by Karen Foley
To Callie, he had never looked more beautiful.
She launched herself into his arms, and he caught her with a surprised laugh, his arms coming around her and holding her tight.
“Oh, Tyler,” she said, and leaned back in his arms to look at him.
His eyes gleamed warmly, and his teeth were startlingly white against the black smudges on his face.
“Miss me, sweetheart?” he asked, and then his mouth came down over hers, kissing her as if he were dying of thirst, and she was a spring of cool water in the middle of a desert.
When he finally lifted his head, Callie felt dazed. He raked her with a heated gaze, taking in her toweled hair and bathrobe.
“I sure as hell hope you’re naked under that robe,” he said, his voice rough.
“Why don’t you come inside and find out?”
She pulled him unresisting into the townhouse. As soon as the door closed, Tyler turned her against the door, pinning her there with the weight of his body. He dropped his hard hat and his gear bag onto the floor, and caught her wrists in his hands, stretching them over her head and trapping them in one of his own.
“Christ, have I missed you.” He growled, and kissed her deeply.
With his free hand, he undid the sash on her robe and swept it open. Callie shivered as cool air wafted over her body, and then his hand was there, exploring her curves, cupping one breast, and gently thumbing her nipple. The last four weeks vanished, and it was as if no time had passed. He was here, and he still wanted her.
He caught her soft moan of pleasure in his mouth, stroking his tongue against hers. He could have taken her right there against the door and she would have welcomed it.
But he released her hands, and bent his head to hers, his breath coming in harsh pants.
“Baby, I want you so badly,” he said. “But I am a stinking mess. I need a shower before I touch you again.”
Callie laughed and leaned against him, happier than she could ever recall. “I don’t mind.”
He tipped her face up, and pressed his lips against the small beauty mark beside her eye. “I mind.”
She nodded and, drawing her bathrobe closed, took his hand. “Follow me.”
He picked up his gear bag and followed her up the stairs to the second floor of the townhouse. Callie could have shown him the guest bathroom at the end of the hallway, but instead she drew him into her bedroom and indicated the en suite bathroom that she used.
“You should find everything you need,” she said, blushing a little as his eyes swept over her bed. “Towels, soaps, and I think there’s a new razor in the top drawer. Help yourself to anything.”
“Thanks.”
As she watched, he unfastened his suspenders and his belt, and then peeled his shirt off. Unembarrassed, Callie blatantly stared at his muscular chest and arms, and her fingers itched to explore his washboard abs, and lower.
“I don’t want to drop this on your floor,” he said, holding out his shirt. “It’s pretty filthy.”
Callie opened her closet and retrieved her small laundry basket. “Put everything in here. I’ll run your clothes through the wash.”
“Great. Don’t go anywhere; I’ll be out in just a minute.”
He left the bathroom door partly open, and Callie heard the shower turn on. Napi had followed her upstairs, and now he stood at the bathroom door, whining softly.
“Sorry, buddy,” Callie said, and gently led him out into the hallway. “Go lay down. This is one time you’re not invited in.”
She closed the bedroom door, and then caught sight of herself in the full length mirror on the backside of the door. Her hair was still wrapped in a towel, and her face was pale except for two splotches of bright color high on her cheeks.
“Oh, my God,” she muttered, and yanked the towel off, combing her fingers through her hair. She couldn’t believe Tyler had seen her looking like this, and had still wanted to kiss her!
She heard him open and then close the shower door, and could picture him clearly. Suddenly, she didn’t want to wait for him to finish. Pushing the bathroom door open, she was enveloped in warm steam. She slipped out of her bathrobe, and carefully approached the shower. Through the mist, she could see Tyler standing beneath the spray of water. His back was to her, and he had his face turned directly into the water as he scrubbed away the dirt and soot.
He turned as she opened the door and stepped in beside him. Her shower enclosure was generously proportioned, but he made it seem small with his height and broad shoulders. He smiled at her, water running in rivulets down his face and turning his eyelashes into wet spikes.
“I was hoping you might join me,” he said, and slicked a hand over his face. “Come here.”
He drew her under the spray, pulling her against him with one hand at the small of her back. He was fully aroused and the hard, hot press of him against her stomach caused an immediate rush of heat and moisture to her sex.
“I’ve dreamed of this,” he said, his voice rough, and slid a hand beneath her hair, tipping her face up so that he could kiss her.
Callie made a soft humming sound of approval. The slick slide of his body against hers was so erotic that she couldn’t wait any longer to touch him. Reaching between them, she curled her fingers around his length. He groaned and deepened the kiss.
“Oh, man, that feels too good,” he muttered.
Using the fragrant shower gel, they soaped each other’s bodies, exploring each other with slippery hands as they kissed, until Callie thought she would explode with need.
“I want you inside me,” she said, gripping him in her hand and stroking him.
“Ah, sweetheart, I want you so badly,” he said, “but there’s something I’ve been dying to do.”
Before she could guess his intent, he pushed her back against the cool tiles of the shower wall and knelt in front of her, urging her legs open with his hand.
“Tyler,” she said uncertainly, her fingers tunneling through his wet hair. “I’m not sure…”
“I am,” he said, and he licked her.
Callie cried out at the first touch of his tongue against her sensitive flesh and clutched at the ceramic handhold on the shower wall, feeling the world tilt around her.
He held her hips in his hands and laved her with his tongue until she came apart, pleasure washing over her in endless waves. Standing up, Tyler lifted her against the wall, his hands beneath her bottom, supporting her.
“I don’t have any protection,” he said, his voice hoarse with need. “But I can pull out.”
Still trembling from her orgasm, Callie could hardly think straight. “No, it’s okay. I’m on the pill.”
“Are you sure?” His expression was taut.
“Please, Tyler.”
He lowered her slowly onto his shaft, easing into her with a pained groan. “Ah, damn, you feel so good.”
Callie had to agree. He filled her, stretched her, and then began to thrust into her. He bent his head to her shoulder as he moved inside her. Callie wound her arms around his neck and hung on as his movements became quicker, stronger.
“I can’t last,” he growled. He pushed into her one last time, his big body shuddering against hers as he climaxed.
They stood locked together for several long minutes, while Callie’s heart rate returned to normal. The shower had grown lukewarm and, after a moment, Tyler let her legs slide to the floor, then withdrew from her. His breathing was still ragged as he pressed a kiss against her mouth.
“Are you okay?”
“Better than okay.” She assured him. “Now that you’re here.”
“Let’s get you warm and dry,” he said.
Tyler shut the water off and reached for a towel, wrapping it around her. Stepping out of the shower, Callie felt chilled without the warmth of his body. Winding a towel around his lean hips, he stepped out after her and pulled her into an embrace.
Tipping his head down, he looked directly into her eyes. “This isn’t the only re
ason I came here, Callie, you know that, right?”
This was the reason why women stayed with their firefighters. Tyler was tender and protective and made her feel incredibly sexy. He hadn’t told her he loved her, but Callie knew their physical intimacy meant something to him.
“I think I have an idea,” she replied with a smile, and traced a trickle of water where it ran down the side of his neck. “How long can you stay?”
“One of the local guys dropped me off. I can stay until tomorrow morning, and then we head back to Glacier Creek.”
“Can I fix you something to eat?” She had no idea what she would make, since her refrigerator was almost bare, but guessed he was both hungry and tired. She could see smudges of exhaustion beneath his eyes.
“Sure.”
In the bedroom, she pulled on a pair of loose boxer shorts and a camisole top, her standard weekend loungewear, and ran a comb through her hair.
Tyler was fishing through his gear bag, so she picked up the laundry basket and walked to the door. “I’ll wash your things. Come down to the kitchen when you’re dressed.”
“Thanks, babe.”
Napi refused to accompany her downstairs, so she left him in the upstairs hallway and made her way down. After throwing Tyler’s clothing into the washing machine, she scrounged up enough ingredients to make him an omelet. He still hadn’t come downstairs, so she arranged his plate, along with a pot of coffee and a small pitcher of orange juice, on a tray and carried it upstairs.
“I’ve brought you some breakfast,” she said, as she shouldered the bedroom door open and then stopped. Tyler lay sprawled on top of her bed, wearing a clean pair of boxer briefs, and nothing else. One arm was flung over his eyes, and she could hear his soft snores form the doorway.
“Maybe later,” she said softly, and carried the tray over to one of the bedside tables, and set it down quietly.
She shook out a soft blanket and drew it over Tyler’s prone body. He didn’t even stir. Feeling oddly protective, Callie leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against his jaw. Then she drew the shades in the room, casting it in cool darkness, and tiptoed out of the room. He was safe and, for now at least, he was hers.
Chapter Sixteen
If someone had told him five months ago he could make a long-distance relationship work, Tyler would have dismissed the notion. Back in July, he hadn’t been interested in any kind of serious commitment, never mind one where he and the lady in question were separated by fourteen hundred miles.
But somehow, he and Callie had made it work. Was it ideal? Hell, no. He missed her every day that he wasn’t with her, and talking with her via Skype each night only fueled the frustration he felt at not being able to touch her. But he never tired of talking with her, or listening to her stories about Napi and the veterinary clinic. He loved making her laugh, and watching her face go tender when he told her how much he missed her.
And he missed her like crazy.
They’d managed a couple of trips back and forth to see each other, and it worked in his favor that her father now lived in Missoula, which was a short two-hour drive from Glacier Creek. Callie been out to visit her father once and help get him settled into his new place. Tyler had fortunately been between calls and had managed to drive down and see her.
But now that the fire season was over, he hoped he could get back to California more frequently. The ski resort wouldn’t open until December, and it was only early November. He figured he had a couple of weeks before he needed to settle in for a long, cold Montana winter. He hadn’t told Callie yet, but he’d already bought airline tickets, and would head out to Monterey to surprise her in just two days. He was long overdue for some time off, and way overdue for some time with Callie.
He’d spent the morning at the base station, helping the crew install a new bathroom in the women’s bunkroom. With more women joining both the smokejumper and hotshot crews, they needed the additional shower facilities. Tyler was happy for the work, as it kept his mind occupied.
He and Greg were installing three new shower stalls, and had just finished framing out the new area. Working on the construction of the showers made Tyler antsy to begin work on his timber-frame house. The foundation was in, and workers had begun raising the frame. Tyler hoped to have the house weather-tight before the winter really set in. His plan was to get most of the interior framed out during the winter, before the next fire season began. He hadn’t shown Callie the new house, but he thought she would approve.
“Hey, Tyler, can you come with me for a minute?”
Tyler looked up to see Sam Gaskill standing in the doorway. “Sure, boss,” he said, setting his level down on a nearby worktable. He exchanged glances with Greg, who shrugged.
He followed Sam out of the bunkroom and toward the staircase that led to the lobby. “What’s going on?”
“There’s something I need you to take a look at,” Sam said over his shoulder.
Perplexed, Tyler followed him down the stairs, but stopped halfway when a movement caught his attention. Callie stood in the lobby, looking up at him.
“Callie!” Pleasure surged through him. This was the last thing he had expected, especially since he had been planning to surprise her.
He took the stairs two at a time and caught her in his arms, hugging her tightly and laughing. “What are you doing here? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I would have picked you up at the airport.” He stood back, relishing the sight of her. “Damn, this is a surprise.”
She was bundled up in a heavy, cable sweater over skinny jeans and boots, with a scarf around her neck. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, and she looked both happy and cautious.
“You’re not mad that I came out without telling you, are you?”
Something in her expression caused him to pause. “That depends,” he said carefully. “What’s going on?”
She clasped her hands and Tyler had never seen her look so nervous. Part of him wanted to haul her somewhere private, and kiss her until she was breathless and laughing, because her serious expression was setting alarm bells off in his head. Was she going to break up with him? End their relationship? The thought made him go cold inside.
“I have something to tell you,” she said, “and I hope you won’t be upset.”
“Go on.” He knew his tone had gone cool. She’d taken him completely by surprise. He hadn’t seen this coming, and there was no way he could prepare himself.
“I am crazy about you, Tyler Dodson,” she said. “Completely head over heels in love with you, and I just wanted you to know that.”
Tyler’s knees felt a little weak as relief poured through him. Then the impact of her words crashed over him, and he nearly stopped breathing.
She loved him.
He’d never told Callie he loved her, certain she must already know. Somehow, saying the words terrified him. But seeing the hope and love shining in her eyes, he knew he had nothing to be afraid of.
“Come here,” he said roughly, and pulled her into his arms. They fit perfectly, and the feel of her body was so familiar and so comforting, that he knew he’d finally come home. He cupped her face in his hands and searched her eyes. “Baby, I love you so much. I should have told you before now. I love you with every beat of my heart.”
Smiling, she turned her face and pressed a kiss into his palm. “I know you do. I knew it without you even having to say it. But I had to tell you, so that you would know.”
He kissed her, a sweet fusing of their mouths that was almost reverent. “How long are you here?” he asked when they finally broke apart.
“I’m here for as long as you want.”
Tyler thought about the house under construction on the north ridge. That house had been a dream of his for so long, he didn’t know if he could give it up, but he knew Callie was more than just a dream; she was a dream come true.
“I want you forever,” he said, his voice gruff. “If you want to live in California, then we’ll do it.”
&nb
sp; Callie stared at him, her face reflecting her disbelief. “I think you actually mean that.”
He nodded. “I do.”
“You’d never be happy in Monterey.”
“You’re wrong. I’d be happy wherever we’re together. I know I could get a job with the California smokejumpers, so that isn’t an issue.”
Callie clapped a hand over his mouth, stopping his flow of words. “Okay, well, that won’t be necessary. I’ve had a lot of time to think about this, and I’ve decided I want to live in Montana. Here. In Glacier Creek.”
Tyler swallowed hard, and pulled her hand away from his mouth. “Sweetheart, are you sure? You hate Montana.”
“No, I don’t hate Montana. I love Montana.” She gestured helplessly. “I was born here. It’s taken me some time to figure it out, but this is where I belong.”
She sounded sincere, but Tyler was unconvinced.
“The winters are cold,” he warned.
“Then you can keep me warm.”
“The nights are long and dark.”
She smiled. “That sounds perfectly wonderful. All the better to stay in bed.”
Tyler felt something shift and ease in his chest. But there was still one more thing he had to be sure of.
“What about your job? And mine? There are times when I’m gone for weeks. How do you feel about that?”
Stepping forward, she slid her arms around his waist, and looked up at him. “I’ve had the last five months to get used to being without you. Do I love it? No, but I can do it. As for my job, I’m pretty sure they have veterinary clinics here in Montana.”
“You’ll have Napi to keep you company.”
She nodded. “Yes, and I thought maybe we could get a puppy, too.”
Tyler smoothed a silky strand of hair back from her face. “A puppy and maybe a couple of kids sound about right.”
Later, he would tell her about the house. For now, he just wanted to let her know how much he loved her. Lowering his head, he covered her mouth, knowing he had found everything he’d ever wanted.
The End