Ladder 54: Five Firefighter Romances

by Maren Smith

  “I wish you could see how beautiful you look.”

  “Take off the blindfold, Theo.”

  “Not yet.”

  The bed shifted a second before hot wax fell on her reddened ass. She stiffened and screamed, her breaths harsh as she spread her thighs, inviting his touch as he painted her skin until the melted wax was gone.

  “Oh, my God! Theo! Please, more!”

  “Your wish is my command.”

  Theo obliged her and rubbed the ice across her ass, hardening the wax instantly as she let out a shrill cry. He turned her over to her back. More ice and fire, this time on her breasts.

  Selene could feel his breath on her. She was blind and distracted by music, and her skin became a sensory organ much more sensitive than it usually was. The tiny hairs all over her body prickled as he moved around her and she could feel him looming over her.

  The spirals he’d painted on her breasts itched and tightened as the wax hardened. The sensation was more pressure than heat now, though the wax had never been truly hot. Maybe it would have been different if he’d held the candle closer to her skin. She loved that he was so careful. But what was he doing? She could feel him breathing, felt the weight of his gaze.

  “What are you doing, Sir?”

  Theo cleared his throat, but his voice was rough as he asked, “What color, Selene?”

  “Green, Sir.”

  “Good girl. Are you enjoying yourself?”

  “Yes, Sir.” What the hell, Theo? She wanted to tell him to get on with it. Though she couldn’t smell the candle over the musk of her own arousal and his aftershave, she knew he’d poised it above her body somewhere. Forcing herself to relax, she let out a breath and waited for whatever he had planned.

  But wax wasn’t what she felt next. His fingers were on her clit, stroking and teasing until she lifted her hips to chase him, desperate for more.

  “You are so beautiful, Selene. I love watching your pleasure, and I wish you could feel how hard my cock is for you.”

  “I’d like that, too, Sir. Why don’t you—”

  Her voice shut down as Theo tugged the vibe out and replaced it with his fingers. A single drop of heat fell on her clit and she spasmed as he curled his fingers up to stroke her g-spot. She tried to scream as the sensations became too much, but all she managed was a muted whimper.

  “Come for me, Selene. Let me feel that pussy tighten around my hand and get me wet.”

  The wax solidified on her tender clit, tightening as it cooled. Theo flicked it away and sucked the sensitive flesh into his mouth, stroking it with his tongue. She spasmed and found her voice as her orgasm bore down on her. It started deep in her belly, a squeezing of her womb that left her gasping as it traveled down to clutch at Theo’s fingers.

  He rubbed his fingertips over that roughened spot at the top of her channel and she exploded, her back bowing as she came harder than she’d ever had before.

  “One more.”

  Another drop of wax fell to her overstimulated clit and he pumped his hand, fucking her with his meaty fingers. She met every delicious thrust, sweat blooming on her body as she soared toward a second, more powerful orgasm. She’d loved the flogger; loved the feel of it, the gentle sting morphing into warmth wrapping around her. This was almost better, since she wasn’t in danger of dropping into the fugue of subspace the leather tails had caused. This was dirty and a little rough. Every inch of her body trembled as her orgasm hovered just out of reach.

  There was almost too much stimulation, and maybe not enough. She cried out in distress and heard a thump on the table next to her a second before Theo delivered a sharp slap to her splayed pussy.

  “Come now, Selene!”

  Theo’s mouth was close to her ear and she heard his panting breaths. She didn’t need his order, though. The flash of pain on her damp pussy sent her over the edge and she howled that massive thing out. Aftershocks rattled her teeth as she tried to come down, but Theo’s fingers threatened to take her to the brink once again.

  “Such a good girl. So beautiful when you come.” He pressed his face into her hair and inhaled. “I love the smell of your pleasure and listening to you cry out for me.”

  He pulled his fingers away and she whimpered at the loss. His big hand stroked her face as he tugged the blindfold away, rewarding her with the sight of him sucking his fingers clean.

  Chapter Seven

  Selene opened her mouth and reached for his wet fingers, still covered with her juices. Oh, fuck. All the blood rushed from his head as she pulled one into her mouth. Her tongue stroked him, and he finally got a good idea of what it would feel like to have his cock in her mouth.

  But this night was for her. He could indulge another time. Except there wouldn’t be one. This was it for them, and a blowjob would have to be one of those wistful regrets. Like missing their lunch date a year ago. But it was too late for second guessing himself. He’d made a life in Montana and her life was here. He couldn’t even make love to her like he’d planned. Neither of them could afford the complications.

  Despite the voice of logic, his belly ached at the thought of letting her go now that he’d found her. One moment of cowardice and spite when he hadn’t wanted to be bothered with taking her to lunch had cost him everything he might have had with her. He had to force his hands to release the cuffs from her wrists and ankles, wanting nothing more than to leave her bound forever.

  “Enough games, Theo.”

  Her voice was hoarse and raspy from screaming and he stroked damp hair away from her flushed face. “Do you want to stop?”

  “No. I want you to fuck me.”

  “I’m not going to force you into doing something you might regret, Selene.” Fuck, his cock was going to go on strike, but it had to be said. “It’s better if we don’t—”

  She pulled away from him and sat up. “Better for whom? I didn’t say anything about forcing anyone.” She shook her head. “Never mind. Don’t answer that.” She climbed out of bed and walked into the bathroom.

  He heard the toilet flush, and water ran for a long time. She returned, wearing a pair of jeans and a battered Metallica t-shirt, her hands busy pulling her hair back into a scrunchie. She hadn’t spent enough time to scrape the wax from her skin, but it didn’t seem to bother her.

  “What are you doing, Selene? Our night isn’t over.”

  She sat down on the edge of the bed, but didn’t turn to look at him as she dropped the cleaned plug into his hands. “I don’t want to play anymore, Theo.”

  He sat up and scowled at her back. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who think men shouldn’t be able to refuse sex.”

  Unbuckling the collar around her neck, she said, “Nobody has the right to demand sex from anyone, male or female. If you’re not into me, I’m not going to ask you to continue. It was the most amazing experience of my life, and I’m sorry you don’t feel the same.” She dropped the collar on the bed and stood, grabbing her phone from the nightstand. “Help yourself to whatever’s in the fridge if you’re hungry. I’m sure you can see yourself out. I’m calling red.”

  Selene left him alone in her bedroom. It never occurred to him someone could make a grand exit from their own house, but she’d done it. He stood and walked to the window, watching as she trotted toward her garage. A few minutes later, a dark form on a Harley tore down the lane.

  He should have stopped her. She was too upset to be riding that motorcycle, not to mention being fresh out of a scene. But he was learning her coping strategies. If things got to be more than she could deal with, she escaped.

  Same as him. And he would do it again tonight because it wouldn’t do either of them any good to chase her down. She’d been wrong about him not wanting her, though. He’d wanted to make love to her. Not fuck.

  Fucking would have been easy. Making love would have brought them both heartache, and he didn’t think either one of them could avoid stepping over that line. He cleaned up her room, even stripping the bed and
replacing the sheets with clean ones from the hall closet before picking up the last of her snack and taking their trash downstairs.

  He dressed in a clean t-shirt and a pair of jeans. His hand hovered over the collar, stroking the leather once before leaving it on the freshly made bed. She might not appreciate the gift, but he’d never use it on another sub. Taking one last look at her bedroom, he turned off the light and closed the door behind him.

  * * *

  Theo spent the entire flight back to Montana wondering if he’d done the right thing. Should he have stuck around? Should he have confronted her and made her see the truth of what he felt? The problem was, he didn’t know how he fucking felt. His cock wasn’t speaking to him, which was probably just as well because all he could see in his head was Selene as she came for him.

  He’d made the right decision. It wouldn’t be fair of him to try to talk her into moving to the ass end of nowhere, and despite her beautiful property, he wasn’t interested in moving home. He was happy in Montana. At least he would be once he forgot about a certain engineer.

  Still, he should have tried to explain. He got off the plane in Missoula and dialed the number she’d entered into his phone. It went straight to voicemail, and his text was ignored. He tried to tell himself she was at work, but knew she wasn’t going to answer.

  He tried again, feeling stupid as he spoke into her voicemail. “Hey. I just wanted to apologize. It wasn’t that I didn’t want you, Selene. I just… Well, anyway. I’m glad we got a chance to connect, and I’ll remember it always. Be safe and… I don’t know. Just be, I guess.”

  Theo hung up before he could delete the message. Maybe she’d erase it unheard, but at least he’d tried to explain.

  It was hard to get back to normal at work. He took every hour Blake offered just to stay busy and attempt to keep his thoughts off Selene. It didn’t work. She was the only thing he could think about. He had no interest in going to the CCC. The thought of playing with someone else had no appeal.

  * * *

  “…and Lida’s mother is going to be making her baklava and halva for the reception.”

  Selene stood at the sink washing dishes from their lunch. She wasn’t paying attention, but her mother didn’t seem to notice. “Sounds good, Mama.”

  “And the lamb is coming from Mr. Katsaros.”

  “Okay.” Selene put the last glass in the dish drain and pulled the stopper from the sink, watching as the soapy water spiraled away. She hadn’t been able to focus in weeks. There were too many thoughts of he who must not be named rampaging through her skull. Selene’s new world order involved crying herself to sleep every night, hugging that stupid collar to her chest after sixteen-hour workdays. Her plan of working herself into a stupor didn’t help her sleep, but it was a hell of a diet. She’d lost almost fifteen pounds.

  She probably should have thrown it away, but she couldn’t bear to part with Theo’s collar. After too many nights crying over it, she’d bagged it in a double layer of plastic bags and put it in the attic. Though out of sight, the velvety leather was never out of mind. She should have known better than to try for something so far out of her league. Hadn’t her childhood taught her anything? She would forever be the nerdy kid everyone liked to pick on, not the girl who got the man of her dreams.

  “Lida is going to wear a red and blue polka dot clown costume instead of a wedding dress. It’s a break with tradition, but she’ll look lovely, don’t you think?”

  “She’ll be beautiful. Her fiancé is lucky to have her.”

  Laying a warm hand on Selene’s shoulder, Elena said, “You’re not even listening. I just told you Lida will wear a clown suit to her wedding.”

  Wincing, Selene said, “Sorry. I’m just distracted, I guess.”

  “You’ve been like this for weeks now. Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No. Everything’s fine.”

  “Did something happen with Theo?” Elena’s face darkened and her lips turned down. “Did he hurt you?”

  Selene’s heart jumped in her chest. Her mother could be very observant when she wanted to be. “No, Theo was a perfect gentleman.”

  That wasn’t even a lie. He had been perfect. It wasn’t his fault her expectations had been so high. Pasting a smile on her face, she kissed her mother’s cheek. “I’m just tired. Work has been really busy lately.”

  Giving Selene one last penetrating stare, she said, “All right, if you’re sure, I suppose we ought to get to the reason I came all this way to visit.” She bustled into the hallway and returned with a garment bag. “Your bridesmaid’s dress. You’ve refused to go in for a fitting, so I brought it out.” Thrusting the bag into Selene’s arms, she added, “Go put it on, and grab a pair of heels so I can check the length.”

  “Okay, Mama. Let’s get this over with.” Selene took the bag upstairs to change, wishing she had some way of getting out of Lida’s wedding.

  She slipped the dress over her head. Unsurprisingly, it was at least a size too big. It had fit her when Lida picked out the ugly purple thing, but it hung on her like a sack now. Dark circles surrounded her eyes and she was pale, her skin and hair dry and unkempt. Her sinuses ached as tears burned, but she refused to let them fall. No wonder Theo hadn’t wanted her. She was a hot mess.

  “Oh, agapi mou.”

  The tears she’d been trying to hold back spilled out in a poisonous flood as her mama wrapped her in a giant hug. She pulled Selene to the bed and sat with her as she cried, her face buried in soft skin smelling of White Shoulders and a very faint tinge of the Virginia Slims her mother smoked on the sly.

  Mama handed her an embroidered handkerchief and Selene wiped her face. “I’m okay now. Everything’s fine.”

  “Have you called him?”

  “No. He’s made it clear he doesn’t want to talk to me.” And if Mama caught her in that big fat lie, there would be hell to pay. Theo had left dozens of messages. She’d sent him one text telling him she was fine.

  “A man doesn’t fly halfway across the country to visit a woman he doesn’t want to talk to. Try again.”

  “He turned me down. I offered and he said no.”

  “What did you offer?”

  Selene’s face got hot and she knew she must be red as a tomato. “I’m not having this conversation with you.”

  “Prude.” Mama laughed and patted her hand. “Do you love him?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know.” She sighed and wiped her nose. Another big fat lie. She’d loved Theo since she was ten. “He won’t give me a chance to find out.”

  Mama tsked and pulled Selene into a hug. “Sometimes life gives us choices, kopelia mou. Ask yourself how much your pride is worth to you. Go to him and let him make a counteroffer.” Leaning over, she snatched Selene’s phone from the bed and swiped it awake. “Besides, judging by the number of calls you haven’t answered, I’d say he’d very much like to talk to you.”

  “But the wedding! And I’ll never get the time off.”

  Elena put a finger over Selene’s lips. “Do you own your company or not? Take the time.” She took the handkerchief and gave Selene’s face one last swipe. “Lida has too many bridesmaids, anyway.”

  “I guess.”

  She grabbed Selene’s hand and stood. “Let’s get you ready to go get your man. You should drive the Harley.”

  “I thought you hated the Harley.” Selene couldn’t help the smile twitching her lips upward.

  “It terrifies me,” she admitted. “But sometimes a lady needs to make an entrance. Maybe you should buy new leather, too, and wear those above the knee boots. We’ll have to get you a new lipstick, and something sexy for underneath. Make him sorry he left. You’ll have him on his knees and kissing your boots in no time.”

  “Mama!”

  Chapter Eight

  Theo dragged himself into the locker room and stripped off his turnout gear. Fuck, he was tired. Barn fires were never a good thing. They burned hot and fast and were nearly impossible to extinguish
before they consumed the whole structure. Thankfully, the barn had been used for equipment storage. There hadn’t been any livestock.

  And there was no chance for a day off any time soon. Blake wasn’t back yet, and Walt was already undergoing treatment. After stripping down the rest of the way, he trudged into the shower, desperate to wash away the smoke and grime. Coffee would be next on his list, and maybe some food.

  He dried off quickly and changed into a clean uniform. With luck, they would have a quiet day and it would stay that way.

  The coffee in the kitchen was black sludge, but he tossed it back anyway, desperate for the caffeine. After refilling his mug, he went to his desk to start on the massive pile of paperwork Blake had left.

  The sound of loud pipes disturbed the quiet neighborhood surrounding the fire station, but he set himself grimly to his task. Bikers came through often during the spring and summer, and he had to steel himself against the sound every time. He’d raced to the front window for those first few weeks back even though he’d known it would never be her.

  She’d refused all his attempts at communication, and he’d finally given up. He was proud that it had only taken him three weeks to figure it out.

  As he let out a throaty growl, the pipes stopped and his pencil snapped in half. The rider probably wanted a late breakfast at the diner across the street. Tossing the pieces away, he grabbed another from the cup on the desk and didn’t look up when the door opened. Booted footsteps fell across the tile floor and stopped in front of his desk.

  “Welcome to Ladder 54. Have a seat and I’ll be right with you.”

  Though he still hadn’t looked up, the scent of motor oil and road dust tickled his nose. It was combined with something fruity, like… Strawberries? He dragged his gaze away from his paperwork and the pencil fell from nerveless fingers as the curvy figure in black leather tugged a helmet from her head.

  “Hello, Theo. Fancy meeting you here.” Selene unzipped her jacket, revealing a green corset with gold trim. Her magnificent mane was gathered in a braid with a ribbon twined through it, leaving a small bow at the tail end.