Second Alarm (Firehouse Fourteen Book 5) Read online

  He slid another finger into her wet heat, felt her body shudder and heard her gasp in surprise. Faster. Harder, deeper, fingers and tongue stroking. Drinking from her, tasting her sweetness as her body came to life. Her nails dug deeper into the flesh of his shoulders, her sighs and moans coming faster. Adam didn’t stop, continued driving her to the edge and holding her there. Over and over, adjusting each touch, each lick, pulling back just before she could plummet into fulfillment.

  She called his name, her raspy voice filled with urgent need. Her hips thrust against his touch. Seeking. Demanding. He drove his fingers deeper, pulled her clit between his teeth and sucked.

  A scream ripped from her chest, her body shuddering as her muscles clamped around him. Pulling, holding…shattering. She screamed again, the sound thick and raspy as she clung to him. He tightened his arm around her hips, supporting her, holding her upright when her knees started buckling. But he didn’t stop, not until her climax started easing. Not until she pushed against him, her weak voice begging him for mercy.

  Adam pushed to his feet, sweeping her into his arms and turning toward the bed in one fluid motion. He gently placed her on the mattress then quickly removed the rest of his clothes, standing over, watching her body as it slowly stilled, replete and satisfied.

  She stretched, her back arching, the nipples of her breasts proud and erect. Her lids fluttered open, her gaze drifting to his. Her eyes widened, her skin flushing as she noticed him watching her. She scooted back, one arm moving to cover herself as she pushed up on her elbow. Her gaze drifted down, settling on the swollen length of his cock. Her tongue darted out, hunger filling her eyes.

  Adam swallowed a groan, his own carnal hunger searing his veins as she watched him. He closed his fist over the length of his cock, stroking. Slow and hard, from the base to the tip and back again. Beth’s eyes widened even more, darkening with passion and need. She reached out, her trembling hand closing over his, her thumb grazing the tip of his cock as he continued stroking.

  He groaned, closed his eyes and let his head fall back as her hand closed over him, taking his place. Her touch was like velvet, soft and smooth, wrapping him in gentle heat.

  Adam held himself still, struggling to control his breathing. Struggling to control his reaction. What was it about her touch that threatened to shatter his control? Not innocent, but hesitant. Still shy, still uncertain. And so powerful, it threatened to send him over the edge. God help him if she took his throbbing cock into her mouth because he wasn’t sure he would be able to control his response if she did.

  He groaned, fisted his hand over hers and gently eased it away. He heard her whimper of disappointment and quickly leaned forward, his mouth closing over hers to stifle any question she might have.

  He kneeled on the bed, their mouths still melded together, and followed her down to the mattress. Downy softness surrounded them as heated flesh met heated flesh. Soft, firm, warm and welcoming. He rolled to the side, shifted Beth in his arms then rolled to his back so she straddled him. His cock pressed against her wet heat and the temptation to drive into her, to grab her hips and thrust his cock deep inside her, was strong. So strong it almost frightened him.

  He groaned again, shifting her body to move the temptation away. He leaned to the side, his hand closing over one of the condoms on the nightstand. Within seconds, his cock was sheathed and ready.

  He shifted Beth over him, rocked his hips so his cock slid against her clit. Still wet from her climax, still swollen and ready. He ran his hands along her sides, cupped her breasts and squeezed them together then teased each nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Beth gasped, the sound ending in a sharp sigh as she pressed herself against him.

  Adam grabbed her hips, shifting her one last time then holding her still as he drove his cock into her. And oh fuck, she was so fucking wet. So fucking tight. Her body fit around his, pulling him in. Her muscles squeezed around him, as if afraid he would leave.

  Not a fucking chance of that happening. Not anytime soon.

  He bent his legs and braced his heels against the mattress, his grip tightening around her hips as he drove into her. Harder, faster. Deep, so fucking deep. She leaned back, her hands braced against his thighs, her hips pumping against his. He held himself still, letting her set the pace, rejoicing in each thrust, in each squeeze along his cock.

  And fuck, she felt so good. A perfect fit for him, better than any of the other women he’d had in the past. Beyond perfect, almost heaven. She kept riding him, faster and faster, her full breasts bouncing with the rhythm. Her head tilted back, the ends of her hair brushing along his thighs. Teasing, sending another kind of sensation shooting through him.

  She continued to move, her pussy clenching his cock with each thrust of her hips. Breaths turned to rasps, morphed into gasps and sharp moans. His hands tightened even more, his fingers digging into the flesh of her full thighs. Guiding her now, over and over, faster, his gaze focused on the sight of his cock disappearing into her wet pussy with each thrust.

  And fuck, he was so close. So fucking close to exploding. But not yet, not until she came. Not until he felt her climaxing, felt her pussy clench around him over and over with her own orgasm.

  He pushed into her, the strength of his drive nearly lifting her from the bed. Her gasp was short, surprised. Breathy and sharp. He did it again, over and over, driving into her, hard and fast. Harder. Harder still until her breath escaped as a scream. Her hips rocked, the rhythm choppy and almost desperate as she came. Nails scored the flesh of his thighs, sending a wave of excitement shooting through him, straight to his cock. He drove into her again, harder, heard her scream his name as his own climax exploded with a blinding force that left him struggling for breath.

  And holy fuck, he couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t remember the last time he’d had such an intense orgasm. Hell, he could barely remember his own fucking name.

  All he knew was that tonight wouldn’t be enough. Even two more nights might not be enough.

  But he’d have to make them enough because no matter how fucking intense being with Beth was, he would never break his own rule.

  Never.

  Chapter Three

  Darkness. Heat. Scorching, prickling the skin of his exposed neck. Adam made a low sound in the back of his throat, a growl that was lost in the roar of the fire creeping closer to them.

  He reached behind him, his hands closing over the charged line and moving it forward, playing it out so Mikey could advance. The squawk of a radio screeched in his ear, the words mumbled and incoherent. Over that was Mikey’s voice, a little higher pitched and filled with determination.

  “Fuck that shit!” Mikey crawled forward, moving a little faster, then leaned on her elbows and opened the nozzle. The spray turned to steam before hitting the flames. Heat intensified, pushing them closer to the floor.

  Any fucking closer and they’d be on the floor below.

  The radio squawked to life again, the sound distorted and unintelligible. Adam strained his ears but the only words he could make out were Mikey’s shouts. Broken, muffled through the mask, the tone belligerent and pissed.

  The room grew hotter, flames lapping the ceiling overhead in spite of the water shooting from the nozzle. And fuck, this was getting hot. Too hot. If they didn’t stop it in the next minute, he and Mikey both would be crispier than the burgers Jay had burnt at dinner.

  Adam moved forward, his legs and stomach burning from the heat of the water pooling beneath him. His hand closed over Mikey’s foot, trailed up the leg covered in gear, stopped dangerously close to her ass.

  “Damn good thing Nick likes you or he’d have your head for grabbing my ass like that.”

  Despite the seriousness of their situation, Adam had to swallow back a bark of laughter. So what if he was damn near sprawled on top of Mikey? She was just one of the guys. He was sure Nick would understand either way.

  “Mikey, we need to pull back.”

  “Bullshit.”
/>   “Stop being so fucking stubborn.”

  “We can get this—”

  “Dammit Mikey—”

  The radio came to life, blaring in their ears. Somewhere in the distance, he heard the sound of an air horn: three short blasts, faint and faraway. He tilted his head, listening. The horns blared again, somehow more urgent this time.

  “Mikey—”

  “Yeah. Go. Go, go.” She backed up, turned around, and pushed him ahead of her. The radio blared to life once more and she shouted into it, each word clear, her voice calm but still frustrated.

  “Ten-four, we’re on our way.” Something smacked his ass, the touch barely discernible through the heavy gear. “You wanted to go? Now’s your chance. Get moving.”

  Adam swallowed back a bark of laughter and picked up the pace, following the hose line as he moved it through the darkness in front of him. Back up the hallway, across a landing, down the first flight of steps. A little faster as the heat closed in on them, still searing and scorching. Another flight of steps, closer to the exit.

  The smoke was thicker, the heat just as intense. The door should be close by, they should be able to see a little better by now. But it was getting even darker, the heat even more intense. The back of his neck prickled, his senses tingling. Something wasn’t right, something—

  “Mikey—”

  “Yeah, I know. Go. Move. Now.” Her voice was still calm, controlled. But he didn’t miss the urgency under the words. He moved faster, Mikey right behind him, pushing. The shadow of the doorway loomed in front of them, growing larger. Another shadow appeared, separating into two smaller ones. Hands grabbed him, pulling and pushing and shoving.

  And then they were outside, rolling away from the flames that had followed them. A heavy weight landed on top of him, pushing the air from his lungs as the bottle dug into his back. He grunted and reached up, pushing off his helmet and removing his facemask.

  Mikey was sprawled across him, half-straddling him, her breathing heavy as she pushed the hood off and removed her own facemask. She looked down at him, a crooked smile spreading across her soot-covered face as she squirmed against him.

  “Damn Adam. I’m impressed. I didn’t realize what you were hiding down here.”

  “You’re a fucking perv, Mikey. Anyone ever tell you that?”

  “Yeah—Nick. Every damn night.” She wiggled her eyebrows then rolled off him and pushed to her knees, slightly bent over at the waist. A grimace crossed her face then she sucked in a deep breath and shook her head, her ponytail swinging behind her.

  “You okay?”

  “Hm?” She turned, a flicker of surprise crossing her face, as if she just realized he was sitting there beside her. “Yeah. Fine.” She pushed to her feet then extended her hand, helping Adam to his feet.

  He didn’t believe her and was getting ready to push for a better answer when Jay approached them. His face was dirty and sweaty, from the fire and from the warmth of the early September air. His pale gray eyes were tired, filled with a combination of frustration and worry.

  “What the fuck, Mikey? We were getting ready to come in after you. Why the hell—”

  “We were fine. We had it.” Mikey waved off his concern and moved past him, dragging the hose line with her. Jay’s face turned red, his jaw clenching in anger. Or maybe impatience. Or maybe both. He tossed a look at Adam but Adam just shook his head and grabbed the hose, helping Mikey move it away from the building. No way in hell was he getting in the middle of whatever spat was brewing between them. Not those two.

  He’d been assigned to Station 14 for almost two years and still didn’t exactly understand the dynamics between Jay Moore and Michaela Donaldson. When he’d first been transferred there, he had sworn the two were an actual couple. As in, together. They were extremely close, always together, able to share a wealth of communication with a single glance. But they were nothing more than good friends—real friends, not the kind with benefits.

  Mikey was engaged to her high school sweetheart, the couple reunited after a decade of separation. Adam still wasn’t sure of the all the details, only knew there had been some kind of accident or traumatic experience or something that had broken the two apart more than ten years ago. They’d met again through a bizarre series of coincidences and were now engaged to be married—even though they still hadn’t set a date.

  And Jay had bought a house not too long ago and was currently living with his girlfriend—who just happened to be the sister of one of their paramedics, Dave Warren. And yeah, hadn’t that been fun, when the entire thing blew up and Jay and Dave had nearly killed each other, right there in the engine room once Dave found out about it. Tense didn’t even begin to describe the whole damn scenario.

  But things had worked out somehow. At least, Dave and Jay seemed to be getting along. For the most part. Which was probably a good thing because even though there was no talk of a wedding yet, Adam was sure it was just a matter of time before Jay popped the question and asked Angie to marry him.

  And sorry, but no, thank you. That so wasn’t for him. After seeing the ups-and-downs and all the drama and tension of his coworkers’ relationships, Adam was even more convinced that whole relationship thing wasn’t for him. He was quite happy with the way things were going for him: casual hook-ups, no strings, no commitments. And absolutely no drama.

  He dropped the line as they reached the engine then moved around the back, releasing the straps of his bottle as he went. He and Mikey lowered them to the ground at the same time and damn if he didn’t see Mikey grimace again. Jay saw it, too, because he frowned and moved closer to her.

  “You okay?”

  “Christ, you’re as bad as Adam. What are you two, mother hens? I’m fine.”

  “You don’t look fine. And you were grabbing your stomach—”

  “I’m fine.” Mikey leaned closer to Jay, impatience flaring in her eyes. “It’s cramps. I’m PMSing. You want more details? Because I can give them to you—”

  “No!” Jay and Adam said it at the same time then shared a quick glance and started laughing. Mikey rolled her eyes and mumbled something—probably an insult or some shit like that, knowing her.

  No way was Adam going to ask her to repeat herself. Not that it mattered because Pete Miller, their Lieutenant, came trotting toward them, his coat hanging open, his blue helmet sitting at an angle on his head.

  “You two—” He wagged a finger between Adam and Mikey. “Get over to rehab. Get checked out—”

  “We don’t—”

  “I don’t want to hear it, Mikey. You know the drill. Just do it then get back here. They want us to surround-and-drown. Which means we’re going to be here a bit longer.”

  Shit. Adam turned to study the building, frowning at the flames licking up the walls from the busted windows. It was a three-story industrial office building, vacant only because it was late on the Saturday evening of Labor Day weekend. Could they have knocked the flames back while they were inside?

  Maybe. If the building’s sprinkler system had been operating properly. If the call had come in earlier. If there hadn’t been an issue with getting water. If, if, if. So many ifs.

  Yeah, maybe they could have. Or maybe he and Mikey were lucky not to be stuck inside.

  They couldn’t second-guess themselves and play what-ifs. There would be enough of the Monday-morning quarterbacking going on once the white hats got together to analyze and evaluate and play out different scenarios.

  Adam wasn’t worried about that. And he knew without looking that neither was the rest of his crew. They’d come in and tried to do their job as best as they could—for as long as they were allowed. And no matter what else might happen, he was certain of two things. First, the white hats would find some kind of fault with the initial crews on the scene. And second—they were going to be here for quite a while. Probably all night.

  Which meant he was going to miss his chat with Beth. Disappointment hit him in the gut, surprising him. What the fuck?
Really? Since when did missing a call with any of his hook-ups worry him?

  Maybe it was because it had been three weeks since he’d been with anyone else, since that night with Beth. That in itself should worry him. Maybe he just needed one more time with Beth to get her out of his system.

  And maybe it was a damn good thing he was missing that call.

  “Yo, Adam. Wake up.” He turned just as Mikey was punching his shoulder. “What the hell were you daydreaming about?”

  “Nothing.”

  She raised one brow, silently mocking him, letting him know she didn’t believe him. It didn’t matter because there was no way in hell he’d tell her. The guys gave him enough grief about his dating habits. The last thing any of them needed to know was that he was starting to obsess about his latest hook-up, especially since they’d only been together that one night. He’d never live it down.

  So yeah, it was probably a good thing he was missing his chat with Beth. It would probably be even better if he scheduled another hook-up with someone different. Yeah, that would probably be for the best.

  But damn if the idea didn’t leave him feeling a little hollow inside.

  Chapter Four

  “Why do you keep looking at your phone?”

  Beth stopped reaching for the pocket of her apron and leaned across the table for her water bottle instead. “I’m not.”

  “Liar.” Her best friend and coworker, Courtney Williams, smiled when she said it. There was no accusation in her quiet voice, just a hint of teasing. Beth still felt guilty though. Not because she had been caught trying to check her phone, but because she’d been checking it too often—doing exactly what she swore she wouldn’t do.

  Exactly what she promised herself she wouldn’t do. She didn’t want a relationship, especially not after her last disastrous one. But she’d had so much fun with Adam, feeling things she hadn’t felt in…well, ever. Like she mattered, like he was putting her first.

  Which was stupid. It was just sex. Purely sex. That was the whole purpose of the hook-up—to have anonymous sex without all the messy drama and emotion. Beth needed to keep reminding herself of that.