by K. C. Crowne
“Yes, yes,” he groaned, pulling me down hard against him.
“Come inside me, please,” I said, still in the throes of my orgasm. “Oh God, yes, come inside me.”
Jason's cock throbbed and pulsed inside of me, as he blew his load , filling me up even more. He gasped and groaned as he filled me with his seed. Eventually, I collapsed on top of him, and after a minute, I found I couldn't stop laughing.
“What's so funny?” he asked, sounding almost offended.
“Nothing. I'm just happy,” I said.
He pushed the hair back from my face and kissed me gently.
“Good. Because you deserve to be happy, Mallory,” he said softly and sincerely. “You deserve whatever the hell you want in this world.”
“I have what I want already,” I said, resting my head against his chest as I reached out for Chris's hands. “I have all I'll ever want in these two rooms.”
Though I'd loved them as long as I'd known them, I never thought we could have something between us. Not in that way. It seemed too messy and too complicated. It seemed a path fraught with peril and one doomed to failure.
The risk of blowing apart our makeshift little family wasn't worth it. I much preferred having my boys in my life forever than have them for one night and have everything go south after that.
This was all so unexpected. The idea that I could be with all of them and they could be with me. That I belonged to all of them and all of them belonged to me. If I stopped to think about it, it could be a little scary. A little overwhelming.
Something about it though felt so natural though. Others might look askance at our little family, at our relationship, but what others thought didn't matter to me. What mattered to me was how my boys and I thought and felt about each other – and we all loved each other deeply and intensely. Our relationship was both physically, but emotionally satisfying. It was rich, deep, and complex – and it was absolutely perfect.
Epilogue
Chris
With Julia, I thought I knew what love was. I was willing to do anything for her, including breaking the law. She'd had me all twisted up inside and wrapped around her little finger. All because I'd mistaken a strong infatuation with love. I wanted so badly to find someone who accepted me as I was. Somebody who loved me for me and wanted to be with me. With Julia, I'd ignored all the red flags that were flapping in the wind before my very eyes.
Not anymore.
Mallory had been the one for me from the beginning, and I knew it. Of course, my best friends felt the same way about her. For all of us, Mallory was the ideal woman. She was the second half of all of us. The missing piece in the puzzle of our hearts.
The trouble was, there was only one of her and four of us. It could be awkward, and some groups of friends might tear themselves apart, all of them fighting to be the chosen one – but not us. No, we had decided that we wouldn't do that. We'd respect what we had, take care of each other, and love Mallory from a distance – even though the idea of her loving another killed us all.
Except, of course, now that she'd admitted to loving all of us, it didn't really seem to matter. I never had to stop and question whether she loved me or not. I just knew. Even though she might dote on Jason, or spend the night with Liam and Seth, I never for a second doubted her devotion to me as well. There was some comfort in knowing exactly how somebody felt about you, and where you stood with them.
We were a family, and there was no tearing us apart. Ever.
The five of us bought a house together, just outside of San Diego. All five of us, together at last. Just like those halcyon days back in Afghanistan – with a lot less shooting, explosions, and death, obviously.
The house was big, and it was nice. Of course, we had a pool in the backyard for those times we had an urge to go skinny dipping late into the night – just like old times. More than that though, there was room to grow.
Mallory was lounging in our backyard, in a tiny little pink bikini. She wore dark shades over her eyes, and a big, floppy hat to block the sun out completely. Her lithe, pale body was dotted with freckles, and her red hair had grown out just a bit. It was no longer a short bob but was now shoulder length and wavy. Her hands rested on her growing belly. God, she was so beautiful, I still couldn't believe she was mine.
Ours.
I walked out to the back porch and stared at her for a long time. I couldn't see behind her sunglasses to be sure, but she seemed to be sleeping, so she may not have seen me standing there. I drank my lemonade and reflected on the past year or so. I thought about the crazy circumstances that had brought us all together. Soon, we'd be welcoming a new addition to the family as well. In just a few months’ time, she'd be having our child.
Some might argue that our situation was too bizarre, and too fucked up to bring children into it. Though, I'd disagree strongly with that narrow minded, bigoted assessment. Our son or daughter would have five parents who loved him or her unconditionally, no matter what. Because we all loved one another. We had a bond that no one else could understand. A bond that only comes from fighting side-by-side, by risking your life, by trusting others with your life, and having them trust you with theirs. We had a bond that was forged in fire, and forever unbreakable.
“Are you just gonna stand there gawking at me all morning?” Mallory called out to me.
I laughed, taking another drink from my glass. “Sorry, just admiring the view,” I said. “Why don't you enjoy the view from a closer distance,” she said, removing her sunglasses.
How could I resist? I walked over toward her, and she sat up. I handed her my glass of lemonade, sharing it with her, and sat down beside her.
“You're just in time,” she said, grabbing my hand and placing it on her belly. “The baby is kicking.”
Underneath my palm, I marveled at the feeling of the life growing inside of her. Our child moved beneath her skin, and there was really no other way to put it – it was magical. I might not be the biological father, but I was in love with the child already. I would do anything in my power to give that kid the best life possible. I already loved him or her like my own. Whether or not we shared the same DNA, didn't matter to me. It would be my child every bit as much as it would be the others as well. For that exact reason, we’d decided not to do a paternity test.
“Future Marine right there,” I said, rubbing her belly.
“Or maybe a ballerina,” she said wistfully.
“Hey, you know any girls coming from you will be tough as nails,” I said.
“Who said ballerinas aren't tough? Besides, boys can be dancers too, you know, you sexist pig,” she said, sticking her tongue out at me.
I leaned forward and kissed her lips, my hands getting lost in her hair as I held her close to me.
“You know that I'll support this child no matter what he or she decides to do with their life,” I said.
“I know,” she said, stroking my cheek and staring deep into my eyes. “I know all of you will, and that's why this baby will be the luckiest child in the whole world.”
“Damn right he will be,” I said.
She slapped me playfully. “Or she,” she said.
The sliding glass door to the house opened up, and Jason stepped out, with Seth and Liam not far behind. My moment alone with the love of my life had been cut short, but I didn't mind. I knew that I'd have more time with her later.
The guys are all wearing swim trunks, ready to take a dip on a hot day.
“I'm not sure I'm in the mood for skinny dipping. I feel like a beached whale,” Mallory laughed. “But I'll be happy to watch the four of you get naked.”
“The most beautiful beached whale on the planet,” Seth said.
Mallory flipped him off. “You're supposed to say I look nothing like a beached whale.”
Seth walked over and kissed Mallory on the top of the head. “I'm sorry. You look nothing like a whale, hot stuff. Maybe a small manatee.”
“Fuck you,” she said, laughing and hi
tting him in the arm.
“Yeah, but they're pretty damn cute, don't you think?”
Mallory rolled her eyes and reclined on the lounge chair. With a heavy sigh tinged with laugher, she conceded.
“Fine,” she said. “You guys win.”
“That's a first,” Liam teased.
“What is?” she asked.
“That you let us win at anything.”
Mallory tossed her flip-flop at Liam, narrowly missing him as he ducked out of the way just in time as we all laughed heartily. Most days were like that now, and I couldn't have possibly been happier. We were all together again. All of us hooligans, and there was nothing that would tear us apart. Ever.
Book Two - Christmas With Four Firemen
1
Sarah
Move aside people. The big dogs are here.
Stepping out of the truck, we were met with booming gusts of hot wind, smoke, and ash hitting us in the face.
The warehouse had been abandoned, thankfully, so there wouldn't be anybody who needed to be rescued or a family who would be put out right before Christmas.
It seemed like a pretty straight forward call. All we had to do was put the damn thing out and get back to the station.
Except, I knew from all my years working with fires, nothing was ever that easy.
It was a small structure fire, and no other buildings were being threatened. By the looks of the rundown old warehouse, I assumed it was probably already slated for demolition.
The response to the blaze wasn't tremendous, as it was just our small crew. Though, I knew damn well we would be more than enough.
A crowd of people swarmed around the building, fascinated by watching this derelict old building burn. I never understood the interest, but there were at least two dozen of them crowding around. There were also several reporters with entire film crews. The bystanders were using their phones to tape the destruction.
Making things even more hectic, was the fact that a nearby school had just let out for the day, and children were walking home – a throng of them stopping to stare at the scene with wide, scared eyes. It was like a car crash, they were frightened, but not scared enough to look away.
A little boy who couldn't have been more than twelve shouted, “Cool!” as he rushed toward the fire truck.
Austin grabbed him by the arm and knelt down. I couldn't make out what he was saying, but it ended with a pat on the head and the boy walking back to the sidewalk looking thoroughly abashed.
A few police cruisers rolled in, and quickly started to string up tape to keep the crowds back – much to their disappointment. Despite the police presence, a few of them still tried to sneak in under the tape to get closer to the action.
“Owen!” Austin called out. “Crowd control, please.”
“What the fuck, man?” Owen called back to Austin.
I cringed and looked over at Luke, all geared up and ready to enter the building. Luke shook his head, neither one of us had to say what we were thinking. There were more important things to worry about than Owen's hurt feelings.
I put the mask over my face, and oxygen immediately started to flow through, pushing out the horrible stench of burning wood from the building.
“You heard me,” Austin said. “Make sure no one steps off the sidewalk or comes under that tape. Help the cops keep them back, man.”
“Why me?” Owen said.
“Because you're the low man on the totem pole. You have less experience. That's the price you pay for being the newbie. Now, go,” Austin demanded.
“Fucking newbie,” Wes muttered under his breath, as he climbed out of the back of the truck.
Owen started to argue some more, but Luke and I were already moving toward the building and were out of hearing distance. The fire was growing larger as Owen continued to sulk over his assignment. Someone had to get the job done. Wes, Luke, and I walked toward the building, and I marveled at just how engulfed it was. Austin wasn't far behind us, and I didn't bother to look back and see if Owen was there. I knew better. Austin was in charge, and Owen might not like it, but he knew he had to listen.
Even before stepping into the flaming building, I was already sweating like crazy inside my suit – and I knew it was going to be even hotter inside the warehouse. Waves of smoke washed over us as we stepped inside the building, making it impossible to see. It was dark inside, and we couldn't hear ourselves think over the sound of our breathing apparatus and the cracking of the fire burning around us.
With our thermal imaging camera, we could see the source of the fire and the heat signatures of those around us, but that was it. The smoke made it hard to see anything else, and the roaring of the fire around us made it hard to hear.
Not many people realized just how loud it was inside a burning building, or how the fire seemed to actually growl – as if it had a life and voice of its own.
You usually have to shout to be heard.
In addition to everything else, we heard the sharp crack of wood as ceiling beams gave out above us. The flames crackled as they grew larger, spreading through the building, eating everything in their path.
You couldn't see a foot in front of your damn face, thanks to the dark, billowing smoke. There was a faint, orange glow in the distance that served as our guiding light. Austin and Luke carried the hose, with Austin primarily leading the way. He was the Captain and the man in charge – and only the big man in charge gets to handle the nozzle. Luke was second in command of our unit. He was Austin's right hand man and was always by his side.
Wes walked ahead of me, and I could only see his heat signature as he moved through the warehouse. Both of us knew what we were doing, what we were looking for. He and I were a team; we worked together often. Austin and Luke were always side-by-side, while Wes and I worked together as one. We didn't even have to speak most of the time, we just knew what to do while together. It was another reason Owen had a harder time fitting in. We were all paired up, a group of people who'd worked together so long, the newbie was the odd man out most of the time. It would take time, but he'd get there.
“Fire looks to be contained to the first floor so far,” Wes's voice sounded tinny, as it came in through my ear phones “Should be an easy one to knock down.”
He was most likely right. We’d seen many uglier fires than this one.
Austin had said something to Wes, as he and Luke moved toward the fire. I was distracted by a sound behind me. It sounded like someone was crying. I was closest to the sound, and instantly, I turned and looked for a heat signature. In the distance, I saw it. There was someone else in here with us. Dammit.
“There's someone by the entrance. On the floor, from the looks of it,” I said. I was already headed in that direction.
“There's not supposed to be anyone here, the building is abandoned,” Luke said.
“Sarah, will you check it out?” Austin asked.
“Already on it, chief,” I said.
Unable to see an inch in front of my face, I moved forward toward the heat signature, running my hands along the crumbling wall. All I felt through the thick fire-retardant gloves I was wearing was the sweat on my palms that matched the sweat rolling down my body, and the unrelenting heat around us. I felt like the heat was melting my suit to my skin.
A loud whooshing sound reverberated through the warehouse, and the smoke started to shift from black to gray – they were getting the fire knocked down quickly – though, it was still thick enough that I couldn't see clearly.
A powerful stream of water shot out of the hose, and I heard the sound of the drops hitting my suit as I moved. Luke and Austin couldn't have been too far away from where I was – which meant, that the fire probably wasn't either. I was still feeling my way along the wall, shuffling my feet to avoid tripping. Walking in blindly to a building like this, you never knew what you might run into - literally. My focus was on the person - or maybe even an animal, it could be hard to tell. Nothing else mattered in that moment but g
etting them out of here. I didn't know where I was in relation to the others anymore. All of the sudden though, there was nothing but silence filling the air inside the warehouse. It was like somebody had hit a cosmic mute button and dropped the world around us into a pure vacuum of noise. The only thing I could hear was the oxygen tank breathing life into my lungs. There was also no sobbing, no more cries. My heart raced.
Silence always comes after the fire is extinguished. It was a good thing. It was what we wanted to hear. Still, I was sure that there was someone in the building that needed my help. And I had to find them. If they’d taken in too many lungfuls of smoke, I had only a few minutes to get them out and into medical care before they suffocated.
The smoke also got thicker as the fire went out, blocking out the heat signature in my device, making it harder to see the person that needed help.
My heart raced as I continued making my way through the warehouse, hoping to quickly find the person who'd been making the sound.
“Hello?” I called out, hoping for some type of answer. “Fire department, call out. Do you need help?”
A cry caught my attention. I strained my ears and tried to follow in the direction it was coming from. It was still faint but was definitely there.
“Keep talking to me,” I said. “Keep making noise so I can find you. It's alright, the fire is out now. You're safe. We're going to get you out of here.”
The fire may have been out, but the thick clouds of smoke were still toxic and dangerous.
“Stay close to the ground,” I urged. “Try to cover your mouth and nose with your shirt as best as you can.”
I scanned the room. Thick layers of smoke saturating the air was all I could see, at first. Then I hit something, a corner. I pushed myself around the corner and looked down at the thermal imaging device in my hand. It cut through the smoke and allowed me to see the heat signature again, in the shape of a person close to the ground.