Chapter 6

6

EVELYN

T he firehouse was nearly empty, the distant sounds of rustling papers and the hum of the central air filling the silence. Evelyn sat alone in the captain’s office bent over a thick sheaf of budget reports. She’d been here for hours, reviewing every line item and category, recalculating figures that refused to fit into her projections. The team had been called out, and she’d taken advantage of the offer of the comfier settings than her own temporary space provided. She, of course, had her own office at the agency, but in situations like this, she preferred to have boots on the ground as such. Efficiency was supposed to be her specialty, but she hadn’t expected it to feel like such a battle here. She’d given up on her usual posture, her jacket draped over the chair, and her hair was pinned back in a loose, practical knot. The air felt thick, almost stifling, as if the firehouse itself was waiting, watching her.

Papers and spreadsheets were strewn across her desk, a collection of ideas carefully compiled for her task at hand. She was determined to identify areas where the fire department could trim its budget without sacrificing safety—or so she kept telling herself. The numbers were stark, however, and her notes were peppered with tentative cuts: reducing overtime expenses, consolidating resources between neighboring departments, phasing out equipment that didn’t meet the new standards. Even the possibility of closing one of the auxiliary stations in the far east part of town hovered on the edge of her considerations, though she knew the community impact would be substantial.

She tapped her pen against the page, an undercurrent of frustration simmering beneath her usual polished composure. Each suggestion seemed perfectly logical on paper, but she couldn’t ignore how heavy-handed it felt, as if she were trying to disassemble a machine she barely understood. Every so often, as she scrutinized the numbers, Cass’s face would flash in her mind, stubborn and resolute as she defended her team and their equipment. Evelyn grit her teeth, dismissing the vision as quickly as it came. It was just the residue of their last argument, she told herself. Nothing more. Yet, the impression lingered, her mind slipping back to the fire in Cass’s eyes when they argued about those “outdated” tools and what she called “the spirit of the department.”

Focus, she chided herself, shuffling the pages to block out thoughts of Cass. Efficiency was essential for sustainability; it was the only way forward for a department with limited funds and growing responsibilities. Every decision, no matter how unpopular, was ultimately for their benefit. Still, a shadow of doubt nagged at her.

The door swung open suddenly, and Evelyn looked up to find Cass filling the doorway. The captain’s shoulders were tense, her gaze hard as it settled on Evelyn. A sheen of sweat covered her, and a faint coating of ash graced her face. She looked exhausted. Cass stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind her with a finality that made Evelyn’s heart quicken.

“Still here?” Cass’s tone was flat, edged with a coolness Evelyn recognized as frustration barely held in check.

“Yes,” Evelyn replied, meeting Cass’s gaze evenly. “I thought I’d go over the proposals one more time to make sure we’re not overlooking any options. I’ll be out of your hair now that you’ve returned” She kept her voice calm, measured, professional. Cass’s jaw tensed, and Evelyn could feel the storm brewing beneath her steady exterior.

“Options,” Cass repeated, crossing her arms. “Like cutting the equipment budget again?” Her voice was low, but the accusation cut through the room, heating the air between them.

Evelyn sighed, shifting her papers aside as she prepared herself for yet another clash. “We need to reallocate resources, Cass. I’m not doing this to undermine your team, but we have to operate within our means. This department is spending more than it’s bringing in?—”

Cass interrupted her, a spark igniting in her eyes. “It’s not just numbers, Evelyn. Every dollar you cut is another risk we take. You’re asking us to sacrifice safety for a budget projection.” Her words were crisp, clipped, each one a verbal shove.

Evelyn’s irritation flared, fueled by exhaustion and Cass’s relentless pushback. She stood, crossing the room until they were nearly eye to eye. “I know what I’m asking for,” she replied, her voice firmer. “But you don’t seem to understand that if we don’t start making these changes now, there might not be a department left to protect. This isn’t about you or your team’s pride; it’s about the sustainability of the entire operation.”

Cass’s eyes flashed, and she took a step closer, her presence a wall of heat and determination. “Don’t you dare question our commitment, Evelyn,” she said, her tone low and dangerous. “We’re out there every day, running into burning buildings while you sit behind a desk and count pennies.”

The words struck a nerve, stinging in a way Evelyn hadn’t expected. “I’m not questioning your commitment,” she shot back, her voice rising with her anger. “But there’s a difference between bravery and recklessness. New equipment could save lives, Cass, and if you’d stop being so damn stubborn, you’d see that.”

Cass’s blue eyes narrowed and some of her hair had escaped its tie, flying wild around her face, and Evelyn felt the tension ratchet up another degree, the air between them buzzing with a mix of frustration and something else—something almost magnetic. Cass took another step forward, close enough that Evelyn could feel the heat radiating from her, close enough that their eyes locked in an unbreakable line.

“Stubborn?” Cass echoed, her voice nearly a growl. “You don’t know the first thing about what it means to lead this team. You think you can just waltz in here and start tearing down everything we’ve built without even understanding what it means to these people?”

“Maybe I understand more than you think,” Evelyn replied, her own voice dropping, sharpened with irritation and a flicker of something she couldn’t quite name. She held her ground, refusing to be intimidated by Cass’s intensity. “You talk about loyalty and pride, but loyalty doesn’t pay for the equipment you need, Cass. I’m trying to help, even if you don’t want to see it.”

Cass’s hand clenched into a fist at her side, and Evelyn could feel the simmering anger radiating from her. The silence stretched between them, thick and heavy, and Evelyn’s pulse raced in her throat. She was used to confrontations, used to people pushing back, but there was something different about this, something that felt personal, almost raw.

“You think this is helping?” Cass said, her voice low and tight. “All you’re doing is stripping us down piece by piece, and you don’t even care what it does to morale. To the people who rely on this department every single day.”

Evelyn felt her own control start to slip, her frustration boiling over as she stepped even closer, their faces now inches apart. She could see the flecks of color of yellow and green in Cass’s eyes, the stubborn set of her jaw, the faint tremor in her breathing. Her pulse raced, a thrill of defiance and something else—a thrill she tried to ignore but couldn’t quite suppress.

“I care about this department just as much as you do, Cass,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But we’re on borrowed time here. You can’t cling to the past just because it feels safe.”

Cass’s hand shot out, grabbing her arm—not hard, but firm enough that Evelyn’s breath hitched. The heat of Cass’s touch seeped through her skin, igniting something electric that shot straight to her core. Evelyn’s voice faltered, her heartbeat thundering in her ears as Cass’s eyes bore into hers, searching, challenging.

“Safe?” Cass echoed, her voice rough, almost a whisper. “You think I don’t know what’s at stake? I live it every day, Evelyn. This isn’t some spreadsheet for me. It’s people. It’s lives.”

The intensity of her words hung in the air, charged and crackling. Evelyn couldn’t look away, couldn’t pull herself out of the magnetic pull between them. Cass’s grip on her arm softened, but she didn’t let go. Their faces were inches apart, their breaths mingling in the heated space, and Evelyn felt her own restraint slipping, the control she prided herself on dissolving in the face of Cass’s raw passion.

Before she could think, before she could talk herself out of it, Evelyn leaned in, closing the gap between them. Cass’s eyes widened, and for a brief second, Evelyn thought she’d misread the moment. But then Cass’s hand slid up her arm, steadying her as her lips met Evelyn’s, tentative at first, then deepening with a fervor that made Evelyn’s knees weak.

The world fell away. The firehouse, the argument, the budget cuts—all of it dissolved in the heat of that kiss, a heady mix of frustration and something far more dangerous. Cass’s mouth was warm and demanding, her grip firm and grounding, and Evelyn let herself fall into the sensation, her fingers tangling in the collar of Cass’s shirt as she pulled her closer.

For a moment, they were lost, consumed by the passion that had been simmering between them, unacknowledged and unresolved. It was a release, a surrender, a crossing of lines they’d both been too stubborn to acknowledge until now. Evelyn’s hands moved to Cass’s shoulders, her grip desperate, as if anchoring herself in the intensity of the moment.

But just as suddenly, Cass pulled back, her breathing ragged as she looked at Evelyn, her eyes dark and unreadable. Evelyn’s heart pounded, the weight of what they’d just done settling over her, but she couldn’t bring herself to regret it.

Cass released her arm slowly, her gaze lingering on Evelyn’s face, a mixture of frustration and something softer, something vulnerable. Evelyn opened her mouth to say something, to bridge the sudden silence, but no words came, and she realized with a jolt that she didn’t know what to say.

Cass’s voice was low, almost a whisper, as she finally spoke. “This…probably shouldn’t have happened,” she said, but there was no regret in her eyes, only a smoldering intensity that made Evelyn’s pulse race all over again.

“Probably not,” Evelyn replied, her voice soft, barely audible. But she didn’t pull away, didn’t move to leave.

Cass’s limbs moved with a mind of their own, propelled by need, want. She pulled Evelyn in closer, recapturing her soft lips with her own, firmer this time. She bit down, capturing Evelyn’s lower lip between her teeth. She gripped the collar of Evelyn’s perfectly crisp, white blouse in her rough fingers, pulling her into her roughly.

Evelyn didn’t hesitate, giving in to the embrace in an instant, melting into Cass’s strong arms. She wrapped her hands behind Cass’s neck, tangling her fingers through the hair at her nape.

A final tug on Evelyn’s lips, Cass pulled back, breath heaving. She held Evelyn’s sharp chin in her fingers and locked eyes.

“We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Probably not.”

“Fuck it.”

“I’d much rather you fucked me.”

Cass chuckled. “Your wish is my command.”

She moved even closer, turning her attention to Evelyn’s neck, kissing and biting along its length, across her collar bone; all the while, she fought and tugged the buttons that ran down the front of Evelyn’s blouse. Finally, she undid the last one, popping it through the loop. Cass tugged on the sleeves, watching as the fabric slid off Evelyn’s shoulders, landing with a soft flumpf on the floor.

“Come here,” Cass purred.

Evelyn strolled over casually, as though there was nothing the slightest bit out of the ordinary with their current circumstance.

“Turn around.”

Cass leaned into her, pressing herself against Evelyn’s back, running her hands up and over her shoulder and slinking down to her breasts. Evelyn felt herself shiver as Cass’s calloused fingers dragged across her soft, sensitive skin. Cass slowly grazed her way down her stomach, around her hips, and up her spine, stopping to toy with her lacy bra strap.

“Is this what you want?” Cass whispered.

“God, yes.”

Unhooking the strap, Cass let it fall to the floor, smiling. Cass’s hands went to cup Evelyn’s breasts and gently caress her nipples, and Evelyn let out a soft gasp. Cass plucked Evelyn’s left nipple between two of her fingers, pulling gently, twisting only slightly.

Cass’s hands dropped, and Evelyn let out a disappointed moan that quickly turned into impatience as Cass’s fingers found their way to her belt, slowly sliding her pants down her hips.

She was still caught in her daydreams when Cass sauntered back to her, catching her off guard as she pushed Evelyn up against the office wall.

There was a gleam in Cass’s eyes that Evelyn couldn’t quite make out, and that spurred her on as she slipped out from beneath Cass’s grasp and spun her around against the wall. “My turn now, don’t you think, Captain?”

She pressed Cass’s palms against the smooth, cold wall, hoping Cass got the message. No touching.

Cass’s dark navy shirt was yanked from where it had been firmly tucked into her pants, and Evelyn began unbuttoning it. Precisely, methodically. Cass smirked as Evelyn undid the first three buttons, only to reveal a lighter blue shirt beneath.

“What idiot designed a uniform with two layers?” Evelyn muttered to herself.

She tugged at the hem of Cass’s undershirt, pulling it loose. Moving the collar of the navy shirt to the side, she wrestled with the top several buttons before she grabbed at Cass’s left arm.

“Up.”

Cass obeyed, reaching both arms toward the ceiling as Evelyn pulled the pair of shirts up and over her head. Evelyn reached around and unclasped Cass’s bra with practiced ease. Old and graying, the garment fell to the floor, starkly different to Evelyn’s pretty black one that was strewn several feet away.

Evelyn stepped back, surveying Cass’s topless form, still pressed against the wall.

“Like what you see?”

Evelyn didn’t bother to reply. Instead, moving forward and ducking down, she took Cass’s right nipple in her mouth.

Cass let out a keening moan as the hot wetness enveloped her. Evelyn began tonguing at the hardened nub—flicking it, circling it, biting ever so softly until Cass threw her head back in pleasure.

Evelyn’s other hand teased over her left breast before sliding south, her long nails scraping over soft skin, to Cass’s belt. Unbuckled, unbuttoned, unzipped. Her fingers crept past Cass’s underwear and between her hot, slick folds. A pulse of need rippled through Evelyn as her fingers ghosted over Cass’s clit.

“Fuck,” Cass moaned.

“Shh, we wouldn’t want anyone to hear you now, would we?”

Cass flashed her a half-hearted glare as she moved her hand from where it was to Evelyn’s hip, sliding her hand down into the black lacy underwear. Cass slipped her rough fingers against her core and stroked in rhythm to match Evelyn’s pace.

Every time Cass’s fingers glided over her clit, she repaid in kind, each of them working faster and faster. Breathing hard. Skin on skin.

Evelyn couldn’t hold it back any longer. Her climax building steadily, it wracked through her, shaking, trembling, her clit pulsing with want. Cass’s hand stopped its motions, but Evelyn continued. Gradually firmer and faster until Cass, too, was shaking against her. Spent.

As the adrenaline ebbed, Cass pulled back, her breathing still uneven as the weight of what they’d just done settled heavily between them. She looked at Evelyn, searching her face for something—maybe an answer to the vulnerability she suddenly felt. But Evelyn’s expression had already shifted, her usual composed mask slipping back into place.

A silence hung in the air, thick and unresolved. Without a word, Evelyn recovered her clothes and gathered her things, her eyes flicking briefly over Cass before she turned and headed for the door. The quiet click of it closing felt like a final, unspoken line drawn between them.

In the hallway, Evelyn’s steps echoed in the stillness of the firehouse. Her pulse raced, each beat a reminder of the undeniable connection she’d felt, but also of the thrill and alarm that lingered in its wake. She forced herself to focus, steeling her thoughts and telling herself it had been a lapse, nothing more. But as she walked out into the night, every detail of the moment in Cass’s office replayed in her mind, leaving her rattled—and more than a little unsure of what might come next.

Evelyn navigated the darkened streets of Phoenix Ridge, the steady rhythm of her tires against the pavement a stark contrast to the chaos in her mind. She forced herself to breathe, to compartmentalize the night and push it behind her. Yet despite her best efforts, she couldn’t shake the lingering sense of excitement—and trouble—that Cass brought into her otherwise orderly world. The thrill of the unexpected burned in her chest, battling against the caution she’d built her career upon.

The road stretched out before Evelyn, dark and empty save for the rhythmic sweep of her headlights against the asphalt. The night air seeped in through the cracked window, cool against her flushed skin, but it did nothing to quiet the storm raging inside her. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tighter than necessary, the familiar tension in her jaw returning as she replayed the events of the evening in her mind.

What had she done? What had she allowed to happen? Her stomach twisted with a cocktail of guilt and frustration as she thought of Cass—of the way her resolve had crumbled the moment they were alone, of the fire in Cass’s eyes that she’d been unable to resist. Giving in like that, letting herself be vulnerable…it was reckless, a mistake she couldn’t afford to repeat.

The city lights flickered on the horizon as she drove, but Evelyn barely registered them. All she could focus on was the nagging voice in her head reminding her of everything she stood to lose. She’d worked so hard to build her career and earn her reputation as someone who could make the hard choices without letting emotions cloud her judgment. But tonight, she had let those emotions take control, and now she felt untethered, like a ship adrift in a storm.

Her chest tightened as she thought about Cass—not just the heat of their argument, the intensity of their connection, but the person beneath it all. Cass was everything Evelyn wasn’t: passionate, grounded, unafraid to stand up for what she believed in. And that, Evelyn realized, was exactly the problem. Cass had a way of pulling her into a world she wasn’t sure she belonged in, a world where emotions ran deep and logic wasn’t always enough.

Evelyn sighed, her fingers drumming anxiously against the wheel as she stopped at a red light. The silence in the car was deafening, broken only by the soft hum of the engine. She had to regain control, to reassert the boundaries she’d let slip tonight. This wasn’t just about her; it was about the job, the future of the department, and her responsibility to see this through. She couldn’t let her feelings—whatever they were—derail everything she’d worked for.

When the light turned green, Evelyn pressed down on the gas, her determination hardening with every passing mile. By the time she reached her apartment, she had convinced herself that tonight would be a one-time lapse, a momentary weakness she wouldn’t allow to happen again.

But as she climbed the stairs to her door and slipped inside, her resolve felt brittle, her mind still haunted by the memory of Cass’s touch, the fire in her voice, and the unspoken connection that had ignited between them. Evelyn shook her head, as if the action could rid her of the thoughts. She couldn’t let this happen again. She wouldn’t. Tomorrow, she told herself, she would focus. She would put everything back in its proper place.

She had to.