Men of Station 23 [Uniform Fetish 1] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) (3 page)

There were snickers in the background. It took her a good minute to realize why. Her face must have darkened to an unflattering red. She felt flush and embarrassed. “I guarantee you we all have a pole, long and hard.”

“You’re scaring her, Aaron. Knock it off,” said Darius. She’d already ascertained that Aaron was the flirt in the bunch, and Darius the natural leader. There were mostly women at the
Heartland Tribute
, so she wasn’t used to men’s crude behavior. She’d have to learn to brush off the sexual innuendo if she were to survive here for two weeks. No matter how it affected her, she had to keep focused on business.

“Do you have any statistics about fires in the city?”

Conall motioned her to sit on one of the sofas. “We can worry about that later. You just got here. We have to get to know our new roommate, no?” There was an empty takeout container on the coffee table, along with the sports section of the newspaper and a couple cell phones.

Tammy sat down and did another visual sweep of the room from her new angle. “What do you usually do when you’re not on a call?” She was wondering how her own days would be spent living in the fire hall for two weeks.

“It’s nice and quiet now, but there always seems to be somewhere we need to be, even if not an emergency. Kids pulling the fire alarm at school, car accidents, false alarms. Last week we had a little old lady call us because her toaster wouldn’t work,” said Conall.

She laughed at that. “And the whole cat-in-tree deal?”

“Exactly.”

“Do you always have to be dressed and ready to go?”

They all wore navy-blue T-shirts which hugged their muscled backs and shoulders. The insignia of the Station was on their left pecs in gold. They had the classic navy pants with the reflective strip on the sides. There really was something to be said about a man in uniform. Especially a group of men in uniform.

“Always,” said Darius. “Just the other day we sat down to a great homemade meal and had to leave it on the table when a call came in. It’s life in the fast lane around here.”

She imagined it would be hard for men like them to settle down and raise a family. A woman would feel cheated with all the time they spent at the station. Tammy could relate to a life of insecurity. She’d been on the move for the past couple years, never able to put down roots because within months she’d be looking for a new place to live. Her ex always seemed to show up in her life no matter how hard she tried to start fresh without him. A restraining order meant nothing to a man as obsessed as Brian. He worked for a security company, so he was able to track her movements easier than the average guy. It had only been the last few months that Tammy actually began to think he was gone. No phone calls to her job, no hang-ups at home, and no unexplained deliveries. Maybe he’d moved on, tired of pursuing a woman who didn’t love him.

Tammy knew many of her insecurities stemmed from Brian’s stalking, but the rest were internal from a childhood she’d much rather forget.

“When you have your week off can you still be called in to work?” She had a million questions. There was a lengthy list in her briefcase that the paper wanted included in her article, as well as questions she’d thought up on her own.

“We always have to wear our pagers,” said Jake. “The station is a part of who we are. We knew what we were signing up for, so can’t complain.” He watched her, his brown waves of hair covering his forehead. There was a sadness in his green eyes, and she wondered if his behavior was a mask to keep real emotion locked up. It was a technique she’d perfected over the course of her life, so she tended to recognize it in others. Like right now—she had to rein in her sexuality, which seemed to run rampant the moment she stepped in the room with the four firefighters.

“Our society needs the service we provide. My father always taught me that a thankless job, one where a man can make a difference, is worth any sacrifice.” Darius sat down beside her, the leather cushion dipping slightly. He smirked. “That’s what the politicians want to see in your article, isn’t it? I hear they want to make us out to be some kind of martyrs to drum up financial support for the new station in the east end.”

She shook her head. “I wasn’t told which direction to take the article, just that I needed firsthand experience, to get into your lives, and see how the job works.”

“Fair enough,” he said, dropping the subject. “How about we start with a tour?”

“That sounds good.” He reached for her hand and helped her to stand. Conall and Jake headed to the main garage ahead of them while Aaron came up the rear. They walked around the gleaming fire trucks, each one immaculately kept. There were so many knobs and levers on the multiple control panels. She imagined her men suited up, sitting in the cab of the truck on their way to an emergency. Their knowledge, skill, and bravery all turned her on. Mr. Templeton should have thought twice before sending a single woman to stay with a bunch of gorgeous, young studs. They’d likely make a reclusive spinster eager to cast off her virginity.

All four men crowded around once she was trapped between two trucks. They towered over her. With their matching attire their presence felt intimidating, but in a very good way. If only she had the confidence and nerve Steph had, but then again, she wasn’t twenty-five with a stomach a man could bounce a quarter off of. She was out of their league and wasn’t ready for a new relationship anyway. Maybe she never would be.

Despite their sinfully good looks, any one of these men could have a dark side, just as she’d found out too late about Brian. It was best to get her article done without broadcasting her attraction to them. As it stood, she was still just a respectable reporter there to do her job. They didn’t need to know she was a quivering mess of want and need on the inside.

“Want to climb in and take a look?” asked Conall.

“Sure. I’ll take pictures later, too. The paper gave me one of their digital cameras to use.”

The fire truck was a far cry from her little two-door coupe. She had difficulty pulling herself up the wide, steep set of steps. As she struggled, she felt a set of strong hands brace around her ribcage, hoisting her up with ease. Those fingers came dangerously close to the outer edge of her sensitive breasts. “You’re light as a feather,” said Jake. He climbed up behind her, an arm braced on either side of the entrance, his front nearly pressed to her back. His proximity filtered through her body like a warm wash of pleasure. “Go on, don’t be shy.”

She cautiously moved in, studying the interior of the truck. It was a modern marvel, something she wouldn’t even dare try to figure out. She’d leave that to the professionals. Her vague memories of a fire truck were nothing like this. It was too bad this kind of technology didn’t exist decades ago.

To her surprise they all climbed up to join her, sitting on the benches. Darius stretched out an arm behind her head, nearly enveloping her. “This is where we sit on a call. One of us drives, and the rest of us travel in the back.” The space was so much smaller with four adult men sharing the confined area. She could practically feel their combined heat, making her squirm. Why were they all staring at her?

“Do you ever get scared?” It seemed the most rudimentary question to ask. They risked their lives, driving off into the unknown every day.

Conall and Jake scoffed. Darius shrugged. It was Aaron who spoke up. “Everyone gets scared. But we can choose to let that fear control us or not. Once we realize there’s a choice, we can face anything.”

If only she could face her own fears. They seemed to cripple her, keeping her from fully enjoying her life. Maybe she’d learn more from these men than fire statistics.

They moved through the station, the men explaining how things worked and where supplies were kept. The storage room, safety station, dispatch, and sleeping quarters. Then they came to the exercise room. She’d never been on this end of the glass wall, only a spectator walking along the sidewalk outside. Her throat tightened as they ushered her in.

“Remember this room?” asked Aaron. Why was he asking her? Her heart began to race. Surely they didn’t recognize her after all the changes she’d made. They hadn’t let on anything to make her think they knew who she was.

“Should I?”

They all shared a look, sexy little smirks tugging at their lips.
Get me out of here!
So much for making a bang on her first assignment. She’d be the laughingstock of the office if these firefighters couldn’t take her seriously now. Mr. Templeton would never trust her to carry out an assignment again. It would be a desk chair and pencil for the rest of her life if she couldn’t make a stand now.

Darius sat on one of several weight benches. “It just seems like you’d remember it, seeing as you pass by most days. Must be nice to be able to walk to work.”

Think, Tammy. Think!
She laughed dismissively. “My friend and I just can’t get enough of our Tim Hortons coffee. It’s worth the walk rather than drinking what they supply in our office.” Tammy was proud of herself. She sounded convincing even to her own ears.

“Well we certainly notice you when you walk by,” said Aaron. He was the one who’d wink at her, making her body thrum with need.

“Me or my friend?” Why did she just say that? She was supposed to be brushing the topic under the carpet, not delving in. But a tiny flicker of hope inside her yearned to be desired by them.

Conall furrowed his brow. “We like the pretty one. But I do prefer your hair with its natural color.” He ran his fingers through her hair. She briefly closed her eyes, savoring the touch.

“It’s only temporary color.”

“Good,” said Darius. “You’re beautiful without changing a thing. You don’t know how many times we’ve been tempted to wait outside for one of your walks.”

“For what?”

“She’s not too bright for a big newspaper editor,” said Jake with humor in his voice. “It’s always the cute ones with the self-esteem issues.”

Tammy swallowed hard. How could they be as attracted to her as they claimed? Maybe they were just playboys, used to sweet-talking all their rabid fans. What woman wouldn’t want a firefighter who looked like one of these men?

Jake was absolutely right. Some of the most beautiful women saw themselves as unworthy for some peculiar reason. He blamed the media and their unrealistic vision of beauty. Tammy wasn’t a stick-thin, six-foot, angry-looking model. She was a real woman with healthy curves and the cutest face. Darius had always been attracted to petite women. They were cuddly and brought out his protective instincts.

Although Tammy may carry herself with confidence, she needed some serious building up. By the time she returned to her real life, he’d hopefully have convinced her just how desirable she was.

“Leave her be,” he said. “It’s not easy being a woman these days. Not with all the assholes out there.” Darius liked to think of himself as a gentleman, respectful of women like his father taught him. But he didn’t have much firsthand experience with long-term relationships. His parents had been married for over thirty years, but with his job at the station, he didn’t have time to nurture a proper bond with any woman. He’d joke with his three best friends that the only way any of them could ever know the love of a good woman would be to share one. They were always together, so it almost seemed to make sense that things would work out better if there was one woman for the four of them. He’d had the dream many times. The fictional woman could stay with them at the station during their workweek and at their beachfront home when they were off. But what woman in their right mind would share and live such an unconventional lifestyle?

Certainly not a sophisticated woman like Tammy. She didn’t look like she needed a man to care for her. But it was her independence that aroused him as much as her curves.

“She’ll learn to love us,” Conall teased in his gruff voice.

“Are you four somehow different than other men?” she asked. So she was getting brave.

Her question ignited his friends’ interest. “Would you like to find out?” Jake was going to scare her off on her first day. His impulse to control usually got the four of them into trouble. When they’d hit a bar, he’d be the first to start a brawl. On the job, he could be counted on to handle a mob of unruly citizens because of his no-holds-barred personality. Some days Darius swore Jake was born without the ability to feel the most basic of emotions, such as fear, love, and empathy. He did his job well but kept closed off otherwise.

“Jake,” he warned.

His friend raised his arms in mock surrender. “I was just asking a question.” He approached Tammy, lifted her hand, and kissed her knuckles. “No offense intended.” Then he left the room before he could misbehave again.

It had been a while since any of them had a real date. They were all pent up, getting on each other’s last nerve. Having a woman in their private domain was a temptation even Darius couldn’t ignore. He felt like a wolf with a lamb trapped in its den. He’d love to know her intimately, to peel off her clothes and explore her body. But his father always taught him never to soil a good girl, no matter how desperate he was. As far as he was concerned, a loving commitment was a necessity, not a luxury in a relationship. Tammy was the kind of woman a man kept, which essentially meant she wasn’t his type. Choosing this career was equivalent to giving up the possibility of roots, of a family. It was a sacrifice in more ways than the potential of losing his life on a call. Death didn’t scare him nearly as much as growing old alone. He’d never have what his parents had.

“Don’t you two have a class to teach?” asked Darius.

“Right.” Aaron and Conall reluctantly left him alone with the new woman, raking their eyes over her until they disappeared out the door.

“They teach?”

He led her out of the weight room and down the narrow corridor to the kitchen. “Not what you think,” he said, talking as they walked. “We volunteer at local schools, teach the kids about what we do here. You’d be surprised how many little kids dream of becoming a firefighter when they grow up. Of course, once they finish school there are only a foolish few who actually go through with it.”