Playing with Fire (5 page)

Shane walked to the corner of the stage and
peeked around the heavy curtain. Women covered every square inch of
the auditorium flashing dollar bills and checkbooks, lying in wait
for him and the rest of the guys to parade across the stage. Grade
A, prime cut beef. How had Maddie talked him into this? He smirked.
Only for charity.

“Shane,” Maddie fussed, pulling him back
behind the curtain. “Someone will see you.”

She stepped back and moved her gaze over him.
“Unbutton the top two buttons of your jeans.”

“Wha...What?” He tossed Dylan a helpless
look.

Dylan grinned and shrugged. Shane shook his
head and unbuttoned.

“Much better.” She coated his pectorals with
oil. “Now, wait here. It won’t be much longer.”

Ethan, Jake, Noah and Josh sauntered over to
the line next to him.

“Don’t you guys look glossy,” Dylan
drawled.

Jake grinned. “The more slippery the better,
in my opinion.”

“Don’t tell anybody we’re related,” Ethan
grumbled.

“So,” Dylan taunted, “who’s worth the most
money?”

“Me.” Jake snorted. “I protect and serve,
remember?”

Noah laughed. “You wish. You can’t use your
handcuffs tonight.”

“I have one hundred dollars on Shane,” Dylan
offered nonchalantly.

Shane narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “I have
fifty dollars on Ethan.”

“Put my fifty on me,” Jake said.

“Who’s holding the money?” Josh peeled a bill
from his money clip.

“Me.” Dylan held out his hand. “I’m not
sticky.”

“How did that happen anyway?” Noah
groused.

“I’m happily married, remember?”

“To the woman who oiled my chest,” Jake
added.

“Rawlings,” Dylan growled.

“Hey, it’s for charity,” Shane interrupted
with false confidence.

“Okay guys,” Maddie said from the side of the
stage. “Break it up. Come on Dylan, we’re ready to start.”

Maddie pushed Dylan onto the stage and women
screamed hysterically.

“Sorry ladies, he’s not for sale,” she said
into the microphone. “His wife wouldn’t cooperate.”

Cries of despair floated through the crowd of
women.

“Don’t worry,” she soothed, “there are plenty
of available bachelors here tonight. First up is fireman Noah
Hunter.” She read a short biography.

Applause filled the auditorium when Noah
stepped from behind the curtain and then the catfight began. In
mere seconds, Noah brought a smooth thousand dollars.

From his position behind the curtain, Shane
couldn’t see much more than Dylan and Maddie, but he suspected the
women in the front were the highest bidders. The high rollers.
Cutthroat and extremely determined to write a check. And most of
them didn’t even live in Primrose.

Normally that didn’t bother him. The money
supported a good cause and it was a great way to meet women. But
now, he wasn’t quite so sure some of the guys participated for the
right reason. Distraction seemed to be more the name of the
game.

Maddie poked her head around the curtain.
“Jake, you’re next.” She glanced at Shane and raised an eyebrow.
“You might want to watch the action.”

Curious, he peered around the heavy barrier.
Blinded by the bright spotlights, he couldn’t see much other than
Jake flexing his muscles and shaking his hips. It didn’t take long
for him to schmooze a cool bid of two thousand dollars.

“Twenty one hundred,” a soft voice chanted
from the corner of the room.

He knew that voice. The one that wrapped his
cock and squeezed. He squinted until he focused on Liberty in the
back of the auditorium.

Huh
?

Dylan said she didn’t participate. So why the
hell did she bid on Jake?

Shane looked back at Maddie, angry, jealous
and suspicious all rolled into one big emotion. She frowned when
she heard the bid.

Again,
huh
?

Twenty one hundred dollars was a nice chunk
of change. She leaned close to her husband and moved her lips in a
whisper. Dylan glanced his direction and smirked. And then he
knew.

He turned his attention back to the crowd.
“Twenty two hundred,” a sultry voice chimed from the front row.

Liberty slid back into the shadows. Maddie
slumped her shoulders, visually relieved by her best friend’s
departure. After that final bid, Dylan stopped the bidding and Jake
left the stage.

Maddie pulled back the curtain. “You’re up,
Shane.”

Shane stepped onto the stage and a roar of
screams and catcalls filled the auditorium. His gaze sought
Liberty’s. She stood braced against a back wall and appeared bored
with the whole process.

“Abracadabra,” Maddie muttered beside him.
“She’ll offer it all. As soon as she does, Dylan will end the
bidding.”

When the crowd quieted, Dylan asked for bids.
True to Maddie’s word, Liberty spoke first.

“Five thousand dollars.”

Dylan banged the gavel against the podium.
“Sold.”

Liberty’s jaw fell open. Shane turned and
almost gave his best friend a high-five.

“It’s the maximum bid.” Dylan shrugged. “You
belong to her.” He turned to his wife, pulled a wad of crumpled
bills from his pocket and handed them to her.

Maddie covered the microphone with one palm.
“What’s this?”

Dylan glanced at him and grinned. “An
anonymous donation.”

Shane walked to the edge of the stage and
extended a hand. Liberty stepped forward and accepted. He pulled
her behind the curtain.

Maddie stepped backstage and gave Liberty a
hug. “Thanks, Lib. Your donation means so much.”

“You’re welcome.” She turned back to him and
pulled her hand from his. “Shane, I certainly don’t expect you to
follow through with this nonsense.” She opened her purse and then
handed Maddie a check.

Disappointed by the absence of her touch, he
folded his arms across his chest. “Why not?”

“Yeah, why not?” Maddie almost sounded pissed
off.

“I make the same donation every year.” She
dismissed both of them with a wave of her hand. “I don’t donate for
a date.”

“I’d like to take you to dinner,
Liberty.”

“Thank you, but that’s not possible. You’ve
already hired me as your therapist.”

“Good grief,” Maddie mumbled.

Shane mentally echoed Maddie’s sentiment.
Therapy was turning out to be a convenient excuse. Still, he knew
enough about her not to push. “If you change your mind, let me
know.”

“Would you like Maddie to find a
replacement?”

“No,” he denied quickly. Very quickly. “I’ve
been pawed enough for one night.”

“Alright then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Liberty gave him one last
do-me
smile and then walked toward
the back door.

Disappointed, he watched as she opened the
back door, peered out, and then quickly slammed it shut. Her
shoulders heaved and her body swayed.

Maddie groaned beside him. “She’s going down,
Shane. I’ll get some water.”

Shane rushed to her and guided her into a
chair before he pushed her head between her legs. “Deep
breaths.”

Her head bobbed in a shaky nod between her
knees.

Several seconds later, Maddie returned with a
bottle of water. He squatted in front of her and kneaded the
muscles at the base of her neck.

“What’s got you so spooked?”

She lifted her head and accepted the bottle
from Maddie. Her throat muscles worked the liquid for a couple
swallows before she glanced at the other woman.

“Too much excitement for one night, huh?”
Maddie asked.

“Yeah.” Liberty smiled.

He cocked his head to one side, still not
sure why she hesitated to answer. Something told him the back door
held the answer. “I’ll walk you to your car. We’ll leave out the
front.”

Her eyes widened. “Are you kidding? If you go
out there through that crowd, I don’t think you’ll make it even
halfway to the front door.”

He grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it over his
slippery chest. “There. Now I’m covered. I’m off the market and
there’s enough fresh meat left on stage. They won’t even notice.”
He took her hand again and urged her to stand. “I’m ready to get
out of here anyway.”

“I’ll check on you when I get home.” Maddie
squeezed her shoulder. “Finish the water.”

Shane didn’t miss the trembling in Liberty’s
grip as they walked to her car. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

“You’re still shaking.”

“Maybe I’m overwhelmed by all the magnificent
muscle in that room.”

“Magnificent?”

“Most definitely,” she mumbled.

“Are you still coming by tomorrow?”

“Of course, we have an appointment.”

“A date.”

He expected her abrupt denial, knocked on his
ass when she spoke. “Have it your way. A date.”

“Did you just agree to date me, Dr.
Prescott?”

“No, Captain Hartwell. I agreed to lie for
you.”

Still stunned by her earlier agreement, he
simply grinned. “You’re a beautiful liar, Liberty. I’ll see you
tomorrow.”

Shane watched from his front bay window as
Liberty climbed the steps onto his porch, her grace and poise
radiating in the sunlight. She wore her hair severely clipped in
its usual position at the nape of her neck, except today two thin
pieces hung loose on each side of her face. He’d never seen her
wear it any other way. His fingers itched.

God, what a rush it would be to slide the
clip free and tangle his fingers in the waves when it tumbled into
his hands. To give it a firm yank while he buried himself deep
within her. His cock lengthened.

Her soft knock shook him out of his lustful
stupor and he opened the door to her sweet smile.

“Hi.” Her pouty pink lips moved as she spoke.
Probably just as soft as her knock with a warm, wet touch.

His thoughts anything but sweet, his gaze
raked her body as he motioned her inside. “Hi.”

“Did you sleep last night?”

“No,” he answered with a note of impatience.
From exhaustion or sexual frustration, he didn’t know.

She only nodded, the compassion in her eyes
searching his face and reaching into his thoughts. “Let’s get
started.”

He grinned, hoping to lighten the moment.
“Should I lie on the couch?”

“Whatever makes you more comfortable.” She
wiggled her hips into the cushioned seat of the recliner. “Ooh,
this is much better than my chair at the office.”

“Glad you’re comfortable,” he muttered as he
sat on the edge of the sofa.

“Try to relax, Shane. We’re just going to
talk. It’s painless, I promise.”

He leaned back, stretching his legs out in
front of him, and absently rubbed his hand over his heart.

“Shane?” Concern laced her voice and she
eased forward in the chair.

“I’m fine. Just some minor chest pain.”

“Have you seen a doctor?”

“Yeah.” He exhaled a hard breath. “It’s not
physical.”

Her jaded gaze assessed him silently for a
few seconds before she leaned back and crossed her legs. The ones
he desperately wanted wrapped around his hips.

“Tell me why you can’t sleep.”

“You really don’t know?”

“I have basic information about the
fire.”

“So you know about Zach Ryan?”

She nodded. “He was also a fireman.”

“Yes.”

“And he was a close friend?”

“Best friend.”

“I thought Dylan was your best friend.”

“There’s five of us. Zach, Dylan, Jake, Ethan
and me. We grew up together.”

“You’re all fireman.”

“Except Jake. He’s a detective.”

“Okay. Start at the beginning and tell me
what happened.”

His heart winced as he stood and paced. “I’m
not sure this is going to work.”

“You’re right. Talking about it will help,
but not until you’re ready.”

“Then how the hell can you help me?”

“My first objective is to get you some sleep.
I could prescribe you something, but that will only be temporary.
The root of the problem is your nightmare and it will most likely
return as soon as you stop the medication.”

“No pills.”

“I only suggest that as a last resort. Sleep
deprivation is dangerous, not only to you, but to others as well.
In fact, it might be a good idea to give up driving for awhile. You
could fall asleep at the wheel. Your judgment could be impaired.
Have you thought about taking some time off work?”

He shook his head and sat back down. “I
can’t. I need to stay busy. I’ve been fine driving, but I have
nodded off in the office a couple of times.” Dozens of times.

She tapped her fingers against her chin. “No
medication and no time off leaves you one choice.”

“What’s that?”

“Therapy. You’ll have to open up and talk to
me then follow my advice.”

Their eyes met and locked, a silent
understanding passing between them. He took a deep breath and
leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

“Zach and I were always the first ones in. We
worked as search and extraction, responsible for locating a victim
and getting him out. The others fought the fire.

The call was a two-story house fire, already
engulfed when we arrived. A woman and her two children stood
outside, her husband was trapped in the house. We were searching
the house, room by room when the ceiling fell and we were
separated. I couldn’t find Zach or the victim. They both perished
in the fire.” The never-ending pain reared its ugly head. “My SCBA
failed and I passed out.”

“SCBA?”

“Self Contained Breathing Apparatus. Dylan
pulled me out but Zach didn’t make it.”

“You feel guilty about getting out without
him,” she concluded gently.

“I should have stayed with him. He shouldn’t
have died alone.”

“He didn’t die alone, Shane.” Her eyes
brimmed with compassion. “You lived in his heart. Maybe there’s a
reason why you survived.”