Sex and the Single Fireman: A Bachelor Firemen Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

late. That bit of memory lurking in her brain raised the alarm again. Today was a big day for some reason.
    Her cell phone rang, but she let the call go to voice mail.
    At Fire Station 1, she screeched her El Camino into her usual parking spot and flew through the side door, which opened into the apparatus bay. It was empty but for the sparkling fire engines and a spooky silence. She took Brent’s coat out of Engine 1, stashed it in his locker, and put her own gear in its place—the official signal that she was now on shift and he could go home.
    She checked her watch. One minute after the start of lineup. No problem, she’d just sidle in the back, join the guys as they listened to Captain Kelly talk about new safety bulletins and who was getting overtime this week . . . Suddenly she remembered the nature of the big thing happening today. The new training officer was starting.
    He was rumored to be a total hard-ass. They’d been told they’d meet him at lineup.
    She rushed to her locker, grabbed her uniform, ran to the female dorm area, and changed in record time. From the kitchen she heard a deep, unfamiliar voice. Tightening her belt, she dashed down the corridor. Maybe she could sneak in at the back of the crowd. Maybe the new training officer would never notice her. Maybe . . .
    She skidded to a halt next to Vader, pinned to the spot by a pair of smoldering black eyes glaring at her from what seemed an impossible height.
    “You’re in trouble now,” whispered Vader out of the corner of his mouth.
    He had no idea.
    It took every ounce of the self-control he’d developed from being the most feared fire captain in the history of Brooklyn fire stations for Roman to hide his reaction to the sight of the elusive Jones.
    She looked different, of course. Her lovely hair was constricted into a braid that flew behind her as she dashed into the room. Her uniform hid the lithe figure that had haunted him every night since she’d run out on him. But he’d never forget those eyes, which were now wide with shock in a face gone suddenly white.
    Good , he thought savagely. Let her quake in her shoes for a while. Captain Kelly continued going over the names of the crew members who hadn’t yet introduced themselves. They were all a vague buzz until it was Jones’s turn.
    “I’m Firefighter Jones,” she said in a subdued voice.
    So at least she’d given him her real last name. That made things a little better.
    “Are you in the habit of being tardy?”
    “No, sir.”
    The big guy next to her spoke up. “I can second that, sir—”
    “This isn’t a democracy,” Roman barked. “This is a firehouse. Firehouses require discipline.” He stared down the assembled firefighters, who looked slightly shocked. He had to admit they were a good-looking bunch, save for one older man who had quite the belly on him.
    Captain Kelly, a mild-mannered veteran who was filling in as the scheduled overtime duty, better known as “SOD,” captain until a permanent replacement for Captain Brody was named, finished introducing the crew and gestured for Roman to take over.
    Roman stepped forward. “I’m Battalion Chief Rick Roman, the section commander in charge of the Training Section, specializing as the department’s safety officer and hazmat specialist. Fire Chief Renteria has asked me to run the section and act as the training officer at Station 1 for the time being. I’ll be riding with all the companies as needed for training purposes and to observe.
    “I’m here for another purpose as well. I’ll be filling in for Battalion Chief Drake, who will be stationed here as soon as he recovers from knee surgery. Which brings me to my real job, which is to whip this place into shape. The fire chief wants more discipline here. This firehouse has become a national joke. I hear they call you the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel. You’ve even been on America’s Next Top Model . Girls infiltrate the premises so they can meet