by Jessica Gray
Jules nodded and rushed for the pumper trucks. As they arrived on scene, she jumped down and took inventory of the situation. Most of the hotshots, including Jules, didn’t have city experience, and fighting a wildfire was considerably different to the approach used on a structure fire, as she’d soon find out.
The promised directions via radio were sketchy at best and she glanced at the black smoke coming from the roof, unsure what to do first. She couldn’t well tell her crew to fell the building or make a saw line around it. She glanced at her squad leaders who seemed equally unprepared to make swift decisions. A hand tipped on her shoulder and she turned around to look straight into Tyler’s dark blue eyes.
“Not now,” she hissed, and wanted to return her attention to the smoldering building.
Tyler increased the pressure on her shoulder and said, “Let me. I know this stuff.”
“You? Oh yes, sure…go ahead.” A heavy burden fell from her shoulders the same moment he started barking orders at the hotshot crew. He carried a confidence with him that stopped every protest in its tracks and minutes later he’d assigned the crew into teams with different tasks.
Together with Gunner he set out to ask about people possibly trapped inside, while the others started soaking the building with water from the fire hydrants, yet another thing Jules hadn’t used before since few of them stood around in the mountains where she usually worked.
He’s good. Really good. Jules grabbed the fire hose with both hands to keep it from coiling like a crazed snake and glanced at Tyler checking up on everyone, removing crew members from one position and sending them to another one. He definitely was on top of his game and she liked not being in charge for a change.
Like the fire that had just been eradicated, his leadership skills were hot as hell.
Two hours later the fire was completely extinguished, any hotspots had been dealt with, and the mayor of the town had personally congratulated everyone on the team for their outstanding work.
“Thanks,” she said to Tyler as they sat in the truck, returning to base. “We couldn’t have done this without you.”
“I’m sure you could, it just would have taken a bit longer.”
“…and caused a lot more destruction.” She completed his sentence and leaned her head against his sooty shoulder.
Back at base they jumped out of the truck and stashed the gear. Tyler stood in front of her, face and body covered with dirt and sweat, smelling of smoke, but still, her heart thumped wildly when she gazed into his dark blue eyes.
Tyler grabbed her hand and pulled her into his room, kicking the door shut even as he kissed her and pressed her up against the door frame.
“You’re getting the door all dirty,” she said, breathless.
“We can’t have that. Let me rid you of your dirty clothes.” He chuckled and started pulling at her clothing. “You’re positively gorgeous,” he said with an expression of awe on his face, when she stood naked in front of him.
“Positively sooty, filthy and stinky you wanted to say?” she teased.
“Shower with me,” he said between kisses and swooped her up in his arms and carried her into the shower, where he turned the water on, before he stripped off his own soiled clothing. Then he followed her under the warm spray, gloriously naked and hard as steel.
She didn’t care that sweat and grime mixed with clear water turned into a greasy slime running down their bodies and ran her hands across his hard muscle, until they found their way around his pulsating cock. She squeezed and rubbed, making it grow bigger and harder than she’d thought possible, before she went to her knees and took him into her mouth. She licked her lips across the sensitive head and whirled her tongue on the skin covering his hard rod.
Tyler groaned as his cock twitched in her mouth. After a while he gently pulled her hair to make her stand up and then lathered her with soap, washing every single inch of her body with his expert hands. While he rinsed her hair, she wriggled her body against his, giggling, as the passion took hold of her.
The streaming water had long gone clear, when he pressed her back against the shower tiles, lifting her up. She wrapped her legs around his hips and he carefully lowered her onto his cock, until he was buried inside her to the hilt. Jules arched her back, water from the showerhead streaming over her breasts and rushing down their bodies. She clung to him for dear life as furious thrusts hammered into her.
“God, I loved watching you work today,” Jules said, biting her way across his scrubby jawline and sucking on his earlobe.
Tyler surged within her one more time, keeping his hands between her shoulder blades and the tiles to avoid hurting her. “Fighting those type of fires is what I did before coming here. It’s where I’m most familiar.”
“You handled yourself so well,” she murmured, letting her hands trail down his back until she filled both palms with the cheeks of his ass. “Don’t stop, I’m almost there,” she urged him onward.
“Good because I can’t hold out much longer.” Tyler reached between their bodies, finding the hard little nub of her pleasure and sliding his fingers around it several times. When her body tightened and her legs began to squeeze him, he squeezed the nub once, twice, in a pulsing motion, and she broke apart in his arms.
He followed her over the cliff, his orgasm stealing his breath as a sense of fulfillment settled over them both. He chuckled and then kissed her roughly.
“Good thing we’re already in the shower. We’re dirty again.”
“Good thing,” Jules said as he let her wobbly legs slide to the ground. They stepped out of the shower and Tyler rubbed her dry before they settled in the too small bed for a quick nap before dinner.
As fires went, the structure fire had been a piece of cake, but unlike when they were cutting down trees and digging ditches, this time human lives had been at stake. Everyone had made it out safely, but just knowing how things could have ended was a sobering thought for Jules.
The time for her trip to Los Angeles with Tyler to meet his sister and other family members had arrived and Jules tamped down the flutter of nerves in her belly. Their drive to Los Angeles was uneventful except for the hour long wait in traffic to go a mere twelve miles. Los Angeles traffic was some of the worst in the nation, and no matter how many highways the state built, it didn’t seem to make any difference.
“I hate driving down here,” she said when they finally reached the exit.
“Me too. I try to avoid it as much as possible and take the side streets when I can.”
“I try not to be here. I find that works almost better,” Jules said, tongue in cheek.
“I’ll have to remember that. And now that I come to think of it, I didn’t know how much I hated the traffic until I moved out to the mountains this year,” Tyler said. Minutes later, he pulled into a large driveway where several cars were parked.
“Your sister owns a lot of cars,” Jules said, her stomach tightening with anxiety.
Tyler glanced at the driveway and shook his head. “No, looks like we’re late and all my siblings are here already.”
“Siblings?” Jules counted the cars in the driveway and then asked, “Just how many siblings do you have?”
“You’ll see soon enough. Come one, let’s go make the introductions. Oh, I forgot to mention, today is my mother’s birthday.”
Jules stared at him in shock and slapped him on the shoulder. “What?! And you didn’t think that bit of information was important for me to know? Tyler, I don’t even have a gift…”
Tyler wrapped an arm around her shoulders and started up the sidewalk. “I put both of our names on mine. Now, I have five siblings and they appear to all be in attendance. Don’t worry about remembering everyone’s names. That will come in time.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that this was a birthday party.” Jules shook her head at him, wondering if she should kiss him or slap him.
“It’s a surprise party. Would you have come if I had?” Tyler a
sked, coming to a stop.
“Probably not.”
Tyler kissed her and said on a chuckle, “That’s why I didn’t tell you. And believe me it was hard enough, since I’m not exactly known for being able to keep a secret. You have no idea, how many times I was about to blab it out.”
“Now I’m supposed to feel sorry for you after you deliberately led me astray?” she rolled her eyes at him, but couldn’t stay angry at him when he wrapped his strong arms around her, pressing her tightly against his hard body. “Traitor. I’ll have to remember that the next time you’re at my back.”
“Relax, sweetie. No one bites, at least the last time I checked. If they do happen to bite, just bite them back. They’ll leave you alone after that.”
Jules gave him a sidelong glance as he depressed the doorbell. “Really? Bite them back? Does your family know you think they’re all flesh eaters?”
Tyler grinned at her as the sound of the door opened and Jules schooled her features, hoping today wasn’t going to be a complete disaster. For Tyler or her.
Chapter 19
The door opened, and Tyler grinned as Preston pushed the screen door open. “Ty, Vivian said you were coming but we weren’t sure that was going to happen with it being fire season and all. Come on in.”
Tyler hugged his brother’s neck as he stepped inside, reaching back and pulling Jules in with him. “Preston, this is Jules. Jules, my brother Preston.”
“So, you’re Ty’s girlfriend,” Preston said, giving Jules a handshake.
Not really my girlfriend, although I’d like to call her that.
Preston’s fiancée Gina, a beautiful brunette with long wavy hair joined them. “I’m so excited to finally get to meet you,” she said, gesturing wildly with her hands before she pulled Jules into a hug.
“This is Preston’s fiancé Gina,” Tyler explained to a perplexed Jules who had difficulties breathing in Gina’s fierce embrace. “As you might have noticed from her temper, she’s Italian. From Rome.”
“Rome? I’d love to visit this city one day. It’s been a dream since I read Angels and Demons by Dan Brown,” Jules replied.
“Oh yes, that book and the film made quite the impression. There’s even Angels and Demons tours around Rome, where you can explore the sites mentioned in the book, and go on a chase for messages from the Illuminati.” Gina released Jules from her embrace and grabbed her hand. “You know what, we can organize one of those tours when you come to our wedding…”
Jules shot a half-helpless, half-furious glance at Tyler, but Gina had already dragged her to the lush gardens surrounding the modern-day mansion, talking a mile a minute, emphasizing her words with exuberant gestures.
“So, what’s the deal with her?” Preston inquired. He was the most reserved of the siblings, and had always been the voice of reason, which was probably why he’d become a billionaire hotel tycoon, owning resorts and hotels all over the world.
“No deal. Just a woman I’m going out with.” And having incredible sex.
“I don’t believe a single word. You’ve never brought a woman to a family barbecue, much less to Mom’s birthday.”
“Where is she by the way?” Tyler asked to change the topic.
“Down by the pool house. Let’s get you over there.” Preston led the way to the gorgeous pool house sitting beside the Olympic-sized swimming pool. Vivian’s boyfriend Rock Martens was a former Ironman world champion and the pool was his pride and joy.
Even though he was now retired from being a professional athlete, he still ran – and organized – charity triathlons for the benefit of his Rock Solid foundation that helped disabled veterans and athletes.
Tyler looked out for Jules, whose auburn-haired head hovered above the rest of the women. They’d taken her in their midst, no doubt grilling her about the whys and whats of her relationship with die-hard player Tyler.
“Should you be rescuing your lady?” Preston asked on a grin, but was interrupted by their oldest brother Drake coming to say hello.
“Oh man, I didn’t even get a chance to say hello to the wonder woman who tamed my little brother, before Viv and Gina whisked her away,” Drake said and gave Tyler a brotherly hug. “How’s things in the mountains?”
“Dry and hot.”
“And here I thought you’d taken care of the dry spell,” River, the youngest brother punched Tyler in the shoulder with a big smirk.
“Don’t be such a jerk. Where’s Pippa?” Tyler asked about River’s girlfriend.
River grimaced. “Where do you think? Down there in that horde of chatterboxes. Don’t you miss the good old times where we had to deal only with Mom and Viv during a family gathering?”
“Tyler!” his mother Annie came out, followed by her husband Jeff, wrapping him in a big hug. His mother was a small, slim woman, and every time he wondered how she’d managed to raise six children almost on her own. When he was young, his recently retired father had mostly been away for business trips during the week and got to see his family only on the weekends.
“Happy Birthday, mom!”
“I’m so glad you could come. Maybe you can talk some sense into this brother of yours.” She pointed at River. “He thought giving his mother a diving cruise was an appropriate birthday gift.”
“I can’t find anything negative about a cruise in the Caribbean on a diving yacht,” Tyler commented, remembering the cruise all the siblings did a while ago on River’s boat Moana.
“Can you really imagine me swimming around under the surface of the ocean? With one of those big air tanks strapped to my back? I’m too old for those types of activities.”
“Mom, you’re only as old as you act. Now that you’ve got all of us out if the house, it’s about time you enjoyed your life.”
“Why can’t I enjoy at home?” she asked.
Jeff took her hand and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You’ll like it. I think it was a great idea of the kids to give you this cruise. And an even better idea to include me, so I can take care of you while sipping margaritas aboard the ship.”
His mother shook her head at him and turned to Tyler to ask, “Where’s your girlfriend?”
“Jules isn’t my girlfriend,” Tyler answered with an exasperated eye roll.
“Oh sorry, darling, that’s what your sister told me.”
“Of course, she did. Have you forgotten about the diabolical joy she finds in matchmaking?”
Annie smiled. “How could I forget? It was a constant quarrel between you guys and her. But let me introduce myself to Jules, please.”
Tyler weaved his way through the crowd and snatched Jules away from his sister and the girlfriends of his brothers.
“You really should have warned me,” Jules said, trying to be serious, but Tyler could see she’d been enjoying herself.
“Sorry for that. My mom wants to say hello.”
Jules stiffened and inhaled sharply.
“Don’t worry. She’ll love you.”
They reached the place beside the barbecue where his parents and his brothers were standing.
“Hello Jules, I’m the mother to most of these hooligans. I’m so glad to meet you.”
“Happy birthday, Mrs. Armstrong,” Jules said.
“Please call me Annie. And this is my husband, Jeff. We’re so happy you and Tyler made it all the way down to L.A.”
“We were lucky that there weren’t any big fires.” Jules shook hands with Jeff and then Tyler used the opportunity to introduce her to his brothers.
“I take it the girls already made themselves known, here are the better halves to them,” Tyler chuckled and made the introductions. As they finished he looked around and asked, “Where are Chuck and Linda?”
Everyone quieted down and his mother cleared her throat and answered him. “Chuck took Linda upstairs to lay down for a bit. She wasn’t feeling well.”
“I hope nothing serious?” Tyler said.
“I don’t think so.” Annie had an inappropriate smile on
her face about the fact that her future daughter-in-law was sick.
Rock, the host of the party, clapped his hands and announced, “Food is ready.”
“Thank God, I’m starving,” Jules whispered. They’d left Bear Mountain early in the morning and being stuck in traffic hadn’t allowed them time to grab lunch en route.
A while later, Chuck and Linda appeared, the blonde woman slightly pale around the nose.
“Tyler, glad you could make it. Who’s your pretty companion?” Chuck greeted him.
“Chuck and Linda, this is Jules. Jules, my brother Chuck and this lovely lady is Linda Ross.” Tyler hugged them both and then watched as Chuck enveloped Jules in a hug as well.
“Linda Ross? As in daughter to Evangelina Ross?” Jules asked.
“That one. But I prefer not to talk about my mother,” Linda said and gave Jules a measuring glance. Evangelina Ross was an A-list actress, who was as bitchy as she was famous. She’d even had Chuck imprisoned for presumably kidnapping her daughter and stealing her Oscars.
“Thank God.” Jules broke out in laughter, “And here I thought we had to worship your famous mother all day.”
“I do like your girlfriend,” Linda said, hugging Tyler. He preferred not to repeat for the umpteenth time that Jules wasn’t his girlfriend, because he actually liked the sound of it. Your day may come.
“Mom said Linda wasn’t feeling well?” Tyler asked his brother.
Chuck gave Linda a sidelong glance and looked very happy indeed when she nodded. He grabbed a glass from the table and clinked a spoon against it. Everyone stopped talking and looked at him, full of expectation.
“Since you’re all here, we might as well share our news right now. Linda and I are expecting a baby.”
“Congratulations!”