BEN HUNG UP the phone, then slipped his credit card back inside his wallet. The clerk at the flower shop hadn’t been thrilled about him placing an order without knowing Jana’s full name. He also hadn’t been impressed when Ben only wanted his phone number on the card. Despite all the dramatic sighs, the guy hadn’t been foolish enough to refuse an order for three-dozen blush-pink roses.
Roses were a pretty old-fashioned idea, but Ben had a point to make, and in his opinion, nothing spoke louder to a woman than roses, except maybe jewelry. He didn’t doubt for a second Jana wouldn’t realize they were from him. The decision on whether or not they’d see each other again now belonged to her. All he’d done was send her thirty-six reminders why she should call him.
The city had been relatively calm for a Saturday, and Ben had taken advantage of the quiet by catching up on the sleep he’d missed. There’d been several paramedic runs throughout the day, keeping the two squads of medics hopping, but most of the crew had been kicking back in front of the big-screen TV in the dayroom watching the college football game once the equipment and gear checks were out of the way.
He’d managed to escape being hassled by the guys, but then, the entire house had been subdued since they’d lost Fitz in the Malibu Hills fire eight days ago. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration would be breathing down Ben’s neck first thing Monday morning, too. It was standard procedure for the big boys to get involved when someone died, but Ben sure as hell wasn’t looking forward to putting up with some anal, gung-ho book jock with no experience putting his butt on the line. No two burns were alike. A firefighter operated on instinct honed from years of experience and training, skills that were impossible to develop by reading a textbook.
The game failed to hold his attention, which hardly surprised him. When Jana wasn’t occupying his mind, he ended up going over and over the events of the fire that had cost Fitz his life.
Anxious for a distraction, he left the dayroom and headed for the bay. Cale and Brady Kent, Cale’s partner, were back from their last paramedic run, busy restocking their rig and performing equipment checks.
Ben leaned his shoulder against the open door at the back end of the ambulance. “Hell of a first day back,” he said to his brother, who’d been honeymooning in the Caribbean for the last two and a half weeks.
Cale looked up from the drawer of gauze bandage supplies he’d been replenishing, his expression solemn. “Hasn’t been too bad,” he said meaningfully. He filled the drawer, shoved it closed, then checked the next one. He looked over at his partner. “Where are the four IV bags?”
Brady smacked his forehead with the heel of his hand. “I knew I forgot something.”
“Hey, how’s Elise feeling?” Ben asked as the other paramedic climbed from the rig. Brady and his wife were expecting their first kid in a few months.
“Not bad now that she’s over morning sickness,” Brady told him. “I was starting to feel guilty.”
Brady headed off to the stockroom, leaving Ben and Cale alone. “He’s been a wreck,” Cale said once Brady was no longer in sight. “’Course I’d probably be spooked, too, if it was Amanda bowing to the porcelain god twenty-four-seven.”
Ben didn’t doubt it for a second, either. He had a feeling Cale would find out for himself soon enough. He almost pitied his sister-in-law. Knowing Cale and his big old soft heart, he’d probably end up suffering right along with Amanda, and she’d be the one taking care of him.
Definitely not something Ben ever cared to experience firsthand. What real knowledge he did have about pregnancy and childbirth stemmed from the job. He’d been around enough roadside births to understand labor was no picnic—for either parent.
Cale cleared his throat. “You’re looking a little ragged around the edges. Late night?”
Ben wasn’t fooled by Cale’s feigned innocence. “Word travels fast.”
“When old boring Ben gets picked up by a hottie, there’s gonna be some talk.”
“Gossip is an ignorant pastime for the small-minded.”
Cale shrugged his shoulders and grinned. “It’s usually more interesting than the truth. So you gonna fess up or what?”
Ben moved out of the way as Brady headed across the bay toward them, his arms weighed down with several boxes of supplies.
“Didn’t plan to,” Ben said.
Cale took the boxes from Brady and set them on the gurney beside him. “Drew and I never plan to, either, but you always seem to get it out of us.”
Once Brady climbed back inside the rig, Ben crossed his arms and propped his shoulder against the open door again. “That’s because I’m smarter, older and better looking.”
Cale grinned, then shook his head. “Naaah. Older, I’ll give you. So, what gives?”
He supposed Cale’s third degree was to be expected. And deserved. But that didn’t mean he had any intention of spilling his guts the way his brothers did when he pressed them for information. Ben knew they thought he was nosy and bossy, but he cared about them. Drew and Cale were his family. He’d been looking after them since he was ten years old. Surely they didn’t expect him to stop now that they were all grown up.
“Not much,” Ben said, careful to keep his expression neutral. “I met someone. We had a good time.” A time he wouldn’t mind repeating. Often.
Cale shoved the handful of IV bags at Brady. “Did you catch that?” he asked his partner.
“Sure did,” Brady chuckled. “He’s interested.”
Ben straightened and stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his uniform trousers. “How’d you two geniuses draw that conclusion?”
“Three missing words,” Cale said, lifting three fingers for emphasis. “End. Of. Story.” He looked at Brady. “Did you hear him say ‘end of story’?”
Brady shook his head as he stuffed the drawer with IV kits. “Nope. I didn’t hear it.”
Cale hopped to the ground. “You’re interested.” He reached for the extra boxes Brady had retrieved. “Admit it.”
Ben shrugged, not sure what he felt other than a desperate need to have Jana’s body beneath his again. Soon.
“First you,” Brady said to Cale as he followed him out of the rig, “then Drew, now Ben. The Perry men are sinking fast.”
Ben took several steps back. “Whoa, hold it right there.” The distance did nothing to stop warning signals from going off in his head. He was not sinking. He wouldn’t allow himself to fall victim to whatever bug had bitten Cale, and possibly even Drew. “We had a good time. That’s it.”
That’s all Jana would ever be to him—a good time—for as long as she’d tolerate him. He was interested, but what guy wouldn’t be after a night of fantastic sex with a woman like her? He’d decided a whole lot of years ago he’d never let anyone or anything come between him and what he loved, and Jana would not be the exception.
After his mom, a firefighter, had died in the line of duty, he’d watched his old man throw everything that should have mattered away: his own career as a firefighter, his sons, even his own life.
During those first few months, Ben had feared his father and his rages. Morbid reflection usually followed until Alex Perry would finally pass out in a drunken stupor. It hadn’t taken long for Ben’s fear to turn into disgust. In his opinion, every time his dad had dived into a bottle of booze, which had been often, he’d desecrated the memory of Joanna Perry.
Cale and Drew had been too young at the time, Ben figured, to remember, or even know about, the fights his folks had had over his mom’s career choice. She’d been tough and hadn’t backed down from the old man or the department when they attempted to stick her in an EMT position. She’d died a hero, and as far as Ben was concerned, when she’d been alive, she’d deserved better than the guilt trip the old man had continually hurled at her for fighting for what she wanted.
“Yo, Ben. Ben!”
Ben shook off the past, just as he’d done for the last twenty-some years whenever the memories had threatened to choke him. He looked at his brother and at the deep frown on a face very much like his own.
Cale inclined his head toward Brady. “What did he mean ‘then Drew’?”
Brady groaned and dropped his head. “Forget I said anything.”
“What’s he talking about?” Cale asked Ben.
“Emily Dugan,” Ben reminded him. He’d suspected something was going on with Drew and Emily when Drew had invited her to Cale’s wedding. “It could be serious.”
“Drew?” Cale laughed, then made a production out of grabbing his chest and stumbling around the bay. “The one with the revolving bedroom door? That Drew?”
Ben hadn’t been half as surprised by the news as Cale, but then Ben was nowhere near as distracted as Cale had been since Amanda. “One and the same.”
Cale let out a low whistle. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
Brady sat on the rear bumper of the rig. “He’s got it bad, too.”
Cale shook his head in denial. “No way. Not Drew,” he said with a hearty laugh. “Women are his hobby. Remember the time he screwed up and had two of them show up at his place at the same time?”
Brady grinned and wiggled his thick eyebrows. “Yeah, and they both stayed. Some guys have all the luck.”
“Not lately,” Ben told them. “Since Emily, I don’t think Drew’s seen anyone else.”
Brady rested his hands on his legs and nodded in agreement. “I heard he never even dated those couple of weeks when he and Emily weren’t talking to each other.”
Cale raked his fingers through his hair. “A lot can happen in three weeks.”
Ben crossed his arms and gave Brady a hard stare. “What do you know?”
Brady lifted his hands in defeat. “Talk to Drew.”
Cale moved in next to Ben, and they faced Brady in a united front. “We’re talking to you.”
“Aw, man,” Brady complained. “Come on, guys. Scorch made me swear.”
“I swear I’m going to pound you into the ground if you don’t spill it,” Cale told Brady. He wouldn’t, but the threat still had Ben’s lips twitching as he struggled to hold back a smile.
“Okay. Okay.” At least Cale’s partner knew a losing battle when he saw one. “But I’m only talking because we’re partners and I have to work with you.”
Cale frowned. “Get to the point, Brady.”
“Scorch told me that Drew asked Tilly if she’d take him to see her jeweler today.” Brady looked from Cale to Ben.
Ben shrugged, unconcerned. “Could be anything.”
Brady slowly shook his head. “No, dude. He’s looking for a rock.”
The news took him by complete surprise. Sure, Drew had a thing for Emily. Ben didn’t really know her, but she was eons away from Drew’s usual type. His youngest brother wouldn’t actually torch his little black book, would he? “You don’t think he’ll really marry her, do you?” he asked Cale.
His brother rolled his eyes. “I realize this is virgin territory for you, old man, but for somebody that claims to be smarter, you sure are dumb.”
“She’s pregnant, Cale,” Ben said. He simply could not wrap his mind around the idea of Drew becoming a family man. The concept of commitment was foreign to his little brother.
Cale frowned. “Yeah, so?”
“So it’s not his baby. Why would he want that responsibility?” Ben argued. Drew lacked Cale’s hero gene. He didn’t rescue women the way Cale did; he collected them. Imagining Drew dating one woman exclusively was difficult enough to digest, but marrying one who came with a ready-made family?
“Why should it make a difference?”
Ben thought about that for a moment. Maybe it didn’t have to matter. The fact that his youngest brother was happy should be most important. With Cale married and Drew apparently dangling on the cusp of wedlock, Ben supposed his job was done.
“I guess it doesn’t,” he said eventually. Although he still wasn’t sure what he thought about the commitment virus infecting both of his brothers.
“Right. And before you start poking around,” Cale said, “let’s go torture Scorch for a while.”
“Why?” Ben asked, frowning. “What’s he done?”
If the scrawny paramedic had done anything to hurt Tilly Jensen, he’d have to answer to all three of the Perry brothers, and none of them had been shy about letting Scorch know it, either. Tilly and Drew were the same age and had been best friends ever since Drew had run over her dolls with his bike and she’d given him a black eye in return. In her early teens, she’d turned into a real pest when she’d decided she had a crush on Ben, but even her infatuation with him hadn’t changed his feelings. Tilly was family, and he protected his family.
Without waiting for an explanation, Ben took off for the dayroom, prepared to have a “chat” with Scorch to remind him to tread carefully as far as Tilly was concerned. Brady and Cale followed.
“Think he’s a little thick-headed today?” Cale said to his partner, loud enough for Ben to hear.
Brady chuckled. “I think his mind is somewhere else.”
“On someone else, you mean.”
Ben turned around and blocked their path, giving them both a hard stare. “Do you clowns have a point?”
Cale looked at him as if he had as much sense as Drew. “Since when does Tilly have a jeweler?”
“AHHH. That’s better.”
Jana wiggled her toes and issued another relieved sigh as she carefully set her new suede boots next to the bed to air out for the night before putting them back in the box. Never again would she equate sex to taking off a pair of shoes at the end of a long day. She knew the difference now, and they were acres apart.
She pushed off the mattress and walked across her bedroom to the dresser for her favorite pair of grungy sweats. Sitting in the center, in front of the mirror, were the roses Ben had sent yesterday. The large cut-crystal vase held three dozen of the palest shade of pink roses she’d ever seen. She breathed in deeply, inhaling the luxurious scent filling the room. Flowers from a man weren’t out of the ordinary, but usually she only received them for special occasions, like her birthday.
She was thankful that she’d been alone when the flowers had been delivered. After their spa day and a late lunch, Chloe had dropped her off at the dealership to pick up her car, which she’d taken in for service, so she’d been spared another of her cynical friend’s sexual revolutionary speeches and Lauren’s attempts to put silly romantic notions into her head.
Ben’s gift made it patently clear he wanted to see her again. Although she did appreciate his generosity, she wasn’t a complete fool. She suspected his reasons had more to do with sex than wanting to get to know her.
Incredible, earth-shattering sex, but still just sex.
For as much as she truly enjoyed every moment she’d spent with him, a fling wasn’t her cup of latte. She hadn’t been shopping for a relationship, either, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t open to the possibility should the right guy come along at the right time. But Ben was not that guy. Relationships led to sex, not the other way around.
Despite her lack of illusions regarding his intentions, she couldn’t be rude. She had been raised always to be polite and considerate of others. What harm could there be in calling to thank him. Just thank him, nothing more.
After changing clothes, she lifted the card from the plastic holder and carried it with her to the bed. She stared at the phone and bit her lip. “Willpower,” she said, firmly, and snatched the cordless from the cradle and dialed his number.
He answered on the second ring. The low sexy rumble of his voice started her heart pounding.
“Hi, it’s Jana,” she said, aiming for calm and self-confident. Instead she got nervous and shaky.
“I was hoping I’d hear from you.”
He did sound pleased that she’d called, but she didn’t know him well enough to determine a come-on from genuine interest. “I was at a birthday party all day.”
“Yours?”
“Ooh, that was smooth.” She laughed at his attempt to garner information.
“I try,” he said. “So when is your birthday?”
That was not the question of a man only interested in sex. Her self-restraint weakened. “If you ask me what’s my sign, I’m hanging up.” She heard the rustle of paper in the background. A newspaper? Probably a comic book.
“Too clichéd,” he said with a hint of laughter.
“So are flowers, but they are beautiful.” She flopped back against the mound of pillows. “That’s why I called. Thank you, Ben.”
“I like hearing you say my name.”
Could be a come-on, could be flirting. Flirting, her conscience rallied in support.
“I especially liked the way you said it Friday night,” he added.
As if she needed a reminder. She closed her eyes, then snapped them open again to escape the erotic visions. “Hmm,” she murmured, starting to feel warm. Her willpower melted. “Friday night or Saturday morning?”
“Morning.” His voice deepened, becoming huskier. And definitely sexier. “How about dinner?”
She sat up straight. “Now?” Was he after more of the same?
“It’s not quite seven o’clock,” he said. “If you’ve already eaten, we could meet for dessert.”
And just who would be the dessert? Her pulse quickened with anticipation.
She might have already rolled over once with her legs in the air, but that didn’t necessarily mean she was an easy piece. “You know, that sounds like it’d be fun, but I can’t.”
“Other plans?” he asked. He sounded disappointed. Because he wasn’t going to get any, or because he really did want to see her?
“To be honest, I’m exhausted,” she lied. She’d never been more awake. “The birthday party was for my oldest sister’s twin sons. Do you have any idea how much energy a dozen five-year-old boys have? We’re talking hyper-speed, and a decibel level to rival a heavy metal concert.”
“I understand,” he said. Did he really? Personal experience? she wondered, thinking of those half-dozen little Ben juniors she’d imagined running after him.
“How about dinner tomorrow?” he asked. “I’m off at six. Does seven work for you?”
Maybe he did really want to see her again, for all the right reasons. “Seven’s perfect,” she told him. The investigation of Trinity Station would no doubt zap every emotion in her system; it’d do her good to concentrate on something other than the assignment from hell. “The downtime will probably be just what I need after tomorrow.”
“What’s going on tomorrow?”
She detected genuine interest and it made her smile. “A new assignment I’m not looking forward to,” she told him. “And I still haven’t prepped, something I need to do tonight.”
“Are you sure I can’t tempt you, Jana?”
He segued expertly into seduction. Regardless of her uncertainty surrounding his motives, she was hooked. She settled against the pillows again. “A back rub and I’m yours.”
“My hands are on your shoulders. Do you feel them?”
She closed her eyes, shutting out the last of her self-discipline. “Yes.” Fantasies were a snap now, thanks to him.
“That’s warm oil I’m using. Can you feel my hands gliding over your skin? Moving down your spine?”
She couldn’t breathe.
“Lower.” He paused. “And lower.”
If he went another inch, she’d be in trouble. She cleared her throat.
“Just relax, Jana,” he practically purred in her ear. “Relax and feel my hands spanning the curve of your hips.”
She sighed audibly. Forget her hips. She knew just where she wanted his hands. Desire tugged sharp and low in her belly.
“Good night, Jana.”
Her eyes flew open as she heard a click, followed by the drone of the dial tone. “Noooo,” she whined. God, he’d done it to her again!
She yanked the handset away from her ear and stared at it angrily. How was she supposed to get any work done now that her body buzzed with need for someone who wasn’t even there, especially now that she knew exactly what sensual delights she’d be missing?
“OVER THE NEXT few days, I’ll be conducting interviews with the personnel on scene during the incident, examining equipment and observing your crew in action.” Jana handed Captain Rick Baker the list she’d made last night of the squad members she wanted to interview first.
She estimated the man in charge of Station 43—appropriately referred to as Trinity Station because it shared one corner of an intersection with three churches—to be in his mid-forties. So far, he’d offered no objections to any of her requests.
“I would also appreciate it if you could arrange for the scene commander to meet me at the site tomorrow to walk me through the events.”
“That would be Lieutenant Perry,” the captain told her before she could look up the name again. “It shouldn’t be a problem.”
Obviously Captain Baker understood that OSHA wasn’t the enemy. She doubted the crew of Trinity Station would be as helpful. They usually lumped OSHA personnel in the same category as snail snot.
“If Lieutenant Perry’s available, I’d like to start by interviewing him.”
“He is.” The captain stood. “He’ll provide you with whatever information you need to complete your investigation as quickly as possible. Any of my men will be available to assist you with the equipment inspections, as well.”
“Thank you, Captain,” she said as she stood. “I know this is a difficult time for all of you. I’m very sorry for your loss.”
The captain’s expression visibly tightened. He nodded his thanks, then walked toward the door of the small office. “I’ll send in Lieutenant Perry. Feel free to use my office for as long as you need it.”
Jana thanked him again, then lifted her briefcase and carried it with her around the desk once the door closed. She was playing a definite mind game, but if she placed herself in a position the squad recognized as one of power, she just might manage a little grudging respect. She needed every advantage possible, real or imagined.
She adjusted her short navy blazer and straightened her shoulders. The door opened, and she looked up at what had to be a walking, talking fantasy. In numb shock, she sank silently to the worn leather chair.
This couldn’t be happening to her.
Ben’s large body filled the doorway. Dark-blue trousers outlined his powerful thighs and long legs. The lighter blue shirt of his firefighter’s uniform clung to his chest and emphasized his wide shoulders. The same shoulders she’d clung to during the throes of passion.
A deep frown creased his forehead. His pale-blue eyes filled with suspicion.
“You’re Lieutenant B. Perry?” she asked him, still unable to comprehend how something like this could be happening to her. “You’re a firefighter?”
“That’s right,” he answered slowly. “Jana, what are you doing here?”
“Oh God,” she muttered miserably. She propped her elbows on the desk and let her head fall into her hands. “This can’t be happening. It just can’t.”
The door closed with a loud thud. Or was that her heart that had just landed at her feet?
“What the hell is going on?” he demanded. Nothing about his voice reminded her of the tender, skillful lover who’d whispered hotly in her ear. There was no sign of the rich, deep husky tone capable of making her squirm from a few carefully chosen words meant to seduce.
She lifted her head. Nothing about his entire demeanor reminded her of the man who’d tilted her world and shown her the true art of sexual magic. Instead, he was cold, detached, and ticked off to the max.
She suppressed a shiver of apprehension. “I’m here to investigate the death of Ivan Fitzpatrick,” she told him. “I’m with the Fire Investigation Division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.”
He muttered a ripe, vile curse.
She nodded slowly in agreement. “Yeah,” she said. “That’s kinda what I was thinking, too.”