by Kim Loraine
He sucked in a sharp breath when she freed him from his underwear and took him in her hand, stroking slowly. God, he was so incredibly hard. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to feel him inside her.
“Condom?” she asked.
Nodding, he stepped free of his pants and boxers before turning and walking down the hall, giving her a view of his perfectly sculpted ass. She heard him shuffling papers, moving around in what must have been his bedroom.
A muffled exclamation of, “Son-of-a-bitch!” filtered through the walls, making her snicker at the mental picture of him, naked in his room, yelling at something.
“You okay in there?” She hopped off of the counter and padded down the hallway in search of him.
He met her halfway, a frown creasing his brow.
“What?”
His cheeks went pink and he wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I’m out.”
“Out?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He was out of condoms?
“Well, not out. They’re all expired.”
She held her laughter back as his blush deepened. “Hmm.”
“I could . . . go to the store?”
Shaking her head, she pressed her body to his. “There’s plenty of other stuff we can do without protection.”
Letting out a groan, he lowered his mouth to hers in a deep kiss that sent fire through her veins. Yeah, there were plenty of ways for them to spend the evening.
Michael woke on his living room floor. He would’ve been uncomfortable if not for the beautiful woman in his arms. Lena’s legs tangled with his, her naked skin warm against his body, and he couldn’t help but harden as he recalled their passionate night spent together, learning each other. He’d never been so intimate with a woman, and they hadn’t even had sex.
“Well, good morning to you, too.” Her voice startled him as she wiggled her ass and pressed against his length.
Pleasure shot through him at the contact. Damn it all, why didn’t he have any condoms? “Morning. You sleep okay?”
She rolled over, turning those large, almond-shaped eyes on him. “What time did we fall asleep?”
He couldn’t resist running a hand through her hair. “Must’ve been close to sunrise. I’m not sure.”
With a happy smile, she lay back and stretched, groaning before she pulled the blanket off him and covered herself. “You have coffee?”
“Of course. I’m civilized.”
As she rose, the blanket dipped, revealing the expanse of her back. He shuddered, remembering licking every inch of her. Her phone rang from across the room and he sighed as he realized they both needed to get back to the real world. Reluctantly getting to his feet, he strolled into the kitchen with her, picking up his discarded pants and slipping them over his nudity.
He watched her slide her clothes over her body before she answered the phone, and he felt a deep pang of regret that their night was over. Shaking his head, he started making coffee while she was busy. Feeling a little guilty for eavesdropping, he tried to distract himself, but he couldn’t help but overhear the call.
“Morning, Hallie . . . Yes, I’m fine.” Her cheeks reddened at whatever Hallie had said on the other end of the line. “No, I’m with him.”
He couldn’t hide the smile that spread across his face at her hushed tone. Almost like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t.
“I’ll tell you later . . . Shut up.” Tucking her hair behind one ear, she cast a glance in his direction.
She paced the room, her expression changing from playful to alarmed as Hallie spoke. “What? Are you fucking kidding me? All of them?” She tossed her purse on the counter and began rummaging through it with her free hand. “I’ll be right there.”
Turning distressed eyes to him as she hung up, she raked a hand through her hair. “I have to get home.”
“Now?” The coffee was brewing and he had just cracked an egg into the frying pan.
“I’ll call a cab.”
Switching off the burner, he sighed. “No. I’ll take you.”
“Thanks,” she said, surprising him by wrapping her arms around him and kissing his shoulder.
A flash of need hit him like a bolt of lightning at the contact. Fuck, she was like a drug. He tangled his hands in her long hair, and lowered his mouth to hers.
As the kiss built from sweet to passionate, she pushed him away gently, her eyes glazed and lips swollen. “Good lord, you’re dangerous.”
That sent a wave of pride over him and he chuckled. “I was thinking the same about you.” He caught her by the hand before she shrugged into her coat. “Can we do this again before you leave?”
A wistful expression passed over her face. “You can’t know how much I want to say yes. But today I’ve got a massive fire to put out before Thanksgiving dinner with the Peters family, and tomorrow I’m sure I’ll be crazy all day until I leave for the airport.”
He nodded, understanding, while also wishing he could change things. “Promise me something?”
Inquisitive eyes looked up at him. “What?”
“When you get back, we give this a real chance.”
His stomach churned as he waited for her response.
“Let’s see what happens, okay? You might not want me three months from now.”
A laugh escaped him. That was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. She was the only one he wanted, but he’d already hurt her once. She needed him to prove his faithfulness.
That was fine. He was willing to wait.
Chapter 7
Lena dozed in the taxi as it carted her from Norfolk to Golden Beach. She was almost home for good. Only returning a few days at a time over the last three and a half months had taken its toll. Her stint in New York had turned into assignment after assignment. She’d been sent all over the United States to photograph travel destinations, resorts, and activities for Escape Magazine. While it was amazing that her photos were featured alongside articles written by her new partner, journalist Rhett Havens, she couldn’t wait to get away from him. The man was so full of himself. He’d won a few awards years ago and thought he was hot shit now. He wasn’t.
“Miss? Excuse me. We’re at your destination.” The taxi driver’s voice broke through the haze of sleep.
“Oh, sorry. Thanks.”
She shook the sleep from her brain and stepped out of the cab, waiting for the driver to help her get her bags from the trunk. After paying him, she trudged to the elevator, wanting nothing more than to fall into her bed and sleep for two days straight. Instead, when she opened the door, she found Valerie standing in the kitchen, a bottle of wine in her hand, and a scowl on her normally sweet face.
“Bad day?”
Her friend’s expression changed instantly into one of joy. “Thank God you’re home.”
“Wow, what’s been going on?”
A big glass of wine later, Valerie had filled her in on everything she’d missed around the small town. Lena barely contained her laughter as her friend talked all about Donovan Miller rescuing her from the pool when she’d cracked her head open while swimming. The malice in her voice as she went on about his arrogance only thinly veiled her obvious attraction to him.
“He can’t be that bad.” Lena couldn’t help but tease her a little.
“Oh, he is. Conceited, arrogant, bossy. He clearly feels like he’s God’s gift to women. He won’t stop calling me sweetheart every time he sees me. I just want to punch him.”
“Punch, or jump?”
Valerie’s cheeks reddened and Lena knew she was on to something. “He’s hot. But he knows it.”
“They always know it. Especially firefighters. I mean, they’ve got calendars dedicated to their hotness. I should know. I shoot the photos.”
&nbs
p; A yawn took over before she could stifle it and Valerie sent her a sympathetic glance. “Go to bed. We can catch up tomorrow night.”
“What’s tomorrow night?”
“Angie’s got a gig at the Bar and Grill.”
That made Lena smile. She hadn’t seen Panic Station play in too long. Valerie’s sister’s band was amazing, and she genuinely loved watching them perform.
She nodded and padded to her room, falling to the bed fully clothed, waiting for the oblivion of sleep to claim her.
An annoying buzz filled her head, pulling her from dreams she didn’t want to give up. Refusing to open her eyes, she fumbled blindly to find her phone on the nightstand.
“Ugh, what time is it?” she muttered, finally answering the call.
“Oh, good. So you aren’t dead. I’ve sent you six emails. I need the proofs from our last location again.”
She winced at the sound of Rhett’s voice. The man was insufferable.
“Rhett, I just got home.”
Glancing out the window, she sighed. The sky was beginning to change from midnight blue to the soft gray of early morning. It couldn’t be later than five-thirty.
“So that means you don’t need to do your job?”
Rolling her eyes, she plopped back onto the bed. “I’ll get to it today. Keep your shirt on.”
“I need them as soon as possible. Layout is breathing down my neck. I was supposed to have the final draft to them two days ago.”
“What did you do with the first proofs I sent?”
“I accidentally deleted them.”
She could hear the sheepish tone and had to smile. “You really need to learn how email works. You could have recovered them.”
“I know how to do email.”
“First of all, you don’t do email. You send it.”
He scoffed. “Semantics. When are you going to send them to me?”
Groaning, she pulled her tired body from bed and shuffled to her laptop bag. “I’ll do it now.”
“Good.”
“Rhett, in the future, don’t ever call me before nine in the morning.”
The line clicked as he hung up without acknowledging her.
“Typical,” she said to the empty room as she sent Rhett the proofs for the second time.
Yawning, she wandered around the quiet apartment, careful not to wake Valerie as she started making coffee and pulled together the ingredients for banana bread. She needed something to distract her. All she wanted to do was call Michael, but it was way too early for that. Besides, the fact that he was on her mind, and had been every day since she’d left, made her uncomfortable. She was a traveler—just like her father had been. Dear old Dad had been a perfect example of why wanderlust didn’t pair well with long-term relationships. He’d left them for good by the time she’d turned two. It killed her how much like him she was.
Her mom reminded her every time another assignment came up. “So much like your father. Never stay in one place. Nothing is good enough to keep you still.”
The last thing she wanted to do was fall in love with someone who wanted to keep her tied down. She couldn’t do what her dad had done. But she wasn’t in love with Michael. More like, in lust.
Lust was fine.
Lust didn’t tie you down.
“Head’s up, Miller!” Michael tossed a roll of paper towels at Donovan.
It had been a slow shift so far. In fact, all month had been quiet. The crew spent their free time cleaning the house, the rig, and anything else that needed maintaining. Chief Roman was a stickler for them keeping their hands busy, and Michael, as a newly appointed Lieutenant, had a responsibility to uphold.
“Shit, I’m so bored I actually want to clean something,” Klipper announced as he strode into the kitchen. “Anyone get any action since last shift?”
Donovan chuckled and nodded before turning his back and restocking the kitchen shelves.
“So, that’s a big fat no from Miller. How ‘bout you, Lieutenant?”
“Cut it out, Klip. Why are you so focused on us? No one keeping you warm at night?” Donovan threw a bottle of glass cleaner at Klipper’s head.
“Oh, oh, you wound me! I’m just looking out for you boys. You know what they say, if you don’t use it—”
A call interrupted Klipper and rang through the house. “Engine. Medic. Structural fire.”
Michael shot Klipper an angry glare. “You just had to complain.”
As they pulled up to the Golden Beach Bar & Grill, the crew jumped into action, assessing the scene. Smoke poured from the building, but from the size of the crowd standing in the parking lot, it looked likely that everyone was clear.
“Valerie’s in there!” A familiar voice carried over the murmur of the bystanders.
Donovan sprinted for the door, while Michael locked eyes with Lena. She stood less than twenty feet from him. He wanted to pull her to him, to kiss the daylights out of her and never let her go, but he had a job to do. Nodding at her, he headed to the bar to help Donovan evacuate any remaining people.
He saw Valerie emerge, her eyes streaming from the burn of smoke.
“Oliver! Get her to the aid car. She’s gonna need some O2,” Donovan barked the order with such determination Michael almost forgot who was the Lieutenant here.
Michael wrapped an arm around Valerie’s tiny frame and helped her to the waiting ambulance. “Okay, we’re gonna get you set up with oxygen and check your vitals to make sure you didn’t inhale too much smoke.”
He was aware of Lena’s eyes on him the whole time he worked with her friend. It felt like electricity running up and down his spine.
As soon as he was sure Valerie was in good hands, he forced himself to go back to his duties. He had to make sure the crew stayed safe. When they confirmed the bar was empty and the flames had been extinguished, he let his focus drift to where Lena had been standing. She was gone, but seeing her had rattled him. He hadn’t heard a word from her since their night together before Thanksgiving. Had she even thought of him? He’d certainly spent many of his evenings replaying memories of her body next to his.
“All right, we’re all packed up. You ready to get back, Lieutenant?” Donovan asked.
Forcing himself to clear away thoughts of Lena’s lips on his bare skin, he offered a slight smile and nodded. “Let’s get out of here.”
The rest of the night passed without incident and by the time Michael’s shift was over he was itching to see her. Even if it was so she could crush him. He glanced at the clock on his dashboard as the engine of his car roared to life. Eight-thirty was a little early for social calls, his mom had taught him that much over the years. He headed home even though every fiber of his being wanted to steer the car to Lena’s apartment.
His jaw dropped when he pulled up to the house. There she was, sitting in one of the wicker chairs on his porch. Her breath fogged in the chilly March air, making him want to wrap her in his arms to warm her.
“Don’t you know you’re never supposed to show up at someone’s house without calling?” he teased, hoping to keep his cool and not let her know how desperately he’d wanted to see her.
“I needed to thank you.”
“For what?”
“Saving us last night.”
He shrugged, his heart racing as she stood and crossed the porch to stand in front of him. “Looked like you all saved yourselves. We just put out the fire.”
“Just say you’re welcome, firefighter.”
“You’re welcome.” He whispered the words against her skin as she wrapped her arms around his neck and claimed his mouth.
As soon as Lena’s lips met his, Michael was done for. He knew he couldn’t let her go again. The sweet smell of her perfume flooded his senses as he wrapp
ed his arms tight around her and pulled her body flush with his. God, how he wanted her.
“We should go inside.” His voice was a hoarse rasp.
Nodding, she slipped one hand into the pocket of his jeans, pulling the keys free and letting them into the house. As soon as the door closed, she was back on him, trailing fevered kisses along his jaw. Knowing he should slow things down, he took her face in his hands and forced some space between them. He needed to get reacquainted with her, make her see he wanted more than just something physical.
“Come with me. I want to show you something.” He pushed through the break in his voice.
“Can’t you show me after?”
That sent a bolt of lust straight to his already painfully hard groin. He wanted so badly to be inside her, to make her his. He let out something between a groan and a whimper as she pressed her lips to his again and started toying with his belt buckle.
He was trying to be a gentleman, but she bulldozed right through his efforts when her nimble fingers unbuckled the leather at his waist and popped the button of his fly.
“I’ve missed you.” Her hands slid his jeans down his hips.
“Fuck.” It was all he could manage as she teased his earlobe with her tongue.
Unable to hold to his ideals, he gave in and pulled her shirt over her head. As he trailed his fingers over her exposed shoulders, warmth spread through him. Her skin was impossibly soft, like silk. Dipping his head, he brushed a kiss over her collarbone as he slid the straps of her bra down her arms before unhooking it and freeing her breasts. Stepping free of his pants, he cupped her bottom and picked her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he walked down the hall to his bedroom.
Placing a hand on his chest, she leaned back slightly and looked into his eyes. “I’m not on the pill. I can’t take it. It makes me sick. Do you have protection this time?”