Dallas Fire & Rescue: Scorched (Kindle Worlds Novella) (The Eldridges Book 1)

by Melissa Schroeder

  He was sitting in his recliner with some kind of mindless daytime TV show on. He hadn’t been paying any attention for the last ten minutes. He glanced back at the front door. She had gone outside to talk on her phone. She had said it was work, and since she handled money and accounts, he figured there was a good chance she needed privacy. But just how private could she be if she were sitting on his front porch talking?

  He rubbed his temple trying his best to push away the headache that was brewing. The last few days had left him irritated. Thanks to the close quarters, he was having a hard time fighting his need for her. Walking—strike that—hobbling around half-aroused was dangerous for his health. But that wasn’t the worst of the situation.

  What bothered him the most is that he knew she was keeping stuff from him. Nothing big—at least he hoped not—but she seemed to avoid telling him about her work.

  If Cooper could be honest, at least with himself, he was jealous. Even though they were estranged, he felt he had a right to know what was going on with her, and the truth was, a small part of him knew he didn’t have that right. Not really. She had sent him divorce papers and he hadn’t signed them. Legally, they were still married, but…well, on her end, maybe she didn’t see them as husband and wife.

  He closed his eyes and tried to force himself not to think that way. From the start of their relationship, he knew that he was the lucky one. Lucky to have her, lucky that she would take a chance on him. Now, though, he didn’t feel so lucky. If she didn’t have those feelings for him anymore, winning her back was going to be next to impossible.

  The front door opened but he didn’t turn around.

  “Hey,” she said softly.

  He didn’t respond and she moved closer, leaning down next to the chair.

  “Cooper.” Her breath feathered over his flesh, and he had to fight a shiver. Need spiraled through him as he curled his fingers into his palms.

  Slowly, he opened his eyes, and found her face just inches from his own. For a long moment they stared at each other as the air around them stilled. Her tongue darted out, wetting her fuller lower lip. It would only take a second to lean closer, brush his mouth over hers. In that one instant, he knew what he wanted. He wanted that kiss and so much more. He freaking yearned for it. It went beyond the first initial lust he’d had for her and she’d had for him. This was something deeper.

  Then she straightened and moved away from him. Cold air replaced the warmth that had filled the atmosphere. He let his gaze travel up her body, stopping briefly when he noticed her hardened nipples. She cleared her throat so he continued his gaze on upwards. Her face flushed with embarrassment, arousal, or anger—or all three. He wasn’t exactly sure.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice a little shaky.

  He nodded but said nothing.

  “I’m going to take a quick shower. That is, since you don’t seem to need me. I mean…anything.”

  She hurried off down the hall. Cooper sat there for a minute or two before he felt his mouth curve up into a smile.

  She definitely had feelings for him still. Now all he had to do was prove that he was worth a second chance.

  Misty leaned back against the bathroom door and tried to catch her breath. Her head was still spinning and her heart still racing. The man just looked at her and she almost lost it. And what kind of person did that make her? He was laid up and in pain, and she wanted to jump his bones.

  Closing her eyes, she tried to remind herself what would happen if she did just that. Heartache and pain. That was all the man had to offer. Well, not all, she thought with a chuckle. He had a lot more to offer and all that was good. No man would ever be able to lure her in the way Cooper had. She hadn’t been inexperienced when they’d met, but from the start of their relationship, she had been overwhelmed. He didn’t just have a good time in bed. He was one man who knew how to make love.

  She stepped away from the door and looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was still flushed. Hell, she could see her pulse beating in her neck. Just thinking about the man got her motor running.

  Something buzzed and she realized it was her phone. She pulled it out. Dammit, Smith. She wasn’t in the mood for her oldest brother. Hitting ignore, she then turned off the phone. It was bad enough she felt guilty because she hadn’t said anything to Cooper about it, all three brothers were being a pain. They acted as if she had abandoned them, even if they rarely bothered her this much when she went away. In fact, Ryan had told her she needed to take a break from work just a couple of weeks ago.

  Buttheads. All men were buttheads.

  It had been hard to keep herself from giving in to Cooper. The man knew exactly which buttons to push, even without trying. Just a look or a hum when he appreciated a good home cooked meal, had her so hot. She turned on the faucet in the sink, full blast on cold. She splashed her face, but nothing seemed to help. Just being in close quarters had her brain melting.

  There was a knock at the door. “Hey, Misty, are you okay?”

  She turned off the water and grabbed a towel to dry her face. “I’m fine.”

  “What?”

  She realized her voice had been muffled by the towel. Irritated, she grabbed the door handle and opened the door. “I said I’m fine. Why are you worried about me taking a shower?”

  “Uh, because you’ve been in here for at least ten minutes and I haven’t heard anything. “

  “Maybe I had something to do.”

  He let one eyebrow rise. “What were you doing?”

  There was something off. Something that she couldn’t seem to grasp. Why was he looking at her that way and asking her weird questions?

  “I was just cleaning off my face.”

  He looked at her, then let his gaze dip down lower to her chest. She looked down and realized the whole front of her white t-shirt was wet. And better yet, she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her nipples were hard and easy to make out.

  “Oh,” she said when she looked up.

  He gave her that half smile. “Yeah, oh.”

  Another moment went by and all they did was stare at each other.

  “Look, I’ll walk away. I’ll leave you standing here without bothering you, but you have to tell me right now you don’t want me the way I want you.”

  She opened her mouth to do that. The smart part of her, the one that was ruled by logic, urged her to do just that. It was stupid and unhealthy. They were wrong for each other. But…oh, God she wanted him. She wanted him probably more than he wanted her.

  “I can’t. I do want you.”

  He reached for her and pulled her to him.

  “Be careful.”

  He shook his head. “Being careful around you is a waste of my time.”

  Before she could ask him what he meant, he bent his head and took her mouth. The first rush of need twisted through her blood, overwhelming any good sense she had left. Heat flared low in her tummy. By the time they pulled back from the kiss, she felt as if she had been hit by a damned freight train.

  “What do you say, Misty? One more chance?”

  Again, the logical side of her tried to take over, but she pushed that aside. Right now, her heart wanted what her heart wanted…and that was Cooper. It was always Cooper; from the moment she’d met him. It was probably more of a mistake than the first time, but she had never been smart where Cooper was concerned.

  “Yes.”

  Chapter Seven

  C ooper stared at Misty for a long moment without saying anything. He wasn’t exactly sure if he’d heard her right.

  “Cooper?”

  “Say it again.”

  “What?’

  “Say it again. So I can be sure.”

  She smiled and his heart stuttered. “Yes, Cooper.”

  He didn’t hesitate then. He tugged her closer and gave her a quick, hot, wet kiss. Then, he took her by the hand and hobbled down the hall the best he could. It took them a little longer than he’d wanted, but they made it all the same.
>
  He turned to face her and moved to help her undress.

  Misty laughed and batted his hands away. “I think you need to sit down before you fall down.”

  Normally, he might have argued. He always liked to be the one in charge, but tonight he didn’t have much of a choice. His ability to move was hindered by the cast. Then, there was the woman. Letting her take charge of the lovemaking left him a little bit uneasy…but a whole lot of turned on.

  Once he was laid down, she helped him out of his clothes, then joined him on the bed.

  “Uh, I think you forgot something.”

  She settled her hands on her hips and looked at him. “I don’t think I forgot anything.”

  “Uh, you have a whole lot more clothes on than I do.”

  She shook her head and gave him that same mischievous smile she had given him the night he met her. All those memories came flooding back to him, and the months that followed. No matter how tough work had been, all he needed was to see that smile to forget what he had been through. It had always been his center, the thing that reminded him things were good.

  “I aim to take my time with you, Cooper. It’s been a long eight months.”

  Her sultry tone wrapped around him, then warmed him from the inside out. Another wave of need washed over him. Never in his life had a woman affected him this way. Ever. That included any fantasy woman. They paled in comparison to the woman now teasing him. She slipped over his body, straddling his hips. The need to touch got the better of him and he reached for her. She easily batted his hands away once more.

  "Bad boy. I told you. My turn," she said.

  As she sat astride his body, she pulled off her t-shirt and tossed it behind her. She wasn't wearing a bra. He had always thought she had the perfect breasts. Not too big, perfectly sized for his hands. He curled his fingers into the palms of his hands to keep himself from touching her. She moved and that’s when he noticed the chain nestled between her breasts. Two rings dangled from it. He reached up and took hold of the rings.

  “What?” Then he recognized them. “You still have your rings?”

  She nodded. “Of course I do. We are still married.”

  He released the necklace and glanced over to his bedside table, and she followed his gaze. There sat his wedding band. He hadn’t been able to get rid of it. Even if he had signed the papers, Cooper was sure that he’d have kept it.

  “I didn’t wear it to work because I didn’t want to answer questions, and you know I don’t like wearing it on the job.”

  She said nothing, and he looked back up at her. She offered him a small smile, but he could see the tears in her eyes.

  “Yeah, I remember.”

  Without hesitation, he reached up and pressed his palms against her breasts. For the barest of seconds, he was worried she would push him away again, but instead, she leaned her head back and moaned.

  "God, that feels good." Her voice had deepened even more, rolling over the syllables and seducing him even more.

  He brushed his fingers over her hardened nipples, then pinched them. She shivered, moving her body over his.

  She looked down at him as he continued to tease her breasts. She settled a hand on either side of his head and leaned closer. She kissed him then, long, wet, and completely gave herself into the kiss. He could feel her there, knew that it wasn't just for a good time, that this meant something. He might not know what, but Cooper knew it was important.

  She slanted her mouth over his, opening hers to allow him to steal inside. He did just that, as he slipped his arms around her waist. Her hair was down and it dripped over her body onto his. The teasing brushes of it added to his arousal. The woman could always get him going from zero to sixty in just a few seconds. Being without her for so long made him even more susceptible.

  His cock was so damned hard, he was amazed he didn't lose it right there and then. But soon, she was slipping down his body, teasing him with little nips and licks until she settled between his legs. She wrapped her hand around the base of his shaft, then looked up at him. As she continued to hold eye contact, she stroked him...once...twice...fuck.

  Then, again, without breaking eye contact, she gave the head of his cock a long lick. He knew there was already a drop of precum. Only then did she close her eyes. As she did, she hummed, as if she were enjoying the most decadent of treats. The sound of it shot straight to his dick.

  "So yummy."

  She took him fully into her mouth. Again and again, she rang her tongue over the length of him, each time he slipped between her lips. He reached for her then, meaning to pull her away from him, but instead, he found his hands tangled in her hair as he urged her on. He was so fucking close...and just as he thought he might lose all control, she pulled back from him. He growled and she laughed.

  "You were always so much fun to play with."

  "I am going to pay you back for that."

  "It's what I'm counting on," she said as she slipped off the mattress, then shimmied out of her pants and panties. She stood there beside the bed, not a stitch of clothing on…gloriously naked. He had never known a woman so sure of herself, so comfortable with her nudity.

  Then she was on the bed again, straddling him and taking him inside her. She was wet, dripping with her need for him. When he was finally in her to the hilt, she looked down at him. Arousal darkened her eyes, left her skin flushed, and he could feel her inner muscles contract against his cock. Slowly, she started to move, up and down, without any great hurry. With a swirl of her hips, he almost came, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. He took her by the hips and tried to direct the rhythm of her moves, but she wasn’t having it. With the damned cast, he couldn’t do anything about it. She stopped moving and leaned down until her mouth was inches away from his.

  “For once, Cooper, just let me make you happy. Just feel.”

  He wanted to argue, but when he saw the expression on her face, he knew this was important to her. She wanted to give this to him, and he couldn’t refuse her. He would have to be a stupid man if he did, and dammit, he wanted to let her have this. He leaned up and cupped the back of her neck. He tried to let her know everything he was feeling right there and then in that kiss. When he released her neck, they were both breathing heavy.

  “Okay,” he said.

  For a long moment, she said nothing. Their breath was the only sound in the room. Then, the slow, sultry smile he loved curved her lips. She gave him another hot, wet kiss, then she sat back and started to ride him again.

  Slowly, she built herself up, as he tried to control his own needs. He wanted it right then. It had been so long, and he wanted to feel that connection with her again. But he knew she needed this for some reason, needed to be in charge.

  He slid his hands from her hips up to her breasts again, teasing moans from deep within her throat. It did not take her very long to catch up to him. As she increased her rhythm, he skimmed his hands down to between her legs to her clit. She was so close, he could feel it, and he knew it wouldn’t be much longer before he lost complete control. He caressed her clit, then pressed on it hard. That was all it took. She came hard and fast, her sex contracting as she screamed his name. Her orgasm washed over her and pulled him over the edge to pleasure. He thrust up once more, then gave himself over to it…to her.

  She collapsed on him long moments later with a happy, contented sigh.

  “Well, I think I need to let you be in charge more often.”

  She chuckled, and he could feel it since they were still connected. She stilled suddenly.

  “Crap.”

  “What?”

  She leaned up enough to look down at him. “We didn’t use any protection.”

  “Are you still on the pill?”

  She nodded.

  “Have you been with anyone since we split?”

  She shook her head.

  Instantly he felt even better, which he would have thought impossible until it happened.

  “I haven�
�t either, so we’re good.”

  Her expression lightened. “Good.”

  She snuggled against him again. He skimmed his hand up and down her spine as he felt her drift off into sleep. He knew this didn’t solve their problems, but it was certainly a step in the right direction. For right now, he was just happy to have her in his bed. Her breath feathered out over his chest, and he could feel her heart beating.

  Yeah, this was enough for right now.

  Misty woke slowly, and it took her a long moment to recognize where she was. She stretched out and hit something very large and male beside her.

  “Damn, you still have bony elbows, woman.”

  Rapidly, the memories came flooding back. Kissing him…teasing him…taking complete control over their lovemaking. Not like he had any choice in the matter with his cast, but it had been exhilarating.

  She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Sorry.”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  It was still dark since it was nighttime, but she could make him out thanks to the hallway light. She couldn’t get over it. In the months since she’d left, she had yearned for this. In the beginning, at least. She had cried herself to sleep because she missed him so badly. Not that it had happened again, she wasn’t sure where she wanted to go with this.

  When neither of them said anything, the moment stretched out into awkward silence.

  “Hi,” she said, feeling like an idiot the moment she said it. Who says hi to the person they just made love to? It was stupid.

  If he agreed with her assessment, he didn’t let it show.

  “Hi, yourself.”

  Again, she said nothing and he said nothing. Then he sighed.

  “I guess we need to talk,” he said.

  “Do we have to?”

  He blinked. “What?”

  “Just for tonight, can we just be us? Together.” He opened his mouth, but she stopped him. “I know we have a lot of baggage to unpack, but right now, this feels too good. You know? Could we just let it wait until tomorrow?”