by Kali Hart
Dameon
Stryker County Fire Dept. Book 4
Kali Hart
Dameon is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2020 by Kali Hart
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without express written permission from the author/publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
1
LEXI
I can’t wait to see the look on my brother’s face when he sees me. Hail the conquering hero! Home from college, I clench my framed diploma to my chest and hold in a squee that’ll surely give me away, even from outside the fire station.
Peeking through the glass public entrance door, it looks like the coast is clear.
Walker is going to flip when he finds out I graduated a semester early. Absolutely flip. He’s the only family I have, and he’s done so much to help put me through school. He’s the reason I even decided to go.
I crack the door open and look inside. Once I’m convinced no one is about, I slip in. I’m careful to let the door close as softly as possible. I’m not sure where the crew is, but with the fire engines filling the bays, I doubt they’re on a call. They might be in the kitchen or in the gym. I heard their workouts are insane.
My little two-door car sits outside packed full of all my belongings. I don’t even have a place lined up to stay. I was so excited to be done with school early that I drove straight here.
I slowly roam the garage, admiring the fire trucks that still seem just as huge to me as they did when I was younger. Walker always knew he was going to be a firefighter. It’s his calling for sure.
A frown forms across my lips. I wish I knew what my calling was. Sure, I have a degree in business now. But I don’t really know what I want to do with it. I never thought beyond finding a steady job. Not the way my brother did.
Determined not to be anything but positive today, I quickly shake the worries away.
It feels like years since I last wandered through the fire station. Walker worked so hard to help me pay for school that I felt too guilty to leave the campus much. I spent my free time in the library studying while the other students went to parties and hung out with friends.
The fire pole at the back of the garage beckons me.
I used to spin around and around on it when I was a little girl. That was right after our parents died, and Walker was forced to look after me on his own. Twirling around on the pole made me feel dizzy. And for a brief moment, I could set aside all my worries and just focus on the sensation that felt a little like flying.
I glance around sheepishly, certain someone will catch me. But it’s quiet as a mouse in here. Maybe the guys are out back flipping tires or whatever they do during those crazy, intense workouts.
Setting my purse and framed diploma on a nearby shelf, I dare to let my inner child escape. I wrap my fingers around the pole and hold on tight. I can’t deny how much I love the feel of the air whipping my skirt into a lifted circle as I spin and spin. My long dark hair covers my eyes, but I don’t care. I keep going until I think I might be sick.
My hands slip off the pole, but my legs aren’t quite ready to steady me. I wobble like a top about to topple over.
“Easy there,” a male voice says to me before arms circle around me. “You’re probably a little dizzy.” It’s definitely not my brother’s voice.
His arms are all I can focus on with my hair covering most of my face. They’re massive. Looks like this firefighter eats his spinach. A few more seconds go by before my legs find stability, my cheeks burning the bright shade of red that always comes with being caught in an embarrassing moment. “Thank you for catching me.”
A warm hand combs the hair away from my face, gently tucking it behind my ears. It’s then that I look up into the deep green eyes of the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. My heart is pounding in my chest, and it’s no longer from the incessant spinning. I’m hyper aware of the heat radiating from this man of solid steel.
“You have to be careful with that.” He nods to the fire pole, a mischievous smile on those oh-so-kissable lips. Damn I want him to lean down and kiss me like they do in the movies. Because this is that moment.
“Lexi, is that you?” Oh crapskies. It’s Walker.
DAMEON
Shit, it’s Walker. This doesn’t look good. Certain this beauty can now stand on her own two feet, I quickly let go and take a stride away.
“What’s going on in here?” Walker asks when neither of us have said a word.
“I tripped.” She glances down at her sandaled feet, as if blaming the shoes. “He was kind enough to keep me from knocking out a tooth on the concrete floor.”
Her wit is adorable. It’s captured me in a trance.
“She tripped?” Walker eyes me, like I’m the guilty one. I’m still trying to place how these two know each other. Since Walker is happily married to Erin, this curvy goddess must be his sister.
“Yes. All good now.” My first instinct is to exit the room as fast as humanly possible. It’s the instinct that makes the most sense. I’m already way too distracted by this woman, and that worries me. I’ve never let anyone get in the way of my goals. I’m not about to start now.
But for some reason, I can’t quite get my feet to move forward. A magnetic pull to Lexi has me frozen in place.
“Then grab your clipboard, and get to work on that inventory, Dameon.”
“Got it, Captain.” I don’t argue. I drew the short straw today for inventorying our equipment. As I start on the first truck, I can’t help but eavesdrop on the conversation with Lexi and Walker.
“Lexi, what are you doing here?”
“Surprise!” Her angelic voice sings. “I did it, Walker. Look!”
Because I can’t see a thing from where I’m at, I step up onto the running board and stretch my neck to see through the window of the fire engine. Lexi’s holding something in a large picture frame out.
“You graduated?”
“I did!”
“But you had another semester left.”
“I’ve been taking extra classes. To finish early.”
I’m captivated by this woman. Not only is she pure perfection in that flowing skirt that twirled higher in the air than she thinks, but she’s ambitious. My gaze sweeps over her curves, and my dick twitches. My fingers itch to trace all those curves. Fuck, I’m half hard just at the thought.
I hop down from the running boards. This is fucking ridiculous. Not only do I not let a woman complicate my well-ordered life, but she’s about as off-limits as they come. Walker is my superior. And though I’ve never met Lexi until today, he’s talked enough about to her for all the men at the station to know he would kick their ass if they tried anything with her.
The same feeling bubbles up inside my chest as I watch the new guy on our shift eyeing her. “Jack, I need a hand,” I call over the truck. “You mind?” I mostly like Jack, and even consider him a friend. But, right now, he’s tiptoeing on my territory.
“Go help Dameon,” Walker instructs. “I’m taking my sister to
lunch. I want that inventory done when I get back.”
I’m jealous of that lunch, even though they can’t go anywhere more than four minutes away. Not while we’re on duty. It’s crazy to feel this way. Lexi is Walker’s little sister, and she’s come all this way to surprise him. Of course he should take her to lunch. I only wish it was me going. Just me.
“What do you need?” Jack asks.
Jack and I get to work on this inventory, because now I’m more determined than ever to get it finished before Lexi comes back from lunch. She’s off limits, and I’m craving the only thing that I know will work to shake my attraction to her—a grueling workout.
2
LEXI
I ramble all through lunch about how I managed to graduate early, and as I hoped, Walker says he’s proud of me. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I didn’t even give him a chance to get in a breath about Erin or their son, Jace. And now we’re on our way back to the station. Oh well. I guess there’s time for that later.
Despite my monopoly of our lunch conversation, I’ve been unable to keep my thoughts from straying to the embarrassing incident earlier and the man who caught me. Dameon. Such a sexy name. I bet it would roll really nicely off my tongue, but I haven’t gotten a chance to try it out.
“What are your plans now?” Walker asks me on the short drive back.
“I haven’t decided yet.” That sounds so much better than admitting I had no freakin’ clue. Too bad I didn’t give that a little more thought before I raced through three states to get home. I was too busy celebrating with the radio blasting to think about serious things.
“You want to stay with us?” Walker offers. “Erin sent me a text. Said the guest room is all ready for you.”
I’ve only met Walker’s wife once, at their wedding. But we’ve talked a few times on the phone. I genuinely like Erin. She is a sweetheart, and perfect for my brother. “Still have that cat?”
“Rosco is determined to live out every one of his lives, but he’s still around, yes.”
At the door to the station, Walker pauses. “Be careful, Lexi. Most of the guys on my shift are spoken for, but a few are still on the prowl. Steer clear, okay?”
With the way Walker pins me with that serious “big brother” look, I have no choice but to nod in agreement.
Maybe Dameon is one of those spoken-for guys. That would make it so much easier. Because if that man is single, I’m going to have a ton of trouble heeding my brother’s warning. I’ve had slickness between my legs since the moment I inhaled that manly scent when he caught me in his arms. I want him. I want him bad.
“Do you mind if I hang out for a little bit before I head to your house?” It’s a terrible idea, so soon after that warning. But I can’t help myself. “I’m a little worn out from the drive.”
“Of course.” Walker holds the door for me, finally allowing me inside the building. I instantly scan the garage for Dameon, but there’s no trace of him or the inventory he was doing when we left. “You know what to do if we get a call.”
“Stay out of the way.”
Walker hugs me so tight I almost can’t breathe. “It’s so good to have you home, Lexi. I’m so proud of you. I can’t wait to hear all about your plans.”
All I can manage is a weak smile before I pretend to slip away to the restroom. What will my brother think when he finds out he spent all that money on my college education just for me to not have a clue what I’m going to do with it?
I wander around the station, taking in all the changes since I was here last. There’s new paint in places. Same old worn-out furniture in the lounge. My curiosity takes me up a spiral staircase toward loud music. I can’t remember what’s upstairs, other than the top of the fireman pole I’m still determined to slide down at least once for old time sake.
It’s mostly storage up here, but the closer I get to the music, the more my memory comes back. There’s a gym upstairs.
The windows are covered with black paper, but there’s the tiniest of a tear that allows me to peer inside in true stalker form. Dameon presses a bar above his head in fast repetition. Though I can’t see the entire room, it does appear he’s alone.
I spin in a full circle to see if I’ve been followed or spotted, but the coast is clear. Bravely, I open the door and step inside, allowing the blaring music to nearly burst my ear drums. But I don’t care if my ears work. Just my eyes.
The heat between my legs is almost unbearable. Have I ever been this drawn to a man I don’t know before? Or any man for that matter?
I only get a few moments to admire those chiseled muscles, glazed in sweat. Whatever workout he’s been doing, it’s intense. He spots me in the mirror, and my breath catches in my throat. Maybe this was a bad idea. What if I imagined that connection earlier? Sexy as sin muscled men like him don’t exactly give curvy girls like me a second glance.
“Sorry,” I say, but he can’t hear me. I slip out the door and practically run toward the stairs. What was I thinking?
DAMEON
Lexi Stone is going to be a whole lot more trouble than I bargained. It’s one thing to know I’m attracted to her. I can keep my distance out of respect for Walker, especially if the pull is one-sided. But the look in her eyes… those baby blues were drenched with desire.
I force out another set of fifteen push presses, hoping to calm my misbehaving dick. It wants one thing: to be buried deep inside Lexi’s tight pussy. To claim her as my own.
I rack the bar, wipe the sweat with a towel, and turn off the music. Staying upstairs in this gym is no longer appealing. Not when I know Lexi is wandering the fire station in that flowing skirt. I should stay here. Keep away from her.
But I can’t. The thought that Jack might try to flirt with her just pisses me off.
I rinse off in the shower, wishing I had the luxury of time to stroke myself to the fantasy of Lexi. But sporting a hard-one should the alarm go off would be too much. So I turn the water cold, and try my best to calm my out-of-control cock. Down boy.
I hear her angelic voice down the hall from my locker. She’s in the kitchen, talking about college. It’s impressive that she has her degree. Even more impressive with how quickly she managed to finish it. At least, that’s what Jack rambled on about when we were stuck doing inventory together.
“There you are,” Walker says when he sees me. He’s sitting at the kitchen table, looking over the chore chart. Probably setting up the schedule for next month. Most chores are rotated fairly. Only the really unpopular ones are decided via straws. Unless you piss off Walker. Then you get the shitty ones on principle.
I fight to keep my eyes off Lexi, but my gaze keeps sweeping over her curvy body. I’d give about anything to run my hands over her perfect hour glasses shape. To cup those bountiful tits in my hands and squeeze those nipples between my fingers.
“You need something, boss?”
“We’re having a cookout tomorrow night. In honor of Lexi coming home. Be there by six. Bring something.”
Lexi’s stunning blue eyes lock with mine. With her brother’s back to her, she doesn’t hide her seductive smile from me. Lust dances in those eyes. I’m so fucked. “I’ll be there.”
3
LEXI
In college, I didn’t bother dressing up much. I was focused on my grades, and I wasn’t exactly trying to get anyone’s attention. In fact, I preferred to stay invisible. But now, it’s nice to curl my hair and stress out over the perfect outfit. One that’ll surely get Dameon’s attention.
“You look gorgeous.” Erin hugs me from behind as we both look at me in the mirror. She loaned me a light yellow dress to try on. I’ll admit I was skeptical. But looking at it now, I see she had some wisdom in her selection. It feels perfect. Sexy in a subtle way.
“Thank you.” It’s nice to feel like I have a sister, even though we hardly know each other. I hope we’ll become good friends now that I’m home to stay. It would be so amazing to have someone I could confide in about my little cr
ush on Dameon. But right now, I’m afraid it’ll put Erin in the middle of a bad spot.
“I have to finish up the potatoes. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.”
I fidget with my hair some more when she leaves. I haven’t seen Dameon since yesterday when Walker invited him to come tonight. I’ve been in a lust-filled haze ever since. Just thinking about him coming tonight makes me want to flicker my finger over my clit until I come. I’ve had naughty fantasies before, but never like this.
Fuck it. I’m in a downstairs bedroom, away from everyone including my curious nephew, Jace. He’s not allowed down here, and I’m going to explode if I don’t get a release of some kind soon.
Shedding my panties, I kick them under the bed. I lean against the wall and lift the hem of my dress to my belly. My eyes fall closed, and I let imagines of Dameon naked and covered in sweat take over. Those chiseled, hard muscles. His intense eyes staring deep into the depths of my soul.
“Touch yourself, Lexi,” I hear Dameon’s sexy voice demand. “Touch yourself and think of me.”
Spreading my lips apart, I slowly stroke my wet clit. A strangled moan slips out and my eyes fly open. It’s imperative that I keep quiet. I still for a minute, listening for footsteps. When I’m convinced I’m in the clear, I close my eyes again.
There’s Dameon, in my lustful fantasy, holding his enormous hard cock in his hands. Stroking it. “I want to be inside, you Lexi,” he says to me. “I want to fuck you until you’re calling out my name.”
My finger works faster and faster, bringing me close the edge. Another moan slips out, but I don’t care this time. I’m right there. I’m about to come.