by Lacey Black
“Thank you,” I whisper as he descends the stairs. Maddox looks up and gives me a final wave before opening the door below my stairs and stepping inside the bakery to see his wife.
I step back inside the apartment, securely locking the door behind me. I give the place one more look-over and conclude that I’m losing my mind. Besides a little embarrassment that my boss’ husband just saw my messy place, nothing is wrong. Not a speck of dust is out of place.
But if that’s the case, why do I get this strange feeling that something dark is looming?
*****
I arrive at the Stevens household at six o’clock sharp. The driveway is so packed with cars I have to park in the yard close to the end of the driveway. I take off up the driveway towards the large, white house. Laughter filters around the side of the house and when I step around, I see the reason for all of the extra vehicles.
The entire male Stevens population and a whole slew of other men are standing around the side of the house, shotguns in one hand and beers in the other. Nate notices me instantly; his eyes seek me out as if they are a heat-seeking missile and I am the target. He casually swaggers over to me, a cocky smile plastered on his too-handsome face. Damn.
“Hey, beautiful,” he says when he reaches me.
“Hey. What’s going on here?” I ask as I take in the group before me.
“Clay pigeon shooting. We’ve been here since early afternoon shooting for Jake’s bachelor party,” he tells me.
“Ah, I see. So, all of the girls are inside I take it?”
“Yep, spa night is inside. We’re getting ready to head up to Jack’s Pub for dinner and more festivities,” Nate says as he slides a strand of hair behind my ear.
“What kind of festivities?” I ask with a knowing smile on my face.
“I plead the fifth,” Nate replies with a laugh before taking a pull from his beer bottle.
“Well, then I must let you get to it,” I tell him with another soft smile.
Nate leans in closer so that our bodies are practically touching. “Can I text you later?” he asks seriously. All signs of the playfulness in his eyes are gone, leaving in its wake smoldering ash just waiting for that little spark.
“Well, I don’t know how late I’m going to be rocking the spa treatments, but I suppose I could squeeze you in,” I reply playfully.
Nate leans forward ever so slightly until his lips are a mere breath away from my own. His warm breath fans out on my face and my lips tingle in anticipation of his touch. “Well, I might have to pull you away from your gossiping, wine, and foot rubs, but I think I’m going to need to see to you later.”
“I look forward to it,” I whisper moments before his lips touch mine. The kiss is soft, sensual and our lips barely move. It’s more of a touch than a kiss.
“Put it in your pants, Stevens,” Maddox yells from behind Nate. “We’re supposed to be celebrating Jake’s last fling before he’s shackled to one woman for the rest of his life. No fraternizing with the enemy,” he adds, drawing the attention of everyone in the yard.
“The enemy better go inside before the natives get restless,” I tell him as I pull back from his lips. I miss his touch instantly.
“Go inside and I’ll text you later,” he adds with one long stroke with the outside of his pointer finger down the column of my throat. I shiver uncontrollably at the intimacy of his caress.
I can’t even get words past the lump in my throat. I find it hard to swallow so I just turn and walk towards the house. Quickly, walk quickly.
When I reach the front door, Avery throws the screen door open and pulls me inside. “Sheesh! I thought you’d never come inside. What were you doing out there, anyway? Fraternizing with the enemy?”
“What is with you people? Your husband said the same thing.”
Avery leads me into the living room bursting with laugher and smiling women. “It’s not every day you get an evening away from your children and your husband. Although, I’m definitely looking forward to after the bachelor and bachelorette parties, if you know what I mean,” she says while leaning in to make sure no one hears her. “I made a trip to the lingerie store just for tonight.”
I blush three shades of pink as I turn to survey the room. There are two portable pedicure stations set up on one side. Erin and another older woman that I’ve never met are sitting in the pedicure chairs and receiving full foot and lower leg treatments.
“My mother-in-law, Christine, is there in the chair next to Erin. She’s here for just another hour, and then she’s going to go pick up my kids from the sitter’s house. Mom is back in the guest room which is set up with a masseuse. Our friend, Holly, is the one getting the manicure. Sarah and Claire are over there at the wine bar with Josselyn,” she says as she points out everyone in the room. “Everyone, this is Lia,” Avery announces to the room.
I hear a mix of greetings from the room at large and follow Avery towards the bar. “How much can I contribute towards this evening?” I ask Avery as we approach the other ladies.
“Nothing. It’s all taken care of.”
“Are you sure? I’d be happy to pay for my share.”
“Nope. All covered. My mom brought in the manicurist and pedicurists from a salon in St. Charles. And believe it or not, it was Jake’s idea and he brought in the masseuse,” she says with a smile. “If you want to, you can tip at the end of the evening. You should have seen my brother before Erin. He bed hopped as bad as Maddox did. He ran into Erin again, after twenty years of her loathing him. She grabbed him by the balls and shook some sense into the boy. I’m so proud of her,” Avery says with a chuckle.
I dive into the delicious array of finger foods and help myself to a glass of sweet white wine. I’ve never been a big drinker. Alcohol leads to clouding of the mind. Clouding of the mind leads to not being able to think quickly on your feet and having slow reflexes. When I dated Garrett, having delayed reflexes could have meant the difference between spending the night in the hospital or not.
I shake off the vivid, unwelcomed images and go about enjoying my evening. Tonight, I’m going to have a few drinks and unwind with my new friends. Tonight, I’m going to have fun. And tonight, I’m doing it for me.
After my manicure, Mrs. Stevens comes out and announces her own form of entertainment for the evening. “I picked up a little surprise at the store this morning. We’re going to watch ‘Magic Mike’,” she exclaims with a little sparkle in her eyes.
“Mom,” Avery groans and shakes her head.
“Oh my gosh, this is hilarious,” Erin says as Mrs. Stevens puts the DVD into the player. “When we had Avery’s bachelorette party, Mrs. S dropped more money into the stripper’s g-string than anyone else!”
“Seriously?” I burst out laughing along with Josselyn.
“The story never gets old,” Josselyn says. “But you need to have Avery tell it so you can hear her true mortification when she relives it in colorful detail,” she adds laughing with Erin shaking her head next to her.
The next thing I know, all of the wine is gone, Mike has shown all of us ladies how magical he is, and the party is clearing out. I’ve had several glasses of wine tonight, which is just enough to know that I probably shouldn’t be driving.
“Come on. My mom is driving all of us home,” Avery says as she leads me towards the door. When I get my slightly foggy head to focus, the dashboard reads twelve-thirty. How in the world did it get to be so late? Or early? I guess, technically, it’s early, right?
My phone buzzes in my purse as I slide into the backseat between Josselyn and Erin. I can’t control the smile that crosses my lips when I see Nate’s name on the screen. I slide open the text message screen and go all school-girl giddy when I read his message.
Hey, beautiful. Having fun?
I try to reply back quickly, but my fingers aren’t working properly for some reason.
Yep. I can’t feel my fingers.
Why the hell did I just tell him that? Oh. My. God.
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LOL Well it sounds like fun. Where r u?
Ur mom is driving me home. I’m sandwiched tween Erin n Joss. ;)
Seriously. Someone take the phone out of my hands, STAT!
That’s something dreams are made of.
You wish, Hot Fireman.
LIA! Put the phone down!
My phone dings again signaling his reply.
Hot, huh?
Duh. He has to know how hot he is, right? If I used a thermometer to check his hotness, he’d blow the glass ball of the tip of it! My fingers fumble as they type one word. Thankfully, spellcheck corrects it so it’s spelled right.
Scorching
I stare straight at the screen – waiting for his words to appear. Ding.
What if I told you I was sitting on your steps right now?
I’d ask if you were naked.
Well, I’m outside so I’m definitely not naked…yet.
Can I touch your tattoos?
Baby, you can touch whatever you want ;)
I’m on my way
See you soon
And with that exchange, I find us driving past the Welcome to Rivers Edge sign. Josselyn is smirking in the seat next to me.
“Hot fireman?” she asks under her breath.
“Well, he’s a fireman and he’s hot. And I apparently can’t control my fingers when I text him. Remind me not to drunk text.”
“Yeah, but if it gets you naked and underneath my brother-in-law, I’m pretty sure that’s not a bad thing,” she says with a wink.
We drop Erin off at her place that she shares with Jake. She’s surprisingly sober considering we all just consumed enough wine to keep a third world country hydrated for a week. She throws a wave over her shoulder as Jake meets her on the front steps. He pulls her tight against her, practically mauling her in front of his mother, sister, neighbors, and God. When we pull away, Jake is carrying her inside the house, fireman style. Suddenly, I’m itching to get my hands on a certain tattooed fireman.
Mrs. Stevens pulls into the alley behind the bakery to drop me off next. Just as he mentioned, Nate is sitting on the steps waiting for me. The catcalls from Josselyn and Avery start immediately, bringing an uncontrollable smile to my face. Any other time, I’d be completely mortified by the unwanted attention, but with all the liquid courage buzzing through my bloodstream, I’m surprisingly calm. Excited. Nate stands up and saunters over to open my car door. I practically fall out of the car as I try to get both legs to work properly – or trying to hurry out to get to Nate. Take your pick.
“Nathan Michael, you make sure that Lia gets some aspirin and water before she goes to bed,” Mrs. Stevens says from the driver’s seat.
“Yes, ma’am,” Nate replies with a sly grin.
“And don’t keep her up too late,” she adds before sliding the gearshift into drive. I can hear Avery and Josselyn howling with laughter as the car pulls away. Nate slides his big hand around mine and gives me a gentle tug towards the stairs.
“Did you have fun tonight?” he asks as we start our assent.
“It was amazing. Your family is wonderful. I forgot what it’s like to enjoy the company of friends,” I tell him, my voice trailing off to almost a whisper.
Nate spins me around about halfway up the stairs. He lets go of my hand but only to thread both hands into my hair. I’m a step above him which makes us eye level; our lips line up perfectly. The look in his eye is fierce and intense. I want to look away from the pure honesty in his eyes, but I just can’t. He’s making his intentions for tonight perfectly clear, and I hope that the look in my own eyes reflects my need for him, because I do. I need him. I need him with an urgency I’ve never experienced in my entire life.
“How drunk are you?” he asks without breaking eye contact.
“Not nearly drunk enough to not know what I’m doing or what I want,” I reply.
“And what do you want, beautiful?” he asks as he leans in a little closer.
“You. Just you,” I tell him, my breathing slightly strained, as my eyes remain locked on his.
Nate is on me a split-second later. His lips are firm and demanding. Bruising. His large, rough hands grip at my hair, holding my head firmly in place while he devours my mouth with his own. We’re all lips and tongue and raw need, right there in the middle of the stairway, outside for the entire world and the stars to witness.
I feel his hands leave my hair as his mouth continues to worship mine. They run down my sides sending shivers of anticipation coursing uncontrollably throughout my entire body until they rest firmly on my hips. With one quick lift, I’m suspended in the air and thrust forward until my body is slammed into his hard, unforgiving one. My chest to his chest. My core to his very hard erection. I wrap my legs around his waist and he makes quick work of running up the rest of the stairs. Huh, I guess firemen really do have great strength and stamina.
Stamina. I hope to God we get to test that shortly. If there is one thing that Nate excels at in all of my day and night fantasies, it’s being able to go the distance. Over and over and over again.
“Where are your keys?” he asks without removing his mouth from mine.
“In my purse,” I reply without moving a muscle. Nate reaches for the purse on my shoulder and starts digging one-handed, without moving his other from my rear.
“Don’t move, beautiful,” he says as he pulls out my keys and makes quick work of unlocking my door. My mouth goes to his neck. I use my teeth to nip at his slightly sweaty flesh and my tongue to soothe away the bites. The action causes Nate to momentarily fumble the keys and moan his pleasure. My hands roam up into his slightly breeze tousled hair. The blond strands feel like silk between my fingers, and the sensations are an amazing aphrodisiac sending warmth straight to my tingly lady parts.
The moment the door opens, we’re inside in a tangled mess of limbs and mouths. I’m still wrapped firmly around Nate’s midsection while his hands kneed the globes of my ass. He walks me backwards until I’m firmly pressed against the countertop. I clamp my legs around him, grinding my core against the impressive bulge in the front of his pants.
“Now,” I pant as I struggle to pull his tucked-in shirt from his waistband.
“Patience, beautiful. I have big plans for you tonight,” he says breathlessly as he peels his lips from mine and runs them down my neck. The warmth of his breath sends shivers of anticipation uncontrollably throughout my body.
“You are wearing entirely too many clothes,” Nate acknowledges as he pushes my shirt slowly up my abdomen. Cool air conditioning kisses my overly heated skin causing goosebumps to form instantly.
“So are you,” I whisper as I give his shirt another tug.
“Patience,” he whispers as his hot mouth descends on my chest. My nipples are peaked and straining against the satin material of my bra. Nate uses his large hand to dip the satin below my left nipple where his mouth latches on to me a second later. Holy hell!
Nate suckles at my erect peak, blowing his warm breath against the wetness on the nipple, and gently squeezing my breast that fits so perfectly in his hand. All too soon, he moves from my left but immediately begins to show the same delicious attention to the right breast.
The moan I hear is foreign and deep, and takes me several heartbeats to realize it came from me. It also seems to break any remaining restraint Nate is so desperately holding onto. Nate breaks away from my breasts and makes quick work of unsnapping my bra. I watch lust-drunk as he throws it over his shoulder, landing somewhere on the kitchen floor. Nate returns his mouth to mine as he releases the button and unzips my shorts.
“Lift up,” he says hoarsely as he takes a hold of my jean shorts at the hips.
Lifting my hips while seated firmly on the counter proves to be a difficult task, so I use my hands to push myself up. Nate pulls firmly on the material, dropping them to my ankles. Thank you Lord for remembering to shave my legs and wear pretty panties! With one quick swipe, I’m free of the restricting garment.
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br /> “God, your legs are fucking amazing,” he groans as his mouth descends to the sensitive skin of my thighs. Another moan rips from my gut as he runs his tongue and the stubble of his cheek along my burning flesh. My panties are soaked clean through, something that would have embarrassed me before.
Before Nate.
But, with Nate, there is no embarrassment. There is only explosive, nuclear passion. A fire rages deep inside of me that I’ve never felt in my entire twenty-six years.
I feel Nate’s breath against my most sensitive area as he moves the satin aside. He snakes his warm tongue along my folds and thrusts it forward, deep inside me.
Without even realizing what I’m doing, I grab a handful of his silky hair and hold on for dear life. I find myself rolling my hips in rhythm with his tongue as I struggle to suck air inside my lungs. Nate grabs a hold of my hip with his left hand and presses his right thumb against the little bundle of nerves at my center. The combination of his tongue and finger is too much. Brilliantly colored lights explode behind my closed eyelids as I ride the wave of euphoria that Nate has created. I come so hard that I see stars. On my kitchen counter. If I was in any condition to process a thought, I might be concerned about this, but right now? I. Don’t. Care.
Before my breathing can even start to return to normal, I feel Nate move away from me. As I crack open my too-heavy eyelids, I see his gloriously bare chest flex as he unbuttons his shorts with lightning fast speed. I’m in a trance as I watch the hard, tattoo covered muscles of his upper arms flex and work to rid him of his clothing.
Suddenly, he’s standing before me in nothing but black boxer briefs that are so deliciously tight and leave nothing to the imagination. Warmth instantly spreads to my exposed core as I take in the man before me. He’s all tight muscles and large tented cock. He’s every woman’s wet fantasy. And tonight, he’s mine.
I reach a hand towards him, wanting to feel his length in my hand.