by Amy Starling
Bad Boy's Kiss: Firemen in Love, Book Two
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Anna
I'm so done with guys. I've been cheated on, lied to, and knocked up with a married man's baby. Men are nothing but bad news, and being alone suits me fine – until Max comes back to town and takes my breath away with a single kiss.
Eleven years passed since he left for greener pastures. He's a firefighter now, but to me, he'll always be a cocky, arrogant jerk. Too bad I'm a sucker for that sweet southern drawl, his lips on my neck, and promises of pleasure whispered in my ear.
I wasn't looking for love. Just one night between the sheets with him; that's all I wanted.
But when our worlds collide and everything falls apart, that one night becomes so much more...
Max
Anna Southwell is the only woman who's ever shot me down. She's an attorney turned country girl, smart and tough as she is sexy. I'm a party boy who works hard and plays even harder. We couldn't be more different if we tried.
I need to have her.
But she's been hurt. She's pregnant and scared. If her crazy religious parents find out the truth, she'll lose her house, the farm, everything.
I can't let that happen. When a wildfire accident put me in a wheelchair and left me stranded, she welcomed me into her home. Now I'm going to repay the favor, no matter the cost.
Even if that means giving up my bachelor ways to pose as her baby's daddy?
Yeah. She's worth it.
Chapter 1 - Max
“What do you think, man? Fake or real?”
The blonde girl at the bar kept checking me out. She watched me with a smile, sipped her martini, then slid the olive between her painted lips.
I felt for the condom in my wallet. Did I bring one? Of course I did. Never left home without protection, 'cause I never knew when I was gonna get laid.
Like tonight. Tonight, I was definitely getting a piece of that.
Brett shoved me. Jerk almost made me spill my beer.
“What? Can't you see I'm concentrating?”
“Fantasizing, you mean. You can't get a chick like that. Look at her. Thinks she's a princess.” He laughed when I glared at him. “Anyway, answer the question. Those puppies can't possibly be real.”
Her brunette friend came back from the restroom. They both turned, looked me up and down, and whispered to each other excitedly.
A threesome, ladies? Don't mind if I do.
The blonde wore so little clothing, not much was left to the imagination. Her skimpy shirt, black, sparkly, and low-cut, clearly screamed her intentions to the world. Guess if I had boobs that sweet, I'd show them off too.
“Eh, I dunno. I need a closer look before I can decide.” I grinned. “You can have her friend. She's right up your alley.”
Brett chugged his drink; he always relied on that liquid courage before making a move. Just as I popped a breath mint, the radio on my belt beeped with an incoming call.
“All units, we got a vehicle fire at the intersection of North 5th and Herring.”
We were pretty close to that location. It should have been us taking care of that fire.
But then the blonde winked at me, and my decision was made.
Brett grunted. “You wanna go handle this?”
I muted the radio fast. “It's just a car. Not like there's a building burning down, right? We take the call, you know these hotties won't be here when we get back.”
Yeah, we were on the clock. So what? Nobody had to know. Jayce and the other guys could do it.
“I guess, but...” He gazed longingly at the brunette. “Man, I dunno. Aren't you already in trouble? Boss said if you got written up again, you were done.”
“Let him write me up. I'm not passing up a chance like this. Neither are you.”
“But –”
I left him at the table and cut my way through the crowd toward the bar. Blonde was out of her drink. It was a perfect opportunity for me to play hero for her. Chicks loved that.
“Yo, bartender.” I waved to Joe. “Get the woman another martini.”
He nodded and hurried to fill her glass. The blonde giggled and did that flirty hair-flip thing. It was pretty much universal language for “take me home with you.”
“Hey, thanks. That's sweet of you.” She looked me over, then flinched a little when she got a good look at my face. “Um, my name's Candy. What's yours?”
I shouldn't have been insulted. Yeah, my face was kind of messed up, and people couldn't help but stare. I'd gotten used to it. Still, it stung.
“Max,” I told her. “And this here's my buddy Brett.”
The brunette latched onto him right away, but I could tell she wanted me too. Fine by me. I had more than enough for both of them.
“I'm Katie,” she said. Her eyes narrowed. “What happened to your face?”
Candy shrieked and nearly pushed her friend off the bar stool. “Jerk, don't ask him that! It's totally rude.”
“Sorry, I was just...”
I laughed it off and put my arms around both of them. Candy smelled like cheap perfume and vodka. Why was her hair crunchy? Just how much gunk did she slather on there?
“It's okay, I get it all the time. You wanna tell the story, Brett?”
He rolled his eyes. “We were at a call once. House on fire, couple of kids trapped on the second floor. This guy literally runs through fire to get to 'em.”
Candy squealed. “Oh, what a hero! Are you both firefighters?”
“Firemen are so sexy,” Katie added. She put her hand on my thigh. Score!
Joe dropped off Candy's martini just in time. I took the liberty of peering down her shirt while she sipped it. Hmm... They looked pretty real to me. Only one way to find out, though, right?
Katie pulled Brett aside and started hounding him with questions. Poor guy looked like he was being cross-examined on the witness stand. He was so polite, he'd never tell her to shut up.
Me, on the other hand? I didn't have time for talking. Why bother with conversation when it was obvious where this was gonna go?
There was a little dish of peanuts on the bar. Candy tried to seductively crack one open, but ended up breaking the tip of her fake nail clean off.
“My nail!” She shrieked. “I just got these done this morning.”
Katie immediately rushed to her friend's side. “Oh, it's okay. We can glue it back together at your place.”
“I can't just glue it! Look, I lost one of the rhinestones!” She got down on her hands and knees and searched the dirty bar floor. “Help me look for it, Katie.”
I sighed loudly. They didn't notice. Was it any wonder I remained single? I didn't have the patience for this crap.
Well, at least the view was decent.
Brett's radio beeped three times. “Units, we have a fire at Sleepy Ridge Apartments, 1103 Columbus. All available units, please respond.”
He nudged me. “Man, we can't keep ignoring these calls. Hank's going to wonder what we're up to.”
Damn it! Staring at Candy's ass while she crawled around on the floor made me so hard, I could barely think straight. I wasn't leaving here without getting some action from at least one of these girls.
I polished off my fifth beer while Brett explained to them we had to be on our way. They uttered groans of disappointment. Then, Candy gasped.
“Hey, I know! How about giving us a ride in your truck?”
Katie clapped her hands. “Yeah, that would be so much fun! Show us how you use that huge hose of yours.”
They burst into laughter. Didn't tell them they weren't the first chicks to
make that remark, and they wouldn't be the last.
“It's quite a beast to handle, I'll admit,” I continued. “It's very heavy and thick. And if you're too rough with it, whoosh!”
They loved that one. Maybe I did have a messed-up face, but I made up for it with my sparkling sense of humor. As long as I could make a girl laugh, I knew I'd be able to get her into my bed, easy as pie.
Brett wasn't in the mood for jokes. He shoved me out the door, with the ladies trailing along behind us. They gushed over our truck, which of course we'd parked front and center in the fire lane. That's what it was there for, right?
“Ooh, first-row parking! You boys are so lucky,” Candy cooed. “Hurry up and put out this little fire so we can all have some fun.”
Brett sighed as I helped the stumbling girls into the backseat. With their short skirts, it wasn't easy. Got a nice look at Candy's pink underwear as I boosted her up, though, so that was all right by me.
“Dude, we gotta focus on the job first,” he scolded me. “I wanna get laid just as much as you, but we're on the clock right now.”
“Ugh, fine. Get in.” I fished for the keys in my pocket. “But soon as this is done, we're going back to your place.”
“What? Why mine?”
“You're the one who has a hot tub, obviously.”
In the truck, I fumbled to get the key into the ignition. Why were my hands shaking so much? Didn't think I'd had that much to drink. I could usually down a twelve-pack by myself easily.
Oh, yeah. Dinner. Working a double shift meant I'd totally forgotten to eat earlier. That probably had something to do with it.
“Hey, man. Are you okay to drive?”
Brett's brow furrowed as I slammed on the gas. The truck lurched forward and the sirens began to blare. Candy covered her ears and cried about how loud the noise was. Katie was busy taking pictures of everything on her phone.
“What do you mean, am I okay? I've only had a few beers.”
I rolled to a stop at the light. The bright red glow made my vision blur and eyes water. Okay, man, stop seeing double. We're almost there.
The operator put out the call again. Brett responded, telling her we'd be on the scene in minutes.
“This is super exciting,” Katie howled. “Does this thing go any faster?”
Despite feeling unwell, I gave her my best sexy smile. “You bet it does, girls. How about we make a deal? I'll put the pedal to the medal... if you two show me just how excited you are.”
They exchanged glances. Brett shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He wanted to scold me; I could tell, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.
“Well, we're all going to have some fun together, aren't we?” I winked. “Surely you ladies don't mind getting a bit close with each other, if you get my meaning.”
“Damn it, Max, pay attention to the road!”
Thanks to Brett's warning, I hit the brakes just before rolling through a stop sign. Eager to get this over with, I slammed on the gas. Thank God for the siren that got the annoying traffic out of our way.
“Um, 'close?'”
I nodded. “Let us see what you can do. No reason to be shy with bodies as lovely as yours.”
Katie set her hand on Candy's knee. I knew that look on her face. Both were plainly nervous; I bet neither of them had been with a woman before.
It was so freaking hot.
Brett adjusted his crotch as he watched them touch each other. I chuckled and nudged him.
“Quite the show, isn't it? Hope you got that hot tub heated up and ready to go soon as we get there.”
“Duty calls first. Can we at least try to focus on the apartment that's gonna burn down if you don't move your ass?”
Clouds of gray smoke billowed in the near distance. The sky glowed a dull orange as flames colored the darkness. Almost there now. Just a couple more miles...
Candy groaned softly. How could I not turn around and look?
Oh, Lord. They were kissing each other! I couldn't believe my eyes. We had two gorgeous babes making out in the backseat of our truck! The guys were gonna be super jealous.
“Brett.” I whispered, afraid to interrupt them. “Look. It's beautiful.”
“There's Columbus Ave. You're gonna miss the turn!”
Operating on instinct, I slammed on the brakes and spun the wheel like I was the Titanic trying to avoid an iceberg. The truck whipped around the corner, fishtailing from left to right. For a moment, we tilted and the tires left pavement.
“Oh my God! What's happening?”
“Hit the brakes, Max,” Brett screamed. “Hit the –”
Some vehicle smashed into the back of the truck and spun out to the side of the road. It didn't hurt us, but I had no time to react before we careened off the street and jumped the curb onto the sidewalk. The truck collided with some building, plunging straight through the plate-glass window with a horrific noise.
I'd been in many burning buildings, but that sound was nothing compared to this. Glass furiously shattered all around us, large chunks of it hailing down upon our windshield. The shop's metal shelves crumpled like paper beneath the truck's weight.
At last, we came to a stop. The girls, panicked and terrified, cried for help. Brett, shaking, looked at me with wide eyes.
“What the hell happened? Is anyone hurt?”
Nobody was – in the truck, anyway. I left Brett with the women and hurried outside. The path of destruction I'd left, it looked as if a tornado had swept through. Splintered benches, trees knocked over, a fire hydrant gushing a geyser twenty feet in the air...
I followed the trail and soon found the car that hit me in a ditch. The front of the vehicle reminded me of a crunched-up soda can. Smoke poured from the hood, the wisps curling threateningly in the wind.
The driver groaned with pain. He leaned against the steering wheel, a ribbon of crimson dribbling from his forehead.
Shit.
“Hey, man. I'm gonna get you out of there, okay?”
He grunted as I flung open the door. When I tried to pull him out, he howled in agony.
“No! My leg, it's... It hurts,” he cried.
Brett and the girls emerged from the wreckage. Candy was visibly limping.
In the distance, sirens sounded. An ambulance would be here soon, along with the police. Good news for the injured guy. Not so good news for us.
Or rather, me.
I was the one driving. I was the one who'd had too much to drink, who drove a firetruck at top speed through busy streets while ogling the girls I'd picked up at a bar in the backseat.
I knew what it meant. There was only one thing it could mean for me – and to be honest, I deserved it.
My career as a firefighter was over.
Chapter 2 - Max
“I'm gonna have to let you go, Max.”
Hank stared out the window as he said it. Bastard couldn't even bother looking me in the eye.
I kicked my chair away and slammed a fist down on his desk. Probably not the wisest move in my boss's office, but I was pissed.
“Let me go? I've been with the department for five years! I'm a hard worker, Hank. You know that.”
He offered me a thin smile. “Unfortunately, that's not enough to smooth over the incident last week.”
My stomach churned. I knew this was coming. That night when I crashed the truck through Peabody's Antique Shop had been the worst of my life. Every waking moment, I kept replaying the accident over and over. Beating myself up over it. Over my failure.
I hated to fail.
“You destroyed thousands of dollars of public property. Totaled several vehicles. Sent a man to the hospital.”
Sweat beaded on my brow. “Yeah, I know, but... He was okay, right? I didn't kill the guy.”
“He had a concussion, a busted nose, and a broken leg. Guess who's responsible for his doctor bills?” Hank shook his head. “You cost us a lot of money, Max.”
I was running out of avenues of defense fast. Wonder why I
even bothered. Hank was the boss man, and I knew him pretty well. Once he'd set his mind on something, that was it. Nothing could change it.
“Not only that,” he continued. “You were out drinking at a bar when you should have been doing your damn job.”
I couldn't defend myself against that. Brett tried to talk sense into me, didn't he? But I just had to stay for one more beer. Once I got going, it was hard to stop – not like that was any good excuse.
Hank continued to catalog the night's events for me. “The cops came. You were arrested for driving while intoxicated.”
I gave a weak laugh. “Intoxicated? Bullshit. It was only a couple of beers.”
“Your blood-alcohol content was way over the legal limit.”
Oh, wait. Now I remembered those tequila shots Joe gave us, on the house. How could I say no to that?
Why did he have to rub it in? Like it wasn't humiliating enough, being led away from the scene of an accident in handcuffs. I mean, I had been arrested before for dumb stuff, but the look on Brett's face as they pushed me into a cop car...
Hank rifled through some paperwork on his computer. I didn't want to hear anymore. What was the point? Might as well go home, get totally smashed, and pass out in front of the TV. Today, tonight, and every day after that.
If I didn't have this job anymore – if I lacked a purpose, something to keep me going – that was exactly what would happen.
I'd been there before. Aimless. Lost. Drifting, like a piece of trash in the sea, blowing wherever the wind takes it. My mind was in a dark place then. I didn't want to fall down that hole again.
“There's more here,” Hank murmured. “Apparently, you also had two half-naked, drunk women in the back of the truck. Care to explain that one?”
Boy, what a disaster that was. So much for my grand plan of scoring that night. Guess when you get hauled away by the cops, girls tend to be less than impressed.
“What's there to explain?” I shrugged. “They were at the bar and needed a ride. Isn't that our job? To serve our local community?”
“A ride.” He scoffed. “Yes, I bet they did.”