by Marie Harte
Reggie laughed. “You mean the black sheep. Lone firefighter in a house full of cops. You’re brave, I’ll give you that.”
“Or crazy,” Brad added.
But Mack was lost in his own world. “Oh yeah. She’s fast, sleek, and sexy. Tuxedo black with white super sport stripes and a mirror finish.” He sighed. “Axel fixed the car up, and it’s cherry. Seriously amazing.”
“Sounds like Mack’s in a relationship, all right.” Reggie frowned. “A pathetic one, but he’s got it all the same.”
“I love her,” Mac crooned and closed his eyes.
Tex frowned. “Isn’t there some show about strange love or somethin’? I remember some guy getting it on with his car. Maybe you can tell them about you and Vella.”
Mack stuck up a finger with several suggestions to Tex about what to do with it.
“But Brad, that leaves you,” Reggie said.
“And you, to be technical about it,” Brad retorted. “When’s the last time you dated?”
The guys grew quiet, but Brad didn’t care. They’d tiptoed around Reggie long enough.
“I think you know.”
“I think we know Amy screwed you over.”
“Yep, so I’m taking a break.” Reggie showed a lot of teeth in that smile. “But you, you’re obviously into Lois Lane.”
Tex smirked. “I dunno, Reggie. Calling her that is gonna make Brad think he’s Superman. I mean, I’d peg him a lame Robin to my Batman, but no way he’s wearing a big S.”
“S for stupid.” Mack snickered.
Brad found himself grinning though Reggie was on his nerves, holier-than-thou about relationships when he had yet to come out of his shell after being dumped by his girlfriend. “Whatever. I’m amazing, and we all know that.”
The lieutenant happened to pass by, overheard Brad, and laughed his way into the back.
Reggie chuckled. “Okay, Superman. So why is dating the reporter so bad?”
Tex cleared his throat.
Mack coughed.
“Oh, I know all about her being nosy way back when. But she never said anything bad about you. Not her fault you hate being the center of attention.”
“Why are you a firefighter again?” Mack asked.
“But that was a lifetime ago,” Reggie cut in before Brad could tear Mack a new one. “This is now.”
Brad glared, but Reggie didn’t budge. Not that Brad could completely blame him. No one knew why he’d been so upset about being interviewed five years ago. It had been about so much more than recovering from a bad op in Iraq. It had been about losing Dana, about the real mess that had been his life, a secret he held dear, keeping Dana close now as he hadn’t back then. When he should have.
They could relate to a tough tour of duty, all of them having served, all of them having some skeletons rattling around in their closets. The reason they all got along so well—they knew about sacrifice and service. Brothers at heart.
Brad sighed, needing to be honest. If not with himself, at least with the guys who would never judge him. “Okay, Avery’s hot. I like her, kind of. I mean, not really. She’s annoying, but I can’t stop thinking about her. And I don’t date women I don’t like.”
In a low voice, Tex added, “You don’t seem to be dating women, period.”
Brad glared at him.
Tex leaned against the counter. “Sorry, but man, she’s into you. I can tell. And you’re into her. Why not see where it goes? Because I’m happy to offer her a shoulder to cry on when you strike out.”
“Strike out? My money’s on Brad.” Mack grinned, joining them. “You in, Reggie?”
“No. I don’t bet on my loser friends’ love lives.”
“Hey.” Brad frowned.
“No offense.”
“Offense taken, dickless.”
Brad darted to Reggie and avoided a headlock but not the hold nearly taking him off-balance. He mock-wrestled with Reggie, not having an easy time of trying to take the mammoth down, but they did grapple a bit, much to the amusement of Hernandez’s crew and the LT, who stood by the long, open counter, watching.
They broke up when another call came through, but this time Wash and Hernandez took it.
“Thanks, guys,” Brad said.
“Anything’s bettah than watching you two dance around each other,” Wash said, the tall Irish guy sounding as if he’d been dipped in Boston and rolled around in Maine.
Hernandez held up his middle finger.
Reggie returned it and muttered, “You’re such a dick.”
To Brad, Hernandez winked. “Good luck with the hottie tomorrow. We’ll be tuning in to see how many times you can feel her up or trip her before it’s over.”
Wash laughed. “Yeah, Hollywood. Go get her.”
“Asshole.” He watched them go and turned to Reggie. “You’re wrong about me but so right about Hernandez. He is a dick.”
“Amen.” Reggie nodded.
They finished cleaning up the station house and settled down to wait until changeover. Brad hurried to clean himself up, needing to clock out early to go do his spot with Avery. Once back in the common area, Brad said to the guys, “I’ve got Pets Fur Life to do but plan on working out today. Anyone for a run later?” A nice beginning to their next four days off, even if he did have to see Avery first.
Tex and Reggie nodded.
“Sorry, I have to take Vella out for some action.” Mack wiggled his brows.
Reggie shook his head. “It’s a car, Mack. And your relationship with it—not her—isn’t healthy.”
Mack sighed. “Look at that thing you drive. It’s no wonder you have no passion for a nice set of wheels.”
Tex cringed. “You make me sad, Mack. A nice set of breasts, sure. Some kind of ass, you bet. Wheels?”
“That counts.”
“If you’re fourteen and waiting for your balls to drop, sure.”
Mack and Tex started arguing.
Brad needed to unwind…and interrogate his brother about last weekend. “I’ll talk to you later about the run.”
Reggie winked. “Good luck with Avery. Ask her out, man. Don’t be weak.”
“Why? You going to take away my man card if I don’t ask her out?”
“I should. You’re just…sad.”
“Stop pitying me. Pity them instead,” He looked at Tex and Mack still arguing over breasts and cars.
“Good point. Later, Hollywood. And remember, we’ll all be watching.”
Brad groaned. “Thanks for that.”
Reggie watched him leave, still laughing.
Brad drove to the Searching the Needle Weekly office, wondering if Reggie had a point. Thoughts of Avery continued to plague him. He wanted to think of her as that nosy reporter, but each time he encountered her, he found something new to like. The way she fiddled with her glasses. Her love of bad horror movies. How cute she was falling asleep. That his friends could see right through him told him to wake up. He had chemistry with the woman. That he definitely knew.
What would it hurt to maybe see if they had anything else? What if they became friends? Maybe even lovers? He could admit to wanting to be with her with an almost obsessive desire.
The plan had merit.
Except she got under his skin and on his last nerve half the time. He argued with her the way he argued with no one else. And he liked it. Brad didn’t consider himself a contrary guy, so why did he continue to fight with Avery?
Tired and needing a break, he decided to save his questions for when he was more awake. Maybe after he and Avery nailed the morning segment. Brad would not look at her, touch her, or interact with her in any way that could be construed as rude or harassing.
That was the plan, anyway.
* * *
They had managed to handle the morning spot professionally
so far, though he hadn’t been able to stop from laughing when the cat demanded Brad let go of him to twine around Avery’s feet, which sent her into a sneezing fit.
“You aren’t funny, Battle,” she muttered and ordered him to collect the feline. “Mittens is very sociable,” she said to the camera. “More than some firefighters I might mention.”
Brad grinned as he picked Mittens back up. “It’s been said some cats can sense evil. I think Mittens is attracted to it.”
“Ha ha.” Avery shifted away from the large dog behind her, a mix of Bernese mountain dog and Doberman. “Ahem. Folks, also note Hugo here. He and Mittens came from the same home and are friends. We’re trying to adopt them together. Both friendly, great with kids and other pets, and totally housebroken.”
Mittens purred and kneaded Brad’s arm, digging his claws in. Brad smiled. “Mittens has his claws and can be both an in- and outdoor cat.”
“Aw, Brad. He likes you. You’re right. I guess cats can sense evil.”
And the segment went downhill from there.
All Brad’s intentions to play nice took a backseat to jibes and comments returned in a volley that didn’t stop. The phone kept ringing, and without Rupert in attendance, Avery would stop to pick it up, only to continually try to pair him up with callers.
Another episode of matching pets and people ended to thunderous applause. It seemed even more people had stopped by to watch them, this time with Brad’s captain laughing out loud with Avery’s boss.
“Great job, Battle. Keep it up,” his captain said after clapping him on the back. “Oh, and my wife wants a look at the cat and dog when you get a chance.”
Brad forced a smile. “I’ll have the Pets Fur Life people contact you, sir.”
Avery looked no happier, wearing a fake smile as she talked to her boss. She finished and walked over to him. “We need to talk.”
“Yep. But not there.”
He left the building and stopped at his car.
“And not here,” Avery said when he would have spoken. “We need to go somewhere private for this discussion.”
He sighed. “I need to change out of my uniform. We can do breakfast if you like. Follow me.” He took her to his home turf, intending to put this behind them and apologize. Why had he been such a dick today? What was it about Avery Dearborn that threw his sense of chivalry and common sense into the gutter?
Back at his apartment, as a show of good faith that he trusted her enough to enter his home—even if he didn’t quite feel the sentiment deep down—Brad waited for her to enter before closing the door behind her.
“Can we talk here instead?” she asked. “Where no one can overhear us?”
“Probably makes more sense. Something to drink?”
She sighed. “I could go for some coffee.”
“I can do that.” He fixed them a pot then leaned back against the kitchen counter. He took pride in his home, an updated end unit he paid extra for that afforded two bedrooms, a large living space, and an upgraded kitchen on the second floor. He had one neighbor next to him and one below him, both friendly and quiet.
“I’m sorry,” he said at the same time Avery did.
She blushed and rubbed her temple, no doubt reaching for glasses that weren’t there. “I don’t know what it is about you, but I can’t stop from being sarcastic. I wanted today to be friendly and polite. And somehow I think I called you a horse’s ass.”
“Yes, you did.” Brad shook his head. “I apologize for that crack about your two left feet.”
She frowned. “Yeah. Thanks.”
She took the cup he offered her, and their fingers brushed.
A bolt of heat shot its way through his hand and spiraled out to the rest of his body.
He should have been too tired to feel it and tried to ignore it.
“I appreciate you letting me come here. I realize this is your home, and I know how much it cost you to share it with me. You could have just met me at a diner or something.”
“But you wanted privacy.”
She nodded. “You and I have some issues to work through. I might as well get this out of the way.”
He raised a brow, waiting.
“I’m sorry, okay? I know I said it before, but I really mean it. Because you and I can’t seem to let the past stay in the past. Five years ago, I was pushy and invasive when you’d asked me to leave you alone. I sincerely regret it.”
“Thanks for saying that.”
“I’m not just saying it.” She ran a hand through her hair, and he tried to ignore how that casual move looked sexy. “Look, you were a big story, and I was new with the paper. I’m not making excuses for hounding you. That was all me. I will say I was young and trying to push past the ‘new girl reporter’ stigma at the paper. I wanted to prove something.” She paused and frowned. “I have issues, okay? There. I said it. Now you know something shaming about me.”
“Shaming?”
“Because I know how bad it was for you coming back here.” She swallowed hard, and he realized that though he’d been through a tough go, so had she. “I saw you break down with your mom. You didn’t know that, but I did. And I felt horrible about it. But my dad and the paper kept pressuring me to get the true story. Once the Pentagon cleared the operation and made it public, I was ordered to make you tell me, in your own words, what happened during the conflict overseas and how it affected you afterward. I had to get to the truth no matter what. I couldn’t let it go.”
She took a sip of coffee, collecting herself, and added, “It made me uncomfortable and just miserable, to be honest. But I was the girl with game back then because no one could get near you to talk to you. And you were a hometown hero.”
“I remember.” His voice came out grittier than he liked, but not for the reason she believed. He clearly recalled the pain of that time, his crying fits not because of his work in the Marines but because he’d been dealing with Dana’s death. The skirmishes in countries he’d done his best to forget had been terrible, but nothing nearly so personal as Dana passing.
“I’m sorry, Brad,” Avery said softly, her gaze compassionate. “I had no business prying into your life, and I have no intention of doing that again. Ever. The joking between us on air, that’s just fluff, you know?”
She stepped around the counter to face him. “I mean it. I was just messing with you about your dating life because you made me feel awkward.”
“I did?” Could she not see how she affected him? How her sincerity and kindness right now were killing his ability to remain distant, nice but aloof? His entire body seemed to buzz when near her, as if magnetically charged to connect.
“Well, you’re good-looking and charming and everyone seems to love you. I’m a klutz allergic to cats who fell over fake dog poop at an event I was covering.” She huffed. “I’m no one’s hero, and most of the city has never heard of me and never will…unless I’m humped by a large dog again.”
He was trying not to smile.
She saw it and ended up grinning with him. “So yeah, I felt awkward and embarrassed because there I am trying to do my job and this handsome town hero arrives to see it all—the same guy I emotionally tortured years ago. The same guy who made me question what the heck I was doing with my life.” She rubbed her temple. “Not sure why I’m telling you all this, but I wanted you to know I really am sorry. I know you hate the online stuff, and I wish you hadn’t gotten roped into it.” She held out a hand. “Friends?”
He stared at it, feeling full of…something. Attraction, hope, confusion. And over and above all, lust. He took her hand, and she must have felt some of the same desire because her cheeks turned a deeper pink.
“Avery, that was really sweet.” And surprisingly healing. “I’m sorry I seem to act like an ass whenever we’re together.”
“It’s okay. I deserved it.” She tried to tug
her hand back, but he wouldn’t let her.
“No, it’s not okay.” He pulled her closer. Her eyes widened as their distance decreased. “For the record, I don’t dislike you. You’ve been steadily growing on me from the festival.”
“Really?” She sounded breathless, her sky-blue eyes growing darker.
“Really, and that’s become a real problem for me.”
“It has?”
He pulled her in tight, almost hugging her as he stared down into her upturned face. “Yes, because I don’t kiss women I don’t like. And I sure the hell don’t want to sleep with them.”
She gaped. “Sleep with them?”
“Or am I the only one feeling this attraction?” He cupped her cheek, stroking her petal-soft lips with his thumb.
She groaned. “No, it goes both ways. And not liking you and wanting you is really annoying.”
“I know what you mean.”
She licked her lips, and he couldn’t help staring at her mouth. “So, ah, you want a kiss?”
“I want a lot more than that,” he admitted, “but we can start with a kiss.”
Before he could say any more, she dragged his head down and kissed him, sparking a fire that was bound to singe both of them at some point.
When he could come up for air, he stared down at her in shock, ready and willing to take her here and now. “Fuck.”
“Well, if you insist.” And she yanked him back for more.
Chapter Ten
Avery had never been so in lust with a man before. Needing him more than anything, she clawed at his clothes as they kissed. Brad backed her against the counter. Pinned between it and Brad, she could feel all of him when he leaned against her. Jesus, she had no idea how she’d waited this long, but she had to have him. Now.
“Bedroom?” she managed as he ran kisses down her cheek to her throat. When he sucked, she moaned.
He pulled back and tugged her by the hand to follow him, moving so fast she nearly had to run to keep up. “This way.” His voice was so deep. He wanted her, and that need only increased her own.
Inside his bedroom, he kissed her again. Her clothing fell away under his nimble fingers. She was naked and shivering when he pulled back.