Rapid Entry: Firehouse 69, Book 3 (5 page)

She should have been insulted, but his lazy delivery tinged with humor was so damn sexy. “So you’ve outted me. I’m a big fraud.”

“You write about this life, but you’ve never really understood the appeal, have you?” His expression wasn’t condemning. He looked amused.

“I’m still not sure.”

He nodded. “I get that. And this probably wasn’t the best introduction. Tell you what,” he said, sliding his finger along her lower lip.

“What?”

“Next time we play, it’ll be at my place. Alone. All I need is a little rope…”

“And a flogger?” she said, maybe too quickly, because his mouth twitched.

“Liked that, did you?”

“The flogger, yes. Not so much the whip.”

“Wasn’t a whip. That was just a little switch.”

She wrinkled her nose and reached behind her to rub her bottom. “Felt like a whip. Thought you’d leave some welts.”

“I did,” he said, reaching to move her hand a little lower on her ass.

She felt the long hot stripe and widened her eyes. “You bastard.”

His quick grin was unrepentant. “Had to make sure I left something for you to remember me by.”

All her happy feelings fled. She only had a few more days left on her lease. Not nearly long enough for her to replace old, poignant memories with something that might give her hope that she’d find happiness again in her future. “Maybe we should head home.”

“Sure,” he said, “but only after I do one more thing.”

She pushed back her hair and gave him a pout. “You have energy for one more thing?”

“I’m a firefighter. It’ll take a hell of a lot more to wear me out, baby.” He flashed her a smile. “But we aren’t having sex again. Let me take care of you.”

Chapter Five

Viviana slept on the drive home, her head snuggled against his shoulder.

Gage had to admit, he liked the feel of her next to him, even if she was out. After they’d left the bed, he’d showered with her, making sure to cleanse every place that had been used. Then he’d given her another rubdown with lotion to ease muscles he knew would ache in the morning. Aftercare was his responsibility, even if she didn’t really expect it.

She’d surprised him. Once he’d figured out she was all book, no play, he thought back to every one of the clues she’d betrayed, and he cursed himself for being so eager to be with her that he hadn’t really noticed. But Anton had. When they’d passed him in the salon, seated on one of the sofas and playing with Britney’s hair while she knelt beside him, Anton had arched a brow. “Take care of our little virgin.”

And virgin she had been. She’d never been spanked, never been part of an orgy. But she’d been game. So sexy that even now his teeth ached from grinding them so hard as he’d watched her being plowed by Anton from behind.

He was over his jealousy, but now he understood it better. He’d known, deep down, that he should have shown more care.

He stopped at the gate of the apartment complex and quickly entered the code into the keypad.

Beside him, Viviana stirred. “We’re here already?” She reached up and pushed back her hair, then stretched out her arms and yawned. “I can’t wait to sleep.”

Disappointment sent a dull knife into his belly, but he gave her a smile. “Like some company? My shoulder’s a nice pillow.”

“It’s as hard as a rock,” she said, her tone dry. “But, yeah, I’d love to stay over. If you don’t mind.”

“I’ll be up early. I have another shift starting, but you’re welcome to make yourself at home.”

“Just don’t boil water, right?”

“Right.” He was grinning by the time he pulled into his parking space. The complex was quiet. Most windows were darkened. For the first time, he wished he had a more private place, a house, something he could call his own. Something he could share with someone as amazing as this woman. His apartment was just some place he crashed when he wasn’t at work, or where his friends could gather for a beer or a game. Maybe it was time he looked around for something that would feel like a home.

Once inside the apartment, he trailed Viviana, who peeled away clothing as she walked and let the items fall where they might. She was messy. He didn’t mind. In the morning, he’d gather her things and leave them folded on the couch. The woman needed a keeper. He was fine filling that role.

She crawled straight beneath the covers and lay on her side, watching as he turned on the bathroom light, left the door only partially closed, and then stripped. She lifted the corner of the blanket as he drew near.

Climbing in beside her felt natural. Pulling her against his body felt right. She snuggled against his chest and slipped a thigh between his, and then promptly began snoring.

Gage sighed. So he had a hard-on. The fact the sexy brunette plastered against him could relieve it didn’t matter. The dull, sweet ache didn’t keep him from drifting off where he dreamed of a brunette with eyes framed by dark glasses who scribbled in a notebook while he took her from behind.

Sometime later, he stirred. Something surrounded his cock. Something warm and wet. “Viviana.”

The covers were lifted and slid down. She peeked from beneath the blanket. “You’re awake. Now maybe you’ll cooperate.”

She disappeared again, and he rolled fully to his back, placing his hands beneath his head as he stared at the dark ceiling above. “This is nice.”

Not removing her mouth from his cock, she murmured her agreement. He felt her nod, her lips pulling on his cock. When she sank deep over him, letting him touch the back of her throat, he swore. “Sweet fuck, woman.”

Slowly, he eased open his legs, and she crawled between them, settling there. She cupped his balls and gave them a gentle tug while she eased up and down, lifting and lowering the covers. But he wanted to see, so he flipped back the blanket and the sheet and stared down at her.

She blinked, smiled with a full mouth, and held his gaze as she sank again.

While she might not have had any real experience inside a sex club, she knew her way around a dick. Her husband had been a lucky man. She suctioned on each upstroke, burrowed eagerly on the way back down, and her tongue—fuck, she drove him crazy with the sexy slides she gave him all along his shaft.

Enough
. He grabbed her hair and pulled, forcing her off his cock and to his side, then he rolled over her, trapping her with his weight. “Thanks, but I’ll take over now.”

“Like being in charge, do you?” she said, her voice breathy.

“Always.”

“I’m okay with that,” she whispered.

Gage glided his hands from her waist to her hips, then slipped them beneath her bottom. “Have I mentioned how much I love your ass?”

“Stop.” She gave an embarrassed laugh.

“I’m not kidding.” He molded both cheeks with his hands and groaned. “You seem a little self-conscious, so I haven’t asked…”

“What is it you want?”

“I’d like to take you from behind. I want to push against all this,” he said, giving her another squeeze.

“I shouldn’t have a modest bone left in my body,” she said, shaking her head.

“So you’ll let me?”

“Gage, I won’t deny you a thing.” She reached up and trailed her palm along the side of his face. “Everything has been amazing. You’ve been…” She drew a deep breath but didn’t finish.

He understood. They didn’t know each other well. They’d gone straight from being strangers to sleeping together, and he didn’t know if she wanted more. But he did. Only he wasn’t much of a talker, didn’t know how to begin that conversation. He didn’t know anything about her, where she lived, what her life was like back home, and all he saw were obstacles, questions…

And he wasn’t much of a talker.

So he was repeating himself in his mind. But he felt that lack keenly at the moment, and she was waiting for him to take charge. He backed off her, coming to his knees. “Roll over, Viviana.”

Her breaths were a little shallow, but she did as he asked, moving to rest on her hands and knees.

Gage waited as she settled, and then he simply stared. Her bottom was full and round and still bore faint stripes from the switch. He smoothed a hand over one cheek and then gave it a little slap, watching as the flesh jiggled. He couldn’t wait to make it shiver and shake. Couldn’t wait to grip her full curves and pound against her.

“Are you just going to look?” she asked, twisting to give him a backward glare.

“If I had more time, I’d turn you over my knee,” he said, lowering his tone to a gravelly growl. “I think you’d like that. But I’m desperate to be inside you, baby.”

She snapped forward again, but a telltale tremble shook her well-padded frame. Gage smiled. He wasn’t sure how many days she had remaining here, but he’d make every one of them count—and then maybe she’d be willing to consider having a visitor now and then.

He gave her ass a clap on one side and then the other. Then he smoothed a hand upward to grip one hip. He moved closer, reached down to guide his cock along her slit, and pressed forward, lodging just the head at her entrance.

She tried to pulse backward, but he held her away and carefully rose behind her, spreading his legs to plant his feet wide, then leaning over her and forcing her hips higher. He pulled up her hips, knowing she was confused by this position, but as he began to move, he wanted power, wanted to feel his belly bouncing against her softness, his balls banging against the top of her folds. Crouching over her, he could pummel her with his cock. And she would take it.

Already she was soaked. Her pussy clenched his head. With a single hard flex, he thrust deep. For a second, his groin smacked against her pussy. After several more pumps, he quickened his movements and she grew so wet the sounds were like a whip flicking against her flesh.

But she didn’t seem to mind his furor. She tossed back her hair and reached out one hand to brace against his headboard so that she could jam against him. Gage let lose, hammering faster, sweat breaking on his chest and face, but fuck, it felt good. His cock was hard and getting harder, driving through her slick heat, his thrusts forcing her to gasp for breath.

When he was close, he pulled free, flipped her to her back, hooked his arms beneath her knees, and entered her again.

Viviana arched and flung out her arms to fist her hands in the bedding. Her expression was stark, scrunched—she was nearing the edge.

He thrust faster, pulling her knees to bring her close, and then thrusting them back. The muscles of his chest and buttocks burned, but he wasn’t done, didn’t want it to end. “Feels so fucking good,” he gritted out.

She thrashed her head. Each jolting thrust rocked her breasts. He liked looking at them bounce. Liked it even better when she dug her head into the mattress and cried out.

He slowed a little, wanting to stretch out the moment, but his balls were so tight he knew he was ready to explode. Only he wasn’t cloaked. Hadn’t thought about a condom even once since he’d woken to find her mouth surrounding his hard cock. He let out a little agonized growl and pulled free, his cock spurting come over her belly the second he left her wet heat.

He continued to rock against her, arrowing his cock through the cream, moving it over her mound, marking her in a very elemental way. “We forgot something,” he said, when he’d recovered his breath.

“No worries from my end,” she said, and then laughed. “I meant, I’m on the pill.”

“I’m clean,” he said and slowly inserted his cock back inside her, relieved to feel less guilty as he entered her, and liking the way her walls continued to convulse around him in gradually fading waves.

He dropped down to blanket her, and together they went to their sides, bodies still locked. She rested her head on his shoulder.

“I’ll have to leave soon,” he said softly.

“I know.” Her mouth quirked. “Sorry if I wore you out. You needed your sleep.”

He chuckled. “I’ll survive.”

She snuggled closer, and he felt his softening cock slip from inside her. “When I’m off, I’d like to spend time with you. Maybe go out.”

“Sounds nice.”

“I’d like to talk.”

Her body went still. “Okay.”

That wasn’t exactly an enthusiastic response. Gage frowned. “I know you’re giving up Herman’s place soon, but I hoped we might see each other. After.”

Her head slid against his arm in a small nod, and then she turned.

He let her go. If she was surprised, he’d give her time to consider what he’d said. He’d have been happier if she’d given him a clue whether she wanted to continue this relationship.

It had been a really long time since he’d been this interested in pursuing a woman, and he didn’t like the little niggle of anxiety that her lukewarm response gave him.

Wide awake now, he pulled the covers around her and slid from the bed. She didn’t make a sound. Not a hint of disappointment at his leaving. Quietly, he gathered his clothing from his dresser and closet and headed to the bathroom to shower.

In the distance, she heard the front door close. Only then did she dare move. After a night of insanely decadent pleasure, she felt…uneasy. Unquiet.

Viv left the bed and gathered her clothing, dressing in the darkness. Then she left, heading back to the apartment she’d rented where the odor of smoke was still strong.

Every fiber of her being told her to move. To pack. To escape.

Should she leave him a note? Hell, she didn’t even have his cell number, and now that she’d shut his door, she had no way to do anything more than pin a Post-It to the front door.

Feeling as though she were being chased, she hurried through her shower. Since she’d never unpacked her things in the first place, despite the fact Herman had left her dresser space and room in the closet, all she had to do was pack away the items she’d worn the previous evening. But looking at the sexy outfit she’d worn inside the club made her feel unhappy, so she bundled it into a plastic grocery bag to deposit in the trash bin in the parking lot.

Once she’d packed her brief bag, there was nothing left to do. She penned a note to Herman to thank him for renting the apartment and apologizing for the fire. If there were any expenses, she’d gladly reimburse him.

And then she set her key on the kitchen counter and closed the front door. Locking herself out, not leaving herself any other option but to get into her car and leave because now she didn’t have any place to go but home.

Home. The one place she’d been so eager to escape because it held too many old memories of a man and dreams that were long gone.

After sending the plastic bag sailing into the dumpster, she hit the remote to unlock her car and stowed her bags in her trunk. Sliding behind the steering wheel, she glanced one more time up to the windows of Gage’s apartment. What a cowardly thing to do, running without a word. But her skin was itching and her thoughts were scattered, racing too fast for her to capture them and figure out what the hell had just happened.

“I’d like to talk.”

How innocent that might have sounded, if it hadn’t been for his tone. She was used to rough-voiced, growly Gage, but his voice when he’d whispered those words had been hesitant, weighted by expectation. And she wasn’t ready for any talk…especially if he wanted to ask for more from her than just her body.

Being with him had been a huge step. She’d been closed off, alone, for far too long. The last thing she needed was to leap into love with the first man she shared a bed with since Mike. She didn’t want to repeat the pattern. Mike had been her first everything. And she’d have stayed his wife until the day she died. But he’d left her first.

Gage’s request to talk might not be the I’m-beginning-to-fall-for-you words that would thrill her even as they scared her to death. If Gage wasn’t ready to rush into a relationship with her, this was the time to flee, because she could see herself falling in love with the handsome firefighter. What woman wouldn’t?