Burn Me Anthology

by Shantel Tessier

  Testing the water temperature, I step in, still holding her hand. Kinsley follows along behind me and closes the glass door.

  “Wow,” she breathes.

  I feel the same way, but it’s not the shower I’m in awe of. It’s her. She’s so fucking beautiful she takes my breath away. “Come here, you,” I say, tugging her gently into my arms. Her skin is so fucking soft pressed against me. I want my hands all over her. I need to explore her, learn what she likes, what turns her on. It’s my new mission in life to know everything that is Kinsley Spears.

  With one hand on her waist, I use the other to push the wet strands of hair out of her face. “You’ve made a shit day turn to roses,” I tell her honestly.

  “What happened?” she asks quietly.

  I’m not one to talk about the job, but having her here, naked and wet in my arms, I want to tell her. Want to unleash the heaviness in my chest. She grew up with it, so she would understand. “Car wreck,” I say, my voice already thick with emotion. We don’t talk about it at the station either, so this is all new to me. “Three cars. It was fucking terrible, Kins. Fatal.” I swallow the lump in my throat. Squeezing my eyes closed, I try to block out the memories. “An older man with Alzheimer’s somehow got ahold of some keys and decided he needed to go out.”

  “Oh no,” she says softly.

  “He ended up driving the wrong way on the road. Hit a mom and her two girls head-on. The car behind her couldn’t stop and crashed into them as well.” She rests her cheek on my chest, and my heart swells for her. Her arms are wrapped tightly around my waist, giving me comfort. “They didn’t make it, Kins. The older man, and the mom and her two girls, they all died on impact. The third car, the guy was airlifted. He’s in critical condition.”

  I stop there, debating how much more I should tell her, but now that I’m talking, I need to keep going. It’s therapeutic to get it off my chest. “I love what I do. I do. It’s what I’ve always wanted. We have a great fucking team, and I’m proud to be a part of it. I just… I won’t ever be able to forget the scene, you know? It’s one of those things that will always stay with you. It’s not my first, and it damn sure won’t be my last. It takes me a few days to get past it, you know?”

  “I’m so sorry. I’ve never thought about it from that standpoint,” she says, pulling back and looking up at me.

  “Your dad’s my captain,” I say, not understanding how she’s never thought about what we see. What we do.

  “I know, but he was… private, I guess you could say. He never discussed the bad parts of his job with us. All I ever got to hear was if there was an accident or fire and that it was bad. Everything else was spaghetti dinners, car washes, and quarter auctions.” She reaches over and picks up my bodywash and pours some into her hands. She begins to wash my chest as she talks. “My dad knew I hated him leaving us all the time. I can only assume he didn’t want to give me yet another reason to hate his career. I can’t tell you how many Christmas mornings he would get pulled away. We would sometimes wait until the late evening before opening presents, even when I believed in Santa. I wanted my dad there.” She laughs humorlessly. “I sound like such a spoiled drama queen now that I retell it.”

  “No. I get it. I do. We see things, things that would haunt our dreams for eternity if we let them. There is a flip side to that though. We save lives. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve run into a burning building to bring out a family’s loved one. The job, although hard, it’s rewarding.”

  “I’ve never looked at it from that angle. I never really looked past my fear and selfishness to see the bigger picture.”

  She continues to wash my chest, and my cock is hard as steel pressing against her belly. She’s reached my waist, and I stand still, waiting to see what she does next. I suck in a breath when her small hand grips my cock. “Let me help you forget. Rinse,” she says, stepping back, my cock still in her hand, letting the hot water cover my chest.

  I press against the wall and cup her face in my hands. “You already have. Just you being here, that’s enough.”

  She doesn’t say anything as she continues to stroke me. Leaning in, I kiss her slowly, matching the pace of her hands as she explores me for the first time. I want to devour her, press her against this very wall my back rests against and fuck her. I want to leave my mark on her. Ruin her for all other men.

  She pulls away from our kiss and smiles shyly before dropping to her knees. She looks up at me under her lashes, and those big brown eyes tell me she’s nervous. “I don’t really know much about this, but I want to try,” she admits.

  I have to tramp down the fire that burns at the thought of her kneeling like this for another man. I know she’s not a virgin, but fuck if I don’t wish she was. She’s still watching me, waiting for me to tell her it’s okay. “Baby, just the thought of your mouth on me has me ready to blow. You can’t fuck this up, trust me.”

  That’s all the reassurance she needs. Her soft hand grips my cock, and she strokes me. Her eyes watch the show she’s performing. Tentatively, she leans in as if she’s tasting something she’s not sure of, and traces her tongue across the tip. I suck in a breath, which has her pulling back.

  “So good,” I praise her. That’s about the most coherent sentence I can form.

  The corner of her mouth lifts in a small grin, but it soon disappears as she keeps me gripped in her hand and takes another taste. This time she closes her mouth around me, and I fight the urge to blow at the feeling of her hot mouth. That tongue of hers is driving me wild. Hands fisted at my sides, I’m trying like hell to let this be her show. I want her to go at her pace, but fuck, I don’t know if I can. I watch as her head bobs, taking more of me with each pass. When I feel my cock hit the back of her throat, I reach out and grip her hair.

  She stops to look up at me. “Too much?” she asks, as if she’s done something wrong.

  “Fuck, Kinsley, no baby, not too much. I’m so close. Your mouth.”

  She grins again and picks up right where she left off. “Mmm,” she moans, and the vibration does it.

  “Baby, I’m gonna come,” I warn her.

  “Mmm,” she says again, not bothering to stop.

  Unable to hold back, I unload down her throat, and she takes it all. I’m spent. I don’t think I’ve ever come that hard before in my life. When she finally releases me from her mouth, I release my grip on her hair. Taking a deep breath to get my breathing under control, I look down at the beautiful woman before me. She’s all I want in life, her by my side. “Come here.” My voice is gravelly.

  She stands, and there’s a blush coating her cheeks; she’s also avoiding my eyes. “Was that okay?” she asks, as I pull her into my chest and hold her tightly against me.

  “Kinsley, that was… I don’t have the words for what that was. You’ve ruined me. You’re all I want.” My earlier thoughts come tumbling out. I’m too far into this, but I know she’s still skittish. I can’t show my hand just yet, but I vow in this moment, to spend my life having these moments with her.

  She looks up at me, her eyes finally meeting mine. “I don’t know if I can do this, Brant. These past couple of days being with you, it’s more than I ever expected but everything I ever wanted, but I swore I would never have that life.”

  “One day at a time,” I assure her. “We take it one day at a time, but I need you to know those days are infinite for me. I’ll show you, that my career is just that, but you, you’re mine. I’ll do everything in my power to make you see that. Sure, there are going to be times I get called away, but baby, what I do, it’s important.” She shivers, and I realize the water is cooling down. “Let’s get you dried off,” I say, reaching behind us and turning off the water. Once we’re dry, I lead her to my bed and hold the covers up for her.

  “You’re okay if I stay? I mean, I didn’t want to assume, but I have to work tomorrow so needed my clothes, and I just thought that, you know, being prepared is better,” she rambles on and it’s cute as hell.


  “Kinsley, when it comes to you being here, you don’t need to question if this is where I want you. If I had my way, you would be here every night. So, anytime you want to be where you are right now, you pack a bag, hell, leave some stuff here. I’ll clear out a drawer. I want you anyway and anytime I can get you. You can count on that.”

  She’s quiet, her breathing even, and I think she’s fallen asleep, so I close my eyes, letting the feel of the steady rise and fall of her chest against mine lull me to sleep. That’s when she whispers, “This is where I want to be.”

  Kissing the top of her head, I tighten my hold and fall asleep for the second night in a row with her in my arms.

  Chapter 10

  Kinsley

  It’s been two weeks since the night I took him dinner and spent the night in his arms. Two weeks since I’ve allowed that to happen again. I’m either kicking him out of my bed or rolling out of his, ignoring his disdain that I’m not staying. I’ve wanted nothing more than to remain in his arms, but I’m still on the fence about this. About us. I want him. Of course I do, but I made a promise to myself about not being with a firefighter, and I need to make sure that I’m certain in that. That I’m willing to take Brantley career and all. It sounds crazy even to me, but I need to stay true to myself. My fear is that it’s already too late. I’m in this, regardless of falling asleep in his arms and waking up the same way. He’s sweet and cocky, and he’s so damn hard to resist.

  When I feel strong hands grip my hips, I know it’s him. “I hate that we didn’t come here together,” he grumbles, nipping at my ear.

  I turn to face him. I place my hand on one cheek and kiss the other. “We’re both here now, that’s what matters.”

  “You’re my girl, Kins. I should have brought you here.”

  I look around the room. We’re at the quarterly spaghetti dinner at the firehouse. My parents are sitting at the same table they’ve sat at for more years than I can count. All the firefighters and their families are here as well as more than half the town. Everyone comes out to support our local fire department. “They all know we’re seeing each other,” I remind him.

  He pulls me to his chest and wraps his arms around my waist. “They know you’re more than that, Kinsley. Come on, so do you.” He seems irritated.

  I do know, but I’m still worried I’ll break both of our hearts when reality sets in. The first time he has to miss something, will I still feel the way I do now? “Have you eaten?” I ask, changing the subject.

  He sighs. “No, let’s go get a plate.” He laces his fingers through mine and leads me to the line. After getting our plates, Brantley leads us to the table my parents are sitting at.

  “Hey, you two,” Mom greets us. Dad just gives us a nod.

  “Good turnout,” Brantley tells Dad.

  “Sure is. We’re lucky we have the town’s support. Some stations are not as fortunate.”

  “I agree. To be a paid department in a town our size is impressive.”

  It is impressive and sadly, I’m just now starting to realize how big of a deal it really is.

  “What are you kids getting up to after this?” Mom asks. She’s all smiles, loving that we’re here together, well, as together as I’ve allowed us to be.

  I look over at Brantley; he’s looking at me. “I’m hoping to get some time with my girl,” he answers, not taking his eyes off me. My face heats with embarrassment.

  “Kinsley, you’ve been working so hard with the hotel addition, you deserve a nice night,” Dad comments, pulling my attention away from Brantley.

  He’s right. The hotel is adding a new indoor pool, and I’ve been stressing over making sure everything goes smoothly with minimal disruption to our customers. “Yeah,” I agree, realizing Dad’s watching me, waiting for a reply.

  “That she does.” Brantley reaches under the table and gives my knee a gentle squeeze.

  We finish eating and catch up with my parents. A few of the guys stop by to chat, Shane being one of them. He asked where Anna was. I hated telling him she was on a date. He seemed taken aback by that piece of information. He needs to get with the program if he wants there to be more between them. She doesn’t have the same fears as I do about falling for a firefighter. Of course, she didn’t grow up with one as her father.

  “You ready?” Brantley asks.

  “Yeah, what are we doing exactly?”

  “We’re going to run by your place and get you some clothes, because I know you’ll try to use that as an excuse. Then I’m taking you to my place and we’re locking ourselves inside.”

  What do I say to that? No? Yeah right. No woman in their right mind would deny Brantley Price. I miss being in his arms. We’ve explored each other’s bodies to the point of making teenagers look like saints. I’ve yet to sleep with him, though. It’s not that neither of us wants to. We’ve been close, but I always stop it. I’m fighting my addiction to him now, and there’s that fear that I’ll break both of our hearts. Adding sex, not that what we’ve been doing can’t be categorized as sex, will just deepen those feelings. I’ve never been into casual sex. It means something to me.

  “Okay,” I agree, not that he’s giving me a choice.

  When we get back to my place, Anna is still out on her date. That must mean that things are going well. I check my cell to make sure I haven’t missed any “can you call me for an emergency” text messages. Nothing. That’s a good sign. With tomorrow being Sunday, I grab some clothes and toiletries and throw them in a bag. “Ready,” I tell Brantley, who’s sitting on my bed.

  He nods and stands. The drive to his place is quiet. He’s not his usual chatty, flirty self. I want to ask him if he’s okay, but I know the answer. I’ve been distant. Our relationship is so new and the feelings are so strong, I’ve been fighting it.

  “You’re off tomorrow, right?” I ask, once we’re in the house and cuddled up on the couch.

  “Yeah, I don’t work again until Monday.”

  “So we get tonight and tomorrow together? I mean, do you have plans tomorrow?” I should have asked that first.

  “You.”

  “Me what?” I ask, confused.

  “My plans are you, Kinsley. Wherever you are, whatever you want to do, that’s where I’m going to be.”

  “You don’t—” He stops me by pressing his lips to mine.

  When he finally pulls away, I’m breathless. “No more talking.” Leaning in, he touches his lips against my neck.

  “I think.” I pause, letting the feel of his tongue tracing the length of my neck wash over me. “I think that’s a great idea,” I agree.

  “Not here. I’ll lock up and meet you in the bedroom.” He gives me a chaste kiss on the lips before standing to make his rounds, making sure the door is locked and the lights are off. I watch him. Today he’s wearing a black T-shirt. It’s tight against his muscles. His tattoos are peeking out from under his sleeve. It’s a sight to behold.

  “Baby, when you look at me like that, it takes all the strength I have not to throw you over my shoulder, carry you to my room, and bury myself inside you.”

  My breath hitches. “I’d like that,” I say, before I can think about what I’m doing.

  He growls and stalks toward me. I stand just as he reaches me, and he does just as he promised. Bending at the knees, he presses his shoulder into my stomach and lifts me into the air. Lifting his shirt, I push one hand under the waistband of his shorts and pinch his ass. It’s a nice ass, trust me. I’m rewarded with another growl, that is really half growl and half moan and a smack on my ass. I feel a rush of heat to my core.

  In his bedroom, he slowly slides my body down his. From the look in his eyes, I know what he wants. I can see the want reflecting back at me. Without a word, I lift my arms in the air. Immediately, he pulls my T-shirt over my head and throws it on over his shoulder. With deft fingers, he releases my bra, his calloused hands running gently up and down my back, before he lowers each strap down my arms one at a time, an
d tosses my bra over his shoulder.

  “Fucking perfect,” he rumbles, before his head dips and captures a nipple in his mouth. I can’t stop the moan that escapes my lips. He releases it with a pop before lavishing the other with the same attention: a nip of his teeth and then soothing flicks of his tongue. I could get off from this alone. Brantley Price knows how to use his tongue.

  Releasing me, he stands to his full height and raises his arms over his head. I waste no time tugging his shirt up his toned abs and over his toned shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.

  “Shorts,” he says gruffly. His hands are unbuttoning his, and he quickly pushes them and his black boxer briefs to the floor. My eyes rake over every sculpted inch of him. “Kinsley,” he growls.

  Snapping into action, I make quick work of stripping out of the rest of my clothes. When I look up and find his eyes trained on me, the word “condom” falls from my lips.

  Without a word, he bends down and grabs his wallet, pulling out a little foil packet. He holds it up to show it to me, and before he can toss it on the bed, I’m talking again without thinking. “Me,” I say, holding out my palm.

  His eyes flame with desire as he places the condom in my hand. I drop to my knees and immediately wrap my hand around him, gently stroking. When I run my tongue across the tip, he moans and buries his hands in my hair. Pulling back, I rip open the packet and give all my attention to rolling it over his hard length.

  “Stand up,” he rumbles in his deep voice. I climb to my feet as I’m told. “Wrap those sexy legs around my waist.” I barely have time to register his words when he grips my hips and lifts me. “Tell me what you want, Kinsley?” he rasps.

  His lips trace my neck. His cock is hard and ready at my entrance. “You,” I breathe the words.

  “Tell me, baby. Tell me what you want me to do to you?” He backs us up against his bedroom wall. With one hand under me, the other reaches down and grabs his erection, and he traces it along my pussy.