Hook & Ladder 69: Eighteen Authors...One Sexy Firehouse. Read online

  Logan fell onto his side and threw his arm across his face. I smiled, knowing that my lover was sated. Walking back over to him I sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to get myself into the mess Logan had left on the sheets. Bridging myself over it, I kissed Logan on his lips, which were peeking out under his arm draped over his face.

  “You’re trying to kill me.” he said.

  “If I remember correctly, it was you who showed up during my nap with the intentions of getting laid.”

  Logan moved his arm away from his face, displaying a mischievous smile.

  “Okay, maybe I did have some evil thoughts.”

  “Ah, so he confesses.” I grabbed his waist and tickled him.

  Logan howled in laughter and was begging for me to stop when the alarm echoed through the building.

  I groaned. “So much for some peace and quiet.”

  Logan got up, quickly putting his clothes back on. “Shit, I didn’t get a chance to clean the sheets.”

  “Let it dry. I’ll offer my bunk to one of the rookies, and then give him shit for sleeping in spunk.”

  Logan shook his head and laughed. “You’re terrible.”

  I winked and took his hand in mine so we could head out.

  “That I am, but that’s why you love me.”

  Logan nodded. “Ain’t that the truth.”

  Chapter 6

  Firecracker by Jami Denise

  “Are you listening to me?”

  Brennan’s voice shook me out of a fog. I looked over at him and blinked to clear my head. “What?”

  He shook his head. “You’re already checked out, aren’t you? Don’t blame you. Six days of broads, boats, and booze ahead of you. I’d be the same way.”

  I smirked. “Yeah, can’t wait. We need this—especially Carlos.”

  My brother, Carlos, had been diagnosed with testicular cancer a year earlier. After months of treatment, surgery and waiting, he got the all clear from the doctors. Cancer free. To celebrate, I planned a boy’s trip to Baja California with a few of our cousins.

  “Christina down with this boy’s trip?” He asked, eyebrows raised.

  “Yeah, she’s down. He’s been through a world of shit. She knows he needs this trip, and honestly, she needs a break too. It was just as hard on her. It took a toll. Plus, she trusts me.”

  Trust was pushing it. She loved me, but she knew me like the back of her hand. And let me tell you, my cheek saw plenty of that backhand over the years. She gave me my nickname back in the day, so yeah, she knew me, but she didn’t trust me.

  We both knew my brother was a proud man, but as brave as he’d been throughout the ordeal, he was scared shitless. He held it together for everyone, but you could see it wear on him every day. Watching him suffer though chemo almost killed me. He was my big brother; he’d shown me the ropes growing up after my pops left us. Because of him, I became a firefighter. If he did it, so did I. Losing him was not an option in our life.

  “Yeah, I bet she does,” he said.

  “She’s not a stupid woman,” I reminded him. “Thing is, she almost lost the man she’s spent the last twenty years with. She knows he needs this. Anyway, you know ‘los. You think he’d cheat on Christina?” I raised my eyebrows and stared at him.

  “She’d cut off his balls,” he agreed.

  “Damn straight.”

  You didn’t mess with Christina. She was small, but mighty. That wasn’t the reason he wouldn’t cheat. She was his world, and for the longest time I didn’t get it. They’d been together since they were kids, and there wasn’t another woman in the world as far as he was concerned.

  That’s where we were different—well, one of the ways we were different. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to settle down eventually, but I was having too much fun not settling down. There wasn’t a surplus of women like Christina walking around in St. Louis.

  “Well, at least you only have one more shift and then you’re out. That should clear your head.”

  As much as I was looking forward to my upcoming vacation, my head was somewhere else. Not that I was going to tell him about it. Some of the guys in the station liked to chat about chicks, but I wasn’t one of them. There weren’t a lot of chicks to chat about anyway. Pickup liked to love ‘em and leave ‘em, and that’s all they needed to know. They wanted to talk about my hookups, that was on them.

  When I left the bed, I left the stories behind.

  What had me all twisted up and unable to sleep had nothing to do with vacations or quickies. It all started after the call we’d had two days before and involved a pretty little brunette mess and her little boy.

  Calls involving kids were always sketchy, but when I heard the desperation in that mother’s voice, it became something much more important. The look on her face hit me in the gut harder than anything I’d ever felt. Standing there in a threadbare t-shirt so big it covered her barely there shorts and messy hair, she looked devastated and more beautiful than any woman I’d ever seen.

  They didn’t call me pickup for nothing. I loved the ladies. Big or small, sweet or nasty. I had my pick of them, and I wasn’t one to let anyone down. But her—she wasn’t some chick. She was special and I couldn’t figure out why.

  I caught the chief’s eye and I knew what he was thinking. I was clearly slack-jaw and staring, so I spun around and headed toward the engine to help with the rescue. I wasn’t stupid—I knew my job and did it well. I wasn’t stupid enough to jeopardize the situation by flirting with a seriously distraught mother while her kid was in danger for fucks sake.

  Everything after that was a blur. Urban search and rescue, two trucks, and engine and the paramedics were on scene and within thirty minutes, a grungy, terrified little boy was reunited with his equally traumatized mother.

  And then they were gone.

  “I guess that’s it,” I finally answered him. I didn’t need him giving me any shit about obsessing about some woman I’d likely never see again. I’d never live that down. “You ready to get this engine ready?”

  He pushed off the sofa and smacked his palms against his thighs. “Let’s do it. The boys want to start a game later, you down to throw some hoop?”

  I nodded. “I guess I should since I plan on sitting on my ass for the next few weeks.”

  Two hours later, I was worked. Sweaty, tired and finally able to think clearly. Blowing off steam was exactly what I needed. I had a lot of crap on my mind, between my fascination with the little boy’s mother and my impending trip with my brother, I couldn’t concentrate.

  On my way to the shower, the battalion chief stepped in front of me with a smart assed smile on his face. A ribbing wasn’t going to work today and that guy loved to start shit. It was always in good fun—sort of like a big brother from hell—but today was not the day.

  “Rivas, you’re wanted in the Apparatus bay. You’ve got company.”

  I stared at him, confused. “Who the hell is it?”

  The smile on his face went from curious to downright comical. That wasn’t a great sign when it came to him.

  “What the fuck?”

  Everyone’s eyes were on us and I could hear the start of snickers and jabs from behind me. That didn’t bode well. It was either my mom—or worse. A clinger. It’d happened before, unfortunately, but I hadn’t had to deal with that in a long time. They lived for shit like that. Everyone in that station gossiped like a bunch of little women—except for the women. They were the only ones I could count on not to fuck with me about it.

  I ignored them and headed toward the other room to find out who it was and get it over with. As soon as I hit the landing, I saw her. Smiling, hair thrown over one shoulder, and wearing a dress made for a church picnic. Sweet little hot mess mama.

  In one hand she held a plate of cookies, and the other clenched the tiny hand of our little rescue.

  “I hope we’re not bothering you,” she said quickly, her smile falling. “Casey wanted to come by and thank you for saving him.”
/>   Sharp pain shot through my back and I turned to glare at Brennan.

  “Looks like vacation wasn’t the only thing on your mind, brother.”

  Asshole.

  When I looked back toward her and her son, my words caught in my throat. A funny feeling hit me all over, like being hot and cold at the same time. I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off her when she looked like she’d just dragged herself out of a coma, but in that dress with her hair bouncy and soft, she left me breathless.

  And apparently speechless.

  “Um…” she uttered nervously. “Casey, why don’t you offer Mr. Rivas the cookies we baked. Tell him what you wanted to say, honey.”

  She kneeled in front of him, offering me yet another fucking amazing view, and handed over the platter of cookies. He took them carefully, and looked up at me over her shoulder. The shy, careful look on his face shot through me and I realized I was acting like a complete asshole. This kid was scared of me.

  I moved quick, kneeled next to his mother and smiled. “How you doin’, buddy?”

  A smile lit up his face and he shoved out from behind his mom and was within an inch of my face in a second flat. Right away I noticed his freckles, and that he was about the cutest little boy I’d ever seen.

  A little shit, for sure. You could see it in his light blue eyes. I looked into eyes like that every day—I knew what kind of shenanigans he had yet to conjure up I had a feeling hot mess mama had her hands full with this little guy. It made me smile to see him that way—just a little boy, full of life and endless adventures.

  “My mommy said to tell you thank you for saving me in the hole. And here’s your cookies.”

  He launched the plate in my direction and then stood back, hands on his hips and head turned toward the truck next to him. I knew what he was thinking and smiled.

  “I bet you’d like to climb up on one of those, wouldn’t you?”

  His eyes went wide.

  “Hey little man,” Colton said. “Want to hop up on the pumper?”

  He nodded toward the engine and in a blink, Casey was right behind him and then swept up the steps onto the truck. I smiled, watching him hang on every word Colton said.

  Goosebumps ran up my arm when his mom put her hand on my bicep and I looked down to see her cheeks pink, and a small smile on her face.

  “Do you have a moment?” she said quietly.

  I nodded, still unable to speak to her directly. My game was way off with this woman. I hadn’t been so tongue tied and confused since I’d set eyes on my first set of tits my freshman year of high school.

  I started for the hallway and heard the clip-clap of her little shoes as she followed. My heart thundered in my chest. I really wished I’d had a chance to shower, or at least wipe the sweat off.

  I didn’t even have hometown advantage. I was fucked, and I didn’t like it.

  I led us toward the back offices, knowing they were empty with everyone enjoying the show in the other room. I had no idea what she had to say, but for some reason I felt like she was asking for privacy.

  I knew I wanted it. Those jackholes didn’t need to know what she was about to say so they could mess with me about it later.

  Not. The. Day.

  Once we hit the end, I turned to face her but didn’t even get a chance to open my mouth to say anything before she was on me.

  I fell back against the wall and my hands instantly went to her ass and lifted her up against me. Her lips were hot and her mouth eager and every drop of blood drained from my head and went straight to my dick. Not in a million years did I expect that from her, but hell if I was going to complain.

  Turning so I could press her against the wall, I lowered my hands while I tasted every inch of her mouth and lifted her legs so they wrapped around me and kissed her with every bit of yearning I’d pent up since the day I saw her.

  She smelled like lemons and a bit of sugar, and tasted much sweeter. I wanted to devour her—every fucking inch of soft skin and full curves.

  Finally, we calmed down to catch our breath, but our lips were connected. Sharing her breath, and the look she gave me said everything.

  From that moment on, she was mine. I was addicted.

  “Thank you. Thank you for saving my baby. For giving him back to me. He’s my life,” she said breathlessly. “I’m so sorry I didn’t wait to make sure you got out. I had to get him inside the house. To make sure he was safe.”

  I closed my eyes, going back to that day. He was terrified and wouldn’t grab the rope so they could rig him out. I couldn’t take it anymore. Once they torched the steel bar out of the way, I slid down to calm him down. He was frantic. It didn’t take me long to gain his trust. I carried suckers everywhere, so I offered him one and he was instantly my buddy. I promised him more candy if he would cooperate and get the hell out of there. That was all it took.

  Baby boy had a sweet tooth.

  “It’s okay, darlin’. I’m safe. Casey’s safe. It’s all good. Even better now.”

  She let out a sigh and smiled. “He’s always getting into things. I paid the girl next door to watch him while I took a nap. I get migraines, and I was so sick. He just won’t sit still. I felt like a failure! How could I let that happen?”

  I lifted her a little higher in my arms and looked directly into her eyes. “Listen, little mama. I have four nephews. They’ve gotten into more shit than you could even imagine. I’m surprised my sister-in-law isn’t in a strait-jacket. He’s a boy, and that’s what they do. We had a little talk while we were down there. He’s not going to make his mom cry anymore.”

  She giggled, and yet again my balls tingled.

  “You’re fucking beautiful,” I told her.

  Never—and I mean, never had I felt so pussy-whipped. I had plenty of lines for the ladies—it was my specialty—but I’d never told anyone they were beautiful. Ever.

  She rested her forehead on mine and let out a small giggle. “It was even better than I imagined.”

  I smiled, knowing exactly what she was talking about, but my ego wanted to hear it out loud. “What’s that?”

  “The kiss. Even better than I imagined.”

  I nudged her nose with mine and moved my lips across her cheek until they were against her ear. “Bet I can make it better.”

  I captured her mouth again, kissed the hell out of her, and wound my fingers through her curls. Soft. Softer than I imagined. I’d been dying to run my hands through that mess of hair for days. The urge to wrap it around my hand and pull was so strong I had to slow myself down.

  I was hard as a rock. There was no doubt she could feel every inch of my dick through my basketball shorts. Not that it bothered me. I wanted her to feel how turned on I was, but I also wanted to take my time with her. I wanted more time, other times. I had the feeling she was way down with a quick dry hump up against that wall right then and there, but she was getting more from me. She deserved more.

  A soft moan left her lips and I chuckled. How could she be so sweet and sexy as sin at the same time? I had no clue, but it was something I wanted to continue figuring out. For a long time. Multiple times.

  A fucking lot.

  Again, mauling her in the hallway was a shitty thing to do and to make it worse, something occurred to me.

  “Fuck, baby… I just molested you twice and I don’t even know your name.”

  I knew her last name, but that was a formality after the incident. Things were chaotic and as I said, by the time I got out of the drain, they were gone. The paramedics followed her inside to check up on Casey, but I had a job to handle and rushing in to leave my name and number for the mom was pretty much not going to happen.

  Yup. I was a dick.

  She rolled her eyes. “Pretty sure I molested you first. And just so you know, I don’t regret it. You’re all I’ve thought about since that day, and I didn’t think you’d make a move.”

  It was my turn to moan.

  “Jesus,” I groaned.

  “I ho
pe I get the chance to do it again,” she whispered.

  I felt that soft whisper deep down in my balls. That was it. I was marrying this girl. That feeling I had in the middle of the street in the midst of an emergency shoved its way back into the forefront of my mind.

  Special. Different. Fate.

  “Killing me here, baby. Name. Now.”

  “Heidi. Heidi Jones. Now, are you going to kiss me again before Casey comes looking for me?”

  Fuck yes I was.

  “Only if you let me kiss you again tomorrow,” I said.

  “It’s a deal.”

  Chapter 7

  Rekindled by L.B. Dunbar

  “You,” the vibrant orange haired woman groaned as I entered the lobby of the Chase Plaza hotel.

  “Me,” I smirked, letting my eyes roll up and down her smoking body. Her fiery attitude from this morning hadn’t been doused by the coolness of evening.

  “You’re that smelly firefighter from earlier today,” she sneered, narrowing her bright, blazing eyes at me. Her hair was styled in wild curls, cascading down her shoulders, corkscrews of twists and turns. A coal colored dress hugged her thin body, accentuating her subtle curves. She might have remembered me as smelly, but I recognized her scent: spoiled bitch.

  The day started with a routine call: a gas leak.

  “Your hose is loose,” I explained. It was a simple call, but there was nothing simple about the location. The elegant home was located in the historic DeBaliviere neighborhood. The classic looking town home had been fully restored with modern conveniences, one of which was the permanent carbon monoxide detector that set off the alarm. The young female resident had called 911, but upon inspection of her, there wasn’t anything innocent about her. She had curves made for sin and a deliciously pouty mouth as well.

  “I’d like to loosen your hose,” she muttered, as I met her in the backyard. She’d been sunning herself in a black bikini that was barely covering her most private parts. Ignoring the tone of her voice, my fellow firefighter, and best friend, Jesse McKinney rolled his eyes. The come-ons weren’t uncommon as we were two of the youngest firefighters in the department. I’d been told women love a man in uniform, but sometimes it was ridiculous. Besides, I needed to save myself for the evening. As soon as my shift at the fire house was over, I had another assignment to fulfill.