by Karen Kelley
Damn, she looked hot tonight. There was something different about her. I didn’t think it was the makeup, although she looked damn good wearing it. As I pulled her into my arms onto the dance floor, she melted against me. My hand still held hers. I pulled it against my chest, while my other hand slipped to her back. Her shirt didn’t quite meet the top of her jeans and my hand landed on bare flesh. Yeah, she felt as good as she looked.
Her steps matched mine as we swayed to the beat of the slow country song.
“You look beautiful tonight,” I told her.
She moved slightly away from me and looked up into my eyes. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
Her words were soft, wrapping around me, pulling me closer. It was all I could do to keep from picking her up and carrying her out of the bar.
She leaned in, her words like a whispered caress against my skin, “But I still don’t fuck my co-workers.”
It took a moment for her words to sink in.
“All we’re doing is dancing,” she continued. “I like to dance. That’s all we’re going to be doing.”
I groaned. “That was cold.”
She laughed lightly. “I just thought I would get it all out in the open. I didn’t want you to get your hopes up.”
“You have some crazy rules.”
“But they’re my rules. Do you know how difficult it would be to work together if we’re sleeping with each other as well?”
“No, and it doesn’t look as if I’m going to find out either.”
She laughed again.
I decided to try a different tactic. “But you know at some point we’re going to fuck.”
She sighed, her breath tickling the side of my face. Shivers of need swept over me.
“Probably.”
I was surprised she’d answered honestly. “Then why deny ourselves?” I leaned back and looked her in the eyes.
“I have things I need to do,” she frowned. “I can’t concentrate if we’re having sex.”
“I thought you said this was your first time coming to Texas. What in the world do you have to do here?”
“This is the first time I’ve been to Texas. I’m looking for information on someone.”
Her expression suddenly turned serious. I sensed this was important to her. “Maybe I can help. Who is he?”
“My father,” her words were soft.
For a moment, I thought I might have misunderstood. “Your father?”
Her body stiffened as she raised her chin and met my gaze. “He was in the state prison in Gatesville. My father was a con man who got caught. They sent him to prison. He tried to con a couple of the other prisoners. They killed him. I assume that’s where he’s buried. I want to visit his grave. There, are you satisfied? My father was a convict.”
I had a feeling she was testing me. Wanting to see what my reaction would be. “When are we leaving?” I asked.
She looked confused for a moment. “We aren’t going anywhere. Didn’t you hear what I just said? My father was a convict. His whole life was a lie.”
She’d probably deny it, but I could feel her pain. “Yes, I heard what you said. I’m still going with you. Sometimes it’s better to have another person along.”
“I don’t need you.”
“I know. When do we leave?”
She clamped her lips together and glared at me. My gaze didn’t waver. Finally, she relaxed in my arms. “Just don’t get in my way.”
“I won’t. Are we going tomorrow?”
For a moment, I thought I saw a trace of fear cross her face before it went blank. “Not yet. Later. Maybe next week. I don’t know for sure.”
“Just let me know. I’ll be there for you.”
Right before she turned her face away, I could see the doubt that she was feeling. Man, her father must’ve really done a number on her. That was probably why she didn’t seem to trust men. It might be a good thing he was dead. I hated users, and apparently that’s what her father had been.
When the dance ended, she stepped out of my arms and started back to her table. I followed. When she was seated, she turned and looked up at me. “Thank you for the dance. I enjoyed it.” She raised the margarita to her lips.
I knew she was effectively dismissing me. Once again, shying away. I turned and went back to my table, joining Wes and Danny. My beer had arrived. I took a long drink of the cold liquid, attempting to put out the fire that Fiera had created inside of me. It didn’t work.
“Fiera looked really good on the dance floor. Damned hot, in fact,” Wes said.
For some reason, Wes’ words made me want to punch him in the face, which was crazy since he was my friend. No, Fiera was making me crazy.
“Off limits?” Danny accurately guessed.
Apparently, I wasn’t good at hiding my emotions. I looked between them. I started to tell them no, but I knew it would be a lie. “Yes, she’s off limits.”
They nodded. Wes raised his beer and took a long drink. “Zoey looks damn good tonight.”
This was at least safer ground. “Why don’t you go ask her to dance?”
He slowly shook his head. “I don’t have the balls. I heard that if you fuck with her, she’ll tear you a new one. I lean more toward ready, willing, and able.” He took another drink of his beer. “Besides, when I first came to work, I was told if I messed with her, I messed with you. I never really wanted to take that chance.”
I thought about his words. “Dancing is okay. Zoey’s like a little sister to me. I don’t want her getting hurt. Most of the jokers at the fire station are out for one thing, and one thing only.”
“You included?” Danny asked. When I turned my gaze on him, he continued, “I mean, think about it, I’m pretty sure you’ve told us more than once that you’re not ready to settle down. If I’m not mistaken, you also said it wasn’t good to get mixed up with your co-workers. Have you changed your mind?”
“No, I haven’t changed my mind.”
Wes was eyeballing a cute little blonde sitting at the bar, but he turned his attention back to me. “Looks like you’ve changed your mind to us.”
When I glared at him, he continued.
“Just keeping it real here. You and Fiera looked kind of hot and heavy for each other on the dance floor.”
I was about to tell him I hadn’t change my mind, when I watched Fiera go out on the dance floor with a guy I’d never seen before. I started to my feet, then realized I had no right to tell her who to dance with. It didn’t stop me from being pissed off. I took a drink of beer, then set the bottle back down on the table a little too hard. “Yeah, maybe I have changed my mind.”
Danny nodded and smiled as his gaze moved back to the table where Zoey and Darby were sitting.
“But mess with Zoey and you’re dead meat,” I warned. “You can dance with her, though.”
Danny’s face immediately fell. “Now you’re not being fair.”
“I never said I would be.”
For the rest of the night, I watched Fiera dance with different men. At least she didn’t dance as close to them as she had to me. That told me something. I wasn’t sure exactly what, but I was pretty sure that it had to mean something. After a couple of hours, the three women left. Before Fiera walked out the door, I wanted to grab her arm and ask her if she was going home, but I didn’t. I had no idea what had gotten into me. For some reason, I felt very possessive of her.
Maybe the captain was right, and I just wanted to fix her. It must’ve been hard when her father was sent to prison. Apparently, she never saw him again, and he died there. Maybe she would get the closure she needed when she was able to visit his grave. Either way, I wasn’t about to let her make the trip by herself. No one should have to go through something like that alone.
And that was the only reason.
Chapter 7
Fiera
I told Zoey and Darby good night, then went down to my apartment. We made an early night of it, and I was glad. Although I had to adm
it, I enjoyed being with them.
Just remember, they’re not permanent.
I sat on the sofa and leaned my head back, closing my eyes. No, nothing was ever permanent in my life. People came, and people went. When I started getting too close, I left.
I probably shouldn’t drink margaritas either. At least, not if Layne was going to be around. The man always did a number on my head. If he was going to be anywhere near, I needed to keep my wits about me. It was too easy to let my guard down. I told him way too much tonight about my life. And now he was going with me to the prison. It hadn’t even seemed to bother him that my father had been a jailbird. Well, it might not have bothered him, but it bothered me.
I pushed off the sofa, then went to my bedroom and began undressing. I wasn’t tired, I just wanted to get comfortable. I pulled on my yellow nightgown, then slipped on my robe. I went back into the kitchen and poured a glass of wine before going to the sofa and picking up the book I’d started reading, except the words blurred, and all I saw was Layne’s face. I finally tossed the book to the coffee table and sat there drinking my wine.
He’d looked really hot tonight. I closed my eyes for a moment. When he’d asked me to dance, I hadn’t even thought about saying no. I knew I wanted him to hold me in his arms. I rarely denied myself. In fact, if I wanted something, I usually went after it. Any other time, I would’ve already had Layne in my bed. That was probably why I was dwelling on him so much. He was definitely off limits. I would just have to stay strong.
There was a light tapping on my door. I glanced toward it, as if I could see who was on the other side. It was probably Zoey. She hadn’t been ready to leave, but Darby had to work tomorrow. Since Darby was a dispatcher, she worked different hours than me and Zoey. Her shifts were twelve hours, with four on and two off. So maybe Zoey just wanted to talk. I was fine with that, since I couldn’t sleep either. I came to my feet and walked to the door, but when I looked out the peephole, I saw Layne.
My body began to burn as if I had a high fever. I should pretend I’d already gone to bed and not answer the door.
The ache inside me grew stronger.
Well hell.
“This is so not good,” I mumbled, but opened the door.
“I just wanted to make sure you made it home okay.”
With a sigh, I stepped nearer and wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my body against his, and pulling his lips down to mine. He was right. At some point, we were going to fuck. Why put off the inevitable?
His tongue sparred with mine, while his hands roamed up and down my back until he was cupping my butt and pulling me against his erection. Maybe he was letting me know exactly what I would be in store for, giving me time to step back into my apartment and shut the door. That wasn’t going to happen.
I ended the kiss, pulling him inside, then closing the door. I turned the lock, then slid the safety latch across. When I turned back around, he was facing me.
“Are you sure?”
I nodded. “You’re right. We both know at some point we’re going to fuck. Denying ourselves would be crazy. I’m not good at denying my needs.” I untied the belt on my robe and slipped my arms out, letting the silky material slide to the floor. I reached for the hem of my nightie and pulled it over my head, dropping it on top of my robe. I stood in front of him completely naked.
When he took a step toward me, I stepped back. My gaze rippled over him. “At least take off your boots, cowboy.”
He grinned, then toed off one boot and then the other. I watched. Shy, I wasn’t. His socks quickly followed. I would’ve liked to unbutton his shirt, but the way he was watching me, I didn’t dare move closer to him. I had a feeling stripping him would be short-lived, and I wanted to see him naked.
I drew in a breath when he removed his shirt, letting it fall to the floor. My fantasies hadn’t done him justice. He was nicely tanned with rippling muscles and six-pack abs. But did he look this good all over? He unfastened his jeans, but rather than jerking the zipper down, he slowly tugged on it before shoving his jeans down and stepping out of them.
“You’d make a great stripper,” I told him. My mouth was dry as I waited for him to get to the best part and remove his briefs.
“Would you stick some dollar bills in my waistband?”
I shook my head, almost laughing when he looked disappointed. “Maybe a twenty or two.”
He smiled as he hooked his thumbs into the waistband, then brought them downward. Maybe even a hundred or two. My thighs tingled as I stared at him. He had the thickest, largest cock I’d ever seen on a man. I ached to feel him inside me.
He strolled toward me, not getting into any hurry. He cupped my breasts, brushing his thumbs across my nipples. They were already hard and tender. I drew in a deep breath as spirals of heat shot downward.
“Damn, you’re sexy as hell. I think I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you,” he said. “But you’re right, this could get complicated.”
I ran my hands over his shoulders, down his bulging biceps, across his chest, dragging my fingernails across his tight nipples. He sucked in a breath. “Only if we let it.” I raised my eyes to meet his. “And we won’t let it.”
“Agreed.”
I pressed against him. He lowered his lips to mine in a heated kiss that scorched all the way down to my G spot. Yes, I definitely wanted him.
We were both breathing hard when we ended the kiss. He suddenly scooped me in his arms and carried me toward the bedroom. Maybe it was a good thing all the apartments were so much alike. It meant he knew the way and that saved time. He laid me on the bed, then mumbled condom and turned around.
“Top drawer,” I told him before he could go back to dig around in his jean pockets.
He faced me again with one eyebrow cocked.
I raised both mine. “What? Did you think I was a virgin? I’m always prepared. You never know when the opportunity might arise. You might as well know this about me, I like sex.”
His grin was slow. “Good, because I like it, too.”
He grabbed the condom out of the top drawer, and ripped it open with his teeth. I watched as he slid it down his length. It was sexy as hell watching a man roll a condom over his cock. The shadows and dim light from the single lamp I had on made him look mysterious and dangerous.
He moved onto the bed, next to me. I turned so that our bodies were pressed together. My hands roamed over his back, his sinewy muscles, the ripple of flesh, the tightness of his ass. He lightly pushed me to my back as his hand roamed over my breasts, outlining one hip, then trailing across my abdomen. I drew in a deep breath when his fingers moved lower, and then he was touching me, lightly running his fingers through the curls between my legs. I moaned. He slipped a finger inside me, I raised my hips, wanting more, needing more.
I suddenly pushed against his shoulders moving him to his back. I glanced at his face, saw his expression of surprise. I was used to taking charge. I straddled him, my sex against his.
He groaned.
I leaned forward and flicked my tongue across each nipple. I tasted him. I inhaled his musky scent. I positioned my body so that I could take him inside. He grabbed my ass as I lowered myself onto him. I closed my eyes, letting the sensations swirl around me. I was wrapped in a blanket of heat as I began to slowly move.
He was thick and large, he filled every part of me. I’d never experienced anything like this, and I planned to take advantage of every inch.
Suddenly, and in one swift movement, I was on my back, and he was staring into my eyes. He began to move, easy strokes, and I knew he’d taken back control. But I wouldn’t give it up without a fight. I wrapped my legs around his middle, drawing him closer.
He drew in a deep breath, and for a moment, I knew I had won again. Until he began to move. Slowly at first. In and out. Teasing me. Holding back. Making me squirm. Making me want him more. Making me burn.
“Fuck me,” I whispered. “I need to feel you buried deep inside me. I need you
r thick cock filling me. Fuck me hard.”
And that’s when I knew I had taken control again.
He began to move faster and faster. In and out. The friction inside me grew hotter until I thought I would explode. I raised my hips, meeting each thrust. I cried out, my body tightening, as I reached the peak of my orgasm. Something close to a growl came from him as his own body tightened.
Our ragged breathing filled the room.
He lowered himself down to me, then took me with him as he rolled to his side.
We were both still breathing hard, our sweaty bodies pressed against each other.
“Do you always have to be in control?” he asked.
I moved back just enough to look into his eyes and raised on one elbow. “Yes, pretty much. Do you have a problem with that?” He grinned. Man, he had one killer smile. He made my heart beat a little faster with that one look.
“Definitely not. Just know this, you’ll have to fight me for control, and you might not always win.”
“Yeah, I’m good with that,” I told him.
Now, out of the bedroom was another matter. I’d been on my own too long to give up my independence. But then, it wasn’t as though we were going to fall in love or anything. If it even came close to that, I’d pack up and leave.
He excused himself to use the bathroom. I pulled my pillow against my chest and snuggled it close, a smile curving my lips as I checked out his ass as he went into the bathroom and closed the door. He had a great ass. And a great cock. And he was fantastic in bed, but then, I’d already had a suspicion he would be.
Damned margaritas. They got me into trouble every time. But a hell of a lot of fun. When the bathroom door opened, I got up to use the facilities. I casually strolled toward him, but as I neared, he stopped, and pulled me into his arms, his lips crashing down onto mine. He grabbed my ass, pulling me tighter to him. My arms snaked around his neck.
He ended the kiss, but didn’t release me. “I’m afraid if I’m around you very much, my dick might fall off from overuse.”