by Jane Jamison
“Don’t ever talk about a lady that way again.” His voice was sultry and low like a moonlit night.
Jack gripped the man’s hands but couldn’t pry them off him. “Who the hell are you?”
“Like we said…” the second man came closer and wrapped his arm around her waist. He pulled her against him. “We’re friends of Marlee.”
A tremble broke free to speed its way through her limbs. Whoever they were, they held her spellbound. They looked enough alike to be brothers with their black hair, strange silver eyes, and square jaws. If any men could make her feel like a damsel in distress and like it, it was these two men.
“What’s all the ruckus about?” Walt stuck his head around the corner of the door. “Is everything all right, Marlee?”
She hesitated long enough to earn a warning glare from Jack. “Yeah. We’re fine.” She linked her arm around the stranger’s waist. “Walt, these are a couple of my friends.”
“Yeah?” Walt waited, obviously anticipating more of an introduction.
The man holding Jack turned him loose. “I’m Colter Radison, and this is my cousin, Ridge Radison.” He put his back to a fuming Jack as though he knew he wasn’t in any danger.
“You better think about it, Hendrickson.” Jack stormed past Colter then shoved against Walt’s shoulder as he rushed from the room.
Ridge eased away from her, leaving her feeling bereft. “Was it something I said?” he joked.
How could a small hug make her feel so weak and wobbly? And yet, it had. “Hopefully, what you said will keep him away forever.”
Now that Jack had gone, she wanted them alone with her, but how could she get the idea across to Walt without flat-out saying so? Sometimes it took more than a hint to get her friend to understand.
“Walt, would you mind giving us a little time alone with Marlee?” Ridge’s movement toward Walt was graceful yet oozing with power.
Walt glanced at her. If push came to shove, he wouldn’t be able to hold his own against the two virile men, but he’d give it his best effort. He was that kind of a friend. “Is that what you want, Marlee?”
“It’s fine. They’re friends.” She didn’t like lying, but if she told him the truth, he’d call in the other guys and demand who they were. They’d protect her as a woman more than as a coworker. Although she knew it was well intentioned, it still bugged her that they still saw her first as a woman and not a fellow firefighter.
Getting Walt to leave was the main thing. She wanted to know about these amazing men who’d shown up out of the blue, but she didn’t want an audience.
“You need anything, you holler. Got it?”
“You can count on it.”
“Okay then.” Walt eased the door closed behind him.
“Who are you guys?”
Colter acted surprised, his dark eyebrows lifting. “Didn’t we introduce ourselves? This is my cousin, Ridge, and I’m—”
“You know what I mean. Why are you here? What do you want with me?”
He moved close enough that she could sense the lust radiating off his hard body like an invisible thread winding around her. “We want everything with you.”
Sweeeet. “What’s that mean?” She could think of a dozen answers that would’ve made her melt into a puddle at his feet.
“We heard about the fire yesterday.”
She studied Ridge’s handsome face. “You did? How? There was nothing on the news about it.” An abandoned house fire wasn’t big news in Houston.
“We were in the area and saw the others helping you away from the building. We wanted to make sure you were okay.”
They were tag-teaming her, one speaking and then the other. “I appreciate the concern, but as you can see, I’m fine.”
“Didn’t you get hit by some burning boards falling off the house?”
How would Colter know? “No. I almost got hit, but I managed to throw myself out of the way.” She was bending the truth, but why did they care anyway? Besides, how could she tell them that a gust of wind had knocked her over? Much less what she’d seen.
Or thought I saw.
She’d convinced herself that she’d been hallucinating. The fire, the heat, the fall, or a combination of all three had knocked her off her rocker for a while. “How’d you know about my near miss?”
“We keep our ear to the ground. Just consider us big supporters of firefighters like you,” answered Ridge.
She supposed word could’ve gotten around. Even in a big city like Houston, people talked to friends and family who then told more people. Last year, Walt’s winnings at Vegas had made the rounds of the gossip mill faster than a wild fire spreading over dry land. She shoved the question away. “Like I said, I appreciate your concern, but I’m surprised two men—”
“Two very handsome, sexy men,” interjected Colter.
She couldn’t help but smile. While Ridge had a stoic, mysterious air about him, Colter was open with a boyish charisma that was as alluring as Ridge’s smoldering appeal. “Okay. I’m surprised two very handsome, sexy men would take the time to check on me. Why would you go to all the trouble?”
“It’s no trouble.” Ridge took a seat at the small metal table, signaling that he wasn’t going anywhere. “Besides, as a woman, you need to be more careful.”
Aw, shit. He had to go there.
“As a woman? Seriously? I’m a firefighter. Being a woman doesn’t have a damn thing to do with it.”
Ridge glared back. “Whether you want to admit it or not, there are differences between the sexes.” His hard gaze seared along her body. “Physical differences.”
“Look, I think it’s time for you to leave. This isn’t a bar. We don’t have civilians hanging around the firehouse.”
Colter took her hand, once again giving her a sizzling rush of desire. She glanced at his hand holding hers and suddenly wished his hand was on a different part of her body. A more intimate part of her body.
“Don’t let him get to you. We know you’re as good a firefighter as the men. I guess we’re a little old-fashioned. Especially my cousin. We’ve known a lot of strong women in our long lives, so we never doubt a woman’s strength or ability to do anything once she sets her mind to it.”
Long lives? They couldn’t be older than forty. More like mid-thirties.
“Good to know one of you is enlightened.” She met Ridge’s perusal and matched it with her own. “I need to get back to—”
“Does that Jack guy bother you a lot?”
Ridge’s question came out of nowhere. “That isn’t any of your concern. I can handle him.”
“It didn’t look like you were handling him.”
“Ridge, back off.”
Yet Ridge didn’t take Colter’s warning to heart. “It looked like he had you cornered.”
She gritted her teeth. Being attracted to them was easy. She could see getting together with Colter for some fun. But with Ridge? That would be harder. “Like you, Jack has an old-fashioned way of thinking. He’s a throwback to the fifties. Still, he’ll come around eventually. They all do.”
“Why would you want to do this kind of work? Why not get married and have children? Work for a charity or in a nice, safe office?”
She laughed, causing Ridge’s scowl to deepen. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m an investor.”
“That’s not much of an answer. Or is it because you’re independently wealthy people who lord it over the rest of us poor saps who have to work for a living?”
Colter squeezed her hand, reminding her he was still holding it. Although she liked touching him, she pulled her hand free.
“I became a firefighter because it’s exciting and rewarding. I help people. Can you say the same?”
Glints of red sparked in Ridge’s eyes. “No. I can’t.”
“Then where do you get off questioning what I do for a living?” She should’ve moved to the door, opened it, and demanded they leave. And yet, something kept her rooted to
the spot. If she stayed, they’d stay.
“She’s right, Ridge. We don’t have any right to question her.” Colter shot her one of his bright smiles. “And remember, he said it, not me.”
“It’s okay. Just like I handled Jack, I know how to handle men like Ridge.” She would’ve sworn he almost smiled. Was he playing her? Baiting her to get a reaction?
“Not that I’m saying you shouldn’t be a firefighter, but how’d you get into this line of work?” asked Colter.
Although he was obviously trying to ease the tension, she went along. “As a girl, I didn’t play with dolls or do dress-up. I wanted a fire truck so I could pretend I was one of the guys riding toward a massive fire.” She shrugged. “What else would I have done with my life? I was born to be a firefighter.”
Ridge’s intensity had eased. “So you like to play with fire?”
“What kind of a question is that? I don’t play with fire. But I respect it and the good it can do. I don’t like things to burn.”
Ridge came to his feet, putting her between them. “There are different ways to burn, baby. Some of them are very satisfying.”
The electricity between the three of them leapt higher. She grew warmer, the air around them thickening with need.
She licked her lips and could see herself lifting her hand to place it against Ridge’s chest. With the other, she’d pull Colter’s mouth to her neck.
And yet, miraculously, she managed to keep her hands at her sides. What was it about them that had her ready to hop into the sack?
“Hey, sis.”
She sucked in a quick breath and moved out from between Colter and Ridge. Kyle stood in the doorway. His gaze jumped between the two men and her as confusion spread across his face.
Colter and Ridge moved away but were still close enough that she could feel the cocoon of sexual awareness. She could still smell their unique, masculine aromas and drew in a breath, hoping to be able to recall their scent later. More than likely, she’d never see them again.
“Am I interrupting something?”
She was always happy to see Kyle. However, having him come to the fire station was strange. Something was up. “Not a thing. My friends were just leaving.”
“Marlee, we’re glad to know you’re okay.” Colter skimmed her hand through his and led the way toward the door.
Ridge did the same thing, but his touch included a business card pressed to her palm. His silver eyes, void of any of the red flashes she’d noticed before, met hers. “Call us if you need us.”
She nodded, not knowing how else to respond. Did he think she’d call him to continue their discussion of women firefighters? Not likely.
Or am I supposed to phone them for a booty call?
As unlikely as that was to happen, she couldn’t deny the idea was tempting. Would they come if she called?
Once Ridge and Colter were gone, Kyle rushed over and pulled her into a chair. “Who are they? And don’t tell me they’re your friends again. You would’ve introduced me a long time ago. And if you didn’t, then, damn it, sis, why are you holding out on me?”
“They’re not gay.” She hadn’t asked, but there was no way she could’ve mistaken the hungry looks they’d given her. Maybe they were bi, but she didn’t think so.
“Oh. Then you should go for them. Both of them.”
“Kyle, don’t start.”
“Fine.” He slumped into chair then perked right back up. “I’ve got terrific news.”
She was relieved to see him so happy. After their phone call, she’d been worried. Depression was an ugly animal, and although she didn’t fully understand it, she knew Kyle was its victim as so many others were. She prayed he’d know she was always there for him.
“What happened?”
“I have a date tonight.”
“Ooh, good. Who with?” She didn’t want to ask if it was the man he’d mentioned on the phone. If it wasn’t, then she’d risk wiping out his good mood.
“With him. The one we talked about.”
“That’s great, Kyle. What’s his name? You never told me.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re not going to Google him, are you? Or worse, go checking up on him in person?”
Google, yes. But the other? “Of course not.”
“Uh-huh.” Suspicion reeked from him, but it didn’t stay long. “Anyway, his name is Clay Miller. Marlee, he’s amazing. Handsome with muscles that just won’t quit. He has these chocolate brown eyes that melt my heart. And his hair? He has thick brown hair styled the way I like it. He was a football player in high school, but he just came out. I’m going to help him with all the tricky parts. He’s having a rough time since his father—he’s one of those macho old farts—has basically disowned him. That and there are some guys—” He waved his hand in the air, dismissing the rest of what he was about to say. “Anyway, I’m in heaven.”
Kyle hugged her hard, and she returned it. If there was anything that would make her forget about the encounter with Jack, it was her brother’s happiness. “This is great. When do I get to meet him?”
“Maybe you already did.”
“I did?”
“He went to the same high school we did, although at different times.”
“I don’t remember him.”
“Me, either, but I sure wish we’d met back then.”
“Where does he work?”
“Hold on. I’m not telling you anything else about him. Not yet. I don’t want to jinx it. Besides, we’re going on our first date tonight, not getting married.”
“Okay. But if anything does get serious between you two, he has to pass my inspection.”
“Like you let me judge your boyfriends? Bullshit. But if you want my opinion, then I say yes to the two who were just here. Dayumm, they were fantastic. Are you going out with one of them?” His eyes widened. “With both of them?”
“Oh, for shit’s sake, I just met them. They came by to check on me.”
“To check on you? Why?” Alarm widened his eyes even more. “Are you okay? Did something happen? Did that asshole Jack bother you again?”
Yes to all the above.
She’d made herself a promise not to talk about Jack ever again. Why should her brother have to worry about her? He had enough to handle trying to find his own way in the world.
“I’m fine. I wasn’t hurt.”
“Then what were they checking on?”
“It’s nothing. And I’m handling Jack.” Why did she have to keep trying to convince everyone that she could take care of herself?
“Are you sure? Hey, I may be a skinny homo, but I can lay a can of whoop-ass on him just like any other guy could.”
Tousling his hair, she stood and started for the door. “Come on. I’ll let you buy me lunch so you can tell me everything about your new guy.”
As they made their way out of the building, she caught Jack watching them. He knew Kyle was gay and hated him for it. She ignored him as much as she could.
If Jack or anyone ever tries to hurt Kyle, I’ll show them what a woman can really do.
Chapter Three
Ridge studied the landscape beyond the wall of windows. Thankfully, he and Colter had taken motorcycles to the fire station, which had given him the ride home to think.
He had to give it to his cousin. If there was any woman worth the risk of exposing their secret as dragons, it was Marlee Hendrickson.
Colter snagged a whiskey bottle off the bar. “As far as I’m concerned, she’s definitely the kind of women that’ll heat me up.”
Red hair with blue eyes. He’d always loved the combination. Her body was a bit lean for his tastes, but her fiery attitude and confidence more than made up for it. Once she was theirs, he’d do his best to put a little flesh on her. That and get her to stop working as a firefighter.
What the hell was she thinking anyway? Maybe he was old-fashioned, but a woman working as a fireman wasn’t his idea of what a woman should do for a living. How could s
he carry a man of his bulk out of a burning building? How could she drag a heavy firehose over a yard to get to the house? Would he trust his life to her?
Still, he had to hand it to her. She’d taken on a man’s job, ignoring everyone who’d told her she couldn’t do it. He admired that kind of guts and determination.
“Ridge? What are you thinking?”
Taking the drink Colter handed him, he gave his words careful consideration. If he didn’t, his cousin might take off and do something foolish like swoop down and fly her into the skies. His cousin was a great guy, but he often acted without thinking.
“She’s beautiful, all right.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? She’s hotter than the hottest fire.”
Adam joined them at the window. “I wish I’d gone along now. She’s that good, huh?”
Good didn’t cover it. Ridge had known more women than he could remember in the thousand plus years of his existence. He’d lain with queens and princesses, with Amazonian women as well as fairies off the coast of Ireland. Only a few had caught his attention in any meaningful way and never one as much as Marlee Hendrickson had in such a short time.
“You missed out, that’s for sure.” Colter downed his drink. “Not only does she have the body, she has the spirit, too. Hell, man, she’s a firefighter. How could she not be amazing?”
“So what’s the plan? How are we planning on making her ours?”
“Don’t you want to meet her first?” Ridge stalked to his desk in the corner. If he could bring up a photo of her on the Internet, then Adam could at least get a look at her.
“Nah. The way you two are talking, she’s a combination of Cleopatra and a seductive 1940’s movie star. Once I meet her, I’ll know if she’s the right one for us. But having you two all gaga over her is one hell of a selling point. When have the three of us ever agreed on one woman before?”
He was right. They’d tried finding a woman to share throughout the centuries but had failed. The best they’d done was to share a Cherokee woman during the days of the Wild West. Yet, even then, Ridge and Adam had felt nothing more for her than simple affection.
“So what do we do?” As always, Colter was the one ready to jump into action. “Should one of us ask her out then ease the other two into the situation? Or should we dive in head first and hope she’s into ménages?”