To Tame a Wild Firefighter (Red Hot Reunions Book 2) (16 page)

“Forget some…” Maddie’s words trailed off and her smile faded as Jamison Hansen stormed into the bakery, a scowl on his handsome face.

With his broad shoulders, beefcake body, shaggy brown hair, and chiseled jaw, Jamison was easily the most attractive man Maddie had ever seen. Jake, his older brother and Naomi’s fiancé, was good-looking, but Jamison was over-the-top gorgeous. And he knew it, of course. He had enough swagger for three men, and a smolder he employed upon the hapless women of Summerville with practiced ease.

Maddie had seen that smolder in action, though she’d never been on the receiving end of it. Jamison was only a year and a half older than her, but he had always treated Maddie like a baby sister—someone to be teased, picked on, and protected on the rare occasions when someone other than himself dared to torment her. He definitely did not consider her someone to be smoldered at.

Which was fine with Maddie. Jamison was gorgeous, but he was also a bad boy through and through.

Maddie wasn’t interested in anything bad boys had to offer. She wanted home, family, and stability, not trouble, and Jamison was a trouble magnet.

“You’re alone, right?” Jamison asked as he wandered over to the counter, casting a cautious glance at the kitchen door.

“Good morning to you, too.” Maddie bit into her croissant, deliberately ignoring his question.

Ever since it came out that Jamison and Naomi had hooked up one night when they were teens, Jamison had been acting weird. Naomi and Jake had assured him it was ancient history—they were over it and ready to move on with their lives—but Jamison still hated to be in a room with Naomi. Maddie could tell.

It was dumb and annoying, and as far as Maddie was concerned he’d best get the heck over it ASAP. The Hansen brothers and the Whitehouse sisters had been so close growing up, almost like family. Maddie was ready for things to go back to the way they were then—easy, simple, and friendly—and she wasn’t about to indulge Jamison’s hang-ups.

“No, seriously.” Jamison strode past Maddie to glance up the stairs toward Mick’s apartment. “I saw Mick and Faith leave, and Naomi isn’t here yet, right?”

“Your sleuthing skills are impressive.” Maddie took a sip of her coffee, not bothering to offer Jamison a cup. He seemed hyped up enough as it was. “What can I help you with?”

“You can help me put a stop to the insanity,” Jamison said, snagging the chair across from hers and spinning it around before straddling it in one graceful movement that Maddie had to admit was sexy.

It was easy to see why women threw themselves at Jamison. He was an impressive physical specimen, charismatic, and smelled so good sometimes it was hard not to lean in and take a big whiff of him. Even over the smell of her coffee and fresh pastry, Maddie caught the spicy, earthy, mouth-watering scent of him.

It was a smell that was clean and dirty at the same time and could easily turn a woman’s mind to thoughts of the carnal variety…if the woman hadn’t heard Jamison burp the ABC’s or seen him run around with a pair of tighty-whitey briefs on his head pretending to be Evil Lord Underpants when he was twelve.

But Maddie had heard the burps, and Evil Lord Underpants had put a slug down the back of her dress at a church picnic. She was immune to Jamison’s allure, so immune she barely noticed how nice his thickly muscled arms looked crossed over the back of the chair.

“Every night Faith isn’t at the fire station, she’s over at Mick’s place or he’s over at hers,” Jamison said. “They’ve been joined at the hip for over a month, and he was at family meal every night this week.”

Maddie shrugged. “So?”

Jamison eyes widened. “So? This is going way too fast. Faith’s just a kid and Mick’s only her second serious boyfriend. I think he’s taking advantage.”

“He’s only six months older than she is,” Maddie said around a bite of croissant, determined not to let Jamison ruin her breakfast. “And they’re both over twenty-one. They’re in love, Jamison. Leave them alone.”

“They’re in lust,” Jamison corrected. “Faith’s too innocent to know the difference, but I see the way Mick looks at her. She’s going to get hurt, and you know it.”

“I know nothing of the sort.” Maddie rolled her eyes. “They’re sweet together. I’ve never seen Mick so happy, and Faith is practically glowing.”

Jamison’s frown deepened. “You don’t think she’s pregnant, do you?”

Maddie laughed. “No, you crazy person! She’s happy. So quit meddling in her business and tend to your own love life.”

Jamison’s shoulders sagged. “What love life? Every good-looking woman in this town is taken.” He reached for the uneaten half of her croissant and Maddie slapped his fingers away. “Ow! I’m hungry, Mad.”

“Then ask for something, you mess,” Maddie said. “Don’t just take whatever you want.”

“But I like taking what I want,” Jamison said in a voice that somehow managed to be both petulant and sexy.

Maddie shook her head as she pushed the remains of her croissant across the table with a sigh. “You never change, do you?”

Jamison glanced up at her as he took a bite, his hazel eyes looking green in the morning light streaming through the window. “What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean,” Maddie said. “You expect so much from everyone else, but when it comes to Jamison, what you want is all that matters.”

His eyes dropped to the table between them. “That’s not true.”

“It’s completely true, and you know it,” Maddie said. “When was the last time you thought about some poor girl’s feelings before you lured her into your smolder web?”

Jamison snorted. “My smolder web?”

“Yes, your smolder web.” Maddie crossed her arms at her chest, refusing to back down. “You’re like a big sexy spider luring women in and then sucking all their life force before you cast them aside.”

“So you think I’m sexy, huh?” Jamison lifted his eyes, smirking around his last bite of croissant, this conversation obviously another big joke to him.

“See, that’s exactly what I mean,” Maddie said, shaking her head. “When you were talking about Mick needing to behave himself, you were all business, but when it comes to you, it’s fun and games. But I can bet it’s not fun for the women who fall for you and end up getting hurt.”

Jamison reached for her coffee—once again without bothering to ask—and took a swig. “Give me a break, Maddie. I’m a grown-up and so are the women I date. They can take care of themselves. I’m only worried about Faith because she’s inexperienced and she’s like a little sister to me. I’d be doing the same thing if you started shacking up with some guy right after you started dating.”

Maddie’s eyebrows shot up. “You can’t be serious.”

“Of course I’m serious.”

“I’m almost thirty years old, Jamison,” Maddie said, heat creeping into her tone. “I expect my
daddy
to keep his nose out of my business, let alone a man barely a year older than I am.”

Jamison held up his hands. “Now, calm down, Mad, I didn’t—”

“And for your information, I’ve shacked up with lots of guys right after I started dating them,” Maddie said, coming to her feet and snatching her coffee before Jamison could get his hands on it again. “Before Serge and I got engaged, I slept my way through half the pretty boys in Paris. I spent weeks shacking up in their lofts and moldy basement apartments and falling in and out of love, and I enjoyed every minute of it.”

“Good,” Jamison said. “I’m glad to hear you had the chance to sleep with a guy who wasn’t gay, even if he was French.”

Maddie’s jaw dropped, though she didn’t know why she was surprised. Jamison had never pulled any punches when it came to teasing her, and he obviously didn’t intend to start now.

Still, what he’d said hurt, enough to make her voice shake when she said—

“Leave.” She lifted her finger and pointed to the door. “Now.”

Jamison rose from his chair, regret clear in his expression. “I was kidding, Maddie. It was a joke. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“Yeah, you never mean to,” Maddie said. “But you do. I’m not a little girl anymore, Jamison. I’m a grown woman who’s had a grown woman’s shitty year and I don’t need you picking on me on top of it.”

Jamison reached out, prying the coffee cup from her hands and setting it on the table before taking both of her hands in his. “I’m sorry,” he said in a voice so low and gentle Maddie almost believed him. “I really am. I would never want to make your life harder. I apologize for being a jerk.”

Maddie nodded grudgingly.

“Apology accepted?” he asked, a puppy dog look in his eyes she couldn’t resist.

She sighed, the anger leaving her. “Fine.”

“Thank you,” Jamison said, pulling her in for a hug. “And thanks for calling me on my bullshit. I appreciate it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Maddie mumbled as she looped her arms around his waist, trying to ignore how nice it felt to be pressed against his chest.

Jamison had hugged her lots of times—probably hundreds of friendly hugs throughout the years—but none of them had made her so aware of the fact that he was hard in all the places she was soft. Aware of the fact that his arms felt so nice wrapped around her, or that his smell was even more intoxicating up close.

He smelled
damned
good, so good she couldn’t keep from lifting her nose to the place where his shoulder met his neck and breathing deep. She held the breath for a moment, eyes closing as a shiver worked its way from her head to her toes, and she did her best to ignore how…effervescent she was suddenly feeling.

Her lids slid open a moment later to find Jamison staring down at her, his brows drawn together and an unspoken question in his eyes.

“What?” Maddie asked, pulse speeding, hoping her weird
aware
feelings weren’t showing on her face.

“Were you smelling me?” Jamison asked.

Maddie’s mouth went dry with embarrassment but she didn’t pull away. “Maybe,” she said defensively. “Maybe you smell good, okay?”

“And maybe you look amazing without makeup on,” Jamison said softly, his arms tightening around her, sending her awareness of him shooting into overdrive.

“Don’t mess with me, Jamison,” Maddie warned, her body tingling in ways it hadn’t in ages.

“I’m not,” he said, a husky note in his voice that made Maddie wonder if he felt it too—this crazy, unexpected, lustful feeling that made her want to drag him into the kitchen, strip off his jeans and Summerville Fire sweatshirt, and have her way with him on the food prep counter.

As Jamison leaned down, bringing his lips closer to hers, her wondering became a suspicion. That suspicion was seconds away from becoming a certainty—and their friendship dangerously close to being forever changed by a very
unfriendly
kiss—when a door slammed outside, and Naomi’s voice shouted hello to someone on the street.

Maddie and Jamison leapt apart, staring at each other with twin guilty, confused expressions before Maddie spun to grab her coffee cup and Jamison backed toward the door.

“Okay, well…see you later, Maddie,” Jamison said, the words more awkward-sounding than anything she’d ever heard come out of his lips. “Thanks for the uh, talk, and…stuff.”

“Yeah, you too.” Maddie took a gulp of coffee, trying to pretend nothing out of the ordinary had happened as Jamison fled into the street, and Naomi swung into the bakery moments later.

“What was that about?” Naomi asked, frowning as she jabbed a thumb over her shoulder. “Jamison looked like he was in here stealing cookies.”

Maddie forced a laugh. “No. He just wanted to talk about Faith and Mick. He thinks they’re moving too fast. He’s afraid Faith’s going to get hurt.”

Naomi rolled her eyes. “He’s crazy. They’re great together. I know we were doubtful at first, but I think Mick’s gone on her, don’t you?”

“Absolutely,” Maddie said. “I told Jamison the same thing. I think he knows Mick’s on the up and up now.”

And knows that you think he smells great and were totally on board with that almost-kiss that almost-happened.

Crap on a poppy seed cracker, you almost kissed Jamison! What is
wrong
with you?

“Good.” Naomi unwound her gauzy pink scarf from around her neck. “He should leave them alone. They’re happy, they’re good to each other, and I say don’t look for trouble where there isn’t any.”

“Exactly,” Maddie agreed, past ready to change the subject and get her mind off love—and lust—in all its forms. “Speaking of trouble, how many Tall, Dark, and Delicious Valentine’s Cakes do we have on order already? I thought the form said one-hundred and twelve, but that has to be a typo right?”

“No! It isn’t!” Naomi grinned and practically skipped behind the counter in excitement. “I sold fifty more yesterday afternoon.”

“Wow!” Maddie’s eyes went wide. “I mean, it’s a great recipe, but that’s insane.”

Naomi lifted one shoulder and batted her eyes. “Well, thank you, it’s one of my best, if I do say so myself, but it’s the samples that sold it. That was a great idea. As soon as a customer had a taste, they were hooked.”

Maddie laughed. “Then I guess I’d better get my butt back in the kitchen.”