Billionaire On Fire: The Complete Series (A Bad Boy Alpha Billionaire Romance) Read online

  "He's in pain, can't you see that?" a tall guy in a Chicago FD baseball cap pleaded with the head nurse. "Can't you do something?"

  "I'm waiting on the doctor," the nurse said as she typed something into the computer and then ordered the man moved to Exam 2. "She'll be right down and deal with this."

  "What's going on?" I whispered to the nurse standing next to me.

  "Firefighter cooking accident," she said rolling her eyes. "We get these every so often. Good guys, but a lot of them are idiots when it comes to kitchen safety. Sometimes I feel like we ought to go into every fire station in the city and give lessons on cooking techniques as a public safety."

  "What'd he do?" Liz asked.

  "Took his shirt off while frying meatballs," the nurse said with another eye roll. "He's probably got some second degree grease burns."

  I winced as she told us what happened, and when I turned back around, I found myself standing in front of a tall man with broad shoulders, unruly rust-colored curls and piercing green eyes.

  "You must be new around here," he said smiling down at me. "I haven't seen you here before."

  "It's...um...my first day," I said trying to look away but completely unable to stop myself from staring. "I'm a nursing student...new...it's my first day."

  "So you said," he grinned. "What's your name, newbie?"

  "Me?" I asked pointing to my chest.

  "Well, yes, you," he said as he sunk his teeth into his lower lip.

  "Alexandra," I said thrusting my hand forward as I tried to remember my manners. "Pierce. Alex Pierce."

  "Well, Alexandra Alex Pierce," he said taking my hand and shaking it warmly. "I'm Cameron Conner, but most people call me Cam."

  "Hi, Cam," I said as I stared up at him, trying hard to control my breathing. If there was such a thing as a beautiful man, Cam Connor was it, and I had no idea how to act around him. Suddenly I remembered why I was there in the first place and sputtered, "Do you need some help? I mean, are you hurt, too?"

  "I'm not as bad as Danny over there, but I do think I got some grease on me," he said as he held on to my hand still shaking it. "Do you think you could give me a gauze pad or two to cover it up?"

  "Gauze! Yes! I can do that!" I cried remembering that I'd been stocking the supplies just before he'd come in. "I'll get some!"

  "I'll just come with you, if you don't mind," he said following me back to the back storage area in the trauma room.

  Once inside the room, I became even more unsettled as he pulled his shirt up and revealed his bare torso. He had a lightly hairy chest and abdominal muscles that I would have killed for. The fire department logo was tattooed all the way around his upper bicep.

  "Nice tattoo," I said as I wiped off the small area that had been hit by grease with an alcohol wipe. He winced, but said nothing. "Did that hurt?"

  "A little," he said watching me closely. "So, Alex Pierce, what made you decide to work here?"

  "It's part of my nursing program internship," I said looking up at him and noticing that in addition to being mesmerizingly green his eyes were flecked with gold.

  "I see; so technically you probably shouldn't be treating me?" he grinned.

  "Oh my God, no, I shouldn't be!" I said as I stepped away ready to go get a real nurse. "You probably need a licensed professional to look at that burn."

  "Nah, it's all good, I've had worse burns that I didn't get treated," he shrugged back into his shirt and stood up. He smiled at me and said, "I just wanted a few minutes alone with a pretty girl."

  "Do you use that line on every woman you meet?" I asked, suddenly aware of the fact that a man this handsome was probably used to the constant attention, and that I was most likely acting like every other woman he came in contact with. Now it was his turn to be surprised.

  "No, actually I've never used that line before in my life," he laughed. "And I'm not sure why I thought it was a good idea now."

  "I see," I said turning toward the door. "Well, it'll probably work if you try it again, on someone else."

  I walked out of the exam room and headed back to the nurse's station where Liz stood chatting with the charge nurse as they watched the doctor examine Danny.

  "Where have you been?" Liz asked.

  "Stocking the exam room in the back," I said looking away as Cam walked past the desk. "We needed more gauze and tape."

  "Uh huh," Liz said as she looked at Cam and then back at me. "You'll have to tell me all about it on the way home."

  "Nothing to tell," I shrugged. "Gauze and tape really aren't that interesting."

  But Cam Connor was and I knew it was going to be hard to get him out of my mind.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Cam

  After the doctor treated Danny and lectured him about proper cooking techniques, we loaded him back into the truck and returned to the fire station. Danny would be out of commission for a few days, but he'd be all right.

  "Newsome is kind of an idiot," Victor said as he stood at the counter watching me finish preparing dinner. I'd volunteered to do it alone since we'd already fixed everything but the noodles.

  "Shut up, Vangel," I said as I put two pots of water on to boil. "Everyone makes mistakes."

  "Yeah, but frying meat without a shirt?" he laughed. "That ranks up there with ironing while naked and mowing the lawn without shoes."

  "Like I said, shut the hell up, Vangel," I repeated as I felt my blood pressure start to rise. This guy pissed me off like no one else, but I knew that I had to keep my anger under control or I was going to get suspended.

  "But you're not an idiot, are you Connor?" he said with a sleazy grin. "You are totally on the up and up. A wise guy, maybe."

  "I'm not sure what you're trying to get at, but whatever it is, you're not going to bait me," I said as I added salt to both pots and put the lids on. I went to the cupboard and pulled out two boxes of spaghetti noodles, and as I did, I made myself breathe deeply to slow down my racing pulse. I wanted nothing more than to punch Vangel, and he wanted nothing more than to goad me into doing it.

  "What I'm getting at is that you're the man," he said still grinning that idiot grin of his. "You've got it all going on."

  "Either say what you're going to say, or once again, I will invite you to shut the fuck up," I said through gritted teeth.

  "Never mind," Vangel said as he slid off the stool and walked toward the common room. "It doesn't matter right now."

  I shook my head at his attempt at intimidation and went back to prepping dinner. As I did, my thoughts wandered back to the woman in the ER who'd treated my minor burns. She had reminded me of a young fawn; her blue eyes had been wary and watchful, but she'd definitely wanted to get closer. Or at least she had until I screwed it up by feeding her a stupid line. I shook my head as I recalled the way she'd abruptly pulled back and closed down when I'd acted like a smooth talking idiot.

  Alex Pierce. I wanted to find out more about her, to get to know her better. But as soon as the desire became real, the guilt kicked in and I did what I had done for the past ten years every time I'd found myself interested in a woman: I shut it down and reminded myself that I had a full life and that it was disloyal and unfair to want more.

  I ran a hand through my hair as I bent over the sink. I was sick of feeling guilty about something I couldn't change. And I was sick of living so entirely alone because of it. I decided to talk to Leo about it in the morning when I went to visit him. Maybe he'd have a work around that would give me a chance to shed the guilt and start to live again.

  I could only hope.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Alex

  I didn't get a chance to talk with Liz after my shift, so it wasn't until the next morning that we talked over breakfast.

  "So, what's up with the firefighter?" Liz asked as she dug into a plate of pancakes. I watched her as she cut them into a plateful of bite-sized pieces and then, one by one, shoved them in her mouth. Liz could, and would, eat just about anything, and I was envious.


  "I don't know," I shrugged as I stuck a spoon into my healthy bowl of oatmeal and fruit. "He said I was pretty, but I think it was just a come on line."

  "Did you ask?" Liz said with her mouth full of pancakes. "I mean, he could have been telling the truth. You are pretty, you know."

  "Give me a break," I said rolling my eyes as I stirred my oatmeal. "I'm not ugly, but I'm certainly a long way from pretty."

  "We really need to work on your confidence, Pierce," Liz said as she stuffed half a slice of bacon in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Let's go shopping after classes today."

  "We have big exams coming up, Liz," I reminded her. "I can't afford to fail. I need to study."

  "One afternoon of shopping for some cute things to brighten your look is not going to cost you your entire education," Liz said rolling her eyes. "We'll head down to State Street and hit three stores, then we'll go back to the library and study. How's that for a compromise?"

  "Fine," I sighed turning my attention toward the day's lesson. "Did you finish the reading for today's anatomy lecture?"

  "More skin?" Liz asked as she pulled out her book and began flipping through it as she shoveled the last of her breakfast into her mouth. “Ah yes, I’m familiar with it.”

  "Liz, you can't keep doing this," I sighed again and shook my head. The problem was that she could: Liz had a photographic memory and could remember everything she'd ever seen, even if she'd only seen it once. It drove me crazy that she didn't have to study as hard as I did in order to retain the material, and even crazier to watch her squander her talent as she dabbled in everything from standup comedy to graffiti art.

  "Eh, it'll be fine," she shrugged. "I'm like a cat. I always land on my feet, you know?"

  I crossed my fingers under the table and hoped that was true as I tried to push the images of Cam Connor's unruly auburn curls and broad chest out of my mind so I could focus on my studies.

  It was easier said than done.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Cam

  After I'd finished my shift at the station, I drove home, walked Tesla, then showered, changed and headed over to see Leo. I was not looking forward to this meeting, but I knew that steering clear of it wasn't an option.

  What I really wanted to be doing was driving back over to Chicago General and seeing if Alex Pierce was on duty. I hadn't been able to get her curvy figure out of my head for the duration of my shift. I cursed myself for not getting her number, but it hadn’t seemed like the best thing to do after she’d nailed me for using a pick up line, so keeping a safe distance had seemed like the smarter choice. Even if the choice meant I didn’t know how to contact Alex.

  "Sometimes we have to do what we don't want to do; isn't that right, girl?" I said to Tesla as I stood at the counter finishing my breakfast. She looked up at me and thumped her tail on the marble floor, hoping that I'd toss her a bit of the bacon I'd made to go with my eggs.

  "All right, fine," I said as I tossed a piece in the air and watched as she gracefully leapt up and caught it in her open mouth. She chewed it quickly and then sat back down waiting for more. I laughed, "Nope, that's it. No more."

  Tesla wagged her tail a few times and, when it became obvious that I meant what I'd said, she sighed loudly and dropped to the floor resting her chin between her paws as she gave me a mournful look. I smiled as I shook my head then went back to scanning the headlines on the iPad I kept in the kitchen.

  "It looks like we've got the usual mash up of things going on in the city, girl," I said as I read the headlines out loud to her. "I see that the Mayor is pushing a new education program, the Governor is trying to cut the budget down to a manageable level, and the South Side is still going to hell in a hand basket. Looks like business as usual!"

  I set my dishes in the sink, pulled on my coat, grabbed my keys and sunglasses, and headed out to meet with Leo. The office was down in the Loop, which usually meant not being able to find a parking spot, but we'd contracted with a local valet service at one of the restaurants and they'd agreed to let us use two spots for Chicago Security Corporation when we needed it, so I was able to park and get up to the fourteenth floor quickly.

  "Mr. Connor," Becky said surprised to see me. "Was Mr. Marini expecting you this morning?"

  "I certainly hope so," I smiled. "He sent me a message yesterday requesting a meeting."

  "Will you be in your office, sir?" she asked as she picked up the phone and dialed Leo's extension.

  "Nah, I'll just head back to Leo's office and see what he wants," I said as I headed down the hallway. I could hear her telling Leo I was on my way in a hushed whisper.

  "So, what's up with this contract, Leo?" I said as I pushed his office door open and entered. Inside, I found a somewhat flustered Leo buttoning his shirt as a lovely young woman folded up a massage table.

  "I thought you'd call first," he said as I gave him the once over. "I didn't know you'd be this early."

  "Yeah, well, my shift is over at eight and I headed right over because you said it was important," I said with an amused grin. Dropping my voice I said, "Barn door's open. Close her up, friend."

  "Will you be needing me to come back on Friday, Mr. Marini," the girl asked as she stood at the door. She was an exotic beauty with large breasts and shiny black hair, and I had little doubt that she was providing my friend with more than just a Swedish massage.

  "Uh, yeah, that would be good, Misty," he said after zipping his pants. "Becky will give you a check for today. Stop by the front desk and pick it up."

  "Thank you, Mr. Marini," she smiled before closing the door behind her.

  "Jesus, Leo, what the hell are you doing?" I asked.

  "Hey, look, I don't have time for dating and I have needs, my friend," he smiled as he regained control of the conversation. "It's just easier this way. No fuss, no muss."

  "I do not understand you," I said shaking my head.

  "Yeah, well, if you'd let go of our Puritan ideals, you might," he said in a tone that was only mildly irritated. "Sorry, that wasn't fair. I just think you need to get out there and experience something other than work for a change. It's been a long time, Cam."

  "You wanted to talk to me about business?" I said cutting off the trip down a path that I didn't want to travel. Leo looked at me and shook his head before grabbing a stack of papers off of the desk and handing half to me.

  "We've been asked to provide security for the next election cycle," Leo said. "It's a huge contract with multiple candidates and their families."

  "You know how I feel about this, Leo," I said reading the top page and shaking my head. "I don't want to get CSC involved in any contracts that will expose my involvement in the company. The answer is no. Anything else?"

  "You can't just waltz in here and say no without actually discussing this," Leo protested.

  "Actually, I can," I replied. "I own the majority stock and I have the deciding vote. You knew that when you accepted the position as public CEO."

  "This isn't fair," Leo said quietly. "I've been doing everything you ask of me and I've run this company at a profit for the past eight years. Everything I've done has improved the standing of this company, and I've grown the business by more than one hundred percent since you started it."

  "Leo, we discussed this at length when you agreed to accept the position," I said as I ran my hand through my hair. "I don't want any publicity. CSC is a private security firm that offers high-level protection services for people who want to stay out of the spotlight. We do not get involved in political campaigns or self-serving celebrity issues; we fly under the radar and we get the job done."

  "But this is an opportunity to join the big league, Cam!" Leo pleaded. "We're incredibly good at what we do and we are recognized as being top in the field. Shouldn't we be able to capitalize on that reputation and increase our client base?"

  "Not if it involves Chicago-based candidates," I said shaking my head. "I do not want people digging into our business and uncovering the f
act that I own controlling interest in a multi-billion dollar security firm. I want to keep working for the fire department without being hassled by every Tom, Dick and Harry who wants to write a story on the poor firefighter who turned tragedy into triumph. I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime, thank you very much."

  "You're so selfish," Leo muttered. "It's always about you, isn't it?"

  "What do you mean? You agreed to this deal!" I said feeling defensive about his attack. "I didn't beg you to take the job; you offered to do it. I told you what the terms would be and you agreed!"

  "Yes, I agreed -- EIGHT YEARS AGO!" Leo shouted. "Everything was different back then. We were different back then. I didn't know I'd be so good at this job, and I didn't realize that there was a potential for growth in the way it's come about. You can't blame me for wanting more, Cam."

  "I don't blame you a bit," I sighed as I looked at my best friend. "I just don't want to have my life on parade again. Once was enough, Leo. I can't go back there."

  "I know," he said sinking down into his chair and resting his head in his hands. "I know. I just..."

  I looked at Leo knowing how difficult it must have been for him to ask this of me. We'd been friends since grade school, and he'd been the one who'd watched me struggle to keep things together as my mother wasted away from the drinking. He'd been with me at graduation and he'd stood next to me at my mother's funeral when no one -- not even her own family -- had shown up. And Leo had been the one who'd gotten drunk with me the night the fire changed my entire life and then looked out for me in the hard months after that night.

  I knew he was trying to do what was best for the business, but I couldn't let the business interfere with the life I'd carefully constructed to keep everything at bay. I'd started the security firm as a way to distract myself while I was on leave from the fire department, but it had grown faster than I could manage alone, and when my leave was over, I found that there was no way I could manage the security business while also working full-time for the department.