Flashpoint (10 page)

Zach reached out and pulled something from her hair. A piece of dried seaweed. Perfect.

“I'd call the cute police,” Cristina said dryly, “but they wouldn't know who to arrest first.” And with that, she turned and walked back to the fire.

“She knows,” Brooke whispered.

Well, she wouldn't go back and change it even if she could. She'd be remembering tonight for many, many nights to come, and would undoubtedly get all hot and bothered all over again at the remembering, and maybe even ache over what might have been, but she wouldn't take it back.

“Ready?” he asked.

She nodded, and they joined the crowd. Zach was immediately pulled away and put on barbecue duty, leaving her standing on the outskirts, a little bit anxious. Which was ridiculous. She'd just been bare-ass naked on a rock, she sure as hell could handle this.

Dustin came up to her and offered a plate of food. He waited until she'd taken a big bite of the burger. “Hungry, huh?”

She slid him a glance. “Yes.”

He nodded and said nothing else. Just stared a little glumly at the dance floor where Cristina was dirty dancing with someone Brooke had never seen before. “Why don't you ask her to dance?” she asked.

“Because she'd think it was funny.”

“Funny that you have a crush on her?”

“I don't have a crush on her.” He sighed. “Okay, I do.
Shit.
”

Sam and Eddie brought Brooke a drink. “To replenish the fluids,” Sam explained. Both men looked at her expectantly.

“What?”

“You tell us,” Eddie said.

Instead, she took another large bite of her burger.

“Don't you have anything you want to share?” Sam looked hopeful. “With your two best friends?”

“We're best friends?”

They both nodded eagerly. “So if something was on your chest,” Sam said. “And you just needed to, you know, get it off—”

“In detail,” Eddie added. “We're all ears.”

Her burger congealed in her gut. “You know?”

“Oh, we know all.”

She looked at Dustin, who grimaced, then nodded. She handed him back the plate, and Eddie the drink, and then walked off. She stopped at the water's edge.

“Stop sulking, will you?”

Brooke turned and faced Cristina. “I'm not sulking.”

“Pouting, then. Look, this is a fire station. We're all walking God complexes who put our lives on the line every day, and yet socially? Immature as high school kids. Come on—” she snorted when Brooke scoffed “—we love to talk. You've given us something new to talk about. Deal with it.”

Brooke sighed. “How long will it last?”

“Until it's over.”

“It is over.”

“Please.”

“It is. It was a one-time-only thing.”

“Okay, now I
know
you're crazy.”

“Why?”

“Why would you sleep with that man only once? That's just a waste of all that hotness.”

“I'm leaving in a few weeks. We agreed it was just a letting-loose thing.”

Cristina stared at her, then laughed. “And let me guess. You're already regretting that stupid decision.”

Brooke looked away, into the bonfire. “No.”
Yes.

Cristina just shook her head. “Well, lucky for me, your shortsightedness is another woman's gain.” And she walked away in her sexy little top and shorts, heading directly toward Zach, stopping to hug Blake.

Zach stood at one of the barbecues, holding a long spatula, flipping burgers and laughing at something Aidan was saying to him. Just looking at him, something happened inside Brooke. A clutch. A quiver.

What would it be like if she wasn't leaving? she wondered.

But she always left.

Always.

Besides, she'd said no strings. She'd insisted. She'd come here tonight, just wanting to let go, to live and, oh boy, had she. She just hadn't realized that in doing those things, something else would happen.

In spite of her promise, she'd begun to fall for Zach.

She watched as Cristina took the plate out of his hands and handed it to Aidan before drawing Zach over to where people were dancing, proceeding to grind up against him in tune to the music.

“Here.”

Brooke stared down at the proffered beer, then into Blake's face.

“You looked like you could use it,” the tall, thin firefighter said gently.

“I…”

“Drink. Then we'll dance. If it makes you feel better, you can rub all over me like she is with Zach. I'm a good friend like that.”

“I'm not jealous or anything.”

“Okay.”

“I'm not.”

He just nodded.

And she drank the beer, then took him up on his offer to dance.

A
FTER DANCING
with Cristina, Zach moved to the coolers to get a drink. He pulled out a soda, then stood there with the waves at his back, looking for Brooke.

She'd been dancing with Blake, but now was with Sam, who was making the most of his time with her. Twice the firefighter's hands slipped to her ass, and twice Brooke lifted them to her waist.

Sam grinned in a can't-blame-a-guy-for-trying way, and Zach considered going over there and tossing him into the ocean, but he didn't.

An hour ago, Brooke had been in
his
arms, panting his name as she came all over him. She'd let loose now. Washed him right out of her system and that was fine. Hell, that was great. He'd just move on, too, and—

“You holding up?” Tommy asked, stopping next to Zach, sipping a beer.

“Why wouldn't I be?”

“Haven't heard from you in a few hours. Couldn't figure out if I should be worried, or if it was because you were finally trusting me to do my job.”

Zach let out a long breath. “And how is that going? Your job?”

Tommy just took a drink.

“Shit. Don't tell me it's not going.”

“I'm not saying that. I'm not saying anything.”

“Well, then, say something.”

“You're just going to have to trust me a little bit longer.”

Unfortunately, he really had no choice. Tommy walked away, and Zach watched Brooke dance some more. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair a little wild. She'd definitely loosened up tonight, and he couldn't tear his gaze off her. Forcing himself to, he moved to stand by Blake, who was back at the bonfire.

The other firefighter tossed a log into the flames, watched it catch. “You could just ask her to dance.”

“Who?”

Blake shook his head in disgust, then tossed another log into the fire before swiping a forearm over his sweaty brow. He didn't look so good, and Zach frowned. “You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Why don't you take a break, let me relieve you for a few?”

“I've got it.”

Blake had been quiet and down all year since Lynn had died. Of all of them, Zach thought maybe he at least knew a little of what he was feeling. “Blake—”

“I said I'm good.”

Great. They were both good.

And they were both liars.

 

F
OR
Z
ACH
, the next few days whirled by, a blurry, crazy merge of calls. He didn't sleep well, and finally gave up even trying, ending up at the firehouse kitchen table with his laptop, going through all his gathered arson information to distract himself from daydreaming about the feel of Brooke's curves, the taste of her skin…

And then the object of his fantasies walked into the room.

She was early for her shift, looking a little sleepy and a whole lot sexy as she headed directly toward the coffeepot on the counter.

They hadn't had a chance to speak alone since she'd worn that pretty dress with her hair down, her body soft and giving and sweet.

So goddamn sweet.

Her mouth was still soft and sweet now, but she was back in the uniform, complete with her hair all carefully pulled back.

Buttoned-up.

It didn't matter. He remembered what she looked like with her hair down, not to mention without her clothes, and he wanted to undo her all over again.

He
wanted that.
He,
the one who'd not wanted a relationship.

Jesus. He really needed more sleep.

Brooke doctored herself some coffee, then looked at him. “What are you doing?”

Since the answer to that was, “something I shouldn't be,” he shut the laptop.

“You and Blake. I caught him looking at porn, too.”

“Excuse me, but I was
not
looking at porn.”

Over her mug, she raised a brow. “What was it Viagra Man said? Guys will be guys?”

“For God's sake.” He opened the laptop back up. “Come here and look for yourself.”

“Oh no, thank you.” She was laughing now, and lifted her free hand. “What you do in your own spare time—”

Reaching out, he grabbed her hand and tugged her over, letting go just before she fell right into his lap, where he really wanted her.

She sat in the chair next to him and looked at him for a long beat; he looked back.

“Hi,” she whispered.

He smiled. “Hi.”

Turning her head, she stared at the screen, at the list of property deeds and the records of ownership he'd been studying, and her smile faded.

“The fires,” she said quietly. “The arsons.”

“Yeah. Doing some research.” Which was getting him nowhere. Nothing matched. None of the current owners, none of the past owners, none of the three properties were related to each other in any way. After all these weeks, he was at an impasse, and was afraid Tommy was, too.

“You're trying to link them together.”

He wasn't supposed to be doing any such thing. He certainly shouldn't be discussing it.

“What about the way the fires were started?” she asked.

They'd all been started in a wire-mesh trash can, with a second point of origin as bait for the investigator to find and be misdirected, but he was afraid he was the only one who knew that. “Similar,” he admitted.

“Suspects?”

He stared at her. She wasn't lecturing him on how stupid it was to risk his job digging into this. She wasn't telling him all the reasons why these fires hadn't been arson. She was sitting here, believing him, believing
in
him. “Most arson is committed by the owners. But the owners of these properties aren't connected in any way that I can see.”

“New structures? Or old?”

“Newer.”

“What about contractors, then?”

“All different.”

“Okay, then. Back to location.” Standing up, Brooke paced the length of the kitchen and back again. Leaning in over his shoulder, she typed on the keys of the laptop. “If we compare their footprints…”

He couldn't stop staring at her, bowled over by her analytical mind, her quick thinking. “I already did.”

“And?”

And her scent was extremely distracting. As was the way her breast gently pressed into his arm. “They were all different square footage,” he told her. “Different building types. Different everything.”

“Show me.”

He brought up the map he'd created. Her arm was resting on his shoulder. Her skin looked so damned silky, and he knew from experience that she tasted amazing.

Everywhere.

“There's got to be a connection.” She was studying the screen, her brow furrowed, her mouth grim. “Somewhere.”

She believed in him. The knowledge was staggering. “Brooke.”

“Somebody is connected in some way. An employee, a relative, someone…” She was thinking, chewing on her lower lip, eyes still glued to the screen, and he couldn't take his off her.

“Maybe—”

“Brooke.”

Her gaze cut to his questioningly.

And he lost his breath. Instead of talking, he tugged on her hand, so that she was forced to lean in closer until she lost her balance.

He caught her.

And then he kissed her.

With a soft murmur, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Oh yeah,
this
was what he'd needed for days—hell, maybe his entire life—and he kissed her until they had to break apart to breathe.

They were still staring at each other when the kitchen door opened and Aidan walked in. “Hey.”

Brooke leaped back to her chair like a Mexican jumping bean.

“Anyone got food?” Aidan asked.

“Uh…” Brooke put her hands to her cheeks. “I have cookies on the top shelf.”

“Score.” Aidan helped himself while Brooke rose to her feet.

“Gotta clock in,” she said and, with a last glance at Zach, left the room.

Zach thunked his head to the table.

“What?” Aidan took two fistfuls of cookies and plopped himself down next to Zach, peering at the laptop. “Trying to link them.” He nodded. “Hey, maybe if you—”

“Aidan.”

“Huh?”

He had to laugh. “I was sort of in the middle of something with Brooke.”

Aidan blinked. “Oh. You mean…” He pointed a finger at himself. “You wanted me to leave you two alone?”

“Man, you are quick.”

“I thought you two already knocked it out.”

Zach winced, and Aidan sat back. “Wow.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh, it's something.”

“Okay. You're falling for her.”

The door burst open again and Brooke stood there looking more than a little ruffled.

Aidan got to his feet. “Apparently I'm supposed to leave you two alone.”

Zach rolled his eyes.

Brooke just kept staring at him until Aidan was gone. “Did you know everybody is talking about us? Why is everyone talking about us? It feels like we're twelve and in middle school.”

“Since there's sex involved, let's call it high school. Ignore it. It'll blow over.”

She glared at him. He couldn't help it; he laughed. “It will.”

“You're not bothered at all?” she asked.

“I'm just saying it's what they do. Seriously, it'll all fade away if you just—”

“Yeah, yeah. Let it go. But maybe I'm not like you, all cool and calm and so laid-back that I have to be checked for a pulse.”

Before he could say anything to that, she sighed and rubbed her eyes. “I'm sorry. That wasn't fair. I guess I'm still having bad new-kid flashbacks.”

He moved toward her and lowered her hands from her face. “We're adults, and we made a decision. A decision that turned out to be the best night of my entire summer. Don't regret it, Brooke. Please don't.”

As she looked at him, her eyes softened. Her body softened, too, and she nodded. “It
was
nice, wasn't it?”

“Nice?” He shook his head. “Nice is a walk in the park. Nice is a sweet goodbye kiss. Nice is a lot of things, Brooke, but it doesn't come even close to covering what we did on that rock.”

“Okay, so maybe nice isn't quite the right word. How about good? Do you like that word better?”

He looked into her eyes. Beyond the irritation was a light that said she was playing with him now, but he'd show her good. Backing her to the refrigerator, Zach covered her mouth with his, swallowing her little gasp of surprise, a gasp that quickly turned into the hottest murmur of undeniable need and hunger he'd ever heard when his tongue swept alongside hers.

And though he'd meant only to show her up, he ended up showing himself something. That she fit against him as if she'd been made for the spot. That her scent filling his head, and the feel of her hands fisting in his shirt fueled his hunger as she sighed into his mouth, until it became so damn arousing he couldn't bear it. Pulling back, he stroked a hand down her body and felt her knees buckle.

His own weren't so steady, either, but a fierce sense of satisfaction went through him. Still holding her between the refrigerator and his own hard, aching body, he looked down into her face. “Tell me again that that was merely
good.
I dare you.”

“Okay.” She licked her lips, an action that didn't help calm him down any. “Does shockingly incredible work for you, Officer Hottie?”

He rolled his eyes but could admit that yeah, shockingly incredible worked far better. “So what now?”

“The million-dollar question, Zach? From you? Really?”

He found himself staring at her. Holy shit, had he actually asked, “What now?”

“Yeah,” she said into the charged silence. “That's what I thought. There's
nothing
now. Both of us know it. We just have to remember it.”

 

L
ATER THAT DAY
, after having been out for hours on a series of nonemergency transport calls, Dustin and Brooke were directed to a familiar address for another Code Calico.

“How about you take it this time,” Brooke said to Dustin.

He looked amused. “You catch on quick.”

“I try.”

“You're trying a lot of things lately. Or people. What?” he said innocently when she sent him a long look. “Just wondering about the status.”