Emerging Temptation: A BWWM Romance Limited Edition Collection

by Peyton Banks

  All muscles like his brother.

  He was about the same height as Dalton. Only instead of a sexy grin, he carried a scowl on his face.

  “Dallas.” She cleared her throat. Of all the police stations she had to go to, it was the one where she’d know someone.

  He made it over to her and enveloped her into a one-armed hug. “How have you been?” he asked.

  Her gaze flickered to Officer Cain’s, then she turned back to Dallas.

  His eyes narrowed on her, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to get anything over on him.

  “I’m good. Officer Cain was helping out with a little problem, but I’m done here.”

  “Here, I’ll walk her out, Cain.”

  “Sure thing. Please call if you need anything else, Miss Graham.” Cain nodded to her, sitting back at his desk.

  She walked alongside Dallas, praying he didn’t ask precisely why she was at the station.

  “So I hear you have gotten married and had a baby,” she exclaimed. This would be safer. If she could get him to talk about his wife and the baby, he would more than likely not inquire about her being there.

  “Yeah, I have.” Apparently, the time hadn’t changed his gruffness.

  He was a man of few words as an adult.

  Even when they were younger, he hadn’t spoken much. He’d listened to Anya ramble all day long and barely said two words.

  They made it to the front entrance. Dallas put his hand on the door and blocked her from opening it.

  “You’re not going to tell me why you are here, are you?” he asked.

  “Everything is fine. Officer Cain took care of something for me. No need to worry.” She prayed she sounded convincing.

  Dallas released a grunt.

  He didn’t believe her.

  “Take my number. If you need anything, you call me,” Dallas ordered in usual Dallas fashion.

  She pulled her phone from her purse and inputted his contact information. “Got it.”

  “Take down Dalton’s, too.”

  “That I have already.” She cleared her throat and pushed her hair behind her ear. She slid her phone back inside the compartment in her purse.

  “Really? You’ve run into my brother?”

  Anya glanced back at the desk, and Officer Loot stood there, not hiding the fact she was listening to their conversation.

  Just great.

  Dallas patiently waited for her to continue. His arm still blocked her from escaping through the door, leaving her no choice but to answer him.

  She stepped closer, not wanting the crabby woman to hear her. “Let’s just say I was with him this morning,” she whispered.

  Confusion crossed Dallas’s face before understanding dawned on him. “Oh.” He blinked a few times. A small smile crossed his lips briefly. “Well, I’ll be. You finally caught him.”

  “Hey!” Anya swatted his arm with her hand and was met with hard muscle. She pressed her stinging hand to her chest. “I did not chase him.”

  “Whatever.” Dallas snorted. He pushed open the door and followed her outside. “You need me. Call me. Anytime.”

  “Yes, Dallas.” She rolled her eyes, but deep down inside, she was comforted. Even though they hadn’t seen each other in forever, he was still acting as a protective big brother.

  Some things didn’t change.

  Dalton scowled at the sight in front of him. A massive warehouse fire was currently taking up his off day. Because of the size of the burning building, several fire stations were involved.

  What he wouldn’t give to be back in his bed with Anya. He’d taken great pride in giving her more orgasms in one night than she’d ever had before.

  The memories of her spread out on his bed with her legs wide open waiting for him would be forever etched in his mind.

  “Lieutenant!” a voice shouted, catching his attention.

  Dalton snapped back to the present and glanced over at Anton, making his way to him. He was covered in soot, dirt, and ash.

  “What is it?” Dalton asked. He had on his flame-resistant suit, prepared to jump in to help his men. Dallas hoisted his air pack on his back and secured his mask on one side to allow him to still converse. Part of his job was supervision, but when needed, he worked alongside his men.

  “The north side is lost. We are going to just let it burn down to the ground,” Anton reported.

  They walked toward the building. Dark smoke filled the air, marring the beautiful blue sky.

  The scene was a complete zoo. Sirens and shouting ensued around them. The police had secured off the perimeter to allow the fire departments to work.

  Jobs like this were hazardous. With the different levels of the building, it could be a death trap. From what he’d found out, the building had been completely abandoned. They didn’t just go up in flames.

  Someone had set this building on fire.

  The usually suspected reason for arson on buildings like this was so someone could collect an insurance payout.

  Dalton assessed the building and agreed with Anton. There would be no saving it. The towering flames shooting out the broken windows were too dangerous.

  “Let’s just try to contain it and make sure it doesn’t light the other buildings around it. We’re going to have to let this baby burn its way out. Let’s notify everyone else.”

  “Will do.” Anton jogged away toward one of the other fire engines from another district.

  Dalton approached Case, who was walking away from the building. He tore off his respirator with a scowl on his face.

  “Pull the men back. It’s too dangerous. I don’t like the way the building is looking,” Dalton announced. He eyed the building and the way the flames had engulfed it. It would only be a matter of time before parts of it collapsed.

  He wouldn’t want to risk his men’s lives.

  “A couple of our men are just inside the entrance trying to spray the base—”

  A large screech filled the air. Dalton turned toward the sound. The front of the building wobbled to the side then it came tumbling down to the ground.

  Dalton’s heart stopped. He froze for two seconds, then his feet took off, running toward the building. Smoke and dust billowed in the air. It decreased visibility around them.

  A figure stumbled out of the rubble.

  Knox.

  “Were you the last one?” Dalton demanded, helping Knox move away from the building.

  Casey came on the other side of Knox and helped.

  “Max,” he gasped for air. He tore his mask off his face and breathed in deeply then fell into a fit of coughing. “Max was still in there. He was right behind me.”

  Dalton paused.

  Not Max.

  “Get him to a medic,” he ordered Case.

  “I got him,” he grunted, taking the weight of Knox.

  Dalton turned back toward the building. Without hesitation, he secured his mask and pulled the shield down over his face. He switched on his air pack and ran into the building.

  The heat greeted him, but he ignored it.

  He assessed the area, and it was heavily damaged. Flames danced along the ceiling, or what was left of it.

  Something caught his eyes to the left.

  Movement.

  “Max!” he shouted and rushed toward his longtime friend. He jumped over giant chunks of the building and arrived at Max’s side.

  He instantly took in that Max’s left side was being crushed by a part of the ceiling.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Max shouted.

  “Saving your ass,” Dalton growled. He knelt by his friend, trying to see what he could use as a lever to help elevate the concrete off of Max. “If I lift it up slightly, will you be able to slide from underneath it?”

  “I don’t have a choice.” Max’s face turned up in a grimace.

  Dalton stood up and bent down, trying to get a good grip on the concrete. The building groaned and shook again. They had to hurry and get out of there or it woul
d come crashing down with them in it.

  “When I count to three,” Dalton announced. His eyes met Max’s gaze, whose head tilted slightly. “One. Two. Three.”

  Dalton used all of his strength to pull the slab up in the air. It was cumbersome, but it shifted just enough so Max was able to push himself free.

  Dalton released the massive slab and let it fall to the floor.

  “Let’s get the hell out of here,” Dalton said. He bent down and tried to help Max up, but his leg was done in. “I’m going to have to carry you.”

  “Like hell you are,” Max snapped.

  “This is not the time, Max.” Dalton helped Max up and lifted him over his shoulder.

  Thank goodness they had practiced this move a thousand times.

  He trudged through the rubble, keeping a close eye on the fire scorching everything. It seemed like forever, but he finally made it out the way he’d come into the building.

  Anton and Knox rushed toward him.

  “Get a medic. He’s injured,” Dalton barked.

  Anton helped lower Max down. Dalton tore his face mask off and tried to breathe in profoundly, but the smoke around them was too strong. He ended up falling into a coughing fit.

  “Medic!” Knox shouted. He ran away and waved down one of the EMT crew.

  “I got you, buddy,” Dalton said, holding Max steady. His throat was scratchy, and his eyes were burning from the smoke.

  “What you did was stupid,” Max muttered.

  “As if you wouldn’t do the same for me,” Dalton scoffed.

  “Yeah, I would have.” Max grimaced. “But I would have rescued you with more style and flair.”

  Dalton bit back a laugh. His friend would be fine.

  Knox and the medics arrived with a stretcher. They hoisted Max onto the cart. They used the belts to secure Max down before they started moving.

  “Knox, keep an eye on everything,” Dalton shouted over his shoulder, walking alongside Max as the medics rushed him toward the ambulance.

  “Yes, sir,” Knox responded.

  “I don’t need to go back to the hospital. Just let me rest for a few minutes—”

  “You’re going. That’s an order,” Dalton said.

  They arrived at the ambulance.

  “I’m fine.” Max groaned.

  “Feel free to sedate him if you need to,” Dalton suggested to the medics.

  “Yes, sir. We know how stubborn you firemen can be. I won’t have no problem knocking this one out.” The EMT with a thick beard grinned.

  “You’re the man.” Dalton pointed to him.

  “We’ll take good care of him,” the other medic, who was clean-shaven, said.

  “Appreciate it.” He gave them a nod and turned back to chaos. He blew out a deep breath and walked over to join his crew.

  11

  Anya drove away from the courthouse, physically shaking. She blew out a deep breath and tried to relax.

  It was done.

  The magistrate had granted her the order of protection. It didn’t take much since she had copies of the request from the Atlanta courts and police reports.

  She tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

  The magistrate, a woman, was very empathetic to Anya’s claim. When she’d heard that Glenn had shown up here in Vegas and the police had to be called, that sealed the deal.

  Copies of the fresh order were currently in her purse. Now she just prayed that Glenn would give up and go back home and leave her be.

  Once in jail in Vegas should be enough.

  She still wasn’t comfortable with staying at her apartment. Sooner or later, she’d have to either fess up to her parents the real reason why she wanted to stay with them or go back.

  She’d only been there a few months, and she had a year lease. She didn’t know if she would be able to get out of the contract. She had some savings but not enough to pay for the rest of the lease.

  Now that her business was all taken care of, she would call Dalton as he had requested.

  She couldn’t help the smile that formed on her lips at the thought of him.

  Before she’d left, her mother had shown her how to connect her phone to the car where she could use it hands-free.

  Her old clunker didn’t have that feature either. Just the thought of car shopping made her itch.

  Hitting the button on the steering wheel, she commanded her phone to call Dalton.

  “Calling Dalton Sexy McNeil,” the female robot voice filled the car.

  She giggled at the sound of the nickname she’d given him.

  Ringing shot through the air. After a few seconds, Dalton’s voicemail picked up. She sighed at the sound of his deep voice coming through the speakers.

  “Hey, it’s me. I’m done with all of my errands and was calling as promised. Hit me back when you get a chance.”

  She disconnected the call.

  Anya could have sworn that he’d said he’d be off all day.

  “Oh well.” She was a little disappointed. If he would have answered, she may have stopped by now.

  Thoughts of last night filled her mind. She grew excited thinking of seeing Dalton again.

  Her phone rang, and she glanced over. It was her mother calling.

  “Hey, Mom,” she answered.

  “Hey, baby. Where are you?” her mother’s voice came on the line.

  “I just left from the courthouse,” she replied. She glanced in the review mirror and switched lanes.

  “I was wondering if you wanted to go out to lunch?”

  “Yeah, that would be cool.” It had been a while since she’d just spent time with her mother. When she’d come home while she was in college, they would have a girls’ day and do lunch and a spa.

  Those were the good old days.

  She sighed. She hadn’t figured she’d be at her parents’ house for a few days. She would need to return to her apartment and grab some more outfits.

  “Let me swing by my place to pick up additional clothes,” she said.

  With Glenn being released from jail, she honestly didn’t feel safe sleeping there at night. It would probably be better if she went during the middle of the day. She could be in and out of her place in five minutes flat.

  “I’ve meant to ask you,” her mother began.

  Anya knew what was coming. She had avoided sharing with her parents the real reason she’d been staying with them.

  “I love having you stay with us, but tell me, daughter. Why are you really here?”

  “Mom. I already said—”

  “I know what you said, but what haven’t you said? I know my child. Something is wrong.” Her mother didn’t miss a thing.

  Anya released a sigh. She would have to tell her parents sooner or later.

  “Fine. Can I just tell you and Dad at the same time this evening when he gets home from work?”

  “Of course, dear. You don’t have to hide anything from us. We are here for you. You know that.”

  Shame filled her.

  Her parents were her rock. She could trust them with anything, but it was Glenn she didn’t trust.

  “I promise over dinner I will explain everything.” She coasted to a stop at a red light.

  “And another thing, I see you didn’t come home last night.” Her mother’s voice lightened.

  Anya rolled her eyes and chuckled slightly.

  “Okay,” she drawled.

  “So…you and Dalton?”

  She thought of the question. What were they? She was in love with him, but she wasn’t sure if he loved her. It was too quick to tell. The fire between them was unquestionable.

  But did he love her?

  He liked her, that was something she was sure of.

  But love?

  “I don’t know what we are,” she answered truthfully. “Dalton took me for a ride on his bike, showed me the ones he’s fixing at his house, cooked dinner, and we just chilled.”

  “Oh, so you did what the kids are saying as Netflix
and chill?”

  “Mom!” Laughter burst from her. Tears streamed down her face at her mother, trying to be hip with modern-day slang. “Where did you hear that from?”

  The light turned green. Anya gave the car some gas and continued driving toward her apartment building.

  “On television. You are grown and have been crazy over that boy since y’all were kids. It’s about time you two got together.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” She giggled. Her apartment building came into view. She pulled into a parking spot and cut the car off. “I’m at my place now. I shouldn’t be long. You choose where we’re going, and I’ll treat.”

  “Okay, babe. See you soon. Love you.”

  “Love you, too, Mom.” The call disconnected. Anya sat still for a moment, still chuckling about her mother.

  She exited the vehicle and let herself into the building. Miss Jones’s apartment was on the first floor. Anya made a note in the back of her mind to stop by her place before she left. They still needed to have that chat about letting people into her apartment without permission.

  She jogged up the stairs and pulled her keys from her purse. Sliding it into the lock, she paused.

  Flashbacks of Glenn being in her apartment had her hands trembling.

  “Just go in, grab your stuff, and go,” she muttered.

  Turning the key, she pushed the door open. Her place was quiet and looked the same. Anya stepped inside, closed the door, and locked it behind her.

  Cradling her phone in her hand, she quietly moved through her apartment.

  The air escaped her once she saw there was no one there.

  “This is crazy.”

  She didn’t know how she was going to do it, but she was going to have to move. The safety of her domain had been tarnished.

  She couldn’t stay where she didn’t feel safe.

  That was no way to live.

  She stalked into her room and tossed her purse down on her bed. She turned and walked over to the closet and grabbed items she would need.

  Five minutes, that was all she needed.

  She dropped her pile of jeans and a couple dresses down on her bed then moved over to her dresser.

  She pulled it open and froze at a sound.

  Her heart pounded. She swallowed hard and looked around for anything she could use as a weapon.