Playing With Fire (Firehouse Fourteen Book 2) Read online

  She turned back to Jay, hoping he hadn’t noticed her slight pause, her surprise. “What happened?”

  Jay studied her for a few seconds, his gray eyes a little too intense, a little too watchful. He finally grinned, a small half smile that just tugged at the corners of his mouth. “The whole thing was a mistake, we should have never gotten married in the first place. She didn’t like me working night shift, didn’t understand that was part of the job even though she already knew about it.” He laughed, the sound sharp and empty of all humor before he looked away, his gaze now focused on the ground between them.

  “She said she didn’t like being home alone so she decided to use me working night shift as the perfect excuse to go out and party. And if I couldn’t be there, well, there were plenty of other guys who would.” He glanced up then looked away with a shrug. “I came home early one morning and found her in bed with someone else.”

  “Oh, Jay, I’m so sorry.”

  “Hey, don’t be. It was a long time ago. It didn’t even bother me then, which is how I knew we should’ve never been together in the first place.” His smile was back in place, hesitant, not quite as bright. He reached out for her hand and squeezed. “So. Now that all my secrets are out, does any of it bother you?”

  Angie leaned forward and pressed her mouth against his, increasing the pressure until his mouth opened under hers. She swept her tongue against his then pulled away before she lost control. “No. No, it doesn’t bother me.”

  Jay smiled then rolled to his back, pulling her down so her head was resting on his chest. She brought her hand up and laid it next to her cheek, his skin warm beneath the shirt. She closed her eyes and sighed.

  “I just wish Dave would get over it.” She spoke the words softly and didn’t realize that Jay had heard her until his arms tightened around her.

  “Yeah. Me too.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Jay tightened his arms around Angie’s waist, pulling her closer as he broke the kiss. Her eyes were partly closed, her lips full and wet from his kisses. A light flush caressed her cheeks, the light from the moon giving her skin an ethereal glow. Jay leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers once more, unable to resist.

  He didn’t want to let her go.

  He had to let her go.

  They were standing in the small parking lot outside his apartment, next to her car. She had met him here earlier in the evening for their date.

  Because he couldn’t pick her up at her own house. Not when Dave was home.

  He pulled away again and rested his forehead against hers. He wanted to ask her in but was afraid to. If he asked her in, he’d want her to spend the night—all night. He wanted more than the hurried encounters and stolen opportunities of the last few weeks that made him feel like they were sneaking around. He wanted to sleep with her in his arms and wake up to her smile in the morning instead of kissing her goodbye in the middle of the night before she left for home.

  Tonight, he wanted her all night long. But he didn’t ask, was too afraid to ask. Afraid she’d say no. And he wasn’t foolish enough to expect her to say yes.

  “I had fun tonight.” Her voice was soft, her breath warm against his neck. He tightened his hold around her waist and smiled.

  “I did, too.”

  Her hands moved up his sides and wrapped around his neck as she pressed her lips to his. But the kiss was over too quickly, giving his body just a sampling of the burn she could ignite inside him.

  And right this minute, he wanted nothing more than for that burn to consume him. But it wasn’t fair of him to create even more tension between her and Dave by acting on that desire, by asking her to spend the entire night with him—no matter how much he wanted it.

  “I don’t have to go home right now.”

  Her words echoed his desire so closely that he thought he imagined them. But her face was turned up to his, the barest hint of a smile teasing the corners of her lush mouth. And deep in her eyes was a hint of the same passion, the same need, that he felt himself.

  “What about—”

  She pressed her fingers against his mouth, silencing him as she shook her head. “I don’t answer to anyone but myself, Jay.”

  Instead of freeing him, the words froze him to the spot. He wanted nothing more than to take her into his apartment, to feel her body against his, to lose himself deep inside her.

  So why was he standing there like a brain-dead idiot?

  Angie smiled up at him, and that full smile kicked his mind into gear. He reached up for her hand then turned, leading the way to his apartment. Neither of them spoke, not even after he had closed and locked the door. He went to move past her, thinking to play host and offer her something to drink, but she grabbed him and pressed against him, her mouth hot and insistent against his. They tore at each other’s clothing, leaving a trail of shoes and shirts and pants along the hallway to his bedroom. Her bra landed somewhere near the edge of his bed, followed by his briefs until, finally, they were pressed against each other, bare flesh to bare flesh.

  Jay moaned and stepped back, letting his eyes wander over her. From her full breasts, with their nipples puckered into tight peaks, begging for attention, to her taut abs, down past the flare of her rounded hips, to the long length of her toned and tanned legs.

  He groaned again and reached out, cupping the full weight of her breast in one hand. His thumb grazed her nipple, feeling it tighten even more under his touch. He lowered his head and captured the peak in his mouth, sucking and nipping as he ran his other hand down along her side.

  Another groan escaped him when her hand wrapped around his hard length, stroking him with hard, even strokes. He stepped back until the backs of his legs hit the edge of the bed, then toppled backward, pulling Angie down on top of him.

  Their mouths crashed together, hungry and wet. He groaned again, needing to touch her, taste her. He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled, dragging her up the length of his body until she straddled his face.

  He looked up at her, saw her watching with glazed eyes, then raised his mouth to her. She gasped at the touch, then moaned when he ran his tongue along her clit. Back and forth, harder, dipping his tongue inside her.

  She leaned back, her hands digging into his thighs as her hips thrust forward, opening to him even more. And he feasted, nipping and licking, his tongue delving inside her until he felt her begin to tighten. He wrapped an arm around her hips and held her against his mouth as her hips bucked. A low moan reached his ears, a wail of pleasure followed by the sound of his name being called in a hoarse cry of pleasure.

  And he still didn’t stop, just held her to him and tasted, feasted as if he was a dying man granted one last meal.

  “Jay, please.” The soft sound of her ragged plea shattered his willpower and he released her, giving her the freedom to roll to her side. Her breathing echoed around him and he slid to the side of the bed, his hand tearing at the nightstand drawer and groping blindly inside. His fingers closed over the box of condoms and he pulled one out, ripping it open and rolling it down his hard length before reaching her side.

  He pulled her in his arms and kissed her, devouring her, his tongue thrusting in an imitation of what was yet to come.

  Jay groaned then rolled to his back, pulling her with him and adjusting her hips over his. She broke the kiss and placed her palms flat on his chest, pushing herself up as she tilted her hips and lowered herself onto him.

  “Angie, oh, God.” He gritted his teeth and let his head drop back as she rode him, long, hard, slow. Sensation gripped him, clenching his gut, burning him from the inside out. He opened his eyes and looked up at her, at her parted lips and glazed eyes burning with the same desire that gripped him.

  She brought her hands to her chest and grabbed her breasts, squeezing them together and pushing them up. A groan escaped him as he watched, mesmerized. She rolled each nipple between her fingers, squeezing, and he felt her body clench around his cock with an answerin
g tremble.

  Then she lowered her hand and reached between them, her finger gliding along her clit. His breathing tore at his chest in short gasps as he watched their joining. Angie pushed herself up, sliding up his length, then down, until his cock disappeared completely inside her. Again, up then down, the sensation exquisite, the torture unbearable.

  He grabbed her with both hands, his fingers hard against the flesh of her hips, and moved her in his own rhythm, harder, faster. She cried out again as her body clenched around him, squeezing his cock, pushing him to the edge.

  He dug his heels into the mattress and drove up into her, again.

  Faster. Harder.

  Again.

  Once more.

  He threw his head back and called her name, thrusting one final time before he exploded inside her. Lights danced along his eyelids, as red as the flames consuming him. Angie fell against him, her breath hot against his neck, her skin moist and warm against his chest.

  He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, deep, demanding, possessing. Minutes went by, languid and slow as his heart beat hard in his chest.

  Angie lifted her head and stared down at him, a lazy smile on her flushed face. She leaned down for another kiss then eased off him, curling against his side with her head tucked against his shoulder.

  He closed his eyes and gently ran his hand along her arm, struck by the feeling of contentment washing over him.

  And wondered why it was so wrong of him to want this, with this woman, every night.

  **

  “Jay.”

  Angie pushed the hair from her face and nudged the hard body next to hers. He shifted and pulled her tighter against him as her fuzzy brain tried to remember why she was shaking him awake. She closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him, feeling the warmth of his body lulling her back into sleep.

  Pounding, loud and insistent, teased the sliver of consciousness that hadn’t yet succumbed to sleep. She mumbled and shifted, not wanting to get up, not wanting to move away from Jay’s arms.

  The pounding continued and Jay stirred next to her. His arms tightened around her and his lips trailed a warm path along the side of her neck. She leaned into him, a sleepy smile on her face as her body responded, wakening under his touch. He rolled over on top of her, his knee gently nudging her legs apart, his cock hard and ready between her thighs.

  The pounding came again, sharp and loud.

  “Dammit, I’m going to kill whoever that is.”

  Angie smiled against Jay’s mouth, her body moving against his, already reaching for him. “Maybe they’ll go away.”

  But there it came again, the loud banging. Jay swore and dropped his head to the pillow next to hers, then rolled away and climbed out of the bed.

  “The damn building better be on fire, or I really am going to kill whoever’s there.”

  She watched the play of muscles along his back and ass as he marched across the room, and smiled in sleepy appreciation. He tore open a dresser drawer and snagged a pair of gym shorts and pulled them on. He looked down and noticed his obvious erection, swore again, then stepped out of them and reached for a pair of jeans. Angie couldn’t help it, she laughed.

  He paused and turned to her, his brows raised in question. “Is something funny?”

  “Not a thing.”

  He pulled on the zipper, wincing as he adjusted himself, then gave up before coming back to the bed. He leaned over her, giving her a nice view of his broad chest and tight abs. She ran a hand across his chest as he kissed her, hard and quick.

  “Hold that thought.” He squeezed her hip then walked out of the bedroom, swearing under his breath as the pounding resumed.

  Angie sighed and closed her eyes, hoping that Jay wouldn’t take too much time getting rid of whoever was at the door. She curled onto her side, snuggling into the warmth that still held a scent of Jay, and waited.

  “Where the fuck is she?”

  Angie’s eyes shot open and her heart rose up into her throat. She froze, panicked, at the bellow that echoed through the apartment. She heard Jay’s voice, pitched low, reasonable, but she couldn’t make out the words through the buzzing in her ears.

  “I said where the fuck is she? I know she’s here, her car’s out front!”

  “Shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.” Angie jumped from the bed then stumbled, her foot catching in the sheet. She untangled her leg and quickly looked around, searching for her clothes.

  “Dave, stop. You need to calm down.”

  “Don’t tell me to calm down. Where is my sister?”

  Heavy footsteps started toward the bedroom then stopped. She heard a gasp, then the sound of pushing and more swearing.

  Where in the hell were her clothes?

  She tore through the mess scattered on the floor by the bed, finally finding her bra and underwear. Shit, where was her shirt? It had be here somewhere—

  “Are those her pants? What the fuck, Moore! Angie, dammit, get out here.”

  Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

  Her damn clothes were scattered in the hallway, just where they had dropped last night.

  Probably right with Jay’s clothes.

  This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all.

  Angie spun around the room, looking for something, anything, to put on. Dave and Jay were arguing, and it sounded like Jay was trying to keep Dave from storming into the bedroom. But she knew her brother, knew he couldn’t be stopped once he put his mind to something. And she was pretty sure he was in no mood to be stopped.

  And why was even here? Why?

  She pushed the question away. It didn’t matter why he was here, just that he was. And if she didn’t get out there and do something, something even worse was going to happen.

  She had no idea what could actually be worse than this right now, but she knew there had to be something.

  “Dave, man, c’mon, you need to leave. Now’s not the time—”

  “Get away from me Jay or I swear to God—”

  “Dammit Dave, listen to me. We can have this out later but you can’t go back there.”

  “Don’t tell me what I can do. Angie! Dammit, I know you’re here.”

  “Dave, I mean it, get out.”

  “Bullshit.”

  Angie heard something that sounded suspiciously like flesh hitting flesh and she made up her mind. Screw her clothes. She yanked the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around her then tore into the hall, afraid of what she would see.

  And damned her imagination for being right.

  Dave was pushing against Jay, trying to get by him as he blocked the hallway. Her brother’s face was red with rage and he pushed Jay again, his hands clenched into fists.

  Fear flared briefly in her gut at the sight. She had never seen Dave this furious before, and she didn’t know what he might do.

  “Dammit Jay, get out of my way or I’ll—”

  “Stop! Just stop!” Angie’s voice fell over them, stopping the shouting. Jay turned to look at her, worry and concern clear on his face. She met his gaze and shook her head the slightest bit, trying to tell him that it was okay, that she was fine.

  Except the look on Dave’s face told her things weren’t going to be fine again for a long time. His brows lowered in an angry slash above his dark eyes and he glowered at her, his fury making her take a step back in shock. And then, before she even saw it coming, he reached out with both hands and grabbed Jay around the shoulders, pushing him into the wall with such force that a picture fell to the floor. Glass shattered, the sound barely heard above her brother’s roar.

  “Damn you! What the hell are you doing with my sister?” Dave pushed him again and Angie looked on in horror as one of his hands clenched into a fist aimed directly at Jay’s chin.

  But Jay didn’t move, not to block her brother, not to push him away, not to hit him. Not even to defend himself. He just stood there, and Angie knew that if she didn’t do something—now!—Jay was just going to take whatever
Dave handed him.

  She gripped the sheet with one hand and ran toward them, getting between them and pushing her brother back with a hand in the middle of his chest. “Dave, no! Stop!”

  “Angie, get out of my way.”

  “Ang, please, just go back to the room.”

  She faced Jay, letting him know with one quick look that she would do no such thing, then turned back to her brother. “Dave, stop, please. Just go home.”

  “Angie, get out of my way.”

  “Dave, we can talk about this—” But she didn’t get to finish because Dave grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Jay, then pushed her to the side. Her feet tangled in the trailing end of the sheet and she stumbled before regaining her balance.

  “You fucking asshole! Don’t you dare touch her!” Jay suddenly stood between her and Dave, his right arm held behind him, keeping her safely behind his back.

  “Me? You’re the one who needs to stay off of her! Do you hear me?”

  Jay stepped closer, his voice pitched low and dangerous. “Get the hell out of my house. Now.”

  “Fine. Angie, let’s go.”

  She looked up to find Dave watching her, fury still burning in his eyes, his face still flushed with anger. And she shook her head, just a small movement, because she was afraid to speak, afraid her words would come out on a choke.

  Afraid, for just a second, of the man she called brother.

  The ensuing silence was deafening, so oppressive that nobody moved. Angie kept her eyes glued to her brother’s face, expecting another explosion, but what she saw was worse.

  It was like all the life just drained from him in one breath. His shoulders sagged and the fury left his eyes in the space of one blink. And in their place was a despair so sharp that she felt the breath catch in her throat at the sight.

  And then everything she saw was gone, replaced with a cool mask of indifference so quickly, she wondered if she had imagined seeing it in the first place. Dave’s eyes never left hers as he shook his head and took a step back. Then he turned and left, slamming the door behind him.

  She remained frozen for another long second before emotion crashed over her, battering her. She gulped in a deep breath, trying to breathe, trying to get her heart to stop pounding so quickly.