Feel the Fire (Hotshots)

by Annabeth Albert

  “Thanks. And sorry about your place—moving sucks enough as it is. Can’t imagine doing it after a loss and injured as well.”

  “Yeah. Next time maybe I’ll pick better.” Luis frowned, making Tucker want to chase his hurts away, tease out another of his smiles instead.

  “Here, let me grab the beer and I’ll show you the patio and what I’ve done with the container garden.” He plucked two beers from the back of the fridge and opened them before leading the way to his favorite spot in the house. He had a padded porch swing flanked by groupings of containers, facing the postage-stamp yard, which sloped precariously upward, and he’d taken advantage of the incline to terrace more plantings up to the tall privacy fence. Leaving the door open so that the breeze would cool down the living area, he motioned for Luis to have a seat.

  However, he hadn’t thought this through enough. Neither twin had the patience for sitting outside with him anymore, so it was mainly his own private thinking space. He didn’t need a lot of seating in an already cramped space. Which meant the two of them sitting side by side on the swing, way too cozy, but claiming a seat on the concrete patio felt like too obvious a retreat. Damn it, why did this have to be so complicated?

  Even keeping to his side of the swing, their shoulders still brushed, electricity zooming down his arms. He’d gone years without feeling this kind of desire, and now he was drowning in it. The wind brought a whiff of Luis’s aftershave, the scent quickly becoming Tucker’s new favorite. Luis took a sip of the beer, and the simple act of him swallowing had Tucker close to groaning.

  “Damn it, Tucker. Quit looking at me like that.”

  “Like what?” Maybe playing dumb would help him.

  “Like you’re dying for me to kiss you.”

  Or not. Luis always had been the more direct of the two of them. “Sorry,” he mumbled into his beer.

  “Sorry? That’s not a denial.” Luis’s laugh was warm and intimate.

  “Can’t lie to you.” That was the truth. He never had been able to keep things from Luis—every secret wish and private transgression had been shared once upon a time, and that kind of trust apparently didn’t evaporate even with years apart. “And you can’t tell me you’re not curious.”

  If Luis was going to be bold enough to bring up the tension that had been simmering between them, then Tucker was damn well going to call him on his share of it. This wasn’t all Tucker’s overheated imagination.

  “I’m curious about lots of bad ideas.” Luis shrugged but his eyes sparkled.

  “I’m not denying it would a big mistake,” Tucker was quick to add even as his pulse sped up.

  “The worst.” Luis held his gaze, those sparkles giving way to scorching heat. Somehow they’d drawn closer, faces mere centimeters apart now.

  “Can’t do it,” he whispered, voice little more than air now, especially once Luis’s hand landed on his shoulder.

  “Nope.” Luis was so close now that his breath was warm on Tucker’s cheek.

  And then they were kissing, simple as that. One second bantering, the next desperately kissing. No preamble, soft exploration, or tentative feeling out. No, this was flat-out hunger, and Tucker couldn’t get enough. Luis used his grip on Tucker’s shoulder to haul him closer. Groaning, Tucker met him partway, clutching at Luis’s biceps as he welcomed in his questing tongue. Damn. Felt like Luis wanted to devour him, his aggression sexy as fuck, and Tucker moaned against his lips, letting him deepen the kiss. He tasted vaguely like cinnamon and beer, but there was also a familiarity there, a flavor that was Luis’s alone that dominated Tucker’s senses.

  “More,” he demanded, pulling Luis until they were well and truly tangled together, chests meeting, hands roving, swing swaying.

  “Yeah, I got you.” Claiming another kiss, Luis went from raw hunger to something more refined, but no less effective at silencing every reason Tucker had for why this was a terrible idea. Indeed, the longer they kissed, the more it seemed like the smartest thing he’d ever done. Initially he’d been content to let Luis drive the kiss, taking in all that sexy assertiveness, but the longer they kissed, the more he met Luis’s frantic energy with his own. He used his tongue to explore the contours of Luis’s full lips and was rewarded with Luis sucking hard when he ventured inside.

  “Damn.” He shivered despite the warmth of the day, desperate to get himself under control, yet loath to stop.

  “So good.” Mouthing along Tucker’s jaw, Luis moved his hands more purposefully, sweeping over Tucker’s back and arms before dancing his fingers along Tucker’s belt. He couldn’t remember his cock ever being this hard, this needy, abs already trembling. Sexual attraction for Tucker usually stemmed from feelings of intense closeness and was rare, making this desire that much more overwhelming. Like he was a teenager again with Luis, his lust was already at a full, raging boil and all they’d done was kiss. And when Luis’s fingers skated closer to his fly, he had to pull back, bat his hand away.

  “Don’t...too close.”

  “Already?” Eyes widening, Luis took on a sly, pleased expression.

  “Been a long time.” Years since he’d felt another’s touch, an omission his body was reminding him about in vivid detail.

  “Too long.” Luis went in for another kiss, this one soft and seductive before he nibbled along Tucker’s neck, doing devious things to his ear.

  “God, keep that up and I might...”

  “Damn, you weren’t kidding about having a hair trigger.” Luis laughed, darkly.

  “Sorry.” Tucker’s face heated even as his body strained toward Luis.

  “Don’t be sorry.” Giving him a fast, hard kiss, Luis returned his hand to Tucker’s waistline. “You want to come, baby? Want me to suck you off, right here? Because that’s all I can think about right now, finally finding out how you taste, what you sound like when you come.”

  “Yeah.” Like he was going to turn that down with his whole body in this feverish state. “Do—”

  “Dad? You home?”

  Walker’s voice carried from inside the house, and Luis instantly slid back to his side of the swing, easy as if they hadn’t just been seconds away from a massive error in judgment. They’d been outside, for Pete’s sake. And still Tucker cursed the interruption. But there was no time for curses, literal or figurative.

  “Out here,” he called right before Walker appeared in the patio doorway.

  “Figured the Forest Service truck out front was you. Oh—you’re not alone. Sorry.” Walker nodded at Luis, who was casually sipping his beer like he hadn’t just been making Tucker sinful promises in between getting intimately reacquainted with his lips and tongue.

  “Walker.” Unlike Mr. Cool and Casual, Tucker had to work for his normal tone. “This is... Luis. My coworker, who—”

  “Was just about to head out. Thanks for the beer, man.” Standing, Luis stretched. “Nice to meet you, Walker. I’ll leave you to your dad.”

  And with that he was gone. Somehow Tucker knew that they could try all they wanted to pretend that kiss hadn’t happened, but it had, and any pretensions they had of pretending to be amicable coworkers was gone. And hell if he could bring himself to regret anything other than Walker’s ill-timed appearance. He wanted more. Wanted to do that again. Soon.

  Chapter Eight

  Luis’s phone buzzed early Sunday morning, and somehow he knew it was Tucker.

  “Sorry to wake you—”

  “It’s okay. I was up,” he lied, but only partially because he’d been half awake, lying there in bed, debating whether to get up and face another boring day off or indulge himself by jerking off and sleeping in. Saturday had been long without the routine of going into the office. He’d reviewed several files from his room, gone for a long walk, and used the weight room at the hotel, but he’d still been restless all day. “Distract me. Please. There’s a fire?”


  He knew even before he asked that this wasn’t a social call. He hadn’t heard from Tucker after he’d sped away from his place Friday, when he’d been saved from his stupidity by Tucker’s kid. God. Apart from all the other reasons why getting involved would be a bad idea, Tucker was a dad. A rather devoted one, who put the kids first before anything else. Luis was still trying to wrap his mind around that, but regardless, a guy like Tucker deserved commitment. Romantic seduction at the very least. Not a semi-public blowjob from a guy destined to leave town.

  So yeah, he knew this was a business call, and he told himself he wasn’t the least bit disappointed over that. Almost believed himself too.

  “Yep. There’s a fire. And early word is that it’s fitting our arson profile. Crack of dawn ignition, small fire size, anonymous tip, no reported lightning or nearby campers. The smoke jumpers were called out, and they seem to have it contained, but I figured you’d want to be on scene ASAP.”

  “You guessed right.” Luis was already out of bed and pulling on pants. “Got directions?”

  “Hang on there. It’s a pretty remote location. You shouldn’t go alone. Also, I’m worried about that little car of yours on the back roads. I’ll pick you up. My SUV will be fine, so no need to switch to an official vehicle.”

  “Okay, okay. Bring on the dadmobile.” He didn’t put up too much of a fight because Tucker sounded like a man with a plan who wasn’t about to be deterred. And Luis did want to be out there quickly. That was all. Couldn’t possibly be that he wanted to see Tucker.

  “Good. I’m already on the way to you.”

  “I’ll feed Blaze, then head down to the front of the hotel.” Sensing food was coming, the cat stretched from the chair where she’d been snoozing but like always she ignored his outstretched hand. No head scratches for her royal highness.

  “Sounds good. I grabbed you a coffee, but you might want some food and water if you’ve got it.”

  “I’m on it.” He stuck two bottles of water and some energy bars in his bag. “And thanks.”

  “No problem. See you soon.”

  Tucker memorizing his preferred coffee order was oddly...touching. Sweet. Different, being taken care of like that when he was usually the one fussing over his—

  Wait. This was not a relationship. Wasn’t even a permanent work relationship. Tucker was simply being considerate. That was all.

  And when Tucker arrived a few minutes later, he was sure to say thanks but kept his tone distant. Professional. Definitely not mentioning that kiss. But then one glance at Tucker sipping his iced drink through a straw, and he was right back to the unwanted lust that had woken him up. Damn but he wanted this man, wanted him eager and begging and—

  Not happening. Be professional. He forced himself to focus on his coffee, which was the perfect temperature and right balance of bitter and smoky flavors. At least Painter’s Ridge had found its way to decent coffee if nothing else.

  For his part, Tucker didn’t seem any more inclined to discuss the kiss than Luis was. They kept the conversation to the fire, checking in with the air base on the status of the operation as they made their way through winding roads. It was a gorgeous Sunday morning in the mountains, blue skies, and soft winds sweeping through the trees and scrubby terrain. Not too hot yet, but the sun overhead said they’d be sweating before too long.

  “Like the other fires, it’s not too far from a hiking trail, but the nearest ranger station doesn’t report any backcountry camping permits,” Tucker explained as they drove. “It’s a long, challenging trail for experienced hikers, but we’ll only have a couple of miles to hike in from the closest access road. You wore your boots?”

  “Yup. Gear in my bag too.”

  “Good. We’ll need it.” Tucker navigated the access road to a clearing where several other vehicles were already parked.

  They got situated with hard hats and other gear while one of the smoke jumper supervisors brought them up to speed on what had been happening. Nearby, exhausted-looking jumpers who’d carted their heavy equipment out from the site were hydrating and tending to their packs.

  “The fire was contained by our initial team, but we’re still on the lookout for hot spots,” the supervisor explained as the wind ruffled her short hair. “We’ve got a small mop-up crew in now.”

  After the update, they started the hike to the site. The air was heavy with the scent of charred wood, smoke lingering despite the fact that the blaze was out. But he was well used to the smell of smoke. Harder to take was the growing tension between him and Tucker. They were alone on the walk, no fire updates or navigation to distract them, and the memory of that kiss seared his brain. Forget hot spots in the woods. His body was a mess of flare-ups every time their eyes met.

  Finally, he couldn’t stand it any longer. “So...about Friday night?”

  Tucker predictably groaned and slowed down his brisk pace. “Do we really need to talk about it?”

  “Are you wanting to pretend it didn’t happen?” That had been his personal approach all weekend, but now he wasn’t so sure, didn’t know if he wanted Tucker to so easily dismiss everything simmering between them.

  “No. Couldn’t even if I wanted to, which I don’t.”

  “Good.” Damn it. He wasn’t supposed to feel relief over that. “It...was okay?”

  Tucker laughed, deep and hearty, sound echoing. “You wanting compliments on your technique? Something tells me you already know you’re a damn good kisser.”

  “Thanks. I meant more... I didn’t take advantage?” That was the other question that had plagued him the past two days. He wasn’t exactly sure what Tucker’s boundaries were. Kissing him had been like pounding shots, a heady burn that pushed out good sense. “I’d hate to push you into something.”

  “You didn’t push.” Tucker frowned as he navigated a rocky outcropping. The terrain was getting steeper, not unlike this conversation. “I was right there with you.”

  “I noticed.” And how. Tucker’s active participation and needy sounds had been on constant replay in Luis’s overheated thoughts all weekend. “I more meant...”

  “The demisexual thing?”

  “Yeah.” Luis had had his share of boyfriends and casual partners, but no one who’d identified as demi or ace. He wanted to be careful to not misstep or misread Tucker’s signals.

  “It’s...hard to explain.” Adjusting his backpack, Tucker surveyed the terrain, lowering his voice despite their isolation. “It’s not that I dislike sex at all, but I can go long stretches without it. Then along comes someone I connect with, and it’s like a furnace turning on. It’s all about deep, emotional connection for me, I guess. And there’s your compliment for you. Not saying that you’ve got like some sort of magic touch, but there’s...something there.”

  “Yeah, there is.” Luis couldn’t deny it, same as he couldn’t deny the thrill coursing through him at Tucker’s words. He liked being different for him. Special. And there was a connection, one that seemed to go beyond their shared past even. He’d be attracted to Tucker even if they didn’t have that—he was competent and funny and sexy as fuck. He was Luis’s type and the past simply underscored that fact. “But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit it would be easier if there weren’t.”

  “Amen to that.” Tucker nimbly climbed past more rocks.

  The rugged terrain reminded Luis of some of the more challenging wildfires he’d been a part of, the delicate balance between wanting to reach a spot quickly and not wanting to lose his footing. And it was similar to how he felt about Tucker right then too.

  “We probably should avoid more...entanglements. I don’t want to lead you on.”

  “Entanglements? It was a kiss. Not a marriage proposal.” Tucker laughed, but Luis couldn’t join him, couldn’t ignore the way his pulse pounded at the very suggestion. “I don’t have any illusions here—you’re leaving first chance you get, a
nd I know it.”

  “Yeah.” Luis’s voice was weak in a way that had nothing to do with the altitude.

  “But I’m also not ruling out more. Bad idea or not. I want—”

  Voices up ahead made Tucker abruptly stop and they turned their attention back to work and examining the fire site. I’m also not ruling out more. Damn Tucker for that little proclamation, which burrowed under Luis’s skin, made his senses hum even as he forced himself to focus on work and uncovering signs of arson.

  As with the other sites, there were no obvious signs of human intervention—no gas cans or other debris—so he had to look for more subtle calling cards, like a similar seemingly deliberate arrangement of branches near the suspected ignition location. No matches or other ignition device, but he still looked for other physical evidence that they could use to establish a pattern later. This was the sort of puzzle he’d always excelled at, looking for clues, examining how things worked together.

  While he worked, he was cautious, knowing full well that arsonists often hid nearby a fire to see the fire suppression efforts, an added layer of danger even after the immediate fire situation had been handled. His eyes kept scanning the tree line, looking for unusual movements or possible hiding spots. However, the culprit was good, with no obvious missteps that might make apprehension easier. But Luis was determined. He’d get them, one way or another.

  Between his own investigation and questions from the personnel on site, he kept busy but not so busy that he forgot about his unfinished conversation with Tucker. However, they weren’t alone on the trek back to the parking area. Surrounded by sweaty, sooty workers climbing over rocks and scampering down the trail was hardly the place for even thinking about kissing let alone a serious talk.

  “Damn. That was a trek.” Back at the SUV, Tucker removed his hard hat and wiped off his forehead with a bandanna from his pocket. “I’m going to need a shower as soon as I’m home.”