Feel the Heat
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Arri Stone
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Hunky Firefighters
DANNI
The ground trembles as two fire engines come barreling up the street, sirens screaming and lights flashing. I’m just clocking out from work, keys in hand, when I spot them. I can’t help but stare, following the trucks as they speed past.
“Hey, you see that? They’re heading toward our end,” Alison says, grabbing my arm. She’s just finished her shift too—her work’s right next to mine, which is kind of perfect.
Alison’s my best friend, and we share a place together. It’s chaotic, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“Let’s go,” she says, and we rush to my car.
We drive home, but as soon as we turn onto our street, we see the problem. The local café—just down from our house—is on fire.
People are everywhere, some with their phones out, others just staring, all of them looking worried or curious.
The fire engines block the road, so I have to park two streets away. We walk the rest, but we can’t get close to our house.
Smoke curls through the air, thick and gray, and the smell of burning hits me hard.
“Do you think we can get around somehow?” I ask, watching the firefighters work. I’m relieved our house is a little farther up the street.
Alison links her arm through mine. “Let’s ask one of them when they’re free.”
We stand there, pretending to be concerned citizens, but really, we’re checking out the firefighters. I mean, who doesn’t love a man in uniform?
My mind drifts—imagine one of them carrying me out, his hands on my ass, pinning me against a wall to keep me safe. My cheeks go hot.
Alison’s just as bad. She waves down one of the guys. “Excuse me! Are we able to get past? We live just down there.”
The firefighter who comes over is tall and broad, sweat glistening on his forehead. He lets out a breath. “Let me check if it’s safe first.” He heads off to talk to another firefighter, and I catch them both glancing our way.
“Damn, he’s hot,” Alison whispers, fanning her face.
I laugh, but I’m blushing. “No way he’s single. And if he is, there’s probably a line of women waiting for him.”
Alison rolls her eyes. “Your ex really messed you up. Not every guy is a jerk. You should totally flirt with him when he comes back.”
“Why don’t you?” I tease.
She grins. “I’ve got my eye on buttcake over there.” She licks her lips.
I snort. “Which one is buttcake?”
She points—way too obviously—at a group of firefighters, one of them older. “You know I like older guys. That one? He’s got my pussy dripping.”
“Alison! Don’t point!” I yank her hand down, laughing.
We stand there, pretending to be interested in the fire, but really, we just continue to check out the lineup of hot firefighters. Why have I never thought about dating a firefighter before?
HAYDEN
The call comes in—a café fire. We pile into the trucks and race down the street, sirens blaring.
At least it’s close by.
When we get there, we block off the road. The fire’s bad, but it hasn’t spread to the houses.
That’s a relief.
Rocky comes over, grinning. He glances at the crowd of bystanders, then nudges me.
“There are a couple of hotties trying to get through. They live down the street.” He slaps my back. “You should go talk to them.”
I shake my head. “Not interested.” Rocky’s always trying to set me up.
He rolls his eyes. “Come on, it’s been, what, a year? Your ex was a fucking nightmare, but not everyone’s like that.” His voice softens a little.
I sigh. “I just don’t know if I’m ready.” It’s a lie, and I know it.
My ex broke me, and she still shows up at my gigs just to mess with my head.
Rocky grins. “If you don’t, I will. Look—they’re totally checking us out.”
I laugh. “Everyone checks us out when we show up.” We’d been picked as one of the hottest firefighter teams in the state, and honestly, it was starting to go to our heads.
Rocky sighs, dramatic as ever. “Right. Should I tell them it’s safe to walk by now?”
“The fire’s out. There’s just some smoke left, but they’ll be fine if they stick to the far side.” I nod toward the two women he’s talking about.
“Your loss, man. One of them is really cute. And I mean, really, really cute.” Rocky grins, slaps my back, and strolls off.
He heads straight for the girls. From here, I can’t really make out their faces.
My chest tightens a little—my ex still has me all twisted up inside, and I’m not sure I’m ready for anything new.
Rocky’s already chatting them up. One of the girls is definitely more outgoing, tossing her hair and laughing at everything he says.
That’s Rocky for you—he’s so easy to talk to, people just gravitate toward him.
The girls slip behind the fire engines, and when they come out the other side, I finally get a good look. One of them catches my eye.
She’s got this adorable button nose and a sweet, innocent vibe that makes my heart stutter. Maybe Rocky was onto something.
She glances my way, flashes a quick, playful grin, and her cheeks go pink before she turns back to her friend. Did she just smile at me? My stomach does this weird flip.
The way she smiled—it was like the sun breaking through after a storm. I feel a twitch in my pants.
Seriously? Get it together. I haven’t felt that in…well, it’s been a long time.
My ex used to make my heart race, but this? This is something different.
I watch as the girls head toward a house, my eyes glued to the one with the killer smile.
Just before she disappears inside, she glances up. Our eyes meet for a split second, and her smile is so bright it almost hurts.
Then she’s gone.
What the hell was that? I mutter under my breath. Maybe Rocky’s right. Maybe it’s time to let go of all the crap my ex put me through.
Maybe I could actually believe in something new.
When we finally finish up and get ready to head back to the station, I can’t help but look up at the row of houses, searching for a glimpse of that blond hair.
Maybe Rocky’s right. Maybe I should give someone new a chance.
But I probably blew it. How would I even find her again? It’s not like I can just knock on every door.
Back at the station, we clean up the truck and get ready to end our shift. That’s when Rocky drops his little bomb.
“I told the girls you play in a band.”
“You did what!” I stare at him, half annoyed, half impressed.
Rocky just laughs and slaps my back again. “You were never going to talk to her, so I gave you a little push.” He winks at me.
I shake my head, laughing. “I can’t believe you did that.”
After my shift, I head home. I’ve got an early morning tomorrow, but my mind is still stuck on that girl.
Friday morning is quiet for once. But I can’t stop thinking about her.
She’s in my head all day, and by the time my shift ends, I’m a mess of nerves and excitement.
For the first time in a year, I actually want to go out and play.
But the real question is—will she show up tonight?
