Page 52 of Living with Fire

Quinn, exasperated, sighs as she falls back against her chair. “No, but you just interrupted everyone’s movie.”

My head turns to the opposite end of the table where I find Shawn sitting next to Brody. His deep brown eyes are filled with amusement, but dart to the man next to him when I pin him with a glare. I wonder when the hell he got here, and how long Savanna and I were in our own little world.

Then I realize the movie Quinn’s talking about was probably Savanna and me. I run a hand through my hair and grit my teeth, trying not to be irritated with my friends. We were providing the show after all, but these assholes can be so nosy.

Mac snorts and knocks an elbow into me. “You can thank me later!”

Shaking my head and blowing out a breath, I make introductions for Savanna to the newest members of the table, which include Mac, his wife Lynn, and Shawn with his girlfriend Lisa.

Mac is pushing into his fifties and has been with the firehouse since his early twenties. He’s been talking about retirement for ages now but loves the job so much he can’t imagine not doing it. Honestly, I can’t imagine walking in for a shift and not seeing his surly face waiting for all of us, but I know the day is coming, sooner rather than later. It’ll be a sad day, but I’ll also be happy for him, and for Lynn, because I know she has big plans for him when he finally hangs his coat up.

Shawn, on the other hand, is a young buck. He’s the newest member on our team, and he fits in like he’s been there for years. He lives outside of the city in one of the smaller towns up the mountain, and I know he’d love to get on with one of the little departments closer to home. Those positions are few and far between since a lot of them are filled with volunteers versus paid permanent spots. Still, I’ve written him a good letter of recommendation, and I hope one day he’ll get what he’s looking for. Even if it will leave a hole in my team.

Mac’s been chatting Savanna’s ear off since he sat down. I’ve hardly paid attention to whatever he’s talking about, instead choosing to focus on Savanna’s soft hand inside of mine, and the sweet scent of her that keeps washing over me.

I still feel like an asshole, but with each minute that passes, I let a bit more of my carelessness go. It was hard to watch the way she paled so suddenly, her eyes glazing over like her memory was right in front of her, though I suppose it was. It was reminiscent of her in the office earlier when Bryn came in and said someone was looking for her.

No, not someone. Some guy. It’s a thought that has me gritting my teeth and squeezing her hand a little tighter. Raw instinct swells inside of me, protectiveness over the woman to my right building like a storm with the power to lash an entire city. Whoever put that fearful look in her eye better hope he never meets me. He’ll regret it, and this time, unlike with Jordan, being a firefighter won’t stop me.

“I’m going to use the restroom,” Savanna says, breaking into my thoughts, and as I focus my eyes on her, she gives me a smile.

Reluctantly I let go of her hand and give a nod, watching as she gets up and walks away from the table. The restrooms are in my line of sight, which means I get a nice look at her ass in those shorts. It’s the reprieve I need from my thoughts, and I can’t help the grin that forms as I follow her with my eyes. I might be a gentleman, but Christ, I have some ungentlemanlike thoughts when it comes to that ass.

“How many fantasies do you think are running through his head right now?” I hear Quinn say, and look over to find her and Liam staring at me.

“All of them. Definitely all of them,” Liam quips.

I point a finger at both of them, then look to Hailey and Brody, and hell, just for good measure I include Shawn in my glare. The only one that gets a pass is Mac, and that’s because he’s mostly kept his mouth shut.

“Every one of you leave her alone. I’m not asking anymore, I’m telling. Best behavior. If any of you fuck this up for me, I will make every single one of you pay.”

I’m met with silence from them, each of their faces looking a little sheepish. Except Brody. Brody just looks like he’s in pain, something that concerns me as his lieutenant, and worries me as his friend, but I’m not dealing with him tonight. If he doesn’t think he needs to get checked out, I’m not going to force him. I’ll have a chat with him before next shift, and I’ll force him as his leader if I have to.

“Aye, aye, Captain! I mean, Lieutenant,” Quinn says, saluting me, the sheepishness gone, replaced by a failed attempt to hide a smirk.

I love Quinn like a sister, but she can be just as annoying as my own sister with some of her defiance and antics. Between her and Liam, there are days when I want to pull my hair out.

“It might calm these two down if they knew if you asked her out,” Hailey muses quietly from the other side of Savanna’s chair.

She’s right. Part of this is my fault because I was feeding the beast while we were on shift yesterday. While everyone has been hounding me all week to ask Savanna out, I expressed my nerves about it. Mostly to Liam, but he has a big mouth, so it’s not like it was kept a secret at the house.

Since my uncle died I haven’t had a single thought about dating. Unless you count those that were forced on me. It’s been on the bottom of my priority list. And before Uncle Pete passed nothing, and no one, had truly sparked any kind of interest in me. I was always too busy with my career, too busy with the bar. So it’s been a while since I asked a woman out. Even longer since I asked one out in person and not over some impersonal dating app. As much as I hate to admit it, Liam and Jordan are right—I don’t have game. Something that everyone else has been quick to point out this week.

And… no one has ever been like Savanna. Fascinating and kind. Hesitant and a little unsure. But confident and feisty when she needs to be. She’s a combination of sweet and spicy, just like the shot I made her on the first night.

“Okay, okay,” I say, putting my hands up in surrender to all of them. I look around the table and every pair of eyes is focused on me, including Brody. “I asked her out.”

“Oh, thank God!” Jordan exclaims from behind me, causing me to nearly jump out of my chair. “Does this mean you guys are going to stop making kissy faces on the couch and go actually fuck? Because the tension in the house is seriously starting to kill me.”

My sister has impeccable timing, and her comment has everyone roaring with laughter. I’d almost forgotten I invited her tonight, so of course she would choose now to show up.

“You could always get your own place,” I retort, my eyes rolling as she moves around the table to drop down next to Liam.

“Why, when you’re so much cheaper than anyone else?” she replies with a sickening sweet tone. “So, what did she say? Where is she, anyway?”

“There’s no way she didn’t say yes with all the eye fucking they’ve been doing at the table,” Liam tells her, a smirk pulling his lips up.

“Perfect. This calls for a round of shots since I’m not going to have to live with this angst anymore. Bryn!” Jordan calls as she walks by. “Can you grab a round for the table? On me.”

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