Feel the Fire (Hotshots 3)

Chapter Eleven

“We’re going to code red. Damn it.” Tucker stuck his head into Luis’s office, frown creasing his handsome face. No sandwich break for two today as he’d been in meetings all morning. It had been a busy two days at work for both of them, and this news wasn’t going to help. Like most in wildfire fighting, Luis might as well get the warning system tattooed on his wrist. The low green and blue days of winter and spring were long gone, and as they entered the real dog days of late summer, it wasn’t unusual for a high alert to transition to these extreme danger warnings.

“Yeah. They’re posting warnings at all the campgrounds. About to be a lot of unhappy people this weekend.” Code red meant no campfires at all, only approved vehicles on unpaved roads, no chainsaws or mowers for dry grass, and the tourists tended to protest the loudest about the restrictions.

“They can live without their s’mores. And at least the restaurants and sale of portable stoves should do booming business.” Having been through this many times, he matched Tucker’s concerned but pragmatic tone. The highest level of precautions was taken because the risk of quick-starting, fast-spreading fire had reached a critical point. It also meant more work for everyone, Luis especially as predicting fire behavior became essential in keeping situations manageable. Even small fires needed to be treated with an abundance of care. “What do you need from me to help?”

“There’s a fire to the north we’re monitoring. Ignition is unclear—reports of some dry lightning last night, but we could be looking at another arson incident. Regardless, Fred wants us to head out. I’m going to talk to the crew supervisor as we decide whether to escalate the response, and he wants you on the scene to get better data than we have thus far. He figured you might have insights as to how it started as well.”

“I’m on it. You want to go sign out the vehicle?” Luis came around his desk to grab his boots and gear from the corner where he’d left it. Taking a minute to stretch his tight back, he switched from his lighter shoes to sturdy boots while Tucker darted down the hall to get keys to a Jeep. They hadn’t had much time to talk since dinner and their heated make-out session Wednesday.

And talk about code red—Luis’s libido hadn’t been at these levels in years. All getting a taste of sex with Tucker did was make him want more. And not simply sex either. He craved all sorts of impossible things, and for that reason he’d forced himself back to the hotel and Blaze last night instead of trying to sneak in some more Tucker time. He wanted more of those kisses, but he also didn’t want to hurt Tucker. Either of them, when it came right down it. They were headed for an inevitable crash, and if he was smart, he’d keep his distance.

That was easier said than done, though, when work kept tossing them together like this. Like him, Tucker seemed both cautious about the personal and all business about the fire risk, heading right out of town, no coffee stops or reminiscing about Wednesday’s kisses. Heck, maybe Luis was the one making more of this than he needed to. But every time he replayed the sex in his head, Tucker’s intensity was there, his grasping hands and the look in his eyes, the sort of need that was hard to fake. Tucker cared, of that he was sure. And thus, he wanted to tread cautiously.

“Did you bring food?” he asked when Tucker yawned, unable to shut his own caring off, even with the internal lecture. They were in Tucker’s SUV because there hadn’t been a Jeep readily available for them with so much of the office out dealing with the increase to the red danger levels. “If you skipped lunch, I can unwrap something for you.”

“That would be good. Thanks. There’s a protein bar and some chips in the bag behind you. I’ll start there. I had intentions of convincing you to get lunch out today, but the fire risk stuff took care of those plans.”

“A date?” Damn it. He was not supposed to find that thought sweet. Fetching the food, he unwrapped a bar for Tucker and held it out. Their eyes connected, and yup, he wasn’t the only one thinking about those kisses.

“Something like that.” Smiling shyly, Tucker took the food from Luis. “My plan was to butter you up with lunch, then convince you to go to the scrimmage with me tonight.”

“You don’t really want me at the football thing.” Groaning, he let his head conk back against the seat.

“Sure I do. I like spending time with you.” Another small grin, this one that Luis felt all the way to his toes before Tucker sighed. “And not that it matters now—doubt we’re done in time.”