I lift my chin. “No, it wasn’t. You didn’t have to do anything for me .”
His voice is quiet. “I didn’t have to do anything. I wanted to.” His deep blue eyes meet mine. “I don’t want once-a-week, Hailey. I agree with Sean. If you think that all we’re here for is sex …”
Deep end of the pool. Jump, Hailey. “I don’t.” I cross my fingers. “I freaked out .”
“We’re not your ex, Hailey,” Sean says gently. “We’re not going anywhere.” He fixes me with a searching gaze. “ Are you ?”
I look at the half-sanded hardwood floors. At the egg-yolk yellow paint on the wall. At the brass chandelier that I found in a flea market. I’d bought without having any idea how to install it. Sean had frowned at its wiring, called it a fire risk and had patiently rewired the fixture. When he was done, Nick had fetched his ladder from his truck, and he’d hung the light up .
They don’t need to tell me they’re here for me. With every single thing they’ve done in the last two weeks, they’ve shown me .
“No.” I’ve been nervous throughout this conversation, but it all falls away, and I’m not afraid anymore. “I’m not going anywhere either .”
T he sander is an expensive rental that needs to be returned tomorrow morning, so even though I want to jump into bed with them right away, we resume work. For four hours, we sand the hardwood floors through the cottage, and once we’re done, we add a layer of varnish. “It’s supposed to dry in a few hours,” Nick says. “Though from experience, I know your house is going to smell like chemicals for another week .”
“I’ll keep the windows open.” I’m tired and dirty, and every muscle in my body aches, but I want them. “Join me in the shower ?”
A slow smile curves over Nick’s face. “That’s not an offer I can refuse .”
Sean detours to the kitchen and emerges with three glasses and a bottle of Chardonnay. “Seems like a good day for celebrating.” He pours the wine, and I take a sip .
Nick’s eyes gleam with heat as I strip off my clothes. “Remember the first Monday?” he asks, his lips tilting into a smile. His hand curls around the neck of the bottle, and he rolls the cold glass over my nipples .
My breathing catches as they pebble with heat. “You liked the ice, didn’t you ?”
A shiver runs through my body . “Yes .”
Sean tips some wine over my chest, and then his tongue follows, lapping up the liquid. When his mouth closes over my engorged peak, I can’t stop myself from whimpering, helpless with desire .
We step into the shower. As the warm water rains over the three of us, Nick gets on his knees, pushing his head between my legs. “So beautiful,” he murmurs. “I can’t get enough of the way you taste .”
He parts my folds with his thumbs, and his tongue teases my clit. I grip his dark hair and throw my head back, losing myself in pleasure as he eats me out .
Sean drips more wine down my chest, and his mouth follows. An out-of-control fire blazes in me, as they take me closer and closer to my orgasm. Nick slides two fingers deep into my pussy and twists them to find my g-spot. I grope for Sean’s cock .
My mind is cloudy with lust. My climax races toward me in a wave of intense heat, and I can’t hold back, I don’t want to hold back. I explode. My fears have been burned away, and all that’s left is this. This powerful, timeless, connection between us .
W e fall into bed in a tangle of limbs and naked bodies. There’s open heat in Sean and Nick’s eyes as they survey me. “Ready for more ?”
There’s not the slightest bit of hesitation in my voice as I reach for the cock nearest to me . “Yes .”
“That’s my good girl.” Sean sounds openly possessive, and his tone should make me bristle, but it doesn’t. Prickles of anticipation wind their way through my body as he disentangles my hands from his hard shaft and places them over my head .
Nick pulls me toward him roughly, his hands winding through my hair, his kiss hungry and passionate. He nibbles at my lower lip and nips at my tongue, and I groan and writhe against his tightly muscled body .
Sean, in the meanwhile, rolls a condom on his cock. “Ride me,” he orders .
Happily. “You want me to slide down your pole ?”
He groans. “Someone’s been spending too much time on the Internet, looking up firefighter pick-up lines.” His hands tighten on my hips, and he pulls me down on him. I gasp as his shaft fills me completely. “What else do you have ?”
My thoughts are as scattered as clouds on a summer afternoon. Sean thrusts into me, and I grind my hips down on his cock, while I try and remember the lines I read. “Can I hit your hydrant ?”
Nick laughs. “That’s terrible.” He pulls a small clear bottle of lube from the bedside table and slowly spreads it into my puckered hole .
He slides a finger into me as Sean thrusts again, his face contorted with desire. “I can feel every twitch in your body,” he marvels, his voice raspy with heat .
Nick adds another finger, stretching me as Sean holds me against his chest. I hear the sound of a condom wrapper tear, and my body sparks with unbearable need. His cock nudges against my tight entrance, and my pussy gushes, as it does every time we have anal sex, at the forbidden naughtiness of the act .
Lube drizzles down my crack as Nick pushes into me, slow and steady and unrelenting. There’s a brief instant of pain as my muscles stretch to accommodate him, and then he’s in. “You’re so wet,” Sean groans .
“So tight,” Nick grunts. “Are you ready to get fucked, Hailey ?”
A thrill of desire runs through me. “Yes,” I groan, my breasts smashed against Sean’s chest, my body pressed between the two men. “Fuck me. Please .”
They thrust into me, adjusting their rhythm so that they’re pounding in unison. Each stroke feels deeper than the last. My nails dig into Sean’s biceps, as they fill me, over and over again. They plunge into my body with powerful, forceful thrusts. “Please,” I sob out, not knowing what I’m begging for .
Nick strokes my swollen, aching clitoris. “Is this what you want?” His breath is hot against my ear. “You want me to make you come ?”
Yes, yes, yes. I can’t form words. My orgasm consumes me, burns me up in a blaze. I’m so lost in my own pleasure that I barely register their clenched groans as they come .
We lie back on the bed, sated and drained. That’s when Sean drops his bombshell. “I love you, Hailey .”
Fuck .
My heart races in my chest. The words linger at the tip of my tongue. I love you too. I love both of you .
But I can’t bring myself to say them out loud. The chasm is too deep, and though I know I want to cross, I can’t make myself take that last step forward .
20
Nick:
H ailey refuses to let us give her a ride to the party. “That’s ridiculous,” she points out. “I can’t leave work until the Weekly Goat is sent to the printers. By the time I get back home, change and head to Ms. Grantham’s house, I’m going to be at least an hour late. I’ll just drive there .”
There’s a small amount of lingering tension between us. Last night, Sean had said those three words that transform everything. I’d almost blurted them out too, but I’d held back at the look of thinly veiled fear in Hailey’s eyes .
We’ll get there. What matters is that she spent the night in our arms. She’s still here, and so are we .
Elvira’s mansion is filled with people. Most of the conversation centers around the election, and there’s an undercurrent of tension in the room. Backed by McDuff’s, Eric Hardy has poured an unprecedented amount of money into this race. Elvira isn’t poor, but she can’t compete with the cash-rich retailer. Her track record is solid, and our group of volunteers has knocked on every door in Goat. Hopefully, it’ll be enough .
I’m chatting with Blake, Elvira’s great-nephew, about his medical practice when Hailey pulls up, much earlier than expected. She’s wearing a deep blue wrap dress. The fabric is soft
and clings to her curves, and I can’t take my eyes off her as she walks up to us .
“You look amazing.” I put my arm around her waist and brush my lips against her cheeks .
“You really do.” Blake grins at her. “Although the blue’s a little sober for you .”
She chuckles. “I wanted to wear a bright yellow dress, but I thought I’d tone it down .”
She smells like flowers. As much as I like Elvira Grantham, I can’t wait for this party to be over. “You’re here early .”
“Connor wouldn’t let me stay late when he found out I was invited to this party.” She looks troubled. “I asked him if he was coming too, but he said no .”
“Poor Connor,” Blake sighs. “I love my great-aunt, but I’ve never understood why she’s kept him at a distance .”
“Fear’s a powerful motivator,” Hailey mutters .
The conversation is getting too serious, and I can’t bear to hear Hailey sound sad. As ridiculous and poetic as it sounds, I want her life to be filled with laughter and happiness. Snagging a flute of champagne from one of the caterers that Elvira has hired tonight, I hand it to Hailey. “It’s party time , baby .”
She looks at the club soda in my hand. “You’re not drinking ?”
I shake my head. “Cantu’s wife is sick, so we swapped spots. I’m on call at the fire station .”
“Is that where Sean is ?”
“Where am I supposed to be?” Sean walks up to us, his eyes lighting up when he sees the woman we’re both crazy about. “Has anyone told you that you look beautiful ?”
“Ah, you guys kissed and made up.” Lana joins us too, a look of satisfaction on her face. Declan’s at her side. “Isn’t that nice ?”
“Stop looking smug.” Hailey grins at her friend. “It doesn’t suit you .”
The six of us fall into conversation. Sean and I have known Blake all our lives, but I haven’t hung out with him much since he started dating Lana. It’s nice catching up with them. The kind of relationship that Sean, Hailey, and I have embarked upon is still rare. Declan, Blake, and Lana have been together for a year, and they seem to be really committed to each other. It’s reassuring .
“Did they ever figure out what caused Tammy’s barn fire?” Declan asks .
“No,” Sean says, with a shake of his head. He’s filled Hailey and me in on the conversation he had with the investigator, but he doesn’t bring it up now. “The insurance company closed the investigation and paid out .”
“The timing seems so coincidental,” Lana muses. “Tammy had just paid off the last of her loans, and then her stable goes up in flames? Somebody really doesn’t like her .”
“Didn’t you go out with her?” Blake turns to me with a raised eyebrow. “It’s the Nick O’Sullivan curse .”
“What Nick O’Sullivan curse?” Hailey’s voice has the tiniest edge in it, one that both Sean and I pick up on. I stiffen warily. It’s no secret in Goat that I have a reputation as a player, and Blake meant no harm by his comment, but man, talk about inconvenient timing. We’d just taken a major step forward in our relationship last night .
Blake grins. “It’s a running joke. I swear, every woman Nick’s gone out with seems to end up at the clinic. Beth Greenwood got salmonella poisoning, remember? So did Diana Witt. Maria Sandoval had a mystery three-day stomach bug, and of course, Tammy’s stable burned down. All in the last month. That’s the Nick O’Sullivan curse.” He chuckles. “Go out with him at your own peril, Hailey .”
Remind me to strangle Blake. “Come on, you guys.” I feel my face heat with embarrassment. “I didn’t go out with quite as many women as the gossip suggests, and I’ve never been involved with Tammy. Stop making me out to be some kind of manwhore.” I give Hailey a cautious glance, bracing myself for her anger .
To my surprise and everlasting gratitude, she doesn’t seem perturbed. “We all have pasts,” she says, her fingers lacing in mine. “I’m more interested in the present .”
“There you are.” Elvira appears out of nowhere. “Hello again, Hailey .”
“Ms. Grantham.” Hailey sounds nervous. “Thank you for inviting me .”
I put my arm around her waist, and Elvira catches the gesture of support. Her eyes soften. “I just wanted a word with my great-nephew. Blake, the bartender the caterers provided doesn’t seem to know his scotch at all. Can you point him to the good stuff ?”
“I can do that, if you’d like,” I offer .
She shakes her head with a smile. “Oh, no, Nick. You’re off-duty tonight.” She’s about to add something else when my pager goes off, as does Sean’s .
Sean reacts first. He pulls his phone out and reads his message. “There’s another fire,” he says. “We’ve got to go .”
“Where?” Lana asks .
I look down at my screen, and my blood runs cold. The address the dispatch has sent us is a familiar one. “It’s Connor .”
Elvira’s face goes deathly pale, and she sways on her feet .
21
Sean:
T he moment we pull up at Connor Perkins’ house, sirens wailing, I know it’s going to be bad. Apart from a small handful of rainy days, it’s been a dry summer. Connor’s tree-filled property will be kindling to this blaze .
I can smell the smoke, thick, heavy and suffocating. Flames are licking out of the windows of both the house and the barn .
My all-volunteer crew moves with skilled ease. Jay and Tony rush out to the back of the barn. If Connor’s trapped somewhere in this inferno, the barn, which functions as the Weekly Goat’s office, is where he’s most likely to be. I tug on my helmet and slap a mask over my face, before turning to Nick. “I’m going in,” I shout over the crackling of the fire .
“I’ll come with you .”
“No.” I glare at my best friend as I pull thick, flame retardant gloves over my hands. “Connor’s your uncle. You’re staying here.” It’s standard policy. Men have been known to lose their heads when they see their loved ones at risk. I trust Nick with my life, but I can’t take any chances .
He nods tightly. “Dispatch has already called for backup,” he says. “Every available truck is on its way over.” We both leave the obvious unsaid. If we can’t get the blaze under control …
I’ve seen dry pine trees burn in ten seconds, and we’re surrounded by them here. It’s summer. It’s dry. The conditions are ripe for a forest fire. More than just Connor’s home is at stake .
I smash through the barn door and enter the structure. The heat is unbearable, and the thick smoke makes it impossible to see more than a foot in front of me. I drop to the floor and crawl along the wall to orient myself .
The wood beams creak alarmingly. Time slows to a crawl. My heart races with adrenaline. Connor’s here somewhere. I have to find him .
The flames crackle around me. Then I see him, huddled under a desk. His body shakes as he coughs, and I know we don’t have long. Smoke inhalation is the primary cause of death in indoor fires .
I pull off my mask and slap it on Connor’s face, violating every rule in the book because this man is Nick’s great-uncle and I can’t let him die. A whiff of gasoline in the air causes me to freeze for a second. This isn’t an accident. This is arson .
I grab Connor’s shoulders and tug him back toward the door. The smoke clears for a second and relief washes over me as I realize we’re just steps from safety .
That’s when the building explodes .
22
Hailey:
“H e’s going to be okay.” Declan’s voice is calm and steady .
I’m slowly discovering what happened. Sean went into our office to save Connor, but there was an explosion. Thankfully, they were steps from the door. Nick and the rest of the crew swarmed in and pulled the two men to safety .
Sean was sitting up and shouting out orders to his crew in about five minutes. But Connor? Connor still hasn’t woken up .
The older man has been rushed to Blake and Declan’s clinic.
Originally a bare-bones facility with only two doctors, the men have expanded it in the course of a year, adding critical care and five licensed beds. Nick sent me a text from the ambulance, and we—Elvira, Lana, and I—raced to the Goat Clinic .
That was ten hours ago. Now, we’re all huddled in the hospital room, our anxiety palpable .
Connor’s face is covered with an oxygen mask. The beeping of the monitors connected to him is reassuring, but so far, he hasn’t opened his eyes .
Elvira, who’s staring at my boss with tears spilling down her cheeks, looks up at Declan’s words. “Is he?” she demands. “Then why hasn’t he woken up, Declan ?”
“Aunt Elvira,” Blake says soothingly, putting his arm around her shoulders. “Declan has been in more war zones that I can keep track of. Trust me. If he says Connor’s going to be alright, he is .”
“His body’s been put through the wringer, and he’s not a young guy. Give him time. He just needs rest, and,” Declan surveys us, “so do you. Go home. Blake and I will be here. We’ll call you if anything changes .”
Elvira lifts her chin up. “I’m not going anywhere .”
“Aunt Elvira,” Blake cuts in, “he’s not going to wake up anytime soon .”
“I’m not leaving,” she repeats. “I don’t care how long it takes .”
T he rest of us step outside, and a slightly heavyset man with tired eyes stands up in the waiting area and approaches Sean and Nick. “Brad,” Sean says, shaking his hand. “I didn’t expect to see you here so quickly .”
“I’d like to talk to you, Chief Keefer. And you too, Mr. O’Sullivan .”
I glare at the man. “It’s the middle of the night. Sean and Nick have been fighting a fire for more than ten hours. I don’t know who you are and what you want, but it can wait. They need to rest .”
Her Cocky Firefighters Page 9
