Play With Fire (The Men of Fire 1)

Zoey’s low groan pulls me out of my head, and I file the fantasy away for later. “Oh, shit. He’s here!” she whispers, looking out the window towards the other cabins. Zoey sinks down into her seat, trying to become one with the back seat in between the girls’ car seats as she hides from view.

It’s a massive contrast to the Zoey I know. My Zoey would be taking the challenge by the dick, quite literally, but there’s something about this man that scrambles her head. The weakness she is showing brings an evil smile to my face. The next few minutes might just be the most entertaining moments of my life.

I follow her gaze as Bull laughs to himself. Jet stands with Chief and Ax, and the three of them are looking this way. If I hadn’t already met these guys, I could definitely see how anyone would be imitated by their ‘fuck off’ demeanors. It makes me thankful for the dark tinted windows of Bull’s truck. Their happy-go-lucky vibe when I first met them at my house seems long gone. I don’t think Bull actually told them that Zoey is tagging along on this trip.

I get out and make my way around to get Ryan as Zoey tackles Coby from within the truck. As I prop Ryan on my hip, Bull comes and puts his arm over my shoulder while looking back at Zoey. “Watch Jet’s face when he sees her.”

My brows dip down, but the smirk on Bull’s lips has me focusing a little harder on Jet as the boys make their way over. There’s a pissed-off scowl on his face, and I wonder what the hell put it there. Maybe he’s had a shitty afternoon, or something has put him in a bad mood. Either way, the thought is gone from my mind a second later as Zoey appears around the back of Bull’s truck with Coby waddling in front of her.

The second Jet notices her, his eyes bug out of his head before a devilish grin slowly cuts across his face. I shake my head, trying to smother a laugh when I see him shamelessly adjusting himself down the front of his sweatpants. I haven’t seen these two around each other before, so I bet this is going to be interesting. It’s almost like payback for the way she forced Bull onto me. Though I can’t fault her for that, it actually turned out pretty well.

Zoey is pretending she hasn’t noticed him here as her eyes are focused very heavily on Coby. But I know her too well, and from the tense hold of her shoulders, she’s more than aware of him and trying her hardest to avoid him as long as she possibly can.

I’ve never known her to not face situations like this head-on, so I don’t know why she’s being weird about this. I file that in the back of my head to bring it up with her later on when we get some one-on-one time to chat. Maybe there’s something there after all, and she’s trying to keep it hidden. If this was some other guy she’d taken home, she would be chill about running into him, but Jet? I don’t know …

Just as that thought crosses my mind, I hear the sound of my sweet little girl cutting into the awkward silence.

“Hiya,” she yells loud and proud, waving like a complete buffoon as she hurries towards the intimidating men coming our way. They all stop to greet her, but before a word can be uttered, Ryan’s already babbling away. “Memba me? You saved my head.”

That seems to be all it takes to break the silence as the guys become putty in her hands. Well, two of the guys. Jet’s eyes are still locked on my best friend. His devilish smile is gone, but the intensity in his stare is enough to bring any woman to her knees.

“I remember you. It’s Ryan, right?” Jet questions, scratching the side of his head and pretending as though it was a challenge remembering her name.

“Yes!” Ryan beams, her hands hitting the middle of her chest. “I’m Ryan,” she confirms, seemingly over the moon this giant before her remembers who she is.

Chief, I think his name is, breaks out in a big smile as he looks down at my little girl. “How could I not remember a pretty little lady such as yourself?” he says, holding his large hand out to her.

Ryan, not understanding what he had intended to do, swings her arm right back and launches it forward for a high five. Luckily Chief is fast, and he’s able to adjust in time to catch her high five in his hand. If he hadn’t, I’m positive the momentum from her high five would have had her toppling over.