I hop out of the shower, drying off and wrapping the towel around my waist as I step up in front of my sink and mirror. I start with my electric razor before cleaning the rest of my scruff up with my handheld one and then head into my bedroom to get dressed and ready for my shift. I pack a bag since I’ll be at the firehouse for a full twenty-four-hour shift.
“What’s up, man?” Tucker asks, strolling into the locker room, his own bag slung over his shoulder. He bumps fists with me before offloading his things into his locker.
“Nothing much, how about you?” I ask him as I shut my locker door and close the few feet between us.
“Just an easy day, spent it with my girl before I had to come to work.”
I smirk at him, referring to Lindsay as his girl. Settling down actually suits him.
I kick back in the great room, a random car show on the TV, as the rest of our crew is milling about, waiting for the first call of our shift to come in. It only takes us sitting around for about thirty minutes before the bells are ringing, and we all go running for the rigs in the bays.
We roll up on the house, smoke billowing from the upper windows. I can already tell this is going to be a total loss for this family.
“Ma’am,” I call out to the woman standing at the end of the driveway, tears streaming down her face as she looks at the burning house. “Is anyone still inside?” I ask, wanting to know if we need to get in and rescue anyone.
“No,” she chokes out between sobs. “I was the only one home. My husband was gone with our kids.”
“That’s good,” I tell her, trying to show her as much sympathy as I can. “Do you know how the fire started?” I ask.
“I think from the dryer, but I really don’t know. I was busy cleaning the bathroom when the smoke detector went off,” she tells me as some of my crew starts spraying water on the house as others head inside to fight this from both sides. “When I came out of the bathroom, the hallway was already filled with smoke, so I ran out of the house and called you guys.”
“You did great, ma’am. We’ll get things under control as quickly as we can. Do you need any medical attention? Does it hurt to breathe?” I question. Smoke inhalation can cause damage quickly, so depending on how much smoke she had to go through before making it outside, it could possibly have caused damage to her lungs.
“I don’t think so,” she answers, her body visibly shaking, most likely from the shock the fire has caused.
We do everything we can to get the fire out, but as I feared when we rolled up, the house was completely lost. Between the smoke, fire, and water damage, not much inside will be salvageable. By the time we got the flames knocked down, the husband and kids had shown back up. I noticed the man holding his wife as she cried into his shoulder when I walked back to the truck for one of the axes.
We finish up, ensuring we’ve put out all the smoldering embers everywhere before packing up our equipment and heading back to the station.
“Who’s on dinner duty tonight?” I ask the group as I finish dressing after a quick shower. Fighting fires is not only a dirty job because of the ashes and soot that we end up covered in, but we’re a sweaty mess by the time we’re done. Turnout gear only protects you from so much.
“I think we’re going to order in,” Tucker says, flipping through the menu book we keep with all the restaurants' menus, not that any of us really need them to know what we’d want from anywhere. In the last five years or so, we’ve had more chain places popping up since we’re on the interstate, but the really good, hole in the wall, local places are where it's at.
“Good, I’m starving,” I tell him as my stomach growls loudly.
“Then you pick,” he says, handing over the menu binder.
“Like you even have to ask,” I scoff. I always pick our local BBQ place. They’ve got large servings, are usually super-fast, and best of all, not that far from the station.
“Figured.” Tucker laughs and shakes his head at me. “I swear you’d eat there every day if you could.”
“What can I say? I like their food.”
It doesn’t take long before we’ve got our order called in and back here at the station so we can all dive in. Thankfully, things are on our side tonight as we don’t get called out on our next call until well after we’ve had dinner.
My shift finally ticks by; I swear tonight felt like it was never going to end. Thankfully, I was able to get a decent stretch of sleep, not that I won’t still just head home and crash for the next few hours.
I pull into my garage, shutting my truck off before hitting the button on my opener to close the door before I step out of the truck. The sun is bright, and with it no longer shining in, my eyes take a few minutes to adjust to the dimmer room. I snag my bag from the truck seat, slinging it over my shoulder as I head into my house.
I drop everything just inside the door and head straight for my bed. I slide between the sheets, my phone pinging from the nightstand as I do. I grab it to see who’s texting me this morning and see I’ve got a message from Allison. My dick twitches just reading her name, but now’s not the time for that appendage to be in charge.
Allison: Hey! Are you free tonight? Maybe we can grab a drink?
Her text comes across as her usual bubbly self, so I can only hope that means whatever was bugging her the other night is no longer bothering her.
Lee: Sure, I just got home and was going to crash for a few more hours. Did you want to get together this afternoon?
Allison: I’m off today, so we can get together whenever.
Lee: How about I text you when I’m up and moving for the day?
Allison: Works for me; enjoy your nap. {winky face}
I toss my phone aside once again, doing my best to shut my mind off long enough to fall asleep for a few more hours.
13
ALLISON
Two months later
I stand in front of the mirror, checking over my complete look for tonight. I splurged and had my hair and makeup done at the salon today. I love the way my hair is styled, and my makeup is on point.
“Lee is going to swallow his tongue when he sees you, girl!” Lindsay says. She’s going with Tucker to the ball tonight, so we did the salon thing together.
“Just like Tucker will with you,” I tell my best friend.
“I guess we’re some pretty lucky women. Have some amazing guys escorting us tonight that we both know are a sure thing later.” She smirks.
I love my best friend, and she knows the score between Lee and me, but her words cut deep. She might have the sweetest man who’s swept her off her feet, but that isn’t the same for me. Lee and I are just fuck buddies. I’d love to be more, but I’m afraid to tell him that. I’m worried that he’ll tell me he can’t do anything more and then cut me out of his life.
“What’s wrong?” Lindsay asks, noticing that I’ve gone quiet.
I shake off her comment; I don’t want to cry and mess up my makeup for tonight. “It’s nothing,” I tell her, straightening my spine and plastering on a fake smile. I know she can see right through me, but she must see something in my expression because she somewhat lets it go.
“I know something is bothering you; if I let it go for now, will you tell me later?”
“Yes, I promise. I just don’t want to cry before the guys get here.”
“Okay, tomorrow we’re having a girls' day,” she states.
“Sounds perfect.” I hug Lindsay. She’s genuinely the sister I never had growing up. I don’t know what I’d do without her in my life. We’ve been by each other's side for so long that I can’t even remember a time before we were friends.
Lee holds his hand out for me to take as I exit the limo. The guys splurged and hired it for tonight. That way, none of us had to drive, especially since the ball has an open bar.
“Thank you.” I smile up at him as I stand on my high heels. The moment I saw these in the store, I just knew I had to have them. I also knew they’d drive him crazy.
“No way, mister. I didn’t spend all day getting ready for tonight for you not to take me out. I’m getting everything out of this fancy party.”
“All right, then. Let’s go,” he says and takes my hand, slipping it in the crook of his elbow as he escorts me into the hotel.
We quickly find the ballroom the event is being held in. It is simple but elegant. A large dance floor in the middle of the room is surrounded by large round tables and chairs.
We find a table with other guys from their firehouse, the four of us fill in the remaining empty seats. It isn’t long before the fire commissioner takes command of the room from the podium in the center of a stage behind the dance floor.
After his welcome speech, the servers start making their rounds with our dinner. The department goes all out on this ball, from what I can tell. The food is top-notch, and the alcohol is flowing.
“Care to join me out on the dance floor?” Lee asks once we’ve finished our dinner and the music has started to play.
“I’d love to, Mr. Crawford,” I tell him, accepting his hand. He’s always got a sexy vibe, but he is sex on legs in his dress uniform tonight.
Lee leads me out onto the dance floor, then pulls me in close to his body as a slow song plays over the speaker. “Are you having a good time tonight?” he asks after a few moments.
“I am, are you?” I ask. I shift so I can look up at him as we dance and talk.
“Yes, although, I still can’t wait to get you home and out of this dress. It looks fan-fucking-tastic on you, but it will look even better on my bedroom floor.”
“You’re incorrigible.” I laugh at him and shake my head. I swear he’d spend his entire life in bed if he had things his way.
“I’m just incredibly attracted to the sexy woman in my arms. Can’t blame a man for wanting to keep her locked in his bed forever.” I suck in a quick breath at his words. I know he doesn’t really mean those in the sense that I’d like him to.
I rest my head against his chest again, enjoying the feeling of our bodies being pressed against one another.
Before long, the DJ turns up the tempo on the music, busting out the songs that have everyone up and off their feet and having a good time. I have no idea how much time passes; I just know that we have the best night, dancing and drinking with our friends until the last call comes and the DJ closes the night out with one last slow song for all the couples left in the room. Tucker and Lindsay hold each other tight as they sway around the floor; I envy their new relationship. They both have gone all-in with seeing where things go between them, and I am cheering them on the entire way.
“I can’t believe we closed the party down!” Lindsay says once we’re all piled back in the limo.
“That was definitely the best ball I’ve been to,” Tucker says, tugging Lindsay closer so he can kiss her.
“That’s because you finally had a date,” Lee teases him.
“Maybe,” Tucker replies.
I think the exhaustion of the night finally starts to settle in as we all relax back into the comfortable seats as the limo driver takes us home. He stops first at Lee’s place, dropping the two of us off before continuing on to take Lindsay and Tucker to his place.
“Finally, I’ve got you to myself,” Lee growls as he lets me inside.
I stifle a yawn, exhaustion hitting me hard after the long evening. “You sure do,” I tell him as we both make our way into the house.
I beeline it for his couch. As much as I love these heels, they have got to go now. My feet are killing me after dancing for hours in them. “Oh my god,” I moan once my feet are free.
“Are you having fun without me?” Lee asks, coming back into the room with two glasses of water.
“No, my feet were killing me in my shoes,” I tell him. He hands me one of the glasses, then sets the other down on the end table. He takes a seat and pulls my feet into his lap. My head falls back on the cushion, and a moan falls from my lips when he starts massaging my feet.
“Is this turning you on?” Lee asks. I crack my eyes open to look at him.
“It just might,” I tell him as he digs his knuckles into my arch, and I can’t help but moan again. “Fuck, that feels amazing.”
“I know something else that will feel amazing.” He chuckles.
“I’m sure you do,” I say, my eyes closed again while I enjoy his hands massaging my tired feet.
“All right, sweetheart, you’re falling asleep on my couch. Let’s get you out of this dress and into bed,” Lee quietly says. I must have dozed off for a few minutes. He picks me up into his arms, cradling me close as he carries me to his bedroom.
“You can put me down; I can walk,” I tell him once we’re inside. He slides me down; I’m pretty sure the way he turns my body is so I feel every ridge of his hardness as I do so.
He’s hard everywhere. His cock is hard and thick, tenting his slacks. “You look like you could use some help with this," I say as I cup his erection through his clothing.
“If you’re awake enough, I’m not going to tell you no.”
“I’m sure you can convince me to stay awake for a little while longer.” I smile up at him. Without my heels on still, I have to crane my neck to look up at him with us this close together.
“If I have to convince you, then I’m not doing things correctly. You should know by now that I’ll make it well worth your while.” He winks, and his cocky demeanor slips out.
“That’s more like it,” I tell him. I still have my hand gripped around his cock, stroking it through his slacks. I release it, taking matters into my own hands. I unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants. I push the elastic of his briefs out of my way so I can grip his cock. I release it from the confines of his briefs and slacks as I drop to my knees. I take him into my mouth. The contrast between his velvety soft skin and rock-hard dick has my body strumming in anticipation of what's to come later when he’s inside me with that monster cock.
“God damn, sweetheart,” he grits as he slides his hands into my hair. He guides my mouth back and forth as I suck his cock. I reach up, playing with his balls in one hand, using the other to wrap around his base. “Fucking suck that cock,” he says. My center floods with moisture as he dirty talks me through the blowjob. Before I can make him finish, he’s pulling me up and kissing me hard. “I want you naked and in my bed, now,” he commands.
I spin around, exposing my back to him. “I need you to unzip me, please,” I tell him when he gives me a zoned-out stare.
He finds the top of the zipper and pulls it down. I love watching the expression change as more of my skin is exposed to him the lower the zipper goes. Once he’s reached the bottom, I shimmy my shoulders until the top falls down, and I’m able to push it the rest of the way off my body. I step out of the dress and then to his dresser, where I lay it across the top. The last thing I want to do is ruin my brand new expensive dress by flinging it on the floor in a crumpled mess.
I walk back over to him in nothing but my bra and matching thong set--also new for tonight.
“You are a vision,” he says, pulling me back into his arms.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” I tell him.
He backs me up to the edge of his bed, following me down as I fall backward.
He takes advantage of our positioning and starts kissing my exposed skin from my collar bone; he slowly makes his way down over the tops of my breasts until he removes my bra, giving him full access to my hardening nipples.
“You’re so responsive to me tonight,” he says into my skin as it puckers under his lips.
“Because you’re making me that way,” I tell him as he drops lower down my abdomen. When he reaches the edge of the lacy thong, he runs a fingertip over the fabric. My clit throbs at his touch.
“Yes,
more,” I whimper.
“You want me here?” he asks, circling the nub again before blowing on it. Even with a scrap of fabric between us still, I can feel the air hit me. My body aches for this man to be inside me. To make me feel like I’m floating on cloud nine.
“Yes.” I finally answered his question, the one that I didn’t even comprehend he was asking.
He lowers his head further, sliding the fabric to the side so he can lick up my slit and around my clit. My back arches off the bed in anticipation and need.
“Easy.” He chuckles and places his arm across my hips to hold me down to the bed before he goes back in, sucking my clit into his mouth as he slides two fingers inside me, pumping with a mission. It doesn’t take long for that mission to turn into my coming on his tongue and calling out his name as I do so.
14
ALLISON
One week later
I pace around my living room as I wait for Lee to arrive. He texted me ten minutes ago, saying that he was up and ready to get together. I’ve been rehearsing what I’m going to tell him all day. I need to lay all my cards on the table, so to speak, and let them fall where they’re going to fall. Our friends with benefits agreement has been going on for months now, but I can’t do this anymore. I need more. I’ve started to fall in love with Lee, and I need him to know.
I know I’m about to blow up what we’ve had going on, but my heart can’t take it anymore. I see how happy my best friend is, and I want that. I want someone to come home to most nights. I want someone I can call when I’ve had a bad shift or someone to celebrate with when things are great.
I suck in a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before I let it out in a whoosh. I look out the window again and see Lee getting out of his truck. He is that quintessential southern boy. He has all the swagger in his jeans, boots, and a tight T-shirt pulling across his biceps.
Just A Kiss (Lyrics and Love Book 4) Page 6