captain’s door, he took a deep breath and
knocked.
“Come in,” Captain Sharp called.
“Sir,” Marco said and stepped into the room.
“Patelli, what the hell was that about?”
“What do you mean, sir?”
“Don’t be cute with me. You know damn well what I’m talking
about. Why the fuck did I hear you and your buddies talking about my niece like
some locker-room exploit?”
“I wasn’t talking badly about Josie.”
“Really? You call talking about sleeping with her in good
taste?”
Marco gritted his teeth. “I didn’t say anything about having
sex with Josie.”
“No? Well your buddy Sutherland certainly had a few things
to say.”
“Yeah, well, we aren’t exactly buddies,” Marco replied.
The captain ran his fingers through his silver-streaked hair
then turned and walked over to the window. With his back to Marco, he
continued. “When I asked you to take my niece out I never thought she’d turn
into some locker-room joke.”
“What the hell did you think would happen when you coerced
me into dating her?”
A harsh gasp sounded from the doorway.
Marco spun in his chair. “Josie, shit,” he said and jumped
up from his seat.
She stuck her hand out toward his chest, halting his
progress. “Save it,” she snarled. Her eyes burned with anger, but beneath he
could see the hurt and it cut through him like a knife.
“Red, let me explain.”
“Don’t call me that.” She scowled. “Better yet, don’t call
me at all.” She spun on her heel and stormed away.
Marco turned and glared at his boss then gave chase after
her. Hoping to cut her off, he jumped onto the pole and launched down. He
jogged across the garage and stopped at the stairway just as Josie hit the
bottom step.
“Get out of my way, Marco.”
Tears filled her eyes as she glared at him. The sight of her
in so much pain nearly ripped his heart from his chest.
He reached for her. “Jos, just let me explain.”
She swung her arms wide. “Please, by all means, paint what I
heard in a better light. Give it that Patelli spin you’re so good at.”
Okay he deserved that.
“It’s not how it sounds,” he started.
“Really? So you didn’t ask me out because of my uncle?”
“Well, sort of.”
She pushed against his shoulder to try to squeeze past him
but he stood his ground.
“Move.”
“No, not until you hear me out.”
A lone tear slid down her cheek and she angrily swiped it
away. God, he wanted to wrap her in his arms and take away the pain. What he
wouldn’t do to go back in time and have that conversation again.
“Look, Josie,” he began. A siren wailed through the station. Perfect timing. He glanced at the truck and the guys already running
through the firehouse to get into their gear. He looked at her then back at the
truck.
“Shit,” he grumbled. “I’m sorry, Jos, I have to go, but
we’re not done.”
She looked at him sadly. “Did we ever really even get
started?”
His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. What the hell did
that mean? Did she honestly think what happened between them wasn’t real?
“Patelli,” a voice called from the truck. “Get your ass in
gear.”
He rubbed his hand over his face. He was so screwed. “I’ll
come by later.”
“Don’t bother.”
“That wasn’t a question, Josie. I’m coming by, and you’ll
damn well hear me out,” he growled. She had every right to be pissed but there
was no fucking way he was going to let her shut him out.
He took one last look at her then raced over to his gear,
slipped into his pants and boots and jumped onto the truck as it started to
pull out of the garage.
Josie stood on the step watching them drive away. She looked
so alone and lost. Damn it, he felt as if he’d kicked a puppy, and he didn’t
even know how the hell it had happened. This morning he’d been anxious to get
back into her bed, now here he was, a couple hours later, down a friend, his
boss ready to kill him and he might have just lost the woman he
knocked.
“Come in,” Captain Sharp called.
“Sir,” Marco said and stepped into the room.
“Patelli, what the hell was that about?”
“What do you mean, sir?”
“Don’t be cute with me. You know damn well what I’m talking
about. Why the fuck did I hear you and your buddies talking about my niece like
some locker-room exploit?”
“I wasn’t talking badly about Josie.”
“Really? You call talking about sleeping with her in good
taste?”
Marco gritted his teeth. “I didn’t say anything about having
sex with Josie.”
“No? Well your buddy Sutherland certainly had a few things
to say.”
“Yeah, well, we aren’t exactly buddies,” Marco replied.
The captain ran his fingers through his silver-streaked hair
then turned and walked over to the window. With his back to Marco, he
continued. “When I asked you to take my niece out I never thought she’d turn
into some locker-room joke.”
“What the hell did you think would happen when you coerced
me into dating her?”
A harsh gasp sounded from the doorway.
Marco spun in his chair. “Josie, shit,” he said and jumped
up from his seat.
She stuck her hand out toward his chest, halting his
progress. “Save it,” she snarled. Her eyes burned with anger, but beneath he
could see the hurt and it cut through him like a knife.
“Red, let me explain.”
“Don’t call me that.” She scowled. “Better yet, don’t call
me at all.” She spun on her heel and stormed away.
Marco turned and glared at his boss then gave chase after
her. Hoping to cut her off, he jumped onto the pole and launched down. He
jogged across the garage and stopped at the stairway just as Josie hit the
bottom step.
“Get out of my way, Marco.”
Tears filled her eyes as she glared at him. The sight of her
in so much pain nearly ripped his heart from his chest.
He reached for her. “Jos, just let me explain.”
She swung her arms wide. “Please, by all means, paint what I
heard in a better light. Give it that Patelli spin you’re so good at.”
Okay he deserved that.
“It’s not how it sounds,” he started.
“Really? So you didn’t ask me out because of my uncle?”
“Well, sort of.”
She pushed against his shoulder to try to squeeze past him
but he stood his ground.
“Move.”
“No, not until you hear me out.”
A lone tear slid down her cheek and she angrily swiped it
away. God, he wanted to wrap her in his arms and take away the pain. What he
wouldn’t do to go back in time and have that conversation again.
“Look, Josie,” he began. A siren wailed through the station. Perfect timing. He glanced at the truck and the guys already running
through the firehouse to get into their gear. He looked at her then back at the
truck.
“Shit,” he grumbled. “I’m sorry, Jos, I have to go, but
we’re not done.”
She looked at him sadly. “Did we ever really even get
started?”
His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. What the hell did
that mean? Did she honestly think what happened between them wasn’t real?
“Patelli,” a voice called from the truck. “Get your ass in
gear.”
He rubbed his hand over his face. He was so screwed. “I’ll
come by later.”
“Don’t bother.”
“That wasn’t a question, Josie. I’m coming by, and you’ll
damn well hear me out,” he growled. She had every right to be pissed but there
was no fucking way he was going to let her shut him out.
He took one last look at her then raced over to his gear,
slipped into his pants and boots and jumped onto the truck as it started to
pull out of the garage.
Josie stood on the step watching them drive away. She looked
so alone and lost. Damn it, he felt as if he’d kicked a puppy, and he didn’t
even know how the hell it had happened. This morning he’d been anxious to get
back into her bed, now here he was, a couple hours later, down a friend, his
boss ready to kill him and he might have just lost the woman he
Similar Books
