One night as she stood in the kitchen barefoot, making herself a salad for dinner, the doorbell chimed. Munching on a carrot, she walked to the door and pulled it open. The sight on the other side almost caused her to choke. The man who’d been haunting her dreams stood there, holding the cute little girl in his arms, a bag on one shoulder.
“H-h-hi,” she managed to mutter. Holy hell, he’s even hotter than I dreamt.
Shelby cooed and reached for her, and without thought, Yasmine took her into her arms. The gentle scent of innocence washed over her.
“Would you believe we were in the neighborhood?” One side of his mouth curved up in a disarming smile. Yet she could see in the depths of his eyes more than a bit uncertainty.
Did she? And did she really care? “Come on in,” she said, stepping back to allow them in the house.
“We’re not interrupting, are we?” he asked as he moved past her.
“Nope, fixing a bite to eat before Rufus and I go for a walk.”
“Rufus?” Sedeo asked.
Jerking her head toward the door, she said, “The one putting nose prints on my sliding glass door.”
“Puppy!” Shelby cried and struggled to get down.
With a smile, Yasmine set her on her feet, well aware Rufus was fine with kids.
“Is she...is he okay? Will she...?” Sedeo babbled.
Without thought, she placed a hand on his arm and said, “She’ll be fine. Rufus loves kids.”
The heat from his skin seared her palm, and she swallowed rapidly. Removing her hand, she moved to the door, opening it to allow Rufus to come inside. Keeping her gaze on the two on the floor, she made sure all was good between dog and child. She longed to stand near him again, but part of her make-up was following the rules and doing what was best. Getting involved with Sedeo Parker wasn’t what would be best.
A shadow fell across her, and she looked up at the man who stood a few inches taller than her. He stared down at her with longing in his gaze. Her belly churned, and her legs became shaky. Everything in the room shrank to the two of them, nothing more, and nothing less. In slow motion, he cupped the side of her face and lowered his mouth to hers.
Nothing else mattered, aside from the fact his lips were nearing hers. At first touch, she whimpered. His lips were made for kissing. He nibbled gently before covering her mouth. She moaned as his tongue slid along her lips and sought entrance. Yasmine opened on a sigh.
It was a slow exploration of the recess of her mouth, and Yasmine allowed him to set his pace. Her fingers curled into her palms, so she wouldn’t grab him. It was finished almost before it started, and when he pulled back, his eyes swirled with barely restrained passion.
“Hate me if you must, Yasmine Van Cort, but I had to kiss you,” he whispered against her lips.
3
Yasmine studied him. If she hated him, it would have been easier. Hate was far from what she felt. “Less talk, more kissing.” She reached for his shirt and yanked him to her.
His startled laugh tickled her lips, and she sighed as their mouths met, his firm lips delicious against hers. He murmured, and his arms came around her, making her shudder as her body touched his. All those fine muscles were even better up close and personal. Sedeo kissed her hungrily and thoroughly. His tongue licked along the side of her mouth. She leaned against him, rubbing slightly.
He moaned and continued to savor her. At least it was what it felt like to her, the way he kissed her, taking everything in. Her flavor, the soft furrows of his tongue finding all the recess of her mouth, and the hunger made her know he wanted her. It was all so sexy and tender.
“Me kiss, too,” a little voice piped, along with a woof.
Startled, Yasmine jerked back.
Sedeo held her firmly, his eyes dark with desire. He kissed her softly once, then let her go and picked up Shelby, who was holding onto his leg. He lifted her, putting her between them.
Automatically, Yasmine brought her hands up to help hold the child. She looked beyond Shelby at Sedeo.
Warm amusement filled his gaze. He glanced away and looked at Shelby. “Kissy-face,” he said.
Shelby giggled as he made kissing noises and smooched her all over her face. Yasmine smiled. His smoldering gaze met hers.
“Kissy-face for Yas.” His voice was husky.
Yasmine gulped before a startled laugh broke loose. She pulled her gaze away from him and looked at Shelby. The little girl giggled and pressed wet kisses on her face; Yasmine returned the favor. Contentment washed over her. She had stayed away from him, knowing she was not only attracted to him, but could become quickly attached to Shelby.
“My turn,” Sedeo said.
She shivered at the decadent promise in his tone. She glanced at him.
He lowered his head and pressed kisses on her face. The heated brush of his lips on her skin made goose bumps rise wherever he touched. She whimpered, and he chuckled in response, a wicked sound. His lips covered hers, and he kissed her hungrily. Yasmine’s knees got weak. His arms held her up. Shelby squirmed, bringing her to her senses. Yasmine tried to wrench away. Sedeo used one hand to cup the back of her head. He continued to kiss her, then let her go slowly.
“Not…” She cleared her throat. “Not in front of Shelby,” she finished.
“She’s used to seeing her par…” His voice trailed off as sorrow filled his face. He continued in a softer tone. “Julie, my sister, believed in letting Shelby see her and Jeff, my brother-in-law, be affectionate together. Not anything wild, but kissing and hugging. Just being together.”
His pain reached out to her. Yasmine hugged him tighter. Shelby laughed, burrowing in between them. The smile on the happy child was heartwarming, but Yasmine was sorry for her loss. She glanced back at Sedeo. She was sorry for both of their loss.
“I’m sorry.” She had to verbalize it.
Nodding, he said nothing. He rocked them. Yasmine closed her eyes and held them both.
After some time, Shelby squirmed. “Down, down,” she demanded.
They let her down. She sat on the floor next to Rufus, who was lying with his paws outstretched, watching them. Sedeo’s arms were around her waist.
“Stay for dinner,” she offered.
“I’d like that,” he replied softly. “Let me help.”
They smiled at each other as she laid a blanket on the floor by the closed glass door, then set Shelby up with something to play with. Rufus came over and sat next to the child, watching over her as she and Sedeo worked in comfortable silence.
She glanced at him as he stirred the rice. He was easy to be with. He looked up and smiled. She went back to preparing the chicken.
When dinner was ready, they sat at the table. As they ate, they talked about different things…politics, the news, hobbies, movies, and things they did in their spare time. Sedeo helped Shelby with her food, as she needed it. She wanted to do it herself, so he left her to it.
“You made those beautiful pieces in your home?” Yasmine asked in awe in response to Sedeo’s statement about his woodworking skills.
“Yes. It’s what I do. I make custom furniture for a living. It’s a job.” He shrugged.
“The pieces were beautiful. Shelby’s toy chest is exquisite.”
He hunched his shoulders and smiled shyly. Yasmine put her hand under her chin, resting her elbow on the table. He looked down, still eating, a slight blush staining his cheeks. What he did was true art, and yet he played it down. The more she got to know him, the more she wanted him. From their kiss earlier, the feeling seemed to be mutual.
Sedeo put down his fork and groaned. “That was delicious.” He stood, picked up his plate, and reached for hers.
“You don’t have to.”
He gave her a look. “I want to. Let me help clean this up. And I think you mentioned a walk for Rufus. We can take him for a walk, then come back and watch some TV.”
Her heart softened at the uncertainty on his face. “I’d like that.”
; Sedeo smiled. He cleared the table and took the plates to the sink. With quick, efficient movements, he washed the dishes.
Yasmine smiled, watching him as Shelby chattered. Yasmine glanced at her and noticed she was messy from eating. Picking her up, she took the baby to the downstairs bathroom off the kitchen to get her cleaned up. She sat her on the counter and cleaned the little girl’s face.
“Your uncle is turning out to be full of surprises. Not to mention interesting.” She put down the towel and looked at Shelby’s blue eyes. “And he is fine.”
“Fine,” Shelby repeated.
“Shh... don’t tell him I said that.”
“Said what?” Sedeo asked from behind her.
She jumped, startled. Shelby laughed and clapped her hands. Picking her up, Yasmine turned to face him.
“Umm... a little girl talk,” she stammered.
“Man, you two are already ganging up on me,” he teased.
“You know it.” She laughed.
“Fine!” Shelby screamed.
“What does that mean?” Sedeo’s eyes crinkled.
Yasmine fought not to blush. From his expression, he knew what she had said. Instead, she brazened it out and walked to him. Stopping closer to him in the bathroom doorway, she titled her head slightly to meet his eyes. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Sedeo chuckled and kissed her. She moaned and leaned against him. He released her.
“Let’s go take Rufus for a walk.” He stepped back, took Shelby from her, and put out his hand.
She wound her fingers through his as she snapped the leash on Rufus.
They strolled down the sidewalk, letting Rufus lead. She greeted some of her neighbors who were out doing various things, and introduced Sedeo and Shelby to them. Although no one asked outright, she could see the speculation in their gazes. Megan Hanks, her friend and neighbor, gave her a look which clearly said they would be talking soon. She smiled at her and continued on. Sedeo’s hand in hers felt right. It almost seemed as if they had been together for a long time.
You’re not actually together. It was just dinner and talking. And kissing.
Her thoughts flashed to his firm lips on hers. She could still taste his sweet and male flavor. His words pulled her from her thoughts.
“I’ve had such mixed feelings. I was grateful to you for saving Shelby, yet I blamed you, all of you, whoever was at the fire for not saving my sister and her husband.”
Yasmine stopped, disentangling her hand from his. Rufus whined, but sat, waiting for her to move. She gave her attention to Sedeo.
He put Shelby down and held her hand as he met Yasmine’s gaze steadily.
“Why are you telling me this now, so suddenly?”
His statement had come out of the blue. They had been having such a good night.
“I had to.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m so angry with you, but I can’t stay away!” he cried.
She stared at him. She could understand both things. The same need had driven her to use the picture as an excuse to see him. As a firefighter, she had faced the anger before from survivors. They needed someone to blame, and it was easy to make firefighters a scapegoat. Although she understood, it still hurt he blamed her.
This is what you get for letting yourself get involved with a fire survivor. He might not have been in the actual fire, but he was still a survivor. He had to live with the aftermath. The blame, anger, and results. Yasmine crossed her arms under her breasts.
“I had to tell you. I’ve been doing research on the internet. On firefighters. Trying to understand what you do. Why do you do it? What’s the draw?”
“It’s my job. I love it. I’m not about to defend or explain it to you. ‘Nuff said.” She wondered if this was some sort of survivor syndrome. Yasmine knew when people were put in such tragic circumstances they could develop an unhealthy attachment to those they perceived had helped them. She couldn’t believe she had missed it with Sedeo.
“This is not survivor syndrome,” he said, as if reading her mind.
She glanced at him, startled.
His look was steady. “I looked into that, too. My feelings were so strong when I met you, despite the circumstances. When I saw you again, it was out of control. I’ve never felt this way…an instantaneous attraction, a connection that seems like I’ve known you for so long, instead of such a brief time.” He stopped, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.
She gasped at the intensity of his gaze.
He continued, “I wanted to be sure of what I was feeling. I read everything I could find. Talked with a therapist about it, even. Ultimately, I figured out it wasn’t a false connection, but real. If it had been just attraction, I would have come to you weeks ago. I wouldn’t have fought coming to you for so long, even after I knew I wanted to know more about you...be with you...see where this could go. I didn’t come.”
His frustration was clear.
“Why did you come tonight?” she asked.
“I couldn’t stay away anymore,” he said softly.
Yasmine observed the need battling with his guilt, a guilt she was sure stemmed from him being alive while his family was gone.
Sedeo reached out and cupped her cheek. “I want to be here. Here with you. I’m afraid of you being a firefighter, but I can’t let it stop me. I need to be here. Let’s see how this goes.”
She couldn’t fault him for his truthfulness. If he had said he had come to terms with her profession, she would have walked away, knowing it to be a lie. With what he said, she couldn’t.
Be real. You wanted him from the very beginning. At least now, you know what you’re up against. And he wants you as much as you want him.
Yasmine turned her head and pressed her lips against his palm. Sedeo came closer and kissed her. She kissed him back. No matter what happened, she would see where this led. He pulled back.
“Let’s head back. Monk should be coming on soon,” she said.
“I like Monk.” Sedeo checked his watch. “You’re right. How did you know the time?”
“Trade secret.” She winked.
He laughed and they strolled back to the house, Shelby walking between them and Rufus in front of them. She let him into the house, then let Rufus out in the backyard. Going inside, she strode back to the living room.
Sedeo was rocking a now sleeping Shelby. “She goes to sleep fast, but wakes easily if I don’t let her get fully to sleep. Do you have somewhere I could put her down for a little bit before we go?”
“Sure. We’ll put her in the guest room. You can hear her if she wakes.” She led him down the hall to the room before her own.
She pulled back the sheet, then the quilt, and Sedeo put Shelby down. She helped him place pillows around the little girl, making sure she wouldn’t roll off and hurt herself. Yasmine went back out the door and grabbed some more pillows from the hall closet. Reentering the room, she paused.
Sedeo was sitting on the bed, singing softly to a restless Shelby.
She leaned against the door and listened to his deep bass voice.
Sedeo glanced up at her.
Sheepish about eavesdropping, she moved to the other side of the bed and positioned the pillows she had brought in. Setting them in place, she returned back to the door. Leaning against the wall outside the room, she waited for him.
A few moments later, he came out and put his arm against the wall beside her head.
Yasmine glanced up at him and shivered at the stark need in his gaze.
“I want to know all about you, Yasmine Van Cort. Yet, I find myself fighting to be a gentleman and take it slow.” His statement, delivered in a sensual timbre, caught her right in the base of her belly.
Desire burned within, making her pussy flood. The deepened hue of his eyes and his clenched jaw portrayed barely leashed restraint. Stepping around him, Yasmine reached out. Sedeo studied her, then joined their hands. She led him down the hall to the bedroom. Leaving the door sligh
tly open, so they could hear Shelby, she continued to the queen-sized bed. Turning, she moved close, stood slightly on tiptoe, and kissed him.
Passion burst between them. Sedeo banded his arms around her, lifting her against him. Locking her legs around his lean hips, she ate at his tongue, making him grunt and rock against her. Yasmine gasped at the delicious friction, then growled in frustration. She wanted skin, not the material separating them. As if reading her mind, Sedeo released his hold on her. She lowered her legs, moaning wantonly as his erection rasped against her. He divested her of her clothing, his fingers skimming against her pebbled nipples as he removed her blouse. A gasp wrenched from her, and she shivered.
“Sensitive,” he whispered.
He played with her nipples, rubbing his callused fingers against her aching nubs. They hardened even more. Yasmine moaned. His firm arm held her as he circled the areola. His slow tantalizing touch drove her into a slow burn. She rubbed her right leg against the side of his. The fabric of his pants against her bare skin was intoxicating.
“Naked. I need you naked,” she whimpered, then reluctantly stepped back from his caress. With a hum, she undressed him. As she unbuttoned his shirt, she licked along his collar bone. His harsh groan made her smile. She bit him gently. He quivered, then growled. Licking down the center of his chest, she moved to the left. She swirled her tongue against his nipple. Nibbling on it, she bit it, making him shudder against her. His hands gripped her hair, dislodging the clip holding it back. She shook her head, getting the hair out if her eyes. Sedeo smoothed it and kissed her forehead. She laved to the other side of his torso. She repeated the caress. Swirl, lick, then bite. His moans spurned her on.
As she switched back and forth between his nubs, she unbuttoned his pants and pushed both them and underwear down at the same time. Yasmine looked down, and licked her lips at the sight of his turgid length. His cock was thick, with raised veins all around it. The mushroom head was leaking pre-cum. She licked her lips, wanting a taste. Lowering her hand, she closed around his silken length, making him buck into her palm. She gripped more firmly, pumping his shaft. More slickness came from his slit, making it easier to move up and down. His hand covered hers, stilling her movement.
Wicked Burn (Free Falling Book 1) Page 3