a five-star luxury joint on Fifth Avenue. There he spent fun weekends hanging out with Lexi, her husband Luke, and the entire Hart clan. Now that his sister was pregnant, Theo’s visits took on an emotional edge as he watched Lexi glow with impending motherhood.
Lexi and Luke had given him a home away from home at The Sterling. The tiny two-bedroom apartment he shared with five other firemen got darn crowded and smelly when they were all there. Theo’s room at The Sterling was a sweet crib with a king-size bed. Luke’s swanky hotel teemed with of-town hotties looking for the same thing as him. Fun. No strings.
Only now, these hacks were all going to report that he had a girlfriend.
Freaking great.
“Okay, that’s enough.” Tom shoved Theo behind him. Once someone mentioned Luke and Lexi, Tom’s protective instincts kicked in. “You have all you need to know. Let us through.”
Theo chugged along behind Tom, not liking someone sticking up for him. That was for rich people like Luke and the other Hart brothers who owned the hotel.
Back at the limo, Theo stared down at the open door, refusing to get in.
“Sir?” Tom said, his hand resting on his shoulder.
“I’m a filthy mess.” He glanced down at the button-down shirt and dark jeans he’d put for happy hour.
Now he was covered in grease and soot reminding him of the orange and yellow flickering coils sending plumes of smoke everywhere. Those flames were tipped in black from the fuel still in the bus’s engine. The smoke had been choking, but he pushed past it because precious little lives were on the line.
“It’s not a problem, sir,” Tom assured him.
“Why do you keep calling me sir? Tom, you’re a nice guy. But I’m not... I’m not one of the Hart brothers.”
Tom studied him. “You’re Mrs. Hart’s brother. That makes you part of their family as far as I’m concerned. And just as important to me.”
“I’m just a fireman. Not a billionaire.” Had his sister changed since marrying Luke? He didn’t think so. He didn’t see it. “Anyway, maybe I should just get a cab.”
“I have a Sterling credit card to take care of Luke’s limo at my discretion. Gas. Carwashes. Detailing,” he said with a wink. “Sir, please, your sister wants to see you.”
“Fine.” Theo crawled into the limo and folded his arms across his chest so he couldn’t touch anything.
SO MANY PEOPLE WERE outside the hotel when the limo rolled up in front of The Sterling. Looking like honor guards, Luke and his brother, Tristan waited for Theo on the front steps. Lexi waved standing to the left of Luke.
Sabine, Grayson’s fiancé was in the street clearing the way for Tom to park while her brother, Shane kept watch over the CEO and COO. Lexi too, since she was the general counsel, and pregnant. Sabine was the head of security for the hotel with Shane as her second-in-command. Grayson wasn’t part of the welcoming party because he was working on a television show in Toronto.
Lexi grabbed Theo first. “Good grief, I can’t believe that was you we saw on the news.”
Cringing because he probably just ruined her pretty yellow dress from his smoke grime, he eased away. “Already?”
“You’re all over the television,” Luke said, clapping Theo’s shoulder then comically looked for a place to wipe his hand.
“Any word on the kids?” Theo asked.
“Just some scrapes and bruises. They’re all listed as fine,” Sabine chimed in, reading her phone.
“Good.” Feeling relieved, Theo climbed the marble steps into the hotel with a team of Harts surrounding him.
That felt so much more comfortable than those reporters gawking at him and asking personal questions.
No, not all rich people were jerks.
Victoria
“BABIES LOOK GOOD ON you, Tory,” Lily said with a wide, but sneaky smile.
Victoria Holden bounced her nephew, baby Max, on her thighs and crooned with laughter. “Don’t tell my mother that.” Despite all the fashion show activity swirling outside her executive booth behind the runway stage, Tory needed some baby love. “She keeps bugging me to be in a relationship. These past two collections of mine have taken off. I’m too busy to think about a man.”
Liar.
“Am I supposed to produce all the Holden babies?” Her sister-in-law said, looking wonderfully swollen with her darling brother Carter’s second child in the pale blue chiffon dress Victoria had designed when Lily was pregnant with Max.
“Carter is the crown prince. It’s his duty. You have the heir.” She hugged Max, steering his juice box away from her pink sleeveless