“Not as long as you keep the M&Ms put away.” He hopped into his truck and drove off.
Roxie rolled her eyes and glanced around. Birds chirped and chattered at one another, a cacophony of sound she’d never noticed before. Every so often, one would swoop from one branch to another and begin a song. It actually was kind of relaxing. Like one of those nature CDs she’d given her clients to help them de-stress back when she worked.
When Aidan came back, he had a ton of firewood. Over the next hour, he unpacked everything, occasionally giving Roxie small chores to help.
“Time to eat an early dinner,” he declared.
“We missed lunch.”
“I missed lunch. You had half a bag of M&Ms,” he teased, his voice indulgent.
He pulled out a package of hot dogs, all sealed up like everything else, some buns, and mustard and ketchup. For a few minutes, he searched around on the ground and Roxie watched, puzzled. Finally, he selected a couple of sticks, pulled out his knife, and sharped the ends.
He handed her one. “Put your wiener on that. Through the middle, like this.” He demonstrated, then they sat around the fire and cooked them. He got busy handing out the buns, mustard, and a bag of potato chips.
They ate until they were stuffed. Roxie had to admit, it was pretty good. Fire-roasted wieners… who knew?
Night had fallen and the noises began to change. There was neighing from neighboring equine campsites and hoots from owls and rustling sounds from other night animals. She helped Aidan secure all the food in baggies, in a gigantic cooler, which they placed a big rock on top of.
“Now what?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Now, we talk until we’re sleepy.”
“Oh.” Great, because she was so awesome at peopling.
*
They sat across from one another in front of the fire. Roxie had great stories from working in a hospital, and Aidan even had a few odd calls to the firehouse to tell her about.
“I want to ask you a serious question,” Aidan said, peering at her through the smoke.
“I’ll try to answer.” She gave a little half-shrug, and he wondered if he was pushing too hard, too fast. He just couldn’t resist asking anymore.
“You were such an amazing social worker, from what I saw. What made you quit?”
Roxie went quiet for a long time. The animation drained from her face as she cast her eyes downward. Maybe he shouldn’t have brought it up at all. Finally, she exhaled slowly and tugged on her ponytail, running her fingers through the end. She did that when she was nervous, he’d learned that about her. He knew so much about her, and yet not enough.
“I was working the crisis hotline. Once that call is picked up, you are responsible for that person’s life. You assess whether they’re suicidal or homicidal and, if they are, you talk them into coming into the hospital, call the police if necessary, or begin commitment proceedings. That person, the people around them… their lives are in your hands. Anyway, commitments are a huge ordeal. There’s tons of paperwork, you have to testify in front of a judge you call in the middle of the night. You have to find them a bed.
“Turned out, we had a bed at our hospital and this man, who said he wanted to hurt himself, he voluntarily came in. I helped him get a room through the ER. I went and visited him while he was in the psych ward. He was getting therapy, but he so sincerely seemed to want help, that I couldn’t not check in on him. People who want to get better have such better outcomes than those who don’t.” She closed her eyes and shook her head, as if she were trying to shake the memory.
“Like always, I went to see him before he was discharged. He was in great spirits. Said he felt good about the future. I gave him a referral to a therapist local to him and got him an appointment for the next day so he could follow-up.”
“Sounds like you did a stellar job.”
“That’s what I thought. Except, he left the hospital, went home, got out his pistol, and shot his wife five times.” Her voice had become a monotone. “She died on the way to the hospital. He was convicted. He tried to plead insanity, but… well, he didn’t get by on that plea. He’s in prison for life, now.”
“I can see how that would be awful for you. Sometimes, we can’t save everyone in a fire. Some things burn out of control and no one can stop them.”
“I appreciate the analogy, but it is my job—was my job—to put out fires before they start. I failed and someone died.”
“But you had nothing to do with that. A doctor cleared him to go home, right?”
“That’s not the point. Don’t we, as people, have to take responsibility when we might’ve been able to change the course of things?”
Aidan stood and worked his way around the fire to sit beside her. He rubbed her back, little circles across the bumps of her spine. “Did you do anything wrong? Not do something you were bound to do?”
“No. From an ethics standpoint, I did everything right. From a social work view, I didn’t miss anything. We can only know what they tell us. He, unfortunately, didn’t share his plan with me. But, as a person? I failed. Somehow, I missed something and someone died because of it.”
Aidan took her into his arms. He couldn’t help himself. She needed comfort, and he knew no other real way to get through to her than to hold her.
When she pulled back slightly, turned those green eyes up to his face, meeting his gaze, he couldn’t tear himself away from that look—it held him frozen until he did what seemed as natural as trees and sunlight. He kissed her.
Her eyes fluttered shut, and he felt the exact moment she gave herself over to it. She opened her mouth, began to hesitantly toy with his tongue. His balls ached with want, and his dick grew hard when she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, moaning his name.
His hands roamed up under her tank to touch her bare back and, without a second thought, he unhooked her bra. Letting her breathless cries guide him, he moved a hand to cup her breast, to feel the weight of it in his hand. He kissed her, and squeezed her in his hand, rolling the nipple under his thumb.
Dropping his hands, because he was playing with fire now, he took her by the shoulders and pushed her back gently so he could look into her face. Her pupils were huge, filled with desire.
“I’m not sorry I did that.” He rested his forehead on hers. “I want you.”
She tilted her head down and placed a kiss on his neck. “I want you, too.”
“I’m just pretty sure it’s a bad idea.” He pulled away to study her, releasing her from his grasp. He didn’t want to hurt her.
“Yeah, totally. Same.” She nodded as if to reinforce her words.
Abruptly, she stood up and walked to the edge of the camp, her arms crossed in front of her. After a minute, she put her hands behind her and hooked her bra back together. The flash of skin he glimpsed only inflamed him further.
He had to get hold of himself. They’d been here a day. Not even a whole day, and he was already all over her. That wasn’t why he’d brought her here, and he needed to get a grip on himself. “Let’s get some sleep.”
“Sure. I’m tired.” She turned back to face him. Were her cheeks red? He couldn’t tell in the moonlight and she was too far from the fire now.
“Yeah, and we’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
“Right.” She headed to the tent at a brisk pace. Aidan watched her go with a sigh. He’d upset her. Her short responses made it clear he’d hurt her feelings, which he’d never intended. And damn, but he wanted to touch her.
*
Roxie climbed into the tent. She couldn’t help the disappointment filling her. Sure, he said he wanted her, but he’d shut it down fast. She was here, convenient. A warm body and he’d realized it. She stuck her head out. “Can you give me a minute to change?”
“Of course.” Aidan began to walk around the camp, probably making sure everything was secure.
Roxie backed into the tent and stripped off her jeans to pull on a pair of sweat
pants. She topped it with a tank top and a zip-up hoodie, which she left unzipped. It was still pretty warm out.
Aidan called from outside the tent. “All clear?”
“Yep, I’m decent.” She was wearing the least sexy clothes she could imagine, so they should both be pretty safe.
He went about unrolling the sleeping bags and unzipping them so they could climb in. She slid into the sleeping bag, which still had the tags on it, and he zipped her up.
“Good?”
“A little bit like a burrito, but sure.”
He worked his way into his sleeping bag and zipped it up beside her.
She rolled away from him. Her cheeks burned because she couldn’t stop thinking about his kiss, his touch. He’d just… taken control, touched her like she belonged to him. And thinking like that was going to get her hurt. He didn’t want her in that way.
She tried to go to sleep, but she couldn’t get comfortable. Roxie’s whole body was burning up. She unzipped the sleeping bag and threw the top off. “It’s a little toasty in here.”
“That’s a problem with the great outdoors—no central air.”
“You’re making fun of me.” She ripped the hoodie off and settled back on the ground. “Aren’t you burning up?”
“Kind of.” He sat up and stripped off his T-shirt.
When he laid back down, Roxie rolled to her other side to face him. Not like she was trying to get a better view, but damn he made a sexy picture. He was all abs and pecs, hard planes and sinewy muscle. She supposed firefighters had to keep in shape, but seriously? Did they all look this good? She tried to imagine a whole firehouse full of men as hot as Aidan and couldn’t manage it. He had to be a special case, a super-sexy firefighter.
He rolled over and they were eye-to-eye. “Hey,” he said, his voice gentle.
“Hey, yourself.”
His eyes trailed down her body and goosebumps pebbled her skin. The air was electric, sparking between them.
“I don’t know what to do about this thing that’s happening.”
“I know.” And she did. God, how she wanted to feel him inside of her. She wanted to let her hands roam over his body.
Part of her couldn’t believe he actually wanted her, blah-boring, unemployed, cat-rescuer her. And still, another part of her, a deep part, knew exactly what he wanted from her. They were connected on a primal level.
He closed the distance between them, taking his time. At first, his lips barely brushed hers, but then he was teasing her lips open with his tongue and she leaned into him, desperate. Please, God, don’t stop this time.
Her fingers were on his chest, running over the skin with soft caresses before she knew she planned to touch him. She arched her back, brushing her tank-top clad breasts against him.
One night with him, that’s all she needed. Could life just cut her a break and give her one night of something great?
His hands were everywhere, roaming her back, cupping her ass to pull her against him. He was so hard and she moved her hips instinctively, grinding against his erection. He leaned down to run kisses over her shoulder and panted her name. His scent, something citrusy and clean, washed over her. He was everywhere.
He peeled off her shirt and unhooked her bra. She let him guide her out of it, and he tossed them both aside. His head drifted from one side then to the other, as he feasted on her. Laying on her back, she raised her hands above her head and fisted fingers in her hair, tugging a little. Was this really happening? She hadn’t let herself dare fantasize about it—he’d been so clear he only wanted to be friends with her.
She didn’t want to just be friends. She wanted this to last all night. “Kiss me again, Aidan.”
He lifted his face from her breasts, a sly grin in place. “You want me to kiss you?”
“Yes,” she hissed.
“What else do you want?”
“Don’t stop. Any of it. Just. Don’t. Stop.”
His mouth met hers in a passionate kiss. His hand went to her thigh and rested there for a moment. She tensed up, her whole body, because he was so close to touching her there, where she tingled, she ached, she needed him.
“Relax, Rox. It’s me.”
She knew exactly who he was. He didn’t need to doubt. Still, she forced her muscles to loosen up. “I want you so bad.”
Cupping her face, he rolled until she was on top of him. “Kiss me,” he said.
For a second, she bit her lip. Did she have the guts to take this further? That’s what he was asking. He didn’t want her to let it happen, he wanted her active participation. The decision was made without any more thought—she’d never forgive herself if she let this opportunity pass her by.
Her mouth met his as she used her hands on the slick canvas floor of the tent to prop herself above him. He traced a pattern on her bare back and slid a hand down under her sweatpants, under her sensible white cotton panties, over her ass until he was inches away from her opening. He was driving her crazy.
She sat up to straddle him, not bothering to cover herself, and his erection pressed insistently into the apex of her thighs. “Jesus, Aidan. Take your pants off.”
“You’re such a sweet talker.” He lifted her and put her on top of the jumble of puffy nylon sleeping bags. Their gazes met and the same shock hit her system. This was so huge, she’d never experienced anything like it.
Taking his time, and holding her gaze, he unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. He lifted his hips then pulled them off and tossed them in a corner somewhere. She wasn’t paying attention. All she saw was how dark his hazel eyes were in the moonlight, the way he was eating her up with his gaze, just like she was him, she was sure.
The first to look away, she let her gaze trail along his body. With a hesitant touch, she let her hand follow. In places he was rock hard, her hand gliding over muscled proof of his strength. His thighs were taut, but the skin soft and the hair there tickled her hand. She let her hand wander to his ankle before she stopped to take in his cock, full and hard. She wrapped a hand around the base and he hissed in reaction. “Rox,” was all he said.
“You’re perfect. Where did you come from?” She honestly wondered. How was it he’d made his way into her life, that they’d spent so much time together, fighting attraction the whole time—at least on her end—only to end up making love in a tent in the woods? Was this even her life anymore?
“Worship me on your own time. Your mine right now.” He sat up with a grin, opposite her. “Rox? You’re still half-dressed.”
“I was kind of thinking we could skip the part where I have to get naked. It’s going to be a little anticlimactic now.”
“Not for me. Pants off.” Tugging at the waistband of her sweats, he stripped her out of them and left her in the plain white cotton panties.
How she wished she’d packed anything resembling sexy lingerie and that she’d had the foresight to wear it. At least they were thigh-cut and not what her mother called “granny panties.” The unexpected cool air hit her legs, leaving goosebumps on her skin.
“Are you chilly?” He lowered his head and pressed kisses to the pebbled skin on her calves.
Slowly, his hands and mouth moving up her thighs drove her temperature up until she was on fire. She swallowed hard, once again unsure of herself.
“Lay back.”
She did as she was told, wishing she were brave enough to take charge, to show him how much she wanted him. He took her mouth, making love to it with his lips and tongue until she was breathless. And then he slid his fingers under the edge of her panties. God, she must be so wet by now. She’d passed want a long time ago—she needed him.
“Aidan, please.”
“Please what?” His face was inches from hers, and his eyes glittered in the moonlight trickling in through the plastic windows of the tent.
She screwed her face up, eyes closed tight. She couldn’t look at him when she said it. “I need you inside me.”
“Like this?” A finger slid inside of h
er and her muscles spasmed, clamping down.
“Yes—no. You know what I want.”
“Take it then. You can have whatever you want, you just have to take it.”
With a gentle shove, she pushed him away. He sat back on his haunches and watched her from a corner of the tent. She rose up as much as she could and slid the panties down and off.
He grabbed for his jeans, pulled a condom from a pocket. With his teeth, he ripped it open. The crinkle was loud as a shot in the quiet darkness. In one deft move, he’d sheathed himself in it.
She moved on her knees to where he was and he pulled her into his arms when she reached him. His hands clamped down on her hips. He pulled her onto his lap and slid into her, fast, filling her completely. It happened so quick she gasped as the pleasure shot through her.
She rose up and down, over and over, the friction making her mind go numb as parts of her body seemed to wake up from a long slumber. His teeth sank into that tender spot between her neck and shoulder and Roxie threw her head back, riding him harder.
Little explosions began behind her eyelids, so she opened her eyes to see their bodies joined together. With every bit of movement, every motion, her nipples brushed against his chest.
One of his hands cupped her ass. She was higher than him, on his lap, and he ducked his head to capture a nipple in his mouth, all the while his fingers kneaded her behind.
Damn it, he was making her so fucking hot. Pleasure unfurled inside of her, spreading through her arms and legs, out to her fingers and toes. A buzzing started, but she couldn’t tell if it was in her ears or in her head. She could make out little whimpers and it took a second to realize she was the one making those sounds.
Just as pleasure pierced her, shooting through her, she cried out and threw her head back. He gave a growl and took hold of her hips, pumping into her until he gave a roar as he came while the aftershocks shook her.
They sat together for a moment, both breathless. He touched her face with a finger, so she met his gaze. “You okay?”
“I’m phenomenal.”
“Let me go get rid of this.” He gestured down where their bodies were still joined.
Exactly Like You: A Cupid Cafe Story Page 8