Read Online One Fiery Night by Em Petrova - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Em Petrova
Tags: Erótica
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herself out there, only to be hurt?
Luke had agreed that he didn’t know what he wanted or what he was feeling. He’d probably told her he loved her because he was caught up in the moment. She had no idea—couldn’t think around the pain lacerating her heart.
The only thing she knew for certain was that she wasn’t going to tell him she’d betrayed him by showing interest in his brother. Josie was a lot of things—a good mother, a hard worker, honest, caring and faithful. She was also hopelessly in love with Luke Puckett.
But she couldn’t put herself—and Maggie—out there again.
Chapter Five
Luke hurried his steps and kept his head down, hoping to slip under the radar of his fellow firefighters. He strode through the lounge area and on to the locker room. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Morelli’s big form rise from the sofa and follow.
He continued, ignoring both him and Pearce, who shut the door behind the three of them. Luke shot them a glance and then spun toward his locker. He opened it with more force than necessary and it smacked the adjoining locker with a metallic crash.
“Problems, Lucifer?”
At that moment, he seriously felt like the entity he was nicknamed after. Only a devil would hurt a woman like Josie. What the hell had he done?
Broke her heart and fixed it so she’ll never speak to me again.
Without answering his captain, Luke shoved his duffle bag into the bottom of his locker and yanked his gear out to perform his routine check for wear.
Morelli circled him and Pearce closed in too, like two vultures on their prey.
“Better tell us what’s going on, Luke.” Morelli wore a no-bullshit look that would ordinarily have made Luke laugh, especially if it was trained on any man besides him.
“It’s personal.”
Pearce thumped a fist softly against the locker door. “If it’s going to inhibit your performance as a firefighter, it’s no longer personal.”
“What makes you think I’d let it affect how I respond?” Luke’s chest tightened with rage.
His captain stared him down. “Because you can’t even inspect your gear without your hands shaking. Spill it, Lucifer. You need a friendly ear. You’ve got four.”
He hesitated. He considered his captain and Morelli to be some of his best friends. As close as brothers. He no longer had a brother to confide in, and besides, he couldn’t have talked to Ryan about this particular trouble even if he’d been alive. Ryan had repeatedly told Luke the same thing Josie had—that the two of them were simply friends and Luke was crazy to suspect anything more.
“I don’t need to participate in a bad episode of a soap opera. Firehouse 5’s Locker Room Confessions or something like that.” He threw his gear into a heap on the floor in front of his locker and slammed the door. When it didn’t shut because of the bulk blocking the door, he kicked it.
The action eased him some and he tried again. He slammed a boot heel off the metal, denting it. Then with a harsh bellow, he let loose, punching and delivering violent kicks to his locker. His knuckles split and blood warmed his skin. The knot in his chest tightened until he thought he’d rupture.
“Goddammit! I fucked up! I lost her!”
Suddenly Morelli snagged him around the waist. Luke spun on him viciously, prepared to lay into the man.
Pearce stepped in, shoving Luke in the chest and sending him staggering away from Morelli. He clenched and unclenched his hands just so he could continue to feel the pain. Luke lunged again, but Pearce grabbed him and held him.
“Let go of me,” he growled.
Pearce shook his head. “Not yet, Lucifer. We can control you if you can’t control yourself.”
“I’m in control! Now let me go!” He cocked his elbow, meaning to deliver a blow to Morelli’s midsection, but Pearce caught his arm and ruthlessly twisted it downward. One flick and his elbow would be dislocated.
Morelli spoke. “We all fuck up sometimes, man. Does
Luke had agreed that he didn’t know what he wanted or what he was feeling. He’d probably told her he loved her because he was caught up in the moment. She had no idea—couldn’t think around the pain lacerating her heart.
The only thing she knew for certain was that she wasn’t going to tell him she’d betrayed him by showing interest in his brother. Josie was a lot of things—a good mother, a hard worker, honest, caring and faithful. She was also hopelessly in love with Luke Puckett.
But she couldn’t put herself—and Maggie—out there again.
Chapter Five
Luke hurried his steps and kept his head down, hoping to slip under the radar of his fellow firefighters. He strode through the lounge area and on to the locker room. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Morelli’s big form rise from the sofa and follow.
He continued, ignoring both him and Pearce, who shut the door behind the three of them. Luke shot them a glance and then spun toward his locker. He opened it with more force than necessary and it smacked the adjoining locker with a metallic crash.
“Problems, Lucifer?”
At that moment, he seriously felt like the entity he was nicknamed after. Only a devil would hurt a woman like Josie. What the hell had he done?
Broke her heart and fixed it so she’ll never speak to me again.
Without answering his captain, Luke shoved his duffle bag into the bottom of his locker and yanked his gear out to perform his routine check for wear.
Morelli circled him and Pearce closed in too, like two vultures on their prey.
“Better tell us what’s going on, Luke.” Morelli wore a no-bullshit look that would ordinarily have made Luke laugh, especially if it was trained on any man besides him.
“It’s personal.”
Pearce thumped a fist softly against the locker door. “If it’s going to inhibit your performance as a firefighter, it’s no longer personal.”
“What makes you think I’d let it affect how I respond?” Luke’s chest tightened with rage.
His captain stared him down. “Because you can’t even inspect your gear without your hands shaking. Spill it, Lucifer. You need a friendly ear. You’ve got four.”
He hesitated. He considered his captain and Morelli to be some of his best friends. As close as brothers. He no longer had a brother to confide in, and besides, he couldn’t have talked to Ryan about this particular trouble even if he’d been alive. Ryan had repeatedly told Luke the same thing Josie had—that the two of them were simply friends and Luke was crazy to suspect anything more.
“I don’t need to participate in a bad episode of a soap opera. Firehouse 5’s Locker Room Confessions or something like that.” He threw his gear into a heap on the floor in front of his locker and slammed the door. When it didn’t shut because of the bulk blocking the door, he kicked it.
The action eased him some and he tried again. He slammed a boot heel off the metal, denting it. Then with a harsh bellow, he let loose, punching and delivering violent kicks to his locker. His knuckles split and blood warmed his skin. The knot in his chest tightened until he thought he’d rupture.
“Goddammit! I fucked up! I lost her!”
Suddenly Morelli snagged him around the waist. Luke spun on him viciously, prepared to lay into the man.
Pearce stepped in, shoving Luke in the chest and sending him staggering away from Morelli. He clenched and unclenched his hands just so he could continue to feel the pain. Luke lunged again, but Pearce grabbed him and held him.
“Let go of me,” he growled.
Pearce shook his head. “Not yet, Lucifer. We can control you if you can’t control yourself.”
“I’m in control! Now let me go!” He cocked his elbow, meaning to deliver a blow to Morelli’s midsection, but Pearce caught his arm and ruthlessly twisted it downward. One flick and his elbow would be dislocated.
Morelli spoke. “We all fuck up sometimes, man. Does
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