Stump broke first, focusing back on me with a million-dollar smile as he released my hand. “Nice to meet you, Posey.”
“You too,” I said, and he walked away.
“You got enough food?” Shadow asked.
“For now,” I retorted.
“Let’s go sit for a bit.”
“Um, okay,” I said, and followed him to one of the empty picnic tables away from the smoker. He snagged a cupcake off the dessert table as we passed it, then he sat across from me on a bench.
“I take it you were the yoga goddess that the kids have been buzzing about all week,” he murmured.
“Goddess, huh? I like the sound of that,” I retorted.
“They haven’t shut up about it,” he said.
“I’m really glad they liked it. I love kids and yoga, so merging the two is always fun for me. What about you? What do you do when you’re not taking the piss out of deities in distress?”
His mouth twitched as he peeled the cupcake lining from the chocolatey goodness. “Just earned my badge at SFD, but they don’t have a budget for another full-time person, so I’m working one shift a week. Sterling keeps me busy, though, so sometimes I wonder if I have time to be a firefighter.”
I smiled. “I hear that.”
“I figure I’m doin’ everything I want to do on my terms, so shit’ll sort itself out.”
“Very namaste of you. You’d do well in yoga.”
He laughed. “No way in hell.”
“You should try it. It would help correct the way you hunch your shoulders.”
“I hunch my shoulders?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Your hips are off too.”
“No shit?”
“No shit,” I said, cutting into the meat. “I can show you a few things to help your balance if you like. You’ll probably be surprised how much easier it’ll be to carry your hose.”
“My hose is pretty big,” he said. “But I carry it just fine.”
I chuckled and took a bite of the pork. Considering the size of his frame, I had a feeling his hose was bigger than pretty big, but I focused on the food in an effort to hide my lady boner. Lord, I seriously needed to get laid.
“What’s your timeframe on fixin’ your kitchen?” he asked.
“My landlord’s coming to inspect it in just over two weeks.”
“That’s doable.”
I sighed. “It’s a huge chunk out of my savings, though. My grand plan was to buy a little house, but I’ve been shoving money into the studio trying to keep it afloat, and the rent in the building’s killing me. Rent pretty much everywhere’s killing me,” I admitted.
“Yeah, real estate’s goin’ crazy right now. I’m glad I’m nomadic or I’d be spending half my earnings on a roof over my head.”
“Where do you live, then?”
“Here.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, wow. I didn’t realize this was anything more than a clubhouse.”
“We’ve got several floors with rooms and bathrooms. The officers get the fancy rooms, and then the rest of us have rooms based on rank. Prospects have to share.”
“Makes sense.”
“There you are,” Quin called, approaching us with the bottle of wine I brought. “I’m sorry I abandoned you. I come bearing a peace offering.”
I smiled. “Shadow’s been keeping me company, so it’s all good. Plus, I’m kind of making love to this food. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so well.”
“Amazing what happens when you don’t cook the box, huh?” Shadow retorted, and I threw a piece of pork at him.
He laughed, standing to let Quin sit, then giving me a chin lift and walking away.
“Isn’t he adorable?” Quin asked, pouring wine into a couple of empty solo cups she’d brought.
Yeah, he was adorable, I thought to myself. I wanted to know how adorable he was naked, but I kept that to myself.
“He’s really nice,” I said instead.
For the rest of the night, Quin stuck by me as she guided me around the room, introducing me to bikers and their ‘ol’ ladies,’ most of whom I’d never remember name-wise, but I sallied forth and tried to make mental notes as I met yet one more gorgeous man after another.
By the time I got home, I fell into bed with a wine buzz and a horny haze. It had been a while since I’d had any relief that didn’t involve batteries, and tonight was a not so gentle reminder of what was out there. Maybe a one-night stand was just what I needed.
For the moment, though, the battery kind was all I could manage, grabbing my vibrator from my nightstand and imagining Shadow as I got some relief.
CHAPTER FIVE
Shadow
WITH NO EMERGENCIES during shift, I left the firehouse at four and headed to Earl’s High-End Appliances & More to pick up the range for Posey.
“Earl!” I bellowed, walking through the warehouse door behind the showroom.
“Back here!” he called back, and I made my way to his office. “Hey, Shadow.”
“Hey, bud. You found that range?”
“Yeah. Had to fix it first.”
“Fix it? What do you mean? I thought you found it in ‘pristine’ condition.”
“It’s got a recall, so I fixed it.”
I frowned. “What kinda recall?”
“They’re a fire hazard when they’re set to self-clean because air gets inside and fuels the flames.”
“So if something inside caught on fire, the oven isn’t airtight?”
“Exactly. They’ve had a couple actually blow, which is why the company discontinued the unit. They did make it right by providing the parts to fix if you have the know-how, or sending someone out to do it for you.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, but it was still gonna cost you about fifty bucks, so a lot of folks just said fuck it and donated them or sold ’em for parts.”
“Well, shit.”
“You still want it?”
“Can you give me a couple a days? Gotta find out if the client still wants it knowin’ this.”
“No problem. Just let me know.”
“Thanks, man,” I said, and climbed back in one of the club trucks and headed to Posey’s.
I called Rabbit on the way to do some digging into Posey’s landlord, asking him to pass everything on through Lyric so she could advise us on our legal options. What I really wanted to do was break the asshole’s legs, but Doom’s woman would figure out a way to sue his ass which might hurt more.
* * *
Posey
My doorbell pealed and I checked the peephole, took a deep breath, then pulled the door open. “Hi.”
“Hey.”
“Do you want me to leave the door open so you can bring—”
“About that…”
“Uh-oh, what happened?” I stepped back. “Come in.”
Shadow’s face appeared controlled, but his body was locked. “Did your landlord inform you about a recall for the range?”
“Ah… no. What kind of recall?”
“The kind that makes your oven and stovetop a fire hazard.”
“What the fuck?” I squeaked. “Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
I pressed the heel of my palm against my forehead. “Do you think he knew?”
“Don’t know the man, but I’m gonna guess yes.”
“He’s nice, but his daughter’s a cunt,” I hissed, and Shadow laughed.
“Not used to hearin’ a woman call another one a cunt.”
“Sorry,” I grumbled. “But she is.”
“Wait, was she the nasty one the night of the fire huddled with her friends?”
“The one with fake blonde extensions, lips out to Mars, and a face that didn’t move?”
Shadow grinned. “Yeah, that one.”
“That was her.”
“Yeah, she’s a cunt.”
“Told you,” I retorted.
“Then her dad’s an asshole. You can’t have one without the other.”
&
nbsp; “Sure, you can.”
“Not really,” he countered. “Not unless they’ve broken all ties with one another.”
“He pays for her kick-ass she-pad and Lexus. Pretty sure she’ll hold on by her acrylic nails to make sure he continues to support her.”
Shadow sighed. “Okay, give me a couple of days to figure out next moves.”
“What? Why?”
“Because he’s doin’ shady shit, Posey, and I don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to like it, Shadow. But it’s my problem.”
“Yeah, it’s not your problem anymore, because if these ranges continue to start fires, the fire marshal will make it his problem.”
I sighed. “You might have a point.”
“What’s your schedule this week?”
“I’m pretty much working ten-hour days. I have Thursday and Sunday off.”
“Okay. I’ll text you when I get some details.”
I didn’t want him to leave and that thought shocked the hell out of me.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yep.” I nodded. “Right. You’ll text me.”
He grinned. “I’ll text you.”
“Do you need me to write that down, so you don’t forget?”
He chuckled. “You busy right now?”
“Well, now that I don’t have a shiny new to me range, I can’t cook, so no.”
“You were going to cook?”
I raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”
“You wanna go grab somethin’ to eat?”
My stomach did somersaults. I’d like to eat you.
Of course, I didn’t say that… “With you?”
He just smiled.
I forced my stomach to calm and asked, “What did you have in mind?”
“Thai?”
“I’m picky about my Thai, so it all depends on where,” I admitted.
“Fat Phat?”
“Oh my god, I love Fat Phat.”
He chuckled. “Me too. You in?”
“Yes, absolutely. I’ll grab my purse.”
I made my way back to my room, brushed my teeth and spritzed a little perfume on, then grabbed my keys and purse and joined Shadow back in my foyer.
“Ready.”
Shadow grinned and preceded me out the door so I could lock up, before leading me down to a big Ford truck.
“You need help getting in?” Shadow asked.
“I can do a handstand, at will, in the middle of an empty room, I think I can haul myself up into the cab of a truck.”
“You can do a handstand that easily?” he asked once we were both in the truck.
“And hold it for more than five minutes,” I confirmed.
“Jesus.”
I grinned as I secured my seatbelt, then flexed my bicep and said in an eastern European accent, “I’m strong as a bull.”
“I believe you mean, ‘I’m strong like bull,’” he corrected, pulling out of my complex parking lot.
“Tomato, tomahto.”
Shadow laughed.
Lordy, he had a nice laugh. And a beautiful profile. He was pretty much the best-looking man I’d ever seen, and I wanted to peel him out of his clothes—
“You okay?”
I jumped a little, forcing my mind out of the gutter and smiling at him. “Yep.”
“You went silent on me. You sure?”
“Yes. Good. Sorry. It’s just such a pretty night,” I improvised.
“Wondered if you were imagining me naked,” he retorted.
“How the—?” I stopped my confession and shook my head. “I wasn’t.”
“Too bad.”
“Oh, stop it,” I growled, and he laughed, pulling into a parking space, and shutting off the engine.
We climbed out and headed into the popular restaurant, and I was surprised when we were led to a table right away.
“It’s packed,” I whispered.
Shadow smiled. “Got some pull here.”
“You do?”
He didn’t respond as we took our seats, and the waiter handed us menus.
“You want somethin’ to drink?” he asked.
“Possibly,” I hedged. “What are you getting?”
“Beer.”
I smiled. “Then I’ll have wine.”
“Red or white?” our server asked.
“Red,” I said, before giving him my order, and he nodded.
“Your regular, Shadow?”
Shadow smiled. “Yeah, Brent, thanks.”
“You have a regular?” I whispered after Brent walked away.
Shadow leaned in. “I do.”
“You really do have some pull.”
He chuckled. “Told ya.”
“How often do you come here?”
“Couple times a week, at least. Depends on work.”
“So you can’t cook either, huh?”
He laughed. “I can cook. It’s just not much fun doing it for one. I cook for the firehouse, and when Willow lets me, I cook for the club.”
“I wish I could cook. Mom tried to teach me, but I just couldn’t get it.” I blushed. “Obviously.”
“Is your mom a good cook?”
“God, no,” I said, and immediately regretted it. “I mean, she can cook, she just isn’t a gourmet. She has half a dozen things she makes well, and we ate all of those things every week.”
“Was it just you and your mom?”
I nodded. “My dad fucked off when I was four.”
Jesus, why did I just tell him that?
I blushed. “Sorry, too much information.”
“No, it’s not,” he countered. “We’re gettin’ to know each other.”
The waiter arrived with our drinks, setting them in front of us, so I took the reprieve to sip the wine.
“What about you?” I asked. “What’s your life story?”
“Born and raised in Cleveland, moved down here when my dad died. I kind of lost my mind for a few years but met Doom and he set me right.”
“I’m sorry about your dad.”
He smiled slightly. “Long time ago.”
“Who’s Doom?”
“VP of the club.”
“I don’t remember him.”
“He wasn’t there,” Shadow said. “His woman’s name is Lyric.”
“The illegally pretty blonde?” I asked.
He grinned. “She’s a little tall and skinny for my taste, but, yeah, she’s pretty.”
“So how did Doom set you right?” I asked, then shook my head. “Sorry, that’s way too personal. You don’t have to answer it.”
“Story for another day.”
I smiled. “Okay.”
His phone buzzed on the table and he glanced at the screen, then answered it. “Hey, Lyric. Were your ears burnin’?” He smiled. “Yeah. You did?” He glanced at me, then sat back slowly. “No shit? Okay. Yeah. Absolutely. Thanks, sweetheart.” He hung up and set his phone back on the table. “Your landlord’s a piece of shit.”
“He is?”
“Yeah. He knows those ranges are defective and has been warned multiple times to fix them. There’s written evidence, so Lyric says you shouldn’t be on the hook for any of it.”
“Even though I cooked the box?”
“Oh, so you’re admitting you cooked the box now?”
I grimaced. “Only to you.”
He smiled gently. “Yeah. If the oven had been airtight, it would have just burned out, so none of that’s on you.”
“Not sure I can go up against him, however.”
“You don’t have to, Posey. Lyric’s prepping to fight it for you if your landlord gives you any grief. I plan to be there, in my Savannah FD uniform, to walk him through exactly what he did wrong and how he’s going to fix it.”
“Seriously?”
“Unless you don’t want me to.”
“Oh, no, that would be amazing,” I breathed out. “I just don’t want you to feel like you have to.”
“I don’t
feel like I have to.”
I bit my lip. “Okay. Thanks, Shadow.”
“You’re welcome.”
Our food arrived and our conversation moved to more surfacy topics like work schedules and weather. I honestly couldn’t remember a time when I’d had a better date.
Not that this was a date.
Jesus, I needed to pull myself together.
“You went silent on me again,” Shadow observed.
I forced a smile. “Sorry. Lots to process.”
“I got your back, Posey. You’re not in this alone.”
I smiled, nodding. “Okay.”
“You ready?” he asked once he’d slipped cash into the check folder.
“Let me get—”
“My treat,” he interrupted.
“Okay. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Yes, I’m ready,” I said, and he walked me out to the truck and drove me home.
After walking me to my door, he waited for me to step inside my apartment and close the door before walking back down to his truck. I watched him from my window. The man was ridiculously gorgeous.
I sighed. Whatever. The man probably has women throwing themselves at him all the time. I was probably one in a long list.
I shook off my desire and took a long shower before watching a little television and falling into bed.
CHAPTER SIX
Posey
THE DAY BEFORE my landlord was due to ‘inspect’ my unfixed kitchen, Shadow arrived to do a couple more measurements.
“I thought you’d gotten everything before,” I said, as he walked into my apartment.
“Figured I’d double check a couple of things, because I don’t want this asshole to slither out of anything.”
I sighed. “Do you have any idea how terrified I am that this is all going to go tits up, while at the same time so fucking grateful you’re going to bat for me?”
His eyes softened and he smiled. “It’s not gonna go tits up, Posey. At least, not for you. And I appreciate that you’re grateful for something so insignificant as taking extra measurements.”
“It’s not just that, and you know it.”
He looked like he was going to say something, but in the end, just nodded and headed into my kitchen where he pulled out a tape and started to work again.
I couldn’t stop staring at his hands. His fingers were long, but they were callused and manly looking. He wore a skull ring on his right ring finger and a leather cuff on his left wrist, and his long blondish hair was left to hang around his shoulders.
Fanning the Biker's Flame (Dogs of Fire: Savannah Chapter Book 8) Page 4
