by Julie Morgan
He chuckled and shook his head. “No, I’m here for Marshall. He asked me if I would be his show-and-tell.”
“Oh.” I blushed for an entirely different purpose. Why didn’t I think of this? No, he wasn’t here for me; he was here for his son.
Get a fucking grip, Murphy!
“Right,” I said with a laugh. “Please, come inside.” Noah stepped past me, and when I inhaled, his familiar scent of soot invaded my senses. I closed my eyes and inhaled once more, then turned toward my classroom.
Everyone’s attention was on Oliver, and that was just fine with me.
I closed the door to my classroom and made my way toward my desk. The children in my classroom all had trinkets or knickknacks to present today, except Shayla’s dog, Oliver, and Marshall’s father, Noah.
I glanced over to my firefighter and watched him chuckle at something Marshall said. He then looked up and met my gaze. He caught me watching him, and heat crept up my neck. He grinned and looked back to his son.
“Okay, so who would like to go first?” I asked.
“Me!” shouted three or four students. They waved their hands in the air, and smiles pulled their lips almost to their ears.
I wished we could hold on to this innocence as adults.
“Shayla, come up and tell us about Oliver.”
I sat on the edge of my desk when Shayla squealed, “Yay!” She strode to the front of the room with her dog. She began telling the story of finding him at the local kennel.
I looked over at Noah once more, and this time, he was watching me. The man winked at me, and I grinned, my heart rushing in my chest. I lowered my gaze to my shoes and crossed my ankles, one over the other.
What the hell has Noah Hughes done to me?
Friends with benefits do not take things to the next level. Then again, there usually was no child involved, nor complications from a day job.
“Miss Murphy?”
“Hmm?” I looked over to Shayla. She apparently had finished her show-and-tell, and here I was, daydreaming about my firefighter. Her mother, Emma, hugged Shayla goodbye and then left with Oliver.
“Who’s next?” I looked back over my classroom with a smile. I also squeezed my thighs together because I could feel Noah’s stare penetrating me as if he were undressing me with his eyes.
“Marshall, why not come up and present your show-and-tell for us?”
“Come on, Daddy!” Marshall exclaimed and headed toward the front of the class. Noah followed his steps and glanced toward me with a grin.
“Everybody, this is my daddy. He’s a firefighter for the FDNY. That stands for Fire Department of New York!”
After a few oohs and ahhs, Noah opened his fireman’s jacket to reveal a fitted white tank.
Oh, the things I would have done to him if we were at my place.
Or in the supply closet.
Or if he had just rescued me.
“Hello, everyone. Miss Murphy.” He nodded in my direction, and I returned the smile. “Who all knows what a fireman does?”
Many hands shot in the air, and Noah called on one student at a time.
“You put out fires!”
“You rescue animals from a burning building!”
“You get cats from trees!”
Noah chuckled. “Yes to the fires. Yes to the buildings. The cats, though, I have to say I haven’t had to do that just yet. But I promise to send the story to class with Marshall if it happens.”
“Oh, Miss Murphy,” Marshall interjected. “Do you think we can do a class trip to the fire department?”
I raised my brows. “Oh, well, I’ll need to check with the principal on that before we make any plans.”
“Anytime you would like to come out and check out the fire station, you’re always welcome,” Noah said.
How much of “check out the station” was for the kids, and how much of it was an invite personally for me? Hopefully the latter.
“Yeah, let’s do it!” one child yelled out.
“Do you have a spotted dog at the station?” another asked.
“Actually, we don’t,” Noah told them. “I wouldn’t mind having a Dalmatian at the station, though. I love dogs just as much as Shayla there loves her Oliver.”
“You could get us a dog,” Marshall said.
Noah chuckled and shook his head. “Not us, no, but for the station. He would live there.” Noah looked back to the students. “Did you know we are open every day of the year? We never take holidays off. We also train every single day there’s not a fire. Maybe one day Miss Murphy can bring you out to a training exercise.”
This request was followed by “Please!” and “Can we?” from several students.
“I’ll see what we can do,” I offered and stood with my hands out. “Now please, let’s keep the noise level down, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am,” said the students and Noah.
I glanced at him and wanted to giggle but decided to smile instead. “How much advance warning do you need to do a proper tour for the children?”
“One day at least, but we’d prefer a week.”
“Consider it done,” I said and walked over to Marshall. “Why don’t you go find your seat.”
Marshall hugged his dad and left Noah by my side. One by one, the students who had brought in their knickknacks showed their prized possessions to the others.
When the last student sat down, I looked to the clock. “It’s lunchtime! Now if you’ll please line up, the teacher’s aides will be in shortly to bring you to the cafeteria.” One by one, all the students left for their lunchtime, and the classroom grew to silence.
“Are you free for lunch?” Noah whispered in my ear.
It startled me since he was sitting behind me on a stool. I hadn’t realized he’d stood or even moved. I pictured him in his turnout gear, minus the jacket. It sparked a flame inside my body that only he could put out.
I shook my head with a sigh. “No.” I turned to face him, then continued. “I’m sorry. I have to grade papers and answer messages. But I am free tonight.”
“Tonight? Good. I’m off today. I’ll come by your place so we can talk.”
I raised my brows. “So we can talk? Is this a good talk or bad?”
“Oh, no, it’s a good talk. Don’t worry.”
I smiled with a nod. “How about seven? Do you like fish?”
“Yeah. You cooking?”
“I can.” I looked out the classroom door when something caught my attention. It was Erin. She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. “Shit,” I whispered.
“What is it?” he asked and followed my line of sight.
“Nothing. I’ll see you tonight.” I pushed past Noah, but he grabbed my arm. “Yes?”
“Are you sure everything is okay?”
I nodded. “Just swell.”
He chuckled. “Who says swell anymore?”
I shrugged. “I guess I do.”
He let go of my arm, then tilted his head with the fireman’s hat on it. “Then I’ll see you tonight.”
I smiled with a nod, then turned back to my door. Erin had left. Would she suspect Noah and me of having an affair? And if she did, would she report me? No, she wouldn’t. Erin was one of my closest friends.
With the silence of the classroom, Noah’s steps were heavy in his boots.
“If I may ask,” I started, “how much does your gear weigh?”
“Roughly forty-five pounds.”
I widened my eyes. “Wow, I didn’t realize it was that much!”
“Keeps us fit,” he said.
I nodded. “I can attest to that.”
He chuckled.
I closed my hand over my mouth and then pulled it away. “I thought that was in my head. I didn’t realize I said that out loud.” My cheeks burned, and I turned away from Noah.
He turned me back around and touched my cheek. “It’s adorable,” he whispered.
Noah Hughes towered over my body. He was long and lean bu
t thick in all the right places. He was like a mountain wanting to be scaled, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to try. Every bit of me wanted to latch on and claim this man.
He tilted his head, bent down, and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “See you tonight.”
With that, Noah left my classroom. I touched my cheek where his lips touched my skin, and my heart leaped forward as if to race after my man in uniform.
Chapter Eight
Noah
A few weeks had passed since the last time I had seen Cara. Then today during show-and-tell, she lit up the classroom like an ember burning on a log in the darkness of the woods. That one ember would be enough to burn bright, make a scar, and provide the perfect amount of light.
Cara was my ember. She could burn bright in the darkness, she could scar me beyond repair, and she could bring me back into the light.
I smiled, and my heart rushed to the rhythm of the excitement I felt. I smiled more, stood taller, and looked forward to when I would see her. For being a friends-with-benefits arrangement, this was becoming something more.
And it ate at me, hard and painful. It felt like I held my heart in my hand, then squeezed it until it exploded. It had been five years, and I still carried the guilt of Marshall’s mother. I supposed I would no matter how much time passed.
With a sigh, I decided Cara needed to know about Marshall’s mother, and tonight would be the night. Cara had become something of a beacon of hope, and it was time I did something about it. Because if I didn’t, someone else would step in and steal her right out from underneath me.
She was an amazing woman. The way she worked with her children but then turned off the teacher charm and became a sexy goddess of a woman. She made me want to drop to my knees and beg for mercy.
And I was not above begging. When it came to Cara, I was willing to do just about anything.
Grabbing my keys from the counter, I looked to the calendar on the wall and saw a red X over Monday’s date.
“Crap.”
Monday would be my day to volunteer with Marshall’s class. I would be in Cara’s classroom for a few hours…working. By her side. I would be able to watch her when she wasn’t looking, but I couldn’t touch. And God help me if we happened to pass by the supply closet or she sent me in to get anything.
I shook off the thought and headed toward the door. My mom picked up Marshall from school today and planned to keep him overnight. She had done so much for Marshall and me. I didn’t know how I would ever repay her.
Mom had been here since Marshall was born. She’d become like a mom to my son—the only motherly figure he’d ever known. I was truly blessed to have her.
I headed out to my car. It would only be a matter of minutes before I arrived at Cara’s place. Before I drove off, I picked up a pad of paper I keep in my SUV and jotted down a note.
Tell Chief I have volunteer duty at Marshall’s school.
I put the SUV into gear and drove toward Cara’s. I imagined her in the SUV with me, my hand on her thigh as we drove to dinner. I imagined her leaning over and running her hand up my leg, then whispering something naughty…
“I’m going to suck your dick while you drive. Don’t wreck.”
I grinned as I pictured her unzipping my pants, freeing my cock, and stroking my shaft with her soft hand.
She leaned down and licked the tip, a drop of pre-come giving her a taste of what was to come. She wrapped her lips around the head and sucked hard, pulling my manhood into her mouth until it hit the back of her throat. I could feel her throat muscles squeeze as she swallowed. Then she pulled back and did it all over again.
“Fuck, baby,” I groaned and rubbed my hand over my throbbing erection.
My daydream continued, and I pictured my hand on the back of her head, guiding her down over the length of my cock.
“Fuck yes,” I groaned.
She reached her hand into my pants and fondled my balls, giving them a firm squeeze just as she sucked hard on the helmet of my dick.
“I’m going to come, baby,” I groaned.
I wanted to pull over and rub this erection out, but I also wanted to hold on to it until I reached Cara’s. Just seeing her in person, right now, might cause me to lose my self-control and orgasm on sight.
I sighed, and the daydream continued.
“I wish I could straddle your body and fuck you while you drive,” she whispered while she stroked me. “I need you inside me.”
“I want to be buried balls deep inside you, baby. Soon, very soon.”
I stopped at a red light two blocks from Cara’s home, and as the crimson hue lit my car, I felt exposed, as if everyone could see the naughtiness of my mind. I cleared my throat and covered my erection with my hand. I needed to calm the fuck down before I got to Cara’s, or I would lose my shit.
The light turned green, and I sped through the intersection and turned down her street. After parking, I looked up to the condo unit that was hers and saw her light was on. I smirked. My heart also picked up. Nerves plagued my stomach. The last time I felt something like this, it was for Marshall’s mother. I’d been excited to go on a date, to meet new people, to consider something new with someone, but nothing had been like it was with Autumn.
It was time to go inside and talk to my son’s teacher, my friend with amazing benefits, the woman who had managed to slip into my heart when I wasn’t watching.
Cara opened her door and stood in the frame like an angel, with the light behind her creating an aura around her body. She wore a simple summer dress, yet it was sexy as hell on her. Cara’s skin was kissed just enough by the sun to give it a subtle tan. The yellow of the dress was exquisite with her soft pink lips and caramel eyes. Her hair lay braided over her left shoulder. The dress was a halter, and I wanted to untie it and let it fall into a heap on the floor.
God, to have her naked in my arms, her body pressed against mine… The thought caused my erection to press even harder against my pants.
“Won’t you come in?” she asked with a smile. She stepped aside and placed a hand on her hip.
Once in, I turned to face her as she closed the door behind me. As much as I wanted to hold her body up against the door, I needed to keep a bit of distance—at least for now. I wanted to ravage her, but I also needed to know her more. She was, after all, my son’s teacher.
“So,” she started and held her place by the door for a moment. “You said you wanted to talk?” She made her way toward her kitchen and pulled out two stemmed glasses. “Wine?”
When she looked over to me, I shook my head. “No thank you. I’m more of a beer man.”
“You just haven’t found the right wine.” She turned back to her fridge and pulled out a bottle of white. “Do you like sweet or savory?”
“What does this have to do with wine?”
She grinned and motioned for me to join her in the kitchen. “There’s more to wine than just the taste. Do you have a sweet tooth, or are you a meat and potatoes kind of guy?”
“Well, when you put it like that, I would rather have the savory.”
She nodded. “Then you’d probably like red wine. Maybe a Merlot. Maybe one night I can take you to a local wine tasting. It’ll give you an idea of what you may like and what you’d want to avoid.”
I raised my brow. “Do people really swish wine in their mouths and hum through it?”
She giggled. It was cute. When she glanced my way, her nose wrinkled, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. It was adorable, and I wanted to see more of this side of her. “Oh yeah, and they spit it into cups.”
I blinked. “Wait, they sip it to taste it and then spit it out?”
She nodded. “Yep.”
I’m a man. Of course, my mind went there. I pictured Cara on her knees, sucking my cock. And then as I came, she spat it out, as if sampling my come, then thanked me for my time. I chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“I don’t think you want to know.”
She approached with a chilled bottle and handed it to me. “I have an opener in here. Come on. Tell me. I want to know what made you laugh.”
With a sigh, I leaned against her counter as she handed me the wine opener. “I thought of you on your knees. Me coming in your mouth, you tasting it and then spitting it out.”
Her brows furrowed, and then she giggled. “That is funny!” She shook her head and opened a nearby cabinet. Inside were many bottles of wine. “Ahh, here we go.” She pulled out another bottle and turned it toward me.
“This has Marilyn Monroe on it,” I said as I took the bottle.
“Yes, it does. It’s the 2013 Marilyn Merlot. It’s dark and has subtle hints of mocha. It has the right amount of spice, fruitiness from cherries, and a light finish. Go ahead and open it. I bet you’ll like it.”
“Sure, all right.” Like the previous bottle, I used her wine opener.
As the cork came out, she took the bottle and poured a small amount into one of the glasses. She smelled it and then handed it to me. “Go ahead.”
She picked up the bottle of white wine, poured herself a glass, and then held it toward me. “Here’s to an unusual friendship. One I’m looking forward to exploring further.”
I smiled. Her words touched me. It was why I was here. I wanted more, needed more from her. I wasn’t one to wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am with someone like Cara. If it was a one-night stand, maybe it would have been different, but this was not that.
“Here’s to a beautiful woman who seems to have no bounds.” I tilted my wine glass to hers, and they clinked. “And here’s to us.”
“To us,” she repeated and clinked our glasses once more.
I brought the glass to my lips. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I didn’t think wine was my thing. I was completely wrong. This Merlot had a soft tang that left no lingering aftertaste. I picked up the hints of mocha she mentioned and the cherries, yet it was almost dry.
“Wow.”
She smiled with a nod. “You like it?”
“Absolutely. It’s really good. I never would have tried it, but now…”