Men of Station 23 [Uniform Fetish 1] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) Read online

  She walked to the door of the office, her briefcase in hand, head held high. There was something to be said about a woman with confidence—even if she faked it. The reflective glass of the numerous bay doors cast an unfamiliar image back at her. It would take Tammy a while to get used to the deep wine red she’d dyed her hair last night. With her sunglasses on and makeup she normally didn’t wear, she was a different person. At least she prayed the firefighters didn’t recognize her. They’d only remember the mousy, brown-haired plain Jane.

  After pressing the button on the door, she flinched. Rather than a doorbell chime, a loud, grinding buzzer echoed inside the station. A minute later the door was wrenched open. An older man with a big, white moustache frowned when he saw her.

  “Can I help you?”

  “My name’s Tammy Palmer. I have an appointment for 10:00 to prepare an interview for the Heartland Tribute.”

  He didn’t answer her, just turned his head and yelled into the massive room. “Anywhere know anything about a Tammy Palmer doing some sort of interview?”

  A deep voice replied, out of sight. “Oh, right. Send her on back.”

  The strange man motioned her to enter and then relocked the heavy door she’d come through. Inside she could see six fire trucks lined up in the huge garage. The ceilings were high, the concrete floors a shiny gray. There was even a classic fire pole in the far corner. Tammy wondered if it was decorative or functional. She really did have a lot to learn.

  She walked into the shop but stopped when the older man didn’t follow her. Rather, he disappeared in another direction. Was she expected to keep going? Follow the direction in which that deep voice resonated? Her shoes shouldn’t be too noisy on the hard floor. She’d been practical today, wearing low heels even though it would highlight her measly height of five foot three. It was the reason she usually wore high heels to work, especially when her best friend was five foot seven barefoot.

  After a few tentative steps forward, her heels clicking despite her effort to creep along silently, she heard the voice again.

  “Send her back!”

  Well, since the old man was long gone, she rushed to the back room to hopefully start her interview. When she entered the lone open door, the calming sound of sports playing on a television and idle chatter brought her nerves down. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting. Inside the large room was a flat screen TV and several black leather sofas. It looked like a regular bachelor pad, not a place of business. Then she spotted one of her men. The one who’d often wink at her, enjoying her discomfort, leaned back on one of the sofas. Please don’t recognize me.

  “There you are,” said the dark-haired god who seemed to appear out of nowhere. “Frank send you back?”

  “Um...”

  He laughed. “Don’t mind Frank. He’s an old icon around here.” These were all her men, the ones she loved to sneak peeks at when they were on shift. Up close and personal they were so much taller and intimidating. She had to talk with them, engage in idle conversation when all she could think about was how incredible they’d look naked with just their firefighter helmets on. “My name’s Darius. You’re Tammy, right?”

  She pushed aside her nerves and kept professional. “Yes, I was sent by the Heartland Tribute to research a full-section article about the men of the new Station 23.”

  “You make us sound fancy. Promise it’s real simple around here. Not much to tell.”

  Tammy pulled out her notepad from the side pouch of her briefcase, along with a pen. She had to keep her mind on business. “How many of you work here at any given time?”

  “Well, there are four of us in residence per shift. Personally, we find it easier to go week by week, rather than day by day. This is our week. We’ll live here full-time and then get a week off. It works out well for us.”

  Another man strolled over, a bottle of water in his hand. “This the girl from the paper?” he asked, resting his elbow on Darius’s shoulder. They were both the same height, massively built. Once side by side, they both stared at her with a look that was far from professional. She imagined the things they could be thinking and her pussy responded, clamping down on nothing, distracting her from her objective.

  “Her name’s Tammy. She’s cute, ain’t she?”

  The new guy dragged a hand through his mop of dirty-blond hair and gave her the once-over. His eyes were pure seduction. Tammy had always thought of firefighters as chaste, respectable men of honor. Not real men with the same needs as civilians. She’d mentally put them on a pedestal. They didn’t drink, smoke, curse, have tattoos, libidos, or lives outside of the public eye. God, was she ever disillusioned.

  Darius shrugged off his friend and led her into the room with a hand to the small of her back. The simple touch registered strong for her, travelling all the way down to her toes. “Tammy, that was Aaron. Over there on the sofa, that’s Jake. And the fourth member of our team is around here somewhere.” He called out, “Conall?”

  “What is it?” came a reply from above. There was another full level in the station which partially overlooked the main floor. Conall was the guy who could bench press a car. She vividly remembered drooling over his muscles when she’d walk by their gym. As soon as she saw his blond head peek out from the room above, her heart began to race. How would she keep her cool with her four fantasy men surrounding her, men with fire in their eyes? If only Steph knew about this. Tammy had been so shocked by the revelation she’d forgotten to call her friend. Maybe she’d see her pass by one day with one of the other girls from the office and they’d see Tammy inside. The thought almost made her chuckle as she imagined the look on Steph’s face.

  “Come meet your new roommate!”

  She addressed Darius, who appeared to be the one in charge until now. “Do they really expect me to stay overnight?”

  “For two weeks, yes, ma’am. Normally, it’d be one week here and one at our place, but for the sake of the assignment we’re staying on shift for two weeks.”

  “Your place?”

  “The four of us live together outside of work as well. We bought a house together by the lake about nine years ago. All went to high school and the academy together, too.”

  Aaron braced an arm on a support pillar, leaning towards her. “We do everything together.” His voice was low and gruff, his eyes challenging. She froze like a deer in the headlights, not sure how to respond. Did he really mean what she thought he meant? The thought of sharing a bed with four men should disgust a modern woman like Tammy. But it didn’t. Envisioning these virile men releasing their sexual frustration out on her body made her anxious and her pussy wet.

  Darius mocked punched him. “Get the fuck out of here.” Aaron laughed, revealing a gorgeous white smile. She could feel the connection between the two men, the camaraderie. They were just playing around, regular, down-to-earth guys. Maybe this wouldn’t be as uncomfortable as she expected it to be as long as she could stifle her own wanton desires. Their playful banter lowered her guard and she was thankful Aaron wasn’t serious...or was she?

  Conall came spiraling down the fire pole in the corner. So it was functional. He was a big guy with broad shoulders, reminding her of a Viking with his unkempt blond hair and strong features. “Welcome to Station 23,” he said in his deep baritone.

  She smiled politely. “Thank you. So firefighters really do have a pole.” Tammy tried her best to fit in even though her heart was racing being surrounded by so much testosterone.

  There were snickers in the background. It took her a good minute to realize why. Her face must have darkened to an unflattering red. She felt flush and embarrassed. “I guarantee you we all have a pole, long and hard.”

  “You’re scaring her, Aaron. Knock it off,” said Darius. She’d already ascertained that Aaron was the flirt in the bunch, and Darius the natural leader. There were mostly women at the Heartland Tribute, so she wasn’t used to men’s crude behavior. She’d have to learn to brush off the sexual innuendo if she were to survive here for two weeks. No matter how it affected her, she had to keep focused on business.

  “Do you have any statistics about fires in the city?”

  Conall motioned her to sit on one of the sofas. “We can worry about that later. You just got here. We have to get to know our new roommate, no?” There was an empty takeout container on the coffee table, along with the sports section of the newspaper and a couple cell phones.

  Tammy sat down and did another visual sweep of the room from her new angle. “What do you usually do when you’re not on a call?” She was wondering how her own days would be spent living in the fire hall for two weeks.

  “It’s nice and quiet now, but there always seems to be somewhere we need to be, even if not an emergency. Kids pulling the fire alarm at school, car accidents, false alarms. Last week we had a little old lady call us because her toaster wouldn’t work,” said Conall.

  She laughed at that. “And the whole cat-in-tree deal?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Do you always have to be dressed and ready to go?”

  They all wore navy-blue T-shirts which hugged their muscled backs and shoulders. The insignia of the Station was on their left pecs in gold. They had the classic navy pants with the reflective strip on the sides. There really was something to be said about a man in uniform. Especially a group of men in uniform.

  “Always,” said Darius. “Just the other day we sat down to a great homemade meal and had to leave it on the table when a call came in. It’s life in the fast lane around here.”

  She imagined it would be hard for men like them to settle down and raise a family. A woman would feel cheated with all the time they spent at the station. Tammy could relate to a life of insecurity. She’d been on the move for the past couple years
, never able to put down roots because within months she’d be looking for a new place to live. Her ex always seemed to show up in her life no matter how hard she tried to start fresh without him. A restraining order meant nothing to a man as obsessed as Brian. He worked for a security company, so he was able to track her movements easier than the average guy. It had only been the last few months that Tammy actually began to think he was gone. No phone calls to her job, no hang-ups at home, and no unexplained deliveries. Maybe he’d moved on, tired of pursuing a woman who didn’t love him.

  Tammy knew many of her insecurities stemmed from Brian’s stalking, but the rest were internal from a childhood she’d much rather forget.

  “When you have your week off can you still be called in to work?” She had a million questions. There was a lengthy list in her briefcase that the paper wanted included in her article, as well as questions she’d thought up on her own.

  “We always have to wear our pagers,” said Jake. “The station is a part of who we are. We knew what we were signing up for, so can’t complain.” He watched her, his brown waves of hair covering his forehead. There was a sadness in his green eyes, and she wondered if his behavior was a mask to keep real emotion locked up. It was a technique she’d perfected over the course of her life, so she tended to recognize it in others. Like right now—she had to rein in her sexuality, which seemed to run rampant the moment she stepped in the room with the four firefighters.

  “Our society needs the service we provide. My father always taught me that a thankless job, one where a man can make a difference, is worth any sacrifice.” Darius sat down beside her, the leather cushion dipping slightly. He smirked. “That’s what the politicians want to see in your article, isn’t it? I hear they want to make us out to be some kind of martyrs to drum up financial support for the new station in the east end.”

  She shook her head. “I wasn’t told which direction to take the article, just that I needed firsthand experience, to get into your lives, and see how the job works.”

  “Fair enough,” he said, dropping the subject. “How about we start with a tour?”

  “That sounds good.” He reached for her hand and helped her to stand. Conall and Jake headed to the main garage ahead of them while Aaron came up the rear. They walked around the gleaming fire trucks, each one immaculately kept. There were so many knobs and levers on the multiple control panels. She imagined her men suited up, sitting in the cab of the truck on their way to an emergency. Their knowledge, skill, and bravery all turned her on. Mr. Templeton should have thought twice before sending a single woman to stay with a bunch of gorgeous, young studs. They’d likely make a reclusive spinster eager to cast off her virginity.

  All four men crowded around once she was trapped between two trucks. They towered over her. With their matching attire their presence felt intimidating, but in a very good way. If only she had the confidence and nerve Steph had, but then again, she wasn’t twenty-five with a stomach a man could bounce a quarter off of. She was out of their league and wasn’t ready for a new relationship anyway. Maybe she never would be.

  Despite their sinfully good looks, any one of these men could have a dark side, just as she’d found out too late about Brian. It was best to get her article done without broadcasting her attraction to them. As it stood, she was still just a respectable reporter there to do her job. They didn’t need to know she was a quivering mess of want and need on the inside.

  “Want to climb in and take a look?” asked Conall.

  “Sure. I’ll take pictures later, too. The paper gave me one of their digital cameras to use.”

  The fire truck was a far cry from her little two-door coupe. She had difficulty pulling herself up the wide, steep set of steps. As she struggled, she felt a set of strong hands brace around her ribcage, hoisting her up with ease. Those fingers came dangerously close to the outer edge of her sensitive breasts. “You’re light as a feather,” said Jake. He climbed up behind her, an arm braced on either side of the entrance, his front nearly pressed to her back. His proximity filtered through her body like a warm wash of pleasure. “Go on, don’t be shy.”

  She cautiously moved in, studying the interior of the truck. It was a modern marvel, something she wouldn’t even dare try to figure out. She’d leave that to the professionals. Her vague memories of a fire truck were nothing like this. It was too bad this kind of technology didn’t exist decades ago.

  To her surprise they all climbed up to join her, sitting on the benches. Darius stretched out an arm behind her head, nearly enveloping her. “This is where we sit on a call. One of us drives, and the rest of us travel in the back.” The space was so much smaller with four adult men sharing the confined area. She could practically feel their combined heat, making her squirm. Why were they all staring at her?

  “Do you ever get scared?” It seemed the most rudimentary question to ask. They risked their lives, driving off into the unknown every day.

  Conall and Jake scoffed. Darius shrugged. It was Aaron who spoke up. “Everyone gets scared. But we can choose to let that fear control us or not. Once we realize there’s a choice, we can face anything.”

  If only she could face her own fears. They seemed to cripple her, keeping her from fully enjoying her life. Maybe she’d learn more from these men than fire statistics.

  They moved through the station, the men explaining how things worked and where supplies were kept. The storage room, safety station, dispatch, and sleeping quarters. Then they came to the exercise room. She’d never been on this end of the glass wall, only a spectator walking along the sidewalk outside. Her throat tightened as they ushered her in.

  “Remember this room?” asked Aaron. Why was he asking her? Her heart began to race. Surely they didn’t recognize her after all the changes she’d made. They hadn’t let on anything to make her think they knew who she was.

  “Should I?”

  They all shared a look, sexy little smirks tugging at their lips. Get me out of here! So much for making a bang on her first assignment. She’d be the laughingstock of the office if these firefighters couldn’t take her seriously now. Mr. Templeton would never trust her to carry out an assignment again. It would be a desk chair and pencil for the rest of her life if she couldn’t make a stand now.

  Darius sat on one of several weight benches. “It just seems like you’d remember it, seeing as you pass by most days. Must be nice to be able to walk to work.”

  Think, Tammy. Think! She laughed dismissively. “My friend and I just can’t get enough of our Tim Hortons coffee. It’s worth the walk rather than drinking what they supply in our office.” Tammy was proud of herself. She sounded convincing even to her own ears.

  “Well we certainly notice you when you walk by,” said Aaron. He was the one who’d wink at her, making her body thrum with need.

  “Me or my friend?” Why did she just say that? She was supposed to be brushing the topic under the carpet, not delving in. But a tiny flicker of hope inside her yearned to be desired by them.

  Conall furrowed his brow. “We like the pretty one. But I do prefer your hair with its natural color.” He ran his fingers through her hair. She briefly closed her eyes, savoring the touch.

  “It’s only temporary color.”

  “Good,” said Darius. “You’re beautiful without changing a thing. You don’t know how many times we’ve been tempted to wait outside for one of your walks.”

  “For what?”

  “She’s not too bright for a big newspaper editor,” said Jake with humor in his voice. “It’s always the cute ones with the self-esteem issues.”

  Tammy swallowed hard. How could they be as attracted to her as they claimed? Maybe they were just playboys, used to sweet-talking all their rabid fans. What woman wouldn’t want a firefighter who looked like one of these men?