I’m standing in a large loft space built into the roof area of a barn I purchased after the night of the cabin. As I pour coffee, I can’t help but smile recalling Shawn’s words the morning after the fire.

“I think I can find room for you in my apartment,” he’d said, grinning that cocky grin. “I have a king-sized bed.”

That was all very amusing after that fright-night experience of a raging fire passing overhead. But when his crew showed up to rescue us I realized those stories I’d read about people having crazy sex in wartime while bombs went off all around must be true.

And while I didn’t regret for one second the amazing hours of hard attention my body had enjoyed, I was not about to move in with the guy. Oh no. Not once his crew arrived.

There was a flare of recognition in the chief’s eyes. We gazed at each other and all my thoughts of Jon returned. I’m sure I’d met this guy at an inter-firehouse baseball game last summer, the last one before Jon died. Was he looking at me with reproach? Did he know how I’d betrayed Jon with Shawn for the sake of lust? They all seemed to be giving me the side-eye as though it was written on my skin.

The crew were all very professional (not to mention hunky and some of them swoony gorgeous) and they treated me with utmost care. But as they made the cabin as secure as they could while I grabbed what clothes I could find, I overheard some remarks about Shawn’s prowess with the ladies.

“Is there anyone you can stay with in town,” the Captain asked once we were driving through the devastated forest. “Any family, a friend?”

I shook my head no.

“She can stay with me,” Shawn said and I noticed the repressed snorts of laughter from some of the men.

“There’s the Cherry Tree B and B, please take me there,” I told them firmly.

Shawn threw me a look.

“You shouldn’t be alone right now,” he said.

“You wouldn’t be any safer with Mr August,” one of the crew quipped and received a furious glare from Shawn.

“Honestly, I’ll be fine,” I said. “I’d prefer to be alone right now.”

Shawn’s eyes sought mine and forced them up to his to inquire what the fuck was going on. Everything had been fixed in his mind but mine, coming back to reality, wasn’t at all sure.

He was hot. He was incredible in bed. And it seemed like half the town knew it.

It felt like all eyes were on us when the crew dropped me at the B&B. Shawn insisted on coming in with me to make sure there was space, they could take Mr Pete and I was settled.

“Think we should leave him to it?” I heard one of the guys in the truck quip.

“We could be waiting a while,” one of the others joined in.

“Ignore them,” Shawn hissed, his hand in the small of my back, protectively. But nothing could protect me from the feeling of being another notch.

“Seems like you’re quite the stud,” I hissed back.

“I didn’t know you thought that was a problem.”

Although Shawn was very solicitous as he made sure I got a place to stay, there was a chill between us as he left and went back to his waiting crew.

I made sure not to look back as he walked away, even though every cell in my body was already craving him again.

Shawn

My pores prickled with rage as I walked back to my truck to face the leering remarks of my crew.

Fine. There are plenty of other women that don’t judge a man for doing what he’s built for and loving every fucking second.

But by the time we got back to the firehouse and all the reports had been filed, I was already missing her. And fretting that I wouldn’t be getting to know Lila after all. That crazy feisty woman was well and truly in my blood. And it heated up to an unbearable temperature every time the image of her eyes, that mouth, that amazingly soft body swum up into my thoughts.

I pushed the images away. I shoved her memories back down inside and determined to hook up with some more manageable women I knew. But when it came to making the call, I couldn’t do it. The thought of any other face, any other body but hers literally turned me off.

I found myself driving past the Inn she was staying at, hoping she’d come out. I craved a glimpse of her that badly. Finally, after a week of that shit, I pulled up my man panties and strode inside.

“She left a couple of days ago,” the receptionist told me.

“Left? Where’d she go?” I gritted out through taut lips.

“Oh I can’t help you there. I’m not permitted to hand out that kind of information.”

“I may seem like a stalker but I’m a firefighter and I have concerns for the health of Lila, Ms Byrd, I mean.”

“Oh, well I guess…”

“Yes….” I prompt, waiting for her to scan my face and decide I’m honest and decent.

“She moved into an old barn on the edge of town,” the woman says with a flirty smile. “She said she had some painting she needed to do and it was going to get messy.”

I probed and prodded but she had no more information on the exact location.

How many fucking barns could there be?

Way too fucking many is how many.

I spent every waking hour and some I should have been sleeping, driving around, up and down every street, scanning every field. I felt like a stalker for real now but I didn’t care. There was no way I was letting Lila get away. She was a woman like no one else I’d ever known and I had serious doubts I’d ever find one like her again. We were, are, completely different but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t be fucking great together. I was determined to make her see that.

And then I saw it. I knew it was her place. An old paint factory storage place, the sign fading but the interior light seeping out between the wood slats even at this crazy late hour.

Every last ounce of me wanted to knock at the door and have her pull it back and fall into my arms. But what a dickwad way to get back into her good graces. Mr August showing up at 3am looking for a hook up. Instead, I got the idea to jolt her out of her assumptions about me.

I pulled up some daisies, I suppose that’s what you’d call them, out of the field across the street and put them in a jar I found out back of the barn. I left those outside the tall door where she couldn’t fail to see them.

That weekend I burned up my energies on a task I’d had in mind all along but now one I was sure would put myself into the category of possible partner, not jerk. And each night, I left more wild flowers, some I’d picked out in the woods, outside her door.

I was walking away Monday night, the end of my weekend, back on shift at 7am, when the creaking barn door was cracked open. I turned to see the most perfect face and body I’ve ever known.

And the look of shock on her face as she exclaimed, “You!”

Lila

“Yeah me, who were you expecting?” the Bastard smirked as he looked me up and down.

His gaze stripped me out of my loose man’s shirt, covered with paint splashes. I was feeling totally naked in front of him and my pussy throbbed more longingly than it had in the entire year after Jon’s death. It had only been a little more than a week since I last saw Shawn and I’d hungered for him every day and every night. No amount of getting myself off allowed me the luxury of sleep. Once again I was up all hours, painting in a kind of frenzy.

“It was you leaving flowers at my door every night?” I demand. “Why?” I bark, when he gives me a shrug and that grin that makes goosebumps ride down my arms.

I’d only seen him once in town since - that night. He was talking animatedly with Jennifer Jolly who owns Jolly Craft Store and she was laughing so happily, an unpleasant spear of jealousy went through me. It’s so easy for him just to move on whereas I seem to get stuck in longing and loving for ages.

I’m about to give him some snark about Jennifer being busy when the little terror I love more than anything also starts barking. Mr Pete comes hurling through the gap in the door and flies into Shawn’s legs. The burly guy bends all the way over to pick up my pup and cradle him. Mr Pete laps at his chin with delight and I almost envy them. I long to be in those arms I remember so well from that night. But I know I’m kidding myself. This guy isn’t relationship material.

“What are you doing here?” I demand, making my voice hard in the hopes of combatting the desire seeping through every cell. I know I’m going to be pulling my folds apart as soon as he leaves. “Not hoping for an easy hook up?”

“Can’t thanks,” he quips, his eyes flashing up to mine. “Got an early call. But I wanna show you something.”

“Now?” I squeak. “It’s the middle of the night.”

“So it is. But neither, all three of us, can sleep, it seems. And when did time mean anything when there’s attraction in the air?”

I shake my head although I’m trying hard not to laugh at his poetic attempt.

“There’s no attraction,” I assure him, even as my pussy is contracting with insistent pulses of ravenous hunger. “I promise you.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Shawn says.

Fuck, the way his eyes travel across me and return to scoop up my gaze has me shivering.

“I’m not exactly dressed for outings,” I say, my resolve is diminishing every second. Fuck outings, I want him in my bed right now.

“You look fantastic. I can’t imagine a more perfect outfit. Come on, I promise to keep my hands off those gorgeous thighs.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” I snip.

He’s already walking away with my dog in his arms. Mr Pete is happy to go with him, the traitor. To protect my baby I have no choice but to grab the key and pull the door closed then follow.

He’s good for his word. Shawn’s hands stay firmly gripped around the wheel as we drive but his eyes are equal in their hold on my bare legs.

“You don’t like wearing panties if I recall,” he says when we turn off the highway and head into the forest.

“Not when they’ve been torn to shreds,” I say, then add, “I can assure you I’m wearing them tonight.”

“Too bad,” he says.

Fuck, if he was to reach over right now and slide his palm up my leg then push his fingers under the edge of my underwear to locate my dripping clit, there would be no peep of rejection from me. His eyes glint as he looks at me, as though he can read my mind. But he promised and he seems determined to complete on the deal.

Damn.

I’m so frazzled by the proximity of the man, his gaze on my body and the aroma of his masculinity, I don’t notice where we’re driving until we pull up in front of my destroyed cabin.

“Oh no,” I shake my head vehemently. “No replays. That’s not how you worm into my affections.”

“Who says I want affection?” he snips as he leaps down from the truck and Mr Pete follows.

Argh. This dude is so frustrating. Nothing seems to put a dent in that arrogant cockiness. He just does and takes whatever he wants, assuming I want it too.

The door is pulled back and he’s standing there with his hand extended like a gentleman.

“Come on.”

I sit with my legs pressed together, my hands in prayer position between my knees, refusing to get out.

“Hey,” I screech as he reaches in and picks me up in his arms to lift me out of the cab. “Put me down,” I order him, my squirming in his powerful arms is only making me wetter.

The side of my breast against his hot bicep, flexing with each step, is sending me half wild with need.

“Stop wriggling, woman or you’re going over my shoulder.”

Ohmigod, I don’t want my ass exposed when the shirt rides up, so I do as he says and lie still in his hold. That satisfied smirk spreads across his features. I’m on the very edge of giving him a slap across that smugness when he rounds the back of the cabin and my mouth drops open.

“What? How?” I murmur.

I start trembling for so many reasons I can’t even count them.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save your property ma’am,” he says. “Least I could do was to rebuild the back of your home.”

“But - it’s beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful,” he says.

He walks around to the door and catches my eyes as he steps across the threshold before slowly lowering my legs and setting me down.

The new structure had looked bigger than before from the outside but I’m not prepared for when I walk into my bedroom.

I gasp aloud and tears prick at my eyes. Mr Pete is running circles around his tail and then leaps into the cosy new dogbed set beside the new kingsize. His bed is made from patchwork squares as is the quilt and pillows piled on my new bed. The paint is new, as is the furniture and accessories like photo frames, ready for new photos.

“Do you like it?” Shawn asks, nervously scanning my face. “It’s different but the same. You said you wanted a fresh start.”

“It’s gorgeous,” I breathe.

“You’re gorgeous.”

“It must have taken ages, all your free time.”

“All the time I wasn’t looking for you, yes. But I have to admit I had some help from the girl that runs the craft store. She made or found all the decoration and helped me out with that part. I can build but I can’t do the frilly bits.”

“You’re incredible,” I said as my mouth reached up at the same moment his came slamming down on mine. That saved my embarrassment at my suspicions about him and Jennifer.

I guess I don’t need to mention that we went crashing down onto that new bed and my panties ended up shredded yet again.

And now here I am three months later, pouring coffee for the least likely and most wonderful man. I agreed that for us to get to know each other I needed to be in town. So I continued living in my huge studio and Shawn stays here with me. Our schedules have fallen into synch as I can paint when he’s on shift, whatever hour of the day. When he returns we fall into bed together and on his version of a weekend we go out to our cabin in the forest.

I’m still smiling as I carry the coffee into the bedroom to wake my man up. I can’t resist a sneak peek at his amazing body sprawled across the white sheets, committing the image to memory for later. The first time he came over after his shift, this time holding the wildflowers in his huge fist, his eyes grew wide when he came in and saw the array of new canvases set out around the room to dry.

“These are all…”

“Mr August,” I quipped.

“But they’re incredible.”

“You would say that,” I laughed.

The images all depict a nude man sprawled across a homey armchair or laid out on an expansive bed. The juxtaposition of the comfy look and the brawny nude alpha male - tasteful obviously - is striking.

“I already have a gallery up in San Francisco taking the series,” I told him.

Shawn was pleased he was going to be hanging on someone’s wall instead of just on the side of the fridge for a month.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this second in the FILF (Fireman I’d like to Fuck) series of Hotshot standalones.

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