by Sam Crescent
She never did understand how people could survive for a day on a few bits of food. One of the women she used to work with chewed on celery all day, and to Eva that was just a bad way of living.
There was nothing wrong with enjoying juicy pieces of fried chicken, or the odd burger on occasion. She enjoyed salads as well, so she didn’t eat all unhealthy.
Her curves had been with her a long time, and they were going to stay.
“So that was your brother last night?” Eva asked.
“Unfortunately. He’s known for rudely interrupting everything.”
Eva smiled.
When his brother had arrived last night, Dalton had gotten very possessive, which she’d liked. She could get used to this man and his way of dealing with things. It felt good to matter to someone.
She watched as he ate his breakfast and saw the satisfaction on his face. It amazed her that he really could just enjoy with abandon.
“You look like you’ve never seen a man eat before,” Dalton said.
“I haven’t. It’s refreshing and nice.”
There was something rather intimate about sharing a breakfast. She couldn’t put her finger on what, but she felt this connection or at the very least drawn to him.
Eva couldn’t stop watching Dalton, and for the first time in her life, she actually felt a sense of peace.
“Tell me about yourself,” she asked. “Have you always lived in Hope Springs?”
Dalton laughed. “Of course. I love it here. It’s a damn good place to be. I’ve never been driven to leave this town.”
“The city doesn’t call to you?”
“Nope. I vowed to protect the citizens of Hope Springs, not just a mob of nameless faces. It may make me sound selfish, but I know the people here. They deserve my help in any way I can give it.”
“It sounds perfect,” she said.
“What about you? Have you been a city girl all your life?”
She nodded. “It’s all I know. This is the first time that I’ve spent time in a small town. Please don’t be offended that it feels kind of weird.”
He burst out laughing. “I wouldn’t be offended by that. I know we’re a little different, but we’re a town that has a good heart. We care, and if you’re part of this town, everyone will have your back.”
She was seeing that, and part of her wished she could trust it. Trust Dalton in what he was saying about his town.
So many times over the years she’d tried to trust. It never turned out well. But there was no way she could compare a town to a city. Eva couldn’t stop herself though. So many times, her trust and her faith had been ruined, and she hated that she was cynical.
No matter what, she couldn’t let Dalton get under her skin. She didn’t want to hurt him because there was no way that she was sticking around. One day he’d find his sweet, country wife.
Eva refused to be a bitch who ruined his life just because she wanted him.
****
Dalton saw the attraction Eva had for him, and she was fighting it. He also saw the judgment in her eyes. She really thought he was just a small-town pushover. It was really rather cute. Still, he didn’t mind playing along for now.
He enjoyed her company, watching her eat, and the way she constantly asked questions. Anyone else, he’d have considered it an invasion of his privacy. He saw the curiosity in her eyes, and he wanted her to fall in love with the town. With him.
Hope Springs was the best place to be. It would take her some time to get close to the locals, but that wouldn’t be a problem. Providing she ditched some of her city attitude, she’d be accepted with open arms.
Once breakfast was finished, he waited outside at the passenger side of the truck. She carried a bag over her shoulder. Dalton opened the door, took her hand, and eased her inside.
“It’s going to take some time getting used to that,” she said. “I didn’t realize some men still behaved like gentlemen.”
“I like to think I’m one of a kind.” He patted her knee, buckling her seatbelt before moving toward his side of the truck.
The woman he finally settled down with would have to get used to him being protective and in control. He would treat his woman like a queen.
Dalton wanted a family. A woman to devote his time to, kids, maybe a dog or two, and a few cats. He’d even extend to a couple of rabbits if he had kids that wanted them. It was a dream he’d wanted for a long time.
There were good women in Hope Springs. There was no denying that, but they just … he didn’t know what it was. No woman had ever given him a rush before, unlike the city girl sitting beside him.
She was distrustful, hardened, and at times a little rude and nosy, but she captured his attention in a way no one else ever had.
He wanted her.
When he’d seen her in just a towel, his dick had gotten hard so fast it startled him. No woman had ever aroused him so quickly wearing something as simple as a damn towel.
The cab of the truck felt too small and quiet. Eva’s floral scent hung in the air. It wasn’t overpowering but subtle and beautiful.
“So how do you know if this is one person or just a run of bad luck?” she asked.
“Huh?”
“The fires. You mentioned that it was possibly an arsonist. What makes you think it could be that and not just a run of bad luck?”
Gripping the steering wheel, he pulled out of his driveway and headed back toward Hope Springs.
“We don’t know anything for sure yet. The fires always start slowly, and gradually build up. It’s almost as if the person who’s doing it is trying to control the flame in some way.” He hated fires above everything else. They only caused pain, devastation, and changed people’s lives in the worst ways. He wasn’t about to tell Eva the full extent of how fire had torn his life apart. Some things were better kept bottled up so deep they couldn’t destroy you.
“You sound really pissed.”
“I don’t like anyone who messes with people’s lives, or thinks they can get away with it.” They moved down the long road that made up Hope Spring’s town center. It was already full of activity as it would be during any day of the week, and especially with the upcoming annual rodeo in Vespera that brought tourists to the town.
He waved at several of the folks and pointed out the ones that Eva should know. “This is a really close-knit community. Try not to piss anyone off.”
“I come from the city, but it doesn’t mean I don’t know how to be civil.”
“Don’t you city folk look down on people in the country?”
She giggled, and he glanced over at her to see her looking out of the window at the town he loved the most.
“I guess you’re right, but now I know better. It feels so calm here, almost too calm.”
“Do you like it?”
“Yeah, I do. It’s weird because I think I’m so used to the craziness of city life, you know? There’re always people everywhere. No one stops to say hello. They’re always bumping into everyone and everything. You can’t move or think. You just exist within a city. In one of the buildings I lived in, I heard a woman had died for four weeks before they even realized that she was dead.”
Dalton winced at the image that brought to mind. “I guess having people check on you is the sacrifice you make for privacy,” Dalton said. “Everyone knows everything about each other here. There are no secrets.”
“I like the sound of that. Well, privacy is nice as well. It must feel good to have someone care about you though. I judged the town, the people, even you when I came here. That was a mistake. I’ve never felt more welcome.”
Did she even notice the yearning in her own voice?
Dalton stared at her and wondered what really made Eva tick. Why she was on this little journey to begin with?
“Do you think you could ever settle down in a place like this?” he asked.
She sighed. “I don’t know. I like to think that I could.” She rubbed at her temples. “When I left the
city, I planned to just drive, never settle down again. I don’t know what I want out of life. I’m just scared to get hurt again. I don’t want to make any plans. Sorry, I probably sound crazy, right?”
He pulled up outside of the fire station, turning off his ignition.
Luke and Grayson were chatting just outside the doors of the station, but he ignored his friends and turned toward the woman beside him. “You sound confused. Have you ever taken the time to just sit and think about what you want?”
She snorted. “I’m past starting out in life. I should have it all figured out by now. Those are games for kids at school.”
“But those kinds of games help people to realize what they want. All I ever wanted to be in school was a firefighter. I wanted to help people, and I also wanted to be a husband.” He saw the shocked look in her eyes. “Even as a boy I wanted that special woman, the house, the whole nine yards. I wanted it then, and that dream never disappeared, regardless of my age, and I’ll fight every day to get it. While you’re here in town, take some time. Think about what you wanted to be as a little girl. What do you want to be now?”
Eva’s gaze was filled with unshed tears. “How do you know if the decision you make is the right one?”
“Because when you’re making the right decision, you’ll feel it, you’ll know it, and no matter what, you’ll have to follow it. There’ll be doubts and fears, but what’s so wrong with riding that wave of life while you’re making that decision?” Luke and Grayson were finally heading toward the truck, and he smiled. “Now, please forgive me. You’re about to see how bad a small town can be.” He climbed out of the truck and moved to Eva’s side.
Opening her door, he helped her out. “Eva, I’d like you to meet two of Hope Springs’s firefighters, Luke and Grayson.”
Dalton gave each man the look that told them to back off. Eva was his.
Chapter Five
“So, you found a room after all,” said Luke.
“Actually, I’m staying with Dalton. He was nice enough to offer me a place to stay.”
Luke raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? How very neighborly of him.”
Dalton’s hand settled on her lower back in a possessive way. He led her to the station, glaring at his friends as they passed. She couldn’t sense any genuine malice among the three men, but she clearly felt Dalton’s claim on her. It surprised her how much she liked it.
The station was modern considering the size of the town. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but it was impressive, sterile, and spacious.
“Don’t mind the guys. There’re going to drill me all day,” said Dalton.
“Do they always do that?”
He shook his head. “They know I like you, so they’re not going to let me off easy.”
Eva smiled, but her heart felt like it would burst. She’d gone back in time, suddenly a teen falling in love for the first time. “Do you bring a lot of girls on calls with you?”
It was stupid of her to question him, but she wanted to be special, wanted to be desired. Eva was thirty-one, not twenty, but her relationships until now had pretty much sucked. After her recent love life disaster, her confidence had taken a major hit.
She didn’t expect the response she got. Dalton turned to face her, forcing her to back up against a stainless-steel cabinet in the hall. They were out of sight, and all her senses became magnified. He braced a hand on the wall near her head, leaning in close. “Only you, Eva.” The man was tall and built. He looked down at her, desire swirling in his eyes. She could hear their breathing, and her body called out to be taken by him.
Eva swallowed hard. “Your coworkers won’t mind?”
“Don’t worry about them.” He used the back of his fingers and gently brushed some stray hairs from her face. It was the most intimate thing she’d ever experienced, which was pathetic at her age. She leaned into his touch, her heart racing and body heating. Instead of moving to the next level, he winked. “Come on.”
Disappointment assaulted her as he led her into the main area of the station. Her entire body felt hotwired after just a few intimate moments with him. What appeared to be a decorative fire pole was actually functional. She’d never been in a fire station, so she found it all quite interesting. What surprised her even more was Dalton’s inhuman self-control. When he’d offered her a room, all she’d worried about was a strange man hitting on her, expecting something in return for kindness. Dalton was anything but a predator. In fact, she was ready to throw herself at him because her libido was off the charts.
“Truck’s ready to go,” Grayson shouted. “We should head out.”
They all boarded the big red fire truck, the rumble of the engine deafening as she climbed up onto the front bench seat. She felt so high up as the truck drove out onto the street with a jostle. Dalton set his hand on her thigh to secure her. Did he realize how high his hand was? His touch made her pussy clench, and if he moved any higher, she’d have a spontaneous orgasm right in the truck. That would be embarrassing to say the least.
“Do you always take this big truck out to do runs?” she asked Luke, who was the driver.
Luke turned onto the main road. “This was Dalton’s idea. He thought you’d like to see the town in style.”
She turned to look at Dalton, his hand still on her thigh. Eva couldn’t help but smile at him. These small, kind gestures meant more to her than all the gold in the world. She began to rethink all her plans, questioning if running from life was the answer.
They stopped after reaching the edge of town where there were a few factories and storage unit buildings.
“Sit tight. We won’t be long,” said Dalton.
She watched the three men patrol the area. There were some charred pallets and caution tape between two warehouses. Dalton squatted down, examining something. Luke took some measurements, and Grayson walked farther down the alley until out of sight.
They were all fit men, and ruggedly handsome, but Dalton took the prize. He was a born leader, and he made her feel safe. She couldn’t imagine a man like him would toss her aside like Mark had.
A while later, they boarded the truck again, bringing the freshness of the outdoors inside. “Everything okay?” asked Dalton.
“I’m good. What about your crime scene?”
“Something we’ll have to keep an eye on.”
She didn’t push further because she could feel the tension among the men. It probably wasn’t protocol to give strangers information about an investigation.
They drove to a couple more sites, and she waited in the truck while they did their investigation. The town was picturesque, and a little part of her heart felt like it had found home. She didn’t want to delude herself and fall in love with Dalton or the town. His type had to be looking for a picture-perfect virgin from a good family. Eva was used goods with a questionable background.
“Why don’t you two take a break? I want to give Eva a quick, private tour,” said Dalton.
“I could eat,” said Grayson.
Luke pulled the fire truck at the side of the next road, close to a twenty-four-hour diner. “Don’t forget about us,” Luke said as he tossed Dalton the keys. The men talked outside for a few minutes before Dalton climbed up into the driver’s seat.
“You can drive this thing too?”
“There are a lot of things you’d be surprised I can do,” he said, giving her a wink. Before he started to drive, he shrugged off his overcoat, then grabbed the wheel. The muscles in his arms flexed as the turned the truck onto the road.
She should keep her mouth shut but couldn’t. “Do you have to exercise a lot? For work, I mean?”
He gave her a quick glance, a smirk on his lips. “We have a full gym at the station. At home I only do push-ups and pull-ups. I jog a few times a week before shift too.”
“I feel tired just listening to that.”
Dalton chuckled. “We get performance tested every three months. Besides, I like to be at my best. I’m not getti
ng any younger.”
“Well, you’re doing a really good job.”
When the truck stopped, she realized she hadn’t even been paying attention to the drive, too busy staring at his biceps. Her fantasies were drifting all over the place. They were on the outskirts of town, no civilization in sight.
“You like what you see?” he teased, shifting on the bench seat once he cut the engine.
She swore her cheeks were bright red. “Anyone with eyes can see you’re in great shape. I wish I had that much commitment.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re perfect just the way you are. More than perfect.”
“Really?” She wasn’t buying his compliments. “I don’t have any of those.” She pointed to the muscles in his arms. “And I have a bit too much padding.”
“Remember what I said about curves?”
She nodded, her mouth feeling dry. Could he really be attracted to her? She’d give anything for a man like Dalton to want her unconditionally. From her experience men weren’t loyal, only looking for the youngest and most beautiful arm candy they could get their hands on.
“Where are we, anyway?”
“I wanted to show you something. Come on,” he said. Dalton exited the vehicle, meeting her at the front of the truck. They were close to an embankment that overlooked the town. “Nice view, eh?”
“Wow, you can see everything from here.”
The blue of the sky met the green of the forests surrounding the town. The rooftops looked tiny from their vantage point. She felt like she was on top of the world, like a phoenix starting fresh.
“You should see it when the sun sets. There’s nothing more beautiful.” Then he turned to her, tilting her chin up. “Well, almost nothing.”
He stared at her, the sun reflecting in his blue eyes. Dalton ran the backs of his fingers tenderly along her cheek.
“Dalton…”