This is everything I wanted—and I was fully open to moving before I met Cain.
“There’s a move package if expenses are an issue. I know the cost of living will be a bit higher in New York, so we’ll give you a stipend for rent the first six months. Basically, you choose a reasonable apartment somewhere in the city that you’ll be able to afford on your salary and the company will pay for it. We’ll also handle all the moving expenses.” He leaned forward. “Why do I feel like you’re about to turn me down?”
“Can I think about it?” I grimaced and tensed up. “I promise that everything you’re offering is incredibly generous, but—I just need to think about this.”
“I mean, I can give you twenty-four hours.” Mr. Cardinal shrugged. “After that, I have to start looking at the next candidate.”
Twenty-four hours to make the biggest decision of my life.
I had learned to lock my desires in a cage—a cage in my mind that never truly closed all the way, no matter how hard I tried. It was the only way to avoid giving in to lust. Chloe had just stopped trying. I never imagined that I would be the one pushing a woman I wanted away as she tried to take things to next level. Mentally, I had given in a million times. Physically, I was hanging on for dear life. It had become a matter of principle rather than reality at that point. The rule might have seemed silly at times, but I had come to appreciate the purpose behind it. I felt closer to Chloe than I had been with anyone. It was a bond that couldn’t be broken—because I would fight for it.
“I’m home!” Abby announced her arrival like she was royalty as she pushed open the front door.
“Hey, welcome home.” I looked over at her as she walked into the living room.
“Are you making dinner again?” She sat down on the couch.
“I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything yet.” I shrugged.
“I don’t like Mom’s new job. She used to pick me up from school or at least be here when I got home if I had to ride the bus.” Abby folded her arms across her chest and pouted.
“I know, but this job is a lot better than the one she had before.” I nodded and leaned forward. “You certainly didn’t complain when she got you a new computer to play Minecraft on.”
I knew there wasn’t much chance of reasoning with Abby. I kind of wished Chloe was there, because she normally had much better luck getting through to her—despite being relatively new in Abby’s life. Abby didn’t seem to mind it as much most of the time if I was there, even if Bridget had to work late. The days that I worked, she had to stay with the lady next door until Bridget got home, which was normally when she complained the loudest. It was an adjustment, but it was necessary. Bridget was making good money and while Abby didn’t know it yet, she was already looking for a new place to live that was much nicer.
“Do you think Chloe could come over and fix dinner?” Abby tilted her head to the side.
“Wow, is my cooking that bad? We can just order pizza, jeez.” I pretended to be offended, even though I knew my meals were crap compared to what Bridget normally made. “Chloe has never cooked for you anyway—it might be worse than what I make.”
“I doubt it.” She certainly didn’t have much tact, but what girl her age did? “Aren’t you supposed to make sure she can cook before you marry her?”
“Um, no I don’t think that’s a deal breaker.” I chuckled and shook my head back and forth.
“You’re going to ask her on Valentine’s Day, right? It’s two weeks away.” She threw a casual glance towards the calendar on the wall next to us.
“It’s too early to be talking about a wedding.” I shifted uncomfortably.
“That’s what you said last month!” She glared at me.
“You’ll—understand a little better when you’re older.” I swallowed hard.
I hope.
Bridget came home before I had to order pizza and she had plenty of time to start making dinner. Abby was noticeably grouchy throughout the entire evening, even when I helped her do her homework. She finally confessed that her latest boyfriend—and I was losing track at that point—had decided to break up with her because he didn’t want to have to get her a Valentine’s present. Another broken heart to add to the pile that she had started to build in her young chest. I hoped she would realize at some point that relationships at her age weren’t going to lead to anything but that. I also hoped that she took a little longer before she checked yes on the next note, she got from a boy asking if she would be his girlfriend.
I guess I should check in with Chloe. I haven’t heard from her since this morning.
Cain: Are we still on for tonight?
Chloe: Yeah. Would you mind coming to my place? I need to talk to you about something.
Cain: Is everything okay?
Chloe: It’s probably easier to say it in person. I’m sorry, I know that sounds ominous, but I really need to talk to you.
Cain: Okay. I’m on my way.
* * *
I was definitely nervous when I got to Chloe’s apartment building. We had been together for over a month and I still hadn’t even been inside it. I think part of that was my hesitation. Chloe’s roommate was rarely home since she started dating the guy, she met through the matchmaking service. It was easier to resist my desires when we were in public—or at my place with Bridget and Abby in the house with us. Being alone was going to make the temptation strong—except I wasn’t sure temptation was what I needed to have on my mind after the text message Chloe sent me.
Most of the time when someone says they need to talk, it isn’t good…
I walked to the elevator and took it to Chloe’s floor. She quickly opened the door before I finished my second knock and the look on her face made a chill sweep through my body. There was no joy—no excitement to see me—it was just a look of concern. She looked down and turned away from me before I even got a chance to look into her eyes, but I could have sworn I saw redness in them—like she had been crying.
“What’s wrong?” I tried to put my hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away.
“Please—let’s just talk.” She quickly walked over to the couch and took a seat.
She’s definitely been crying, but she recoiled when I touched her, so I guess a hug isn’t what she needs right now.
“Okay.” I sat down across from her. “Whatever it is, we can work through it.”
“I don’t think this is something we’re going to be able to work through.” She lifted her head slowly. “I got a job offer from Cardinal Advertising.”
“That’s—that’s good news. Right?” I tilted my head to the side.
“It’s my dream job.” She threw her hands up. “Except it’s my dream job—in New York.”
“New York.” I blinked in surprise. “They want you to move there?”
“Yes, and if they had offered me this job two months ago, I would be packing right now. Instead, I’ve been sitting here crying since I got back to my apartment because…” Her words trailed off.
Because of me. Oh my god.
“Chloe…” I shifted over to the couch and grabbed her hand—thankfully she didn’t pull away. “I would never want to keep you from something that you’ve worked so hard for. This is everything you wanted.”
“It was.” She exhaled sharply and wiped a tear away. “But I never expected to meet someone that changed my entire perspective on love—I never expected to meet someone as incredible as you.”
“So, this is our bump in the road…” I shook my head back and forth.
“Bump?” Her eyebrows raised. “It feels like a mountain.”
“I want you to think back to what I said to you in the first letter I wrote. Real love requires work and absolute devotion. It’s not always easy. There are bumps along the way, and that’s when it gets tested—that’s when it gets complicated.” I reached over and brushed her hair out of her face while simultaneously wiping away a tear. “We can get through this.”
“How?” She squeezed he
r eyes shut, seemingly trying to fight the tears that refused to stop. “If I take this job, I’ll never see you again. It’s not like I could ever ask you to follow me to New York. Your family is here—Abby. She would die if you left. We’ve been together less than two months—how could either of us make that kind of commitment at this point, even if it feels right?”
“So, we throw it all away because there are a few bumps? I told you from the beginning that I wasn’t the kind of man who could do that. Yeah, it might not be as picture perfect as being able to spend every spare moment we have together, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible. I can come visit you—you can come visit me.” I wiped away the newest tear. “We have a foundation built—we don’t stop there. We try—even if it doesn’t work—we fucking try.”
I pulled Chloe into my arms and held her. I let her cry. Hell, I wanted to cry too. As much as it hurt and as much as it felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest, I knew she couldn’t turn down the opportunity in front of her. It was too important. I didn’t know if our relationship could survive the test that we would endure once we were pulled in opposite directions, but I refused to give up without trying to make it work. I held Chloe for nearly thirty minutes before the tears finally stopped. Her head raised slowly, and she kissed me. It was different than the other kisses we had shared. It was raw and primal—with more than desire on her tongue. She was showing me that she was willing to fight for our relationship too—and that need wasn’t going to be satisfied with just one kiss.
“I need you.” She pressed her lips to my ear. “Please make love to me.”
The rules no longer mattered to me. It was no longer about teasing or flirting. We both needed the passion—we needed to feel it burn—to the point that it consumed us. I crushed her lips beneath mine. I pulled at her clothes, desperate to feel skin-on-skin with nothing between us. My cock quickly started to engorge in my pants, and it begged to be freed from the fabric prison. Chloe fell back on the couch and I was on top of her immediately, pulling her shirt over her head—removing her bra with a quick tug—kissing her nipples as soon as they were exposed to my tongue for the very first time.
“Oh god…” She moaned and tore at my shirt—the buttons didn’t matter—they snapped and then my shirt was on the floor.
“I’ve wanted you for so fucking long…” My lips pressed against her ear and then I started kissing her neck.
“Then don’t hold back—please don’t stop.” She gasped and started to fumble with my belt.
The doubt that had held me back—the rules that were there to define our relationship for us—they were not important. The only thing that mattered was the need that burned between us brighter than lust ever could. She needed the fury and the passion. I needed to pull her back from the edge—to show her that there was nothing that would ever stand between us. Distance was a challenge—not a barrier. It was something we could get through together, as long as we both wanted it. I certainly did. There was no way in hell I was going to lose her after tearing out a piece of my heart and putting it in her hand.
I never got a chance to tell Cain what Grace said about the rules—my world came crashing down before I had a chance. The girl that once believed love was impossible had become a woman that didn’t know how to hold onto it. I knew Cain would never let me throw away the opportunity in front of me. If I tried, he would have insisted that I take the job. That was the kind of man he was—the kind of man I needed. I needed every bit of him too. I needed him to claim the final piece of my innocence and make love to me. My body demanded it, and it wasn’t the same as it had been in the past when we flirted. There was something between us that scorched the air and sucked the oxygen away—his lips on my body—his hands on my skin—the wetness between my legs guiding me towards his engorged length.
“Are you ready?” His lips were against my ear and I felt his cock press against my pussy for the first time.
“Yes.” I gasped and nodded quickly. “I’m ready.”
Cain started to push inside me. It hurt, but I was so wet that there was no barrier to penetration except for my tightness. He gave me a couple of gentle thrusts until the head was against my hymen. In some strange way I needed to feel the pain of having it torn away. I needed him to claim my body so that I knew it belonged to him. There was no way I would ever be able to give myself to another man, even if the moment between us was the last one we shared. Cain claimed my heart—showed me something I thought was impossible—and it was time for us to share something that I could never share with anyone else.
“Don’t hold back—please. I know what I want.” I shifted my hips and tried to pull him deeper.
Cain pushed against my hymen. His knees turned slightly, and he put more weight on me. That was enough to drive him through the barrier. His cock started to slide into my pussy, going deeper as I was stretched around his girth. The sting of having my hymen shattered was only part of the pain that I felt. Every inch was another moment of agony—another moment I was more than happy to endure because I knew it brought us closer together. I was glad I had never shared the experience with anyone else—especially someone who would have never understood that bond it would form. I was also glad that we never chased our desires when they were guided by lust—the emotional connection was so much better than the physical one that made me beg for his touch all of the times we stopped ourselves.
“You feel so fucking good.” He let out a gasp.
I wished I could feel the same pleasure he was feeling, but I wasn’t there yet. There was a hint of it when he pulled back and gently thrust himself deeper, but the agony of being stretched drowned that pleasure out. He had worked about half of his length into me, which left me with optimism and pessimism at the same time. He was halfway there, but he still had a long way to go. He pulled back and gave me a few thrusts that were quicker without driving himself deeper. Those felt good. The part that was already stretched around him had begun to adjust and the nerves were being teased by the friction. I couldn’t wait to feel that when he was buried inside of me. I could already tell it was going to be incredible.
“Don’t stop—please keep going.” I shifted my hips, trying to force him deeper.
I wanted him to just drive every inch of his length into it—even if it hurt. I was ready for that. I would have probably regretted it, but my hormones were on fire and rational thought was no longer present. I needed the see the primal desire in his eyes boil over—I needed to feel his fury. I needed to be claimed. He still moved slow, even as my body cried out for more. He was taking care of me—probably something that no other man would have done if they were taking my virginity. He protected me from my own desires—my own lust—and a man like that was worth burning the world down to keep.
“You don’t even know how good this feels—after thinking about it for so fucking long.” He leaned forward and started kissing my neck. “I’ve craved you every single night.”
“At least you don’t have to settle for a picture this time.” I gasped into his ear.
The emotional toll of what I said was starting to wear away as he made love to me. I was seeing the spark of the man I fell for beneath the fury of his primal passion as it was unleashed. He kept driving his cock into me and my pussy stretched around every inch until I finally felt his balls against my skin. He slowly started to thrust as I adjusted to the feeling. Every time he pulled back and drove himself into me, it felt better than the previous thrust. It was so much better than what I did when I was alone—having the real thing was way better than anything my imagination could create.
“Harder.” I leaned against him and begged with my lips teasing his ear. “I’m ready for it now.”
Cain didn’t hesitate. He started to thrust himself into me with a pace that quickened with every thrust. I felt him slam into my g-spot and the feeling caused waves of pleasure to surge through my body. The pure physical pleasure was as emotional as the moment itself. I knew he was enjoying himself the
same way that I was—both of us locked in the ecstasy of our bliss. A pressure began to build inside me. I had felt that before—so many times when I was doing dirty things to myself after I went home with Cain’s kiss on my breath. He was going to make me cum, but it wasn’t a rapid dive into ultimate excitement. The build was slower, almost like the amount of pleasure my body was experiencing was hard to process—it was in no hurry to have the feeling end, even if I was ready to chase my climax to the ends of the earth.
“You are mine—no matter what.” Cain growled into my ear, squeezing my breasts and then pressing his lips to my neck.
“Yes—always.” I moaned my response.
I needed to hear that. It was like he was reading my mind. I had been damaged by false passion before—it was the core of my existence for so long. Cain understood that and he understood that what we were doing was the moment I truly let go of everything which held me back. He was claiming me while giving me my freedom—letting me go because he knew I would always be his. Nothing could take that away from us. I held onto him as the pleasure built. I was lingering on the edge of an orgasm with his cock slamming into me so fast that the couch was creaking underneath us.
“I’m gonna cum!” I threw my head back and squealed as my body crossed the threshold.
“The first of many. I’ve waited far too long for this to end—the sun will be up before I’m done with you.” Another growl—a beautiful sound that echoed in my ear.
“Oh god!” I felt my muscles tensing up.
My abdomen clenched tight. The muscles in my legs twitched. My nails started to dig into Cain’s back. Cain kept thrusting—each one like a magical moment of bliss that belonged to me. The pressure inside of me begin to release. It surged through my body and made my muscles tense even more. My toes curled and my mouth opened wide. A moan rushed from my throat and passed across my lips, followed by a gasp. I was starting to cum. The orgasm seized control of everything. My pussy spasmed on Cain’s length. I felt him throb and pulsate. That just made the orgasm stronger.
Dear Mr. Firefighter: The Match Maker Series Page 13