by Peyton Banks
Oh boy.
“Hello,” she said, opening her door slightly. “My car stalled on me.”
“I can see that. The amount of smoke had me thinking there was a fire or something out here,” he replied with a wide grin.
“I’m going to call for roadside assistance. Hopefully, it won’t take long.” She returned his smile. He was a nice-looking man, and maybe Amina was on to something. She glanced over at the fire station but didn’t see any fireman coming out with their bare chests on display.
Disappointed, she turned her focus back on the one standing by her car.
“Why don’t you come inside the station and wait it out?” he suggested.
She gripped her phone to her and hesitated.
“I’m Max. Max Franco.” He held out his hand for her to shake.
Sliding her hand into his, she took it in a firm grip. “Anya. Anya Graham.”
“Well, Ms. Graham. We just finished cooking dinner, and I’m sure the fellas won’t mind a pretty lady like yourself joining us while you wait for a tow truck.”
From experience, she knew once she made the call, they would tell her the wait would be a couple hours.
Her stomach chose that moment to make itself known.
Max gave a chuckle. “I just took the last of the meat off the grill…”
“All right. You had me at food.” Anya giggled. She reached over and snagged her purse and stepped out of the car. She coughed a few times from the strength of the smoke in the air.
Looked like she was going to get her wish. If any of the other men inside resembled Max, she was going to be in trouble.
“Have you called yet?” Max asked.
Anya shook her head. She tilted it back to meet his gaze. She wasn’t blessed in the height department.
Short and curvy.
Max waved for her to follow him. “Perfect. You can call from inside.”
“I don’t want to intrude on dinner,” Anya began, but Max barked a laugh.
He slowed down his stride to match hers. The large building housed two huge bay doors where she was sure the trucks were parked. Her heart raced with the thought of going inside. This would be excellent research for her book.
“Ma’am, when we barbecue, we usually have enough food to feed an entire army. Come on inside.” He waved for her to follow him.
She walked behind him, inconspicuously taking him in. She wished she was brave enough to snap a photo. If Amina were here, she’d make no qualms about it.
Hell, her friend would have him posing for her.
Anya shook her head and walked inside the brick structure. Laughter echoed through the building.
“The guys are in the back. Follow me. I’ll introduce you, then you can make your call.”
“Okay.” Anya cursed internally, her shyness creeping up.
Max must have sensed her hesitation. He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as if to make sure she didn’t turn tail and run. They entered into what looked to be a giant eating hall where about four hunky men all sat around in heated conversation.
“I’ll bet my next twenty-four-hour call that—”
The conversation ceased, and all eyes focused on Anya.
“Anya, this is the best fire and rescue squad in all of Nevada—”
“You’re damn right!” A guy with a low cut and close-shaven beard raised his red plastic cup.
Anya giggled, along with the amusement that went around the room.
“This is Anya. Her car broke down in front, and I, being the gentleman that I am, invited her inside to wait out the tow truck.”
“You said you were checking on the grill. How the hell do you come back with a pretty woman?” A tall black man stood from the table and walked over to them. “I’m Case.”
Anya smiled and shook his hand. “Anya.”
Case turned to the room and pointed to each man. “You have Knox, Anton, Dylan, and looks like you’ve already met Max.”
Anya nodded to each of them as they waved and greeted her.
Amina had missed out.
How the hell was each of them tall, muscular, and drop-dead gorgeous in their own way?
The author in her was already spinning a tale of a damsel in distress who was rescued by a group of firefighters. A reverse harem was in the making right before her eyes. She couldn’t wait to start jotting down notes.
“What’s wrong with your car? I could probably go look at it. I grew up working on cars.” Anton stood from the table.
“I don’t want to intrude on your dinner. I’ll just make the call and hopefully will be out of your way.” She really didn’t want anyone going above and beyond for her clunker outside. She had been told on more than one occasion to give up hope and buy a new vehicle.
“It’s no problem at all. My uncle’s shop is located not too far from here. I can give him a call for you. He’ll charge you a fair price.”
He held out his hand, and she dug in her purse for the keys.
“You all are just too nice.”
Anton scooped up the keys with a wink. He and Casey disappeared from the room
“It’s what we do. There’s not much going on today, so this gives us something to do.” Max chuckled. He motioned for her to follow him. He led her down a hallway where small offices were located. “You can go make your call in the office. There’s a restroom in there where you can wash your hands. Come out when you’re ready, and I’ll have a plate waiting for you.”
They paused outside a closed door. Anya didn’t know what to say. She was genuinely stumped on how quickly they had rushed to her aid.
“I don’t know how to thank you.” She hoisted her purse higher on her shoulder.
“We haven’t done anything yet.” Max shrugged. “Plus, we have an image to uphold. How would it look if we just left a woman in a broken-down car outside the station? Our lieutenant would have our asses.”
He opened the door and gently pushed her inside.
“I’ll think of some way to thank you.” She laughed as he closed the door.
Spinning around, she took in the room. It was a standard office with not a lot of personal belongings around.
Anya walked over to the desk and sat her purse down on it. She found the roadside assistance card that was worn and picked up the telephone.
She dialed the number and was instantly put on hold once a female answered.
“Just great,” Anya mumbled. Music filled her ears while she began the unknown wait until a human came back on the line. She held the phone up to her ear and decided to explore the office.
It was the writer in her. It wasn’t that she was nosey or anything, but curiosity was in her nature.
Everything and everyone had a story that had to be told.
Humming along with the song, she turned to look at the few photos sitting on the windowsill behind the desk.
She froze in place.
One photograph in particular caught her eye. It was two brothers who shared a striking resemblance.
The McNeil brothers.
Her gaze flew around the room, and she instantly knew whose office she was in.
Dalton McNeil.
Her heart slammed against her chest.
She hadn’t seen Dalton since the day she’d left for college.
He’d been the boy—young man—who lived next door to her. He was seven years her senior, and she’d had a massive crush on him when she was a teenager. Their families were longtime friends. She was surprised that her parents hadn’t mentioned anything about the McNeil family when she’d moved back to Vegas.
She picked up the picture, and her lips curved up in the corners. Both Dalton and his brother, Dallas, were older and appeared more mature.
Gone were the scrawny boys who rarely wore shirts. In this picture were devilishly handsome men. They were both good-looking and drew the attention of any woman with a pulse.
Anya returned the picture back to where it belonged. Now she was wondering if Dal
ton was married. Her gaze wandered along the other few pictures. She didn’t notice any that would resemble a wedding photo or a special woman in his life.
Her heart leaped at the thought.
Dalton had never given her a second glance back in the day since he was much older than her.
The day she was leaving for school, she’d made the biggest fool of herself.
She remembered it as if it were yesterday.
A moment of weakness.
It was a temptation she couldn’t resist.
She’d kissed Dalton McNeil.
2
Dalton let himself into the station, and his stomach grumbled. He’d just left a grueling meeting with the fire chief and was in a foul mood.
Budget cuts.
That was all he ever heard, that they would have to tighten the purse strings and start limiting overtime.
Like that would fly over well.
Las Vegas Fire and Rescue was a vital part of the city. There wasn’t much room for cutting down on the budget when the city needed the men and women who served their community.
Laughter filled the station, and he bit back a snarl. It wasn’t his men’s fault that he was pissed. He would have to figure out a way to inform them of the meeting with the chief.
Dalton was tired and beat. When he’d pulled into the driveway, he had noticed a broken-down car on the street in front of their building. They would need to call for a tow. The owner was nowhere to be found outside.
If they needed to rush out of the station on a call, the car was parked close to the edge of the drive. It would be clipped by a fire engine.
Before joining his men for dinner, he’d change his clothes and wash up prior to eating. He was on call for the station and would be sleeping here for the night.
From the smells in the air, the guys had broken out the grill. Dalton’s stomach growled, signaling it was ready for him to eat.
With a sigh, he entered his office and shut the door. He tossed his duffle bag down on the chair in the corner and made his way toward the washroom attached. He paused.
Someone had been in here.
It wasn’t uncommon for one of the guys or dispatch to stop in and snag something from his desk, but his gaze was drawn to the picture frame that held a photo of him and his brother, Dallas.
It was out of place by about three inches.
His gaze roamed the room, and he didn’t see anything missing or out of place.
Walking over to it, he pushed it back to where it was supposed to be.
A smile came to his face at the photo. It was taken the night before Dallas had married Candi. Dalton had been shocked his older brother had found a woman who was able to tame him.
Candi was perfect for Dallas.
Their parents instantly loved her. She fit right into their family.
Dallas was the last person any of his family thought would get married and have children. Their first child, Daniel, was three months old.
Dalton grinned, just thinking of his nephew. He couldn’t wait for Danny to get older. Football had been a favorite pastime of Dalton and Dallas’s while growing up.
He looked forward to getting the little guy out there to toss the pigskin around.
Relaxing a little, he went into the bathroom. Within minutes, he’d exited, feeling a bit better.
He’d donned a dark LVFD cotton t-shirt and sweats.
Leaving his office, he made his way toward the dining room where laughter and joking grew louder.
A smile instantly appeared on his face.
He’d wait until tomorrow to share the news with the squad. They were apparently in a jolly mood, and he’d be damned if he ruined it.
“Y’all fuckers better have left me some food,” he announced, stepping in.
Manly cheers went around.
“Of course we did. I’m sure after a meeting with the chief, you would need sustenance,” Max joked. He stood from the table and headed toward the kitchen. The area was filled with a long table, high vaulted ceilings, and decorated with memorabilia of the fire station. It was located right off the kitchen and was the center part of the building.
It was a place where everyone congregated.
Dalton froze in place at the sight of the newcomer sitting between Max and Anton.
Anya Graham.
Only this wasn’t the Anya from his youth. She was no longer the short, skinny young girl who had followed behind him with the big puppy-dog eyes.
They’d grown up next door to each other.
She’d been the typical teenager who had a massive crush on the boy next door—him.
The Anya sitting at the table in his fire station was certainly not the same girl he remembered.
No, this version of Anya was all woman and grown.
She had a wide grin, laughing at something Anton must have said. Her brown skin was flawless, while her dark hair flowed around her shoulders.
He swallowed hard. His mother had told him that Anya had grown into a beautiful young woman. Still, she hadn’t been entirely honest with Dalton.
Anya was a knockout.
Her head swung his way, and she paused. The smile slowly faded from her lips as their gazes connected.
“Hey, boss. We have a guest for dinner,” Dylan announced, standing from his seat. “Max rescued this pretty little thing from her broken-down car out front—”
“Anya Graham.” Her name slipped from his lips before Dylan could finish the introductions.
The room quieted while all eyes turned to him.
“Dalton McNeil,” she replied. She bit her lip and reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, it has.” He ran a hand along his face and tried to play it cool. He didn’t understand why his heart was racing the way it was. This was Anya. Someone he’d known since they were kids. “No hug?”
Her lips returned back into a smile. She stood from the table and jogged toward him. Dalton opened his arms and wrapped them around her. The feeling of her curvy frame crushed against him had his cock jumping to attention. The top of her head barely cleared his chest.
What the hell?
This was Anya.
Calm the hell down, he ordered his stiffening member. It wouldn’t be a good look to have a hard-on for a childhood friend in front of his squad.
“Y’all know each other?” Knox scratched his head.
“Yes.” Anya laughed. She pulled back away from Dalton.
He kept an arm around her shoulders, not ready to release her yet.
“Anya’s parents live next door to my parents. We grew up together as neighbors.” He squeezed her shoulder slightly.
“Well, isn’t this just a coincidence.” Max returned with a plate in his hand. “I kept your plate in the oven.”
Dalton motioned for Anya to return to her spot. He sat across from her and took his plate from Max.
“Hmm…you kept my plate warm…what the hell do you want? Or what the hell did you do?” Dalton asked suspiciously.
Chuckles went around the room. Dalton knew Max like the back of his hand. They had been friends ever since they’d entered the academy together. He was up to something.
“Can’t a man just make a plate for his buddy?” Max shrugged.
“Hell, no. Even I can tell you want something.” Case laughed.
“Well, before you go groveling for whatever it is you want, can I at least get something to drink to go with this?” Dalton leaned back in his chair.
Snickers and chuckles went up in the air. Dalton’s gaze connected with Anya’s, and she giggled along with everyone.
Max released a curse and jogged into the kitchen. He returned with bottled water.
“Now that’s service,” Dalton muttered. His friend was a beast when it came to grilling. He took his first bite of food then turned to Max. “What is it?”
He tried to focus on Max, but his attention was on Anya. She was in a conversation with Anton about h
er car.
“It just so happens that there is something I need.” Max coughed. He sat forward. “I need to switch holidays.”
“Really?” Dalton took another bite and held back a groan. The burger was made to perfection. “For what?”
“I got invited to go away that weekend with Vicky.” Max rubbed his hands together.
“I thought her name was Marla?” Dalton sipped his water.
“That’s over. Vicky is someone I met a few weeks ago.”
Dalton shook his head at his friend. He could never keep up with the women Max went out with.
“I’ll have to look at the schedule,” he said. Dalton turned his attention back to Anya.
“So, what do you do for a living?” Knox asked her.
Dalton was curious to hear also. Once in a while, his mother mentioned something about the Graham girl next door. Most times, Dalton hadn’t listened.
Now, he was all ears.
Anya coughed and reached for her soda. She took a swig then replied, “I write.”
“Write what?” Dylan asked.
Anya barked a laugh. Dalton was mesmerized by her apparent shyness when talking about herself.
“I write romance books.” She sat back and looked around at all the guys.
“Like, porn?” Max asked.
“No, it’s not porn!” She snatched her napkin from the table and tossed it at Max, who laughed.
“So you mean like the books my mom reads with the men on the front with their bare chests and barely clothed women?” Dylan asked. He puffed out his chest dramatically.
Anya covered her face while falling back with a fit of laughter.
Dalton smiled as the guys teased her. “What are you writing about now?” he asked in an attempt to try to draw the question back to her work.
“Boy, look at the time.” Her eyes widened at his question. She glanced down at her watch. “I need to see if the tow truck is coming soon.”
“Answer the question!” Casey and Knox shouted simultaneously.
“Answer!” the guys chanted. They banged their fists on the table.
“All right. All right!” Anya held up her hands. She dramatically rolled her eyes once the room silenced. “It’s going to be a fireman romance story.”
Dalton’s eyes widened.
Fireman romance?