by Hope Stone
Curves On Fire
Insta Love Alpha Male (Book 6)
Hope Stone
Copyright © 2020 by Hope Stone
In no way is it legal to produce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless written permission from the publisher. All rights are reserved. Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Contents
Special Invitation
Chapter 1: Sean
Chapter 2: Alice
Chapter 3: Sean
Chapter 4: Alice
Chapter 5: Sean
Chapter 6: Alice
Chapter 7: Sean
Chapter 8: Alice
Chapter 9: Sean
Chapter 10: Alice
Chapter 11: Sean
Chapter 12: Alice
Chapter 13: Sean
Epilogue
About The Author
Chapter 1: Sean
The smoke was thick as I made my way into the apartment. We were lucky that it was on the bottom floor and hadn’t spread… yet. I knew there was someone inside as there was a car parked in the bay outside. The flames weren’t too bad and Todd went to extinguish them as I searched for the person who lived there. I called out, but nobody responded.
Eventually, I heard coughing coming from the bedroom. I ran in and found her there. She was barely conscious, but it was a good sign that she was still coughing; it meant she was breathing. I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder. By the time I got her outside, the ambulance had already arrived and the fire had been put out.
As soon as the fresh air hit her lungs, she seemed to become more conscious. I put her down once we were inside the ambulance and the paramedics took over. I stayed and watched as she came back to life, worried and scared.
“My cat? Did you get my cat? He’s in the apartment… has anyone seen him?” she kept asking, still a little delirious. I looked around, but there was no sign of a cat. I looked back at the apartment. There was still quite a bit of smoke, but the fire was out.
I ran back in and tried to see through the smoke for any signs of a cat. I was about to give up when I saw the little guy hiding underneath the bed. He meowed loudly as I picked him up and ran back out.
By this time, the woman was sitting up and breathing on her own. She didn’t seem to be having any issues. The paramedic was running some routine checks on her. Her face lit up when I brought her cat out.
“Jagger!” She smiled. “Thank you so much. I was so worried about him. He likes to hide whenever other people are around. I didn’t think you’d find him,” she said to me.
“Yeah, well, I couldn’t let anything happen to this little guy. He’s far too cute,” I said. I was more of a dog person, but I loved all animals and I couldn’t leave the poor cat in the apartment with all that smoke.
The woman’s face changed and I guess the reality of what had just happened dawned on her and she was confused. “What happened? How did the fire start?”
“It started in the kitchen,” I told her. “We don’t know for sure what started it… but my guess is that it was faulty wiring. We’ll let you know as soon as we know. But the good news is that it didn’t spread. The bad news, however, is that your kitchen is going to need a lot of work before it’s functional again. However, it could have been a lot worse. You’re all right and that’s what matters… and so is Jagger.”
I didn’t usually spend too much time talking to people after I’d made sure they were okay. But there was something about this woman that made me want to sit down and have a chat… maybe assure her that everything was going to be all right. Waking up to a fire in your home can be really disconcerting and leave you with a lot of questions. Then again, as much as I didn’t want to admit it to myself, she was pretty damn gorgeous, especially for someone who’d just been choking on smoke only a few moments before.
I took a seat next to her. She looked thirsty and without thinking about it, I handed over the water bottle one of my men had given me a few minutes ago.
“You’re going to want to hydrate, okay?” I said with a smile.
“Oh, so you’re the paramedic now, Sean?” Tanya, the actual paramedic, said with a laugh.
“Yeah, okay, I’ll let you do your job. Just checking she’s going to be all right.” I turned to the young woman. “What’s your name, by the way?”
“I’m Alice Harrod.” She smiled and extended her hand.
I took my glove off and shook her hand. “Sean Malcolm. Pleasure to meet you… even though the circumstances aren’t great.”
She seemed to suddenly realize that she was sitting there in her pajamas and went a little red. I just smiled. I hadn’t failed to notice her lacy tank top and cotton shorts. But given that I’d had her over my shoulder a while ago, it didn’t seem like a big deal to me.
“Sean, it’s all clear here… we’re heading back to the station… you coming?” Todd called from the fire truck. It wasn’t really a question; I had to go with them. But it was weird. Something made me want to stay with the young woman and make sure she was okay.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m on my way,” I yelled back. Then I turned back to Alice. “Have you got a place to stay? You know, while they figure out everything with your kitchen?” I asked her as I got up.
“Yep, I’ll call my sister. She lives nearby.” She smiled reassuringly.
“You might want to take the little guy to get checked out by the vet after you’ve been cleared at the hospital. He seems fine, but smoke is a tricky bugger,” I added as I walked away.
I got in the fire truck and we headed back to the station. Todd looked at me. “She’s a little young for you, dude,” he laughed.
“I was just being courteous… she’s been through a lot,” I snapped back at him. “Also, I’m not that old. 46 is the new 36. I’m like a fine wine. I get better with age.” I laughed.
“You keep telling yourself that, old man.” He winked.
With my shift almost over, I went to hit the showers and wash off the smell of smoke. As I washed myself and got dressed, all I could think about was Alice. Throughout my long career, I’d saved many people… but I’d never thought about any of them while I was naked. There was something about her that made me want to get to know her. But maybe Todd was right; perhaps she was too young for me. She was definitely still in her twenties.
Chapter 2: Alice
I watched the gorgeous firefighter walk away. I couldn’t help it: even in my loopy state, I was staring. He’d been so nice to me, I couldn’t help but like him. Of course I knew that he was just doing his job. I was pretty confident in my curvy body, but he was a perfect 10 and there was no way he’d be interested in me.
And anyway, perhaps I was a little young for him. I could tell he was definitely in his forties, but he’d aged really well. His salt and pepper ha
ir and the subtle laugh lines around his eyes gave away his age. But his body, even under the fireman’s suit, I could tell was amazing. Also, he’d carried me out of my apartment building without even trying, so I knew he was strong.
I was thinking about the gorgeous fireman when my neighbor Sam arrived home from her shift at the local bar to find the fire department outside our apartment complex. She saw me and I explained what had happened. She was going to stay with her boyfriend and offered to take Jagger with her and I could collect him once I was cleared at the hospital.
After the whole building had been evacuated and they’d made sure that I was the only person who needed their attention, the paramedics took me to the hospital. I didn’t want to go, I hated hospitals, but it was procedure and it was best not to argue. After all, they were just trying to do their jobs and make sure that I was in perfect health.
When I got to the hospital, they put me in a bed and the doctor came to check on me. He seemed happy that everything was fine, but he wanted to run some tests just in case, especially since I’d been unconsciously inhaling the smoke before the handsome fireman came to my rescue.
“My advice is call who you need to call and then get some rest while we run some tests. You’ve been through a lot,” the doctor said kindly before he left to give the nurse some instructions.
I took out my phone. Luckily, it had been in the pocket of my shorts and hadn’t been damaged at all. I took a deep breath and called my older sister.
“Alice, what’s wrong? It’s not even 7 am, are you okay?” My sister was neurotic when it came to me on the best of days and calling that early certainly didn’t help.
“I’m okay, Jane, I swear. But there was a fire in my apartment and Jagger and I are going to need somewhere to stay for a while. Is it all right if we stay in your guesthouse?”
“Yes, of course you can stay with us. Are you sure you’re okay? Were you there when the fire happened? Where are you now? Can I come fetch you?” Jane barely took a breath between questions.
“I’m at the hospital while they run the last of the tests. They’re just double-checking that everything is all right, it’s procedure. I’ll call you when I’m ready to leave,” I said as calmly as possible. “But if you could pick up Jagger from Sam and her boyfriend, I’d really appreciate it,” I added.
“Who is the doctor? I’ll ask Geoff if he knows them. Maybe he can come check you out himself, make sure they’re doing everything by the book. But yes, I’ll collect Jagger for you.”
“Your brother-in-law is a world-class surgeon. I’m sure he has better things to do than check up on me,” I laughed. “Really, Jane, I’m fine. I just wanted to check in with you and let you know what’s happened. I have to go, I love you.”
My sister was amazing, but when it came to me, she could be a little over the top. She only wanted the best for me and I knew that. Our parents died in a car accident when I was 13 and she was 25 and she’d become my legal guardian. Since that moment, I don’t think she’d once stopped worrying about me.
My second call was to my boss. I needed to let her know that I wouldn’t be coming in that day. Lucy was always super understanding. I worked at a local advertising agency as an art director. And despite the industry being incredibly competitive and fast-paced, my boss was kind and truly caring. When I let her know that I needed a day off to make sure I was okay, she insisted that I take the rest of the week off to sort everything out.
After that, I knew that I could calm down and rest. Sleep came easily as the doctor had given me something to help me relax. I eventually woke up from the sound of someone walking in and talking to the nurse. I opened my eyes slowly. The clock on the wall said I’d been asleep for four and a half hours. Despite everything, I felt well-rested.
As soon as my eyes fully adjusted, I turned my head to see who had come in, ready to ask the doctor if the tests were done. But it wasn’t the doctor talking to the nurse; it was the fireman. He was out of his suit and in a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt, but I’d recognize that face anywhere.
He smiled when he saw that I was awake. “Hey, I just came to check that you were okay and give you an update on what started the fire.”
“Hi,” was all I managed to get out. My throat was dry and raspy. He handed me a glass of water from the table next to my bed as I sat up.
“Yeah, your throat might hurt for a while, but it’ll get better after a day or so,” he said softly.
“So what started the fire?” I asked, my throat still a little painful.
“It was the wiring on your oven. It was old and poorly installed. The landlord’s insurance should cover it all, but it may take a while to rewire the place and get you back in your home. I’m sorry about that,” he said.
“It’s not your fault,” I sighed. “And it’s fine, I can stay with my sister. She has a guesthouse on her property. The only problem is that she may never let me leave.” I coughed a tiny bit as I laughed.
“Overprotective sibling? I have a younger sister, so I get it,” he told me with a smile.
“Yeah, our parents died when we were young so she pretty much raised me from 13 onwards.” I didn’t know why I was telling a total stranger this, but something about him made me want to share it with him.
“I’m sorry to hear that. It must have been difficult,” he said softly.
Chapter 3: Sean
She was somehow still beautiful, even in a hospital bed. But that wasn’t the only reason I’d chosen to go visit her when I was technically finished with my shift. I’d rescued beautiful women before. That wasn’t it. There was something special about Alice, something in her eyes when she smiled. Maybe it was the way she spoke or maybe it was that she cared more about her cat than her material possessions. I’d dealt with many people after fires and they were generally distraught that their fancy television or computer had been destroyed. But she didn’t seem to care about any of that.
I sat down on the corner of her bed, not ready to leave yet. I know it was selfish and she probably just wanted to be left alone, but I run into burning buildings for a living… sometimes I get to be selfish and talk to the pretty woman, even though she may be a little too young for me.
“I’ll need to go through an incident report with you… for insurance and our records. But I don’t want to do that today. I know you’re probably still in shock. Maybe we can get together when you’re feeling a little better? Over coffee?” I added that last part even though I knew it was weird to be asking a woman out while she was in a hospital bed.
“Sure, I should be fine tomorrow.” She smiled. “But if it’s a hassle, I can just come by the firehouse.” She didn’t seem to understand that I wanted to see her away from work.
“I’ll be off shift tomorrow afternoon and I generally need to drink coffee so it’s not a hassle,” I laughed.
Just then the doctor came in and I knew that I was in the way, so I gave her my number and told her to give me a call when she was ready for that cup of coffee.
I was exhausted so I went home and took a nap that turned into dinnertime. Soon it was time for me to work the night shift. When I got to the fire station, Todd was already there. We worked all of our shifts together, so it wasn’t surprising.
“We need to get that incident report tomorrow. I can handle it if you’re busy with Suzy. I know Tuesday afternoons are your time with her.”
“No, I’ve got it. Suzy is on vacation with her mom and stepdad. I dropped by the hospital and gave Alice my number so we can go through it tomorrow.” I tried to act like it was no big deal, but Todd, unfortunately, knew me better than that.
“Wow, you really like this woman? I mean, you haven’t been on a date since Lizzy, so this is exciting… strange but exciting.”
I grunted at the mention of my ex. We hadn’t ended things on good terms, as she’d been unfaithful.
“I don’t know, there’s something about Alice that I can’t seem to let go of. And before you say anything, yes, I kno
w she’s much younger than me. But let’s be honest, I keep in shape… I’ve still got it.” I did a little joke dance move and laughed.
“Yeah, I’m on your side, dude. Just don’t want to see you get yourself hurt.” He added a pat on the back for emphasis.
“I fight fires for a living, Todd. I’ll be okay.”
The shift went pretty quickly. We only got two calls and they were both pretty minor with no real threat. Most of the time, we just played cards. That’s what the movies don’t show, the time we spend between calls when we’re just checking equipment and playing cards or eating dinner.
I managed to get a little sleep between calls and was wide awake when I left the station to go home. I kept checking my phone, like a high school girl waiting for her crush to text her back. I should have taken her number instead of giving her mine. I was used to being in control… but something about Alice made me want to be less of a control freak.
At around 11 am, she called me. She asked if we could meet up early in the afternoon as she had to box up her stuff at what was left of the flat to move. She sounded a little overwhelmed with everything that needed to be done.
“How about I meet you at your apartment with the coffee and I’ll help you with those boxes? I’ll bring my truck to move them,” I suggested.
“Are you sure? It’s a lot of work that you really don’t have to do. I mean, you’re probably busy or something.” She sounded really surprised that someone wanted to help her out.
“I’m not busy and I kinda like helping people. I guess that’s why I became a firefighter. So I’ll see you there at 2 pm?”