by Brynn Hale
BOSCOE
Passion Point Firefighters
Brynn Hale
Copyright © 2020 by Brynn Hale
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Thank you to authors Lana Dash, Mazzy King, Tarin Lex, Kate Tilney, Kali Hart, and Carly Keene for making this journey one I’ll never forget. YOU are MY writing everything.
Contents
BOSCOE
1. Jessica
2. Boscoe
3. Jess
4. Boscoe
5. Jessica
6. Boscoe
7. Jessica
Epilogue
About the Author
BOSCOE
BOSCOE by Brynn Hale
Fighting fires. Forbidden love temptation. Family complications.
It's all in the Passion Point Firefighter series.
Boscoe--I didn't know she was my best friend's sister. Jessica's hotter than a five-alarm fire and I can't stay away from the heat. She might be young, but she's not naive. I'm ready to end my bachelorhood. She's the one for me.
Jessica--My half-brother is protective, it's amusing, and annoying. Boscoe's sweeter than Mom's peach pie and I'm gonna eat him up. I'm young, but I know what I want. Brother, don't make me choose.
Boscoe is the first SHORT story in the Passion Point Firefighters is a STEAMY, Instalove, Alpha male collection of stories.
Chapter One
Jessica
“Hey, Dairen, are you on your way?” I press my cell phone to my shoulder with my head as I add a little more ginger ale to the punch with one hand and stir with the other. Why they put the brand new paralegal—as in me—in charge of the Friday gathering to learn something that isn’t law is beyond me. I roll my eyes. Oh, that’s why…new. Probably some sort of hazing. I’ll show them. I’m bringing in the big guns. Firefighter guns.
He clears his throat. “Sorry, Jessica, I’m gonna have to send my buddy to cover for me. I promise, I wouldn’t if I didn’t have to.”
Disappointment covers me, but I try to keep the pep in my voice. “Oh, that’s too bad. No worries. I was really looking forward to seeing you. Hope everything is okay.”
“Yeah, all good.” His voice muffles. I hear a garbled voice in the background that sounds like someone said something about a doctor. “Jessica, I have to go. Can we do dinner next week at that new place in town that you’ve wanted to go to?”
“Yeah sure…but…”
“Thanks. I’ll talk to you soon, sis.” The line goes dead.
“But who is this guy?” I say since Dairen never actually told me his name.
I’ve only really felt like a sister for a month. I know that’s weird. Dairen’s mom is my mom. His dad isn’t my dad. Half-siblings. We’ve known about each other for a while, but since his parents divorced when he was thirteen, and I came along that next year, we had little in common with a fourteen year difference in age. But since I didn’t have any other siblings and now that I was older, I was hopeful we could have a relationship. Actually, I’m hoping he isn’t just blowing me off. Dairen doesn’t seem like that, but who knows.
My new coworkers start filing in and consuming my lemon bars, chocolate chip cookies, veggie tray, and snack mix.
“Excellent food, Jessica,” one of the lawyers toasts me with his half-eaten cookie. “You wanna go get a drink with me tonight?”
“Nope. I don’t date coworkers, Justin. Ever.”
He leans closer. “What if I quit?”
“Still a no.”
“I could fire you and then you…”
He continues to ramble, but I ignore it all. I roll my eyes with my back turned. In two weeks, I’ve dodged about fourteen proposals ranging from drinks to dinner to a weekend on Martha’s Vineyard about an hour away. Never been there, never wanted to either.
When he finally takes a breath, I face him. “I’m…I’m seeing someone.” The words come flying out of my mouth and much louder than I should in a cozy conference room. The room quiets.
Justin’s hand rests on my lower back. “Can we meet him?”
“Sure…” I slide away from my touchy-feely coworker. My gaze connects to a man in a form-fitting, red T-shirt with an emblem that says, Passion Point Firefighters, standing in the doorway, leaning casually, just watching.
And no time like the present.
I cross the room quickly and using a hand on his toned bicep, I guide him into the hallway. “Are you here for the CPR presentation?”
“Bingo. Where should I set up?”
“I’m Jessica.” I slip my hand into his and he stills. “Just play along, please.”
His scruffy jaw pops into a smirk. “Is this some sort of prank? I’ve evaded one of Dairen’s tricks for too long. Is that what this is?” His hazel eyes glance behind me. “Is he here?”
Justin rounds the corner. “We gonna get this show on the—”
“I missed you today.” I move quickly, raising to my tiptoes, I push on the firefighter’s shoulders and his back cracks against the wall. I crush my lips to his, so soft and puffy. His hands quickly grasp my waist, crisscrossing low on my back to pull our bodies close.
“Whoa. Okay you two, get a room.” Justin huffs and leaves.
I should stop kissing this stranger, but there’s something in his kiss that keeps me locked to him. One of his hands slips into my curly brown hair and it adjusts my head and his tongue slips out and asks for permission to join mine. And that simple move snaps me from my kiss-fog.
I draw back from him. “Wow.”
He chuckles. “Glad I’ve still got it. Been a little while.”
I find that hard to believe, but inside I’m thankful that I didn’t just kiss a married man.
He licks his lips. “Lemon?”
Aflush rushes over my chest and up my face. “Lemon bras…I mean bars are inside. You can help yourself.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” He winks.
“I mean help yourself to the food in the room, after you give us the CPR lesson.”
“Oh…so this isn’t one of Dairen’s pranks?”
I shake my head and a long sigh tumbles from me. “No, I was just trying to get that coworker off of my back. Literally. He wants to date me, and I don’t want to date him or do anything with him.”
His jaw tightens and points a thumb into the room. “That weaselly one who poked his head out here?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. Justin. If you could just go along with being my boyfriend just for this. I promise, I won’t kiss you again and you’ll never have to see me again.”
Even if I really, really want to kiss those crimson lips again. I’ll just keep my lips to myself. You can do this is.
His eyes darken, that hazel turning sparkling topaz. “And what if I’d like to see you again, Jess? And maybe another kiss…”
I step back. “I…I don’t know.”
“Okay, well, then let’s go out tonight and find out if you’ll know.”
Am I really going to do this?
I look up into those swirling eyes. “Okay…”
Chapter Two
Boscoe
Damn the woman can kiss, but she’s got to be at least ten years younger than me. I’m sure she’s of legal drinking age, but as I gaze into those bright brown eyes, I’m questioning t
hat. Definitely an adult. I can’t imagine lawyers hiring someone right out of high school.
Dairen called me thirty minutes ago, frantic to find someone to fill in for him last minute. I started my 96 hours off from my job at the Passion Point Fire Station this morning and was planning on getting some laundry done. Kind of. Dairen’s call was actually good timing. Avoidance of laundry is a skill.
And although I didn’t know who this insistent woman was, but I was ready to find out. And that was more than just avoidance of the laundry pile in the laundry room.
This is something…else.
“Great. Let’s get this over with.” I grab the CPR manikin bag from the other side of the door. I slip my hand into hers. “Ready, honey?”
A long shiver rockets through her body and I feel it as she tightens her hand in mine.
“You okay?” I ask.
“I’m great. But…could I know your name?”
“I go by Boscoe.”
“Is that your first or last name?”
“Last, but I don’t go by my first.”
“Okay, Boscoe, it’s nice to meet you.”
I lean down and place a short kiss on her cheek. “Very nice to meet you, too, Jess.”
Her long dark eyelashes flutter and my cock does the same in my pants. I admonish him and keep control.
“Let’s do this.” She drags me behind her. A woman with a mission and I wonder what mission: to get us to dinner or to show that asshole who she belongs to. I’m fine with either, just wondering.
Belongs to? A part of me likes how that sounds. Not that any woman is property, but I like the thought of being at least partly responsible for this woman’s happiness, and satisfaction. It’s been a few months…okay, that’s a lie…a couple years…since I satisfied anyone. A big batting slump. Honestly, I was tired of the whole game. I wasn’t getting anywhere dating women my age. No one made me think that I’d want to wake up with them in my arms, but this woman…I can almost already imagine her soft shape, spooned in the curve of my body.
“Hello everyone, if you could take a seat please and we’ll get started.” I love how she commands the room. Her back straight and her voice firm.
The room quiets and all twelve people stare at us.
She looks up at me and gives me the nod. “You’re up.” Those pink lips turn up and I have to tear my eyes away.
“Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Boscoe. I’m with the Passion Point firefighters and I’m here to give you a crash course in CPR.” Crash course because I can’t wait to take Jess to dinner.
I know what she said—Jessica—but she looks like a Jess to me. However, knowing that I’m not a fan of my first name—Avery—I’ll call her whatever she damn wants.
I wrap an arm around her and kiss her temple. “Thank you to Jessica for inviting me. I don’t know what I’d do without this woman. She’s my rock.”
The ladies in the room all do a long “aww” and Jess stares up at me adorably and her hand presses into my chest, my skin heats under her touch. “Right back at ya, Boscoe.”
I stare right at Justin. “Okay, now that you all know the big news that this she’s taken, sorry guys. Let’s get down to business.”
Twenty-minutes later, I have Justin on his knees and he’s pressing on Rescuci-Mike, breathing like he’s run a marathon.
“No. Not like that. Faster, Justin.” He speeds up his compressions. “Not that fast. Sing ‘Dancing Queen’ to us so we know you’re doing the right pace.”
His eyes glare up at me. “What?”
“You know…” I start singing and the ladies all join in. Soon all of them serenading the jerk and Justin’s brow drips sweat as I motion for him to continue. If this asshole ever thinks of looking at Jess again, I’ll do more than embarrass him in front of his coworkers. I don’t know what, but I’ll figure it out. Let’s hope I don’t have to.
“Why am I the only one doing this?” He looks up winded.
“Oh, of course, please, everyone take an opportunity.” I motion and they all get in a single file while they continue to sing and dance. I walk over to where Jess is standing. “How’d I do?”
Her teddy bear brown eyes flash up to mine. “Perfect.”
“Well, I’m not perfect.” I pretend to have some humility, even if I’ve been told over and over that I have an abundance of self-esteem by Dairen, but he’s one to talk. Twenty-seven company saves to my twenty-one. I’d think the man has a death-wish if I didn’t know him better than that.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. “Gotta take this. I’ll be right back.”
She touches my arm and my skin sizzles. “Thank you.” Her gaze is so deep that I can feel it penetrating a place I swore I’d never open, but there she is, at the door and I’m letting her walk through like she owns the place. Owns me.
“Anything for you, Jess.”
I step into the hallway. “Hey, Dairen.”
“Hey, how’d it go?”
“Good. Really good.”
“Thank you. I appreciate this.”
I lean back against the wall and run a hand through my hair. “No problem. Glad to help out.”
“And hey, tell my sister that I’m sorry, again, please and I’ll see her at dinner tomorrow night.”
“Oh, one of these women is your sister?”
“Yeah, Jessica Saunders.”
Oh, shit. But maybe there’s more than one Jessica in there. It’s not an uncommon name.
“I…I’ve known you for like ten years. You never said anything about a sister.”
“Long story, bro…”
His voice muffles but I hear, a voice in the background ask him if he has any metal piercings or tattoos. And realize that’s something they asked me before my MRI for a back injury.
“You doin’ okay, Dairen?” I ask.
“Gotta go. Thanks again, Boscoe. I owe you one.” He hangs up.
I step back into the conference room and watch the spitfire surprise-kisser making more punch and getting kudos on her treat table. While everyone is still singing “Dancing Queen” and people take turns on Rescuci-Mike.
I remember how my hands sunk into her pillowy hips and how when I pressed our bodies together, she was tantalizing and mind-bending. Those fast and furious curves make me sigh. More to love.
But if she’s Dairen’s sister, that might make this a tricky situation. It isn’t a set rule, but it is a bro-code. On the other hand, I’d waited for years for someone to come along and light a fire under my ass to make me consider a future with someone. And this woman had done that and more in one fucking kiss.
I walk back into the room.
“Everything okay?” she asks, that sweet voice settling into me.
Bow out. Bow out gracefully. Just fucking ask for a raincheck on dinner.
“I was thinking dinner at this new place in midtown.” I can’t help myself. I’ve been caught in a backdraft before, but this…this shit scares me.
“Season 617?” she asks hopefully.
“Yeah, that’s the place. Have you eaten there?”
She pushes her hair behind her ear, and I see how delicate they are. That tiny drop that I’d like to brush with my tongue, sucking lightly until she gasps and maybe releases a tiny, happy giggle. “No, but my brother—”
“Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds, but I don’t think that I’m doing it right.” A thin woman grimaces as she says, “And since we have a pool in our backyard, I’d like to really get it down, Boscoe.”
“Go…” Jess motions me away.
I will, but I don’t want to go. I really want to stay and learn about this young fawn. She’s so bright eyed and I haven’t felt this rush in twenty years. Back when I had another young woman at my side, curious and sweet. I loved her, then a simple mistake, and she was gone. I failed to do what I’d told her I would do…protect and love her forever.
I join the group and help them to start a new song while I instruct the willowy woman on the pacing and proper procedure
. This time “I Will Survive” is the hit of the day. The room joins in. My skills at karaoke come in handy and Jess throws her head back with a long laugh.
To see that smile every day…
Chapter Three
Jess
I close up my office and he’s there waiting, leaning back against the wall. Those long legs crossed at the ankles and a half a plastic body thrown over his shoulder in a fireman carry. I wish I could imagine him throwing me over his shoulder, but my love of food and genetics makes that only a dream. I’ve got the bootie. I’ve got the boobies. And I’ve got the jiggly-bits. But honestly, I love it all and wouldn’t want it any other way. And from what I can see in Boscoe’s eyes I think he wouldn’t either.
I lock my door. “Ready?”
“Yup. I need to run by the station and return Mike here.” He pats his assistant’s back. “You want to come along?”
“What about my car?”
“I’ll bring you back tomorrow morning…I mean tonight after dinner.”
I tip my head. “Now, don’t go making grand plans in your head, Mr. Boscoe.”
He steps close and his fingers slip a lock of my hair behind my ear, his fingers brushing along the outer curve and grazing the fleshy drop. “I have plans, Jess. I have big plans for you.”
I see the storm in his eyes. He like a hurricane, swirling and pounding inside of my head. I know I should be saying, “Slow down” but a part of me wants to go faster. To ride the tidal wave and allow this man to tow me under.
I take a deep breath. “I’m hungry, let’s go.”
I spin on my three-inch, gray suede heels. Fridays are casual, so my jeans are perfect for a night out on the town. I might’ve opened up a couple buttons on my short sleeved, silk shirt. Not to give the goods away, but to make sure he knows there are goods. I remember being pressed to his body.