Taming Two Fires (Hearts of Heroes Book 1)
Page 1
Taming Two Fires
Number I of Hearts of Heroes
Rayne O'Gara
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Warning: For Mature Adult Audiences. BBW Erotic Romance. Contain language and actions some may deem offensive. Sexually explicit content. Ménage – MFM
In book one of Hearts of Heroes: After a horrendous breakup, shy and curvy Caitriona Douglass works hard to get her life back in order. Her best friend, Sofie, convinces her the best way to do that is to socialize, forcing her out of her solace zone. Cait has always been unsure of her overweight body so when she garners the attention of not one, but two gorgeous firefighters, she is surprised and a little leery of their motives.
Alex and Roman are best friends and roommates—one, soft and easy going, the other hardened and rough. When Alex forces Roman to attend the company picnic, Roman realizes it may have been the best decision his friend had ever made as the men become entranced by the woman with the full-figure in attendance. Now all they have to do is convince her they are a packaged deal.
Will Caitriona risk her battered heart to find true love? Can the firefighters convince the shy, relationship scared beauty that she needs them both to be happy? When the fire starts to hunt them, will anyone survive from being burned?
Taming Two Fires
Hearts of Heroes
Book One
by Rayne O’Gara
© Copyright August 2014 JK Publishing, Inc.
ISBN #
All cover art and logo © Copyright August 2014 by JK Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Edited by Caroline Kirby
Artwork by Jess Buffett
Published by JK Publishing, Inc.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales are entirely coincidental.
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Dedication
First and foremost this is for Momma, for without her this never would have been created. My sister for all the all-nighters we pulled working through my issues. My husband for saying “keep at it.” Grandma for believing. And to my new completely amazing support group who kept me sane (if not a little bit dirtier minded) through the process. Thank You!
Table of Contents
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Epilogue
Books by Rayne O’Gara
Excerpt from Mission: Compromised Submissive
Excerpt from HeVan Earth
JK Publishing, Inc. Author List
Prologue
Cait…
Jerking my head up at the slam of the door, I bookmark the page in my book I’m reading. Setting it down with a muffled thud onto the sleek modern style side table I look up as my live-in boyfriend, Mike, stomps through the living room headed for the bar. Pouring himself a drink of whiskey, he runs his free hand through his thinning ash blonde hair, shakes his head, and tosses the shot down his throat. Must have had a bad day at the firm.
Just passing the bar exam, Mike has been working himself ragged trying to be the new up-and-coming lawyer. The pressure of his firms expectations are wearing him down. “Have a bad day at the office, honey?” concern lacing my voice.
Shaking his head again and pouring himself another drink, Mike turns and faces me.
“I am done with this shit, Caitriona,” Mike quietly confesses.
Giving Mike a sympathetic look and tilting my head slightly to the right,
“Get a large caseload today? You just finished a big case, you should be rewarded a day off.”
“No. That’s not what I meant.” Moving his hand back and forth between us, Mike continues, “This, right here—us.” With unhidden contempt in his washed out blue eyes, Mike lifts his glass to sip at the whiskey.
“I don’t understand, Mike. What happened?” Confused, I wait for an explanation…or the punch line. This can’t be real.
“You, everything that is you. Most of all…your fat ass. I mean honestly, is it that fucking hard to go to a gym? Or go on a diet? I have appearances to make for business and you really think I can be seen with an overweight blimp stuffed into a dress? Don’t be so naïve. Do you know what that would do to my social life? Now that I am a lawyer I need to aspire to better things.” Finished with his explanation, Mike takes another sip of the stupid whiskey while tears are streaming down my face.
“I’m not good enough to be seen in public with? I thought you liked my body.”
Laughing cruelly, he sneers, “Ever wonder why the lights have to
be switched off before I even touch you? I am barely able to get hard around you anymore.”
Rubbing my hand over my chest where my heart was supposed to be, I look back up at Mike with more tears in my eyes. “But…but we make love quite often.”
“Oh please. The only reason I can get hard enough to fuck you is to think of a skinny chick so I can get off. Having a live-in fuck toy was nice when I didn’t need to work so hard to fuck it. You’re supposed to be a pleasure, not a burden. So now it’s time for a new fuck toy…preferably one I don’t need to turn the lights off to screw. We’re through.”
With that said, Mike finishes his second drink and heads into the open kitchen to place the tumbler into the sink. Turning back, he makes the return trip and stops directly in front of me with disgust in his eyes. Not having any strength to stand I look up at him. I never saw this coming.
“Did you ever love me? If only just a little?” softly asking, trying to gain a little hope from him.
“God no!” he answers in revulsion. Straitening his suit and tie over his own plump body, he continues to break me more.
“You need to get ahold of yourself. This pathetic blubbering is making you act immature and an even bigger disappointment to look at.” Walking over to the door and grabbing his coat and keys, he looks on with emotionless eyes.
“I need you to get all of your shit out of my place by next week so I can move on with my life and career. I’m going out for dinner. I don’t expect you to still be here when I return.” Turning on his heel, Mike leaves me sobbing and broken in the home we shared for over a year.
Grabbing my cell after pulling myself slightly together, I stop blubbering all over myself. Punching in her number and sending the call, I pray she wouldn’t be busy. Thanking the best friend-god, she picks up after only the second ring.
“Hey, sexy! Whatcha doin?” Sofie’s exuberant voice comes through the receiver. The sound of her happiness breaks the dam I had scotch taped together.
“Mike dumped me and kicked me out!” Sobbing, I blurt out, “I…I don’t...don’t—”
“Stop. Cait, I am on my way over right now. Get your bags together, I’ll be there in like fifteen minutes. We will make this better, sweetie, I promise. See you in in a sec.”
“Sofe, I just—”
“No! I’ll be there soon. Pack your bags, honey, okay?”
“All right, Sofie. Th-thank you.” Sighing deeply and wiping my nose on a tissue, her voice comes back through the receiver.
“I love you. Be ready to blow that jerk infested place in a few, okay?”
“Okay, bye.”
Closing the call and locking the screen, I slide my phone into my back pants pocket. Thank God for Sofie and her take charge attitude. I don’t think I would be able to handle this on my own right now. Wiping all the wetness from my face with another tissue, I start heading down the hallway to our, no, his bedroom to pack. You’d think at twenty-seven I would have had a better understanding of the male species, but alas, I don’t. I’ve spent the time building my career as a photographer, not following and socializing with guys. With the guys I do like, I get…well, let’s just say, socially awkward is a mantra for me.
Not like Sofie, of course, that woman walks into a room and wraps everyone around her little fingers. That wonderful talent of hers has landed her on the top of the marketing world. Sofie Whitlaw is ruthless, professional, and extremely charming. There’s even talk of making her partner in the very near future. Her bosses at James, Stien, Larence Marketing, the best marketing and advertising company in Austin, are afraid some headhunter is going to swipe her away. Ha, I say, unless they can convince her husband to uproot from our town of Liberty, and his fire station, her leaving is never going to happen.
She is the greatest friend anyone could ever ask for. Besides her professional persona, the Sofie I know has the biggest heart and is a compassionate mother hen sort of person. You know the kind that when they find out your sick and in two hours you find them at your door with movies, chicken soup, and Lysol wipes? Yeah, that’s my Sofe. Ever since grade school she’s had my back.
Speaking of the devil and what not. Hearing the chime of the doorbell, I grab the back leather bag I just finished packing and jog, well walk quickly, down the hall toward the front door. Tossing the bag to the right onto the sofa I pass by, I feel my head getting dizzy. Almost to my destination I realize my whole body is trembling and my hand is barely able to grab the knob. I need to get out of here! Panic starts to settle in as I try to take a couple deep breaths. That’s what I need is to breathe deep. With my breath steady I start counting to ten and look down. I wish these things were smaller. Well at least that thought distracted me enough to curb the panic attack I felt approaching at full speed. Good thing my boobs is what caught my attention and not my ass. That would have made the shaking worse! With only slightly trembling hands I tried again to grab and twist the knob. Opening the door slowly it reveals the stunning brunette who is my best friend since childhood. Topping my height of five foot seven by a few inches, this green-eyed beauty and a knockout body is focusing on my face nervously.
“Oh shit.” Frowning, she looks me up and down, “It was real bad, wasn’t it?”
Tears pooling in my eyes as I start chewing my bottom lip, I bow my head in shame, giving a slight nod. Walking through the entranceway, Sofie grabs me up into a full body hug.
“Ssshhhh. We will get you through this and make you strong again, honey, I promise.” With a small smile and one last tight squeeze, Sofie turns toward the couch. Seeing just the one bag, she snorts and raises a sardonic brow while slightly turning back to me.
“Just one bag? Really, Cait?” Sounding shocked, she starts down the hallway.
“N-no I haven’t gotten t-to it all yet,” I barely stutter out.
Placing a finely manicured hand onto her hips, she looks around assessing my old bedroom, she commands with a snap, “Alright, chick-a-dee, I’ll get your bathroom stuff and you get your camera equipment. Let’s get you out of here so you can spill the whole drama and then you can start healing.” Grabbing another couple suitcases from the corner of the closet floor, Sofie turns to me, hands me one, then quickly makes her way to the adjoining bathroom. Not even caring whose suitcase I’m using I quickly follow her lead so we can, as she would say, blow this popsicle stand.
Ten minutes later, carrying as much as we could hold, the two of us walk out of that dismal apartment for the last time and onto the sidewalk. Taking a deep breath of fresh air as we reach the street corner, the realness of my situation fully hits me. Holy shit! That whole thing just happened. I just got dumped, double shit! I’m now homeless! Deep breaths, girl, keep it together. Just get to Sofie’s, don’t crazyfy the street! Stopping behind her candy apple red mustang, Sofie pops the trunk and starts stowing the bags. Looking pointedly at me with a determined look crossing her features she points to me.
“Get in and buckle up. Let’s get home. I’ve got a CD of your favorite music aaannnndd two tubs of ice cream already waiting on us.”
Sliding into her car not waiting for a reply, she shuts her door and starts buckling herself up. Getting my own self into the car, I glance over to her as I buckle and ask with shock and confusion lacing my voice, “When did you have time to pick up those things since I called you? You must have been speeding just to get to me as fast as you did.”
Looking over at me while I struggle to tame my long strawberry blonde hair back into its messy bun, Sofie laughs and starts the car with a purr.
“Ah, honey, I told Rob if he wanted a sex life he needed to stay at a friend’s house tonight but before he goes, I needed him to pick up a few things from the store for us.” Chuckling gleefully and smiling hugely, she continues with a saucy wink, “As soon as he saw what the list entailed he nodded, gave me a kiss, and I haven’t heard an argument from him. He does say to give you a big hug, to make sure his little sis gets happy again, and he will see you in a couple days.”
&
nbsp; Shifting around in the car’s bucket seat trying to get comfortable, I gave her a good grumble.
“I am not little, nor that man’s sister.” Crossing my arms and rolling my aquamarine eyes, Sofie comes to a stop at a red light. Sofie’s husband, Rob, is a sweet if not a stern bearlike older man who adores Sofie and is completely adored right back. I always love to recap the way she said she would never marry older than herself, wanting to be the older woman, but when love crashes into you at a coffee shop, only six years older than you, plus a hot fireman? Well, you can see how she’s just fine with it.
Laughing and rolling her own eyes, Sofie watches for the green light.
“Oh come on, Caitie-bug! You know damn well I think of you as a sister, so naturally, by law, you are his sister too! Deal. With. It. Plus, compared to that hulking man I married, you are little!”
Giggling at herself, she turns back to watching traffic. After a small, and I do mean small, pause in the conversation, a small sigh escapes Sofie. Apparently not concentrating on driving as I thought. A frown now crinkling her brow she glances over at me and straightens her back.
“You know you’re not that big of a girl, you have an incredible hourglass figure some women would kill for.”
“Ha!” I blurt out sarcastically. “I very much doubt that statement! We both know the truth about the world we live in these days, Sofe, show me a man, any man, who wants a plus-sized girl and doesn’t want her to get thinner.”