Bad Boy's Lust (Firemen in Love Book 1) (11 page)

I slipped back into my shirt. “Guess that means I'm going home.”

He stole a kiss before I headed out the door.

“If it wasn't for this unfortunate interruption, you'd be back in my bed right now.”

There could always be next time – or maybe not. Everyone knew Jayce didn't go back for seconds. Why would he act any different with me?

I rested a hand on his shoulder while he laced up his boots. “This is going to change things for us.”

“Nah, it won't.” He flashed me that confident smile. “It's only sex.”

Maybe to him it was.

Chapter 9 - Jayce

It's only sex.

Those words replayed in my head as I pointed the hose at the flames. Two weeks after I'd invited Elle into my bed, I couldn't stop thinking about that night.

Some woman twice my age stood behind our truck, a fat orange cat in her arms, shrieking at the top of her lungs. A bewildered bald dude, her husband, tried to calm her down.

“It's okay, Sheila. They're just material objects. Be grateful we're all unharmed.”

“How can you
say
that? The jewelry, the paintings! It's gone, and it's all your fault.”

“Mine?”

“Yes, you idiot! I told you to install that fire-proof safe and you never got around to it. Now we've lost
everything.
”

She might have been exaggerating a bit. Only a small corner of the first floor had gone up in flames, and the fire was nearly out thanks to our quick efforts.

But I couldn't focus on anything these days. Not these people's petty arguing. Not even my damn job. Only one thing was on my mind.

Elle.

She said having sex would change things for us. I laughed it off. After all, it never changed a damn thing for me before.

Apparently, there was a first time for everything.

Elle started acting weird the very next day. She barely talked to me, and when we did speak, it was like she was walking on eggshells.

“They need the light fixture replaced in 411,” she'd told me. “And the guy who just moved into 228 says the place is infested with bedbugs.”

She was back to her usual self. All business, no fun. I didn't understand it.

Before now, I wouldn't have given a shit. Sex was for pleasure, not for worrying about. And I wouldn't have worried this time, either.

Except something funny happened that night. I didn't know what it was or why I felt this way. But sleeping with Elle was
different.

“Family photos!” The woman howled. “You can't replace those with the insurance money, Harry.”

“But dear, it was only the kitchen. Your frying pan caught fire. The photos are probably fine...”

The woman's shirt fell open. I only stared at her cleavage for a split second before losing interest.

Something was seriously the matter with me.

“Hey, jackass.”

Brett, fellow firefighter and usually good friend, shoved me from behind. The heavy hose slipped and I drenched myself with it.

“What's wrong with you, man? Your head's not in the game lately. You're gonna screw up. Get somebody killed.”

I scoffed and resisted temptation to spray him in the face. “I'm perfectly fine. Better than fine, actually.”

He grinned. “Got some last night, huh?”

“You know it.”

Actually, I hadn't gotten in any in two weeks – since that night with Elle.

Oh, I had chances. Girls flirting with me at the store, in the parking lot, everywhere I went. I flirted back, but I didn't take their number or even try.

I didn't want to screw some random stranger. The only woman I wanted back in my bed was
her.

If only I could figure out what was wrong with her. Shit, women were so complicated. Lucky for Elle, she was worth waiting for.

Still, it was pretty rough going with only my hand to keep me company.

“Max's birthday's in a couple of days. You going to the party?”

“He having it at Twinkles again?”

Brett winked. “It's gonna be a blast, man. Cheap beer, topless chicks everywhere, lap dances all night long.”

I remembered well. Last year, I got totally smashed, had two lovely ladies grinding in my lap, and pretty much got 'em into bed without having to try.

I could have done the same thing this year, except...

“We're all throwing in some cash for Max's stripper,” Brett went on. “You got fifty bucks?”

Before I could answer, the couple's screaming escalated to a fever pitch. The man stalked off to call the insurance company. The woman approached me from behind. She didn't even try to hide her rack falling out of her shirt.

“I'm so glad you came. Why, if it weren't for you, our entire house would have burned to the ground.”

I forced a smile as Brett turned off the hose. “That's my job, ma'am.”

She giggled and pushed my shoulder. “You know, I've always had a thing for big, strong firemen. If there's anything I can do to repay you...”

I couldn't believe this lady was hitting on me in front of her husband. She was kind of cute, but I never messed with married women. Too much trouble.

Plus, there was Elle to consider.

“Just try and get some rest. You must have had a very rough night.”

She frowned, covered up her breasts, and shuffled off to yell at her husband some more.

“Dude, what's the matter with you?”

Brett had heard it all. He clearly wasn't impressed that I'd turned the woman down. Not surprising, given he was an even bigger horn dog than me.

“I'm on the job. Not here to pick up girls.”

He stumbled under the weight of the hose. “You being on the job never mattered before. Hey, remember that girl you carried out of that office building? We sure had some fun with her, huh?”

I sighed. Threesomes used to excite me. What guy
wouldn't
get excited to have a couple of hot girls all to himself?

Suddenly, the idea bored me. Those chicks were all style and no substance. Fun for a quick lay, but good for little else.

They weren't anything like Elle. When I fucked her that night, I swore it was the best I'd ever had. Couldn't put my finger on why, exactly, but I
felt
something looking into her eyes.

That moment I exploded inside of her. The way she gazed at me with such hot intensity, like she was so
eager
to take my come... It was more than physical. There was real meaning behind it.

And it scared me shitless.

“This is why I say fighting fires is the best job there is.” Brett gestured to the woman. Her butt jiggled as she chased after her poor spouse. “There ain't a girl out there who doesn't want a piece of us. You, especially, ya lucky bastard. Ladies throwing themselves at you wherever you go.”

I climbed into the truck as Brett hopped in the driver's seat.

“It's a serious perk, all right.”

“With all these easy chicks around, you never even need to settle down. Marriage is for fools.” He pointed out the window at the still-fighting couple. “Look what happens when you shack up with some bitchy woman. All the fun, all the sex, goes out the window.”

I had to concede to his point. Nothing I'd ever seen about marriage was good in the least. My own mother threw away every paycheck on clothes and drugs, and eventually ran off on dad with a co-worker. Dad probably deserved it, though. He was always a cold-hearted bastard, never affectionate to her or his son.

I was pretty sure he'd never hugged me, not once. Probably why I had this ungodly fear of getting close to someone. I had no idea what real love was like. Looking around me, I doubted that it even existed sometimes.

Brett lit a cigarette as he tore down the main street. We weren't on an emergency call, but he blared the sirens anyway so cars would yield to us.

“Maybe you're just cynical,” I said. “You ever been in love?”

He laughed and waved a cloud of smoke out the window. “Hell no. I'm like you, man. The second some girl starts leaving her toothbrush on my bathroom counter, I'm done with her.”

No, he wasn't like me. I'd never even given a woman the
chance
to think we had anything serious. One and done, that was me. Was just easier that way.

I always made it clear to them – don't expect anything beyond one night.

Elle was the first woman I wanted a second time. And then a third, and more after that...

Hey, maybe a fling would be good for me. We could be friends with benefits, at least until I found this imaginary girl I had to marry so Shady Acres would be saved.

I only hoped Elle had enough sense to know that still, no matter what, it was just sex. Nothing more. That was all it ever could be.

Brett dropped his phone under the brake pedal. He cursed and nearly ran a red light crouching down to get it.

The guy was one of my best buddies; had known him since elementary school. Heather always called him a bad influence, and she was right. Regardless, he gave pretty decent advice.

“Dude, I've got to tell you something.”

Brett chuckled. “Let me guess. You're gay? Born a woman? Got an illegitimate child you just found out about?”

I shuddered. “Don't even
mention
kids. Babies scare me.”

“Sissy. Kids are cool. They play video games and football with you.”

“Yeah, I guess bigger kids are all right. But infants are terrifying. The dirty diapers, the crying, projectile vomiting...”

He grinned. “Finally, something you're afraid of – a newborn baby.”

“Would you just shut up and listen to me?” I growled. “You know I own half an apartment building now.”

“Yeah, after your stepmom passed, right?” He finally grew serious. “Man, I really am sorry about that. It must be hard.”

“It's okay. I'm over it.” A total lie. I'd just gotten good at hiding how much it hurt.

“So what do you want to tell me?”

“Her will is a disaster. She split ownership between me and Elle.”

Brett's eyebrow lifted. “That hot chick who used to spend the summer with you guys?”

“Yeah, her. But that's not the problem. My dad's going to get the whole property if we don't raise occupancy, and I dunno what to do.”

“Why not just let him have it? Seems like a pain in the ass.”

It was, but... The thought of letting dad win made me sick. He thought I was just a lazy, good-for-nothing sack of shit. That's what he always had thought. I was gonna prove him wrong, no matter what it took.

And Elle, I knew she really wanted to keep the place. Didn't understand why, but I
did
like seeing her happy. She got so excited when she and Heather talked about fixing the building up.

“There's another issue Debbie wrote into the will. If I don't get married by the end of August, Shady Acres is his.”

Brett cracked up with laughter so hard he swerved the truck into the other lane. I didn't feel like laughing. Crying was more like it.

“Married? That's the best joke I ever heard. Everyone knows Jayce Reinhard is
never
getting tied down by a ball and chain.”

“Yeah, you're telling me. What the hell am I supposed to do?”

“You're
that
desperate to hold onto this dump?” Brett shook his head in disbelief. “Man. Well, I guess you could always fake it. Either that, or buy one of them Russian mail-order brides off the internet.”

“Fake it?”

“Sure. Find some girl, make a deal with her. Tell her you'll pay her to 'marry' you and stay married until the year's up. Then break things off.” He tossed his cigarette out the window. “Might wanna get a prenup, though. Chicks are crazy when money's involved.”

Actually, I wasn't sure what else the will said about the matter. Was divorce allowed? If so, after how long? It certainly couldn't be that easy.

“It
could
work, I guess. But tell me, who's this woman who would agree to such an insane plan? Not only that, what if she decides she doesn't want to divorce when it's time? Then I'm stuck with a court battle and a bunch of legal fees I can't afford.”

He shrugged. “You know hundreds of girls. Pick the one you trust the most.”

One name came instantly to mind.

Elle.

No way could I trust those chicks I barely knew, those flings and one-night stands. Elle, I'd known her forever. She was like family to me.

But she'd never go along with this ridiculous scheme. Would she?

If she did, I wouldn't have to get married for real. No more stupid online dating crap. No more fishing for women at the club and hoping to get lucky.

Plus, there was something in it for her. She'd get to keep the property. Win-win.

I clapped Brett on the shoulder. “You're a genius.”