Читать книгу Sizzling Desire - Kayla Perrin, Kayla Perrin - Страница 13

Chapter 5

When Lorraine saw Rosa’s number flashing on her phone’s screen at 1:23 in the afternoon, she knew exactly why her friend was calling. She wanted the lowdown about what had happened last night.

Lorraine swiped the talk icon to answer the call. “Hello.”

“How was it!” Rosa asked without preamble.

“How was what?” Lorraine replied, feigning innocence.

“You know very well what I’m asking about! You left the bar with one of the sexiest guys in Ocean City. Enquiring minds want to know what happened next. In minute-by-minute detail.”

“Girl, are you actually calling to find out the dirty details of my night?”

“What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t? By the way, I’m detecting a really happy tone in your voice. No, wait. Make that a satisfied tone.”

Lorraine chuckled. “I did have a great night.”

“Yes!” Rosa said. Then, “Wait, how great? A few kisses and a movie great? Or—”

“Let’s just say it was fantastic. Well beyond a few kisses. Honestly, a fabulous night.” Sighing, Lorraine plopped herself backward on the pile of pillows on her bed. Yes, her reply had been exuberant, but who could blame her? It had been a long time since she’d had good sex—even as a married woman—and last night she’d scratched an itch that she’d been desperate to scratch.

On the other end of the line, Rosa squealed. “Oh, that’s wonderful! Girl, you deserve it. Just one look at him and I knew he’d be a great lover. That body... Wow.”

“I can’t even begin to tell you how good it was,” Lorraine gushed. “Our connection was unreal. We were so into each other... Or maybe it’s just because it had been so long for me. But he seemed to enjoy our night as much as I did.” Lorraine blushed, remembering just how ravenous she had been. Yes, I like that. Ooh, touch me there. A shiver of delight raced down her spine, and she sucked in a deep breath. “I probably gave him quite the workout! But, hey, he wasn’t complaining.”

“He sounds like just what you need,” Rosa said. “When are you going to see him again?”

“See him again? Um, no,” Lorraine said succinctly, shooting down that idea.

“What do you mean?” Rosa asked. “If you had such a great night, and had so much chemistry... Why wouldn’t you want more of that? I say you need a lot of that to firmly put your ex in the rearview mirror. A guy to have on speed dial for those nights that you feel lonely.”

“I’m barely out of my marriage. Free at last, as they say. The last thing I want to do is get tied down with some new guy.”

“But...”

“Last night was fun, just what I needed. And who knows, if I run into Hunter again we might have another great night. But I’m not trying to get into anything regular with someone. I just needed... You know what they call it, a palate cleanser. I have no regrets.”

Rosa made a sound of derision. “I don’t understand that logic.”

“All I really needed was to feel wanted, beautiful, and Hunter gave me that. Now I can move forward. Surely that makes sense.”

“Not to me, but hey, it’s your life.”

“Come on,” Lorraine said. “You know my life is in total flux right now. I’ve been so stressed with work that I had to take some time off. I’m finally ready to concentrate on pursuing my real dream.”

Lorraine loved her job as a palliative care nurse, but seven years of that kind of work had started to wear on her. All of the patients admitted to the hospice where she worked were at death’s door. She saw people at their worst in terms of suffering and prognosis. She saw them when there was no more hope. It was her job to help keep them comfortable until they passed. Lorraine always prayed that the patients she got close to would make a miraculous recovery, be able to survive against the odds. But it never happened. There were no happy endings, unless you counted a person going as peacefully as they could.

And unfortunately, Lorraine was never able to detach her emotions from her work. She always got close to the men, women and children in her care, and losing them hurt her every single time.

“I know,” Rosa said. “And I’m proud that you’ve taken a leave. You were stressed in your marriage, at work. You definitely needed a break. That’s why I think you should keep someone like Hunter around to...perk your spirits...when the need arises.”

“Sex can’t solve everything,” Lorraine said. “I had a great night, but today I’m a little down. You remember that older gentleman I told you about I was caring for?”

“The one who had no family visiting him?”

“That’s the one. He passed away earlier this week, on Monday.”

“Oh, Lorraine. I’m so sorry.”

“I know I shouldn’t let it affect me. I know the reality of what’s going to happen when patients come in. My coworkers all remind me that I’m supposed to stay detached but pleasant. Don’t get emotionally connected. But how do you really do that? And this man, he had no one. I’d gotten especially close to him. I couldn’t help wondering why he had no family visiting, because he talked about them. He had regrets, talked about pushing his family away.” Lorraine swallowed, remembering how Douglas’s eyes had teared up when he’d talked about his son. “I wish I could detach myself from my patients, but I can’t.”

“You care. That’s who you are. But when you care, there’s always pain.”

“Tell me about it. Anyway, his death really reinforced my desire to get out of palliative care and be on the other end of the health care spectrum. Help people when I can make a difference.”

“But you did make a difference with him,” Rosa said. “When he had no one, you were there for him. He didn’t die alone.”

“Thank you for saying that,” Lorraine said, a swell of emotion rising in her chest. It did do her some good to think that her caring attitude comforted her patients in their time of emotional need. And it was true, Douglas Holland’s eyes had lit up every time she visited with him. She would sit at his bedside and talk to him, push him in a wheelchair to the facility’s courtyard so he could bask in the sunlight. She would read to him, which had been one of his favorite things. It was hard to believe that he was gone, even though she’d known he was dying.

“But I can only imagine how hard it is for you,” Rosa said. “Caring for your patients, then losing them.”

“Exactly,” Lorraine said. “Anyway, get this. Yesterday morning, I got a call from his lawyer. He said he wants to meet me Monday morning for the reading of the will?” Lorraine’s voice ended on a questioning note, because it was still so surreal to her.

“You’re kidding.”

“No, I’m not. It was the last thing I expected, and I’m still not sure how to process the news.”

“Why didn’t you mention it yesterday?”

“Because I’m still in shock,” Lorraine answered. “This has never happened to me before. Besides, I didn’t want to bring anyone down—including myself—with talk about his death.”

“What do you think he left you?”

“I have no clue. When I got the call from the lawyer, I was floored. Reading of the will sounds so official. I didn’t get the impression that he was loaded or anything. Just an average guy of average means.”

“What if he left you a million dollars?”

“Girl, you’re crazy,” Lorraine said.

“But what if he did? You never know.”

“I do know. If he had that kind of money, at least some of his family would have been around. A rich man who’s dying and has to leave his fortune with someone? Even if they hated him, the family would have been there, making nice.”

“You’ve got a point,” Rosa said. “Yeah, you’re probably right. And here I was, already planning a shopping spree! Just kidding.”

Lorraine rolled her eyes. “Rosa, you’re so silly.”

“So, are you going to go?”

“I’m not sure,” Lorraine said. “I’m debating it. I’m not his family, so in a way it doesn’t feel right. Then I thought about some of the conversations I’ve had with some family members who fight about a will. I always point out that everyone needs to respect the deceased person’s wishes. So I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t do the same. I’m sure he just wanted to leave me something small to show his gratitude.” Lorraine pursed her lips, weighing her dilemma once again in her mind. One minute she convinced herself she shouldn’t go to the meeting, the next she convinced herself she should. Right now, she was feeling pretty positive about the decision to attend the meeting. Shouldn’t she respect Douglas’s wishes?

“I guess I’ll go,” she said. “I’ll respectfully accept whatever Douglas has left for me. Like I said, I’m sure it’s something small but meaningful.”

“It would be nice to have a keepsake from him,” Rosa said. “I know he meant a lot to you.”

“He really did.” Lorraine’s chest filled with warmth as she thought of him. Douglas was one person she’d remember for a long time.

“Someone else could mean a lot to you,” Rosa all but sang. “Your hot new fling.”

“Rosa, you’re crazy,” Lorraine protested. “That was one night, and it was great. But it won’t be happening again.”

* * *

The alarm sounded at Station Two. “Pump truck two, ladder truck two. Structure fire, 413 Fulmar way.”

Forks and knives clanked against plates as Hunter and his fellow firefighters, who were seated at the dining hall table for breakfast, promptly dropped their cutlery and jumped up from their seats. They rushed to get into their turnout gear.

“This is it,” Captain Mason Foley said to him. “Time to see what you’re made of.”

Hunter chuckled as he looked at Mason. He’d developed an easy camaraderie with him as he had with all the firefighters here. “Yep,” Hunter said. “Let’s do this.”

As Hunter got into his turnout gear, his body reacted the way it always did when heading out to a call. His heart pounded and his pulse raced, his adrenaline flowing.

Today there was an additional sensation. His stomach was flexing. Mason had been joking, but he’d summed up Hunter’s feelings. After arriving in Ocean City and securing his place with the fire service here, this was Hunter’s first day on the job. An hour into his first shift and he was heading out to his first fire. He wanted to prove to the guys here that he was a good firefighter.

Within sixty seconds, all the firefighters were in their bunker gear, something they were trained to do. Time was of the essence when responding to a fire or any other emergency.

Peter, another firefighter, patted Hunter on the back once they were all seated in the rear of the pump truck. “Ready to rock and roll?”

“Oh, yeah,” Hunter said.

The truck started off, jerking them all slightly to the right as it rounded the corner out of the firehouse bay. Tyler, who was driving, started the siren. Hunter looked out at the view of Ocean City as the truck moved rapidly down the street. This truly was a beautiful place. Unlike the dry desert of Nevada, Ocean City was lush and green. Lots of palm trees and thick green lawns and colorful flowers. Plus the view of the ocean never got old.

Sixteen years. Had it really been that long since he’d been here? When he’d left, he had seen Ocean City only as a place of despair and heartache. The place that had robbed him of his mother and twin sister. The place where his father had become emotionally distant. The fresh start in Reno had seemed the only thing to do for his sanity.

The truck headed up Cline Avenue, ascending the hillside. Hunter stared out at the small, colorful houses. Pale blue, yellow, green, some pink. This part of Ocean City had homes that were more like cottages and reminded him of the vibrant, colorful houses in the Caribbean. It was very picturesque.

Though Ocean City had a fairly large population, it had a small-town feel, with lots of diverse communities. There were neighborhoods like this, filled with young families and young professionals. Then there were the college students who populated the west side of the downtown area. There was an arts scene, and a vibrant night life. And yet the town never lost its charm. It felt warm and welcoming no matter where you went.

“So what happened to the woman at the bar you met a couple nights ago?” Peter asked. Hunter had been out with Omar, Tyler, Mason, Peter and a bunch of the other guys on their shift the night he’d met Mary. They’d taken him out to get him acquainted with all of his colleagues, to welcome him back to Ocean City and to Fire Station Two. He’d ditched them all once the opportunity to leave with Mary had presented itself, and their hooting, hollering and high fives had shown him that he had their approval. He’d felt kind of silly bailing on them, but there was something about Mary and leaving with her had been an opportunity he definitely couldn’t pass up.

This morning, Hunter had avoided answering their questions when they’d sat down to start eating, but now that he was in the back of a moving truck with nowhere to go, Peter broached the subject again.

“Let’s just put it this way,” Hunter began, “it was a great welcome to Ocean City.”

Peter fist-bumped him in congratulations. “That’s what I’m talking about!”

“Ever going to see her again?” Omar asked.

Peter roared with laughter. “What are you trying to do, see him married off already?” He turned to Hunter. “Omar used to be our resident playboy. Until he off and fell in love.”

“Love is the last thing on my mind,” Hunter said.

“A man after my own heart,” Peter said.

Even if Hunter were looking for love, it wasn’t going to happen with Mary—not after the way she’d ditched him. He doubted he was ever going to see her again. He had her friend’s number, but calling to track her down would seem desperate. If she wanted a one-night fling, so be it. He’d had a great time.

“The guys here keep dropping like flies,” Peter went on. “Mason, Tyler and the one who shocked us all, Omar. At least now I have someone to hit the bars with. It’s like there’s some sort of disease spreading through our station... Forget the flu bug, this time it’s the love bug.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tyler said, glancing back at them from behind the wheel. “Peter, you only wish you could find yourself a woman who wanted to see you for more than a day.”

All the guys laughed, but the laughter quickly faded when the billowing smoke from the structure fire came into view.

“There it is,” Hunter said.

The pump truck came to a stop. No more joking, they started affixing their helmets and masks.

“That’s thick black smoke,” Mason said.

“The building needs to be ventilated,” Hunter added. No one could go into a building with dense hot smoke without an outlet for the fire to escape. Rapid reintroduction of oxygen could cause the building to blow.

In other words, a back draft. Back drafts had claimed the lives of many a firefighter.

“Is anyone in the building?” the chief was asking the crowd of onlookers when Hunter and the rest of the guys jumped off the truck.

“No,” a woman said. She was barefoot, wearing a robe, and her blond hair was disheveled. “My husband and I smelled smoke, so we ran out. It’s just the two of us.”

The chief quickly assessed the fire. “Richards, Lovett—get that ladder on the roof. Take an ax and start ventilation. Wickham and Rogers, get to the back of the building and do the same.”

The men he’d named sprang into action. Omar and Hunter worked at getting the hoses. Tyler went to the pump truck’s controls.

Flames shot through the roof when the two firefighters there put a hole in it. Richards jerked backward, almost falling off the ladder as he tried to escape the sudden burst of flame. A collective gasp erupted in the crowd. Once Richards regained his footing on the ladder, people began to clap.

“Wickham, Rogers,” the chief said into the walkie-talkie affixed to his jacket. “How’s it looking back there?”

“Window’s open now,” one of them responded. “This one’s burning real hot.”

“Holland,” the chief said to Hunter, addressing him by his surname.

“Yes, Chief?”

“You and Ewing get a hose around to the back, start fighting that fire.”

“Yes, sir.” Hunter and Omar lifted a heavy hose onto their shoulders, the two of them carrying it to the back of the building. Hunter hit the nozzle to release the water, and the hose jerked backward from the pressure as he did. They immediately began attacking the angry flames shooting through the smashed open window. It felt good being back on the job. Hunter had missed this. The adrenaline rush of fighting a fire that wanted to destroy and take as many casualties as possible.

Not if Hunter could help it.

More firefighters arrived from another firehouse, and together everyone attacked the flames. The smoke turned from black to white as it mixed with moisture and rose into the air in a giant plume.

Red angry flames reached through the broken window like tentacles trying to claw at them. Hunter held on to the taut hose and aimed, blasting the fire. “I don’t think so.”

And when the flames began to recede, replaced with more white smoke, satisfaction filled him. Oh, yeah, it definitely felt good to be back in action. And at least while he was fighting this fire, he wasn’t thinking about the woman who’d left him overheated in his bed, wanting more.