by T Gephart
“Either you’re assuming I can’t deal with a mess or that I’ve never done it before. And before you answer which it is, I’ll remind you that neither of those is flattering for me. So go to bed, let me take care of it, and then I’ll show you what other manly things I’m capable of.” It wasn’t so much a warning as a promise, determined to get her estimate of an hour shaved down to thirty minutes. Then I had other plans, ones I was very much looking forward to.
Her tongue flicked across her lips, a sexy moan spilling out that made me instantly hard. “That is probably one of the hottest things I’ve ever heard. A man offering to clean my kitchen and then come to my bed. How I haven’t orgasmed already is a mystery.”
“Just go get naked, wiseass.” I playfully smacked her ass, not entirely sure if she was serious or joking. I’d never made a woman orgasm with words alone, but I was up for the challenge.
Her hands gripped the front of my shirt, fingers slipping underneath and tracing my abs. “Promise me you’ll wake me if I fall asleep.”
I shook my head, willing to curl up beside her and let her sleep. “Hayden.”
“Promise or I won’t go.”
She didn’t move, locked in a staring competition I didn’t want to win. Hell, my dick had already agreed, volunteering to be the one who woke her if she happened to doze off.
“Fine, I’ll wake you.” I spun her around in my arms, facing her toward the bedroom. “Naked. Bed. You.” The instructions as clear as I could make them.
She nodded, turning around and pulling me down for one final kiss. “Careful Mack, you’re going to make it really hard for me to ever leave you. And I know how creepy that sounds, and I’m still saying it.”
“Sweetheart, you’re assuming that hasn’t been my plan all along. And I know how creepy that sounds, and I’m still saying it.”
As far as I was concerned it was a done deal, and I wasn’t going anywhere.
Hayden
SOMETHING HAPPENED WHEN meeting Quinn and Riley.
Like a switch that had been long dormant had suddenly been flicked.
I’d heard them talking when I was in the kitchen, their private conversation about me initially making me want to pretend I hadn’t heard. It’s what I would’ve done months ago, smiled as I returned and played along. But for the first time in a really long time, I didn’t want to, wanting to return to that girl in that club who didn’t back down from what she wanted. And the one thing I knew was I really wanted Mack.
And not for a meaningless one/two/three-night stand which I clearly sucked at.
Nope, I wanted more.
Needed more.
And knew that it had to be with him.
So I ditched the Spanx, the dress, the façade I’d been trying to create and went with the me I’d shown Mack. It was liberating, and not just because I was no longer encased in shapeware. And guess what? They liked me anyway.
And when Mack came to bed—after the ultimate foreplay that was cleaning my kitchen—we made love like I didn’t think was possible. It wasn’t just sex, a silent understanding passing between us when he looked in my eyes that it was more.
And for someone who didn’t want to be in a relationship, I’d found myself in one.
We saw each other as often as we could. It was challenging—with my two jobs and his rotating shifts—but we made it work. And for two whole weeks, I’d been walking on air.
“You sure about this. My nephews can be a bit . . .” How could I phrase ‘hyperactive lunatics’ without making it sound like I didn’t love them? “High strung.”
Gayle had demanded to meet Mack especially after hearing I’d met Riley and Quinn. Not that it was a competition, but she very clearly illustrated that his family and friends had met me. And other than exchanging some inebriated pleasantries with Penny, Mack hadn’t gotten the full “Hayden experience.”
“You’ve met some of the guys I work with. As well as Riley and Quinn. You think a six and eight-year-old are going to scare me away?” he chuckled, having no idea that Dean and Luka weren’t average six and eight-year-olds. “Just ring the buzzer already. I love kids and it’s freezing.”
While there was no snow on the ground, the artic chill was unforgiving as we stood outside on the stoop. And even though Gayle and Matthew only lived a couple of blocks away from my condo, their street was littered with do-gooder neighbors who would call the cops if we loitered too long outside their beautiful house with a yard.
“Okay, okay. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Figuring we were already deep in the hole, I pressed the buzzer, preparing myself for the onslaught.
Like demons had been summoned, the thundering footsteps and shrieking came soon after, Mack standing rock solid as the door flew open.
“Aunty Hayden!” Luka ran full speed toward us, tossing himself into my arms with no regard for his personal safety. “Did you bring treats? I want candy.”
“Luka,” I gasped, just managing to catch him before a trip to the emergency room was required. He’d already had two broken arms in the last two years and I didn’t want to be responsible for a third. “You need to slow down. And no candy until after.”
Dean, the older of the two, had yet to make his appearance which could only mean bad things. He wasn’t shy, so it was unusual for him not to be beside his brother, his position finally revealed when both Mack and I were assaulted by a barrage of Nerf bullets. “Got you both!” he screamed from his perch beside the couch.
“You can still leave,” I whispered, a wriggling six-year-old still in my arms and Nerf bullets tangled in my hair. “Turn around, Mack, and run.”
It was too late for me, but he could still make it and head back to the safety of his nice place in Midtown.
“I’m not leaving, Hayden. And nothing they do or you say is going to change my mind.” He shook his head, his feet staying right where they were beside me.
Obviously he was some kind of saint.
“Luka, Dean! I thought I told you not to answer the door.” Gayle’s voice was firm but kind, wiping her hands on a tea towel as she walked toward us. “I’m sorry guys, please, please come in.”
Originally the plan was for dinner. Mack and I would come visit Gayle, Matthew and the boys and sit down for a meal where they would be free to grill him, or whatever else was required for the family meet-and-greet. But Dean and Luka were going to make that difficult. Mainly because dinner wasn’t so much of a meal as it was a three-ring circus. Food went flying, arms and legs flailed, and conversation was reduced to shouting over the mayhem. So I thought it would be better to take a field trip instead, Mack generously escorting all of us to the fire station on his day off.
“I’m Mack, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Mack held out his hand to Luka, who was spider monkey crawling up my torso. Luka slapped him a high five instead of a handshake. “And it’s good to meet you too.” His hand extended to Gayle.
Gayle grinned, giving me an appreciative nod and completely throwing me under the bus. “Likewise, glad I’ve finally got the chance. I’ve heard so much about you.”
With hellos being exchanged, Gayle ushered us into the house, demanding Dean cease fire. Dean emerged to greet us, each hand occupied with foam-based weaponry as he nodded. “My dad says you’re Aunty Hayden’s new boyfriend and you better not be a douche. Just letting you know—if you are—I’ve got plenty more where these came from.” He waved his plastic blasters like a South American drug lord.
“Jesus,” I sighed under my breath, my cheeks flushing red.
Mack didn’t laugh, which is what I expected from a grown man being cautioned by a child. Instead he sank to his haunches, getting eyelevel with Dean and held out his hand. “I could tell you I’m not a douche, but you have no reason to believe me yet. So how about we shake hands and get to know each other better, so I can prove it to you instead.”
Dean’s lip jutted out, considering the offer before ditching one of his blasters and slapping Mack’s hand in a shake. “
Yeah, okay.”
With a peace deal brokered, and hopefully the capacity of further embarrassment shelved, Gayle hustled the boys upstairs to put their toys away while we walked into the living room where my brother Matthew was waiting.
“Hayden,” he nodded to both of us before stepping forward. “Mack.”
“Matthew.” Mack held out his hand and shakes were exchanged.
It was tense, Matt attempting to play the part of a concerned brother with a conservative detached glare. But at five-eleven, he was coming up “short” against Mack’s six-three in the intimidation department. That wasn’t even taking into account the weight difference, my brother’s job selling real estate not leaving a lot of time for the gym. And while he’d thrown a punch or two in his younger days, he was more versed in Mortal Kombat on the PlayStation than going a few rounds in an alley.
“Okay, you can stop, Matthew,” I warned, not needing the pissing contest.
While I appreciated the effort, it reeked of too little, too late. He’d never so much as raised a brow when Cooper was treating me as his live-in maid, forgetting to turn up to family occasions. Even going so far as asking me to reconsider when I finally moved out and left my husband.
He—like my parents—couldn’t understand why I’d walk out on a steady man with a decent job, chalking it up to me being bored. It took a lot of time before he finally understood how unhappy I’d been, the corpse of my marriage rotting away along with my self-esteem.
Matt tipped his chin, ready to argue. “I’m just—”
“I know what you’re just doing,” I cut him off, wondering if I was cursed when it came to first impressions. “But I’m an adult and can take care of myself. And I’m really happy.” I looped my arm through Mack’s, sidling up to his body. “So you don’t have to worry.”
Mack had been silent during the whole exchange, not buying into Matt’s initial hostility and remaining neutral. I was positive no one was that Zen, his ability to observe instead of act an impressive feat I couldn’t help but admire.
“I’m not going to hurt her,” Mack added when it was clear I was done. “But like I told your son, I have no issue with you coming to that judgment on your own. Likewise, I feel it’s only fair that I let you know I’m not going to let anything come between me and your sister. So if she wants me gone, that’s going to have to come from her, and not you.”
Chills traveled up and down my spine, Mack making it clear that, while he hadn’t participated in the initial chest-thumping, he was far from lying down. That was exactly Mack’s way, able to temper the extremes of the spectrum with just the right measure.
“Coming through!” hollered Luka, his coat in his hand as he barreled into the living room. “We going to see the trucks yet? I want to turn on a hose! Oh, can we go see a fire? I want to turn on the lights and siren.”
Dean rolled his eyes, his impatience with his younger brother growing daily. “You can’t see a fire, dummy. They don’t let kids do that. You need to wear a special suit.”
Mack grinned, giving the boys his full attention. “That’s right. They’re called turnouts and we wear other protective gear as well. And if there’s a call you’ll be able to see the guys get suited up, but then we have to let them go do their jobs, okay?”
Luka pouted, clearly disappointed he wasn’t going to be riding shotgun to an alarm. “But I wanted to turn on the lights and siren.”
“Oh buddy, we can do that right in the bays. No fire necessary.” Mack laughed.
Dean tried to not show his excitement, probably thinking he was too old to be impressed. “Won’t you get into trouble?”
Mack leaned down, trying to get as close to their level without folding himself in half. “Hard to get in trouble when you’re the boss.”
“Cool!”
“All right!”
Cheers from the boys erupted as they took turns high fiving Mack. Even Matt seemed impressed, giving his wife a hug while he witnessed his hellions being tamed.
It was so endearing to watch, my ovaries clenching at the thought of him raising a child from birth.
A baby.
Our baby.
God, I couldn’t even think about it. It was waaaaaaaay too soon in our relationship to even talk about kids, and with my biological clock more like a ticking time bomb, I wasn’t sure there’d even be a chance. So putting aside something that was probably never going to happen, I grabbed Luka and flipped him upside down. “Just remember I’m still your favorite even after he shows you all the cool stuff.”
We arrived at Mack’s station in Midtown shortly before noon. While we’d attempted to stay at Gayle and Matt’s house a little longer, the boys were growing impatient. So the conversation was going to have to wait, Matt and his family following us in their SUV while I rode with Mack in his truck.
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Mack cursed, pulling into the parking lot of his station, four men I didn’t recognize waiting on us.
“Chief!” One of the men grinned, his hand going to my door and opening it. “Was beginning to think you weren’t coming. Hey Hayden, where’s the fam?”
I laughed, stepping outside the truck. “Hi, they’re on their way, got caught up at a light.”
Mack walked around to where I’d stepped out. Pointing to each of the four and blowing out a frustrated breath. “Hayden, this is Casey, Anderson, Phillips, and James. It must be a slow day.”
“Come on, Chief, you know there’s no such thing.” The one he called James winked. “But we heard you were bringing visitors for a tour and wanted to make sure we rolled out the red carpet. Cap warned us to be on our best behavior.”
Anderson stepped forward. “And Tibbs was here earlier, told us you were dating a hottie. Had to come out and see for ourselves.”
Mack shook his head, dropping a quick kiss on my forehead. “He was right. And now you’ve seen her. Why was Tibbs here, anything I need to know about?”
One of the others—I couldn’t remember if it was Casey or Anderson—was about to fill him in when Matt’s SUV pulled up. Dean and Luka’s eyes opened wide when they saw the four, dressed in their station blues.
“Save it,” Mack instructed, walking over to the SUV and helping the kids out.
Luka and Dean could barely contain their excitement, ignoring my brother and sister-in-law’s calls to slow down as they raced toward us. Not wasting any time, they got busy making friends, Luka asking where the trucks were, while Dean wanted to see the protective gear.
“Okay, let’s go inside and start the tour.” Mack’s authoritative voice called everyone to attention. “Boys, you stick with me. Important people need to be up front.”
Like he’d promised them flashy new iPhones, they snapped to his side like diligent recruits. It was impressive to see, following behind them with Matt and Gayle as he took us into the station.
“This is the breakroom, or the dayroom, and we have all our meals in here.” We spilled out into a large dining room, the tables and chairs empty. “And if your parents say it’s okay, we might see if we can rustle up some ice cream sundaes later.”
Both boys cheered, their hero worship increasing, and we’d barely started. “Let’s go check out the rest of the station.”
Mack went from room to room, explaining its purpose. He stopped, answering any questions along the way, and introducing us to anyone who happened to be around. It was fascinating, seeing where he worked. The weight room was more impressive than some of the gyms I’d seen, Gayle and I needing a moment or two to stop and appreciate it. Of course that had nothing to do with the couple of guys in there working out with their shirts off, Matt rolling his eyes when his wife suddenly stopped talking.
“Don’t get any ideas.” Mack grinned, whispering in my ear. “And if you want someone to take their shirt off, all you have to do is ask.”
I bit my lip, secretly thrilled he was a little jealous as I discreetly ran my hand down his chest. “Funny you say that, because I know exactly how I want
to eat my ice cream sundae.”
Mack laughed, linking his fingers with mine as we moved into the bays.
The doors were shut, three massive shiny trucks parked side by side aweing everyone into silence. It was strange that an inanimate object demanded such reverence, but to say they were impressive would be an understatement.
“This one is called a Ladder,” Mack went on to explain, moving us all closer to the largest one. “And it does more than just put out fires. It can get us in places normal trucks can’t, get on top of the flames so we can run lines into buildings, facilitate ventilation, and of course, search and rescue. And that ladder on the back can go a hundred feet in the air.”
Luka tilted his head back, taking it all in. “That’s so high. Don’t you get scared?”
Mack laughed, resting a hand on his shoulder. “That’s what training is for. You don’t have time to be scared when you’re on a call. You are doing your job, concentrating really hard and making sure that everyone gets to go home at the end of the day.”
It was a really good way of putting it, and I was positive there were times that some people didn’t make it home. Mack answered more questions about the difference between engines and ladders, and finally sat the boys in the cabin of the biggest one. He hit a switch that opened the bay doors, helping me into the truck with the kids before climbing in himself.
“Everyone ready?” he asked, grinning almost as wide as Luka and Dean. “It’s about to get loud.” He nodded to Gayle and Matthew who decided they’d catch the action from the ground.
The wail of the siren pierced the air, both the boys laughing as they covered their ears. Next came the lights, the flashing beams bouncing off the brick walls inside the bays. It was amazing, my pulse racing even though all we were doing was sitting stationary. And I could only imagine the surge of adrenaline you’d face if it were real.
Mack had just killed the siren and the lights when a call came in. The boys getting their wish, Mack helping us out of the truck so that Dean and Luka could go see the men get into their turnouts.