Into The Flames
Gabe Moretti is reckless and daring. But Captain John De Luca isn't interested in hot as hell firefighters who charge into flames…regardless that it was to save his sorry ass. Only Gabe isn't as rash as John believes. His motivation for risking his life is personal…sexual. He's fallen for the captain and sets out to convince John that some chances are worth taking.
Excerpt:
The rig rocked to one side and four tired firemen braced for the last corner before their destination. Station 116 came into view and Captain John De Luca risked a glance across the rear of the cab. Gabe Moretti grinned from ear to ear, adrenaline still pumping through his veins as he leaned toward the others and shouted to be heard above the traffic and the roar of the engine. The high of saving a life took a while to wear off, sometimes days or weeks.
Gut churning, John turned away as Peterson swung Big Red into the station. John didn’t wait for the truck to slow, but jumped off and headed for his office. He slammed the door and chucked his helmet on the couch where he’d spent most of his time sleeping since Gabe transferred from unit 211 three months ago.
He took two steps into the room, stopped then turned and wrenched the door opened again to bellow, “Moretti, get your ass in here.”
Shucking his coat, John sent it the way of his helmet and waited on the other side of his desk. He’d take care of his equipment later, after the paperwork was done.
“You wanted to see me, Captain?” Gabe sauntered through the door and flopped into one of the two chairs opposite John as if he owned it and the rest of the world. The grin hadn’t left Gabe’s face, and the dimple in his left cheek made him look younger than his twenty-six years.
Taller than John by several inches, slender yet built with the strength of two men, Gabe had curly black hair and blacker eyes that held a perpetual twinkle of mischief. His skin, smooth and golden, glistened with the fine sheen of sweat that John wanted to lick. A black smudge streaked his cheek, and John’s thumb itched to wipe the soot from Gabe’s face. To trace the fullness of his lower lip. To dip his tongue past it and into Gabe’s mouth for a taste.
But John had bigger problems than the lust he’d been denying. Would go on denying. Lust led to other feelings that John refused to feel. He settled into his chair and hardened himself against emotion. I won’t lose another man on my watch.
He lifted his gaze to Gabe’s. “I’m writing you up for failure to follow procedure.”
The smile melted from Gabe’s face and the sparkle in his eyes dulled. The leg draped over the arm of the chair dropped to the floor, and he sat up straight. “You’re fucking kidding me, right?”
“You know better than to go charging into a three alarm fire without clearance.”
Gabe shot out of his chair and planted both hands on the desktop, towering over John. “You bastard. I saved your fucking life.”
“And you could have gotten yourself killed doing it. There are reasons for procedure and while you’re in this unit, you’ll damn well follow them.” John slowly rose to his feet and leaned forward until he was nearly nose to nose with Gabe, close enough to smell his cologne under the acrid scent of smoke. John ignored the tightening of his balls and the slow stretch of his cock. “Pull another bonehead rookie mistake like you did today and you’re gone.”
The tick in Gabe’s jaw spoke of the barely contained control simmering inside him, and John wondered if the passion Gabe exhibited on the job and in his interaction with the other men spilled into his bed. His gaze fell to Gabe’s mouth again. All he had to do was eliminate the few inches of space between them to find out.
John straightened and grabbed a folder from his inbox. “Now go get cleaned up.”
Pushing off the desk, Gabe snorted. “Fine, write me up.” He strode to the door and paused, his hand on the knob, eyes narrowed. “But just so you know. I’d do it again.”
With that, he walked out and slammed the door behind him.
John slumped into his chair and rubbed his hands over his face. He felt like a total dickhead. Gabe had saved his life and he was reprimanding him for not following procedure. How fucked up was that?
Everyone had cleared the building but John. He’d been trapped on the third floor unable to get to a window or the door to the stairwell open. He’d radioed his position and the chief was putting together a squad, but Gabe had rushed in alone and without clearance. The whole thing happened so fast, no one knew he’d even entered the building until he cleared the blockage and pulled John out. Damn fool could have been killed en route and no one would have known he was even missing until it was too late.
John was grateful. Hell, he didn’t want to die. But Gabe’s actions were the same careless and irresponsible kind that had gotten Adam killed. Losing Adam had just about done John in. They’d been friends since the academy and later lovers. But Adam was reckless, impulsive. He never thought before he plunged headfirst into danger.
In that regard, Gabe reminded John of Adam. Fuck. Why did he fall for the wannabe heroes?
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