Her Cocky Firefighters (A MFM Menage Romance )
The Cocky Series
Tara Crescent
Text copyright © 2017 Tara Crescent
All Rights Reserved
N o part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review .
T his book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental .
Thanks to Jim and Miranda .
Contents
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Her Cocky Firefigthers
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
A Preview of Dirty Therapy by Tara Crescent
A Note from Tara
About Tara Crescent
Also by Tara Crescent
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Boyfriend by the Hour
This steamy, romantic story contains a dominant hero who’s pretending to be an escort, and a sassy heroine who’s given up on real relationships .
Sadie:
I can’t believe I have the hots for an escort .
Cole Mitchell is ripped, bearded, sexy and dominant. When he moves next door to me, I find it impossible to resist sampling the wares .
But Cole’s not a one-woman kind of guy, and I won’t share .
Cole:
She thinks I’m an escort. I’m not .
I thought I’d do anything to sleep with Sadie. Then I realized I want more. I want Sadie. Forever .
I’m not the escort she thinks I am .
Now, I just have to make sure she never finds out .
Her Cocky Firefigthers
We’re playing with fire .
Six years ago, I had a smokin' hot one-night stand with two firefighters .
Then I find out they live in Goat, Oregon. My new hometown. Awkward .
The chemistry between us is just as strong as ever, and I can’t resist feeding the flames .
Falling in love? I’ve been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Never again .
There’s only one thing I want from Sean and Nick .
I want to hit their hydrants. Handle their hoses. Slide down their poles .
No promises. No lies. Just raw passion .
But things are about to get complicated. Goat’s in crisis. An election is tearing the town apart. An arsonist is on the loose. And the spark between us is growing to a blazing out-of-control inferno .
We’re about to get burned .
1
Hailey:
I am not having a good day .
“So…” I smooth my hands down my skirt, cross my fingers under the table, and look at my accountant, Ted Byers. “Give me the good news first .”
“There isn’t any,” he says soberly. “Your ad revenue is down. Your subscriber count is down. Your savings account is empty. You don’t have enough money to keep this magazine going, Hailey .”
Ouch. Ted’s a rock-solid accountant, but his bedside manner needs work. I knew this day was coming, but hearing those words out loud… it’s not good .
I bite my lip. Girl Power has been my baby for the last seven years. I need to figure out a plan to save it. I’ve done it before; I can do it again. “What if we cut expenses ?”
“How?” he asks bluntly .
Damn it. My budget is already pretty bare-bones. Last year, I took a salary cut of twenty-percent. The year before, another ten-percent. I’m barely making ends meet, and to make matters worse, I got a letter from my landlord this morning. He’s increasing the rent on my tiny studio apartment by three hundred dollars. Three hundred dollars I don’t have .
“There’s nothing I can do, is there?” I’m trying not to tear up. I can’t believe this is the end .
He looks uncomfortable. Ted’s a nice guy, and he hates giving bad news. He probably can’t wait to get out of here. “Not unless you cut your salary again, Hailey. Even then…” His expression turns gloomy. “Unless some of the underlying fundamentals change, you’re just delaying the inevitable .”
What a day. Thankfully, I’m meeting my best friend Lana for a drink tonight. God knows I’m going to need it .
“I know the solution to your problems,” Lana announces once I fill her in on what’s going on. I haven’t seen my bestie for nearly two months. Goat, the quirky small town she lives in, is a four-hour drive away. Not an impossible weekend trip, but she’s been busy becoming a best-selling author, and I’ve been trying to keep the wolves at bay .
“ You do ?”
“Yup.” She takes a bite of pizza, and her face fills with bliss. Goat, I know from listening to her complaints, does not have good pizza delivery. “Yeah, it’s perfectly logical. You should move to Goat .”
My first, reflexive reaction is a snort of disbelief. “I’m a city girl , Lana .”
“Whose rent is about to go up by three hundred bucks,” she replies pointedly. “Who lives in a studio apartment that isn’t much larger than this booth. Goat’s cheap. Plus,” she adds, seeing that I’m about to voice a protest, “I’m quitting my job. You can have it. The salary’s not much, but the benefits are good, and the hours are flexible. You’ll make some money, and you’ll still be able to run Girl Power .”
I snag an olive and mushroom covered slice and stare at her. “You’re quitting your job ?”
She flushes. “I’m doing really well with the cozy mysteries. I don’t really need the cash…” Her voice trails off awkwardly and she bites her lower lip .
Yes, I’m totally broke, and Lana’s hit the goldmine, but it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person. “I’m really happy for you,” I reply sincerely, and I mean every word .
Six years ago, I’d discovered, a week before the wedding, that my best friend, Skylar, had been having an affair with my fiancé Matt. I never thought I’d be able to trust anyone again. But Lana is nothing like Sky ever was .
“I’d have quit sooner,” she continues, “but I don’t want to leave Connor in the lurch. But now that I’ve found a replacement…” She beams widely. “ Ta -dah .”
“Are you sure ?”
“I’m absolutely positive, Hailey. Trust me .”
I chew on my crust, hope surging in my heart. Could this be the way I keep Girl Power afloat? I’ve never thought about moving to a small town, but to be honest, Portland’s kicked me in the teeth again and again, and I’m tired of fighting this battle. A fresh start somewhere else sounds… magical .
“I don’t know… I’ll need to find a place to live .”
Lana snaps her fingers. “Elvira was saying last week that she needed to do something about her cottage. It’s a bit of a dive, but on the plus side, it’ll be dirt cheap. C’mon, Hailey. What do you have to lose ?”
Nothi
ng. I cross my fingers in my lap and hope that I’m making the right decision. “Okay, I’ll do it .”
She does a gleeful wriggle on her chair. “Yes!” she shrieks, loud enough that heads turn all throughout the restaurant. “My best friend is moving to Goat. This is going to be epic . There’s only one downside …”
“What’s the catch ?”
She takes another bite of her pizza. “There aren’t a lot of single guys in town .”
Not a problem at all. “Because you’ve cornered two of the most eligible ones, you mean?” I tease her. “That’s okay. I’ll be fine. You know I don’t date .”
After the Great Wedding Debacle, I made some rules to protect myself, and I’ve followed them for the last six years .
Booty calls ? Yes .
One-night stands ? Sure .
But an actual date with a man that might end up breaking my heart all over again ?
Never going to happen .
O nce the decision is made, things move faster than the speed of light. My landlord, who has a long waiting list of tenants willing to pay far more in rent than I could ever afford, is happy to waive my two-month-notice. I tell the small freelance team that works on Girl Power that I’m moving, and they take me out for farewell drinks .
Lana checks with Elvira Grantham, who is happy to rent me the cottage for the dirt-cheap price of three hundred dollars a month. “I drove out to look at it,” Lana tells me on the phone. “It’s in worse shape than I’d thought. It’s been empty for more than ten years .”
But all I can hear is three hundred dollars a month. “Are there spiders ?”
She laughs . “Nope .”
“Then I’m in .”
T wo weeks later, on a warm Friday evening, I arrive at my destination. “Welcome to Goat,” a sign on the outskirts of town announces. “Embrace your weird .”
I slow down as I hit the main downtown stretch, and take in my new home. Hanging baskets overflow with pink and red geraniums. Black metal sculptures of goats dot the sidewalk. The local businesses have crazy-ass names, just like Lana said. Goat Morning, Goat to Eat, Udderly Delicious, Randy Goat. If there’s a goat-related pun to be made, they’ve made it .
The cottage is ten minutes outside the downtown core. I talked to Elvira Grantham on the phone earlier this week, and she’d promised she’d leave me a key in the mailbox so I could move in right away .
I drive down the curvy, tree-lined driveway. The first glimpse of the cottage makes me gasp. It looks like something out of a fairy tale. It’s painted a creamy white, and the front door is moss-green. Two rose bushes grow on either side of the door, the yellow flowers scenting the air with their perfume .
Inside, however, is a very different story. Lana wasn’t kidding. This place needs a lot of TLC. The paint is faded and peeling. The hardwood floors are badly scratched. The kitchen counters are stained yellow, and the stove looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in decades .
I don’t care. The money I’m saving on rent is keeping Girl Power going. That’s all that matters .
For the next two days, all I do is clean. I dust, vacuum, and scrub. I find the grocery store in town—Goat Food—and buy some basics, a carton of eggs, bread, milk, and coffee. Lana, Declan, and Blake drop by with a couch, a bed, and some other odds and ends, stuff they had in their garage. It’ll do for the moment, but at some point, when my bank account looks healthier, I resolve to buy myself real furniture .
By the time Sunday evening rolls around, I’m sick of cleaning, and I’ll scream if I have to eat toast and scrambled eggs again. I’ve earned a real meal. Beer , even .
I drove past a bar as I arrived in town, on the edge of the main stretch, across the street from the bed-and-breakfast. The Randy Goat. Suddenly, a big, juicy burger is all I can think about .
I hit the shower for a quick wash and then pull on my favorite dress, dotted with cheerful yellow and blue flowers. Once I’m ready, I jump into my car and head into town. Burger and fries, here I come .
As I drive, I see green lawns covered with purple ‘Hardy for Mayor’ campaign signs. There must be an election in town. It’s also later than I’d realized, almost ten at night. Most of the stores are closed. When I pull into the Randy Goat’s parking lot, there’s only one other car there, but thankfully for my rumbling stomach, the lights are still on inside .
The bartender looks up when I push the door open, as does the only other customer in the place .
Nick and Sean .
When I see them, my heart stutters. Six years fall away, and I’m back in their hotel room on the day that should have been my wedding day, about to have a threesome for the first time in my life. Because I needed to forget everything, and my choices were either falling into bed with them or chugging down a bottle of vodka .
Sean speaks first. “Hailey ?”
2
Nick:
S unday is Ladies Movie Night at the Randy Goat. We screen a chick flick, and the popcorn is free. Ever since we started running the event a year and a half ago, the bar’s been packed without fail on an otherwise slow night .
Today’s no exception. The Thomas Crowne Affair is playing on the screen, and I’m busy pouring glasses of wine. It’s noisy enough that if anyone really wanted to watch the movie, they’re shit outta luck, but somehow, no one seems to mind .
This evening, Reva Burris and her friends are setting a new noise record. The five women have already gone through three bottles of wine, and we’re only an hour in. I shake my head, bracing myself for the moment when I’m going to have to cut them off. Reva is trouble. She and I had a one-night stand almost a year ago, and ever since then, she’s pursued me relentlessly. I seriously doubt that Reva’s actually interested in me. She just doesn’t like hearing the word ‘No .’
Tammy Shepard extracts herself from the group and comes up to the bar, a smile on her face. I grin as she settles herself on the stool in front of me. Unlike the rest of the women she’s hanging out with tonight, Tammy’s a sweetheart. “What’s your pleasure, kiddo ?”
“Nick, do you have any champagne ?”
“Not by the glass,” I tell her. “You’ll have to buy a bottle .”
“Share it with me?” Her eyes shine with happiness. “I’m celebrating today .”
I’ve done more than my fair share of sleeping around, but Tammy and I never hooked up. She’s too sweet and girl-next-door for my tastes, and she’s looking for a serious relationship. “What’s the occasion ?”
“We’re going to be in the black this year. The stable is finally making money .”
“That does call for a celebration.” I pull a bottle of champagne from the refrigerator and pour it into two flutes. She pulls out her purse, and I wave it away. “On the house .”
Tammy runs a horse farm outside town, where she teaches adults and children how to ride. She opened it two years ago, and I know it’s been a long, hard struggle to get it up and running. I’m delighted that things are looking up for her .
“Thank you.” She takes the glass from me and clinks it against mine. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Reva glaring daggers at the two of us, and I suppress my annoyance. This shit is getting boring .
Tammy takes a sip of the bubbly, and smiles in appreciation. Whoops fill the air as Pierce Brosnan and Renee Russo make out on the screen, and she chuckles at my expression. “I’m surprised to find you here,” she says. “I thought Petra covered the bar on Sundays .”
Last Sunday, Petra stumbled upon Reva giving Derek Witt a blowjob in the back alley behind the Randy Goat. “I can’t handle this shit by myself, Nick,” she’d shuddered. “You’ve got to come in and read those women the riot act .”
Petra’s not an employee I want to lose, so I promised I’d cover her shift this week and keep an eye on things. “How come you’re hanging out with Reva?” I ask Tammy now. “This isn’t your usual crowd, is it ?”
She makes a face. “I’m friends with Josie, who works for Reva. Reva invi
ted her out, and Josie didn’t know how to say no. I’m here for moral support .”
I top off her glass. “Which one’s Josie? She’s new in town, isn’t she ?”
“The blonde in the corner.” Her eyes twinkle. “Want me to introduce you ?”
I survey the woman Tammy indicates, but I’m not feeling it. I haven’t felt that spark for a long time. “No thanks .”
“Just as well,” she replies. “Reva would probably go batshit crazy if you hit on Josie.” She slides off the stool. “Thanks for the drink and the conversation , Nick .”
I lift my glass in her direction. “Congratulations again, kiddo .”
* * *
Sean:
At ten in the evening, when I know the bar will be almost empty, I head to the Randy Goat. I’ve had a long, exhausting 48-hour shift at the fire station, and all I want is a drink, some food, and a chance to shoot the breeze with Nick .
“I can’t wait to hire a couple of full-time crew,” I groan .
“What’s the hold-up?” Nick sets a drink in front of me and pours himself one .
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