Red Hot Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Epilogue

  Red Hot

  Sean Ashcroft

  Copyright © 2017 by Sean Ashcroft

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Chapter One

  Through the haze of smoke and heat that had suddenly taken over his apartment, trapping Andy inside, he’d been sure he was going to die. That this was his last day on Earth, and all he’d have to show for his time here was…

  Well, nothing. If the building burned down, which seemed an increasingly likely scenario, then Andy’s whole life would amount to a pile of ash. Only a small handful of people would even realize he was gone.

  When someone picked him up and flung him over their shoulder, he could hardly believe his luck. He was being rescued. He didn’t know how or why or if he even deserved it, but it was too much of a relief, once he was out in the fresh air again, for him to care much about it.

  The stranger—a firefighter, obviously—set him down outside. Andy’s head spun as his feet touched the ground, but he forced himself to stay upright.

  The other man paused, holding both of Andy’s shoulders and looking him in the eye through his mask. He had pretty eyes, soft and kind.

  “Are you okay?” the firefighter asked, the words muffled through his safety gear. Andy coughed, his lungs still burning and his eyes watering, but nodded.

  He wasn’t even slightly okay, but he was alive. Alive was good enough.

  He watched the firefighter go as someone put a blanket around his shoulders. The rush of blood in his ears made it difficult to understand what they were saying, but he followed when he was led away.

  As he sat in the back of an ambulance, he looked up at his apartment building burning down.

  Just when he’d started to feel as though everything in his life was going as planned, he was suddenly homeless.

  Or, at least, he was homeless until his insurance payout came through. The thought made his stomach turn, and he started coughing again, this time unable to stop. His throat burned, his chest hurt, his head spun.

  Tears pricked at his eyes, shock finally setting in. He pulled the blanket close around his shoulders, shivering even under the bright sun overhead.

  He was alive. That was enough. Alive was all that mattered. Everything else could be rebuilt.

  He looked over and saw the same firefighter coming out of the building again, a cat tucked under his arm.

  Firefighters, he realized, were actually perfect.

  That was his last thought before he passed out.

  Chapter Two

  “Hey, Red, don’t think for a second we didn’t see you checking up on that guy you pulled out today,” Murray said as he walked past, slapping Red on the shoulder.

  Red blushed from his cheeks all the way down his neck, living up to his name even more than usual.

  “Shut up,” he said, not least of all because he had been checking up on the guy he’d rescued. He’d been worried, mostly, but he’d also wondered briefly if this was how he was going to meet his next boyfriend.

  Well, his first boyfriend.

  “What? Come on, man. I don’t swing that way, but I got eyes,” Murray continued, sitting down next to Red.

  Red shifted uncomfortably. He knew Murray was just teasing—everyone had been surprisingly cool when he came out, and he was eternally grateful for that—but he didn’t want to talk about it. Not now, ideally not ever.

  He knew people didn’t actually fall in love with the firefighters who rescued them. It was just that his usual low-level loneliness had ramped up in recent weeks, and he was ready to cling to anyone who’d so much as smile at him.

  Which made it the worst possible time to start dating.

  Of course, it had been the worst possible time to start dating for six months. Roughly since he’d come out.

  It wasn’t that he was afraid of judgement or anything.

  It was that he kept striking out every time he tried to meet someone. Everyone at the station was quick to tell him he was a catch, that any man would be lucky to have him, but that didn’t necessarily hold up in reality.

  He was twenty-three and only just starting to date. Or rather, not starting to date at all. He’d just never been out as gay before, never felt safe to do more than admire from afar or have brief, unsatisfying encounters with strangers.

  Red had a lot of catching up to do, and he hadn’t found anyone willing to catch him up yet. That was all. There was someone out there for him.

  Probably.

  “Leave the kid alone.” Pam sat down opposite both of them. “He’ll find someone when he’s ready.”

  “Yeah,” Red agreed, thankful for the rescue. “I’ll find someone when I’m ready.”

  “It’s been six months,” Murray said. “If you don’t put yourself out there, how the hell are you gonna find anyone?”

  Red shifted on his chair again. Part of the problem was his own cowardice. Fear of rejection.

  Not knowing where to meet people…

  He had no idea how any of it was done, because it had never been an option up until now. Not until he’d been settled in his life, free of anyone who wouldn’t like it—his parents, for example—and actually had some time to himself.

  Romantic partners didn’t just grow on trees. That, he could have dealt with.

  “How’s the roommate situation going?” Pam asked.

  Red dropped his head onto the table, groaning. He knew Pam was trying to help by changing the subject, but he hadn’t been able to find a roommate, either. Any that weren’t weird never called back.

  Probably because they’d decided Red was weird.

  Spot, the station dog, appeared out of nowhere to lick Red’s hand. He sighed and gave him a gentle pat on the head, appreciating that even the dog was trying to cheer him up.

  “Oh,” Pam said. “Well… do you even need a roommate?”

  Sighing again, Red looked up from Spot to face Pam.

  “It’s not that I need one. I’m not going broke or anything. But with a roommate, I can put some money aside for college. Without one…” Red shrugged. “I dunno. I know it’s a stupid idea anyway, but a guy’s gotta dream, right?”

  “It’s not stupid,” Pam said softly. She was always much kinder to all of them than they deserved, and had been since Red had started working here. No one was sure when she’d started—she’d just always been there, filing their paperwork and making sure they had coffee. “I’m proud of you for going after your dreams, kiddo.”

  She’d always treated Red like one of the kids she’d never had, and he’d always appreciated it. Especially when he’d had to cut ties with his biological family.

  The fire station was his family, now, and they loved and accepted him for who he was as long as
he did his job and watched their backs, which he’d always do.

  Red blushed again, but it wasn’t nearly as bad this time. “Thanks.”

  “I’ll put out some feelers to see if anyone needs a place. And I can find out that guy’s contact details, if you want?”

  For a half-second, Red considered saying yes. But then, firstly, it’d be weird to show up and tell someone that you rescued them and just wanted to say hi. Secondly, the poor guy had just lost everything and almost certainly didn’t need a sad puppy of a firefighter hitting on him, and thirdly, how likely was it that he was gay, single, and interested in someone like Red?

  It was a nice thought. It just didn’t seem like the kind of thing that happened in real life.

  “Yes on the roommates, no on the guy,” Red said. “I don’t wanna bother him. There are billions of people in the world, and he’s having one of the worst days.”

  Pam shrugged. “If I was having a bad day, a handsome young firefighter turning up on my doorstep would cheer me the hell up. But okay.” She smiled. “Roommates only.”

  “Thanks, Pam. You’re awesome.” Red grinned at her.

  “Don’t go spreading it around.” She winked, and then got up. “I need to go sort my way through the mess you boys made earlier, I’ll see you ‘round.”

  “I’ll bring you coffee in a minute,” Red promised.

  “That’s why you’re my favorite,” Pam said as she walked away.

  “I thought I was your favorite?” Murray called after her, tuning back in after being distracted by Spot.

  Red laughed. “I’m way cuter than you’ll ever be.”

  Murray wrinkled his nose, then nodded. “True. If cute is the criteria, I’ll never be her favorite again.”

  Red got up to make Pam the promised cup of coffee, and told himself that he’d find a dating site or an app or something and put himself out there. It was time, and if anyone knew that no one lived forever, it was him.

  It was time to start living.

  Chapter Three

  After one night in a crappy hotel room, Andy had decided that he could live with a roommate for a few weeks if he had to. That way, he could get his own bed and his own mattress, and the few hours of sleep he allowed himself per night wouldn’t be completely wasted tossing and turning the whole time.

  From the front, the apartment building he was checking out a room in looked nice. Not that he cared all that much, since it was temporary. All he needed was for there to be enough space for a bed and a desk, and he was sold.

  There weren’t a whole lot of places across Columbus that were available immediately, and while he wasn’t exactly tied down at the moment, he didn’t want to leave the city. He’d made a home here, and while he didn’t have a whole lot of friends or a desk job, he did have favorite coffee shops and pizza joints.

  Suddenly nervous, he hit the buzzer for the apartment he was supposed to be looking at, and waited. What if his new roommate was weird? What if he thought Andy was weird?

  It didn’t help at all that Andy was weird, and he knew it. That was why he didn’t have roommates in the first place.

  He’d imagined, after college, that living on his own would be a dream come true. In some ways, it was.

  In other ways, it was lonely as hell.

  “Andy?” the voice on the other end asked. Andy wet his lips.

  “That’s me. I guess you know why I’m here.”

  “Yeah, come on up. I’ll put pants on.”

  Andy blinked at the honesty in that statement. He would have been rushing to find pants, too, if someone rang his buzzer at any given time. He’d given up bothering for the local delivery guys and taken to tipping them a little better instead, so they wouldn’t mind.

  Having to wear pants at home was probably going to be the worst part of suddenly having a roommate.

  He headed inside and hit the button for the elevator. After waiting a solid minute for it to come down, he decided that it either didn’t work or was the slowest elevator on the planet, and headed for the stairs.

  Andy wasn’t really a take the stairs guy, but he didn’t want to leave his new potential roommate waiting.

  By the time he got to the third floor, he was gasping for breath. Andy chose to attribute that to the smoke inhalation from yesterday, and not his general fitness level.

  Once he got up to the apartment—on the fifth floor—he leaned against the wall for a moment to catch his breath.

  Down the hall, the elevator pinged.

  Great.

  At least he knew it was working, now. Even if it was as slow as him climbing five flights of stairs.

  Steeling himself, Andy knocked on the door to 505, the apartment number he’d been given by the guy he was about to meet.

  A tall man with very red hair opened it.

  That, Andy decided, was probably why he was called Red. He’d thought it was a weird name, but it occurred to him now that it was more likely a nickname.

  Andy was a nickname, too, he supposed. It was just a little less inventive.

  Something about him was familiar, but it didn’t click immediately. Something…

  Something about his eyes?

  “Oh my God,” Andy said as he realized why Red was so familiar. “You’re the guy! The firefighter!”

  Red blinked at him, then leaned closer, squinted, and straightened back up again. “Oh, hey! It’s you. What a weird coincidence.” He paused. “You didn’t find out about this place through someone called Pam, did you?”

  Andy frowned. “No, I just found the listing on one of the housing network sites. Should I… know Pam? Not know Pam?”

  Red shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. Stupid question. Uh, come in.” He stepped back from the door.

  Andy slipped in, brushing past Red’s chest as he did. Out of his firefighter’s uniform, he looked a lot more approachable.

  Also, hotter. Andy was still a little traumatized and very tired, but he couldn’t help noticing that Red was gorgeous. He’d always kind of had a thing for redheads, and this guy was a stunning example.

  “I was going to find out what station you were from to thank you,” Andy said after a moment, shoving thoughts about how attractive Red was aside for the moment. “Once I’d figured out somewhere to live.”

  “No thanks necessary,” Red said, and although it sounded like a cheesy line, Andy suspected he meant it. All the same, Andy had been raised better than that.

  “Seriously, I owe you one. I mean, I owe you my life.” He shifted his weight between his feet, not sure what else to say. “And I know it’s your job and all that, but still. You don’t have to do this job. You’ve chosen to be a hero, and that’s… kinda awesome.”

  Red blushed. That might have been the other reason for his nickname, because when he blushed, it seemed to be a tip-to-toes kind of deal. Everything from his hairline to where his neck disappeared into the collar of his t-shirt turned pink.

  “Well, uh… right now I’m just a guy who needs a roommate, and you’re a guy who needs somewhere to live…”

  “Right, obviously.” Andy cleared his throat. “So, uh, clearly I have nowhere else to go. I owned that apartment, so I’m waiting for insurance money to come through, which I imagine will take literally until hell freezes over. My point is that I’m not picky and I’m very tired, so if you’re cool with me…”

  “You seem… normal,” Red said, though he didn’t sound entirely sure. “Normal-ish,” he corrected.

  Andy grinned. Normal-ish was about as good as he got. He was on his best behavior right now, and even that wasn’t enough to fool someone he’d just met.

  Red hadn’t said normal-ish as though it was a bad thing. That was good enough.

  “That sounds about right. I mean, I automatically trust you because I was programmed to trust firefighters as a kid, so.” Andy shrugged. “Please don’t turn out to be a serial killer, I guess.”

  “I’m probably not a serial killer,” Red said.

&nb
sp; Andy narrowed his eyes, considering. “Probably is enough for me right now.”

  Red laughed. He had a pretty smile that made his eyes light up, and that made Andy want to smile back.

  He rarely wanted to smile back at anyone these days, so that was a big plus. Maybe having a roommate wouldn’t be the worst thing. Especially someone who seemed to think his sense of humor was okay.

  Someone who’d joke back.

  That, in Andy’s experience, was rare. A lot of his jokes fell flat, people taking him seriously when he really didn’t intend to be serious at all. Apparently he hadn’t mastered the art of the I’m kidding facial expression.

  Secretly, he thought it was because most people were too stupid to grasp sarcasm.

  Red, obviously, did. That was a nice change.

  “So, do you maybe want to see the room, or…?”

  Andy smiled wryly. “I’ll look at it if you need me to, but everything I own in the world right now is in this bag.” He nodded to the brand-new laptop bag he was carrying. He’d needed a replacement laptop right away to keep working, but he hadn’t gotten around to replacing anything else yet.

  Red nodded. “I get it. You just want somewhere to call home.”

  Andy wouldn’t have phrased it exactly like that, but it was more or less accurate.

  “Yeah. I just… I’ve never been homeless before. I don’t like it.”

  That was probably obvious. No one liked being homeless. Why did he keep saying stupid things?

  And why wasn’t Red looking at him like he was an idiot for it?

  “Well, no one else seems to want to move in here, so… if you’re up for it, the room’s all yours.”

  Andy felt a weight lift off his chest. “I love you,” he said, for lack of any stronger words to express how grateful he was.

  Red raised an eyebrow. It was a very elegant gesture, the arch a perfect takedown in the hands of a master. Red definitely grasped sarcasm.

  “You know what I mean.” Andy set his laptop bag down. “I’m just… relieved.”

  “I know,” Red said.

  “I’ll go get you rent money.” Andy bent down to get his wallet—also new—out of his bag. Thankfully, his bank had been good about giving him emergency replacement cards, and he’d never been the kind of person who’d kept cash around.