Men of Station 23 [Uniform Fetish 1] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) (5 page)

* * * *

“Where’s she at?” asked Conall after returning from Tammy’s room in the morning. She wasn’t in her bed or the kitchen downstairs.

“Who?” asked Darius from his upper bunk.

“Tammy’s gone!”

“She’s right here,” said Aaron. “Now go away.”

Conall was usually the first to rise in the mornings. The early waking was inbred into his system. Before applying for the job at Station 23 he worked a remote outpost in the Arctic. He did volunteer medical triage when he wasn’t ice road trucking to pay his rent. His days started early then, and he’d never really shaken the habit.

He was going to question Aaron further until he saw the tiny foot peeking out from under the blankets at the edge of the bed, confirming exactly where she was. Tammy had her leg across his, her upper body cuddled against his side. How had this happened? Their prim and proper newspaper editor had jumped into bed with Aaron last night? It didn’t seem possible.

If anyone could show her a good time, it would be him. Jealousy began to fester inside him as he stood there imagining what took place only feet away from him last night. He’d slept so soundly after the long call an earthquake wouldn’t have wakened him.

Darius peered down from his upper bunk, leaning far enough he looked like he may fall right out of bed.

“What’s she doing in your bed?” he asked.

“Nothing like you’re thinking. She was shaken up last night, so I offered to keep her company.”

“Sure,” said Conall, unconvinced. “And you’re just kindhearted enough to warm her up under your covers. You even have anything on under there, cowboy?”

“I’m perfectly decent. Now fuck off and let us sleep.”

Conall ground his teeth, staring for another moment before storming off. Why did women gravitate to Aaron? He was a natural flirt with that southern charm that seemed to attract the opposite sex. Conall intimidated women with his size and height. He didn’t try to scare them off, but as soon as they caught sight of his tattoos and well-developed muscles, they lost interest. In his case, looks were deceiving. He may have had a questionable past, but that was when he was a young adult. Conall had turned his life around, committing himself to helping others, which was why he chose a career in firefighting. A friend had mentioned he’d be a good fit with his medical training and brute strength. Once he signed on with Station 23 and met his three-man crew, it was history.

He slammed the refrigerator door after grabbing the carton of orange juice. It was easy to resent one of his best friends when he had blue balls for more months than he could count on two hands. Conall nearly bumped into Jake as he came in from the side door of the kitchen.

“Watch it!” Conall snapped. He opened the cupboard and looked for a glass. Darius, and apparently Aaron, wouldn’t be joining them soon, so he planned to hit the gym early. Half his muscles were earned due to stress, sexual or otherwise. It was the same thing now. Thinking of Tammy had him painfully pent up. Punishing himself in the gym until he was too exhausted to think was his therapy.

“What’s up your ass?” Jake was the black sheep, but if they didn’t bother him, he kept to himself.

“Nothing.”

“This have something to do with the new girl? I knew it was a bad idea to let a chick live here,” said Jake as he took a seat at the table with the sports section in hand.

Conall poured juice into a glass and chugged it. “I could care less about her or her interview. She’s none of my concern. It’s not like she’s my woman or anything. If she wants to fuck around with Aaron, that’s her prerogative.”

“Aaron? What’re you talking about?” He looked over his paper from his comfortable recline on the kitchen chair.

“He managed to get her into his bed last night. Less than twenty-four hours, and the fucking cowboy gets the prize.”

Jake chuckled. “I assume you had your own plans for her.”

Conall shrugged. He didn’t know what he wanted. Until he saw Tammy in bed with Aaron, he hadn’t realized how much he wanted her. His friend had bedded many women in the past, but it hadn’t bothered him like this. “I don’t even know her.”

“That never stopped you before.”

He set his glass in the sink and headed for the gym. Unfortunately for him, it also reminded him of the cute little brunette he’d always looked forward to seeing each afternoon they were on shift. Now she was tangible, living amongst them, but she was an even more unattainable fantasy now that Aaron had claimed her.

Tammy woke up next to a hard plane of muscled flesh. Aaron was warm and smelled like a man. She could stay glued to him all day, but knew she needed to get her act together. Last night had brought out all her vulnerabilities. The past came to haunt her when she’d seen those flames and tasted the char in the back of her throat. She was transported to her childhood when everything was snatched away from her.

But, as always, the new day gave her renewed optimism and strength. She stifled away all those weak emotions and focused on the task at hand. Mr. Templeton had given her a great opportunity for advancement and she wasn’t about to screw her chances by falling for a handsome face. She knew Aaron’s type, and besides, firefighters were every girl’s wet dream. Tammy never could stand a cocky man, and these four would have to be full of themselves. Just she and Steph gave them enough fuel by walking by to admire them each day. They couldn’t be the only ones ready to drop their panties.

“Mornin’, sweet thing.” Aaron brushed her hair off her face. He was so close, the heat from his skin radiating off him. Was he even wearing anything? His body was golden to perfection, flawless, and toned. His shoulders so broad it felt like a mountain lay next to her. If these were different circumstances and she a different woman...just maybe she’d give in to the wicked desires playing in her head. How could she not think of illicit acts when she was under the blankets with a sex god?

His country-blue eyes bore into hers. A light shadow of hair covered his jaw.

Since she was the one against the wall, she quickly rolled over his body and landed on two feet. The floor was cold and unforgiving, not like the area rug which greeted her in her apartment. “I must have overslept. Which way to my room again? Left down the hall? Right? Never mind, I’ll find it...” Tammy knew she was stammering, but her nerves, or rather her hormones, were frazzled. She doubted Aaron would have refused her if she wanted to pursue something intimate, and when she stood up, she nearly crashed into the muscled arm hanging down from the upper bunk. Too much temptation first thing in the morning. What she needed was a shower, fresh clothes, and then coffee. Lots of coffee.

When she finally got back to her little room, she took a breath, gathering her wits. The rooms were all sealed to keep the light out. Considering the unpredictable nature of the emergency calls, the men would be required to sleep at odd hours of the day, or whenever they got the chance. The main hallway, which overlooked the lower level, was flooded with natural light.

Her bags were just behind the door. She partially closed it to find her luggage, but froze in place when she heard a masculine voice from inside her room.

“Did you know this is usually my room?”

She turned around. Jake was sitting on her bed. “I thought it was a spare.”

“I prefer to sleep alone. Just one of those things. I think my buddies like it better that way, too.” He stood up and took one step forward. She felt threatened, but at the same time her pussy moistened. “Apparently, I have nightmares and keep them awake.”

Tammy wanted to ask, “Nightmares of what?” but her voice didn’t seem to work. Her demons haunted her dreams many nights, too. The room was dim, the door only partially opened. She was trapped with a predator.

“You’re quiet for a journalist. Shouldn’t you be brimming with questions, trying to dissect every facet of our lives?”

She shrugged. “I’d rather watch and learn firsthand.”

“I’ll give you your first tidbit of information. We’re not heroes. We’re ordinary men with a job to do. No different than anyone else.”

“That’s not true. Saving lives is extraordinary.” Then she added, “When you’re able to save them.” She regretted her delayed words as soon as she spoke. They gave too much away, revealed more than she was willing to share.

“We save more cats than people. What you see on television is fiction. It’s not all glory and commendation around here.”

She refused to believe him. Tammy knew the difference they could make. And the statistics proved they did save lives. But when she shook her head, he moved forward and grasped her chin. “We’re human, Tammy. We make mistakes, we fail, some of us can even break hearts. Don’t forget that.” She knew he was talking about Aaron. Since when did sleeping in the same bed equate to a commitment? Maybe they assumed she did more with Aaron than just sleep. Her cheeks heated at the realization.

“I’m here to do a job, not find a boyfriend. In fact, a man is the last thing I need in my life. So you don’t have to worry about Aaron breaking any hearts.” She took a breath, glad to get that off her chest. “Besides, you can’t break something that’s not even whole.”

“You’d be surprised how many women change their tune when my boys turn up the charm.”

“Not me.” She took a step back but hit the wall.

He braced an arm near her head, leaning in toward her. “I guess we’ll see.”

She didn’t want to be viewed as some bimbo who spread her legs for any uniformed hunk. Yes, she had a uniform fetish. Who didn’t? But that didn’t make her less of a woman, less of a person. She wouldn’t make the same mistakes she had with her ex. It was better for her to live the single life with only her own rules. At this point, she needed to concentrate on her career. The time for love affairs and romantic drama was over. She was thirty-six, not twenty-six.

He raked his eyes up and down her body, little emotion in his gaze or playing on his features. His brown hair was tousled, his green eyes narrowed as he sized her up. Didn’t he want her? He mentioned his crew being able to sway her but said nothing about himself.

“It’s getting late. I need to get my research started.” Changing the subject was the best idea when she was literally trapped in a corner. “Do you know what’s on schedule for today?”

He pushed off from the wall, standing straight. The man was tall, and he frowned slightly when looking down on her. “Don’t get dressed too pretty. We’re washing down the trucks today. You aren’t afraid of getting a little dirty now, are you?”

His words were challenging, condescending even. Did he think she was uppity? Tammy had been through hell and back in her life, and all her accomplishments were achieved by hard work with no help from anyone. She wasn’t sure if she should tell Jake to
fuck off
or
fuck me
. He had an odd pull on her libido. It was probably a self-destructive tendency to fall for the wrong guy.

“I’ll wear my jeans. I
have
washed my car before. I can’t imagine this will be much different.”

He started to walk away. “By the way, if you plan to bunk with Aaron again, be a doll and let me know. I’d prefer to sleep in my own room if you’re not going to use it.”

Before she could retort, he was gone. She stomped her foot like a child, her fists clenched. She wasn’t fucking Aaron. Last night had been a vulnerable time for her, reminding her of the parents stolen from her when she was young. Normally, she kept all those old hurts locked up, but for some reason they held extra power after the emergency call. All she wanted was a little comfort, to not feel alone in the world. It had nothing to do with sex. Nothing at all.

* * * *

Darius tugged on a fresh T-shirt while facing the lower bunk where Aaron still lounged. “So...”

“What?”

“Don’t fuck with me today, cowboy. What are you doing with that girl? She’s not one of your bar-trolling tramps.”

He sat in his bunk, swinging his legs around. “Look, she came to me. And I was a perfect gentleman. Ask her if you don’t believe me.”

“So now she’s no different than one of your three little sisters?”

Aaron smirked. “I wouldn’t go that far. But there is something to be said about having a hard-on all night and not acting on it.”

They both laughed. Darius tossed a hand towel at his friend before leaving the room. It was cleaning day, and the sun was shining. He’d open the bay doors and let the fresh air in when they washed the trucks. First he had to find their little journalist before she got herself into more trouble.

Conall was in the gym, as usual. Jake said he hadn’t seen her. He checked all the common areas and still nothing. Had she given up already? Had one of the guys said or done something inappropriate?

As he leaned against one of the trucks, the door opened, capturing his attention. Tamara struggled to open the door with her back as she balanced two trays of coffee. He dashed over and took her load.

“I was looking for you,” he said.

“You remember me—Tim Hortons addict. I bought black coffee for everyone because I didn’t know what you liked.” She held up a small brown bag. “I have cream and sugar, though.”

They walked to the kitchen, side by side. Today she’d skipped the skirt suit and heels in exchange for jeans and a T-shirt. It looked good on her. She was no longer just a businesswoman on assignment, but real, down-to-earth, a woman he could invest in. But couldn’t. It was difficult fighting his natural inclination and desire to settle down. Every year it became harder to not think about the bigger picture. Having a serious relationship would be forever out of the question for a man like him. He wouldn’t have his wife up at night worrying about him, or kids missing him on his weeks away at the station. Darius had devoted his life to the city and Station 23 just as a priest gave up everything for the church. There was no turning back now. Not even for a beauty like Tamara.

She filled out her Levi’s in a wicked way. He could grab hold of those round hips and fuck her properly. Darius shook away his lust-filled and futile thoughts as they entered the kitchen.