Free Sex and the Single Fireman: A Bachelor Firemen Novel by Jennifer Bernard

bliss.
    An awkward silence encompassed the three of them. Roman couldn’t read her expression. Curious? Furious? She must hate being the subject of rumors. Her hands tightened around the mug. A glance at Fred told him the kid had gone a painful red.
    Finally Sabina summoned a bright smile. “This coffee tastes different. Good different. I can actually swallow it for once. I was trying to find Ace to tell him so. Anyone seen him?”
    “I made the coffee,” said Roman brusquely. The rookie, Ace, had yet to brew a decent pot. Unable to stomach his sludge one more time, Roman had brought in the best Italian roast the Lavazza exporters could provide.
    Sabina’s eyes widened. “ You did?”
    “I can put up with a lot, but not bad coffee.” Or with the way Sabina kept throwing him off balance. He couldn’t afford to be off balance. He had to do something about it. “Fred, have yourself a cup. Jones, in my office, please.”
    Roman shut the door behind her with a sharp click.
    Sabina assumed an at-ease military posture, her hands clasped behind her back. Roman looked about as happy as a granite cliff. His usual firehouse expression, in other words. He’d been different in Reno. More relaxed, more sociable, more attractive . . .
    She watched him cross his arms over his massive chest. Even under his shirt she could see the muscles of his upper arms flex.
    No. His attractiveness level hadn’t changed one bit. If anything, it had increased in the short time she’d known him. The sight of him walking into the training room, with fresh stubble on his jaw and his black hair a tiny bit sleep-mussed, had nearly knocked her off the couch. She hadn’t even noticed Fred, until he’d turned red as a maraschino cherry. Whatever they’d been talking about, it must have been embarrassing.
    The chief cleared his throat. “Romances between firefighters are bad for station morale.”
    A shock wave of heat flashed through her. Firefighter romances . Why was he bringing that up?
    “Yes, sir,” she answered faintly.
    “I checked department policy. There are no rules against it.”
    Good Lord, was he talking about the two of them? Her heartbeat picked up speed, as if she were headed into the first curve on a roller coaster. Was he was going to ask her out? “That’s true. There aren’t.”
    If he did ask, what would she say? Did she want to go out with him? How quickly would they end up in bed together? The constant nearness of Roman had rattled her nerves and disturbed her sleep all night. The only relief had come when they’d been called out on a fire. At least it had distracted her from Roman’s magnetic presence and midnight eyes.
    And now he was talking about firefighters dating.
    When he opened his mouth to speak again, she blurted, “Yes.”
    “Yes. That’s your answer?” If anything, his expression looked even grimmer. It occurred to her he’d never asked her a question. Her face flamed.
    “It might be,” she said cautiously. “That depends.”
    His black eyebrows drew together like the wings of a crow. He rubbed his forehead. “In Reno you told me you were unattached.”
    Her mind raced. Why was he talking about that? It had to be the preface to an invitation. But he didn’t act like a man trying to ask a woman out—more like a man trying to get a hairball out of his throat.
    “That’s true.”
    “True that you told me that, or true that you’re unattached?”
    Suddenly the whole thing felt like a trap. All her highly developed wariness kicked in.
    “Chief Roman, may I ask why you’re asking about my personal life?”
    He reacted as though to a slap on the face. Matching her stance for stance, he locked his hands behind his back and nodded, suddenly all business. “Yes, you may. The reason is this. If you choose to get involved with another member of your company, think hard about all the ramifications and the potential for trouble. If you want Captain Kelly to change your shift or your assignment, he