The woman led Bailey to the dressing rooms in the back. The area outside of the dressing rooms was decorated with plush couches and ottomans in vibrant pinks. A gilded glass coffeetable sat in the middle of the couches with a bowl full of colorful candy, and off to the side a water pitcher with icy water and fresh lemon slices sat waiting to be enjoyed. The saleswoman told Bailey to have a seat, and poured her a glass of water. Bailey hadn’t realized how thirsty she was, and she relished the feeling of the fresh, citrusy water cooling off her throat.
The woman asked Bailey a few questions about her size, and color and style preferences. Then she disappeared into the sales racks for a few moments, coming back with five different dress options. Bailey loved every single one.
“Wow, you have some really cute stuff here,” Bailey said, reaching out to stroke the soft fabric of a blush pink halter dress.
“Try these on, dear. If you don’t like them, don’t worry. I have plenty more. What size shoe do you wear?”
“Nine,” Bailey said, still admiring the dresses the woman had brought to her.
The woman nodded. “We’ll get you some shoes and jewelry, too. Just start by trying those on and telling me what you think.”
Bailey did as she was told, grabbing the pile of soft, delicate dresses and stepping behind one of the elegant curtains that cordoned off each fitting room. For the next hour, she felt like a princess as she tried on dresses, blouses, skirts, pants, and shoes. Bailey knew the saleswoman was likely motivated in part by a sales commission, but she did feel genuinely cared for as well.
In the end, Bailey had to use some self control to keep herself from buying the whole store. She loved everything she saw. For everyday outfits she bought a pair of jeans that fit her better than any other jeans she had ever tried, two ultra-soft sweaters, one smooth long-sleeved button down shirt, and a pair of beige ballet flats in rich, supple leather.
For her date, she decided on a long-sleeved dress with a fitted bodice at the top that gave way to a flowy skirt ending just above her knee. The dress had a scalloped neckline and sleeves that were a bit off the shoulder. Bailey had never seen a dress quite like it, and she knew the minute she put it on that she wanted this dress to be the one she wore for her date with Trevor that night. The best part about it was the color—oh, the color. It was a deep, dark purple that almost seemed to bring out specks of violet in Bailey’s eyes.
The saleswoman found Bailey a pair of simple, nude heels to keep the attention on the dress, and a simple necklace with a delicate chain that held one shimmering, crystal stone. Bailey tried the entire outfit on and honestly had never felt so beautiful. She could hardly wait to see Trevor’s face when he saw her wearing this. She swiped Trevor’s credit card, wincing at the total, but telling herself not to worry about it. She would pay him back, and she had a little bit of savings. She would find another job soon enough. No need to worry about money right now.
Bailey went next door to the beauty store and picked up some basic makeup and one of her favorite perfumes. She also got some decent hair products, so she could wash and style her hair better. After a quick glance at the clock on the wall, she realized she needed to get going if she wanted to have time to properly get ready before her big date.
She paid for her purchases and went across the street to find Trevor, who was buried in a paperback book that looked like some sort of science fiction time travel story.
“Looks like you’re really into that story,” Bailey said.
Trevor glanced up in surprise. “Oh, hey. Yeah. My buddy Luke’s girl, River, is a librarian. She got him into these science fiction books, and he kind of dragged me into the series along with him. I was never much of a reader before, but they’re really good. I always keep one in the SUV in case I’m stuck waiting somewhere for a while. Like when I’m waiting on a woman to find a dress for a special dinner,” he said with a wink.
“Sorry, I know it took a while. That place had so many cute things. How did you know about the store, anyway? It doesn’t seem like your type of clothing,” Bailey said with a laugh.
“Actually, River recommended that store to me. I asked her if she knew any good places to buy clothes around Red Valley. Apparently, she gets almost all of her stuff from there.”
“Well, I can see why. River has good taste. Wait until you see the outfit I found for dinner tonight.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Let’s get going,” Trevor said, and let out a throaty growl. Bailey had never a sound quite like it, but she thought it sounded pretty sexy.
Chapter Seven
A few hours later, Bailey stood nervously waiting in the lobby of the Red Valley Inn. Trevor had dropped her off so that she could get ready, and then gone home to change and get ready himself. When Bailey woke up this morning and threw on her Wal-Mart sweatpants, she had never imagined that she would be going to dinner tonight at a nice restaurant while wearing a fancy dress. She wondered if Trevor would kiss her again tonight, and a little thrill ran through her at the thought of it.
When she saw headlights approaching the window that looked like they were from Trevor’s SUV, she stepped outside. Trevor parked his car in the loading and unloading area in front of the hotel, and then hopped out of the vehicle to get Bailey’s door for her. The sight of him took Bailey’s breath away. In place of the jeans and sweatshirt he’d been wearing earlier, he now wore a well-tailored black suit. He looked completely put together with shiny black shoes, a white shirt with a subtle gray pinstripe pattern, and a charcoal gray tie.
When Trevor looked up and saw Bailey, he stopped in his tracks.
“Wow,” he said. “You look incredible. I mean, I’ve thought you were beautiful since the moment I met you, but this outfit takes it to a whole new level.”
Bailey blushed at his praise. “Thanks,” she said. “I found the dress at this little boutique that this gorgeous guy I know just happened to know about.”
Trevor laughed. “Come on, sexy,” he said. “Let’s get going so we don’t miss our reservation.”
Bailey hopped into the SUV, her heart doing a little flip-flop over the fact that Trevor had just called her sexy. After years of feeling empty inside, it felt good to have something to feel happy and excited about for once.
A few minutes later, Trevor pulled into the parking lot of what looked like a fancy steakhouse. He held Bailey’s door for her again, and then held her arm as they walked into the restaurant. Once inside, Bailey looked around in awe at the swanky establishment. Soft, romantic lighting reflected beautifully off of gold toned accents. Servers in crisp uniforms scurried back and forth, taking glasses of wine and artfully plated entrées to tables of beautifully dressed couples. Bailey had forgotten how charming the atmosphere could be at a fancy restaurant on Valentine’s Day. She had spent the last several years ranting about how Valentine’s Day was a holiday invented to dupe consumers into spending more money. But, she had to admit that she was already excited about their meal, although they hadn’t even been seated yet. She only grew more impressed when the host seated them at a table next to a large, ornate fireplace.
“This place is amazing,” Bailey said. “How did you manage to get last minute reservations here for Valentine's Day?”
“My buddy Zach knew someone, and helped me out with it.”
“Zach? The guy who acted like a jerk to me when I went to the smokejumper base?” Bailey asked.
“Yep. One and the same. He owed me one for losing to me in a hacky sack tournament, and I cashed in on it. Besides, he has a good heart somewhere deep down. He just hasn't really shown that side of himself for a while.”
“Hacky sack? I haven't heard of anyone playing that game since I was in middle school,” Bailey said, her eyes widening.
Trevor chuckled. “Well, the Burning Claws Smokejumpers take our hacky sack tournaments very seriously. Even grumpy Zach has to own up to it when he loses.”
Bailey shook her head in amazement. “I really thought when I went off to
college that I would never hear about that game again.”
Trevor shrugged, as if to say “What can you do?” Then the waiter appeared with the wine list. Trevor let Bailey choose the bottle, saying that his knowledge of wine was seriously lacking. Bailey didn't feel like she knew that much about wine, either, but she had a few go-to bottles that she usually selected in a pinch. She found one of those familiar bottles on the list, and ordered it. A few minutes later, the waiter came back with their wine, then took their food orders. Bailey's mouth watered with the anticipation of the herb-crusted sirloin she had selected.
Trevor lifted his glass to Bailey in a toast. “Cheers, to a beautiful lady I'm so honored to have met. Although, I do wish we had met under different circumstances. Happy Valentine's Day.”
“Cheers,” Bailey said, lifting her glass to his. In the romantic light of the restaurant, Trevor looked even more handsome than he had outside the hotel. Bailey felt the slow warmth of desire burning in her stomach. The flame continued to grow throughout the meal, and, by the time dessert came, Bailey felt like she was burning up. The fact that they had ordered a second bottle of wine did nothing to help limit her inhibitions, either. She’d be willing to bet that Trevor felt similarly, judging by the way he was looking at her. Bailey wanted Trevor to put his lips on hers right there in the middle of the restaurant, but she forced herself to focus on her dessert and their conversation. There would be time after the meal to think about kissing. Honestly, she hoped there would be time for more than just kissing. But if she started thinking about that too much right now, then she would never make it through the rest of their meal.
“So,” Bailey said, making an effort to focus on something other than the desires coursing through her body, “I heard you say something earlier about the ‘Burning Claws’ smokejumpers. Is that the name of your team?”
Trevor laughed. “Yes, although we refer to it as a crew rather than a team. We call ourselves the Burning Claws Crew. There are six of us on the crew, and we’re all very close. We all live at the base, in a large bunkhouse next to the hangar. Ian is our leader, and his wife Charlotte is a smoke jumper as well. She’s one of the only female smokejumpers in the nation, actually, and she's pretty proud of that. Then there’s Zach, the second-in-command, who you've already had the pleasure of meeting; Hunter, the youngest, and his girlfriend Riley; Luke, and his girlfriend River; and then me. You should come out and meet them all sometime. We hold barbecues all the time, although a little less now that it's the middle of winter. But, the winters here are mild enough that you can hang out outside as long as you're wearing a hoodie or something.”
“I'd love to meet them,” Bailey said. “If I'm going to hang around Red Valley for a while, then I need to make some more friends around here. Especially since I don't have a crazy job taking over all of my time anymore.”
“I hope you do hang around here for a while,” Trevor said. “A long while.”
He held Bailey's gaze with his own, his eyes intense and burning. She felt the fire in her body growing, and she had to look away. He was going to burn her up.
Mercifully, the server chose that moment to come by and clear their dessert plates.
“Can I get you anything else this evening?” the server asked.
“Bailey?” Trevor asked.
“Oh, nothing more for me thanks. I'm so full that I don't think I could eat even one more bite.”
“Just the bill, then. Thanks,” Trevor said to the server. The server nodded and walked away, leaving Bailey to toy with her water glass.
“I still can't believe people actually jump out of planes,” Bailey said, in an effort to keep the conversation going. “I could never do that.”
“Yes, you could do it. You're selling yourself short,” Trevor said, and then reached his hand across the table to grab Bailey's hand. “But we'll talk about that later. Right now, what I really want to do is stop talking and start kissing.”
A fresh wave of heat burned over Bailey at Trevor's words. He’d just erased any lingering doubts she'd had over what was next on the agenda once they left the restaurant. As if there had really been any question in her mind—the way he'd been looking at her all night had made his intentions crystal-clear.
As soon as he paid the bill, Trevor grabbed Bailey’s hand and led her outside.
“Come on,” he said. “Let's get out of here.” Bailey bit her lip in excited anticipation as she let Trevor lead her along. She had a feeling that this Valentine's Day was going to go down in the history books as one of her best ever.
Chapter Eight
When Trevor pulled into the parking lot of the Red Valley Inn, he didn't even bother asking Bailey whether he could come up. The answer was pretty obvious. He parked his SUV, and quickly hopped out to get Bailey's door for her again.
“My lady,” he said, gesturing magnanimously. Bailey flashed him a giant grin, and took his offered hand.
They made the short walk to her room in silence. There was nothing left to say—they both knew what they wanted. And Trevor didn't waste any time in getting it. As soon as Bailey closed the hotel door behind him, he leaned in to cover her lips with his. He pushed her up against the wall, and drove his tongue hungrily into her mouth. Bailey melted into his kiss. She melted into the burning heat of his hands on her hips, and his groin pressed against her groin. She could feel his erection, large and stiff beneath the fabric of his suit pants. He made no attempt to hide it. She put her arms around his neck, and pulled him deeper into the kiss. In response, he slid his hands from her hips down to her ass, and lifted her upward. Instinctively, she lifted her legs and wrapped them around his hips. He carried her across the room, and then let her fall to the bed with a bounce. She giggled, and he let out that same, sexy growl sound that he had made earlier in the day.
“You’re so hot when you laugh,” he said. “I'm going to get some more laughs out of you.”
He shrugged off his suit jacket and threw it across the room, then bent over Bailey on the bed. He started tickling her stomach through the smooth fabric of her dress. She shrieked and tried to wriggle away, but he was too quick and caught her in his grasp.
“Stop,” she said between gasping laughs. “You're ruining the moment.”
“Am I?” he asked with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Or am I just making it better?” Bailey couldn't answer between laughs, so she found another way to distract him. She reached down and unbuckled his belt. Then she unzipped his pants, and started pushing the fabric down over his hips.
She used her hand to trace the outline of his erection as it pushed against the fabric of his black briefs.
Trevor moaned. “Hey, that's not playing fair,” he panted out.
Bailey smirked. “You know what they say. All's fair in love and war.”
“You little minx,” Trevor said as he pushed off his pants completely. Then he flopped onto the bed on his back next to Bailey, and pulled her on top of him. She straddled him and groaned in pleasure as she felt his rock solid dick pushing up against her vagina. Only the thin fabric of their underwear separated them. Trevor took the opportunity to grab the skirt of her dress and wriggle the garment up and over her head.
“Look at these sexy curves,” he said, his eyes filling with appreciation. In response, Bailey reached down and loosened his tie. She unraveled the knot completely, then slid the tie off of his neck and threw it across the room. She leaned down to continue kissing him, but she kept her hands between her chest and his chest so that she could work on unbuttoning his shirt. As their tongues continued to dance, she made her way down the length of his shirt until she had unbuttoned every last button. Then she pushed the fabric backwards, revealing Trevor's chest and abs to her in their full, sculpted glory.
“My god,” she said, tracing the outline of his six pack. “How much time do you spend working out?”
Trevor shrugged. “I have to stay in shape for my job,” he said.
“Well,” Bailey said. “I can tell t
hat you take your job very seriously.”
Trevor smacked her ass in response, and then pushed her up so they were both in a sitting position, with her on his lap. He pushed off the sleeves of his shirt and tossed it aside. Then he reached behind Bailey's back and unfastened the clasp of her bra. He threw the bra on the growing pile of clothes across the room, leaving Bailey’s ample breasts exposed. Her nipples stood erect and hard with the anticipation of what was to come.
Trevor cupped Bailey’s breasts in his palms, one in each hand. He used his thumbs to stroke her nipples, which sent little rays of pleasure radiating through her body.
Bailey threw her head back, letting her sleek, wavy hair brush against her bare back. She felt the moisture between her legs growing, soaking through her panties as her need for Trevor grew stronger. After several moments of teasing her breasts with his thumbs, he switched to using his tongue. He drew little circles of warm, wet moisture around each nipple, and then used his teeth to nibble first the left side, and then the right. Bailey moaned, and started grinding her hips against his. His dick felt enormous, like a strong, iron rod.
The motion of her hips must have been too much for him to take, because he grabbed her and flipped her onto her side. He reached down and pulled her panties off in one smooth motion. Then he quickly did the same to his underwear.
“Come here, you,” he growled. Then he flipped her onto her back, and poised himself right above her slick entrance. Bailey felt almost unbearable pressure and heat between her legs, as she waited for him to make his move and push himself into her. Her whole body tingled, screaming with desire for the pleasure he was about to give her.
He didn’t make her wait long. With another deep growl, he slowly lowered himself into her. She felt the large girth of his stiff penis pushing against her insides. He touched places in her that she had forgotten existed, and places that she never known existed. Despite his large size, he moved with a graceful rhythm and control as he started rocking back and forth. With every thrust forward, Bailey felt herself growing hotter. She felt the primal hunger and passion coursing through her veins growing more and more out of control, until it exploded into an earthquake of sweet release. Her whole body tingled as her internal muscles clenched around Trevor’s dick in a wave of violent tremors. She yelled out his name between passionate gasps for breath, until she had no energy left. As her orgasm subsided, she opened her eyes and looked up to see that Trevor had thrown his head back and clenched his eyes tightly shut. His whole body stiffened as he let out a loud roar and then came into her. As his warm stream of passion filled her, she closed her eyes again, and relished the feeling of him pouring himself into her.
Fire Bear Shifters: The Complete Series Page 31