Let It Burn

by Dee Ellis

  Though I had been in a relationship with Tucker for most my adult life, it was hardly what romance tales are made of. I highly doubted Cage would spend countless days in the back of my truck, talking about movies and nonsense. Cage wanted a whole lot more from me than I thought I could give. At least if those hot looks and even hotter whispers spoke of anything.

  A knock at my door halted my attempts to pretend to write for now. Pausing in my bedroom, I slid my robe off and stepped into my pajamas. Which were really tiny boy shorts and a too-long t shirt from the diner I worked summers at back home. It looked like a baseball shirt, scoop neck and long arms, with the number 71 on the left breast and across the back.

  Running down the short stairway as another knock pounded, heavier this time, I held a hair tie in my hand as I shoved my damp hair atop my head. Stumbling on the last step, I cursed out loud and raced across the floor to throw the door open.

  “Sorry, just let me grab my.... wallet.” Instead of my delivery guy from Jordan’s, Cage Cooper stood on my front step, my dinner in his hand.

  “No need.” The darkening skies did nothing to shadow his beautiful face and the sexy smirk at his lips.

  “Cage?” I stepped one foot out, glancing around for the delivery guy.

  “Yes, Sugar. Jesus Christ,” He let out a breath as I stepped back, “you open your door to strange men looking like that?” I realized he was staring. Hard with that heavy look in his honey hazel eyes.

  “What? No... I mean...its pajamas. Why, exactly are you on my doorstep, with my dinner?” I tipped my head towards the bag, absolutely aware of how thin my top was and how tiny my shorts were.

  “Delivery guy was a coincidence. Took care of it for you. Although,” He frowned, his dark brows furrowing, “not exactly my idea of the kind of dinner I’d like to treat you to.” Cage handed me the bag and I set it aside, watching him in the warm yellow light from the porch light.

  “Not really an answer, Cage.” The door fell softly against my back as I stepped into the threshold, waiting for him to answer.

  “Yeah. Um, right. Jesus Christ Sugar,” He husked again, closing the distance between us as he pressed close, “These scraps you call pajamas are killing me right now. I came because I promised you something. I don’t intend to ever break a promise to you.” Cage’s voice was low and threatening in the most sexual fucking way I had ever heard.

  Frowning, I backed up against the door, absolutely confused. Then all at once, heat flooded me, bursting from my center out as I understood. He had left me at my door and I had been upset, in fact, that he hadn’t kept his promise. It was late, but it was still today. Cage had promised he would taste me today.

  I had waited for it earlier, had anticipated it. His full, delicious mouth claiming mine. Hot tongue invading my mouth and tasting me like he promised. I had waited for the press of his muscled chest against mine, the feel of his hands tangled in my hair. Instead he had been a gentleman. Seems he was here to correct that.

  Before I could react, he moved. Swifter than I expected someone so large to move. Cage pressed close, his hardness heavy against my belly, the sound I let out giving away how good he felt. Keeping his eyes on me, he tore my hair down to let his fingers weave through it.

  Tugging hard, his hands rough at my skin, he tipped my head back. Then he was moving and my eyes closed and I arched into him. Once. Twice. Cage barely touched his mouth to mine and I saw bursts of white behind my lids, felt the wetness between my legs. Then he changed it completely.

  Pinning me to the door, he slid his knee between mine and claimed my mouth completely. His tongue slid past my lips, hot and wet and I moaned into his mouth. Despite my resolution to not let something happen, right then he could have had me if he asked.

  His lips and teeth and tongue devoured mine, as if it was all the sustenance he could ever need. My taste, my lips, my moans as he pressed against me.

  His tongue lashed mine, twisted and roiling, fucking my mouth like it was a promise. A promise of more, of what he would do to the rest of my body when I let him. Because we both knew, right then, I was going to let him.

  No matter the walls I put up or how I tried to shutter myself from him. He would take me. I wanted him to then, to end the buildup that was already too much. But I knew he wouldn’t.

  Even as I pressed into him, my arms lifting to circle his neck and tangle in his thick dark hair. As I moaned and whimpered his name into his mouth, his kisses swallowing my pleasure up, it wasn’t enough. Still I knew Cage would not take me.

  Even if I begged him, which as one hand slid to the back of my head, the other wrapping around my waist and lifting me close, I wanted to. Cage wouldn’t because he knew that would be too easy. To get lost in this need we lit a fire in each other and let it burn away.

  Though I felt his cock, hard and solid and throbbing at my belly, he wouldn’t risk more. I should think that was enough; that it told me that he truly wanted me. Instead it pissed me off.

  “Fuck,” Cage swore savagely when he finally tore his mouth from mine, “you taste sweeter than I imagined. I want to be inside you so bad. So fucking bad. Never felt an ache like the one you give me, Sugar. You told me today you wanted me. Until you say it to me again. Until you mean it; mean that you want me and every fucked up part of me, I won’t take you. You set the pace, baby.”

  “Then go. Don’t tease me with something you don’t intend to give.” My words were icy and he stiffened, lifting away to frown at me.

  “Oh, I intend to give it to you, baby,” He thrust his hips, hands going rough in my hair, “just not until you ask. Which you will. Because as much as you want to run from us, you want to let us have it more.” Cage wasn’t breathing right and I realized shamefully neither was I.

  “Do I? I don’t think so, Cage,” I worked hard to steady my voice as I pushed away, “I can’t give you what you think you need from me. I don’t.... I don’t have any more room for heart ache and disappointment.” I was being harsher with every word, shoving at his broad shoulders.

  “Don’t lie to me. You want me as bad as I want you. I can battle your ghosts, baby,” I gasped when he yanked my head back, staring down at me as a slow smile formed on his face, “I am the man who will do that for you. As long as it takes, I will slaughter every fucking one. One day you won’t even remember a time before me, I promise you. Soon. Till then, don’t lie to me.” I shoved back against the door but he pressed closer and I whimpered as he brought me against him.

  Then he was kissing me again and I was molten between my legs. My nipples ached and I knew I’d be visiting with my rabbit later. I was burning up from the inside out. I kissed him back, bit at his bottom lip like I had wanted to all day, and let my tongue tangle with his.

  When he groaned, his large hand slipping to my ass to roughly cup a cheek, I moaned into his kiss. Then he set me aside, clearly making an effort to put distance between us. I ached at the loss of him, at the coolness that replaced the heat of his body. Cage reached out once more, swiping his thumb over my swollen lips as his eyes held mine.

  “Night, Sugar. Get your ass inside and lock your door. Don’t you answer your door looking like that again. You get me?” My head nodded and I watched him back away before I turned to head inside.

  “Goodnight, Cage.” I tossed over my shoulder before I fell against the door, my knees nearly giving out.

  What in the actual fuck did Cage Cooper do to me?

  1

  Three orgasms should have left me sleeping like a baby, and yet I was running late today. Rushing from the house, still tugging on my boots as I went, I held a bagel in my mouth and cursed the busy streets. Instead those orgasms, two courtesy of my rabbit and one an aftershock of that life altering kiss, left me wired.

  Which was why I had ended up at three when one is always enough to have me passed out. Again, what the fuck has Cage Cooper done to me? Besides leave me wet and needy for him in a way I didn’t know was possible. Kissing me then walking away lik
e that was messing with my head.

  I spent most the night pissed off because he left me there like a fool. In between images of teasing him until the seams of his zipper burst and then denying him, I had plenty others. Ones of him in my bed, but not fucking me, though those were a plenty too.

  No, just of him in my bed, holding me and listening to me talk about books and the library. About my mom and my dad, my brothers, and maybe even Tucker. Someday. The images assaulted me the entire night, leaving me restless, horny and frustrated.

  I was more attracted to Cage because of the promises he seemed so intent on. He was my future and I was his, he said. After he kissed me stupid, I kind of thought he might know exactly what he was talking about. Didn’t mean I was ready to accept that, though.

  My walk to the library was slowed by congested traffic on the sidewalks and in the dirty streets. It was cooler today and I regretted not grabbing a jacket about four blocks from my place. I was trying to enjoy the fall weather that was lingering for as long as I could. The skies overhead were clear and cloudless. The air was crisp, the winds fluttering my hair, down again today, and my long skirt around my legs.

  Yesterday I had dressed for him, even if I told myself otherwise. I wanted him to look at me the way he did. It did things to me in places no one had ever touched. Maybe not even me. Today I was a woman on a mission, so my long flowing floral navy skirt and off the shoulder peasant top were strictly business.

  So I wanted him. And he wanted me. So what if he didn’t need to touch me to turn me on until I ached everywhere it mattered. I mean, so what his kiss literally had me in the throes of a mind numbing orgasm. So what. And I mean, so what I wanted to buy into his promises as much as he did. I didn’t, not really. Even if I felt like I was connected to him in a way I didn’t know was possible.

  That didn’t mean he got to tell me how things were. That didn’t mean Cage got to sweep into my life and reroute my plans for it. No way. I was here to find myself, to find something for myself, and even if Maisie and probably Sadie were on Team Cage, I wasn’t. I was on Team Charli and in fact, I was pissed that no one else was.

  “Morning sunshine,” Lola greeted me with a chipper smile as I stepped behind the main reference desk, “what’s the business?” Blinking, I tried to tear my focus away from Cage and how he was ruining things.

  “Morning. More mentoring for me today. How did the interview prep program go yesterday?” The library was quiet today, just a few students from the university wandering around.

  “It went really well. Great turnout, we have some of the kids coming back for some computer courses next week. How did mentoring with sex on a stick go?” Lola wiggled her dark brows, her bright red pouty lips, smirking.

  “The kids enjoyed the visit to the station. We have one kid, Devon, who seems to be leaning towards following up with the career actually. So that’s exciting.” I left out any mention of Cage.

  “Anytime Cage wants to take me on a tour, I’m ready. Always loved a man in uniform. Or out of it. Think it’d be fun to slide down his pole.” My mouth fell open and I spun around from gathering books from the drop.

  “Lola! Lady that mouth of yours...” I lifted a brow at her but she just giggled, playfully fanning herself with some books.

  “I meant the fire pole, of course,” She shook her head and laughed more when I paled, “no, no I didn’t. That man, as I have made apparent, is literally sex on a stick. I hear nothing but good things; I would kill to be his side kick.”

  Out of everything she just said, I picked up on one comment. Ignoring the jealousy roiling through me because it was ridiculous, I latched onto that comment. “I hear nothing but good things”. It reminded me of the way Cage cut Finn off yesterday. Finn had been insisting I hang out with them during one of their frequent pub crawls. Apparently after a busy day saving lives, they headed to nearby bars to burn off their adrenaline.

  By the murderous look on Cage’s face when he caught Finn telling me this, and this offhanded comment by Lola, I had a very good idea how they did that. I figured someone like Cage, with his sexy bedroom eyes, that god damned dimple and all those muscles was exactly like that.

  I presume he had plenty of women, like Lola, willing to burn off whatever he wanted to. Though he was a grown man and I really had no right to judge him because far as I could tell, he was single, I chose to do just that.

  This new revelation added weight to my decision not to give in to him. No matter what my body wanted. No matter how badly I wanted to taste him again. Feel him pining me down, his fingers slipping past my panties and driving deep inside me.

  The weakest parts of me wanted that, wanted Cage. I didn’t come here to hook up or be another notch on some beefy manwhore’s bedpost. As fun as I have no doubt it would be. Lola was still talking, but I had stopped listening when she began talking about pole sizes in direct reference to his large hands.

  In just a few hours I had to face him again and carry on in front of those kids. Kids I was beginning to care a great deal about. I couldn’t give in to him. Not to the stupid fluttery feeling I got when he came close. Or the heat that burned through me, threatening to consume me, when he touched me. I would forget about that searing kiss and the resulting orgasm he could never know about.

  It would hardly matter, I’m sure. I had a feeling Cage had brought plenty of women the same pleasure. Well, the jerk could get right back to that. Even if it wasn’t true, even if he was a gentleman who really wanted me for all the right reasons, there was too much at stake.

  Despite my traitor body and feelings, and that long call with Maisie last night, my mind was made up. Didn’t matter what just about every cell in my body wanted. That’s not how I worked. I did not do things lightly. Nothing I had ever done, besides playing the happy bride to be, had been done halfway. Even that I played to the best of my ability till the very end. Though that was still half assed by my standards.

  I wasn’t here to fall for someone who could only hurt me. Which is all Cage could ever do. Either by being the manwhore I didn’t really want to believe he was; or promising me the world and almost giving it to me. Before his dangerous job stole him from me.

  Cage was simply not an option for me. Once I convinced myself of that, I’d get to work on convincing him too.

  Cage

  I am in love. There’s little to no doubt in my mind that’s what I feel right now. Does it matter I barely know her? Does it really matter that I know there’s a hell of a lot more that I have to prove to her? Or that the ghost I am positive she’s battling is something I have to overcome? Not to me, it doesn’t.

  After an entire night spent going over the last few days since I met Charli, I keep coming up with the same answer. Just like Gwen and Deacon before me, like my sister Regan and Parker, it had happened to me. I looked into Charli’s eyes that first day and felt like, “Oh hey...there you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

  Now I knew what she tasted like. What those sounds felt like as I took her mouth and pressed her against me. Felt her curves in my hands as I held on tight, not wanting to ever let go. I knew that she tasted sweet like honey and crisp like fresh oranges. The feel of her giving in to me, her mouth opening to let my tongue claim her. Her fingers tangling in my hair, had nearly undone me.

  I had almost shoved her back into the cottage and fucked her against the door. I knew that when I did take her, I wanted her to lead it. To tell me she wanted me again. Like she admitted yesterday. I almost lost my shit when she came right out and said she wanted me.

  Oh plenty of women have said that to me. Some have even proved it. But Charli said it like it cost her something. Like the fallout if I fucked this up would be almost too much for her. Which is precisely why I’m not going to fuck this up. It was already gospel to me that Charli was going to one day be the mother of my kids.

  After I properly proposed and let her have the wedding of her dreams. Someday. Right now, I was looking forward to finding out anything and ev
erything she would share with me. We had plenty of time for all the rest of that. I wasn’t going to rush her since I knew she was one push from running.

  Last night was tough, leaving her like that. All I wanted was to kiss her goodnight. I had promised I would before the day was over. Then she had been flirty and open and I had gotten so distracted somehow I hadn’t. Coming back to the stations, I was kicking myself in the ass. When I had left her at the door I knew too late she wanted that kiss. Had been waiting for it. Then I went and blew it trying to play gentleman. I wanted to be careful with Charli because I couldn’t risk scaring her away. Apparently, that was too careful and I would not make that mistake again.

  “Bro, what has got your panties in a twist?” Finn was quick to give me shit as we sat waiting for calls.

  “What? Nothing. Mind your business.” I had debated going back to her place a dozen times as I sat playing video games with him, barely paying attention.

  “Bullshit. I’ve gotten the jump on you about a dozen times,” He paused the game and scowled over at me, “a few times, maybe. But that many? You’re not even paying attention. Been pissy ever since you came back from.... oh shit, you’re pouting about the hot librarian, huh?”

  “No. Finn quit calling her that, first thing. Second...what was the deal inviting her to O’Malley’s? With all those fucking badge bunnies?” I could have killed him when I heard him laying it on thick earlier.

  “First, fuck you, she’s wicked hot and she’s a librarian. Hot librarian. Hereto-forth, Charli Doll. Second, I asked as a favor; Charli Doll is smoking hot and this entire squad took note of that. Might not be smart to allow your current wet dream around a bunch of deviants, Cage. If she goes with you, she’s safe. Otherwise....” Finn didn’t have to finish that statement because I knew what he was saying.