Feel the Fire (Hotshots)

by Annabeth Albert

  “Well, then by all means. Let’s skip dishes for now, and see how much enjoyment we can squeeze in before we’re late.”

  “You’re on.” He knew better, he truly did, but he couldn’t quite seem to tamp down his suddenly rejuvenated inner optimist whispering, maybe...

  Chapter Seventeen

  “There. See? Not late.” Luis was all smiles as he exited Tucker’s SUV at headquarters. Tucker wasn’t quite as merry as him, but he had to admit that his own mood was rather good, thanks to a long, steamy shower and mad-dash race of dressing and driving to work. He’d parked in the back of the lot, and he wasn’t too worried about being seen arriving with Luis—plenty of other people had carpooled due to the fire and shortage of department vehicles.

  “Yup.” His body was still humming with the aftereffects from the shower as they walked toward the building. They’d kissed and kissed, stroking each other off like they had decades, not minutes, and when he’d finally climaxed, his knees had barely held him with the force of the pleasure. “Back to the grind now.”

  No more flirting, no more tender glances, and definitely no touching. For a few hours at least. “You want to come over tonight? Boys are probably both at Heidi’s. You could see to Blaze, come over later...”

  Luis’s mouth quirked like he was thinking about turning Tucker down, his eyes distant but thoughtful. “Maybe.”

  “You were the one who said we should make the most of the time we have.” He didn’t want to have to beg, but he also wasn’t squandering another opportunity to spend off-duty time together.

  “Yeah. Good point. But—”

  “Tucker! And Luis! Glad you made it in.” Christine came up the sidewalk from the other direction. “Fred wants an admin meeting in ten.”

  “Got it.” Tucker nodded, back tensing because somehow he knew Luis wasn’t going to finish his thought even once Christine moved on. He’d undoubtedly wanted to remind them both how much parting was going to hurt and how they were in over their heads. Which Tucker knew. He knew and he still wanted.

  Tonight, he mouthed at Luis right before they entered the building. Hesitating, Luis held his gaze for a second, then gave a subtle nod.

  Good. At least Tucker had that to look forward to. The meeting ended up being a long debriefing of the fire management efforts, and his mind started to wander, but then he perked up as the talk turned to the arson investigation.

  “Rivera, you seem convinced that this fire was connected to our arsonist. You want to explain your theory?” Fred leaned back in his chair in the conference room.

  “Happy to.” Luis in professional mode never failed to inspire Tucker. “First, the hiking trails link the fires. They’re all backcountry trails, designed for experienced hikers, so this is a fit individual, but they’re cautious too. Ignition is less than half a mile from a trail in most of the cases. And the fires are slow starters without outside fuels as far as we can tell—no gasoline or other accelerants like that.”

  “I’m still not convinced that this fire is connected to the others,” Adams interrupted, tone more curious than accusatory.

  “Yes, most have stayed contained with early response, which leads me to think that this weekend’s fire was something of a fluke. The code red conditions took the arsonist’s signature small fire and led to a larger-scale event, but I still think it’s connected.”

  “So it’s an experienced hiker, good at traditional fire starting, not some kids with a gas can?” Garrick asked. “That describes half the county, though, in terms of fitness levels and abilities.”

  “Well, yes, but the investigation has other ways of narrowing in on suspects. Since arsonists often have a connection to the fire community, I’ve been working with both the air base and the rural fire stations, looking at disgruntled former employees and candidates. I’ve also been working with the law enforcement authorities on building a profile of the arsonist based on the specific fire characteristics. I’m pretty confident our forensic evidence will help lead to a conviction.”

  Tucker had known Luis was working on all this but was still impressed nonetheless. It was one thing to get to spend time alone with Luis, reconnect with him on a personal level, and another to admire the professional he’d become.

  “Will you have to come back to testify if there’s a trial?” Christine looked up from the notes she’d been taking.

  “Yes, that’s likely.” Luis gave a quick nod, never even glancing in Tucker’s direction.

  Come back. Tucker hadn’t thought that far ahead with the arson investigation. If Luis had to come back, maybe this didn’t have to end like Tucker feared. And if he came back once, perhaps there was a chance...

  Tucker knew better than to let himself get bolstered by such thoughts, yet there he was, spinning fantasies for the fall out of nothing more than the possibility of a professional obligation. It spoke how desperate his brain was for any evidence that this thing between them wasn’t headed for a mighty crash.

  He tried to get his head back to worrying about the arson investigation for the remainder of the meeting. Luis was headed out to the field to meet with mop-up crews and others from the investigation. For once Tucker wasn’t asked to take him, and he couldn’t exactly volunteer, not with a stack of his own work to handle.

  Finally, the meeting broke up, and hoping to catch Luis before he left, Tucker hustled to the conference room door. However, Garrick stopped him before he could complete his getaway.

  “Hey, Tucker. Was hoping to catch you. If we don’t get another callout this weekend, Rain and I were thinking of having some folks over, firing up the grill. You busy Saturday?”

  “The boys have SATs in the morning,” he hedged. Assuming Luis was still in town, that along with the boys was his priority, but he couldn’t exactly confess that to Garrick.

  “This would be late afternoon, early evening.” Garrick was undeterred, wide, easy smile firmly in place. “Linc and Jacob, my dad, couple of people Rain works with. Small but fun. Figured we’d ask the new guy too.”

  “The new guy?” Tucker’s pulse sped up. What had Garrick discovered? He’d thought they’d done a good job keeping things purely professional at the office, but maybe not.

  “Yeah, I noticed you guys have been spending a fair bit of time together.”

  Tucker blinked. Garrick’s tone was conversational, but he still felt called out and had no clue how to respond. “Uh...”

  “He’s been working most closely with you, right?” Garrick pressed, and okay, maybe he did simply mean his observation on a professional level.

  “Yeah, guess so,” he said carefully.

  “If you come, it’ll give him someone to talk to. But I know firsthand from smoke-jumping assignments out of the area how boring a weekend in a new place can be when there’s no emergency. He might jump at the chance to socialize, eat some home cooking.”

  “Yeah.” Tucker couldn’t argue with that. And that whisper of maybe he’d had during the meeting was back. Maybe if Luis saw that times had changed some in the area, that other same-sex couples were living and thriving here, maybe then he might look more forward if he had—or wanted—to come back.

  “So how about it? Think you can come?” Stretching, Garrick leaned back in his wheelchair.

  “Let me make sure the boys don’t need me that evening, and I’ll see. And...uh...yeah, ask Luis. Good idea.” He glanced back at the now-empty conference room.

  “Tucker?” Garrick tilted his head and lowered his voice.

  “Yeah?”

  “You do know that it wouldn’t bug me if you were...social with anyone, right?” Holding Tucker’s gaze, Garrick kept his expression neutral, but sincere as he echoed back Tucker’s own word for dancing around Garrick’s relationship with Rain last year. They were friends, more so now that they worked together daily, and he knew he could trust him.

  “I kn
ow. And I appreciate that.” This wasn’t like coming out to his family—Garrick would be supportive, and it was entirely possible he or Rain had already guessed something. Tucker was still somewhat reluctant to be openly dating a coworker, but if it meant Luis being more comfortable around here, he would at least consider taking that step for him. “If my kids don’t need me, I’ll try to come. Let me know what I can bring.”

  “It’s the SATs. They’re going to want to come home and collapse. And then because they’re seventeen, they’re going to recover enough to go out with their friends that night.” Garrick laughed, but his eyes remained serious, trying to reassure Tucker about his earlier comments, making Tucker even more grateful for his friendship.

  “True. And thanks again. I owe you.”

  “I’m the one who owes you. All those rides last year. You’ve saved my ass more than once too. You ever need...anything, my door’s open.”

  “Appreciated.” He was saved from more conversation by a stream of coworkers exiting another conference room further down the hall. But no one, not even Garrick, was going to be able to save him from his own churning thoughts, from the glimmer of hope competing with the growing sense of doom, the little voice that kept telling him to try. If last night had shown him anything, it was that what they had was worth fighting for.

  * * *

  “You want us to go where?” Luis turned to face Tucker, stomach pleasantly full of the grilled cheese Tucker had plied him with. They were nominally reclined on his couch to watch TV, but neither were in a hurry to find a show. Instead, Luis had been enjoying the rub of their shoulders and legs and some lazy conversation while they watched Blaze explore. Feeling bad for leaving the cat so much, not that she particularly seemed to care, he’d packed her and some supplies up for the drive to Tucker’s. She’d been her usual good traveler and aloof self upon arrival, and watching her stalk around Tucker’s living room was fun. But then Tucker had dropped this invite. “A party?”

  “You don’t have to sound so shocked that I might have a social life.” Tucker stared right back, expression as unflappable as Blaze’s, tone mild. “Garrick’s a great guy. You should remember him from school. Didn’t exactly run with your and Heidi’s theater friends, but he’s a real one.”

  “Yeah, I remember him a little, and he’s fine to work with. Not complaining about him, just surprised.”

  “Well, how about making it a pleasant kind of surprised?” Tucker suggested, bumping shoulders with him. “And his guy, Rain, is nice. Helpful. Garrick pretty much thinks he manufactures the sunrise every morning, and I have a feeling this get-together is both to keep Rain from missing his Portland contacts and because Garrick seems to think you might be bored. He’s worried you have nothing to do with your evenings.”

  “Not a thing. Poor me.” Giving Tucker a meaningful look, he ran a bare foot up Tucker’s jeans-covered calf. “And that’s kind of my point. It’s one thing to keep professional at work, but in a social situation...it’s highly likely that someone will guess we’re more than coworkers.”

  “Maybe let them.” Tucker gave a maddeningly casual shrug. “Garrick’s not a gossip, and I doubt any of his friends are either, but it’s not like we’re breaking any regs or that I’m your supervisor. So we’re...social. People can deal.”

  “Tucker...” Luis struggled with how to respond. On the one hand, Tucker had come thousands of miles from the shy kid who didn’t want anyone knowing he held Luis’s hand in public. On the other, though, Luis felt oddly protective of him. “If you come out to work contacts, you can’t take that back. Even after I’m gone, you’ll still be out. I don’t want you regretting that.”

  “It’s not like I’m deeply closeted. I’m not sixteen anymore, afraid my parents will disown me. The kids know and seem to like you.” Tucker squeezed his hand. “That matters more to me than who might guess at work. I mean I’m not suggesting we start kissing in the break room, but I’ll be fine. And I thought it might be fun for you, getting out of your hotel room.”

  “Yeah, it might be. But I don’t want you thinking I need this.” Across the room, Blaze coolly regarded him from her perch on Tucker’s built-in bookshelf. She knew Luis was lying a little—he had been bored prior to spending more time with Tucker, and he did generally prefer getting out over staying in with the royal feline pain in the butt, but he also wasn’t going to let Tucker make a choice he’d later regret.

  “I don’t.” Tucker sounded confident, but Luis wasn’t sure he believed him. “And I think it will be fun. Don’t make me use my superior powers of persuasion.”

  “Oh? And what might those be?” Despite his misgivings, Luis let himself drift back into the flirty place they’d been in since his arrival. The boys were gone, deep in some gaming tournament at Heidi’s, so it was only the two of them. Tucker had had food waiting for Luis, and it was nice, being taken care of. And Tucker in a seductive mood was new and fun and very welcome.

  “This.” Leaning in, Tucker gave him a soft kiss, sipping at Luis’s lips, and right when Luis was about to deepen the kiss, he slithered lower, licking Luis’s jaw and neck. He toyed with Luis’s shirt buttons with his nimble fingers. “I want to try something...”

  “To get me to go to the party? I’ll go. You don’t have to blow me to get a yes, promise.” Much as he liked this playful side of Tucker, he didn’t want him feeling obligated to be sexual.

  “Maybe I want to blow you for the same reason I want to go—it’ll be fun and different.” Venturing lower, he plucked at Luis’s belt. “At work this afternoon I kept thinking about how you got to taste me, but I haven’t had a chance to do the same yet.”

  “I take being interrupted by fantasies is something uncommon for you?” Laughing, Luis stretched so Tucker could have more access to his clothes. He might want to make certain that Tucker was into this, but once assured, he wasn’t about to turn down his explorations.

  “Yes. Rather. Both annoying in that it made work harder and nice in that it meant I was thinking about you. Weird to miss you even though you were just a few hours away.”

  “I missed you too.” Reaching out, Luis tilted Tucker’s chin up so he could brush another kiss across his mouth. And he had missed him. Being out in the field always relaxed and energized him, reminded him why he loved this line of work so much, but he’d also been weirdly antsy, ready to get back to Tucker and the plans for the evening that he’d initially been reluctant about. Which was silly, really, thinking he could stay away.

  “Good.” Wiggling loose, Tucker finished unbuttoning Luis’s shirt and made quick work of his buckle next.

  “You sure the boys are gone all night?” Luis was all for whatever sexy plan Tucker had in mind but he also didn’t need another awkward interruption.

  “I’m sure. The newest expansion pack for their game just launched. They’ll be lucky to sleep tonight. Tell me if I do this wrong. Porn’s not my usual thing, so I’m afraid I haven’t studied up...”

  “There’s not an exam. Have fun with it. Do what feels good for you, and I promise it’ll feel good for me.”

  “And no teeth. I know that part.” Chuckling, Tucker withdrew Luis’s cock, which was already hard and more than a little interested in this discussion. He jacked it slowly, watching Luis’s eyes the whole time. The way he used eye contact as another point of connection was rapidly becoming a favorite turn-on for Luis.

  Tucker stretched out next to him, head resting on Luis’s thigh while Luis sat in the corner of the couch. “God bless your extra big couch.”

  “Uh-huh. Busy.” Tucker tentatively licked at the shaft, little flicks that sent sparks zipping up Luis’s spine.

  “Feels good, especially on the underside,” he encouraged.

  Tucker took the hint, focusing his attention there, more licking and openmouthed kisses and more driving Luis out of his mind with want. He was determined to let Tucker set the pace, figure o
ut what he enjoyed doing, but all that patience might do him in. However, Tucker was a fast study, quickly figuring out how to use his hand on the base while his mouth did devilish things.

  “See? This is fun.” Tucker flicked at Luis’s foreskin with the tip of his tongue. “More to play with.”

  “Glad...to be...fun,” Luis groaned. For someone inexperienced, Tucker was rather intuitive, teasing all around the crown, gently playing with the foreskin. He had Luis on edge, and he hadn’t even really sucked in earnest yet. In fact, his playfulness was almost more of a turn-on than had he shown off deep throating skills. Using his free hand, he stroked Luis’s stomach and chest, which only ramped him up further.

  “Is this good?” Tucker asked before he focused his attention on the frenulum, the bundle of nerves right there on the underside of Luis’s cockhead, which all started singing at the first touch of Tucker’s tongue.

  “And how. I can come if you keep that up long enough.”

  “Really?” Tucker smiled widely before doubling down on the motion, using his thumb along the shaft for added friction that had Luis groaning.

  “Oh, you like that idea, don’t you?” Luis somehow still had the power of complete sentences, but it was a near thing, his breath coming faster now. “Want to get me off?”

  “Yes. Please.” The breathy please turned Luis’s pleasure dial up even further, especially when Tucker started alternating the licking and flicking with shallow sucks, little bobs of his head to meet his stroking hand. Already, he knew exactly how firmly Luis liked to be held, how fast to jack him to get him close without letting him tumble over.