? He was her jumper.

  Chance backed her against a rock ledge, balancing her on its stony surface as he thrust in and out. When his body grew rigid, she clung to his shoulders, her ankles locking behind him, hanging on the edge of an earth-shaking orgasm. She didn’t want him to pull free. She knew that, at last, and embraced the potential consequences of what might happen.

  He froze, his face set in tense, barely controlled lines. “Are you sure?”

  She nodded.

  “I love you, Maggie Parker.” Then he thrust once more and came in sync with her own release, his cock throbbing inside her.

  Breathless and completely satisfied, she laughed when he lifted her from the rock and stepped beneath the waterfall to do it all again.

  This was her life with her very own smoke jumper, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

  STOKE

  Tahira Iqbal

  I don’t know how or why but suddenly smoke is billowing out of the hood of my car. I’ve blown a gasket before, but the color of the smoke…it’s different, it’s darker…more dangerous. Flames start to flicker from under the hood, pushing up and out through the front of the grill. Oh, dear God. It’s definitely not the gasket. I pull over.

  Moving quickly, I grab my handbag before popping open the door and stumbling out onto the quiet country lane. I should have been at work by now—my shift starts at midnight. Without the moon, the only light is from the headlights. I stand in their arcs, lifting out my cell to call emergency services, fingers barely able to dial. The calm, controlled voice on the other end urges me to get as far away from the vehicle as possible and assures me help is on the way.

  I’m about ten meters away when the flames grow, blooming into a bulbous cloud, followed quickly by an ear-splitting boom. Propelled off my feet, I’m flung backward as the car explodes.

  Utterly dazed, I try to sit up, having landed awkwardly on the grass by the side of the road. I look at the old Chevy as I back myself against a tree trunk, pressing my spine against it and hugging my knees. The only thought running through my mind is that I was in that car no more than a couple of minutes ago. And everything inside me goes still with shock.

  Sirens. Lots of them. Doors opening, closing. Voices…loud, clear. Calm. I haven’t opened my eyes. I can’t… The heat from the car stings my skin even from this distance.

  “Ma’am.”

  A reassuringly masculine voice reaches inside, creating an echo that offers a comfort I’ve never known before.

  “Ma’am, can you hear me?” The presence kneels beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay… You can open your eyes.”

  Warm hands slide into mine; the touch makes me do what he asks.

  “Welcome back.”

  My gaze is on the smoldering wreck. A group of his colleagues surround it, dousing it with powerful jets of foam, making it look like it’s covered in liquid snow.

  “It’s totaled,” I whisper, looking up at the voice, the man clearly visible in the flashing lights. The reflective stripes on his yellow uniform catch them. I close my eyes against the light show.

  “Hey, you there?” His hand touches my shoulder.

  “I was in the car…” I mumble, looking up at him, his wonderfully dark eyes twitching with concern.

  “I know. But you made it out okay, just hold onto that.”

  A paramedic comes over.

  “All right now, Jim will take good care of you.”

  This new firefighter’s clean-shaven and wears a smile that would melt a nun’s heart.

  I accept the foil blanket, smiling at Jim as we’ve worked together for years at the ER. His wise blue eyes look troubled.

  “Thank you,” I whisper to the stranger. He pulls his thick gloves back on and jogs to my car to assist. I’m led away to the ambulance by Jim, my legs trembling.

  “Jesus Christ!” My friend and colleague, Drew, comes rushing around from the reception desk. “Curtain four is open!”

  Jim walks me through the ER quickly. Drew’s hand is at my elbow for additional support.

  I nod meekly at the desk staff who are all on their feet staring at me. Lucy, the receptionist, puts her hand to her mouth, her eyes pooling with tears.

  I swallow back a lump of emotion. “I’m fine,” I whisper.

  Once I’m levered onto the bed, Drew works quickly, checking my pupils, blood pressure, and everything in between.

  Anna, who I like to call my work mom, hovers beside me, locating and passing equipment to Drew and the other nurses, who work professionally beside me in an alert state of silence.

  The man is unflappable in the face of crisis, but even he’s ashen. “God, you could have been killed. I’ve been telling you that car was
a death trap!”

  “I know,” I say quietly, thumbing away the tears. “God! I should be able to cope with this. I’m a nurse, I’m used to these situations!”

  “Honey,” Anna says softly, “it’s happened to you, so the rulebook goes out the window.”

  I close my eyes. Inhale. Exhale. Seeing nothing but the firefighter standing near the shell of my smoking car, watching as Jim helps me into the back of the ambulance.

  Later I protest against the CT scan, but it’s lost against the chorus of concern—even though I’m sure I didn’t bump my head when I landed on the grass. Soon I’m being wheeled out of the cubicle. My body is ringing, but I’m mercifully uninjured, although I’m sure bruises will form. The scan comes back clear of any hidden injury; the nurse in me knew that would be the case.

  “There’s a guy in reception asking for you.” Lucy pops her head through the curtain later in the night. “He’s kinda hot.”

  “Kinda hot and asking for me?” I mumble, hugging the covers, “he’s clearly lost.” The drugs have kicked in, warming me within. “Send the handsome stranger in.”

  Lucy leaves, the curtains rustling as she goes.

  I must have dozed off because the next thing I feel is his presence. It’s magnetic…familiar.

  My eyes fly open.

  “You look better,” he says, clearly off duty, wearing jeans that cover muscular legs, a black shirt open at the throat, with a matching jacket… But he’s carrying a handbag.

  My gaze darts to his.

  “This is yours, not mine. Promise!” He laughs.

  I almost don’t recognize the tan leather tote. It’s muddied beyond recognition.

  He sets it on the chair. “Your phone kept ringing, so I thought I’d bring it to you.”

  “That’s…” I try to sit up, but the bed has been lowered halfway to the prone position to help me get some rest.

  “Let me.”

  He moves easily, reaching back and adjusting the bed so that I can be upright. I get a whiff of his cologne as he steps away. It’s dauntingly male.

  “You were lucky.”

  I nod shakily, my spine pricking with the memories.

  “Well, I’ll leave you to get some rest.”

  “Oh, okay… Um, thank you, again.” I gesture to the bag.

  “No problem, ma’am.”

  “Aida, my name is Aida.”

  He extends his hand. “Nick.”

  We connect. Our eyes meet again.

  His smile grows. “Aida,” he whispers quietly, his eyes brightening.

  The curtain rattles, startling me. It’s Drew.

  “I’ll leave you to it. Feel better.” Nick leaves through the gap, passing Drew, who is wearing a grin as wide as the sun.

  In the end, I’m kept overnight.

  “Ready?”

  Drew is giving me a ride home, and as I walk into the morning sunshine, I can’t help but squint. I reach into my bag for my shades. I’m wearing pale blue scrubs, and Lucy let me borrow her denim jacket. Anna took my clothes to her house to launder.

  I fish around inside my bag, groaning as I discover that it’s damp. And oh…my shades are broken; one of the arms has snapped off.

  “I don’t think I can give you a ride home,” Drew murmurs.

  “What? Why?”

  I look at Drew, but he’s smirking like a kid. He nods toward the parking lot.

  I follow his line of sight. Oh my… It’s Nick, casually leaning against the bonnet of his SUV, and once he sees us, he heads in my direction.

  “Aida, I was wondering if I could take you out for breakfast? If you’re feeling up to it?”

  Drew is practically jumping up and down beside me. “Sure you can. She’s fine, aren’t you?”

  “Andrew!” I bat his arm.

  Nick just smiles, clearly enjoying my blush.

  “I’ll leave her in your capable hands,” Drew says, making me blush again. He walks away, giving me the “call me” sign behind Nick’s back.

  But in the act of looking up, I collide with the sunshine. I squeeze my eyes shut.

  “You don’t feel so good?”

  “No… I’m fine.” I hold up my sunglasses in explanation. “I didn’t get much sleep.”

  Nick plucks his own pair from the vee of his white T-shirt and puts the aviator-style shades on the bridge of my nose. “There. That better?”

  “Better,” I whisper hoarsely, affected by the gesture.

  We drive through town, heading north.

  “Could we go someplace else?” I ask, as he pulls into a vacant parking spot and I realize where we are.

  “Sure.”

  “What, no questions?”

  “You must have a valid reason for asking.”

  I smile, studying him freely from behind the shades. The car is big, but he still fills it out nicely. One big hand rests on the gear, the other on the wheel. He has neatly trimmed black hair. It’s almost the same shade as mine.

  “Aida?”

  I stop staring and regroup. “It’s just half of the night shift will be in there eating breakfast, including Drew. I could do without the… You know.”

  His laugh heats me up in places that have been cold for a seriously long time.

  “Okay. I know a place.”

  Ten minutes later, we arrive at a block of apartments.

  “I live on the top floor, and there’s no elevator,” he says, looking worried.

  I peer up at the well maintained block. “I’ll be fine.” I slide the sunglasses off as we head through the communal door.

  Nick jogs effortlessly up the stairs, while I have to grip the banister by the second floor.

  “I could carry you over my shoulder.”

  “Nothing’s on fire.” I look up at him as he waits on the landing.

  “Are you sure?” He gives me a scorching smile.

  I restart my climb with vigor, my inner thighs tingling.

  His apartment is small and surprisingly neat.

  “Did you just transfer to the firehouse?”

  “Yeah.” Nick shrugs out of his jacket. “How did you figure that out?”

  “I know most of the guys. They’re usually flowing through the ER on shouts. Is Murphy giving you hell?”

  He smirks. “He did for about the first hour.”

  “You went up against Murphy? I’m impressed,” I say as he disappears into the kitchen while I stride to the living-room window.

  “Here you go.”

  I accept the bottle of water, nodding my thanks.

  “Did the doc give you painkillers?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you need to take them?”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Don’t be a hero.”

  “I’m fine.” I pop the cap and take a sip.

  Nick watches me, his hazel gaze steeping with color.

  “Do you follow up with all the women you rescue?” I try to calm the nerves within. No one has ever looked at me that way before.

  His sexy smile brightens the room. “No, just you.” Nick takes the opportunity to trace his finger down my cheek.

  The sun suddenly dips behind cloud cover. It takes my mood with it. Oh my God…my car caught fire… I was sitting in the car…watching the flames… What if I hadn’t gotten out?

  “Hey…hey…” Nick rubs the side of my arm. “You okay?”

  “Um…do you think you could take me home?” I try to hide the quiver in my voice.

  “Sure.” Concern is written in his lowering brow. “It’s hitting you, isn’t it?”

  I nod, and that’s when the tears start to trail down my cheeks.

  Nick leans in and he does the sexiest thing a man has ever done to me—he kisses away the tears.

  We drive in quiet, just the radio playing the latest hits softly in the background. I fight the need to sleep, which has been made even more challenging because Nick’s given me his jacket to ward off the chill I’m feeling. It’s far too big, but I’ve got it wrapped aroun
d my shoulders over Lucy’s. I can’t help but savor the scent of his cologne. I want to close my eyes, drift toward rest, but all too soon we’re on my street.

  I turn to Nick. “I’m sorry.”

  He shakes his head. “For what?”

  “For flaking out.”

  “Aida, you were in a pretty serious accident. It’s a natural reaction.”

  Unsure of what to say, I slide the jacket off my shoulders.

  “Keep it for now,” he says. “It gives me a reason to come by and see you again.” Nick leans in, gently pressing his lips against mine. “I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I laid eyes on you. I’ve never felt that drawn to a stranger before, and when you opened your eyes…”

  He trails off, so I just press my forehead against his before he walks me to my door.

  Nick moves comfortably around my open kitchen, investigating the cupboards until he locates a glass, then filling it with water so that I can take the painkillers.

  “I don’t feel good about leaving you alone.”

  “I have Cooper.” I’m sitting at the dining table.

  That seems to knock the wind out of his sails. Those wonderful eyes dim.

  Mine widen. “No, Cooper’s my dog!”

  Color seeps back into his face.

  Oh… I like that…

  “He’s probably sleeping. He’s a night owl.”

  “Like you?” Nick hunkers down before me. “So, technically, you should be sleeping right about now?” His voice has dropped to a sexy, suggestive whisper.

  My lips part and a powerful warmth inside has me leaning toward him.

  “You need a few hours in bed,” he says firmly.

  I’m on my feet before I know it.

  He catches the twinkle in my eye. “To sleep.”

  “What?” Did I whine?

  His smile is soft. “You heard me… You need your rest.”

  I would argue with him, but he’s right. My body clock is wired for night shifts this week. Plus I’ve got a tension headache, and my body is starting to stiffen up. Sex with the sexy stranger might just have to wait.

  We go to my room where he lifts the covers off the bed and helps me under them. I mumble that I’ll be fine, and he can go.