TooHot (7 page)

“Oh, Marco,” she whispered and wrapped her arms around him.

It was weird to be having this conversation when he was
still buried inside her but somehow it seemed almost fitting.

“I could hear her crying, but I couldn’t get to her. Beams
kept caving in and I had to find a different route.” He exhaled a hard breath,
trying to expel the pain in his chest. He sniffed. “By the time I got to her
she was barely breathing.” He shook his head. “Hmph,” he grunted. “The smoke
was so thick I could barely see. By the time I was able to make it outside with
her she was gone.” Emotion clogged his throat and he ran his hands roughly
through his hair again. Unable to talk, he clamped his jaw tight. He met
Josie’s tear-filled eyes and the understanding in them almost broke him.

“You did all you could, Marco.”

“Did I? I felt her die, Jos. I could see the doorway that
would get me outside and I felt her die. She only had to hold on a few more
steps.” His voice broke. His eyes burned with unshed tears. He wished he was
the kind of guy who could allow himself to cry, but he couldn’t. It just wasn’t
in him. He’d been raised to believe real men didn’t cry, but damn, they sure as
shit could feel.

Tears rolled down Josie’s face. “Marco, it’s not your
fault.”

He rubbed his hand across his jaw. “If I’d been faster. I
could hear her, if I’d skipped protocol I could have made it to her.”

“Marco you did everything you could. You can’t save anyone
if you get hurt. You know that.”

Anger wrapped its fist around his gut and he clenched his
jaw so tightly it was amazing he didn’t crack his teeth.

Warm hands cupped his face and drew his head back up.
Josie’s eyes were red, tears streaked her cheeks but she looked fierce. “Marco,
listen to me. You did everything you could. It wasn’t your fault.”

He forced his head back down and she pushed it back up,
making him continue to look at her. “How many people did you guys save
tonight?”

“Twelve.”

“Twelve,” she repeated. “And how many of those twelve did
you personally pull out?” she asked.

“Four,” he whispered.

Her eyes filled again. “Oh, Marco.” She wrapped him up
tightly in a hug and pressed kisses against his head, his cheeks, his eyes and
finally his lips.

She pulled back. “You are amazing. You saved four people
tonight, focus on that.”

His chest tightened. He knew he should but somehow it didn’t
matter. Feeling that woman die in his arms tonight had destroyed him. He didn’t
know why, maybe it was the bright flash of red hair mixed in with the gray or
the fact this was the first time he’d felt anyone actually die in his arms, but
damn it cut deep.

He rubbed the back of his neck then dropped his head on the
back of the couch as exhaustion took over.

“I’m glad you came over,” Josie whispered.

“Me too,” he mumbled.

In a haze, he felt her remove the condom and adjust his
pants. She took his hand and pulled him to his feet so he could stumble down
the hall and onto the bed. He was dimly aware of Josie adjusting the blankets
around him but he couldn’t seem to find the energy to help her.

He did feel her slide in beside him, her naked body rubbed
against his and he wrapped himself around her, holding her tight. The last
thing he remembered hearing was Josie whisper, “You’re a good man, Marco.”

Chapter Six

Marco ran a hand along his neck. He could feel the bruise
Josie had left behind the night before. Even now, the memory of how wild she’d
been when she’d bit him made him hard. There was no way he wasn’t going over to
her house tonight when he got off shift. He couldn’t wait to bury himself in
her hot pussy again. He’d never met a woman who affected him like she did.
Around her, he lived in a constant state of arousal.

Honestly he didn’t understand it, she was so different from
the women he normally dated and maybe that was the reason. He loved the feel of
her curves beneath him, the way her full breasts overflowed from the palms of
his hands, the way her soft thighs felt wrapped around his ears when he went
down on her. He shifted, trying to ease the tightness in his pants. He needed
to stop thinking about her, otherwise he’d drill a hole through his pants by
the time this shift was over. Bypassing the main room, he headed for his locker
to change. He may as well get his workout in now. At least the physical
activity might drain some of the tension fueling his cock.

Clad in shorts and a t-shirt, Marco strolled into the
firehouse weight room. Both treadmills were being utilized and one of the
benches. Looked as if he wasn’t the only one who thought a workout was a good
way to start his shift.

“Hey, Sutherland, is that all you can bench, ya pussy?”
Marco asked, smirking as Paul pushed the weight above his chest.

“Fuck you, Patelli,” Paul called back. The weight dropped
onto the stand with a clang. Paul stood and wiped the sweat from his face. “You
want a shot?” he asked Marco.

“Yeah, why not?” Marco eyed the weight bar. It would do for
a warm-up. “Let me do ten to loosen up then add another plate.”

“Showoff,” Paul joked.

Marco shrugged. “What can I say?” He flexed his muscles and
laughed when Paul scowled. It was a huge bone of contention for the other man
that he wasn’t as strong as Marco. Paul drank protein shakes and took his
handful of supplements religiously. The guy was cut, but he was never going to
have the bulk he wanted.

Marco lay down on the bench and gripped the bar. He was four
reps in when he heard Paul laugh. He glanced up at the other man.

“You dating a vampire?” Paul asked.

Fuck, the hickey. Marco fought the urge to clamp his hand on
his neck. Ignoring Paul, he continued his reps.

“Nice, dude, you must have given it to her good if she
clamped onto your neck like that.”

“Shut the fuck up and add another plate.” The last thing he
wanted to do was discuss Josie with these guys. It was one thing to talk it up
about a one-night stand, it was a whole other thing when it was a girl you
really liked.

Paul added another plate to the bar. Marco had barely
pressed it the first time when Paul continued. “So seriously, dude, who gave
you the hickey?”

Marco ignored him and continued to lift. Why had he never
realized what a complete douche Paul was before today?

“You still tapping that photographer, Josie?” Tony asked
from across the gym.

“No shit, that’s who you’re hitting? Day-um, I wouldn’t have
thought she’d be into it all nasty and rough.”

Marco dropped the bar onto the stand with a clang and stood.
His fist clenched tightly as he stepped toward Paul.

Shit, he just wanted to smash it into the other man’s face.
The primal need to protect his woman flowed through him, making him want to
flatten his former friend. “Paul, you seriously need to shut the fuck up.”

Paul’s eyes widened. “Dude, relax. I’m just messing with
you.” Paul smacked him on the shoulder then walked across the room, putting
several feet between them.

“I can see it though. She’s got that juicy ass that you just
want to squeeze. Fuck, I can just imagine how sexy that looks up in the air,”
Paul said loudly.

Marco spun, ready to tear the other man apart.

“Marco,” an angry voice called from the doorway.

Fuck.
Marco turned and looked at his captain. This
wasn’t going to be good.

“In my office, now,” Captain Sharp told him then turned on
his heel and walked away.

Marco watched the other man leave then walked over to Paul
and leaned in close. “You ever talk about Josie like that again, and coworker
or not, I’ll rip you apart. You got me?”

Paul must have seen how serious he was because he looked
down at the ground and nodded. “Sorry, man, I didn’t realize you were
that
into her. Won’t happen again.”

“It better not.” Marco continued to stare at the other man,
itching for him to raise his head with the slightest look of challenge in his
eyes.

When Paul continued to stare at his feet for several more
seconds, Marco nodded with satisfaction and left the room. Between the arousal
that had been humming through him earlier and the testosterone that burst forth
in the gym, Marco felt completely amped up. Ready to either fight or fuck to
take things down a notch. At this point he didn’t care which.

Outside the captain’s door, he took a deep breath and
knocked.

“Come in,” Captain Sharp called.

“Sir,” Marco said and stepped into the room.

“Patelli, what the hell was that about?”

“What do you mean, sir?”

“Don’t be cute with me. You know damn well what I’m talking
about. Why the fuck did I hear you and your buddies talking about my niece like
some locker-room exploit?”

“I wasn’t talking badly about Josie.”

“Really? You call talking about sleeping with her in good
taste?”

Marco gritted his teeth. “I didn’t say anything about having
sex with Josie.”

“No? Well your buddy Sutherland certainly had a few things
to say.”

“Yeah, well, we aren’t exactly buddies,” Marco replied.

The captain ran his fingers through his silver-streaked hair
then turned and walked over to the window. With his back to Marco, he
continued. “When I asked you to take my niece out I never thought she’d turn
into some locker-room joke.”

“What the hell did you think would happen when you coerced
me into dating her?”

A harsh gasp sounded from the doorway.

Marco spun in his chair. “Josie, shit,” he said and jumped
up from his seat.

She stuck her hand out toward his chest, halting his
progress. “Save it,” she snarled. Her eyes burned with anger, but beneath he
could see the hurt and it cut through him like a knife.

“Red, let me explain.”

“Don’t call me that.” She scowled. “Better yet, don’t call
me at all.” She spun on her heel and stormed away.

Marco turned and glared at his boss then gave chase after
her. Hoping to cut her off, he jumped onto the pole and launched down. He
jogged across the garage and stopped at the stairway just as Josie hit the
bottom step.

“Get out of my way, Marco.”

Tears filled her eyes as she glared at him. The sight of her
in so much pain nearly ripped his heart from his chest.

He reached for her. “Jos, just let me explain.”

She swung her arms wide. “Please, by all means, paint what I
heard in a better light. Give it that Patelli spin you’re so good at.”

Okay he deserved that.

“It’s not how it sounds,” he started.

“Really? So you didn’t ask me out because of my uncle?”

“Well, sort of.”

She pushed against his shoulder to try to squeeze past him
but he stood his ground.

“Move.”

“No, not until you hear me out.”

A lone tear slid down her cheek and she angrily swiped it
away. God, he wanted to wrap her in his arms and take away the pain. What he
wouldn’t do to go back in time and have that conversation again.

“Look, Josie,” he began. A siren wailed through the station.
Perfect timing.
He glanced at the truck and the guys already running
through the firehouse to get into their gear. He looked at her then back at the
truck.

“Shit,” he grumbled. “I’m sorry, Jos, I have to go, but
we’re not done.”

She looked at him sadly. “Did we ever really even get
started?”

His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. What the hell did
that mean? Did she honestly think what happened between them wasn’t real?

“Patelli,” a voice called from the truck. “Get your ass in
gear.”

He rubbed his hand over his face. He was so screwed. “I’ll
come by later.”

“Don’t bother.”

“That wasn’t a question, Josie. I’m coming by, and you’ll
damn well hear me out,” he growled. She had every right to be pissed but there
was no fucking way he was going to let her shut him out.

He took one last look at her then raced over to his gear,
slipped into his pants and boots and jumped onto the truck as it started to
pull out of the garage.

Josie stood on the step watching them drive away. She looked
so alone and lost. Damn it, he felt as if he’d kicked a puppy, and he didn’t
even know how the hell it had happened. This morning he’d been anxious to get
back into her bed, now here he was, a couple hours later, down a friend, his
boss ready to kill him and he might have just lost the woman he was crazy
about. Great fucking morning.

Josie stood on the stair watching as the engine pulled out
of the garage, followed by the truck and the ambulance. Damn, it must be a big
fire if everything was going out including her uncle. Even as angry and hurt as
she was, fear gripped her chest. Firefighting was such a dangerous job.

She slowly made her way out of the station and to her car.
She wanted to climb back into bed, pull the covers up and forget this day ever
happened.

* * * * *

After showering off the dirt and grime from the day, Marco
threw on his jeans and hoodie and made his way out of the locker room.

“Patelli, hold up.”

Marco turned around and groaned. Damn, the last thing he
wanted to do right now was talk to Sutherland.

Paul stopped in front of him and stuck his hands in his
pockets. “Look, about earlier. I just wanted to say I’m sorry for being an
ass.”

Marco’s head snapped back. That was about the last thing
he’d expected to come out of Paul’s mouth. Here he’d been all primed for a
fight and he got this instead.

“Forget about it,” Marco replied.

Paul raised his head and looked at him. “So, we cool?”

“Yeah, sure.” No point in letting things fester between
them. They had to work together and when he needed a guy to cover his back he
didn’t want to wonder if he was going to be there. Paul was a good firefighter.
Apparently he was just a bit of a dick where women were concerned but… Lesson
learned.