Burning Up: Firefighter Contemporary Romance Series Box Set Read online

  We hardly ever spoke on the phone, so it was weird to me. It set off all kinds of alarm bells in my head.

  “Hey, so I won a couple tickets to see Hamilton for tomorrow night, but I have to work. Figured you might need something to do.”

  “Nah, I doubt I'll use them, but thanks for thinking of me,” I said.

  “Why, because sitting at your apartment and moping is better use of your time? Come on, man. Live a little. It's supposed to be an amazing show. Bet you could really impress that brunette from last night if you asked her to come along.”

  I cringed. I was a private person, I didn't like to share my personal details with everyone. I wasn't one to kiss and tell. In this case, however, the guys saw me leave with her. It was only a matter of time before they started asking questions.

  “We're not like that, Finn.”

  “So you didn't hook up with her?” he asked. There was a hint of disbelief in his voice. He knew as well as I did that we'd hooked up.

  “Neither of us are looking to date right now,” I said.

  “Just ask her to the show, Jax,” Finn said. “It’s not a marriage proposal.”

  My hesitation had little to do with not wanting to see her again. I definitely did. She’d given me her number, so apparently, she'd be open to it too. “Fine. I'll think about it,” I mumbled. “I have to go. We'll probably get disconnected soon anyway.”

  Truthfully, I just wanted off the phone. Already, I was tired of dealing with everyone trying to help me. Sure, maybe Finn had won the tickets, but it seemed like a strange coincidence to me. Not that Finn had the kind of money laying around to afford Hamilton tickets. I had no idea what was happening, but needless to say, I didn't like it. I didn't like things being out of my control, and it felt like there was a lot I couldn't control anymore. My job. My friendships. Hell, even my dating life.

  I hung up the phone and thought about it for the rest of the ride home. It wasn't until I got back to my apartment in Jersey that I managed to pull up Maddy's number and call her.

  My heart nearly stopped when she answered the phone.

  “Well, that was fast,” she said with a chuckle. Her voice was muffled like she was whispering. “I can't talk, I'm at work, but I also didn't want to be rude.”

  “That's fine. I'm sorry, I didn't even think about you being at work. I'll call back later.”

  “No, shoot. Already needing to blow off some steam?”

  I chuckled, nervously. Something about the woman caused my palms to get sweaty and my heart to race. Probably because she was definitely not the type of woman who went for guys like me. Our lives couldn't be more different.

  “Nah, it's just-- Well, I came into some tickets for Hamilton, and I'd hate to go alone. Thought I'd repay you for breaking the bed.”

  She was quiet on the other end.

  “Jax, I don't think I can go. I'm busy.”

  “I didn't even tell you when it would be,” I said. “Just hear me out, okay?”

  She sighed. “Okay.”

  “I know you're not looking for anything serious. I'm not either. But I know we both could use some fun, and I owe you.”

  “You paid for the--” she stopped before she said bed. “You already paid for the damage. It's fine, there's nothing else you need to do.”

  Before I could say anything else, she added, “I have to go now. Thanks for calling,” and hung up.

  Damn, I thought to myself. That sucked.

  Madeline

  I flinched as I hung up the phone. I knew it was rude of me, but I'd had no other choice. Things had gotten out of hand, and I couldn't let them go any further. I still didn’t even know why I’d given him my number. It was the opposite of what to do when you were trying to have a no strings hookup. There was a ball in the pit of my stomach, and I had to fight against everything in me not to call him right back and apologize - and tell him I'd accept his offer.

  The reason for rejecting him was simple. Hamilton was on Broadway. There'd be too many prying eyes and cameras, I could be recognized, and I just wasn’t up for being seen out with an attractive man that wasn’t Derek yet.

  I'd lied about going to work that morning. I'd taken the day off. One of the perks of being the owner's daughter, I suppose, though it was one I didn’t take advantage of often. If I wanted to run my father’s empire someday, I couldn’t afford to be seen as not taking my job seriously. But even I had my breaking point. I knew Derek would most likely be back at the office and there was no way I was going to deal with him. That meant I got to take a mental health day. I was not interested in living out my personal drama in my professional setting. Not to mention, I was afraid that if I saw Derek, I might punch him right in his lying, cheating face. Instead, I was lounging on Allison's sofa, perusing the internet and searching for a replacement bed frame when Jax had called. I had a few ideas about what to buy her already. I wanted it to be a surprise, something nice for her to return home to.

  I went back to my search, but my heart was no longer in it. I felt terrible for how I'd treated Jax. He seemed to be a nice guy and it had been a nice offer, and if my life hadn't been a mess, I'd have taken him up on that offer in a heartbeat. With a sigh, I picked my phone back up and hit his number.

  He answered after a few rings.

  “Hello,” he said. “I honestly didn’t expect to hear from you again.”

  “I'm sorry, Jax,” I said. “I didn't mean to be so short with you earlier. It's not that I don't want to see you again, it's just that's just not what I had in mind.”

  “I get it. No dates,” he said. “I'd just been given some free tickets, figured it couldn't hurt to ask.”

  “I appreciate that,” I said softly, nibbling my lip. Though it would be nice to go out on the arm of someone who actually treated me like I mattered, I just wasn’t ready for all that would entail. “Maybe we can still get together?”

  “Sure. Tomorrow night?” he asked.

  “I was thinking more like tonight,” I said. I knew it was probably too soon to see him again, but my freedom was fleeting. I couldn't keep avoiding my ex or my father, and eventually, I'd have to go back to being a recognizable blonde who lived in a Manhattan penthouse. The clock was ticking down, and I knew if I wanted to get at least one more night of passion in, I'd have to act fast.

  Jax paused, which caused my heart to race. I was just about to retract my offer when he spoke up.

  “Wow,” Jax said. “Wasn't expecting it, but sure. I'd like that.”

  “My place? Let's say, around nine pm?” I asked.

  “Sounds good,” he said.

  We hung up, and I found myself smiling wider than I had in a long while. I liked Jax. I liked him more than I probably should have, and I realized that I was playing with fire. Our affair would be short-lived, and I didn't want to end up heartbroken. One heartbreak was enough. Two in a matter of days? That would be too much.

  I was still smiling when my phone rang again. The grin faded from my lips as Derek's face popped up on my screen. He'd been texting me all morning and he'd left a few voicemails that I refused to listen to. He just couldn't take a hint, could he?

  I'm not sure what got into me, but I answered the call.

  “Madeline?” He sounded surprised.

  “Who else?” I said dryly. “What do you want, Derek?”

  “I want you to come back home, baby,” he said.

  “Not happening,” I said. “At least not as long as you're there. Speaking of which, when can I expect you to be moved out? I'd like my place back.”

  “I'm not moving out and you know it,” he said. His patronizing tone caused my blood to boil. “Come home. We can go back to that therapist, talk this out. Everything will be just fine.”

  “Didn't you hear me yesterday, Derek? I'm done. We're done.”

  Derek chuckled. He clearly didn't believe me, cocky bastard.

  “Madeline, we both know you're not done. What would your father say?”

  “Don't bring my
father into this, Derek. This is between me and you,” I said. “Besides, what do you think my dad would say when he finds out how much of his money you spent on whores this month alone, huh?”

  “I'm sure he has much bigger things to worry about than our relationship problems, Madeline.”

  “You're the one who brought him into this, Derek. Not me,” I said. He'd never had any intention of going to my father, nor did he want me to. “And listen, I don't take too well to your manipulation tactics anymore. You need to be out of the penthouse by the end of the week, or I'll have you legally evicted.”

  “Bullshit, Madeline,” he said. “You don't want this silly drama leaked to the press, do you?”

  “I'm not the one who's in the wrong here, Derek. You are.”

  “It'll still look bad for your dad's company, don't you think?”

  Dammit. He knew me too well. I hated living in the public sphere, where everyone knew our business. I was much too private to get others involved in most things, but this was different. I wasn't about to cave in to him again, especially not out of fear.

  “Maybe you should have thought about that yourself, Derek. Since you were gunning for CEO and all. Not so sure you'll get that big promotion after all.”

  Having had enough, I hung up the phone and shut it off. I shouldn't have answered it, shouldn't have succumbed to his games, but the petty side of me had wanted to tell him off. I also wanted to get him the hell out of my house. He wouldn't have anything if it wasn't for my father and me. You'd think he would have taken better care of things, but he really thought I was just going to lie down and take it.

  Well, he was wrong. I was done letting him treat me like dirt.

  It was about time I was treated like the queen I was born to be, and I was ready to prove to my dad that I deserved to sit on the CEO throne. Not Derek or any other man out there.

  Me.

  ooo000ooo

  At quarter to nine that evening, my phone rang again. I huffed a breath, ready to hit the ‘ignore’ button on Derek again as I’d been doing all damn day. I groaned out loud when I saw that it wasn’t Derek, but my mother that was calling.

  With a sigh, I answer. My mom rarely called me unless there was a problem, otherwise, I wouldn't have answered with Jax on his way over. As soon as I answered, however, I regretted my decision.

  “You've left Derek?” she screeched in my ear. “What are you thinking, Madeline?”

  “I was thinking that my business was my business, Mom,” I said through gritted teeth.

  Rubbing my temples and pacing the studio, I contemplated just hanging up on her. But she was my mom, and while things were not always copacetic between us, I still loved her and wouldn't usually be rude to her.

  I couldn't get a word in though, nor could I stop her from ranting and raving. All I could do was listen and wait until she finished unloading on me.

  “Do you think marriage is a walk in the park? No. Things are hard sometimes, but you don't just give up because they're hard. You fight for each other. Madeline, I raised you better than this.”

  “Did he tell you why I left?”

  “You accused him of cheating,” she said.

  “Accused? No, mom, more like I caught him red-handed,” I said. “And not just once either.”

  I didn't want to get into the details with my mom, that would just be too much information. My mother had never been one to talk openly about sex. Growing up, she preferred to let me learn about sex from the health teacher at our fancy prep school, rather than tell me herself.

  “How long have you two been together, Madeline?”

  Her response caught me off guard. I stopped pacing and stared out the window, wondering if I'd heard her right. “Four years. What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Four years together as a couple, but you've been friends for as long as I can remember. Are you really going to throw it all away because he stepped out on you?”

  My jaw nearly hit the floor. “Mom, he didn't just step out on me. He slept with other women. A lot of other women.”

  She sighed dramatically. “Men cheat, sweetheart. That's what they do. Look at every great man in history and you will find a string of mistresses at his side, but they're nothing compared to the woman he chooses to spend his life with.”

  “Mother, I--” I couldn't even finish my sentence. Hearing these words from my own mother was shocking, to say the least. I expected some support from a fellow woman, but instead, she was defending the man who broke my heart and said it was normal. I always knew she was a bit backwards and old-fashioned when it came to relationships - she stayed at home, never had to work. She let dad do his thing while she hung out at the country club. They weren't the closest of couples, never very affectionate, but I was still surprised at her flippant attitude toward affairs.

  Before I could even justify her rationale with an answer, the doorbell rang. I pressed the button on the intercom and spoke, while muting my cell phone, “One second.”

  Jax's voice came through loud and clear, “No rush.”

  He was so laid-back, so relaxed, unlike most of the men I'd encountered throughout my life. He was truly a breath of fresh air and exactly what I needed right now.

  My mom was saying something about men having needs, more bullshit I didn't want to listen to. I unmuted her and simply said, “Sorry, Mom. Have to go. I have company.”

  She tried to keep talking, but I decided that if there was ever a time that I could hang up on my mother, it would be then. I hung up the phone and turned it off. No more interruptions for the night.

  I was done dealing with my ‘real’ life.

  I was ready to have some fun.

  Pushing the button for the front door of the building, I buzzed back down to Jax. “Come on up.”

  I rushed to the door, and as soon as he knocked, I swung it open. After the call with my mother, I needed a distraction, and Jax was fulfilling that role more perfectly than I could have ever hoped. At least for a few hours, I could pretend the rest of the world didn't exist. It would just be me and my sexy fireman.

  He was dressed in a dark blue button-up shirt and dark, almost black, jeans that hugged his body tightly. His dirty blonde hair was brushed neatly, but I knew that wouldn't last long. I couldn't wait to get my hands all up in there.

  Grabbing his arm, I pulled him into the apartment and kicked the door closed. He grinned, chuckling in amusement at my obvious desperation. Why even hide it? I wanted him. He wanted me. It was useless to pretend he was there for any other reason but to fuck.

  As soon as the door was closed behind us, he pulled me into a deep, sensual kiss. I melted in his arms, and nothing else mattered but his soft, wet lips against mine. His fingers were tangled in my hair already, and he was pushing me backward toward the bed. He stopped kissing me and looked behind me, astonished.

  “You replaced it already?” he asked.

  “Oh yeah,” I said. “I ordered it and had it delivered right away.”

  Jax stared at the bed frame, which was made with a hearty wood. It was almost black, since that was Allison's favorite color, but instead of cheap metal and plastic, this one was built to last. An intricate engraved headboard was the highlight of the piece.

  “I thought it was time for an upgrade,” I said.

  “That's a pretty nice upgrade,” he said, running a hand over the engraving. “Real wood too. This has to have been expensive.”

  I shrugged, not wanting to get into the specifics. I pulled at the bottom of my shirt, lifting it up over my head, to distract him from the conversation about the bed. It was an expensive piece, but nothing I couldn't afford, and I didn't want to have to explain all that. Again, he was here for one thing, and talking about fine furniture was not it.

  “I also picked up a new bra,” I said, running my fingertips down the red silk fabric.

  “I see that,” Jax said. His gaze wasn't on the bed anymore. He forgot about everything else in that moment and stared at
my cleavage like it was the only thing that existed in our little world. A grin stretched across his face, and he closed the distance, lifting me back into his arms and burying his face between my breasts.

  I giggled as he tossed me onto the bed, crawling on top of me. He growled, playfully, making me giggle some more. So far, it was so much different than the night before. Jax nibbled my bra, and for a second, I thought he might rip it off with his bare teeth; which would have been fine with me. But no, instead, he reached behind for the snaps and fumbled a bit. More so than he'd done the night before.

  “Need some help?” I chuckled.

  “Nah, I got it,” he said, biting his lip as he focused on the snaps.

  They came undone a second later, and he pulled the bra off, tossing it to the floor. Once my breasts were free, his face was once again buried between them.

  Then, without any warning, he grabbed onto me and rolled us around, so I was on top. His hands moved up my thighs and underneath my skirt. I'd purposefully not worn any panties, and as soon as he noticed, his eyes went wide. He grinned at me, and I gave him a knowing look.

  “Naughty,” he said softly.

  “This is only a taste of my naughty side,” I teased.

  “If that's a taste, I just might devour you whole,” he said, playfully nipping my ear lobe.

  I ground against his crotch, his swollen member rubbing against me. His pants were tight against him, and with him lying down, I feared it might be hard to remove them. Reaching down, I fumbled with the buttons. Jax helped me, as eager as I was to get them off. We slid them down to his hips, just enough to release his cock from his boxers. I rubbed my wetness against him, and without taking my skirt off, grabbed him and slipped him inside me. He slid in easily. I'd been thinking about him all day and I was so wet and ready for him. God, I'd needed him.

  Feeling him throb inside of me, I rocked back and forth. I sat up straight and stared down at him, holding onto the new headboard for balance. My clit rubbed against his pelvic bone, and already, a warmth spread through me.