Fire and Romance

by Melanie Shawn

  She was tempted to write off her entire romantic history up until now. She felt like her emotions were doing that on their own anyway, so she figured she might as well go along with it.

  When Marco was buried entirely inside her, all the way to the base, he stopped for a moment. He held himself inside her and kissed her neck, stroked her hair, and whispered sweet things in her ear.

  She felt like everything she’d never believed in—like a fairytale princess that finally kissed her prince. Everything about this night felt pure and good and right. Everything that had happened in her life up until this point must’ve been destined, she reasoned in her arousal-laced and frenzied fog, because it led them to this moment. It was meant to be.

  He drew his pelvis back and then slid it back in again, every movement slow and deliberate. He never broke eye contact with her as he did this. It was one of the most intense experiences she’d ever had. A strong feeling grew inside her belly with every movement.

  She couldn’t deny what that feeling was, even if she didn’t plan on allowing herself to get bogged down by thoughts about what the future might hold. That feeling was a bond, as strong as any she’d ever felt with another human being on this earth.

  Flattening her palms against the ropey muscles of his back, her fingers gripped his hot, velvety skin. A thrill ran through her at the way his body tensed under her touch as he slowly pumped in and out of her. Every twitch of every muscle was a reminder that this was an intense experience for him too, and that sent her into stratospheric heights of arousal.

  Her inner walls clamped down around his steel-hard shaft, tightening the slick tunnel inside of her even more. She could see herself growing addicted to feeling him stretch her out like this.

  She knew exactly why. It gave her the illusion that her body was being permanently changed by his in some way. Like he was marking his territory. Like he was branding her. Making her his.

  And she loved that. She wanted that. She wanted to be his. If she was honest with herself, in some ways, she always had been. This explosive encounter was just the validation she’d never allowed herself to feel before.

  She felt a deep and gnawing hunger growing. It caused her to move independently of her conscious thoughts. It was all primal, all instinct. At that moment, it was causing her hips to buck in a rhythm that was much faster than the one Marco was employing.

  It was her body’s attempt, she realized, to tell her that she was done with the sweet stuff and she just wanted him to bang her senseless.

  Taking her cue, he sped his rhythm up, and it was everything that gnawing hunger had been craving. She dug her fingernails into his back as he thrust roughly into her again and again, every single stroke drawing a visceral reaction.

  She arched her back and drank in the heady sensation of his chest moving back and forth, rubbing up and down against her sensitive nipples as he drove into her. Being stimulated from so many different pleasure points gave the illusion that his body was everywhere, and thus the waves of sensation emanated from everywhere. It was the opposite of being locked in a sensory deprivation tank—instead of being unable to feel anything, she was bombarded by feeling everything all at once.

  Sydney moved her legs so that her heels came up almost under her butt so as to give her increased leverage. She and Marco began moving in a perfectly balanced rhythm, going slow at first and gradually building speed as the moments wore on. Marco clamped one hand onto her hip to control the movements of her pelvis.

  “You feel so good, so big, inside me,” she gasped and saw his eyes darken and grow thick with lust.

  That look.

  That look in his eyes was the ultimate aphrodisiac. When he fixed those hungry eyes on her, she felt like a piece of meat—and not in a bad way. She liked it. Marco could throw her on a George Foreman grill for all she cared. If he were the carnivore who was hunting her, she was happy to be his prey.

  He picked up his speed and lifted up on his arms for better leverage, and the change in position allowed him to go even deeper. She cried out, raising her hips up to meet him with every thrust. She loved this feeling, this crazy and wild feeling of total recklessness and freedom like she was on the back of a motorcycle with her hair flying free in the wind behind her.

  As she got closer and closer to release, her body tensed as flashes of light exploded behind her eyelids. She gasped as her inner walls clenched around him. Marco grunted, and he gave one final thrust into her and held himself there, and they climaxed, clinging to each other as the tsunami of release swept through them simultaneously.

  Sydney wrapped her legs around Marco’s torso, hanging on for all she was worth as they rode out the intense peaks of pleasure together.

  As she came down from that mind-altering high, she couldn’t help but feel the rush of the thoughts she’d pushed down come up to the surface.

  Was this all there would be for them?

  Was it a one-time-only encounter?

  Was it going to be another ten years before they’d see each other again?

  So many things she didn’t want to think about, and the adrenaline flooding her brain when they’d been in the heat of things had made it so much easier to ignore them. Now, though, they were peskily making their way to the surface and she felt overwhelmed by them.

  Marco collapsed onto his back and pulled her with him; his head settled into the mound of fluffy pillows on the bed while she nestled into his chest as he stroked her hair.

  As their breathing settled into a comfortable, synchronized pattern, she surrendered herself to post-coital snuggling. There was a chance that basking in the afterglow this way would only complicate her thoughts and feelings, but she decided to let that be tomorrow’s problem.

  The soft rhythm of Marco’s heartbeat against her cheek combined with the soothing sensation of his fingers as they lightly scraped against her scalp lulled her into a sense of safety.

  Her reverie was short-lived when she heard a buzzing and felt his body move from beneath her.

  “Sorry,” he apologized as he sat up and grabbed his pants from the floor. “I need to check this.”

  Feeling exposed without his body next to her, Sydney pulled the sheet over herself.

  “Shit,” he cursed when he pulled his phone out of his pocket. Hastily, he tapped his screen and put his phone to his ear.

  “Mom is everything—”

  “What happened?” he said as he started pulling on his pants.

  Sydney sat up when she heard the fear in his tone.

  “Okay. Okay,” He repeated as he got dressed while keeping his phone in place on his shoulder.

  “I’ll be right there.” He ended the call and finished buttoning up his shirt. His eyes met hers and she saw the fear in them. “That was my mom. Pops is in the hospital. That’s why I came home, to see him. He was doing better, but he’s just had an episode. His blood pressure dropped and he’s nonresponsive.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Sydney’s mind went into nurse mode and she started ruling out things that it could and couldn’t be. She opened her mouth to ask more about his symptoms but stopped herself. That’s not what Marco needed right now. He probably wouldn’t even have the answers.

  He looked down to the floor as he patted his pockets, then leaned over and grabbed his keys, which must’ve fallen out when he’d undressed. “I have to go.”

  “Yes, of course. Go.” She waved her hand. “Let me know if you need anything.”

  He nodded before rushing to the door, but as he reached for the handle, he turned around, sprinted back to the bed, and kissed her. Hard and fast.

  Then he was gone.

  For a few moments, she stared, blankly, at the door that he’d gone through.

  Leaning back, she rested against the headboard. Her eyes scanned the room, stopping when she got to the window that they’d stood in front of. She shivered and tugged the comforter over her. The room felt so cold, so empty, without Marco in it.

  All the times that she�
�d imagined finally being with Marco, she’d never thought about what she would feel like after.

  One thing was for sure, she’d worried for nothing. Tonight was better than anything she’d ever imagined. She’d no longer have her fantasies as a security blanket. Now she would have her memories to get her through lonely nights.

  Or would thinking about tonight just make her lonelier?

  It was impossible to try to predict how she would feel in the future when she couldn’t even decipher how she felt right now.

  She shifted on the bed, feeling very naked all of a sudden. Slipping her legs off the side, she grabbed her comfy underwear, sweats, and T-shirt from her overnight bag and put them on. Then she grabbed a hair tie and piled her hair on top of her head.

  As she settled back into bed, she was filled with an odd combination of restlessness, a dash of numbness, and a pinch of disbelief. It was not the recipe for a good night’s sleep.

  She picked up the remote and turned on the TV. Typically, she wouldn’t waste money on an On Demand movie, but tonight she needed the distraction.

  As she scrolled through her options, she decided to go with The Other Guys, a buddy-cop-comedy flick. Mindless humor, that’s what she needed now.

  Before the opening sequence had even started she felt a pang in her chest. She told herself that it was indigestion, but she knew that was a big, fat lie. The truth was Marco had been gone less than ten minutes and she already missed him.

  She already missed him.

  Chapter 10

  ‡

  The headlights bounced off the reflective letters on the Hotel Kavanagh sign as Marco pulled into the parking lot and squinted at the brightness. Using his forefinger and thumb, he wiped his bleary eyes. After finding a spot and shutting off the engine, a yawn claimed him. He hadn’t slept in close to forty-eight hours and he was starting to feel some of the effects from his lack of sleep.

  He’d gotten the call from his mom right before bed on Friday night. Within ten minutes he’d thrown some clothes in a bag and made the eight-hour drive from Hope Falls to Sunset Canyon. Since arriving in his hometown, he hadn’t had any downtime. After spending the day at the hospital, he’d gone directly to the reunion, then up to Sydney’s room, then back to the hospital, and now he found himself back at Sydney’s hotel.

  Once Pops was stable, he and his mom were told it would be best to head home so that he could rest. But instead of going back to his mom’s to get some shut-eye he’d driven back to the hotel.

  He was tired, but he was also wired and amped. He knew that was due to the adrenaline that still coursed through him.

  There was so much that he still needed to say to Sydney. Yes, she knew that he was attracted to her, but he hadn’t had the chance to tell her the extent of what he felt for her. He hadn’t planned for things to go from zero to a hundred, but they had. One second he’d been giving her a hard time about her messiness and the next the atmosphere between them grew so charged he couldn’t ignore it. And as amazing as finally being with Sydney was, he knew there was no way he’d be able to rest tonight until he’d laid his cards on the table.

  Time to ante up and see if he was holding a winning hand or if he was going to go bust. He would have texted her to see if it was okay for him to stop by, but he didn’t have her number. That was crazy to him. The only person he’d ever loved, whom he’d now made love to, and he didn’t have her phone number.

  This might help, Marco thought to himself as he grabbed the brown paper bag that was sitting on the passenger seat beside him. His detour to the convenience store had been a spur of the moment thing. He hoped Sydney would appreciate it.

  He’d made quite the hasty exit. He was sure that she understood him leaving so suddenly, but it still didn’t hurt to come bearing gifts. Especially ones with both practical and sentimental value.

  As he made his way across the parking lot, he was struck by how quiet it was this early in the morning. It was just three a.m. The sky was clear with stars brightly dotting the blanket of darkness. There was an ocean breeze and a soft hum of the waves that was nostalgic and calming for him. Growing up a block from the beach, the peaceful lull had been the soundtrack to his life. Sydney had been his leading lady. She just didn’t know it.

  The automatic doors slid open, and he strode across the deserted lobby.

  “Good morning,” the woman standing behind the counter greeted him.

  “Morning.” He dipped his chin in a nod as he walked past her on his way to the elevator.

  He pushed the button and started to wonder what her reaction would be to him showing back up. She was most likely asleep. Would she be upset about him waking her up? His hand patted the cold base of the bag as he waited. At least he wasn’t showing up empty handed.

  When the elevator arrived, he stepped on and as the doors closed, his mind automatically took him back to earlier that night when he’d ridden it with Sydney. He still hadn’t even begun to process what had transpired between them. There was such a dreamlike quality to the entire night. He was convinced his lack of sleep was partly to blame for his mind feeling so hazy. But it was also because a fantasy that he’d resigned himself to always being just that—a fantasy—had come true tonight and it was better than he could’ve ever imagined.

  His footsteps were heavy as he made his way down the hallway to room 418. He felt like every step he took was bringing him to his future. Which he supposed was always the case, but right then it felt much more definitive.

  While sitting beside Pops’ bed after he’d been stabilized, his mind had done a lot of wandering. It wandered a bit down Memory Lane, and then a bit down Future Lane.

  He knew that nothing was set in stone. They hadn’t had one conversation that would give him any clue as to what she was thinking. All he knew was what he felt when he was with her, and he had to believe that she’d felt it, too.

  She lived in LA. He lived in Hope Falls. There were things to be worked out, but somehow he’d never felt more sure of anything in his life. He’d had no plans to come to the reunion tonight, and she said she was recently single. The stars had aligned like it was predestined. At least, that’s how he was feeling about things. He guessed there was only one way to find out if he was delusional or not.

  He knocked on her door, lightly at first, since he didn’t want to wake up the entire floor. Before he was able to knock again, he heard the mechanics of the lock turn and a warmth of excitement spread through his chest and he grinned.

  She wasn’t asleep.

  The door opened, and his smile dropped. His eyes shot to the number on the door and then down the hall. Was he so tired he’d accidentally gone to the wrong room?

  He was mentally retracing his steps when the man that had answered his knock spoke. “Can I help you?”

  “I thought…I was looking for Sydney,” Marco said after he concluded that he was in the right place.

  He turned his attention back to the man and really looked at the guy for the first time. He looked familiar, and at first, he thought it was because he reminded him of a young Harrison Ford. But then it dawned on him that it wasn’t his likeness to Indiana Jones that was familiar, it was the Facebook picture he’d seen of Sydney. With her boyfriend. She’d only had one, but it was definitely this guy.

  “She’s in the shower.” Young Indie tilted his head to the side.

  The shower?

  Marco’s eyes cut to the closed bathroom door. He could hear water running and Sydney singing.

  “Is that for her?” The guy started to reach for the bag Marco was holding. “Are you from Postmates?”

  “No.” Marco shook his head. “I’m…I went to school with Sydney.”

  “Oh, well…” He looked at the door, and then back at Marco. “It’s a little late. Do you want me to tell her you stopped by?”

  “No. That’s okay.”

  Marco turned and heard the door close behind him. He flinched at the sound of his future being slammed shut.

&
nbsp; On his way down to the lobby, he opened the bag and looked at the carton of Cookies and Cream ice cream that he’d bought. As soon as he got off the elevator, he tossed it in the trash.

  About a month ago, during a routine drill on the training tower, a probie firefighter lost control of the line and nailed Marco right in the crotch with the steel nozzle. The debilitating agony of taking a straight shot to the nuts by a charged hose had dropped him to his knees, made him see stars, and almost made him throw up. It wasn’t just the pain of the initial blow or trauma site. The impact temporary crippled his entire body. He’d had to ice his junk, and he’d walked funny for two days.

  But compared to what he was feeling now, that injury sounded like a cold beer on a hot day.

  *

  Hot water cascaded over Sydney’s shoulders as she hummed and sang to herself. At three a.m., she’d resigned herself to the reality that she wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight. So, instead of tossing and turning for another minute, she’d decided to take a long, hot shower.

  She closed her eyes and let the heated spray and excellent water pressure do its magic and massage her neck. Her skin prickled from the just-shy-of-scalding temperature in the most delicious way. Between this spa-like shower and the multiple Os that Marco had given her, her body was seriously getting pampered tonight.

  “Don’t get used to it,” she told herself.

  This night had been an exception, not the rule. She honestly had no idea how she could ever top it.

  At the reunion, the term “peaked in high school” had been thrown around a lot. Every time she’d heard someone say that, she’d been glad that that wasn’t her experience. The thought of reaching your life’s highest potential before you embark on adulthood was depressing.

  She feared, though, that tonight she might have peaked. Sexually at least. What encounter could possibly top the one she’d had with Marco?