If she could have told him she hadn’t been able to hold on for quite a while now, she would have. Instead she drowned in his perfect milk chocolate eyes, praying he’d meant what he said. This couldn’t be the only time they ever made love. She would die if it were. As Nate came, filling her, draining all he had inside her, he also claimed her heart.
Nate stared at Mary’s ceiling. She’d cuddled up next to him and her breathing had slowly calmed. They were a perfect fit together. Taking any relationship beyond something sexual was new territory for him. Thinking about doing that after having fucked a woman only once was even newer territory. His insides had curled into a ball. When he should be sated, he felt tense. It would be wonderful drifting off to sleep with Mary, yet his brain spun around with nauseating turmoil.
As her breathing deepened, he thought of crawling out of bed, sliding into his clothes, and leaving. It was the coward’s way out and he knew many men might do just that. He’d been the one who’d told her this wouldn’t be a one-night stand. Nor did he want it to be. That was what scared the hell out of him.
He wanted Mary. Wanted her as his woman. There was a thick, warm sensation wrapped around his heart and it had drifted into his brain. He worried it might be love and didn’t for the life of him know what to do about it.
Were they compatible?
Nate couldn’t say he didn’t know Mary. They’d been close to each other since early grade school. There were years after high school when they hadn’t seen each other every day. But when she was around, he’d always known it. At city functions, when he answered the dispatch phone, when he’d gone out with friends, if Mary was around he knew it.
He thought about a time just over a month ago when he’d seen her at one of the local bars. She’d been out with a few girlfriends, but Mary hadn’t looked as if she’d really been with them. She’d sat at the bar, nursing her beer, smiled, laughed, and watched her friends dance or flirt with other men. More than once she’d looked his way, her smile changing, growing more sensual, needy. She’d known they were meant to be together long before he’d figured it out. Now that he had, why the hell was it scaring him to death?
He remembered how pretty she’d looked with her blonde hair down and her figure-hugging short dress showing off her large breasts and perfectly shaped legs. More than one man had approached her, a few of them blocking his view. Once he’d actually considered talking to her himself, deciding it might be a good idea if he played official chaperone, especially when he knew the creeps who tried coming on to her.
Mary had held on to her smile when each guy walked away and every time had eventually shifted her attention back to Nate. Now that he thought about it, possibly she kept looking at him because he was watching her. He’d given her signals and he hadn’t realized it.
Nate stared down at Mary and casually brushed a loose strand of blonde hair away from her face. Her thick, dark lashes fluttered over her eyes and slowly they opened. He loved how she stretched like a cat, arching her back as she raised her arms and straightened her legs, pressing every inch of her warm, sultry body against his.
“You’re so much better than I ever imagined you would be,” she told him, her eyes pure violet as she stared up at him.
Nate swore she looked so open, so trusting and devoted. Men would kill to have a woman adore them as Mary appeared to do him at that moment. And the feeling rushing over his flesh, leaving him feeling more alive, and sizzling with intense male satisfaction was an incredibly good feeling.
“You’ve got a few skills of your own.” He tapped her nose, grinning when she wrinkled it.
“Are you hungry?”
He hadn’t given food a thought, but as she mentioned it his stomach growled his answer for him. Mary’s smile broadened and she started to push herself out of the bed. Nate grabbed her, flattening her on her bed and trapping her there with his body.
“I’m starving,” he muttered. “The food can wait, though.”
He fucked her again, this time flipping her over on all fours and taking her from behind. Feeling her from different angles, drowning in her heat as she pulled him deep inside her, taking all he had and holding on to it as if she never planned on letting go, pushed him over the edge faster the second time.
It didn’t stop them from making love again. He wanted her off the bed, against the wall, leaning over the bed, then over the kitchen table. By the time it was late into the evening, Nate wasn’t sure he’d be able to stand, let alone drive home.
They were in her living room, after having sex on the stairs and ending up with Mary bent over her coffee table. Nate loved the shape of her ass, the way his sheathed cock disappeared inside her and reappeared coated with her thick, white cream. No matter how many times he took her, no matter the positions, she didn’t slow down or beg him off. Instead Mary devoured all he gave her as if she’d been starving, parched, and her body drank from him greedily.
“Good Lord,” she cried out, collapsing over her coffee table, still on her knees with her arms stretched out over her head. She turned her face to the side, her cheek flushed a deep rose as her blonde hair fell to her shoulders, damp and in thick strands that clung to her neck. “I give; you win,” she said, managing a laugh.
Nate knelt behind her, his entire body sore and so damned sated he doubted he would be able to take her again that evening if he tried, not to mention, he was pretty sure they’d just used the last condom. He ran his hand up her back and she made a purring sound, arching against his touch and offering a mouthwatering view of her round, soft ass and her soaked pussy.
“I’m just glad you said it first.”
Mary laughed and attempted rolling over. Her legs tangled with his and he pulled her to the living room floor. Both of their bodies were damp and the smell of sex hung heavily in the air. Parts of him were numb as other parts of him felt more alive than he’d felt in ages.
“Have we made up for lost time yet?” she asked.
He shifted so he could see her face. She searched his expression and her smile faded, although not from her eyes. There wasn’t any way she’d be able to hide her happiness if she tried. It was another thing Nate had learned throughout the evening. Each time they made love it became clearer to him. He read Mary like an open book. When she hesitated, she pursed her lips as if she might blow a kiss. When she wasn’t sure about something, her violet eyes turned more blue. And when she was floating in bliss, Mary’s eyes were the most perfect shade of violet and her cheeks rosy with life and contentment.
He’d never thought of her before as so easy to understand. Women usually were confusing as hell. Nate understood now it was because none of them had been his woman. He brushed her damp hair from her face, enjoying how her lashes fluttered, but her body remained completely relaxed. A trust and unspoken commitment already existed between them. Nate couldn’t say how long it had been there. But it wasn’t bridged this evening.
Now he knew how he’d ended up over here. It made perfect sense why Mary had so boldly suggested he come over. There wasn’t any doubt why he’d so greedily kissed her before tonight. She was his soul mate, his other half—his better half.
“I’m not sure we’ll ever make up for lost time,” he told her, feeling himself sober as he continued stroking the rosy shade covering her cheek. “But I don’t regret the past any more than I will the future.”
“Why is that?” Her face grew serious, too, as she studied him.
“Because you’ve always been mine, Mary.”
Her expression didn’t change. She watched him, looking as if she waited for him to say more. There was more to say. He felt it. But words weren’t falling out of him. All he could tell her was what had been on his mind. Although speaking it out loud made it sound ridiculous instead of being the incredible revelation he’d felt when the realizations had first surfaced in his brain.
“I’ve watched you all my life.” He forced himself to say what he thought she wanted to hear. “I’ve always been there, maki
ng sure you were safe, making sure no men harassed you.”
“If I’d chased the girls away from you, you would have been pissed.”
Nate decided he really liked the way her freckles came forward when she wrinkled her nose at him. He moved his fingers over them, stroking her nose until she shook her head. The damp strands of hair fanned over her face.
“It ate me alive every time you drove off with one of those bimbos.” She tried lifting her hand from between them and brushing her hair away.
Nate did the job for her, wanting her to remain cuddled next to him. He wasn’t ready to stand and discover how much they’d overdone it that evening. Right now he felt good, perfect even. Soon enough he would endure sore muscles, but he doubted it would come with any regret.
“You make it sound as if there were so many.”
“There were too many,” she stressed, answering immediately. “Granted it was the worst during high school.”
“And every time any girl climbed into my car you were right there, too, my dear,” he reminded her. There were a few girls he regretted trying to seduce. More than one of them had an agenda.
Mary’s face turned stubborn and she straightened against him. In spite of knowing he wouldn’t be making love to her again right away, his cock still reacted to her moving her body against him, brushing her hip into his cock as she tried rolling so she was on top of him. It was a position he could live with and he lifted her, rolling flat on his back and allowing her to straddle him.
She stared down at him, her hair falling forward around her face. “That was because I didn’t want them to be with you. I wanted you to notice me.”
“Trust me, sweetheart. I noticed you.”
“You didn’t treat me the way you did all those other girls.”
“I didn’t like them.”
“You were out fucking girls you didn’t like?”
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her he hadn’t fucked any of them other than two at the end of his senior year. He wouldn’t put himself on the defensive and wasn’t sure she’d believe him, anyway. This wouldn’t be about him trying to convince her he’d always loved her. Up until earlier this evening, he hadn’t realized how strongly the emotion had been bubbling inside him, simmering and waiting for the right moment to explode and consume him. When it had, it had felt better than any of the times he’d come this evening. Loving Mary made his life complete.
“I seem to remember more than a few jocks stepping over their clumsy feet to get next to you.”
“There were a few.” She bent her arms and rested her weight on her forearms as she crossed them over his chest. “None of them were you, Nate. You were the only man I’ve ever wanted.”
“God, Mary.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer and kissing her.
Mary cupped his face, her legs stretched and the heat from her pussy scorched his flesh as she moaned into his mouth. He managed to lift both of them into a sitting position, keeping her facing him with her legs stretched out behind him. Even as they continued kissing, the ringing sound in his fogged brain seemed to grow louder. More than likely a really good meal was in order. They would shower and cuddle in bed. He knew Mary had to work in the morning, but he had the next two days off. Although he’d promised to mow his dad’s yard, he wanted to spend every minute he could with Mary.
“Nate.” Mary broke off the kiss and pushed against him, trying to stand up.
It was instinct at play now. He tightened his grip, needing her next to him.
“Nate,” she repeated. “I think it’s your phone. It’s not my ringtone.”
The fog snapped out of his brain and he turned his head, finally hearing his phone ringing while his brain still stumbled over all of his newfound knowledge of Mary.
“Crap,” he moaned, moving to stand and pulling Mary up with him.
He didn’t say anything when she clung to him for a moment. It wouldn’t surprise him a bit if he’d fucked her enough she wouldn’t be able to stand without wobbling for a bit. She managed to hold her own, though, when he headed up her stairs to her bedroom.
His ringtone was intentionally louder than most phones’ because of his line of work. Although the firefighters used headpieces and two-way radios to communicate with each other, there were times when he didn’t want to miss a phone call, especially if it was from his parents, while he was in the truck or in the fire station with all the noise from the other guys echoing off the high ceilings.
By the time he’d found his phone on the floor, it had stopped ringing. Apparently it had fallen out of his pant pocket when he’d anxiously stripped earlier. It was lying faceup and the screen was still lit up in the dark room when he picked it up.
Mary stood in the doorway naked, with her hair delightfully tousled, as she flipped on her bedroom light. “Is it important?” she asked.
Nate stared at the number, his stomach twisting in knots all over again, although this time they weren’t as life changing as they’d been with Mary.
“It was the firehouse number.” Work didn’t call on his days off. None of the firefighters did that to each other. Although he’d gotten some sleep at the firehouse during his last shift, he’d also worked one of the worst fires he’d worked in a long time and it had killed his lifelong friend.
John! What would John think about him and Mary? Nate stared at the phone, knowing Mary had said something but for a moment not hearing her. John would be proud. If anything, he’d probably tell both of them it was about time they pulled their heads out of their asses and saw the light. A crushing amount of sadness threatened to knock the wind out of Nate. John would need to be his best man. There wasn’t anyone else. Any man who stood with him at the altar would know he was simply a standin for the man who should be there.
It was wrong, not fair, fucking unreasonable as hell. John shouldn’t have died. He was supposed to remain alive. A memory hit Nate that he’d forgotten about. Back in high school when they were juniors, possibly seniors, he and John had a serious heart-to-heart. Nate seemed to remember it had occurred right after they’d had one terrible fight. He and John had fought more times than Nate cared to count, each time ending up with both of them nursing bloody noses and a few bruises and enough grass stains to get yelled at by their mothers.
John had told him he knew who Nate would marry. In fact, he’d laughed in Nate’s face, telling him it was so obvious only a numbskull wouldn’t see it. Nate continued staring at his phone as he remembered his best friend’s words.
Even our mothers already know who your wife will be. Everyone knows. You’re the only one too dense to see the obvious.
They’d fought again after that. Nate had bulldozed John, demanding to be told what the entire goddamn town was saying about him. He’d never had a serious girlfriend. There were girls. There were always girls. But he never cared about any of them or gave them as much as a thought when they weren’t around.
“I’d completely forgotten about that,” he muttered under his breath.
“Forgot about what?” Mary came up around him, looking at his face, then his phone he still held in his hand. “Was there something you were supposed to do?”
She’d misunderstood what he’d said and thought he’d just received a phone call from someone reminding him he was supposed to be somewhere else. It was his perfect out, if he’d wanted to take one. Nate looked at her, letting John drift from his thoughts and gazing into her pretty eyes that were suddenly filled with concern and slowly masking all those radiant emotions that had made her glow all evening. She was waiting for Nate to hurt her.
And apparently he’d been a blind son of a bitch for enough years she was ready for it to happen. There was no doubt in his mind now who John had been talking about.
“I’m not going anywhere.” The words were worth it just to watch the shadow of doubt and concern fade from her face and her eyes and once again the happy glow return.
“Who called?” she asked, nodding at his phone.<
br />
“Work.”
Mary nodded, understanding. And she would. They were both in lines of work where emergencies didn’t mean unplanned meetings in the morning with bigwigs that all of them suddenly needed to prepare for. In their lines of work, an emergency meant someone’s life was in danger.
“Go ahead and call them back. I’ll grab clean towels and we can shower before eating. Does that sound good?” Already she’d walked out of her room, that perfect ass of hers shifting from side to side as she disappeared around the doorway and down her hall.
Nate followed her, watching her reach into a narrow closet and pull out two thick towels, then flip a light on in her bathroom. When she bent over her bath to turn on the water, his dick danced in appreciation and awe. He could get used to following her around her house while she was naked.
Somehow he managed to return the call and put the phone to his ear as it rang.
“Firehouse Number Three.” It was Mike Holden, who was two years older than Nate and had been a firefighter longer than Nate. They never worked the same shift. Mike and his crew came on when Nate and the others took their two days off.
“Mike, it’s Nate. Did you just call me?”
“Yeah, buddy. Sorry to wake you up. We’re calling in everyone, man. I’m really sorry, but dress out. There was an explosion out at the grade school and several of the houses to the east of the school have already burst into flames.”
5
Mary stood at her open front door, watching Nate back out of her driveway. The urge to run after him, beg him to let her go with him, made it impossible to stand still. This wasn’t high school. Nate wasn’t taking off to go run around with his buddies or cruise the main strip in town or chase girls. He was going to work.
Her cell phone chirped from her kitchen and she backed up, closing her door and flipping the lock before heading to her phone. A mixture of satisfaction and trepidation made for a bad combination in the pit of her gut. She grabbed her phone, tugging on her nightshirt Nate had lifted off her only hours before. Now he was gone.
Feel the Heat Page 7