Playing With Fire (Firehouse Fourteen Book 2) (18 page)

The six of them milled around outside, waiting, and Nick brought up the idea of eating at a nearby pizza and beer place. But Pete and Jimmy backed out, along with Adam and Dale, saying they had to get back to start dinner for everyone else anyway.

And Mike and Angie still hadn't come out.

"What are they doing in there?" Jay wondered.

"Talking."

"You sure about that?"

"Yeah, pretty sure. Kayla never takes this long to get ready unless we're going somewhere super nice and she has to get all dressed up. Even then, I don't think she takes this long."

"I wonder what the hell they're talking about?"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't even ask that. What do you think they're talking about?"

Jay mumbled beneath his breath, realizing even as he asked the question that they were probably talking about him. And he wasn't sure why, but that thought was a bit disconcerting.

He looked back toward the locker room, but there was still no sign of them.

"So have you given any more thought to what I said earlier?"

Jay turned back to Nick, not quite understanding the question until he met the other man's eyes. He rolled his shoulders then shrugged, not sure how to answer. Yes, he was going to tell Angie, but he wanted the time to be right, wanted the place to be right.

He opened his mouth to tell Nick that, to try to explain, when the door to the women's locker room finally opened and Angie and Mike walked out. Angie smiled at him and Jay completely forgot what he was going to say. He heard Nick chuckle behind him, and turned to look at him.

"Either way, I wouldn't worry. Because that expression I see in the mirror each day, that expression I see on your face?" He nodded toward Angie then smiled. "It's the same look I've seen on her on her face."

The truck bounced along the rutted path, the headlights veering up and down with each bump, shining a ribbon of light into a patch of darkness before moving to the next. The taillights of Mike's CJ7 had already disappeared in front of them and Angie was pretty sure that Jay was deliberately slowing, letting them get further ahead.

They hit another bump then Jay slowed even more, finally stopping. He put the truck in park, flipped the headlight switch to the dimmers, then turned in his seat and faced her. Lights from the instrument panel illuminated his face, the shadows carving out deeper hollows beneath his cheekbones. The corner of his mouth tilted in a slight grin as his hand closed around hers.

She reached over and unhooked the seatbelt, then leaned across the center console to meet him halfway. His mouth crashed on hers, hard and hungry, as his hand drifted through her hair and cupped the back of her head.

She ran her hand up along his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin and the steady pounding beat of his heart under her palm. Her mouth opened and his tongue swept in, thrusting against hers with an urgency that ignited a need that had been simmering for the last several hours.

Jay shifted in his seat, moving to get closer at the same time she was. She heard a bang, then Jay pulled away with a small groan that spoke of impatience and frustration. His eyes sparked in the half-darkness that engulfed them, reflecting the same need and desire flowing through her veins, burning her.

"I need you, Angie. God, you have no idea how much I need you." His voice was a whisper in the heavy air around them, the words a match that ignited something deep inside her, something hot, heavy, needy.

Desperate.

She pressed her lips against his, the kiss frantic with shared need, then pulled back with a harsh breath. She shifted in the passenger seat then reached for the hem of her t-shirt and pulled it over her head, then did the same with her sports bra. Damp night air came through the open window and kissed her flushed skin, a heady sensation of hot and cold. Jay's eyes caressed her, his gaze burning and bold as they dropped to her chest.

She watched him watching her, and felt powerful, beautiful, wanted. She dropped her hands to the waistband of her gym shorts and pushed them down, shifting in the seat and tilting her hips until the material slid past her legs to her ankles. She kicked them off then turned back to Jay. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths as he watched her, desire burning in his eyes. Burning her.

He moaned then turned in the seat, threw the truck in reverse, then looked behind him as he backed up. She knew where he was going, to the small section of the path that widened.

He maneuvered the truck off the trail, coming dangerously close to the trees, then turned off the lights and killed the engine. Angie leaned across the console, needing to touch him, feel him. Her hands fisted in his shirt, pulling at it, wanting nothing between them. He pushed her hands out of the way and tore the shirt over his head, his breathing as ragged as hers. Then he grabbed her and pulled, until she was sprawled partly across the console and his lap.

His mouth crashed against hers, demanding response, demanding surrender. He dragged his hand down her side, down until he reached between her legs, his fingers spreading her, stroking her. She opened her legs as fire raced through her, burning, searing.

She shifted, reached down and tugged at his sweatpants, reached in and grabbed him. Her fingers closed over his hard length and she stroked him, her grip hard, desperate.

Jay pulled his mouth from hers and his head fell back, his eyes closed as a long moan escaped from between his clenched teeth. He took a deep breath then grabbed her hand, stopping her as he opened his eyes and looked down at her.

"Angie, now. I can't wait."

She shuddered at the desperate need so clear in his eyes, so clear in his choked words. He shifted and yanked at his pants, tugging them down his hips until his erection stood completely free, hard, thick, long.

She twisted and bent over, closing her mouth around him, her tongue swirling along the smooth tip. He groaned and dug his fingers into her hair, holding her head in his lap as his hips thrust, pushing his cock deeper in her throat.

He groaned again then grabbed her, dragging her further across the console and into his lap, helping her move until she straddled him. Her knee banged against the steering wheel and his head hit the side of the door frame.

"Shit. Dammit. Hold on."

He reached around her and she could feel him fumbling with the keys, heard the electrical beep as he turned the key in the ignition. He reached down to the side, did something so the seat slid back, then he turned the key off, throwing them into darkness once more.

His hands closed around her hips and settled her more fully in his lap. She rocked her hips against him, rubbing against the length of his cock as he reached between them. His finger found her clit and stroked her, his touch sure, demanding.

His mouth crashed against hers again and she leaned into him. His skin was hot, feverish beneath her hungry touch, and she wanted more. Needed more.

She shifted her hips, searching, felt the tip of his cock poised at the entrance of her wet heat. But when she shifted once more, ready to impale herself on him, he grabbed her hips and held them steady.

He pulled back and watched her, his breathing rough, harsh.

"Fuck. Angie. I don't have any condoms."

"I'm on the pill."

Something flared in the depths of his eyes, hot and primitive. He grabbed her hips and drove himself into her, hard, deep. Her head dropped back with a harsh moan as he filled her.

Deeper. Harder.

Her hips moved, meeting each of his thrusts, answering his demands with her own. Over and over.

Harder. Faster.

She dug her hands into his shoulder as she rode him, his cock filling her, her slick wetness covering him. Need coiled inside her, alive, desperate. Building, tightening, demanding. Breathy moans filled the air, his and hers, as he drove into her. Over and over. Harder. Faster.

She tightened around him, desperation clawing at her as he filled her. Her head fell back on a small scream as her climax tore through her. Explosion after explosion rocked her, white heat searing her as lights danced behind her eyes.

His hands tightened on her hips, his thrusts becoming harder, more demanding. His fingers dug into her flesh as he drove into her. Once. Twice.

Once more as he growled her name in hunger.

His release filled her with liquid fire, pushing her back to the edge, pulling her over with him.

"Angie, God." He cupped her hands around her face and claimed her mouth once more. The kiss was deep and harsh, then slowed, becoming tender and sweet as their bodies slowly relaxed together. He pulled his mouth from hers and dropped kisses along her face, his breath warm against her moist skin.

"It's not enough, never enough. God, Angie, I can't enough of you. Never enough." His chest heaved against hers, his words sending chills of excitement through her. His arms tightened around her, pulling her even closer as he rested his head against her chest. She dropped her cheek to the top of his head as they held each other.

Minutes went by, second by second as her breathing returned to normal, as she slowly became aware of the world around them.

The soft stroke of Jay's hands against her back.

The crisp mountain air coming into the truck on a soft breeze.

The soft cricket song whispering in the forest around them.

A nagging cramp in her right leg, wedged against the door. She shifted, moaning at the sudden loss of Jay, then grabbed her leg.

Jay's shoulders started shaking under her and she pulled back, looking down at him in amusement. "Not funny."

He smiled, still chuckling, then pressed a quick kiss against her chest before easing her to the side. She slid back over the console, rubbing the cramp in her leg as she stretched.

She noticed Jay was doing the same. A small grimace crossed his face when he shifted in the seat then reached down beside him, moving the buckle for the seat belt out from under him. He muttered something under his breath, then pulled his sweatpants up past his hips with a grimace.

"I'm probably going to have a bruise on my ass tomorrow from that." He looked over at her, his eyes bright. "It'll definitely be worth it."

Angie laughed and leaned over, grabbing her clothes from the floor and getting dressed. She had just pulled her shirt on when Jay grabbed her arm and pulled her closer, kissing her.

He pulled away and ran his fingers through her hair, tucking one strand behind her ear. "Angie, when we get back—"

"I know. But let me handle Dave, okay?"

His gaze held hers, intent, serious. Searching. The air shifted around them, turning warm with anticipation once more. He opened his mouth, then closed it again and shook his head before leaning back.

"Okay, I'll try." He started the engine, turned on the headlights, put the truck in gear. Angie watched him, certain that he had been ready to say something else but had changed his mind at the last minute. But she didn't say anything, didn't question him.

And then they were back at the campsite, pulling in next to Mike's Jeep. Angie's eyes scanned the darkness around the campfire, searching for Dave among the faces sitting around the fire, joking, laughing, or just relaxing. But she didn't see him.

Jay reached out and squeezed her hand, and she noticed him looking off to the side. There, standing next to his truck, away from everyone else, stood Dave. She could make out his features in the reflection of the fire, noticed his clenched jaw and steely gaze watching them.

Her stomach gave a sickening lurch at the expression on his face.

"Angie, let me talk to him."

"No." She turned to Jay, tried to smile, then looked back at her brother. "No, this is something I need to."

She reached for the door handle but Jay pulled her back, giving her a quick kiss and squeezing her hand once more. "Okay, but I'll be right over there."

She nodded her thanks then climbed out of the truck, closing the door behind her. Dave's gaze moved behind her, and she knew from the muscle that jumped in his tightened jaw that he was watching Jay. Just like she knew, without looking, that Jay watched him back.

Then Dave turned back to face her, his expression hard as she closed the distance between them. Chills danced across her skin and she folded her arms in front of her, wishing she had a jacket.

"Where have you been?" Dave's voice was pitched low so only she could hear. His words were clipped, his tone flat.

"We went out to dinner. I didn't realize I needed your permission."

"What's going on, Angie? I thought you broke things off with him?"

Frustration and hurt flared in her when she realized that he wouldn't even say Jay's name. And she didn't understand, didn't know why her beloved big brother was suddenly acting like a complete stranger.

"I changed my mind."

"Then change it back. I told you, I don't want you with him."

"It's not up to you, Dave. It never was. This is my life, not yours. You have to stop trying to run it!"

"I'm not trying to run it. I'm trying to protect you."

"No, you're not. You have to let me make my own decisions, you have to respect my choices."

"Respect?" He leaned closer, his voice humming with contained fury, and something else, something she didn't understand. "Like you respect me when I tell you something?"

"No Dave, you don't tell. You don't advise. You demand or try to control, and you can't do that anymore, Dave." She took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice. "I don't understand, Dave. You never used to be like this. Why? What's going on? Why have you changed so much?"

He stepped back like she had slapped him, fire snapping in his eyes. The muscle in his jaw jumped, his teeth grinding together. He stared at her for a long second then shook his head.

"Pack your stuff, we're leaving."

"What? Are you insane? We're not leaving!"

"Yes, we are. Now let's go."

"I'm not leaving, Dave."

"I said—"

"I don't care what you said, I'm not leaving. I love him Dave, okay? You can either deal with it or not, but you're not going to tell me what to do anymore."

The words shocked her, nearly as much as they obviously shocked him. Where had they come from? And did she mean them?

She closed her eyes, needing to block the look of condemnation in her brother's eyes as she thought, listened, felt. A sense of something peaceful and warm, something right, filled her.

She loved Jay.

She didn't care if it was too soon, didn't care right now if the emotion was returned, she only knew that it was right.

She opened her eyes to see Dave watching her, his jaw still clenched, his eyes filled with anger and hurt. She reached out to touch his arm but he brushed her hand away and stepped back.

Pain sliced through her and she blinked back the sudden tears building behind her eyes. "Dave?"