The Complete Firehouse 56 Series

by Chase Jackson

  “What about this one?” I asked, tracing my fingertip along the purple thread. “It even has a cup-holder!” I added, pointing out a pink ring that was outfitted on the side of the chair.

  “That’s great,” Josh cracked a grin. “For when our baby makes all those early-morning Starbucks runs?”

  Our baby. I tried to chuckle and suck in my breath at the same time, and I ended up making a strange little gasping sound. Josh noticed; he smirked at me, raising an eyebrow.

  “I’m clueless,” I confessed, throwing my hands up in defeat. “I know nothing about car seats.”

  Josh’s lips spread into a grin; not an amused grin…but an affectionate one. It was the same playful, affectionate grin that he had given me a few minutes earlier, when I had been repulsed to the point of nausea by his suggestion that we buy a NoseFrida nasal aspirator instead of the traditional booger bulb.

  “Well,” he told me, “That car seat would be fine…when the baby gets a little bit older. It’s front-facing, see?” he pointed out the upright seat style, then explained: “That’s for toddlers. For an infant, we’re going to need something rear-facing.”

  He placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me towards another display table. My skin tingled where his fingertips sunk in, and I swallowed another gasp.

  “See this one here?” he pointed out a bulky grey model, then he tested the safety straps with a gentle tug. “This was just ranked the safest car seats on the market right now.”

  I felt my cheeks burn bright pink, the same shade as the bubblegum car seat. I wasn’t sure if I was blushing because Josh Hudson had just outsmarted me on something baby-related…or if it was because he made my heart race a little faster everytime he flashed me that smile.

  “Ok, fine,” I said, fighting my own urge to smile. “I’m impressed, Hudson. You know your stuff.”

  His eyes twinkled like he wanted to say something to that, but instead he reached for one of the car seats beneath the display table, packaged in a giant cardboard box. I felt my muscles tighten and my blood start to pump down towards my pelvis.

  “What’s next?” Josh asked me, nodding towards my phone. But I didn’t really care about the list anymore…

  “I think that’s enough shopping for one day,” I said. “Want to help me get this stuff back to my apartment?”

  Ugh, really Vanessa?! I scolded myself silently. Could that have sounded any more like an invitation for sex?!

  His eyes twinkled again and his lips curled up into a dirty little smirk.

  “Sure thing, Pinky…”

  ***

  “Where do you want me to put this?” Josh asked as he squeezed through the front door of my apartment. He had half a dozen shopping bags hanging from his forearms, and he was carrying the giant car seat box against his chest.

  “This way,” I said, leading him through the apartment and towards my bedroom.

  “I’ve been meaning to talk to my landlord about moving into a two-bedroom unit so that the baby can have a nursery,” I explained over my shoulder. “But for now, I’ve just been putting everything in my bedroom.”

  Josh heaved the bulky car seat box into my bedroom, then dropped it into an empty corner next to my bed. As I watched, I felt a twinge of pain tingle along my spine. I arched my shoulders and pressed my palms against my lower back, wincing as I stretched.

  I was nearing the four month mark and, although my ‘baby bump’ could still be passed off as beer bloat, my body already seemed to be feeling the strain of the extra weight on my abdomen.

  And that wasn’t even the worst of it. As soon as I stretched my back I felt a hot pain flash through my chest, radiating from my nipples. Pregnancy had hit my breasts the hardest; they had ballooned overnight, seemingly doubling in size. This wasn’t entirely a bad thing: my tits had never looked better, rounder, or perkier. A quick glance in my bedroom mirror confirmed that I was filling out my violet colored camisole better than Pam Anderson in her prime.

  The downside was that my swollen breasts were incredibly sensitive and tender, and these flashes of searing hot pain were becoming more and more common.

  I grimaced as the throbbing sensation that tore through my chest, and Josh’s eyes flicked up to me:

  “Pregnancy pains?” he asked, reading the expression on my face.

  “It’s nothing,” I said quickly, straightening my posture and ignoring the dull tingle of pain that continued to flood my chest and lower back.

  “Where does it hurt?” he asked, stepping towards me. I felt my breath catch in my throat, but I didn’t pull away when I felt his fingers graze the small of my back.

  “Here?” he asked, somehow pinpointing the exact source of pain.

  “Don’t worry about it--” I tried to say, but my voice gave out as his fingers pressed down on my back. Every nerve in my abdomen seemed to tingle in response, and I felt relief swirl under my skin as his fingers gently prodded through the fabric of my camisole.

  Increased libido; another side effect of pregnancy, I gulped, remembering an article I had read a few days earlier.

  “Does that feel good?”

  I gave him a small nod and forced myself to keep breathing as his fingers carved soothing streaks over my strained muscles. My knees swayed, starting to give way to the sensation of his hands on my body.

  I had never forgotten the way that he had made me feel that night at the wedding, but the memory had seemed almost too good to be true. I never thought I’d feel those things again; I blamed it on the emotions of the night, the Cabernet, the dancing…

  But now the feelings weren’t just a distant memory: as Josh’s hands explored my back, I suddenly felt the same flood of fire and endorphins and lust pumping through my veins, all over again.

  I remembered our conversation from the restaurant, about sex and moments of absolute desperation…and I wondered if this was going to be one of those moments.

  “Sit,” he said, nodding towards my bed. I couldn’t tell if that was a suggestion or an order, but either way, I knew it was a bad idea.

  I didn’t trust the way my heart was beating twice as fast. I didn’t trust the waves of fire that were twisting and folding over each other inside me. I didn’t trust the tingling desire that suddenly ripped through every inch of my body, from head to toe, screaming to make contact with every inch of him. And I definitely didn’t trust myself to climb onto my bed with Josh Hudson...

  But still, I obeyed, keeping my eyes pinned on him as I sunk down onto the edge of the mattress.

  He sat behind me and his fingers found the same spot on my back. He pressed his thumbs into my back, making soft swirls and circles.

  “Don’t forget to breathe, Pinky,” he said, whispering into my ear from behind. My body was obedient: I immediately released the breath that I had been holding in my lungs, and I felt my frame start to soften under his hands like melting wax. My shoulders drooped down and my head rolled forward, inviting his hands to move up along my spine.

  He gripped my shoulder with one hand and held me firmly in place. Then he opened the palm of his other hand and flattened it over my lower back. Keeping a firm grip on my shoulder, he pressed his palm up the length of my spine with a rugged, sweeping motion.

  His hand moved so fast that it forced the air out of my lungs. My lips fell open and the exhale tumbled out in a soft moan of pleasure.

  I knew this was a bad idea, and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to stop him -- or his hands -- from doing whatever he wanted to me. But I also knew that I didn’t want him to stop.

  His fingers slipped under the spaghetti strap of my camisole, and he leaned forward so his chin was resting on the top of my shoulder.

  “Why don’t you take this off?” he suggested.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN | JOSH

  That damn tank top had been taunting me all fucking afternoon; the way the thin purple cotton stretched over her swollen tits, barely restraining them from swaying with every step, every breath�
�

  But as soon as I suggested that we get rid of it, Vanessa recoiled and her shoulders shrunk together, like she was suddenly self-conscious.

  “Can you turn the lights off first?” she asked, nodding towards a switch on the wall by the door.

  I frowned. “You don’t want me to see you?”

  Her supple skin looked radiant in the soft white light beaming down from the sconce on the ceiling. She looked perfect, and I wanted to see every inch of her illuminated…

  “My body doesn’t look the same anymore,” she shrugged. “It’s changing…I look pregnant.”

  “You are pregnant,” I reminded her.

  Contrary to what my roommate would have you believe, I didn’t have a pregnancy fetish…but I did have a fetish for Vanessa, and pregnancy sure as hell seemed to suit her. Her sun-kissed skin was glowing, her natural curves were even softer than I remembered, and her tits…shit, they made my mouth water.

  “You’re also stunning,” I added. And even though I meant it, she rolled her eyes in disbelief.

  “I wish you wouldn’t do that,” she said.

  “Do what?”

  “You’re always saying something charming or sweet,” her eyes flicked up to mine, and in the soft light I saw the gold flecks sparkle in those pools of hazel.

  “And that’s…bad?”

  “Yes!” she stammered. “It’s bad if you don’t mean what you’re saying.”

  I narrowed my eyes and took a deep breath through my lips, catching the taste of her coconut aroma on my tongue.

  “I mean everything that I say,” I insisted. “I meant it when I said that you were stunning, and I mean it when I say that I haven’t been able to take my eyes off of you all fucking day…”

  She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, clamping it gently with her teeth as her eyes widened around me.

  “I know you want to make me the bad guy,” I whispered into her ear, feeling the heat of my own breath flooding the space between her neck and shoulder blade. “I know you’re desperately waiting for me to fuck up, so you can lump me in with every other asshole who has disappointed you or failed you in the past--”

  “Stop talking, Josh…”

  “No. We need to talk about this. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for you. I want to--”

  “Stop,” she said again. And then she twisted her neck around and pressed her lips against mine. I opened my mouth and felt her tongue strike mine, wiping away all of the words that I wanted to say...

  She pulled away and gripped the hem of her purple tank top. Then, reaching her arms into the air, she peeled the clingy fabric up over her shoulders.

  I wasn’t done talking, but that kiss had stunned me silent. I watched from behind as she revealed inch after inch of soft, smooth skin; skin that was desperate to be touched.

  I ran my open palm over her bare back, hovering an inch above her skin without making contact. I could feel the hot static of desire radiating in the space between my hand and her back, and as I moved my palm up towards her bare shoulders, I saw that I was leaving a trail of goosebumps in my wake. She jutted her shoulder blade backwards, filling my hand with her warm skin.

  From behind, my eyes spilled down the slope of her collar bone and caught on the curve of her breasts. I wrapped my hands around the back of her neck and massaged her shoulders with my thumbs as a heavy swallow passed through her throat; another suppressed moan.

  I felt a sharp twinge in my pants, and I imagined her soft walls milking my thick shaft as my mouth milked her engorged nipples.

  Her hands suddenly gripped my wrists, and she impatiently dragged my palms down the rest of the way to her breasts. Then she clamped down, forcing my fingers to lock onto two handfuls of soft, hot, heaving flesh...

  This time she didn’t bother sucking back the moan that escaped from her parted lips. She craned her neck back, pressing her spine against my chest and extending her chest out. I dug my fingers into her flesh, kneading the swollen mounds like they were putty in my hands. Her nipples were fat and dark, and she gasped when I pinched them between my fingers.

  “Oh fuck, Josh...” she whimpered, her head sinking backwards until it came to rest on my shoulder.

  The sound of her moaning my name made my cock burn hotter than a five-alarm fire, and I spread my legs apart so I could feel even more of her. She immediately filled the space between my thighs, pressing her thick ass against my erection and grinding slowly up and down.

  My hands pressed down the ridges of her rib cage and squeezed around her waist.

  “You’re fucking crazy if you honestly think that you’re anything less than perfect,” I grunted into her ear as my hands slid down towards her hips and found the waist of her denim shorts.

  “Don’t say things you don’t mean...” she said in a murmur that sounded almost like a plea.

  “I do mean it...” I kept my hand on top of the denim as I slid my palm over the crosseams of the crotch. Her legs spread apart and I rubbed her through the coarse fabric as a rugged moan escaped her lips.

  There are so many things that I want to do to you…so many things that I want to make you feel…

  “You don’t have to pretend,” she said. “This is just sex…”

  Where had I heard that before? I thought, feeling suddenly frustrated.

  “I just want you to fuck me, Josh...” Vanessa moaned. Those were the words that I had been waiting to hear…but I found myself pulling back.

  I can’t do this. Not like this...

  “Not yet,” I blurted out suddenly. I reeled back, and I was somehow just as stunned by the words that had come out of my mouth as Vanessa was.

  “Wh-what?! What do you mean, ‘not yet’?!” Vanessa stammered, pushing herself away from me. A glare formed on her face as shock quickly turned into anger.

  “I think we should…slow down.”

  “Slow down?! Why? What are we waiting for?”

  Good question, I thought as my dick throbbed beneath my jeans, already missing the weight of her ass in my lap...

  “You still don’t trust me,” I pointed out.

  “Josh…” her face tightened with frustration, but the anger had started to fade. “It’s just--”

  “Don’t,” I cut her off, already predicting what she was about to say. “Don’t tell me that this is ‘just sex.’”

  She blinked up at me, speechless.

  “We’re having a baby, Vanessa.”

  “Josh, we talked about this--”

  “I know we did,” I said. “And you said that you were going to give me a chance.”

  “I am giving you a chance! That’s what this is!” she said, waving her hand between our bodies: her trembling chest, my stiff cock pitching a tent in the front of my jeans.

  “Oh really?” I challenged her. “Are you sure this isn’t just a ‘moment of absolute desperation?’”

  Her face darkened into a scowl.

  “What do you want, Josh?” she asked. Her eyes met mine, and I found those flecks of gold again.

  “I want you to see me as a partner, not an opponent,” I said. “I want you to know that I’m on your side. I want you to let me earn your trust. I want to be able to tell you that you’re beautiful, without you accusing me of being a liar. I want you to be honest with me--”

  “You want me to be honest?” she cut me off curtly. “Here’s some honesty, Josh: I’m scared shitless, ok? I’m having a baby with a guy I barely know. That’s scary.”

  “I know.”

  “No you don’t,” she shook her head furiously. “How could you possibly know what this is like for me?”

  Her eyes were filled with emotion, and she pushed herself further back on the bed, collapsing into the nest of pillows and folding her arms over her chest.

  “Then tell me,” I said gently. “Tell me what it’s like for you.”

  Even though she was glaring at me, I could see the emotions passing through her eyes, like images spinning around on a slot
machine.

  I had been strong for a lot of people. As a firefighter, I had to be. I had stood by as families watched their home burn to the ground. I had delivered bad news. I had offered a shoulder to cry on when victims of a fire realized that their friends or family or pets hadn’t made it out of the house in time…

  Keeping a straight face wasn’t always easy, but I knew I had to do it; I knew that it was my job to be strong for other people. It was a duty; an obligation.

  But when I saw Vanessa curled up in the nest of pillows, shivering and fighting the emotions that were flooded her face, I felt something different. I wanted to be strong for her. I wanted to be her shoulder to cry on. Not because it was my duty or obligation…but because I wanted to make her feel safe.

  I crawled across the bed and landed beside her in the pile of throw pillows, leaving a wide gap of space between us.

  She stared at me in silence for a few seconds, and then her expression softened and she slowly rolled towards me, closing the distance between my body and hers. She pressed her back against my chest and she nestled her head on my forearm, and when I slipped my arm around her waist she didn’t squirm away.

  We stayed like that for a while, tangled up like a pair of misshapen spoons, neither one of us saying a word.

  “I want to trust you, Josh,” Vanessa said finally, breaking the silence. “And I want to believe that we can raise this baby together.”

  “I want that, too,” I told her. I pressed my lips against the back of her neck, then kissed a trail along the ridge of her shoulder. I stopped when I reached her arm, then I slowly pulled my lips away.

  “And I want this...” she murmured softly. Her hand found mine, and she guided my palm along the hill of her hip bone, towards the waistband of her denim shorts.

  My dick sprung back to attention, and I gulped.

  I knew that we were playing with fire…and I knew that sex was just like pouring gasoline on the flames. The smart thing to do would be to get the blaze under control, before it spread any further…

  Her hand was sneaking back towards my cock, and I knew that if she made contact, I’d be done for.