Third-Degree Burn [Southern Heat 3] (2 page)

“I’ll admit he does take a little getting used to. Dakota is a third-generation firefighter. His daddy and granddaddy served the city of Atlanta collectively for over seventy years. They were hardworking, proud, and unquestionably dedicated. That same duty to service runs strong through DJ’s veins,” Chief Stockton explained.

Kayla still looked doubtful. “He’s cocky and overly confident if you ask me.”

“It’s what makes him an excellent firefighter. Both Dakota Jennings and Shane McIntyre are two of the city’s best. They’re smart, keenly observant, and committed to service. They’ve helped save many lives. Ms. Somers, I want you to shadow them this week. You can gain a lot of knowledge from those two.”

Kayla wasn’t convinced. Shaking her head in disagreement, she said, “Chief, do you really think this is the best idea?”

“I do. The three of you will just have to learn to play nice together. If you really want to capture the heart of this station, Dakota and Shane are the ones who’ll allow you to gain the most insight into whom we are, what we do, and why we do it,” he explained further.

“All right, so I won’t doubt they’re dedication, that they’re good at their jobs, but are you sure we can’t negotiate on this one?” she asked.

“They’re my picks. There’s no room for negotiating on this one,” he confirmed staunchly, crossing his arms.

Kayla sighed softly. “OK, you’re the chief. It’s a deal,” she confirmed with another handshake.

* * * *

Standing up and walking to the entry door, Chief Stockton called down to Dakota and Shane. After they stepped into the office, Dakota was the first to speak. “So, Chief, what’s up?”

“Ms. Somers will be shadowing the two of you next week. She plans on writing a story that hopefully will shine a much-deserved and favorable light on the station.”

Dakota looked quite uncomfortable, almost irritated with the idea. “Uh, Chief, we’ve got a real busy schedule to keep this week. Maybe Ms. Somers would be better off paired with Parker and Dennis.”

Shane felt the need to back up his partner. “Chief, with all due respect, I don’t think—”

“You two know me better than that. It really doesn’t matter what either of you want. I know you two big, strapping thirty-year-olds think you’ve got it all figured out, that you know all there is to know, but unless I’ve suddenly started to forget things in my old age, I am the boss, correct?” Stockton asked, leaning forward, staring at them with the eyes of an eagle.

“Yes, sir, you are,” Dakota answered.

“You’re the boss,” Shane agreed, running his hand through his hair.

“I chose you because you’re a part of this team, and you’re two of my best men. She will shadow you. The decision has already been made. Now, will you please show the lovely Ms. Somers out?”

Dakota was still skeptical. “Chief, if we could just have a minute—”

“Get out of here and get back to work,” the chief replied sternly.

“OK, we’re leaving,” Dakota confirmed. “Ms. Somers, if you don’t mind?”

“No, not at all,” she responded with a quick toss of her hair, picking up her laptop carryall, leading the way.

“Hell on wheels,” Shane said again in a whisper, slapping Dakota’s shoulder.

* * * *

Before Kayla left the station, Dakota briefed her on a few particulars. “I doubt if you’re used to this kind of work. You may want to ditch the fancy outfit. Jeans, a T-shirt, and jogging shoes would be best.”

His tone was arrogant. She was bothered by it, but she decided to ignore it. “I’ll make an effort to stay out of you and your buddy’s way as much as possible. I’m here to get the story—nothing else.”

“Sounds good to me,” he replied. Shane and I will be expecting you tomorrow around ten a.m.”

“You’ve got it,” she said with a quick nod of her head.

“Do I?” he questioned.

Kayla appeared confused, though she smiled brightly. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m sensing you’re a complicated kinda gal—the kind that can cause a lot of trouble for a man,” Dakota said.

“
Gal
, are you serious? Any complications that I may or may not possess are none of your concern, Mr. Jennings. I promised the chief I would play nice and keep my hands to myself. I suggest you and your trusty sidekick do the same. Well, if you will excuse me, I must be leaving now. Until tomorrow,” Kayla said, turning her back to him, walking toward the firehouse’s exit.

* * * *

Dakota watched her leave as Shane walked up behind him and started laughing, displaying a set of perfectly white teeth. “Damn, she is one cold fish, brother.”

Dakota stroked his chin slowly. “Uh huh, it’ll make the chase so much sweeter.”

“I knew it as soon as I laid eyes on her. She’s gonna put up quite a fight,” Shane said.

“She’s way too high maintenance, but below the surface, there’s something real special about her. She’s worth the trouble, I can tell. She could possibly be the one,” Dakota added, stroking his chin.

Shane nodded his head slowly. “I know she makes my dick super hard. Did you see the way she walked out of here? That tight, round ass of hers popping from left to right. It almost hypnotized me.”

“I wanted to stick my cock in her when she first walked in. Oh, this is going to quite interesting. We’ve got so much to teach her,” Dakota said, a smile forming at the corners of his mouth.

“She needs to be taught some serious discipline. When should we start?” Shane questioned, clenching his teeth.

“Monday night after we give her a taste of her own medicine,” Dakota replied, biting at his bottom lip.

“Ready, willing, and able…Let’s do it,” Shane agreed, high fiving his partner.

* * * *

The following Monday morning at five minutes to ten, Kayla pulled her ocean-blue Prius up to the back of the firehouse. She stepped out of the car wearing a new pair of formfitting blue jeans and a black tank T-shirt. She also wore a pair of black and blue jogging shoes. Her red hair was pulled up into a long, thick ponytail. She carried a black tote bag.

Locating Dakota and Shane, she approached them with caution. “Good morning, gentlemen.”

“Good morning, Ms. Somers, Dakota replied dully. “I’m glad you showed up on time.”

“Nice to see you again,” Shane said with a smile.

“What’s up with him?” Kayla asked Shane, staring at Dakota.

“Believe it or not, he’s not much of a morning person,” Shane explained.

After Kayla conducted interviews with the other men who worked for the station, she treated the firehouse to a catered lunch from a local restaurant. It was one o’clock in the afternoon when she made her way back over to Dakota. Cornering him behind the ladder truck he was busy wiping down, she decided to confront him.

“Do you have a problem with me?” she asked. What’s with the attitude?”

“Why, Ms. Jennings, whatever do you mean?” he asked, staring into her eyes.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. I get the feeling you don’t want me here.”

“How perceptive of you,” he said. “You should never doubt your feelings.”

“Listen, you don’t have to be so hard on me. I’m just doing my job like you’re doing yours,” she replied before turning her back and walking away.

Shane took her by the arm and walked her outside. “Listen, Kayla, you have to forgive Dakota. He hasn’t been himself lately.”

“Well, I guess it’s good to know he’s not a jerk on a regular basis,” she replied.

“You should go easy on him. He just went through a terrible breakup a month ago, after being in a three-year relationship.”

“Oh, I wasn’t aware of that. Well, I’ll try to keep out of his way,” Kayla said, a bit of sympathy reflected in her voice.

“I’ll tell you what. A few of us are going over to the End Zone after work. It’s the sports bar over on 14
^th
Street. Why don’t you join us?”

Kayla shook her head. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. Dakota’s not very hospitable. He doesn’t seem to like me very much.”

Stepping a little closer to her, Shane said, “Well, he might not, but I sure do.”

“What?” she asked with a surprised look.

“Yep, from the moment you walked in last week. You’re beautiful, Kayla, but I’m sure you already know that,” Shane said, looking her straight in the eyes before his gaze deflected to the ground. He ran his hand through his sun-kissed, thick hair. “I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have said that.”

Kayla was mildly shocked. As much as she hated to admit it, both Shane and Dakota were deliciously sexy. Like Shane, she had felt the strong pull of attraction from the first moment she met them. Although she tried to dismiss her feelings, she knew what Shane said was true.

“So will you join us?” he asked again with a look of hope displayed on his face.

“Well, we are stuck with each other for a week. If it’ll help Dakota shed his hard exterior and warm up to me a bit then why not? OK, I’ll come with,” she agreed.

Shane smiled at her. “Thanks, Kayla, you won’t regret this.”

“Let’s hope not,” she replied.

* * * *

At 7:00 p.m. that night, the End Zone was packed full of patrons, including the men of Station 75. Even Chief Stockton made an appearance, ordering a few rounds of drinks for his team. While he was there, he made it a point to talk candidly with Kayla.

“Shane speaks so highly of you, Kayla. It seems like our arrangement is off to a good start.”

“Everything is going just fine. My interviews with the other men were quite interesting. By the end of the week, I’ll have more than enough material to complete the series.”

“What about Dakota? Has he been of assistance?” the chief inquired.

“He has, but I guess his recent breakup left a pretty deep, emotional wound.”

The chief looked puzzled. “What breakup? Oh, are you talking about his tumultuous romance with Marcie Stokes? That was nothing more than a series of bad decisions—mainly on his part. That relationship was doomed from the start.”

“I’m not following. What are you saying?” she asked.

“Trust me, Kayla. That whole thing was a complete waste of time. It meant nothing to Dakota. It didn’t faze him a bit. He told me as much.” Studying her expression, he said, “If you ask me, he’s much better off without her.”

Instantly, she became highly agitated. Her heart started pounding as she searched her mind for an answer. “Then
this
was nothing more than—”

“You’ll have to excuse me, but if I don’t get home, Mrs. Stockton will have my head. I’ll see you tomorrow?” the chief asked.

“Oh, you can bet on it,” Kayla replied, feeling her blood pressure rise to the boiling point.

With the chief gone, Kayla made her way over to the bar where Shane and Dakota were downing a few mugs of domestic brews. She nudged him in the arm.

“Hey, Kayla, what’s up? Are you enjoying yourself?” Shane asked.

Her eyes squinted as she whispered to him. “You, Shane McIntyre, are a lying sack of shit! You and your partner deserve each other.”

Grabbing her tote, she rushed out of the restaurant’s main entrance and headed to her car. Kayla was upset though she felt quite satisfied with herself for the moment. Confronting Shane the way she did made her feel much better. She had the last word, and it was enough to send her home with a new sense of pride.

At 8:15 p.m., Kayla heard a knock at her front door. When she peeped through the side glass, she saw Shane standing outside. His dark blue Challenger was parked in her driveway. Focusing on him again, she could tell something was wrong. He looked upset.

Kayla opened the door, dressed in a pair of pale green shorts and a pink tank top. Staring at him, she asked, “What do you want?”

“I need to speak with you, Kayla. You were so upset when you left the bar. I have to explain a few things. I promise it won’t take long.”

She started to turn him away, but he looked so sincere. The smile on his face, displaying his beautiful deep dimples, made her change her mind in the blink of an eye.

“Come on in,” she said.

“Your place is real nice,” Shane commented, stepping inside and looking around. “The news business must pay well.”

“I don’t know about all that. It’s a rental, but I’ve been living here for about a year. I like it,” she said. “So have a seat. I’ll get you a beer.”

After she returned with refreshments, she handed the drink to him before taking a seat on the opposite end of the sofa, engaging him in a much deeper conversation. “That line you fed me about Dakota being hurt over his breakup was uncalled for, Shane. The chief told me Dakota and Marcie’s ‘relationship,’ and I use the term loosely, was nothing more than a passing fling. What exactly did you hope to accomplish by lying to me?”

“Things between the two of you have to change, Kayla. I thought if you saw a more vulnerable side of Dakota, you’d soften up to him a bit. If we’re all going to work together, the two of you have to stop biting at each other. It was a bad idea. I know that now. I hope you can forgive me. I’m here to help close the gap,” he said, licking a few traces of beer foam from his lips.