Blazing Hotter (Love Under Fire Book 2) (29 page)

“Let’s talk about what you should do tonight,” Vicky gushed, a gleeful smile on her lips.

Great. I’m sure her advice includes a trip to the bedroom.
Not that she didn’t fantasize about that every time Thayne showed up.
I’ve got a problem.

Chapter Two

Thayne walked toward the firehouse, a smile on his face and Laura’s address safely entered into his cell phone. Finally,
finally
. He didn’t know what it was about that woman, but she made him hot. She made him want to do things he’d never done before—like settle down and be a one-woman kind of man.

He couldn’t blow this chance. It might be the only one he got. Obviously, the aggressive guy act didn’t work well with her, but he could play the friend card for a while. As long as she didn’t friendzone him forever.

Thayne walked past the fire engine in the parking bay, hearing some of his firemen brothers laughing and harassing each other from inside. He opened the door to see the young crowd of probies lounging on the couches. The smell of fresh coffee beckoned, and Thayne walked to the kitchenette, pouring himself a mug.

“Hey, Bloodgood, glad you’re here.” Frankie Hernandez waved Thayne to the group and Thayne suppressed a groan—Frankie could be a punk. “I need you to be the tie breaker.”

The other firefighters jeered and snickered, and Thayne wasn’t sure he wanted to know what the four young men were up to. Even though at twenty-seven, he was only a few years older than they were, Thayne felt ancient compared to these newer recruits. They hadn’t seen enough action yet to be matured by it.

“What’s going on?” he asked, despite his better judgment.

“I have me a real dilemma,” Frankie replied.

“Yeah, right,” one of the guys, Carlos, muttered. “Wish I had that dilemma.”

Thayne leaned against the wall, sipping the strong black coffee, wishing the probie would get to the point. “Well?”

Frankie jumped up and stood in front of Thayne, bouncing from foot to foot like an excited child. “I met two girls on my last night off, told them I was a firefighter. Now they both want to go out with me. Help me decide.” He pressed his cell phone into Thayne’s free hand. “Thumb through the pictures. They’re both smokin’ hot!”

A blonde smiled out of the picture already on the screen. She wore a black teddy with fishnet stockings and enough makeup to fund a cosmetic company.

Thayne thumbed to the next picture. This girl was a ginger, the same type of clothes, same everything, though her teddy and stockings were white.

The women didn’t look like respectable girls a man could take home to mama. He knew the city of Sayle, Washington had a problem with hookers, especially since the population had grown from just forty thousand people a few years ago to nearly eighty thousand when the rich Nick Kendall moved here and started creating more jobs. Unfortunately for the call girls, the jobs created didn’t pay quite so well as what they were doing. The women of the night made a decent living from tourist that hopped over the Canadian border for a little fun as well as Americans headed to Canada that stopped by Sayle along the way. That was the problem with living so close to the country’s border. They had all types pass through their city.

“Why are you dating hookers?” Thayne asked.

“Hookers? Don’t be a douchebag.” Frankie jerked the phone away. “They’re dancers down at The Bomb and nice girls. Gave me free lap dances for being a hero.”

Well, strip clubs were legal in Washington, but Thayne always felt sorry for the women working at them—almost as sorry as he felt for the call girls. He certainly wouldn’t want his sister stripping. Then again, they had to pay their bills somehow.

Thayne sighed. He needed to not make snap decisions just because of the way they dressed. “I’m sure they are nice women, so don’t take advantage of free lap dances just because you can pull the ‘I’m a hero’ crap. Those girls deserve payment.”

Frankie laughed and grabbed his junk, hefting it. “Oh, I’m gonna pay them. Which one do you think I should screw first?”

Did Thayne really want to subject either of those poor girls to Frankie’s crudeness by choosing one? “Dude, do whatever you want. If the captain lets me leave I’ve got a date with a classy woman tonight, so there’s no strip club in my future.”

“Are you still chasing after that vet assistant? What the hell is your deal with her? You a glutton for punishment or what?” Frankie rolled his eyes. “She doesn’t like you, so move on and quit looking like a looser. I’ll give you Bambi or Candy, whichever one I don’t take.”

Bambi and Candy? Seriously? He didn’t even bother to get their real names? Thayne’s stomach turned. Frankie didn’t care about those girls; he just wanted to get laid.

Draining his coffee cup in a single gulp, Thayne set it on the counter. “Thanks for the offer Hernandez, but I got a real woman waiting for me.”

“A real woman?” Frankie squinted, his brown eyes nearly disappearing. “If pudgy is what you consider real. Why do you even want her? Laura’s on the hefty side. I mean, you get the hottest chicks throwing themselves at you, why go for a porker—”

Thayne socked Frankie in the gut, full force.

“Oomph.” Frankie bent at the waist, gasping for air.

“Laura is curvy and beautiful, and if I have anything to say about it, she’ll be around a lot, including here at the house.” Thayne cracked his knuckles. “Anyone else want to say something bad about her? If so, we should get it taken care of now before you meet her.”

Frankie clutched his gut, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean any offense. You just... Well, look at you, for shit’s sake. Every guy here wants to be you, and every girl out there wants to fuck you. Why don’t you let one of those model types screw your brains out and forget the animal lover? I’m losing faith in your game, dude.”

His game? Damn, but was he ever glad he had passed the age where points were scored based on the chicks he laid. He was looking for a lady now. Yep, he was getting old and didn’t fit with this crowd anymore. Thayne didn’t have any regrets about that. Casual ladies and drinking beer with his firehouse brothers weren’t enough anymore.

“I have no game.” Thayne glared around the room, half daring any of the men to speak—all the while knowing that made him less of a grown up than he pretended to be. He had to get away from these kids before he reverted. “Where’s the captain?”

Frankie jerked his chin toward the stairs. “They’re playing poker.”

Thayne bounded up the stairs, ignoring the whispers that followed. They could complain about him all they wanted, but the punks needed to learn some respect.

He walked into the dimly lit bunkroom, pausing to let his eyes adjust.

“Thayne?” Engine eighteen’s captain, Wilson Smith, practically growled his name. “Is that you causing trouble downstairs?”

After blinking a few times, Thayne spotted the five older men sitting around the card table in the corner. The bunks were empty, not surprisingly. Some of the guys who rode the shift before Thayne’s were still in the room, but they didn’t mind sticking around to win Captain Smith’s money.

“Sorry, sir,” Thayne answered. “I had to punch Frankie Hernandez.”

“Had to, huh? The little shit needs more than a punch,” Wilson grumbled. “Get your ass over here and give us your money. I’ll deal you in.”

Thayne crossed to them, turning the remaining seat backward and slinging into it, resting his arms against the back railing. “Can’t today.” He allowed himself to grin. “I’ve got a date. That is, if you’ll give me a few hours off tonight.”

“A date?” Wilson’s graying eyebrows jumped up his forehead like a fleeing caterpillar. “With your elusive cat woman?”

Thayne let his grin grow wider.

“Well, hot damn, kid. I didn’t think you were actually trying to get her. Just thought it was another excuse to put off life and punish yourself some more.”

Thayne closed his eyes and clenched his hands tighter on the chair top, hoping the captain wouldn’t notice. He wished people would quit bringing up his failures. It was bad enough that Carl’s dying screams haunted Thayne’s nightmares. He didn’t want to think about it during waking hours too, especially not now, when he finally had something to be happy about.

When he felt capable of speaking without his voice quavering, Thayne blew out a long breath and met Wilson’s eyes. “I talked to Bonnie about things. She’s dating again now, a nice guy I guess, though doesn’t measure up to the man Carl was.”

Captain nodded. “No one could replace Carl, but I’m glad Bonnie’s moving on.”

“She said I have to let myself off the hook and live my life. However, she also asked me to grow up and stop sleeping with just anyone. I’m not much of a role model for Carl’s kids the way I was before the accident.”

After Thayne’s partner died a year and a half earlier, Thayne set himself up as uncle and provider for Carl’s widow and two children. Bonnie was moving on, and Thayne didn’t fault her. Carl was gone forever and wasn’t coming back. They had to move forward.

Wilson clasped Thayne’s forearm. “I’m glad you’re listening to her, son. It’s past time to forgive yourself.”

The other men murmured agreement.

Thayne knew they were right. Their job came with risks. Carl had known what they were getting into that day. And they did save two children before the building collapsed.

“It’s still hard, sir.”

“It always will be.” Wilson shrugged. “But, tell me happier news. What are you doing on your date with cat woman?”

“So I can go?” He grinned as the captain nodded. “Great because I sort of already told her I could.”

The men shook their heads, probably thinking Thayne received too much laxity from Captain Smith, but it wasn’t like he often asked for any special consideration. Hell, he had a ton of comp time he’d never even used. The job was his life, whether he rode in the ambulance as a medic or fought fires.

“Don’t leave us in suspense, kid,” Captain grumbled. “What are you doing with her?”

“I’m going to Laura’s place for dinner.”

Captain’s hazel eyes lit up with excitement. “Score, she’s cooking for you already. Think she’ll cook some real food for us sometime? I’m sick of chili.”

“No, no. It’s not like that.” Thayne chuckled. “Unfortunately, I’m friendzoned right now. I’m bringing dinner to her, and we’re having a strictly friendly evening.”

Sterling Jefferson dug his elbow into Thayne’s rib from the other side. “We know that won’t last, don’t we?” His megawatt smile seemed extra bright in his dark black face. “I remember those days. But it sucks getting old. No more pretty young things to warm my cot.”

Thayne chuckled. “Better not let Mrs. Jefferson hear that.”

“Bah. She’s always threatening to trade me in for a younger model. That’s part of our foreplay.”

Thayne shuddered. “Too much information. What are you now? Ninety? You should give up on sex, man.”

Sterling lightly punched Thayne’s shoulder. “I’m fifty-six, you little prick.”

“Besides, we never give up,” Dan Steel said from across the table. “If there are any problems in that department, that’s what the little blue pill is for.”

“Yeah,” a medic sitting next to Dan agreed. “We’re better with age, like a fine wine. Ladies want experience in their lovers, not some bumbling kid who doesn’t know how to make her eyes roll into the back of her head.”

All the guys chuckled. Everyone in the room had a wife, except Thayne, and yet he felt more at home with the older crew than the men downstairs.

“I’ve met your Laura a couple times,” Captain Wilson said, turning serious again. “Don’t screw this up, Thayne. She seems like a nice girl.”

Thayne rubbed his knuckles against his stubbly chin, suddenly nervous. “I’ll do my best.”

“Oh, and keep your phone on in case we have an emergency tonight. You don’t get to go off duty just because you finally coerced her into seeing you. A lot of small fires have been popping up around town the past week, so I can’t spare anyone. You’re assigned to the medic team, so there’s a good chance we might need you.”

Thayne thought it ironic that so many fires started happening right after the mayor cut the department’s funding and forced them to lay off a third of the department’s staff. Luckily, so far the fires were confined to places free of people in fairly deserted areas. It took a toll on the newly reduced workforce, however.

“I wouldn’t dream of shirking my obligations. My phone will be on the entire time.” He had no other choice. Captain Smith did a lot for Thayne, the biggest thing being that he hadn’t forced Thayne to fight fires since Carl’s death. Riding with the ambulance crew and working as a medic had helped him keep his job even when he still had nightmares about Carl and that last fire they worked together.

“Happy to hear that, son, but I didn’t expect anything different from you.” Wilson made a shooing motion. “If you aren’t going hand over your money in the poker game, get the hell out of here and get ready for your date. You need to shave.”

“I’m on it, Captain.” Thayne stood, spinning the chair the right way around and heading for the door.

“He’ll screw this up,” Wilson told the room at large as Thayne started down the stairs.

Chapter Three

Two emergencies at the end of the day? That never happens.

Laura struggled up the sidewalk with the cat carrier. She’d be happy when her latest foster kitten could stay at home. Lugging the carrier on a bus was less than ideal—especially when she never knew if a springtime rainstorm would make her quarter-mile walk to the nearest bus stop miserable.

She glanced at her watch... ten minutes late.

Maybe Thor got sick of waiting and left.

It would have been wise to get his number so she could text and explain, but the sexy hunk left the clinic before she thought of it. As much as she knew she shouldn’t, she had actually looked forward to dinner. Now Thayne probably left after thinking she stood him up or gave him the wrong address.

Finally reaching her apartment building, she trotted up the sidewalk, noting the overgrown grass. Her landlord sucked. How hard was it to take care of the yard? She wondered if Thayne took one look at her crappy little building and decided she was pathetic.