Emerging Temptation: A BWWM Romance Limited Edition Collection

by Peyton Banks

“Sheena! I called for help,” Kate, my other neighbor, ran up to me with her husband Brad by her side.

  “I did too. I just got off my cell phone with a dispatcher. She said help was on the way.” I brushed at tears that fell down my dark brown cheeks with the back of my hand.

  More lights through the neighborhood sprinkled on, and people dotted their lawns, all looking on with concern. My eyes darted toward the sound of a siren; the bang of the gearshift sounded loud as the truck pulled up and came to a complete stop. The alarming sounds of police cars weren’t too far behind.

  2

  Blaze

  I was resting when I heard the blaring of the alarms and noticed the red lights flashing. I jumped up and was instantly awake and ready to go. The other firefighters, one by one, hurried and slid down the fire pole that dropped to the ground floor of the fire station. I got to my assigned locker in record time and got into my gear.

  Years of training for the Navy SEALs had me in perfect shape for that kind of emergency. Soon, the other guys and I hopped onto the back of the fire truck, just as the lights and sirens cut through the night’s air.

  After being discharged from the Navy, becoming a firefighter saved my life. I loved the adrenaline that rushed through my veins every time I was out on a call, and the danger made me feel alive.

  The truck sped off down the Tennessee highway, and I looked out into the early dawn. Today would be a chilly one. Ten minutes later, the truck turned into a nearby neighborhood, where a number of homes lined the streets on either side.

  The rich, oaky scent of smoke infiltrated my nostrils, and the sky billowed with a fiery orange plume. Once the truck stopped, we bounded into action.

  I made a quick inspection and noticed residents of the neighborhood were being pushed back by other firefighters to keep them from getting too close to the blaze.

  Across the street from the burning home, a woman stood with her shoulders slumped and tears streaking down her mocha face. A man and woman were at her side seeming to comfort her. I wondered if that was her home that was engulfed in flames.

  “Blaze, let’s go,” Davis, a fellow fireman who was also a friend, called over to me, making me tear my gaze away from the beautiful woman.

  “I’m good to go,” I shouted and quickly grabbed the tools I would need to get the fire under control.

  I shot the sobbing woman another glance as we headed toward the burning home. Our eyes met, and I wanted to go and comfort her, but I had a job to do. The next thirty minutes was a flurry of activity as we got the fire under control. The home was a total loss by the time the flames had been extinguished. Once the fire got under control, I made my way across the street.

  “Blaze, where the hell are you going?” Davis shouted when I jogged across the street.

  “I’ll be right back,” I shouted without looking back.

  “Do you guys know if anyone was inside?” I looked at the faces of concerned citizens standing around in their nightwear. My eyes stopped and settled on the dark beauty, whose body shuddered with tears. I stepped even closer to get a better look of her face.

  “Mrs. Jenkins was inside! I tried calling out to her but it was useless.” More tears fell from the woman’s eyes as she talked.

  “Are you sure she’s was there?” I asked, glancing back at the destroyed home. I knew if anyone were in there, a body wouldn’t be recovered until further forensic inspection was done.

  “Of course she was. The last time I saw Mrs. Jenkins was yesterday evening when I walked over to check on her. She was letting her Pomeranian out. We spoke a little, and then we went back to our homes. It was the last time I saw her.” More tears fell from the woman’s dark brown eyes. Even in her frantic state, she was lovely. Her heart-shaped face, plump lips, and curvaceous body made one attractive package. She was short, couldn’t have been over five feet two inches. I towered over her at six feet and four inches.

  “Are you the one who called it in, Miss—”

  I allowed my voice to trail off as I checked her finger for a ring.

  “I’m Sheena Dixon,” she sniffed.

  “Blaze!” One of the firefighters called and snagged my attention. I looked at Tate, and he pointed down the street. A petite figure in a long wool coat with a small dog in her arms slowly made her way towards us. Sheena’s eyes followed mine, along with her neighbors. Sheena let out a loud whoop and took off running towards the lone figure.

  “Mrs. Jenkins! You scared me to death,” Sheena yelled at the old lady. Grey hair peeked under the woolen cap covering Mrs. Jenkins head. Her face was pale and red from the cold.

  “Oh, dear!” Mrs. Jenkins looked at her home with sadness lurking in the pale blue depths of her eyes. “My home is gone. Bob and my home are gone.” She added as tears covered her weathered cheeks. “Lord, what am I going to do?” she cried.

  “You’re welcome to stay with me Mrs. Jenkins,” Sheena embraced the tiny woman and her barking little dog.

  “Ma’am, do you know what may have caused the fire?” I asked.

  “I—I can’t think of anything I might have done. I didn’t even leave the coffee maker plugged up,” Mrs. Jenkins cried.

  “You’ll be alright, Mrs. Jenkins,” Sheena comforted the distraught woman.

  “Usually in older homes it might be faulty wiring. We will have to do a thorough investigation to know for sure. Do you have any relatives I could call for you?” I asked gently. My heart broke on behalf of Mrs. Jenkins losing her beloved home.

  “I have a daughter that lives over in Nolensville,” Mrs. Jenkins said. “She’s been trying to get me to move in with her and the family for the longest.”

  “Hey, you’re welcome to stay here in the meantime,” Sheena offered.

  “Thank you, sweetheart. Do you think I could call my daughter?” Mrs. Jenkins asked. She held her dog closer to her chest and kissed its fur.

  “Of course,” Sheena spoke softly to Mrs. Jenkins.

  “Will you two be alright?” I asked.

  Sheena nodded. Her sad brown gaze had me wondering what kind of pain was hidden within its depths.

  “Thank you for being concerned,” Sheena told me with a sad smile before she turned back to the old lady.

  I crossed the street and glanced back at the home Sheena lived in, and wished I could see her again as the water hoses finished rolling up. For some reason, I couldn’t get Sheena out of my mind.

  We loaded up, and the fire truck pulled away.

  The chief was waiting for us when we got back to the station.

  “Good job,” the fire chief said once we made it back inside the station.

  “Thanks, Chief,” we said in unison. I walked over to my locker to put away my gear.

  Davis came striding over. “I saw you talking to that woman. Did you know her?” He asked, arching a brow inquiringly.

  “No.”

  “Well, do you want to get to know her?”

  I shrugged and turned to walk away. Davis made a grunting noise as if he was trying to hold back a chuckle.

  “What’s so funny?” I frowned, looking at Davis over my shoulder.

  “I haven’t ever seen you act like that with a woman. You couldn't seem to keep your eyes off of her. What’s her name, by the way?” Davis asked.

  “Sheena— Sheena Dixon, and that’s all I know,” I muttered and strode out the door to my 2019 F- 150 truck.

  “Later, dude!” Davis called out.

  I waved before opening the door and stepping up into my truck. I really needed some sleep. I drove through the brisk cold morning streets and thought about the way Sheena caught my eye. The feelings that emerged within me when I looked at her were new to me. Those kinds of emotions hadn’t been a part of my life in a long while. It didn’t matter though. I would never see her again, anyway.

  Lightning flashed across the night sky. The thick plume of smoke became illuminated in the distance. The fire from artillery itself could be seen flickering its way through the darkness.
>
  The heat from the bombing was oppressive even from three hundred yards away. Getting the situation under control was at the forefront of my thoughts.

  I lived for this. I gathered energy from the battle that had to be won, but right now, in that godforsaken place under fire, I wasn’t worried about myself. Only one thing mattered: keeping my men alive in Jahrah, Kuwait.

  The smell of blood and gunpowder was all around us.

  The hard, dry ground was hot under the sun’s intense rays. My mouth was dry, lips were cracked, and legs stiff from being in one position for so long. We had to stay our course, or my team would be in jeopardy. A bullet slammed into my right shoulder. The pain burned through my flesh like a motherfucker. Trying to move my shoulder was absolute agony. Danger! We must annihilate the enemy. Those were the thoughts that flitted through my brain.

  My blood pumped through my veins. This was pure hell. The sound of a scream jerked me awake. I brought myself back into reality and sat up in bed. My heart slammed against my chest and sweat fell from my face.

  “Fuck. It’s a damn dream,” I muttered and slipped from the bed. I padded into the kitchen for a bottle of cold water, or maybe something stronger. I glanced up at the clock on the kitchen wall and noticed it was six o’clock in the evening.

  Would I ever forget the pain— the killings? I know I fought for my country, but I wouldn’t forget the blood of innocent children and families that were torn apart. More sweat formed on my brow and my heart rate was slow to settle down.

  Fuck it. I needed a drink and a good fuck. That’s the only thing that would let me forget. First, I needed a shower.

  I should have felt refreshed after six hours of sleep. This evening was my night off, but I was used to working odd hours— days or nights.

  I stepped into the shower. A set of deep brown eyes flitted across my imagery. I turned on the water and adjusted it to a mostly hot temperature. That lustful thought was back and more intense and irresistible than before... I closed my eyes and let Sheena’s curvaceous frame come alive in my imagination as the water hit against my naked body.

  My erection grew larger and harder. I felt it. I felt the urge to feel Sheena throbbing on the tip of my crown. I stroked one hand over myself, long and slow. My hand tightened on my cock as my hips jerked backwards and forwards. I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth, biting back a groan.

  Images of Sheena continued to swirl in my head. I wondered if her pussy was sweet and tight. Did she have a tight wet one or a loose and slippery one? How would she fuck me back if I went deep inside of her slick heat? I wanted to kiss all over her body. Were her nipples lighter or darker than her mocha skin tone? I craved to stroke her voluptuous breasts with my hands or squeeze them around my cock while I fucked them. The more I stroked my hardness, the more my mind reverted to the grooves of her love.

  I could imagine my dick sliding into her wet heat while I fucked her hot pussy against the slick shower wall.

  I glanced down and my ten-inch shaft looked angry, purple, and swollen. I fisted my erection faster and faster. My thumb slid over the slick tip with every upstroke and electrical shocks ran through my entire body, which caused me to shudder with pleasure.

  I wondered what Sheena smelled like. I wanted to bury my nose deep into her cove just to get a whiff. The thought made my cock pulsate even more and my entire abdominal muscle clenched. My fist became tighter around my erection, but my stroking slowed as thick white strings of cum spurted out over my closed fist. My mouth gaped open and my head hit back against the ceramic wall as the last spasms lingered before the aftershocks subsided— finally allowing me to breathe again.

  I couldn’t believe I had cum so damn fast.

  “Ah. Sheena. Fuck.” The words slipped past my lips as I concentrated on getting it all out. The vibration finally came to an end, and I felt exhausted; and yet, I still needed more. I washed down there, but the hardness wouldn’t go away and I could again feel a tingling sensation. I wanted one more nut.

  “Come on, baby. Suck my cock.” This time I applied some soap to the palm of my hand, creating a slicker sensation. My hand slid faster over the crown. It was wet, warm and slippery, just like a mouth. Before I knew it, another thick load of whiteness squirted from the slit of my swollen tip. “Fuck.” I needed to get laid quick. “Damn Sheena. I want you so bad.”

  3

  Sheena

  *A Week Later*

  I was all cried out, but the memories of my parents continuously flooded my thoughts. My earliest memories of my mom, Ella Dixon, were her taking me to the library on Saturday mornings. During the summer months, we visited the library almost daily. My love of reading helped me to solidify my career choice of getting a BA in teaching. Being around so many books all my life was a riveting escapade for me during my most sorrowful times. I enjoyed having my bookshelves nicely and neatly stacked; it was the first thing I did when I arrived here. I changed the spare bedroom into my own personal library in honor of my parents.

  I wasn’t a child anymore, but I wished I could sit on my dad’s lap on the front porch of our old house. We had a swing that my dad bought especially for my mom when I was ten years old.

  I stood and walked over to the table where I placed my parents’ wedding picture. They looked so happy. Their joyous smiles and the love that radiated from their eyes were frozen in time.

  My smile was so much like my mom’s; it flashed white against her dark sienna skin. My father was deep cinnamon, tall, and larger than life. My deep brown color came from my father, but I was my mother’s twin. Everyone said so.

  I sighed aloud, placing the framed picture along with the others. Photos that served as a reminder of the fact that I had once had parents who loved me unconditionally. Now, at the age of twenty-eight, I was utterly alone in this world.

  I wondered if I was destined for a life of sorrow and grief. Now more than ever, I wished my parents had more children. Unfortunately, life dealt my mom a blow when she got cervical cancer a year after I was born. She needed a hysterectomy to save her life. A life that was taken many years later by a thoughtless driver. Life didn’t seem fair. I needed to set aside my disturbing thoughts and finish unpacking the kitchen boxes. More memories— A China set that I would never use. It was a gift from my late grandparents to my mom and dad on their wedding day. The plates I bought from Target would do for me.

  My cell phone buzzed. I walked over to my handbag that I’d left on the sofa and grabbed it out. The screen displayed the name of my college friend, Laura Jacobs. We were roommates the entire four years at A&M University.

  Laura was a partial deciding factor for my move. She was the closest person to a family I had left in the world. Laura was an eighth grade teacher with the Davidson County School System.

  “Hey, Laura,” I answered the phone.

  “Hi honey, how’s the unpacking going? I’m sorry I haven’t been over to help with the unpacking but—”

  “Stop it. I know you’re busy with work and your daughter. How is Millicent by the way? I know Roger is over the moon,” I spoke of Laura’s husband.

  “My little adorableness is the sweetest little girl in the world. She’s four years old now, and she’s super smart for her age. She knows how to read on a first-grade level. Can you believe that, Sheena?”

  My stomach flipped at the way Laura talked about her daughter. For a moment, it made me wish for a baby of my own. Of course, I needed a man first, but with the results of my previous two boyfriends over the years, I knew that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.

  “Look who her mom is, of course she’s super smart.”

  “Guess what?” Laura said, cutting into my mundane thoughts.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Roger said he’s keeping our daughter tonight, and suggested I take you out for a girls’ night at King’s. That’s a new bar that was opened late last year. Roger and I’ve been a couple of times, and it’s great,” Laura stated.

  “Ah, I don
’t know, Laura. I’m pooped, and I just want to shower, eat, and go to bed, in that order. Maybe we can get together for lunch at that pizza place you were telling me about. It’s a Saturday after all, and you won’t have to work.

  “No way are you getting out of going out with me. I need this girl bonding time too. I haven’t been out in a while either. You will not become a recluse, so get ready. I’ll be by to pick you up at eight. That will give you three hours to get your ass in gear. See you later.” Laura hung up the phone, not giving me a chance to talk her out of it.

  Darn it.

  I took a long hot shower, moisturized my mocha skin generously with shea butter, and slipped into my underwear. I chose to wear a black, off-the-shoulder top, and a pair of high-waisted fitted jeans. I ran a comb through my loosely curled hair that I had just finished curling, applied light natural makeup, and gave myself the once over in the bathroom mirror. I noticed the brightness of my round eyes set in a heart-shaped face. My lips, thick with a touch of gloss, medium shoulders, and a thick curvy frame. I stood five feet three inches, one hundred and forty plus pounds.

  I could see sadness lurking in the depths of my own eyes. Sorrow settled like cement, lodged in the pit of my not-so-flat stomach. The high-waisted jeans gave me a slenderer appearance. When would this heaviness leave? It had been six months, eight days, and twenty-one hours without my parents.

  I took a deep breath and glanced one last time at my reflection. As I was staring aimlessly into the mirror, a text alerted me that Laura was parked outside, waiting. I grabbed my purse and keys before making sure my new home was securely locked. Laura drove the thirty minutes to the bar, and we did some catching up on this and that. Laura attempted to stay away from topics that made me sadder than I already was. I appreciated her for her consideration. I sat on a barstool next to Laura once we entered the building.