The Men of CLE-FD updated (6 page)

Lincoln jumped from her chair quickly. “Yes, Aunt Mary—I have got to talk to her about that thing we were going to do next week.  You got this right, babe?” She asked Anthony. 

Anthony shrugged his shoulders. “Cool, see, you in a bit,” she said slapping a kiss on the top of the head before he could protest.

Regan slipped her arm through Lincoln’s as they scurried to the front of the club.  “What the hell was Anthony thinking?” Regan asked her sister.

“
Girl, I don’t know but I will have a stern talk with him when we get home for sure.”
 

“
I don’t mean to sound cruel but where would Anthony meet a guy like that?  Anthony doesn’t strike me as the geeky kind.”
 

“
He’s not.  Sherman is one of his special friends,” she said giggling. “Look, isn’t that Orlando going out the door?”
 

Regan narrowed her eyes forcing on the tall form exiting the building. “Yes.  I’ll be right back.  I don’t know what it is about that man, but HE is a person I want to get to know.”

“
Go handle your business,” Lincoln said giving her a playful shove towards the door.
 

Regan switched the beer bottle from hand to hand, as she smoothed the sides of her dress down before exiting the club.  No man had summoned her curiosity in the year she’d been divorced.  Orlando Torres had awakened dormant urges with those sexy brown eyes, the faint stubble covering his jawline, and his fancy footwork.

She exited the building.  The air was warm and stuffy outside.  Partying people snaked out of the crowded quarter-block long upscale club located on the outskirts of downtown Cleveland to linger before disbursing.  It was normal procedure at this hour, as the club would be closing soon.  The colorful trash talk among the men and the women prancing to get the attention of any half-sober man to look their way were harmless and done in fun.

Regan took a minute to thank the people she knew for coming to her party.  She kept her chat brief in order to search for Orlando before he was gone.  This would be her only shot to get the sexy firefighter to herself with no interruptions.  She crossed her fingers hoping she would find him alone and not cuddled up with a woman he’d met inside the club.  After all, she only saw the back of him exiting the club.  The woman could have gone out the door before him.

She exhaled a sigh of relief when she saw him standing with one foot planted against the brick wall smoking alone.  She turned her lip. He allowed nasty cigarettes to invade his perfect body.  Her sweaty palm warmed the cold glass beer bottle as she watched him from a safe distance.  She had felt how toned his body was when they were dancing.  His chest was hard, his hips narrow and tapered when he pulled her body close to his to dip her. Her knees knocked at the thought.

The black jeans melted to his body and the black t-shirt that hugged every muscle of his torso did not hide anything from a woman’s imagination.  Orlando Torres built like a brick, had a sarcastic edge, and was exactly what she wanted in the next man she pursued.

Regan felt her heart flutter when he bent his arm to take another puff. The muscles of his arm strained against the cotton fabric of the t-shirt.  Mark was in good shape but not firefighter shape.  She crossed her legs to stop the pulsating.  The image running through her head of what he could do with those arms and sexy lips caused her to dampen a tad.  She would be willing to overlook the smoking habit to have a chance with him.

Suddenly his head lifted in her direction.  She didn’t have enough time to pretend she wasn’t staring at him.  Busted, she smiled and used wobbly legs to walk over to him.  “There you are?”

Orlando straightened his body. “Yeah, here I am,” he said getting rid of the cigarette.

Regan handed over the beer. “Here’s your beer.  You left just as the waitress dropped it off.”

“
Thanks.  You didn’t have to track me down to bring it to me. You drink it—my birthday drink, to you.”
 

She shivered as his piercing dark eyes perused her body.  If she weren’t aware the dress didn’t have zippers or buttons, she would have thought she was exposing parts of her body to the public.  “I would take it but I’m not much of a beer drinker.”

“
Yeah, it is an acquired taste.”  He took the beer from her hand and balanced it on the side of the cement flower planter.
 

Regan dried her hand on the already wet napkin. 
Could this be any more awkward?  Fourteen years with one man has zapped my mojo
.  “Lieutenant, I want to thank you for saving my life again.  Sherman kinda interrupted that for me.  I was lucky I only suffered a broken rib and a slight concussion, as a result of the car accident.”

He smiled shoving his hands in the pockets of his tight jeans. “Thank you for the adulation but what’s with the lieutenant stuff?  I’m Orlando.”

“
Right, Orlando.  I’m a little new at this, so excuse me if I seem nervous.”
 

“
Are you the shy and timid type?”
 

Regan lifted a perfectly arched eyebrow. “Would that be hard to believe?”

“
Hell yeah.  The way you carry yourself and look, you probably have to fight men off in droves.”
 

“
For your information, I don’t have that reputation.  I’ve been with one man for the last fourteen years,” she said with a sassy tone in her voice.
 

“
I didn’t mean to insult you.  I only meant you are a beautiful woman and any man would be honored to get your attention then have you flip ‘em the bird.”
 

Orlando had moved from the wall to stand directly in front of her.  If she kicked off the five-inch heels, she would have to look up to him.  She never considered herself short, but she was at five-feet, four-inches tall in her bare feet.  Mark stood five-feet ten-inches tall, and they were compatible in height when she wore heels.

She smelled the mint nicotine on his breath.  She hated that smell on people.  Although, coming from him, it wasn’t as offensive.  “I’m flattered you would think I flip men the bird.”

“
Have you ever done it?”
 

She laughed. “Yes, I have once or twice, and I am not proud for doing it.  So, why are you standing outside holding up the wall?”

Orlando removed a piece of chewing gum from his pocket.  Peeling off the foil, he stuck it in his mouth.  “I needed air,” he said offering a piece of gum to Regan.

She refused the gum and said, “And apparently to smoke.  I find it hard to believe you would put toxins in a body you obviously work hard to keep in shape.”

He nodded. “When I get stressed, I get the urge to smoke.  I switched to smokeless cigarettes to battle the bad habit I quit years ago.”

“
I heard those aren’t good for you either.”
 

“
The verdict is still pending, but these are better than the real thing,” he said with a chuckle.
 

She looked up to the night sky.  It was dotted with endless stars and a bright full moon.  Very little clouds hovered above, and no rain had fallen in weeks.  The weather had been perfect for her visit home.

She shifted the silence that had fallen between them to the weather, a safe topic. “The sky is so beautiful tonight.  The weather is perfect for sitting outdoors listening to crickets chirp.”

“
Yeah, it is a nice night.  But the dry conditions make for bad fires.  We could use a good drenching rain to rehydrate the ground and grass.”
 

Regan folded her arms under her chest not pleased with herself for ditching Sherman, but she’d had enough of science chat and wanted to know about the mysterious Orlando Torres. “It’s amazing what you and Anthony do.  How can you run into a burning building not knowing what you’re facing on the inside?”

“
People tend to call us heroes, but the secret is we’re usually stoned or drunk,” he said with a sarcastic tongue.
 

“
I’m serious, Orlando.  Don’t you worry about your safety?”
 

“
Never. I trust my team and their instincts. There is nothing like the rush of pure adrenaline kicking in no sooner than we jump in the trucks and roll out of the firehouse.”
 

Regan hesitated acting on the idea bouncing around in her head.  Would she come off as too forward?  Or, would he take it the wrong way and expect more than the coffee she was offering to buy?  She bit the tip of one manicured fingernail trying not to overthink an obvious harmless, but tricky question since they’d just met.

“
Orlando, how would you like to ditch the party and go for coffee?  Of course, it will be my treat.”
Ohmigod! What if he turns me down?
The afterthought of blurting out the request had her shivering in the eighty-degree night heat.
 

“
You want to ditch your party filled with friends and relatives to have coffee with me?  What about Pee Wee Herman?  Isn’t he your pre-arranged date?”
 

“
Anthony is keeping him company.  Besides, you were a pre-arranged date, and I’m choosing you to spend the rest of my birthday with.  I would love to get to know you better if that is okay with you?”
What in heaven’s name is going on? My mouth is running loose before first consulting my brain
.
 

He rubbed his chest grinning. “You caught me with my mouth open.”

She flirted openly with him.  “Close it before a fly wanders down your throat.”

He paused and swallowed. “Damn, are you always so quick at making choices?”

 She wiggled her finger. “You will have to get to know me better and find that out for yourself.”
 

His deep voice lowered to a spicy drawl.  “Now you have me shaking a little.  You pack a lot of power in that tiny body of yours.”

Regan ran a finger down the front of his t-shirt and winked.  “Wait here whilst I get my purse and tell my sister I’m leaving.”

He backed up until he was resting in his original position against the wall.  “I’ll be holding up the wall until you get back,” he said with a crooked grin.

Regan blushed holding her grin inside.  She knew he was watching and checking out her behind.  The heels of her shoes clicked hard across the concrete ground as she walked.  Her ankles felt weak and hoped she wouldn’t fall before making it to the front door of the club.

Lincoln was standing at the bar. Regan was glad she wouldn’t have to hunt for her sister and risk running into Sherman.  “Hey, Lincoln, I’m getting ready to go.”

“
Go?  Where are you going?”
 

“
Orlando and I are going for coffee,” she said unable to contain the excitement in her voice.
 

Lincoln’s voice was high when she shrieked.  Anyone standing in earshot would hear her over the music. “I knew you two would hit it off.”

“
It’s just coffee, Lincoln.”
 

“
All right, sister.  Are you covered?”
 

“
Covered for what?  I have money if that’s what you mean.”
 

“
Oh for Pete’s sake, Regan; you have been sheltered by Mark too long. Do you have any condoms?  I’m sure Orlando carries some, but to be on the safe side, we have to protect ourselves if the moment arises,” she said digging through her purse and producing a pouch containing condoms.  She fished three from inside the pouch handing them to her sister. “This should hold you if he runs out.”
 

Regan hurried and covered Lincoln’s hand holding the condoms before anyone could see the multi-colored packages. “Damn, how many do you expect me to use in one night!  Besides, I’m not planning on having sex with Orlando.  I want to get to know him first.”

“
Oh please.  He’s a dreamboat, the moon is full, which means the freak in you should come out, and you’ve been dry for how long? Here, take all of them just in case a little somethin’ does jump off.”
 

Regan sucked her teeth taking the condoms and tucking them under the flap of her purse. “These won’t be necessary because nothing is going to happen.”  She turned to leave and stopped. “Oh, don’t wait up for me; I might get home really late.”

Lincoln laughed and gave her the played out three finger-snap.  “You go girl!”

Regan questioned her sanity.  She was leaving a place filled with people she knew to spend an evening with a man she knew nothing about.  Her common sense angel could not override the bad girl angel screaming in her ear to take that handsome firefighter, and have an adventurous night of fun with him.

Chapter Four

Orlando spread the blanket on the dry grass evenly.  He kept blankets and other emergency supplies in the trunk of his car as a precaution.  Nothing had happened to him personally, but a fellow firefighter had come across an accident on his day off during bad weather.  Because of the stash of emergency supplies he carried in his truck, he was able to assist the injured until help arrived.

Once he had the blanket situated to his liking, he took the tray of coffee and pastries from Regan and set it carefully on the ground.  He watched her take off her shoes and sit on the blanket folding her legs behind her.  The dress was snug around her thighs as she tucks it under her.

He was getting slightly aroused watching her and overheating in the dark clothing he had chosen to wear. 
Who wears heavy black clothing in the dead of summer?
He said to himself wishing he could shed the t-shirt.  Only he would do that and now he was sweating like a horny pig in a blanket.

Orlando was a man with a healthy sexual appetite he’d put on ice.  Lately though he’d been starving for female attention and didn’t know why.  Nothing in his routine had changed and he had not been out partying until tonight.  It was his own fault his sexual needs weren’t properly fed.  He could have any woman he wanted with a snap of a finger, but his anger towards his ex-wife ruined his sex life and his attitude towards life in general.

Back in the day, he’d broken many women’s hearts using the love ‘em and leave ‘em tactic.  When he joined the fire department, his quality for doing that intensified.  Maggie was the one woman to rope him into a solid relationship.  She had tricked and deceived him into believing something wonderful had come from their affair.  When in hindsight it hadn’t.  The marriage lasted two years, but he started loathing her six months into the marriage before finally filing for divorce.