Burning Desire

by Marie Harte

  Inside, Tex closed the door behind him. She dropped her camera bag on the table and showed him her flowers.

  “Pretty, aren’t they?”

  He spared them a glance before focusing on her. “Beautiful.”

  She took a step toward him, her eyes bright. “Thanks again for sending them.”

  He moved toward her. “You’re welcome.”

  And then he was kissing her, and she was kissing him back, desperate with desire and unable to stop.

  “Just one more time,” she said as he walked her back against the wall.

  “Yeah. Once.” He ravished her mouth, need spiraling until he could think of nothing but getting inside her.

  He yanked her shirt over her head and made short work of her bra. Then he took her nipple in his mouth, sucking hard while she moaned and yanked at his jeans. She had him unbuttoned and unzipped, a small hand wrapped around his cock, then stroked a thumb over his wet tip.

  He groaned and kissed his way to her throat, then up to her mouth. He freed himself, throbbing, and helped her get rid of her jeans and panties.

  Naked and backed against the wall, she looked like a pinup.

  “Gotta fuck you, now.”

  Not the most romantic words, but she must have felt them because she reached up and put her hands around his neck. “Fuck me.” She bit his lip when they kissed. “Right now.”

  “Bree,” he sighed. “Baby, I don’t have a condom on me.” Stupid, stupid Tex.

  “I don’t care. I’m on birth control, and I’m safe. You said you’re safe, so…”

  She didn’t need to say any more. He kissed her and drew her as close as possible. She wrapped her legs around him, shifting to take him between her legs. He used a hand to guide himself to her core and hissed in pleasure to feel her so wet.

  Then he took her in a savage kiss as he thrust hard inside her.

  She gasped and ate at his mouth, wild and growing wilder when he used his thumb to grind her clit. Her fingernails bit at his shoulders and raked his upper back.

  He pumped, glad for the wall for support, because he couldn’t stop. He prayed she’d get off soon, because his end was coming. And coming hard. The feel of her around him was unlike anything, and he couldn’t believe how close he felt to her, as if they were riding one giant wave of pleasure.

  He ripped his mouth free and moaned as he came, pouring into her so hard, he shook. She ground against him, intensifying his climax, and cried out, coming with him, her body like a vise.

  Tex couldn’t stop pumping, loving the fact he’d come inside her.

  And freaking the fuck out when he thought about what he’d just done and how he hadn’t been in control. At all.

  Lost in floating pleasure and panic, he just stood there, shivering when she clenched her body around his cock, jerking another bit of seed from him.

  “Jesus.” He leaned his forehead against her shoulder and felt her stroking his back. Her caress made him feel cared for, even though they’d just kicked it like two feral cats in heat. “Oh, man. I don’t wanna move.”

  “I know.” She sighed, kissed his shoulder, stirring more warmth, and eased her legs from around him.

  He withdrew and gently let her feet fall to the floor.

  “Bree, I…” He had no words.

  “I know. You’re addicting.”

  “You’re addicting.”

  They stared at each other and started smiling. At the same time, they both said, in saccharine voices, “No, you are,” and burst into laughter.

  Feeling lighter, Tex tilted Bree’s chin up. He kissed her lips, felt something in him give, and cupped her cheeks. “I should get home and clean up. For dinner tonight.”

  She nodded, then her eyes widened. “Oh, man. Dinner with my dad.” Great, now she looked rattled. “This never happened.”

  “Nope. Never.” He paused. “Because we’re friends. But I still get that date when we’re done.” He kissed her again, because he had to. “I’m on your side, darlin’. Don’t worry about tonight. It’ll go down easy. I swear it.”

  ***

  And boy, had Tex spoken way too soon.

  While Bree waited for Tex to arrive, she smiled at Carrie. A smart move on Bree’s part, actually. Carrie made a nice buffer in dealing with Melissa, as her parents well knew. Carrie handled Melissa better than anyone else in the family, something for which Bree’s father had always been grateful.

  Now, freshly showered and relaxed thanks to fifteen minutes of breathing and meditation exercises, she chatted with her stepmom, Charlie, while Carrie kept Melissa occupied and her father finished up a phone call in his study.

  Once again, a pang of regret filled her, that she couldn’t laugh and smile with her best friend and her stepsister. There had once been a bond between Bree and Melissa, a strength forged from mutual pain at a loved one’s loss, and from a need to connect. For such a short time, Bree had had someone she loved with her whole heart, a sister to just be with. Melissa had been funny and fun, sweet yet sarcastic, and she’d made Bree laugh.

  Then something had changed. Bree had never been able to put her finger on it, but her stepsister had grown distant. She’d pulled away to the point where they didn’t speak, and when they did, Melissa had been biting and bitter, fracturing what could have been a loving, tight family of four.

  “I’m excited to meet Tex,” Charlie said, bringing Bree back to the present. Charlie stirred the bisque she’d made for the meal. A lovely woman with frosted, dark-brown hair and a sincere smile, she wore love well. Charlie made a house a home, her father liked to say, and it was true. Charlie always had a kind word for others, her gaze warm and soft, and perfect for a man used to dealing with life-and-death decisions. Her father didn’t deal with too many of them now, but he’d been through hell several times in his life, including losing a wife, a partner, and dealing with danger.

  “Tex is an acquired taste,” Bree teased. “I’m kidding. He’s a charmer. He’s big, handsome, and smart. You’ve been warned.”

  Charlie snuck a look toward the hallway and, not seeing John, leaned close. “How good-looking are we talking?”

  Bree fanned herself.

  Charlie nodded. “Ah. I see.” She glanced again at the hallway. “Do you like him?”

  Though Charlie shared everything with Bree’s father, Bree knew the woman could keep her secrets. “I do like him. As a friend.” She paused and whispered, “And maybe something more. Except…” She nodded at the hallway.

  “I know.” Charlie rolled her eyes. “The man thinks everyone is a dog just because of what happened with your mother.”

  Bree frowned. “What?”

  Charlie blinked. “He never told you that story?”

  “No. I don’t think so.”

  “Well, he should have. Just as he should stop with all this anti-firefighter and anti-cop nonsense.”

  “Wait. I can’t date cops either?”

  “That would have come up had you ever mentioned being interested in one.” Charlie sighed. “So the story goes…your mother was dating someone else in your father’s unit when the man cheated on her and broke her heart. She turned to your father for sympathy, and that was that.” Charlie smiled, not bothered at all by John’s first love. She’d always claimed Bree’s mother had helped make him into the wonderful man he was today. “His story about love at first sight is probably true, but maybe it happened when your parents really saw each other. I know your father always loved her, but I think your mom needed to leave a bad relationship to know a good one. And of course, your father is not only wonderful under all the bluster, but he’s easy on the eyes. That never hurts.”

  Bree gaped. “He never once told me all that. Just that mom had a few doozies of bad dates before she met him.”

  “Hmmph. Well, bring out those guns if you need to, that is if you and
Tex are more than just friends at some point.”

  Bree hugged her. “I love you.”

  Charlie hugged her back and laughed. “I love you too, sweetheart.”

  “Where’s my hug, Mom?” Melissa said sweetly from the other entrance into the kitchen. She held out her arms. “I’ve missed you.”

  Behind Melissa, Carrie held a finger gun to her temple and pretended to pull the trigger. Bree coughed to hide laughter.

  Like Charlie, Melissa had rich, sable hair and brown eyes, but hers showed a brittle anger that never seemed to fade. Over time, Melissa had grown to resent the stepsister who took her mother’s attention.

  Her father, ever the optimist, kept throwing Bree and Melissa together, as if one day, by chance, all the Scrabble tiles would fall together to spell “friends.”

  Yeah, right.

  Charlie hugged her daughter. At least Melissa remained steadfast in her love for Charlie and John Gilchrist. She’d had no problem treating him like a dad. Bree? No longer a sister and certainly not a friend.

  Her father stood behind Carrie. “You getting shorter, Counselor Norris?”

  She turned to give him a hug. “You wish. Oh, and I’m game for a rematch on the court whenever you are, Chief.”

  He frowned and set her back. “I thought I told you not to mention my embarrassing defeat in front of family.”

  Carrie snickered. “It was so, so sad.”

  “You can still dunk. I want to say I’m impressed, but you did it in front of my friends. That’s all I ever hear about at poker night, you know.”

  She grinned.

  Bree grinned with her, surprised to see Melissa laughing as well. Bree had always thought Melissa loathed Carrie. But maybe Melissa was starting to change since dating Bill, her steady boyfriend. She’d become quieter, for sure, and didn’t come by the house as much, for which Bree remained grateful.

  Carrie too seemed surprised, but she said nothing about it.

  “Bree, honey, you look lovely.”

  She accepted her dad’s hug, not bothering to look for the sneer Melissa would be wearing.

  He smiled and pulled back to ask, “How are things going with Tex?”

  “The guy’s name is Tex?” Melissa blinked. “Does he wear a cowboy hat and spurs?”

  An image of Tex in a hat, spurs, and nothing else appeared in Bree’s mind. That would definitely demand film.

  “You’d have to ask him that,” Bree said, trying to be pleasant for her parents’ sake. “Though I have seen him in the hat. He’s been really helpful, Dad. And he helped out at the apartment fire. I got plenty of shots. From a safe distance, don’t worry.”

  Her father frowned. “He was supposed to be watching you, not assisting. I’m sure we had plenty of men and women on the scene to handle it.” It had happened in Fourth Battalion’s area, or her father would have been there.

  “He was watching out for my safety, Dad. A teenager broke through the barricade and was rushing toward the ambulances, but Tex caught him before he could go into danger. Then he helped the boy find his mom, who had been caught by the fire. That’s it. I stayed where he told me to, and he was right back to make sure I was fine.” And honestly, she wasn’t a toddler. She didn’t need a man to hold her hand and tell her what to do around a fire. But to make her father feel secure about her project, she let him fuss.

  “Oh, okay. Good.” John nodded, looking stern. Something about him reminded her of Tex, and she stared at him. Maybe that breadth of shoulder? The way he made her feel safe?

  She felt a bit icky to be looking for a man like her dad in a relationship then realized some women did, on some level. Or so she’d once heard.

  The doorbell rang. Everyone froze until Carrie offered to get the door.

  “No, I’ll get it,” John barked. “This is my house, and I don’t want you scaring him off before I get to talk to him.”

  “Talk? You mean interrogate. Sure.” Carrie waved her father in front of her. “It’ll be like the Spanish Inquisition. But will Tex leave with his head? That’s the real question.”

  Charlie laughed. “Oh, Carrie. We’ve missed you.”

  “Yeah, we have.” Melissa raised a brow. “Nothing like the comic element to make sure we have peace at dinner.” She shot Bree a sharp smile.

  Melissa stirred the bisque without having been asked, and Bree left the kitchen right behind Carrie. Avoidance would be the name of the game tonight. Now if only things worked out with Tex…

  Chapter Eleven

  Bree found Tex inside the foyer with her father, shaking his hand. In his other hand, Tex held flowers and had a bakery box tucked under his arm. His eyes lit up when he saw her, but he only nodded.

  “Hi, Bree.”

  “Hey.”

  He turned to Carrie and gave a mock grimace. “Oh, it’s you. The lawyer.”

  Carrie snorted. “And the cowboy. Where’s your Stetson, cowpoke?”

  “It’s in the car, Stretch. Why? You wanna try it on for size?”

  John laughed. “Thanks for coming, Tex.”

  Charlie entered, and when she saw Tex, her eyes widened. She glanced at Bree, who gave a subtle nod. Told you so.

  Tex had arrived in jeans, work boots, and a dark, button-down shirt, which made his gray eyes pop even more. His hair had been combed, taming the shag he normally wore. He’d shaved, though she preferred his stubble, truth to tell. But that beautiful smile he used to charm the ladies left and right was in full force. Damn, but even her father seemed to be caught up in Tex’s spell.

  Charlie turned back to Tex and smiled. “Welcome, Tex. Come on in.”

  “These are for you.” He handed Charlie a lovely spring bouquet, one smaller than the one he’d given Bree. Bree noticed and felt petty for being glad. “This too,” he said, handing her the bakery box. “But that’s really for your whole family.”

  “Tex, you didn’t have to do that.” Charlie blushed. “These are beautiful.”

  “Now, Mrs. Gilchrist, I had to.” His accent seemed a bit thick to Bree, but Charlie was eating it up. Carrie too, the traitor. “My momma would whoop me if she knew I’d been invited to your home and didn’t bring anything.”

  “Tex, call me Charlie.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Ah, Charlie.”

  “I have to meet your mother,” Bree’s father said with a grin.

  “You’d like her. She’s not one for sass.” Tex winked. “The box is full of sweets.” He met Bree’s gaze. “Don’t tell Elliot. I didn’t get them at Sofa’s.”

  Carrie’s eyes widened. “You know Elliot?”

  “Bree and I met at his bakery before we headed out for our first day of work. He seems like a real character.”

  Her father snorted. “Oh, he is.”

  “Dad.” Bree shook her head. “You just don’t like it that he called you cute.”

  John flushed. “I’m old enough to be his father!”

  “But still a looker,” Charlie teased, and the rest of them laughed.

  They moved deeper into the living room, where John invited Tex to a beer.

  “Sure, sir, thanks.”

  Bree took a spot on the couch next to Carrie, nervous about tonight’s entertainment—the Big John show.

  “You’ve obviously met Carrie.” Her father sipped his beer and studied Tex.

  “We met over breakfast. Something I have a problem with lately.” Tex patted his nonexistent gut. “I’ve been meeting Bree out for breakfast before we get started, and I haven’t been hitting the gym as much. She’s hard on a guy, Chief. Especially when she insists we meet at Sofa’s. How can I not have a blondie and a coffee? Then she made me eat with her and Carrie at a place that serves the best pancakes.”

  “EggsNCheeze?”

  Tex nodded. “Yeah. They kill the flapjacks.”

  “He made fun
of me for getting French toast,” Bree said, pleased with the way Tex was behaving. Nice and friendly, but not overly so.

  “Bree’s taken some amazing shots of the city and plenty of the department hard at work. She makes us look dang good, and I don’t know squat about art.”

  John watched Tex. “You saw her photos pre-edit?”

  “SOOC—straight out of camera. See, Bree? I’m learning the jargon.”

  Bree chuckled.

  To her father, he explained, “She also took me by her studio and asked me to look at a few. I wish I had an eye like she does.”

  Carrie nodded. “She’s got an eye, all right. When I first met her, we were modeling together, getting our pictures taken. One day she took me aside, and we looked at our shots. She pointed out a dozen they should use, saying they should scrap the rest. The photographer’s assistant had a hissy and threatened to never let us work with them again. But the photographer listened and agreed. He also told her she had a good eye for angles and color.”

  Bree blushed. “You always tell that story.”

  “It’s true.”

  Her dad nodded. “It is. I’d love to see some of what you’re shooting if you—”

  “Nope.”

  He blinked.

  Tex glanced from her father to Bree and took a long drag of his beer.

  Carrie shook her head. “Here we go.”

  “Now, honey, I just want to—”

  “Nope. I’m not ready yet.”

  Her dad looked hurt. The faker. He was just nosey. “You let Tex look.”

  “Dad, he’d already seen what I shot. He’s been guiding me, remember?”

  “Such a hard-ass,” her dad muttered, but he sounded half proud.

  “You’re tellin’ me,” Tex just had to say.

  Her father laughed and slapped him on the back. “Tell me about your time in Station 44, Tex. How are you liking the new place?”

  “It’s great. The facility has an updated kitchen and gym, which is just outstanding, and the sleeping quarters are pretty decent.”