He had the impressive muscular build that most firefighters had. Although his uniform obscured most of it, Tina could tell that underneath, Ethan’s body must’ve been nothing more than one hundred and seventy-five pounds of pure muscle. And, oh, that uniform, she thought. Though she adored a man in uniform, she found herself wondering how much fun it would be to remove all doubt of what lay underneath the thick, yellow-brown garb. To feel the strength of all the perfect body parts that allowed him to save the world night after night. A tight, rippled abdomen, biceps so beefy she wouldn’t be able to wrap both her hands completely around them, two sharp hipbones, that thin trail of hair between them—her favorite part of a man—that would direct her gaze downward, teasing at what it led to... Tina shuddered with naughty thoughts.
But she was jolted from her fantasy when she realized that Ethan’s eyes were now fixed upon hers. She quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Just before turning her back to him and burying her chin to her chest, she noticed a smirk lingering on Ethan’s face.
“What did I tell you?” Nikki laughed. “Rumor has it he’s a real ladies’ man, too.” She leaned in closer to get out of Danny’s earshot. “Word at the station is even though he’s a demon, he doesn’t act like one. Takes a different woman home every night.”
Tina didn’t know how to feel about that. Demons were renowned for their monogamy and their tendency to want to date within their own race. That’s why they tended to live in gated communities. But regardless of his heritage, a different woman every night? Half of her felt like rolling her eyes...but, judging by his looks, the other half of her felt like she wouldn’t mind becoming another notch in his bedpost.
“Know anything else about him?” Tina asked quietly.
“Not really. Only interacted with the guy once. I remember trying to convince him to go to the hospital last year when he got caught in a collapsed porch. Twisted his ankle pretty bad, but said he was fine. Wasn’t sure if it was just him being macho, but it didn’t feel like it. It seemed like he had something against hospitals. No matter what I said, I just couldn’t convince him.”
Tina shrugged. Everyone had their phobias, and she knew full well that plenty of people were scared of hospitals, but she couldn’t help wondering why such a strong, powerful man—especially a firefighter who stared down death every day—would be so averse as well. Her mind started to fill with all the ways that she could comfort him. Coax him the next time he needed to go. Maybe she’d volunteer to go to the scenes of fires more often....
“Hey!” Nikki exclaimed, interrupting her thoughts. For a split second, Tina worried that she had voiced her fantasies aloud. But instead she pointed to Danny’s gauze, which was as white as a piece of paper. “Would you look at that. Your bleeding completely stopped, kiddo. Nice job, Tina.”
“Ready to go?” she asked, turning to Danny.
But the boy didn’t hear her. His gaze was fixated on Tina as he regarded her with a mixture of awe and wonderment. “You fixed my boo-boo like my mommy does.”
“She sure did, honey,” Nikki said. “Now say good-night to Miss Tina while I go tell the ambulance driver it’s okay to take us to the hospital now.”
Danny’s gaze refused to leave Tina. “Okay...” he said softly. “You’re a lot like my mommy, Miss Tina. Except for your hair,” he blurted pointedly, as only a five-year-old could.
Nikki chuckled, shaking her head as she walked to the front of the vehicle.
Tina laughed. “Is mine messier than hers? I’m sure it is.”
“No, it’s the color,” he said solemnly. “Just the color.”
Tina twirled a chestnut strand in her fingers as Nikki returned to the back of the ambulance. She switched places with her as Tina stepped off onto the grass, which was now wet with dew.
“You’re not coming with us?” Danny demanded.
“No, sweetie. It’s time for me to go to bed. But I’ll be there first thing tomorrow morning. Bright and early.”
“Can you bring the fireman with you?” he asked hopefully.
Tina turned back to where Ethan was standing, but he was gone.
“I don’t think so, kiddo, but if I see him, I promise I’ll ask.”
“I just never got to say thank you for saving me and my parents, that’s all,” he said softly.
His kindness, after all of the events of the evening, touched her deeply. Whatever his parents were doing, they were doing it right. “Oh, honey,” Tina said. “It’s his job to save people. Even if you don’t get to say it to him, I’m sure he knows you’re grateful.”
“I know. But still ask him if you see him, okay?”
“Okay,” Tina answered.
“Promise?”
“Promise.” Tina reached out and lightly ruffled Danny’s hair before saying good-night. Nikki gave a small wave before closing the doors toward her with a metal click.
Tina stood with her hands on her hips as she watched the ambulance pull away from the scene, lights flashing, but lacking the deep whine of the siren. She gave a quick phone call to Gus, letting him know that the last victim of the fire was on his way and that she’d see him in the morning for the early shift. After hanging up, Tina took a deep breath, the charred air tickling the back of her throat. When she turned around, she was nose to chest with Ethan.
Chapter Three
For the first time in his life, a fire had shaken him. But she had shaken him more. Lucky for her, Ethan thought, he always hungered after a fire.
It plagued him after every rescue, the demon part of him begging him to satisfy the demands of his birthright, balance all the good he had just done. And so every night he yielded to the plea from deep within him by finding a woman to satisfy and carefully leaving as soon as the deed was done. Tonight wouldn’t be any different. And this one? Her allure was too powerful to deny—he had to have her.
While almost three hours had passed since he’d rescued Danny and his parents from the house and delivered them to the ambulances, he was still trying to shake the feelings and memories that sprang to the forefront of his mind when he first saw the community after all this time. Unbeknownst to the boy, he was a painful reminder of what Ethan was, of the terrible events that had taken away both of his parents, and the fate their attacker reserved exclusively for him. The curse still pulsed through Ethan’s veins—and though no one could tell of his fate by just looking at him, his skin began to feel itchy, as if the curse was apparent on his face, just as noticeable as a birthmark.
And what a distraction she would be. He could tell immediately that this woman wasn’t like any of the others he pursued. She was more than just a pretty face. He had overheard the entire exchange between her and Danny and the kindness she showed toward one of his kind. She was sweet, she was calm and she was lovely. It was the only word he could think of to describe her. Standing there in her wrinkled scrubs and messy hair, she was ten times more attractive than any woman in a low-cut dress and stilettos. Something about her exuded power and competency. She was serious about her job and cared about others. It pulled the heartstrings of his lighter side. He watched her from afar until he couldn’t stand being away from her any longer, the force between them when they exchanged glances too magnetic.
But that was dangerous territory he was creeping into. That’s not why you want her, he reminded himself. Personality doesn’t matter. Just seduce her and be done with it. And now that he was up close to her, he could tell that wouldn’t be difficult. Her emerald-green eyes were as large and innocent as a doe’s, and the full, cherry-red pout of her lips just begged to be kissed. And not to mention the dangerous curves that he only got a hint of at the seams of her scrubs. He knew exactly what he was capable of doing with them... after all, practice did make perfect.
Tonight she would be his.
“Oh! Sorry!” Tina laug
hed nervously, breaking him from his trance. “You startled me.”
He put his hand on her forearm to steady her, then slid his hand down her arm and into a firm handshake. Smiling a gleaming white smile, one he knew could make any woman weak in the knees, he felt the muscles in her hand tense. He could tell she was holding in her breath.
“I don’t remember seeing you before. Are you a new EMT?” Ethan asked. “I’m sure I would have remembered you.” He let his tongue moisten his lower lip flirtatiously. “I’m Ethan Phillips.”
“Oh, I’m Tina Driscoll. I’m a nurse, actually. It’s very nice to meet you, Ethan,” she said, her gaze dropping to his mouth.
The sound of her saying his name sent a ripple right through him. The sweet melody of her voice, the way she said it so breathlessly, was incredibly charming. While he usually felt bored at the lack of challenge, there was something about her nervousness that excited him.
“The pleasure’s all mine.”
Tina’s cheeks flushed slightly. “You did an amazing job tonight. I’ve heard a lot of nice things about you.”
“Like your coworker thinking I was a hunk?”
Tina’s eyes widened. “How did you—”
“Ears like an eagle, the guys on the force always say.” He smiled bigger, showing off the dimples. They always loved those.
Tina opened her mouth to say something, possibly to try to backpedal her way out of it, but thought better of it, her cheeks burning brighter. She laughed, and the sound of it was like music.
“But what I was unable to decipher, unfortunately for me, was if you agreed with her.”
Tina clamped her lips, but was still smiling. “Hmm,” she responded.
That’s it, Tina. You’re better at flirting than you think.
“So I’ll never know?” he asked, feigning a frown.
“I guess not,” she said, smirking.
“Wow, that really hurts, Tina,” he teased. “My self-esteem is hemorrhaging points as we speak.”
“You measure your self-esteem in points?” She raised an eyebrow, amused.
“Yes...yes, I do.”
“How many was it at before this conversation?” she asked.
“Seven hundred and forty-two,” he responded, not missing a beat.
“And now?”
“Twelve.”
She laughed again, obviously entertained by his answer. “Ah, don’t be so hard on yourself,” she said, giving him a playful pat on his shoulder.
He winced without meaning to, a small grunt sounding in his throat.
Tina’s eyes widened. “Oh my god, I didn’t mean to... Are you okay? Did something happen during the rescue tonight?” she asked.
He hated feeling weak in front of her, but, on second thought, realized playing the sympathy card would probably work to his advantage. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” he replied. “A beam fell on my shoulder when I made it to the top of the stairs.”
She had touched him, which was an encouraging sign, but now he had to go in for the kill. “You can examine it if you like.”
Before she had a chance to answer, he took off his shirt and heard a sharp intake of breath escape Tina’s lips. His abdomen, glistening slightly with sweat, was rock hard. Flashing the abs always worked. He let her take a good look at him before turning so that she had a better view of the back of his shoulder. “It’s somewhere around... there.”
He glanced behind him. Tina stood there, dazed. It took a few moments before she slowly lifted her arm and finally spoke.
“Oh, um...” She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. “You have a, uh...a welt. A particularly nasty one, too.” She lightly placed her fingertips on the back of his shoulder and Ethan felt fire. Not pain radiating from his injury, but a fire that raged deep within his brain. Her touch. It felt amazing, it felt like heaven. He turned his head forward and closed his eyes, grateful he had his back to her as he silently willed her not to stop.
She continued. “The skin is terribly bruised and I have no doubt that the muscle underneath is a little bruised as well. But it should heal in about three weeks or so, I’d say....” Every word she uttered lessened in volume until she finally trailed off altogether. “I, ummm...wait, what was I saying?”
She was so cute when she got flustered. “You were talking about the healing time,” he said innocently.
“What? Oh right, I’d, um, avoid putting any pressure on it in the meantime, so it doesn’t get any worse.” She removed her hand from his bare flesh and he felt a flicker of disappointment at the lack of contact.
Ethan turned to face her, giving her one last look before he put his shirt back on. “Are you sure your cure doesn’t involve a one-on-one care type situation?” Ethan asked.
She laughed. “I can’t say it does.” Right then, Tina’s stomach growled loudly. She clutched her midsection, as if that would lessen the rumbling. She laughed nervously. “I came here straight from my last shift and didn’t have any time to eat dinner,” she explained. Her stomach groaned again, even louder. “Ugh, that is so gross,” she said, still laughing.
Ethan smiled internally. He finally found an in. “Well, it may be—and I’m using your word here—gross, but you’re in luck,” he said impishly. “Because I happen to know the cure for that unfortunate condition.”
“Oh, you do?” Good humor sparkled in her eyes, washing away her embarrassment. “What do you prescribe, doctor?”
“Plenty of food. Stat,” Ethan answered solemnly.
“And do you have any? At your place?”
“Unfortunately, no,” he lied. “It’s been such a busy week I haven’t had time to stock up.”
Her face dropped. He’d told millions of lies to millions of women, but for the first time his conscience felt the tiniest twinge of guilt. Though his house, with a fully stocked refrigerator, was not but ten minutes away, he had to follow the first rule: always take her back to her home, not yours. You can’t ditch someone the next morning when it’s your own place. He couldn’t make any exceptions, even for Tina.
“But I’d be happy to cook anything you have at your place,” he offered.
She took one agonizing moment to consider, but then her face lightened again. “I have to be back at work in a few hours, but I guess I can stay up. I’m probably too wired to sleep anyway.”
Yes, Ethan thought. Feeding time.
“Perfect. Let’s go,” he told her, before she had a single second to change her mind. “I’m always up for pulling an all-nighter.”
Chapter Four
The twenty-minute car trip passed in a blur, as she tried to focus on the road ahead of her instead of the gorgeous man who sat a mere two feet away in the passenger seat. My patient’s sinfully hot firefighter rescuer is sitting just beyond that armrest, she thought in amazement. She couldn’t believe her luck. Despite the radio being turned up and the rush of air resulting from all the rolled down windows, she could feel a palpable energy coming from Ethan, and suspected that the wheels in his head were turning just as fast as hers. So many thoughts were rushing through her mind: that uniform, that smile, that touch. First he had put his hand just below her shoulder, a genuinely sweet gesture she knew was meant to calm her down, but all it did was put her nerves on full blast. And when he thought better of it and ran his hand down her arm, his fingertips, which she expected to be rough and calloused, were deliciously smooth. His soft touch sent a shiver up her spine and, even now, she could still feel goose pimples where his hand had lingered ever so slightly before turning his gesture into a strong—goodness, how strong—handshake.
And when he’d decided to take off his shirt then and there...well, she nearly fell over when he did that. She knew he was in shape, but she couldn’t have anticipated just how perfect the muscular physique was that lay hidden under his uniform.
Just the sight of his naked torso created an ache between her legs. An ache she hadn’t felt in a very long time. An ache she wasn’t sure she was still capable of feeling, it had been so long.
She had been so confident just moments before, but now her nerves were kicking in. Her eyes focused on the road, she didn’t dare to look over at him. What was he thinking about right now? Was he just being friendly when he asked to eat with her? It was completely innocent, right? But something in the way he looked at her made her think that he was hungry for more than just the pathetic leftovers that sat plastic-wrapped in her fridge.
She was so distracted she nearly drove right by her place, but jammed on the brake just in time. Her apartment was actually the lower level of a small house. She felt slightly embarrassed taking him to the fairly rundown Colonial. She undoubtedly could’ve afforded something much better on her current salary, but old habits died hard. Never having money growing up, she wasn’t willing to fork over more for higher rent. She threw the car into Park and led Ethan up the front steps to the porch. Expecting to find a quizzical or disgusted look on his face, she turned around to steal a glance at him. But he wasn’t looking at the house—he was only looking at her.
His focus on her made her stomach give an excited flip. After nervously fumbling with her keys, she finally opened her apartment door and kicked off her sneakers, instantly regretting her second nature action as soon as she heard Ethan give a small chuckle behind her. She turned around and smiled sheepishly. Her body was bone-tired from her jam-packed week and the events of the evening, but she now had a buzz circulating through her body that made her feel as if she had just sipped ten shots of black espresso.
She looked at Ethan, and it suddenly hit her that he was there. Alone. In her apartment. His gaze, which was warm, was also filled with something else—anticipation? she wondered—and Tina got the distinct feeling that Ethan wanted her to kick off more than just her shoes. She couldn’t say she didn’t want the same thing, but now she could only stand there frozen, lost in the beautiful amber eyes of the man standing in her living room. Amber? I thought his eyes were blue.
The Demon's Forbidden Passion Page 2