6. Sam

Chapter 6

Sam

" Y ou know, Mrs Harris. You don't have to ring 999 every time Bobsie gets stuck up a tree," I say, handing the ninety-year-old lady her cat back. He hisses at me, and I glare at him. Ungrateful feline. "I've given you my mobile number. Just ring me next time, okay?"

She pats my arm with a surprisingly firm hand, her eyes twinkling behind her spectacles. "Oh, Sam, you're a darling. I promise I'll call you next time. Bobsie just loves the attention."

I smile as I watch her toddle back inside with Bobsie cradled in her arms. "Stay safe, Mrs Harris."

The fire station is only a short walk from here, situated on the opposite side of Keeley than Noletown, in the town of Loughing. I knew as soon as I saw the address for the "emergency" that it would be Mrs Harris and her cat, so I cancelled the callout and went by myself.

I decide to take the scenic route back through the park. It's a beautiful summer day, and it's nice to clear my head for a bit. As I stroll past the pond, I think about Lily Bloom. She's been in my thoughts a lot lately. Seeing her standing hand-in-hand with Jack yesterday triggered something in me I have thus far been trying to avoid. I know my best mate is in love with her. Who wouldn't be? She is gorgeous, sweet, kind and caring, but lately, her scent, lingering on Jack enough for me to pick it up, has been taunting me. But now, that taunting has turned into a full blown lust where I want to march into her flower shop and ravaged her on a bed of rose petals.

Is that cringe? I don't care. That's what I want to do.

I continue wandering through the park, trying to shake off the vivid mental image that has now firmly rooted itself in my brain.

By the time I get back to the fire station, I've managed to push thoughts of Lily and Jack to the back of my mind. There are chores to do, equipment to check, and a new rookie that needs wrangling into shape.

As soon as I walk in, I know a call has just come in. The station is a hive of activity. I head straight to my locker to gear up. "What's the call?"

"Abandoned warehouse fire on Brook Street, Noletown," Greg, my second, says, his face tight with urgency. "We need to move, Sam."

I nod, adrenaline already starting to course through my veins. The familiar routine of gearing up—pulling on my heavy coat, fastening my helmet —keeps me steady. The smell of smoke is faintly present even here in the station, a reminder of what awaits us.

The next few minutes are a blur of movement and noise as we rush to the scene. The fire engine roars down the main road, sirens wailing. As we pull up to the warehouse, flames are licking out of the windows, and smoke billows into the sky. It's bad.

"Let's go!" I shout, and we spring into action.

I hit the ground running. We work in tandem; years of training have turned us into a well-oiled machine. But then I hear something that makes my blood run cold: a scream from inside.

"There's someone in there!" Greg yells over the roar of the fire.

Without another word, I steel myself and push through the doors, Greg behind me. The heat is intense, almost unbearable, as I navigate through the thick smoke. Every step is a fight against instinct, screaming at me to turn back.

Seeing the couple running towards me, I grab the woman as Greg grabs the guy and we drag them towards the exit.

We burst out of the building just as a part of the roof collapses behind us, sending a shower of sparks into the air.

The woman is wheezing, but she's alive, and she clutches my arm with a desperate grip. "Thank you," she rasps out between coughs. It's clear from her attire that she is homeless, along with her friend.

"You're going to be alright," I assure her before turning to see how Greg is faring with the man.

Greg has laid him out and is already checking him for injuries. I glance up and see more firefighters hosing the blaze, working tirelessly to contain it.

"We need medics over here!" I shout.

Within moments, the paramedics that arrived while we were inside are taking over.

Greg looks at me, his face sweat streaked. "Good job in there, Sam."

"You too," I reply, smacking him on the shoulder.

As we make our way back to our team, my mind wanders back to Lily Bloom again. Damn it, why does she keep popping into my head at times like this? Maybe it's because after facing something like this fire—something that could take everything from you—life feels more precious. And Lily, as much as I'm trying to fight it, she's a big part of what makes life feel precious right now.

Casting a glance down at the homeless couple and then back at the warehouse, I feel a pang of sadness. It's not the first time we've seen this, and it won't be the last. If I were to take a bet, I'd say a camping stove bursting into flames by overheating caused by using a pan of larger diameter than the burner ring. Along with sleeping bags and whatever else they've got in there, in this unusually dry weather, it all lit up like tinder.

But there's no time to dwell on the could-have-been and the state of the world. As firefighters, we live in the moment, reacting to the immediate needs and leaving the rest for later—or for someone else.

After the smoke clears and the last ember is doused, we return to the station. I can't shake the feeling that gnaws at me—the one that says I should be doing more, not just for Lily, but for people like the couple we just saved.

I mull over my thoughts back at the station as we strip off and hit the showers. It does nothing to wash away those images I've concocted of Lily rolling around in rose petals, slick pooling in her pussy as I nail her so hard, she'll break in half. I groan softly as my cock springs to action, glad of the private cubicle. I grip it tightly and tug, closing my eyes as I let the fantasy of riding Lily until I knot inside her roam through my mind. I increase my speed, feeling my dick harden further in my hand as I imagine the sounds she would make, those sweet whimpers and gasps. She'd call out my name, not Jack's, and that thought alone sends me over the edge. My release hits me like a fire truck, spurting my cum out all over my hand.

Shit. That was intense.

After I catch my breath and rinse off, I head back to my locker, feeling lighter yet more conflicted than ever. I can't let this obsession with Lily take over. She's Jack's, sort of. At least for now. The conversation has been had once or twice about finding an omega for the pack, but I can't say any of us have really tried actively searching. We're all still young, in our mid-twenties. It's not major that we mate anytime soon, but now I wonder if Lily could be that omega.

I pull on fresh clothes and know I won't be able to escape her pull much longer. But I need Jack to step up first. Me barging in and getting to know Lily better while he's messing about with his dick in hand is bad form. So that's a conversation that needs to happen sooner rather than later.

As I tie my boots, I decide tonight's the night for that chat with Jack. No more dilly-dallying. If he has feelings for Lily – feelings stronger than a casual shag – he needs to man up and tell her.

The station is quiet now, the buzz of the emergency long behind us. I grab my mobile from the locker, scrolling through for any distractions as the end of the shift arrives and the new team rolls in.

But before I can open it, my phone buzzes with an incoming call. It's Jack.

"Hey," I answer, trying to sound casual despite the knot that forms in my stomach whenever I think of Lily.

Jack's voice comes through loud and clear, edged with a hint of laughter. "Sam, can you get over to Forget Me Knot?"

"Why? What's up?" I ask curiously.

"Lily's trying to move a giant cactus, and it's about to become a prickly disaster. I've got to go, and she won't leave it until I can get back."

"Okay," I murmur before hanging up and grabbing my keys. This is weird. Jack is usually so territorial over her. Ringing me to help is unprecedented at best.

On the drive over, I try to shove thoughts of Lily out of my head. It's futile, though; she's under my skin like splinters, impossible to ignore. Her vibrant green eyes dance in my mind's eye, haunting me with what-ifs and maybes.

As soon as I walk into Forget Me Knot, the scent of lily and vanilla hits me like a sucker punch—Lily's personal aroma mingling with the fresh fragrances of her flowers.

"Lily," I call out, stepping further into the shop. Jack is nowhere in sight, which sends a strange pang of nerves shooting through me.

"Back here!"

Navigating through a maze of blooms, I finally spot her wrestling with a cactus that looks like it belongs in a desert rather than a quaint English flower shop. Her cute arse is stuck up in the air as she tries to shove the cactus through the back door of the shop. She straightens up, hands on her hips, and her light brown hair is pulled into a messy bun with strands escaping to frame her face, which is flushed with effort.

"Bloody hell, Jack wasn't kidding about it being giant," I joke, approaching her.

She grins, wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. "Yeah, well, Jack bailed on me. You're my knight in shining armour now. Hope you bought a reinforced suit."

Chuckling, I immediately feel at ease with her.

"So why didn't Jack stay to help?" I ask casually.

"He had a job," she grunts as she places her flip-flopped foot on the cactus's brown plastic pot and tries to shove it forward that way. "No!" she yells as it topples away from her and wobbles precariously.

I dive forward, skidding to a stop on my knees next to the cactus to grab the pot to stop it from tumbling over into the flowers nearby. I grip the pot and get to my feet, lifting it with a bit more effort than I'd like to admit. "Fuck, this thing weighs a ton! Why do you have it?"

She giggles, a sound that makes my cock go hard. "Well, funny story. I ordered one in for a customer. It was meant to be five inches, but I accidentally ordered one that was five feet!"

I let out a snort, nearly dropping the cactus at the sheer cuteness of this entire situation. "Okay, well, note to self: the omega does not know what five inches looks like."

We lock gazes, and her scent wafts straight up my nose. She flushes a deep pink that is too adorable for words.

Clearing my throat, I force my gaze away and heft the cactus higher up. "Where to?"

"Uhm, near the back corner," she murmurs.

After what feels like an eternity of grunting and shoving, we finally manage to set the cactus outside in its new spot. Lily takes a step back, hands on her hips, surveying our work with satisfaction. "Nicely done, Fireman Sam. You rescued the omega from ending up looking like an acupuncture project."

I smile at her easy confidence and ignore the nickname, which I hear about ten times a day. But from her, it's something else altogether. "Anything else you need rescuing from today?"

"Nah, unless it's myself. Fancy a cup of tea? My treat for your heroics."

"Tea sounds brilliant," I reply, feeling that familiar flutter of excitement, even though I haven't drunk tea in about ten years, for her to smile at me again, I'd drink sewer water.

We head inside to her cosy back room. Flowers are everywhere, even here—like she can't bear to be without them. She sets about making tea while I stand around awkwardly in the small space.

"So," I begin casually as she rattles around with cups and tea bags. "What's new?" I wince inwardly at this highly lame chat that I've got going on here.

Lily laughs, turning to give me a mock-serious look. "You know, same old, same old. Attempting to conquer the botanical world, one oversized cactus at a time. You?"

"Oh, you know, the usual—saving cats from trees, putting out fires, rescuing omegas from killer cacti," I joke.

She laughs, a light and airy sound that makes my heart jump. "It's a real Day of the Triffids around here."

I snort and nod in agreement.

As she pours hot water into the cups, her movements are smooth and easy. I admire her grace, even in such a mundane task.

"Thanks," I say, taking the cup from her.

"You're welcome," she replies, lowering her gaze.

If I hadn't already fallen like a chump, that coquettish action would do it.

I'm a goner.