Text copyright ©2016 by the Author.
This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Paige Tyler. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Dallas Fire & Rescue remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Paige Tyler, or their affiliates or licensors.
For more information on Kindle Worlds: http://www.amazon.com/kindleworlds
Whine and Rescue
A Citizen Soldier Series
Dallas Fire & Rescue KW Crossover Novella
NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author
by Donna Michaels
About this Book
The brother of her sister’s fiancé is hotter than a Texas summer and back in Dallas making Layla Pickett want things she can’t have. Him. It doesn’t stop her from fantasizing though, especially since he often frequents her coffee shop—Coffee Cats—a place she opened for the firefighters to destress with kittens and cats while grabbing a quick coffee and a bite to eat. Although, whenever he’s near a very different destresser comes to mind.
Noah Donovan knew being around his future sister-in-law’s sister was going to be tougher than leaving his buddies in his guard unit and fire house up in the Poconos of PA. He’s faced bullets, bombs, and fires with those men, but returning to Dallas is even more dangerous. No amount of turnout or guard gear can protect him from the attraction that sizzle between him and Layla. And when he visits her shop, it’s not the cats he wants to play with.
But even if she is willing to take a chance on a guy who is about to become a permanent extended part of her family, will the fact her godfather is his captain put a damper on their heat?
**Whine and Rescue is a Kindle Worlds crossover novella between the Citizen Soldier Series and Paige Tyler’s Dallas Fire & Rescue Series. This story can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the other books in the Citizen Soldier Series in order to get maximum enjoyment.**
Thanks for reading,
~Donna
www.donnamichaelsauthor.com
Author’s Note
Visit www.donnamichaelsuathor.com for more titles and release dates and to join Donna Michaels’ Newsletter. Enjoy exclusive reads, enter subscriber only contests, and be the first to know about upcoming books!
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
ALSO BY DONNA MICHAELS
About the Author
Can’t get enough Hot Firefighters?
Acknowledgements
A big shout out to my editors, Carolyn, Emily, and Jes for editing around my crazy schedule. Again. You all rock!
Dedication
I’d like to thank my husband for being a writer’s widower while I wrote this book…and the one before that…and so on. Love you dearly!
To Paige Tyler and Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing for the opportunity to write in the Dallas Fire & Rescue Kindle World! I appreciate the chance to cross my Pennsylvania firefighter guardsman in my Citizen Soldier Series with this wonderful men and women in the DFR world.
And I am so very honored to be included in a launch with such wonderful, amazing authors!
I had a blast mixing my north with Paige’s south, and hope the readers enjoy, too!
♥
Chapter One
Rescue was missing.
Layla Pittman was certain her three-year-old white and gray tabby cat left the building. Again.
Should’ve named him Elvis.
This was the second time this week he’d somehow managed to sneak out of Coffee Cat, the cat café she’d opened with her friend next to Station 58 with a dual purpose of helping the firefighters and paramedics de-stress, and the cats find forever homes. Both times her cat had snuck out he’d been at the station. Rescue somehow had this misguided idea he was human and a firefighter. Although, she suspected his recent visits next door had to do with his newfound friend and her godfather, Captain Earl Stewart. The two had taken an instant liking to one another when she’d asked her godfather to cat-sit last weekend. But she’d already called Earl and he reported no cat in sight.
She sighed as she double-checked the storage room between the cat room and the café in case the little bugger was still in the building. They weren’t allowed to prepare or serve food in the same room as the felines, so Coffee Cat was set up with separate designated areas as per the US Health Department regulations.
Rescue wasn’t there.
Could someone have taken him home by accident?
Her heart lurched.
Or on purpose?
He wasn’t up for adoption. The mischievous little bugger didn’t need a home. He had one with her, upstairs. The building had two spacious apartments that shared the top floor. She occupied one and the other had been leased today, hopefully to someone more cat friendly than the last guy, who complained to the landlord. Luckily, Layla’s landlord happened to be one of her investors.
Once she found her cat, maybe she could offer to help the new tenant move in as a way to start off on the right foot. She’d noticed a pickup and a rental van pull up around the time Rescue had gone missing, so she’d been too occupied to get a look at the new tenant.
She stiffened and glanced up at the ceiling. Could Rescue have somehow gotten upstairs? The staff and volunteers, along with the workers from the humane society were the only ones privy to the office where a door to the apartment stairwell was located. Rescue was a sneak. All that noise of activity upstairs could’ve piqued his curiosity.
Lord knew he had enough of it.
That’s how he’d gotten his name. He had a history of being rescued because of that very curiosity.
“I’m going to head upstairs to look for him,” she told Tanya Martin, her friend and business partner, then rushed into the stairwell, relieved to see the door that led outside was closed. Thankful for little mercies, she ran upstairs, thighs protesting by the time she got to stair number twenty.
She really needed to cut down on those pumpkin spice muffins Skye Chandler was kind enough to drop off every day as a treat from her Comfort Cakes bakery. The pretty woman was dating Jax Malloy, one of the firefighters next door, so whenever she delivered goodies to the station, she dropped in at Coffee Cats with something too mouthwatering to resist. Layla was developing comfort thighs.
Puffing due to her rapid pace and the fact it was one of the warmer October days with the temps in the mid-eighties, she headed for the opened apartment door intending to ask the new tenants if they’d seen her cat when the little bugger scurried under a couch set haphazardly in the people’s living room.
“Hello?” She knocked on the open door and peeked inside, not wanting to trespass in order to fetch her trespassing cat. “Anyone here?”
No response.
“Rescue.” She crouched down making eye contact with him as she patted the floor. “Come here. This isn’t our place.”
No response, other than a stretch.
“Rescue!”
Layla stood and eyed the stairwell. Nothing. Maybe she could get in and get out before anyone came up the stairs. She needed to get back to work. There was an adoption scheduled at eleven o’clock, ten minutes from now, and she liked to be there for each one.
With one last glance at the hall, Layla scooted inside, dropped to her knees, a
nd met Rescue’s bored gaze.
“Come on, Rescue. Time to go.”
He answered by crawling out the back…and running down the hall.
Dammit.
She bit her lip. Did she go after him or wait for the new tenants? If she waited, she’d be late for the adoption.
“Rescue,” she called, rushing after him to the only opened door, which led to a bedroom.
Seriously? She dropped to her knees again, this time cursing under her breath at the size of the bed in the center of the room. King size. Great. She was never going to get Rescue out from under it.
“Come on, boy.” Softening her tone, she eyed the bugger lying dead center. Rescue was a long cat, but even stretched out she still couldn’t reach him. He yawned and licked his paw. Not the response she wanted. With no choice, she wiggled to get closer, her butt sticking in the air. Jesus, if the owners came in now… “Rescue, come on. Who’s a good boy? Mommy’s got a real nice treat for you if you come.”
“What the…?” A deep baritone echoed off the bare walls and stopped Layla’s heart.
A moment later, it dove into her stomach when she remembered a little too late that she was wearing a short sundress to beat the day’s heat…and a bright purple thong.
Swallowing a curse, she scrambled to her feet, heat rushing to her face so she was no doubt a lovely shade of beet red when she turned around to face… “Noah?”
Oh, dear Lord no. Nonono! This wasn’t happening.
His head jerked back and eyes widened. “Layla?”
Any chance of escaping her mortification was blocked by his heavily muscled and broad-shouldered body filling the doorway. Her mind was still processing the fact drop-dead-gorgeous-get-into-my-bed but definitely off limits Noah Donovan was back in Texas, while her eyes devoured the muscles bulging in his arms under the weight of the large box in his hands.
Hands that had fueled many fantasies of roaming her body and holding the backs of her thighs as he—
“Layla? Earth to Layla…” He was snapping his fingers, box now on the floor by his feet.
She blinked and shook her head. “Sorry, w-what are you doing here?”
A dark brow lifted over eyes the color of her favorite spiced coffee. “Moving in. Small world, huh?”
Under-freaking-statement of the century.
Why the heck hadn’t her sister told her? Christie was engaged to Noah’s brother Robert, for goodness sakes. Surely something as big as Noah moving back to Texas was worth mentioning. Of course, her sister wasn’t aware of the huge crush Layla had harbored for Noah as she was growing up next door to him in high school. But then he’d graduated, enlisted, deployed, and moved to Pennsylvania, only visiting Texas during the holidays.
“Great to see you again.” He stepped closer, a sexy, badass grin appearing on his way too handsome face as he pulled her in for a hug.
At first contact, every single cell in her body went on red alert, goose bumps appeared, nipples peaked, and awareness shot out in all directions, awakening her good parts that had been dormant for too long.
“I wonder…does that offer apply to me, too?” he asked near her ear, his voice gravely and so sexy her knees knocked.
Offer?
“What offer?” Pushing out of his arms, she stepped back in an attempt to gather her wits. She’d never make him an offer because to get involved with him was stupid. They were practically related, and if things went south, they’d be stuck facing each other at family functions. And Lord knew she had a horrible track record, so the chances of things going south were great.
“The offer about a treat.”
She gasped, her stomach fluttering big time at his response while desire funneled low in her belly under the simmering heat in his eyes.
Heat?
Why was he looking at her with heat? Noah had never gazed at her that way, except in her fantasies, but this was real. Wasn’t it? She grasped the skin on her arm with her thumb and forefinger and pinched. Ouch. Yep, totally real.
And surreal.
In the past, his gaze had been amused, indifferent, friendly, heck…even caring, but never had desire ever entered the picture. If it had, oh, the game would’ve been on. But not now. Not with their families about to be connected. Once upon a time, she’d hoped, deep down, they would’ve been the ones to connect the Pittmans and Donovans.
But, that was long ago. They grew up and apart, went their own ways, only seeing each other at an occasional holiday party. Last year, they hadn’t said more than two words to each other. She’d been at his family’s ranch with her former boyfriend, and some blonde chic had been attached to Noah’s hip.
Now both their hips appeared free.
She tried, but couldn’t stop her gaze from dropping down to his jeans and the way they hugged his lean hips with the denim worn in some very appealing areas.
Dear Lord, she needed to get a grip.
Layla swallowed a groan. Not the best word choice in her head. She forced her gaze from no-Layla-land back to his face, because surely she’d imagined that heated look.
Brown eyes, nearly all pupil, were now deliciously dark and regarding her with an intensity that shook her to her toes. She tried to respond, even opened her mouth, but her throat was too dang dry and all that came out was a hoarse squeak.
And if she could feel her legs, she’d hightail it out of there, with or without Rescue. Dang cat was on his own. The air was too electric and heavy and Layla swore she could feel Noah breathe.
She didn’t need to feel those things. No. She needed to leave before she did something stupid like step into him, grab the back of his head and bring his oh, so kissable lips down on hers.
“Layla,” he groaned and took a step toward her.
“Yo! Noah. Where do you want this?” A deep male voice called from the hall breaking the spell a second before a good-looking dark-haired man appeared in the doorway with another large box. “Well, hello there. Do all apartments in Texas come with a hot girl?”
Layla was about to check behind her to see who the stranger was referring to when Noah stepped to her side and slid an arm around her waist. The unexpected contact turned what little brain matter she’d managed to salvage right into mush.
“Nico, this is Layla Pittman,” he introduced, as his buddy placed his box down. “Layla, this is my friend, Nico Martelli, from up north.”
She set her hand in the cute guy’s outstretched one, recalling a few funny tales from Noah about helping out at the guy’s family restaurant. “The firefighter pizza maker.”
“Ah, you’ve heard of me.” Amusement flittered through his dark eyes as the handsome northerner lifted her hand to brush his lips across her knuckles.
Noah’s grip immediately tightened on her hip.
Darn it. Now she forgot what she was going to say. It was near impossible to think with Noah so close, and she had this sense of urgency that she needed to be somewhere.
“Yes,” she replied to Nico who released her hand with a grin. “You drove all the way down from Pennsylvania to help?” Forcing her body to move, she stepped away from Noah in order to clear her fuzzed brain.
Nico nodded. “Didn’t want to see him try to transport the antique desk my nona gave him in his truck, or pull his truck behind one of those moving vans.” Grin still curving his lips, the guy slapped Noah on the back. “So being the good buddy that I am, I volunteered to drive the moving van for him, and I’ll fly back in the morning.”
Nice friend. Cute too, but not a one-woman-man type. Way too similar to her ex-boyfriend.
Layla glanced around. “Where’s the desk?” She had a thing for antiques.
Noah turned to face her. “Still on the truck—with Jeremy—who drove down with Nico. So don’t let him fool you into thinking he made the long drive himself. At least he had company.”
His buddy scowled. “Yeah, with a cop who thinks he can sing. Well, let me tell you, he can’t. Good thing I had my earphones with me.” He patted his pocket an
d winked. “Cranked up Metallica and drowned the sucker out.”
She smiled, imagining this Jeremy cop singing off-key. Probably made the long drive even longer.
Noah cocked his head. “So, Layla, not that I’m complaining, but why are you in my apartment?”
Shoot. “Rescue.” God, she was an idiot.
“Rescue?” Nico’s dark brows rose. “Noah doesn’t start at the fire station until tomorrow, I believe, but I’m sure he’s not opposed to helping you now. I can make myself scarce for an hour—”
“No,” Layla cut him off, twisting to face the bed, trying desperately not to think about what she and Noah could do on a king size mattress for an hour. “I’m talking about my cat. He’s hiding under the bed.” Moving to bend down, she was stopped when a big, deliciously callused hand grabbed her arm.
“Don’t.” Noah’s gaze held warning and just enough heat to remind her how much of her had greeted him when he’d walked in earlier. “Let me.” He released her, and before she could blink he was on his knees, peering under the bed. “Hey, Rescue. You having fun under there?”
“He’s not really good with men.” She wasn’t sure of the cat’s history, but other than Earl, Rescue shied away from most men.
But the cat must’ve been in a good mood because he came crawling out to rub against Noah’s shoulder. Her new neighbor scooped her cat up in his arms and stood with a triumphant smile on his face. Of course Rescue didn’t freak out like he normally did when being held by strangers. Nope. What did he do? He purred. Okay, she’d purr too if she was in Noah’s arms. But…seriously?
She stepped close to pet her too-cute-for-words cat. “Well, you’re just playing me for a sucker all day today, aren’t you, cueball?”
“Aw, isn’t that sweet.” Nico grinned at them, shoving his phone in his pocket. “You three make a great family.”
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