by Peyton Banks
Anya climbed into her bed and settled back against the pillows. The memory of him walking into the dining hall would be forever ingrained in her mind.
“Really?” Amina gasped.
“Yes. I could describe one of my sexy heroes off him.” But she wouldn’t. She didn’t want anyone fantasizing about her man.
Her man?
She slapped a hand on her forehead. Dalton wouldn’t be interested in her. He’d only see her as the young girl from next door.
“Hmm… I think when you go back, you may need another set of ears,” Amina murmured.
“And you are just the person to help me?” Anya teased.
“Hell, yeah. With all of those hot firemen you described, you may get distracted and forget all about your research.”
“Okay, you can go with me,” Anya replied. She snuggled down under her blankets, a yawn coming on.
“You are the greatest. I’ll be the best note-taker you have ever seen!”
“I’m sure you will,” Anya said dryly. She yawned again. It was time for her to go to bed. She wanted to get up early tomorrow to work on a few things. “We’ll talk tomorrow about our field trip. I’m officially in bed.”
They disconnected their call. Anya leaned over and placed her phone on the charger on her nightstand. She fluffed her pillow, lying back down on it.
A smile graced her lips. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she prayed she’d see Dalton again in her dreams.
4
Dalton stared at the computer screen but saw nothing. How could he concentrate when Anya was in the building? She’d arrived a couple hours ago, and the entire station was in uproar.
Everyone was willing to speak to her about their position and job responsibilities.
Max had made it his mission this morning to help Anya around the station, while Dalton was stuck in his office doing his administrative work.
This was one part of his job he dreaded.
Fuck this.
He pushed back from his desk. Anya had been consistently on his mind since he’d taken her home. After she’d gotten out of his truck, her scent had lingered since, driving him crazy.
A knock sounded at the door.
“Come in,” he called. He stood abruptly.
A fluttering feeling appeared in his stomach.
What the hell?
He’d run straight into burning buildings and never had this sensation before.
Was this nerves?
“And here is where the boss works,” Max announced. He pushed open the door and motioned for Anya and her friend to enter.
Dalton greedily took Anya in. She was dressed casually in a tank, short jeans folded just below her calves, and sandals. Her hair was pulled back from her face, and her makeup was light.
He loved her natural beauty.
She didn’t need all of the makeup that most women caked on their faces.
“Morning.” He nodded to the girls.
“She wanted to interview the boss last.” Max wagged his eyebrows playfully.
“It was so nice to meet you,” Amina gushed. She turned to Max.
“Not a problem. It was my pleasure.” Max tossed her a wink.
“Thanks for showing us around, Max.” Anya smiled at his friend.
Dalton clenched his teeth.
At the moment, he wanted to punch Max in his smug face. Max’s gaze met Dalton’s, and it was then he knew Max was on to his attraction to Anya.
Dalton folded his arms in front of his chest and narrowed his eyes at Max.
Max’s grin grew wider.
“You don’t mind me coming to ask you questions, do you?” Anya asked. She brought his focus back to her.
Max threw up the peace sign and exited the room, chuckling. The door quietly shut, leaving them alone.
“Not at all. I was actually on my way to find you to make sure Max was behaving himself.” He motioned for them to take the seats in front of his desk.
She placed her bag on the floor and pulled out a notebook.
Dalton sat on the edge of his desk.
“You remember, Amina, don’t you?” Anya asked. She focused her beautiful eyes on him.
“Yes, I do.”
“It’s good to see you again.” Amina smiled.
“You, too.” He settled back and was curious about how the interviews had gone. “So tell me, you get what you needed?”
“I’ve gotten some excellent information today. I really appreciate it.” Anya’s face lit up with excitement. She glanced down at her notebook and opened it. “There’s nothing like actually walking through a real firehouse, then looking at all the images you can pull up on the internet. Everyone has been so kind and open, and I have so many notes.”
“Good. I’m glad we can help. What else do you need to know?” Dalton asked.
“Are you single?” Amina blurted out.
Dalton paused. His gaze flew to Anya’s whose expression was one of horror.
“Amina!” Anya gasped. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Everything.” Amina rolled her eyes. “He obviously spends a lot of time here like the other guys do. I was wondering if he had a significant other and how she feels about his hours spent on the job.” Amina shrugged.
The room grew silent.
Dalton shook his head. “No, I don’t have a significant other waiting at home for me.”
His eyes connected with Anya’s.
She visibly swallowed then broke his stare. She scribbled down a few notes.
She cleared her throat and focused back on him. “Are you lonely by choice?”
He paused.
Lonely?
Who said he was lonely?
He ran a hand along his jaw and thought about the question. At his age, he was done with playing games. He was tired of the long string of one-night stands. After seeing how happy Dallas was with Candi, it got him to thinking it might be time he found that special person.
It would be nice to come home to a beautiful woman. Have a great conversation over dinner. Climb into a warm bed and hold her curvy body close to his.
It would be nice to come home to…Anya.
Dalton’s heart slammed against his chest wall.
Slow down, man.
“I wouldn’t say I’m lonely, it’s just how it is. This job is tough, and it takes a special woman to be able to handle what I do for a living.” He shifted on the desk and folded his arms across his chest.
He hadn’t expected this type of probing.
It left him feeling vulnerable.
“What do you mean by that?” Anya queried. She rested her pen against her lip. It was an unconscious move on her part, but it made her even more attractive.
“Wow, this is a deep line of questioning.” He coughed. “I thought you’d want to know about what I do and shit.” He chuckled, trying to break the tension.
“Well, we learned quickly what you do when we first got here. Anya always wants to know how things affect people. It helps with her portrayal of characters.”
“Thank you, I couldn’t have said it better myself.” Anya smiled. She reached up and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “I like to dig deep to help me know how to channel emotions and feelings. Readers don’t really care what you do exactly, it’s the connection they want to have with the characters. That’s what sells books.”
Dalton was impressed. He didn’t know romance books were that inspiring.
“But let’s not forget the sex scenes. That’s what truly sells the books. A hot-ass sex scene that makes you want to—”
“Amina!” Anya sputtered, turning to her friend, who was laughing uncontrollably.
The edge of his lips curved up.
The sight of an embarrassed Anya was very amusing.
“That’s what makes readers buy books?” He cocked his eyebrow playfully.
“Look, I’m telling you—”
“Don’t believe her. Women buy Anya’s books because her sex scenes ar
e out of this world. I’ve read a few of her books and needed a cold shower afterward.”
Anya elbowed Amina hard.
Dalton laughed at the two of them.
Anya was completely mortified while Amina was enjoying teasing her friend to the fullest.
He made a mental note to go purchase one of her books.
“That hot, huh?” He smirked.
Little Anya had a dirty mind…he could work with that.
“Don’t listen to her.” Anya stood abruptly. “I think it’s time we go. We may have overstayed our welcome.”
“Sit down,” Amina drawled. She tugged Anya’s arm and forced her back in her chair. “We won’t mention the sex scenes anymore.”
Amina glanced at Dalton and threw a wink his way.
“Go ahead, Anya. What else do you want to know?” he asked. He cleared his throat and tried not to laugh. He sincerely wanted to help Anya with her research. She must do well with her books if she could write for a living.
“What do you do in your spare time away from the firehouse? How do you de-stress?” Anya turned her attention back to him. Her pen was poised over her notebook while she waited for him to answer.
He shrugged.
Riding was a passion of his.
On the open road, with the wind in his face while flying down the highway on his motorcycle.
“I don’t know. There’s my bike.”
“Motorcycle?” Amina raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, I have a couple that I’ve been restoring as a hobby and one I ride.”
Anya wrote a couple words down then glanced back up to him. “That’s cool, I’d love to see them sometime.” She paused. Her eyes widened as if in shock.
“I can bring you by my place. That’s not a problem.” He had been thinking of a way to get her to his house. Now he had the perfect reason.
He’d made up his mind about Anya.
He wanted to see what this was between them.
The tension in the car had crackled like a powerful electric current the other night.
“Let me ask you a question.” He shifted his position on the desk where he could rest his elbow on his knee.
“Sure.” Anya nodded.
“Are you single?” he asked. It had been a question weighing heavy on his mind. Inviting Anya over to dinner at his brother’s was just a friendly invite.
But if she wasn’t attached to anyone…
“Yes, I’m single,” she whispered.
The room grew quiet. Dalton only had eyes for Anya.
“I’m going to step outside for a brief second. I wanted to ask Max something,” Amina’s voice cut through the air.
The sound of the chair scraping didn’t break their stare-down, and neither did the sound of the door opening and closing.
She was single.
That was the only thing his brain was able to comprehend.
Anya cleared her throat and looked around, confusion on her face. “I think I’m done here.” She stood abruptly.
He pushed off the desk when she reached for her bag on the floor. “Anya.”
He closed the gap between them and grabbed her arm.
“I think I have everything I need,” she rambled on, clutching her bag to her chest. “I have to get home since I have a deadline—”
“Anya,” he said her name gently.
Her gaze darted to the door.
She wasn’t escaping that quick.
He turned her toward him. He ran his hands along her arms up to her shoulders.
“It’s okay,” he murmured.
She closed her eyes briefly and opened them again.
“I shouldn’t have done it,” she blurted out.
Dalton’s gaze dropped down to her lips. Her teeth had a firm grip on the bottom one. He resisted the urge to brush his finger along it to release it.
“Did what?” he asked. He slowed the motion of his hands, resting them Anya’s shoulders.
“Kissed you. That day on the porch. I shouldn’t have—”
“It’s okay,” he repeated.
“I crossed a line. I don’t know what had got into me. I’ve thought of that night, and I didn’t mean to make you—”
Dalton leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.
It apparently was the only way to get her attention.
The moment his lips met hers, Dalton was a goner.
Her soft lips parted, allowing his tongue to enter her mouth. He swept it in, getting his first taste of her.
A moan slipped from her. Dalton gathered her close once her bag hit the floor. Her hands slid up his chest and rested on the base of his neck.
Dalton tilted his head to the side to deepen the kiss. Her tongue was at first shy but grew bolder.
His cock pressed against his jeans, demanding to be released from its prison.
“Dalton,” Anya moaned, tearing her mouth away from his. Her eyes opened and met his.
Their breaths were coming fast.
Her breasts crushed between them almost had him forgetting he was in the fire station. If they’d been anywhere else, he would have her on the desk in a heartbeat.
He reached up and ran a finger along that bottom lip of hers. It was plump and swollen from his kiss.
“What is it, Anya?” He flickered his gaze to hers.
“What are we doing?” she whispered.
“If you have to ask, then I might not have been doing it right.” His lips tilted up.
“You know what I mean.” She batted his chest with her hand.
“I couldn’t think of any other way to shut you up—”
“Hey!” She giggled.
Dalton’s heart skipped a beat at the sound. He liked hearing her laugh.
“I’ve wanted to do that since the first time I saw you here in the station,” he admitted.
Hell, he was too old to beat around the bush.
Honesty was always the best.
Anya played with an invisible piece of lint on his LVFD t-shirt before looking up to him.
“Well, I’m glad you did.”
“So, how about it. Want to come over to see my bikes?” Dalton asked. He held his breath, unsure of what she would say.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
5
Anya let herself in her apartment and couldn’t contain her smile. Amina had been full of questions in the car after they’d left the station. They had gone for an early dinner and caught a happy hour at their favorite restaurant.
Amina continued bombarding her with question after question, but Anya refused to share.
After all, she wasn’t the type of woman to kiss and tell.
She’d told her friend a little fib.
Amina had refused to believe her.
With a sigh, she locked the door and walked into the apartment. There was a ton of work she needed to do. First, she wanted to go through all of the notes she had taken while at the station.
She tossed her bags down and froze in place.
Sitting on her love seat was the one person she had hoped to never see again. She swallowed hard, allowing her gaze to dart back to the front door. If she ran fast enough, she could make it.
“Hello, Anya,” Glenn said dryly. He calmly stretched, acting as if he belonged there.
When they had first met, she had been drawn to him by his deep-cocoa skin, his closely shaven hair, and muscular physique. He towered over her, and she remembered the day when she’d loved that.
Glenn enjoyed exercising and lifting weights in his free time. When they’d first got together, she’d tagged along to the gym with him. She had never understood how someone like him would be into a curvy girl like herself.
Exercising together had been a way for them to bond, and he’d been so helpful in her weight loss journey.
She had thought he’d be the one.
Boy, had she been wrong.
He’d become possessive of her.
Working from home allowed him to isolate her from everyone
else.
At one time she had taken a job at a library just to get out of the house, but he’d ruined that with his extreme jealousy.
Her heart raced, and panic filled her chest.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she asked. She slowly backed away from the couch.
Flashbacks of the last time she was in their apartment in Atlanta came to mind. Her heart rate increased.
This couldn’t be happening.
She’d left him.
He could have whoever he wanted.
Why was he here?
“Where are you going?” He stood and strode with purpose toward her. “Don’t I get a hello and a hug?”
“You lost that privilege,” she snapped. Hopefully, her voice didn’t shake. She clutched her phone in her hand, wondering if she could call for help without Glenn knowing. “And how the hell did you get into my apartment?”
He advanced on her with a narrowed gaze. She spun around and raced toward the front door. A scream erupted from her lips when his hand clamped down on her arm. He swung her around to face him.
“Who do you think you are, using that tone of voice?” he growled.
“You’re hurting me,” she whimpered, trying to push away from him.
His hold on her tightened. He closed the gap between them. “Like I said, I don’t get a hug or a hello?”
Anya gazed up at him and swallowed hard. She stopped resisting his hold and would play his sick little game. She shifted her free hand that held her phone behind her back.
Unfortunately, she was familiar with how to hit the alarm button on her phone that would call the police.
“Hello, Glenn.” She cleared her voice. “How did you get in?”
“Oh, I spoke with the manager of yours. I told her I was your boyfriend and had traveled such a long way to surprise you. She was eating out of my hands by the time I was done with her.” He snorted.
It was sick how charming he could be.
The minute he smiled, he could convince anyone that the sky was green, and they’d believe him without question.