Ignite on Contact: Brotherhood By Fire

by Jaci Burton

  The last thing she remembered was talking to Rafe. She looked over to where he’d been sitting. He wasn’t there now. She heard music coming from the other room. She sat up, realizing he’d covered her with a light throw. She couldn’t help but smile at the sweet gesture.

  But, dammit. She’d fallen asleep. Like, utterly passed out on him.

  She looked down at her watch, realizing she’d been out for an hour. Great.

  You are one hell of an exciting date, Carmen.

  She got up, folded the throw over the back of the sofa and slid her feet into her sandals. She smoothed her hair and went in search of the music, which was coming from the kitchen. Rafe was in there, sitting at the kitchen island sipping a beer. He smiled when he saw her come in.

  “Have a good nap?” he asked.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “What for?”

  “For falling asleep on you.”

  “Hey. You work hard. You obviously had a tough day. And then on top of that you take care of your grandfather. Your plate is full, Carmen. Never apologize for working your ass off and being tired, okay? Because I get it.”

  She inhaled on a shaky breath. “Thanks for understanding.”

  “No problem. Can I pour you another glass of wine?”

  “Maybe some iced tea or water?”

  “I’ll fix you a glass of tea.”

  “Great, thanks. I’m going to slip into the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

  “Sure.”

  She made her way to the downstairs bathroom and closed the door. Once she did her business, she washed her hands and stared into the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was mussed and she looked like she’d been asleep all night.

  But she also felt very warm and emotional and not sure what to do with herself.

  He understood. He wasn’t angry. In fact, he’d treated her so sweetly from the moment she’d walked in the door. And that wasn’t something she’d ever had before. She looked at her watch. Only nine. Still time before she had to go help her grandpa get to bed.

  She leaned over and rinsed out her mouth with some cold water, then fluffed her hair as best she could and left the bathroom.

  Rafe had his face buried in his phone, and he’d switched from drinking beer to iced tea. But as soon as she came out, he slid his phone to the side and stood, handing her a glass of tea.

  “Thanks.” She took a sip, letting the cool liquid slide down her parched throat. “And thanks for understanding.”

  “It helps that we both work long shifts that can often be intense. I get where you’re coming from. If you’d like to call it a night . . .”

  She set her glass on the counter. “No, I’d like to stay. We haven’t had dinner—or dessert.”

  “Dessert. I didn’ t—”

  She snaked her hand around the back of his neck. “And by dessert, I mean you and me. Together. We could start out kissing. I really liked that kiss we shared, Rafe. Maybe we could see where it goes from there?”

  He wound his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. “Yeah, I definitely want to do that. But first, how about I feed you dinner?”

  What she really wanted to do was kiss him. But, admittedly, she was hungry. “Sure.”

  Apparently, while she’d been asleep, he’d grilled chicken, sliced it up and added it to a tremendous salad that had eggs, croutons, cranberries, oranges and walnuts. He’d also made an incredible raspberry vinaigrette.

  Carmen carried their iced teas to the table and then helped Rafe with their bowls and utensils while he brought the salad over. They sat at the table, and Carmen took a bite. Flavor exploded on her tongue. After she swallowed, she noticed Rafe had been watching her. “It’s delicious.”

  “I’m not the best cook, and I know this isn’t fancy.”

  “Seriously, Rafe. This is delicious. And it’s hot as hell outside. I love salads in the summer.”

  He seemed to relax. “I’m glad you like it.”

  She loved that he’d been nervous about her reaction. “You don’t need to worry. You cook just fine.”

  “It’s not rocket science to make a salad.”

  “And you’d be surprised how many guys won’t even do that much.”

  He chewed and swallowed, then took a sip of his tea. “You talking about your ex?”

  “Among other guys I’ve been with.”

  “So no guy has cooked for you before?”

  She shook her head. “I guess I’ve picked all the wrong men.”

  “I guess so. Not that I’m all that, but I can at least put a burger on the grill or make sure you have a decent meal when you come home from work at night.”

  Who was this guy? He couldn’t be human. She might actually still be asleep, and this was all a dream. “You’d cook—for me.”

  “Hell yes, I would. Why should a woman do all the cooking? That seems antiquated and sexist and totally misogynist. Besides, men cook these days.”

  She arched a brow. “They do, huh?”

  “Yeah. My mom taught all of us to cook. She said she wasn’t raising useless sons, and there was no way we were to expect a woman to do housework or cooking. I can also clean a bathroom and mop floors and dust. Which we all have to do at the fire station anyway. Plus all the firefighters cook, too, so being taught those skills by my mom came in handy when we all decided to become firefighters.”

  She laughed. “I’m sure they did. Remind me to thank your mom.”

  “I will.”

  They finished dinner and did the dishes. By then it was close to ten.

  “I have to go help Grandpa get in bed. Mind if I run home for a few, then come back?”

  “I don’t mind at all. Do you need me to come help you?”

  “Thanks, but I’ve got this. It won’t take me long to get him tucked in. He just needs a little help maneuvering into bed. I’ll be back in about fifteen minutes.”

  “Not a problem. I’ll be here.”

  “Okay.”

  She left and dashed across the lawn, using her key to get into the house. Grandpa was already asleep in front of the TV. She gently woke him, then helped him get ready for bed.

  She helped position him in bed so he could see his TV. He was doing much better about moving around in the bed. Pretty soon he wouldn’t need her help at all.

  “How’s it going so far?” he asked.

  “How’s what going?”

  “The date, Carmen.”

  “Oh.” She sat on the side of his bed. “It’s going well. We’re talking. He made dinner. He’s nice.”

  Her grandfather raised a brow. “You gonna spend the night?”

  “Of course not. What if you need me?”

  He looked over on the nightstand. “I have a phone. And you’re right next door. You have to stop worrying so much about me. You’re entitled to have a life.”

  She started to object, but then he glared at her with his disapproving Grandpa glare. He rarely gave it to her, but when he did, she knew better than to argue.

  “Fine. I know you can take care of yourself. But that doesn’t mean I’ll worry less.” She kissed the top of his head. “If you need me, you have to promise to call.”

  “I promise. Now you have to promise to go and think about yourself for a while. Have some fun.”

  She smiled at him. “I promise. Te amo, Abuelo.”

  “Yo también te quiero, bebita.”

  She left the house and hurried back to Rafe’s. He had left the door unlocked, so she went inside. It was dark in the entry, so she wandered through the living room and into the kitchen. On the table was a note.

  Outside by the pool. Come join me.

  She smiled and headed outside. A blast of heat hit her. July in Ft. Lauderdale was brutal.

  There were no lights on out here, either, but she heard the splash of water, so she made her way poolside.

  Rafe was in the pool, his arms resting over the side.

  “Water feels good. Want to come in?”

/>   She looked down at her clothes. “No swimsuit.”

  “You could get naked.”

  “What? And have you miss the new underwear unveiling?”

  “Oh, I definitely don’t want to miss that, after you went to so much trouble to buy them.”

  He hoisted himself out of the pool, making her eyes go wide.

  She was fully dressed. Rafe, on the other hand, was gloriously naked, giving her a delicious view of his magnificent body.

  At least until he grabbed a towel.

  “Don’t cover up on my account.”

  He laughed and used the towel to dry his hair, seemingly not caring that his body was exposed to her, which she didn’t mind at all. He had the kind of physique a woman could stare at for hours.

  Days.

  Weeks.

  Months.

  Okay, forever.

  Chiseled muscles, broad shoulders, a wide chest, amazingly muscled biceps, the kind of abs you wanted to run your hands over to see if they were even real, and strong, powerful legs.

  And one outstanding cock. She’d lick her lips if it wasn’t so obvious.

  “You keep staring at it, it’s going to get hard.”

  She slanted a half grin at him. “You’re the one who got out of the pool naked. I make no apologies.”

  “Then I guess you’ll have to show me the goods to make it even.”

  “The goods—oh, my fancy, sexy, amazingly awesome new underwear.”

  “I’m way more interested in the woman wearing the underwear, but sure. We can start with that.”

  The way he talked to her, like she was the most important person in his universe, made her tingle all over.

  She lifted the sundress over her head and tossed it in the nearby lounge chair. Rafe walked over and teased his fingertip over the lacy strap of her bra.

  “Purple’s my favorite color.”

  “Is it?”

  His gaze collided with hers, turning her insides tingly and needy.

  “It’s my favorite color when you’re wearing it.”

  “Naked is definitely my favorite color on you,” she said. “You should wear it more often, but only when we’re alone together.”

  “So you’re saying I shouldn’t wear it to work.”

  She laughed and moved in closer, feeling the heat simmer between them. “Definitely not to work. Too dangerous.”

  “You’re dangerous. To my heart rate.” He teased his fingers around the edge of her bra cup, making her breath catch.

  She laid her palm on his chest, feeling his heart race. “It’s okay, Rafe. I’m a nurse. I’ll take good care of you.”

  “I know you will.”

  He slid his fingers into her hair, cupped the back of her neck and leaned in to kiss her.

  What started out as a gentle kiss quickly flamed into something more passionate.

  Carmen felt as if she’d waited a lifetime for this moment, to be alone with Rafe, knowing they weren’t going to be interrupted. Or at least she hoped they weren’t, because she needed this time with him, to feel the heat of his lips moving deliberately across hers, his tongue exploring the inner recesses of her mouth. She moved into Rafe, the heat of his body aligning with hers. And when he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her flush against him, she shuddered.

  He stepped back. “Let’s take this inside.”

  She nodded, knowing they couldn’t continue doing this outside, but wishing they hadn’t had to stop, not when kissing him had felt so good.

  Rafe tucked a towel around his waist, then grabbed his clothes.

  She followed him inside.

  “You want something to drink?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “No. I just want to get naked with you.”

  His lips curved. “I like where your head is.” He reached his hand out. “Come on.”

  She slid her hand in his. He led her up the stairs and down the hall to his bedroom. His room wasn’t at all what she expected. He had a great-looking king-size bed, covered up with a beautiful gray comforter. There was a small dresser against one wall and a nightstand next to the bed. The room was tidy and neat, and there was a bathroom attached to the bedroom.

  “It smells clean in here,” she said.

  He arched a brow. “What did you expect? Dirty sock smell?”

  “Maybe.”

  He laughed. “We all keep our rooms clean. And Becks is a compulsive cleaner, so if what we do isn’t up to par, she comes in behind us and cleans again.”

  “That’s helpful.”

  “Yeah. She’s pretty awesome.” He pulled her against him. “But hey, let’s talk about you.”

  “What about me?”

  “I’m glad you’re here tonight. I know you’re tired.”

  She smiled and curved her hand over his shoulder, amazed by the muscle she felt. She wanted to investigate him everywhere, map his body like an explorer. “I had a nap.”

  “So you’ve got your second wind?”

  “I could go all night.”

  He swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bed. With one hand, he jerked the comforter down to the bottom of the bed, then laid her on top of the sheets.

  “Just so you know, I changed the sheets this morning.”

  “Right, because that was the first thing I was going to ask.”

  “Was it?”

  She laughed. “No.”

  She rolled over onto her side and patted the spot on the bed next to her. He climbed onto the bed and lay down next to her.

  “Before we do this,” he said, “I need to know that you’re sure about what we’re about to do.”

  She smoothed her fingertips over his jaw. “Very sure. Now kiss me.”

  He leaned in, then paused. “You like kissing.”

  “I like kissing very much.”

  He pushed her onto her back, covered her body with his and put his mouth on hers.

  She sighed in utter bliss. He kept most of his weight off her body, yet the feel of him on top of her was delicious. She slung her leg around his hip, aligning her sex with the heat and hardness of his cock. Then she surged upward, rocking her clit against him.

  He groaned and slipped one hand under her butt, and as he kissed her, he held their bodies closer together.

  She could come like this. It had been too long since she’d been this close to a man’s body, since she’d been kissed so thoroughly, since her body had wept with such need for release. She felt like a flower opening for the first time, only this wasn’t the first time for her. It was the first in a long, long time, and she was so close to orgasm she felt her climax hovering. All she had to do was rub against him in just the right way.

  But not yet. She moaned. “I need . . .”

  He lifted his head, his palm resting on her belly. “Yeah? What do you need?”

  She stared up at him, lost in the warmth of his eyes, in the desperate desire she saw there that mirrored what she felt. “ Everything.”

  He rolled off her and undid the clasp of her bra, separating the cups to reveal her breasts. He swept his hand over the globes, then teased her nipples with the tips of his fingers until they rose like points.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered, before leaning over to take one between his lips.

  As he sucked, she gasped at the sweet pleasure, arching her back to get closer to his hot mouth.

  She was on fire, and when he snaked his hand over her belly, she was melting from the inside out. He teased his fingers along the band of her underwear, then slipped his hand inside to cup her sex.

  He began to move his hand, his fingers sure and deft as he found every spot that gave her the most pleasure. She had already been halfway there, and when he slipped a finger inside of her and used the heel of his hand to gently rub against her clit, she came with a lift of her hips and a hard cry of sweet release.

  She shuddered against him, holding on to his wrist to keep that momentum going for as long as she could. And it did keep going, much longer than she
thought was possible, but the quivers continued to flow through her until she relaxed, still feeling those tiny pulses of her climax roll through her.

  She was panting as Rafe bent to remove her panties, then came back up to brush a kiss across her lips.

  “When you come,” he said, “you really come.”

  She smiled. “It’s been a long dry spell.”

  “Dry?” He swept his hand across her lower belly, tapping her sex. “Baby, you are anything but dry.”

  She rolled over to her side. “And now that you’ve gotten me sufficiently primed, let’s keep going.”

  She palmed his chest, then slid her hand lower, enjoying the feel of his rippling muscles under her hand. His abs tightened when she rolled her palm over them, and she couldn’t resist lingering there.

  “You’re so . . . hard.”

  His lips curved. “Not just there.”

  She grinned. “I’m making my way.”

  When she reached his cock, she closed her fingers around it, feeling it pulse with life against her palm. He surged upward, making her breath catch at the thought of him doing just that while he was inside of her, something she’d endlessly fantasized about.

  “Condom?” she asked.

  “On it.” He rolled over and pulled a box out of his bedside drawer, took a packet out and tore it open, then put the condom on.

  “I’m on the pill,” she said. “I haven’t been with anyone since I was with my ex. After he left I was tested for HIV and STDs and was clear.”

  He picked up her hand and pressed his lips to her palm.

  “I always use condoms.” He kissed the inside of her wrist. “I get tested regularly.” He moved his lips up along the inside of her arm, causing goose bumps to pop up along her skin. “Last one was three months ago.” He finally crossed over and laid his palms on either side of her head, bending down to nibble on her ear, then whispered, “I’m clear.”

  Never before had a safe-sex conversation been so sizzling. She shivered, then opened her legs as he covered her body with his. “And as long as we’re being honest, I’ve jacked off a lot in the past year thinking about fucking you.”

  Her sex quivered as he put the tip of his cock at the entrance of her pussy.

  “I’ve touched myself repeatedly with you in my fantasies,” she said, “getting myself off with the thought of you just like this, hovering over me, plunging your cock inside of me and making me come.”