Marine Firefighter

by M K Dwyer

  With the radio playing softly in the background, the fifteen-minute drive to the restaurant consisted of comfortable silence and stolen glances. She was so excited the date was finally happening, she was afraid to ruin it by reverting to single syllable words or unnecessary word-vomit again. After a week of just hearing his voice on the phone, it was nice to actually be with him.

  Preoccupied watching him, she didn’t see where they were until he was parking. She looked up and realized they were at the same restaurant she ordered from the first night he called.

  “Did I mention this place to you?” She was completely dumfounded that out of all the options in San Diego, he would pick her favorite place.

  “No.” He gave her a funny look. “Why?”

  “This place is awesome! It’s literally my favorite restaurant of all time.”

  “Oh.” He looked a little disappointed.

  “What’s wrong?” Now she was nervous.

  “Nothing! I’m glad you like this place. I just hoped I was introducing this little gem to you. It’s my favorite place too. I used to live around the corner and still eat here regularly.”

  “Really? Then, I’m surprised we’ve never run into each other here. Well, maybe you’ll pick a place I’ve never tried for our next date. I must warn you though. I eat out a lot!”

  “‘Our next date’ huh?” He smiled and winked at her.

  “Play your cards right.” She winked back.

  “Oh, I intend to.”

  She shivered involuntarily under the weight of his gaze.

  “Stay there.” He got out of the truck, walked around, opened her door, and offered his hand to help her out of the cab. He offered his arm again as they walked toward the restaurant and opened the door for her when they got there. He was such a gentleman. A girl could get used to this! He’d made reservations and they were seated immediately. She ordered a glass of wine. When the waiter brought the wine to fill her glass, Will asked the waiter to leave the bottle at the table. If he was trying to impress her by not asking how much it cost first, then he succeeded. It was a small thing, but Aiden was always so stingy when it came to things she wanted while he spent recklessly for himself. She supposed if she was going to fall for a guy, he needed to have as few of Aiden’s characteristics as possible. And she was falling for him. Fast.

  They ordered and ate, making small talk, but mostly enjoying the delicious meal. Usually she would need a to-go container, but she ate everything and savored it so maybe the night would never end. He ordered dessert as well for them to share. He said they needed something to munch on, that way it didn’t look like they were just there to finish off the wine. That made her laugh too loud and she got a few looks of disapproval from the neighboring tables.

  “So, truth or dare?” She was inspired by the game that brought them together, as well as the wine.

  “Umm… truth.” He seemed unsure where she was going with it.

  “What turned you on so much when we first met at the pub?”

  “What makes you think I was turned on?”

  “The bulge in your pants.”

  “There was no bulge in my pants.”

  “Yes, there was. I have witnesses.”

  “Those were my keys.”

  “Really? Do you have a large can of mace on your key ring?” She smirked at him.

  “Busted.” He laughed nervously while scratching the back of his neck like he was embarrassed she noticed his erection.

  “I don’t know,” he continued. “It was just you. Your eyes, your lips, your scent. The low-cut shirt you were wearing, and those naughty school teacher glasses didn’t hurt either. Where are those glasses by the way? You’re not wearing them tonight.”

  She laughed. She had a tough time believing what he was saying. No one had ever told her that just looking at her turned them on. Not even Aiden. Gah! She was so tired of thinking about him and comparing everything Will did back to him. She knew Will was absolutely nothing like Aiden, but she just couldn’t help herself. Would she ever be rid of the ghosts in her past?

  “Wait. Are you serious? I turn you on? Just me?”

  “Yes. You sound surprised.” He chuckled.

  “I am. No one has ever said that to me before.”

  “Doesn’t mean they didn’t think it. I’m just the first one bold enough to say it to your beautiful face. But you didn’t answer my question.”

  “What was that?”

  “Where are those glasses?”

  “Oh. Those belong to my friend, Joyce. I just borrowed them.” Crap. She didn’t mean to tell him that part, but he was going to ask, and she was going to tell him the truth.

  “Why?”

  “Because she thought you might like them.”

  “Huh?”

  “We were playing a game, and she sent me over there to seduce you.”

  “Interesting. Was this game, perhaps, Truth or Dare?” He smirked at her.

  Wow. He’s taking this well. “Maybe.”

  “So, what was the dare exactly? Did you win?”

  “I did win. Yes.” Then she took a sip of wine before continuing, “The dare was to get a stranger turned on.”

  “I see. And did she pick me, or did you?”

  “I did.” What did that have to do with anything?

  “I see. I see. And why did you pick me?”

  “Umm…” Nuh-uh. I’m not telling him that.

  “Oh. Come on. I told you why you gave me an erection. What made you pick me? I realize there weren’t a ton of options in the pub on a Wednesday afternoon, but there were a few other guys to choose from. What made me so special?”

  After talking to Will so many times over the phone, she’d gotten over her earlier tongue-tied problem, but it was suddenly back in full force. She wasn’t sure what to say. He was hot. She assumed he was so attractive that he must be accustomed to having random girls trying to seduce him, and she would just be another nameless face in the sea of many once she walked away. Was she bold enough to tell him exactly what was going through her head that day?

  “You’re clearly having an internal struggle right now.” He smiled at her like he thought he knew exactly what she was thinking. “Spit it out. Whatever it is. I promise I won’t be mad, or laugh, or think badly of you, or hold it against you, or anything.”

  “Fine.” She sighed. “I thought you were hot. You were probably the hottest guy there, but honestly, I’m not sure because I don’t even remember the others.” She looked down because she didn’t want to admit the next part, and he stayed silent. “I was really nervous and embarrassed to complete the dare, but I’m no quitter, so I picked the guy that wouldn’t remember me the next day.” He gave her a surprised look, but she kept going. “I’m no God’s-gift-to-men. I figured I wouldn’t succeed at the dare anyway, so I went for the guy that must have all the girls throwing themselves at him. I figured I would just blend in with the crowd of admirers in your mind. No harm. No foul.”

  “Well, thanks. That’s a nice boost to the ego.” He chuckled, and then got serious. “But you’re completely wrong on the second part of your assumption. Plenty of girls have hit on me over the years, especially when I was in uniform, but not a single one of them holds a candle to you.” She rolled her eyes, but he kept going, undeterred. “Even if you hadn’t spoken a word to me that day, I would’ve remembered you. I noticed you the moment I walked in the pub. If I hadn’t run into you at the grocery store, then I would’ve gone back to that pub over and over hoping to cross paths with you again.”

  She sat there, stunned silent. She wasn’t great at taking compliments and every bone in her body was screaming to reject his words, and laugh them off, but the sincerity in his voice held her back.

  “You would’ve?”

  “Yeah. I would’ve.” He quirked his eyebrow. “You ready to get out of here?”

  “Sure.” She was disappointed the date was already over.

  He walked over to her and took her hand as she stood
up. But instead of letting it go once she was on her feet, he kissed the back of her hand, and then placed it in the crook of his elbow to lead her out of the restaurant.

  “I like having you on my arm. I feel like a king with his queen.”

  “Oh?” And we’re back to one-syllable words again. What’s next? Word-vomit? She hoped not. “Well, I like being on your arm. Few people do it these days, but I like it. It makes me feel like the heroine in an old movie. Where did you pick it up?”

  “The military actually. Public displays of affection are frowned upon while in uniform. We couldn’t hold hands with our significant others, but we were able to walk with them on our left arm. The right had to be kept free to salute.”

  “That’s really interesting. It’s amazing all the rules you have to follow that the rest of us are completely unaware of.” The walk from the restaurant to his truck was a short one.

  As he reached for the handle to open her door, he looked down at her with lust in his eyes. A moment passed, and she hoped the heated looks he was giving her meant he was going to kiss her. Afraid he wouldn’t take the opportunity, she went up on her tiptoes a little in invitation, and he understood. He bent down, wrapped both of his strong arms around her and lifted her higher. Their lips met, and their bodies pressed together. His lips were soft, but insistent. His tongue touched her lips and she opened for him. He tasted like wine and chocolate; her two favorite things. He swept in with the same urgency she was feeling, and their tongues fought for dominance. She couldn’t catch her breath, but the kiss was so much better than breathing anyway.

  Whether minutes or hours passed, she wasn’t sure, but she realized they were making out by his truck like a couple of teenagers and she broke the kiss laughing at the sight they must make. Darn it. Mood ruined. She wished she could be the confident girl she once was who wouldn’t have cared who saw them making out or what they thought. Reluctantly pulling away, they stepped back from one another, and she wondered if she had the same swollen lips and dazed eyes that he had.

  “So, how about I take you home?” He successfully opened her door this time.

  “Okay.” She patted herself on the back for the two-syllable word that time. She would like to go home, and she’d like him to come too.

  Chapter Ten

  Will

  They were driving down the road, but his thoughts were still in the restaurant parking lot. He knew finally kissing her would be amazing, but that was the best kiss of his life even if it was a little shorter than he would’ve liked. He got the feeling that she was uncomfortable with public displays of affection. He already had trouble keeping his hands and lips off of her, and he would never push for something she truly didn’t want to do. But if it was a confidence issue, he would gladly remind her how beautiful and amazing and sexy she was, so they could make out for the whole world to see.

  Going a little too fast, he was in a rush to get to her house. Will she invite me in when we get there? Will I get a goodnight kiss? He would be happy just to shake her hand, but the anticipation of not knowing how she wanted to end the night was killing him.

  He parked the truck, turned off the ignition and jumped out with an extra spring in his step. Excited, he practically skipped to her door. When he took her hand to help her out, he felt a spark that travelled from her to him. They both laughed as she stood up and came into his arms.

  “Was that friction or is there something electric between us?”

  “That was cheesy.” She smirked. “Good thing I like cheesy.”

  “Yes. It’s a good thing indeed because there’s a lot more where that came from.” He laughed and smiled down at her. He could certainly let his corny flag fly. It was refreshing to be with a girl who didn’t roll her eyes at everything corny he said.

  They stood there embracing for a minute just staring into each other’s eyes. He leaned in and dropped his head towards hers. Closing the distance, she pressed her lips to his. What started out as a sweet goodnight kiss, quickly turned passionate and heady. She tasted sweet and smelled sweeter. Her scent had driven him crazy all night, and every time she’d come close he’d nearly lost his mind.

  Her hands started inching up from his chest to his shoulders and then into his hair. The things she was doing with her fingers. Scratching his scalp. Lightly pulling his hair. It was all he could do to keep from throwing her into the back seat of his truck and showing her how much he loved her talented roaming fingers. But he wanted their first time to be on a luxurious bed preferably surrounded by candles and rose petals because that’s what she deserved. Even his thoughts were corny sometimes. He settled for moving his hands down below her backside and lifting her a little, so she could feel how much she affected him.

  She pulled back, looked up at him and said something, but he was so busy looking at her swollen just-kissed lips that he completely missed her question.

  “What?”

  “The night is still young. Do you want to come in, or are we going to make out by your truck all night?”

  “I’d love to come in.”

  “Okay.”

  “Lead the way.”

  She pulled the keys to the gate out of her purse, but she was shaking so much, she could hardly put the key in the lock.

  He reached out to steady her hand, so she could unlock the gate. He had to do the same when they reached her front door.

  “Are you nervous?” They walked into her condo and stopped in the entryway.

  “No! Don’t be silly.” She shut the door but took her time turning back to face him and wouldn’t look him in the eyes.

  He gave her a look she didn’t see. He didn’t believe her one bit.

  “Okay. Maybe a little,” she said sheepishly. “Reality is hitting me, I guess. I don’t know if I’m ready for…”

  “For what?” He teased her.

  “For… well… you know. For this to go much further… tonight… that is… anyway…”

  She was so adorable when she was nervous. He was beginning to really like that about her. One of the many things. He pulled her close, wrapped his arms around her, and when she looked up at him, he brushed his lips across her forehead.

  “My dear, Nikki. You are the author of this evening. If you want me to give you a chaste kiss and leave right now, that’s exactly what I’ll do.” He kissed her left cheek. “But if you want me to sweep you off your feet, carry you to your bedroom, and have my way with you, I’d be more than happy to oblige your every need or whim.” He kissed her right cheek. “Your choice.” He kissed her lips. First soft, almost hesitant, not sure if she wanted more. Then she deepened the kiss, and so did he.

  He slipped his hands down, gripped her ass and lifted her. Wrapping her legs around him, she moaned into his mouth making his pants even tighter. He walked with her in his arms down the hall and into the room at the end. He didn’t care if it was her room or not. Any bed would do at that point. Candles and rose petals could come next time because there would be a next time.

  Laying her down on the bed, he broke the kiss to step back and take in the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. Sprawled out on the bed, her hair fanned around her, and her dress pushed up so much he could almost see the promised land; he knew he’d never forget that moment for as long as he lived.

  He must have been staring too long. She pushed up on her elbows and asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “Absolutely nothing. Just savoring the moment.”

  He rejoined her on the bed, and as he came over her, she opened her legs for him and put her arms around his neck. He held her head and kissed her gently. First on the lips, then moving down, he kissed her jaw. Then, her neck where the scent of her perfume was strongest. He could’ve stayed there for hours, but he moved down to her collar, her chest, and then, her cleavage. Her dress buttoned down the front, and he placed a hand on the first button. He looked up at her in silent question. She nodded, and he unbuttoned the top one and placed another kiss on her newly exposed skin. With each but
ton undone, he kissed her again, all the way down to her bellybutton. They sat up, and he pushed her dress and cardigan off her shoulders. He was about to undo the clasp on her bra, but she pushed him back.

  Guessing she wanted to stop, he was about to help her put the top of her dress back on, but she pointed at his shirt and said, “No. Your turn.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Staring into her eyes, he untucked and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. He hoped she thought it was a sexy striptease, but really, he needed a moment to convince his dick not to shoot off early and ruin everything. She made him feel like a teenager again with no control over his hormones. Pulling his shirt off, he turned to throw it over a near-by chair and realized too late that he gave her an eyeful of the ugly puckered scar on his right side. If she saw it, he knew she would have questions but was glad she wasn’t grilling him about it in that moment. Nothing would ruin the mood more than reliving his gunshot wound. The scar was a turn on for some women, but it was a turn off for him.

  Satisfied she wasn’t going to bring it up, he came over her again, and that time, she let him unclasp her bra. He pulled the straps down her arms, and he couldn’t help himself, he took one nipple in his mouth and lightly pinched the other one. Then with a nip, he let go and took the other in his mouth. She moaned, grabbed his hand that held her breast, and squeezed. He chuckled with her nipple still in his mouth. She liked rough play on her breasts. Noted.

  He nipped that nipple, and she moaned again. Then, he moved to her lips, shoving his tongue into her mouth with no preamble, and kissing her with a frenzy that he’d never felt with anyone before. He took a breast in each hand, lightly squeezed, and she moaned into his mouth. He squeezed harder, and she moaned louder. He loved hearing that sound and decided to make it his mission to pull it out of her as many times as possible, that night and any night she’d have him.

  “You have the most beautiful breasts, and your moans are making my cock hurt. Please don’t think less of me if I come in my pants like a kid just going through puberty.”

  “On the contrary. Making a big strapping man like you lose control would be pretty flattering.” She smirked.