The Way We Burn

Twelve: Gigi

"Hello? Earth to Gigi."

Ella's sing-song voice snapped me out of my daze and I immediately felt my cheeks heat. "Sorry, I..."

"Got a little lost thinking about Captain Honey Buns?"

"Is that what we're calling him now?" I asked with a snicker.

"Look, I ain't trying to take your man, but..."

"Nah, he's got some pretty good buns," I laughed. "I can't deny that. Won't even try."

"Please. That man looks like he could bench press a fire truck. I'm betting everything on him exceeds 'pretty good'."

"You ain't wrong," I chuckled as my phone buzzed in my back pocket. Already tingling with excitement, I yanked the thing out like it was on fire, but my excitement quickly dissipated when I read Sully's words.

"We got a problem."

"I'll be right back," I stated, not even glancing at my co-hort as I headed back to the office, already dialing his number.

"That was quick," his deep once answered with a laugh.

"What's going on?" I questioned, panic already thrumming in my veins.

"Sweetheart, relax," the baritone I was already addicted to soothed. "The boys think they're tagging along tonight, that's all."

My panic swiftly gave way to mild annoyance. "Seriously? You got me all worked up because some firemen are coming to the firemen hangout spot? Is your next concern that it's cold out in January?"

"Worked up, huh?" Sully snickered, ignoring my teasing. "Tell me more." 

"You're the worst," I retorted with an eye roll he could not see. "Why is the boys coming a problem?"

"Well, I mean, they all know your dad so..."

"Okay, well, I wasn't planning on fucking you on the bar top so I think we'll be okay."

"Well, damn. There's a visual."

I laughed but once again rolled my eyes. "You're so annoying."

"You love it," Sully replied with a grin I could hear. "I'm just saying, we gotta be... a bit more well behaved tonight than perhaps I'd like to be."

"Mm... that so?" I questioned, those giddy butterflies taking flight as I perched myself on the edge of my desk. "Maybe we should skip the bar and go somewhere a bit more private then."

"Dirty girl."

"Well, forgive me. We've been fairly PG13 so far, so I'm a little bit intrigued by your apparent dastardly plans."

"And you have no idea how very difficult that has been," Sully rasped, his voice suddenly sounding a full octave lower. "You're a dangerous girl when it comes to my self control."

"That so?" I taunted. I knew I was playing with fire, and that only added to the tingles I already had developing in all the best places. "You seemed pretty content sticking to making out the other day."

"I wouldn't say content," Sully argued. "Just way too old to hookup in the front seat of a pick up. Leaving you to go to work was already hard enough, didn't need to add muscle cramps and Charlie horses to the list."

"Mm. Hard you say? Just how hard we talking?" I was having way too much fun. I should've been out helping Ella finish up prep for our evening, but getting my own personal Fire Captain all worked up was so much more entertaining.

Sully groaned as if he was in physical pain. "You do know I'm stuck at the station for another four hours right?"

"Huh. Do I?"

"Walking a thin line here, Snow."

"Why's that, Captain? You feeling the heat?"

"Galena..." The second my name left his lips, I heard the station's alarms sound and my heart sank with disappointment. "Goddammit," Sully cursed.

"To be continued," I stated with a smile. "Go be a hero."

"You are terrible for my work ethic, you know that? All I wanna do is send everyone else out and stay here talking to you," Sully stated as I heard movement in the background. "I'll see you later, sweet girl."

"Be safe out there. Please," I stated, trying to ignore the little lump forming in my throat. "I'm kind of having fun with you."

I knew the dangers he was in every single day. They were the same ones my dad faced my entire childhood, but the nerves I felt thinking about him out there? Putting his life on the line to save another's? Those nerves were new, and a bit unwelcome. As a kid, I could kind of ignore the danger my dad was in. I never saw it and we were very lucky in the fact that it never hit our family directly, but now, as an adult, it was a bit harder for my brain to gloss over.

"Always, sugar. I'll see you soon."

"Bye, baby." I hung up and let out a girly, dreamy sigh, unable to dampen the joy this man brought out of me. We were treading dangerous waters. Less than a week since he decided to give this spark between us a chance and I was already slipping down the slope of falling. It wasn't a feeling I was used to and I couldn't help but wonder if this intensity of emotion was only happening on my end. I hoped it wasn't, but I'd been fooled before and I definitely wasn't interested in being fooled again.

Kindling was swamped. It didn't take long after we unlocked the doors for me to start mentally cursing myself for slacking off on prepping. It seemed like every firefighter in Detroit had decided to grace us with their presence that night, all except the one I was waiting on pins and needles for. Not that I really had time to think about his absence as I ran my ass off.

"We need to hire more help," Ella sighed, swiping the back of her hand across her glistening forehead once we finally got a moment of peace, or at least one with no orders to fill. "I can't run my ass off like this every night."

"I don't know what's going on," I stated, holding a cold water bottle against my neck. "And why the hell is it so hot in here? It's fucking January."

"I'm boiling too. I'll go check the thermostat."

I rolled my eyes as Ella headed toward the hallway. "My mom was here the other day. Probably cranked it up. Eighty degrees isn't warm enough for that woman."

"How the hell did she end up in Detroit then?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "If I only knew..."

The ding of the bell above the front door pulled my gaze and instantly put a grin on my face. Sure, it was a full hour after he'd said he'd be off, but it didn't matter. Sully had finally arrived and he was safe... and being followed by at least five other men, one being the grinning blond I remembered from our initial meeting.

Our eyes met over the heads of my other patrons and the heat there almost knocked the wind out of me. My Captain was all worked up, whether from our previous conversation or the adrenaline of whatever call he'd taken after it ended, I didn't know. All I did know was he was looking at me like I was a delicacy ready to be devoured. And I liked it.

Biting into my bottom lip as he sauntered toward me, it took everything in me to not run and jump in his arms. He was looking particularly kissable at this moment and I was about ready to say fuck the consequences, no matter how many people in this room knew who I was.

Sully's dark eyes glimmered in the dim bar light with every step he took. Motioning for his guys to grab a table, he continued toward me, our gazes locked and very much loaded. I could already feel goosebumps erupting across my heated skin.

This was going to be a fun night.