Playing With Fire (Firehouse Fourteen Book 2) Read online

  He pulled away, his eyes searching around him. This wasn’t the first time he had been to Dave’s—Angie’s—house, and he thanked God he knew the layout. He wrapped his hand around Angie’s and tugged, leading her through the living room to the stairs, intent only on getting to her room.

  Except he wasn’t sure which room was hers, and he paused at the stop of the stairs. Angie brushed by him, giving him a small smile, then led him down the hallway, past the bathroom.

  And into heaven.

  She was in his arms again, her mouth trailing a hot path along his neck, down past his collarbone. He reached between them and yanked at his shirt and jacket, pulling them off and letting them drop to the floor, needing to feel her touch against his skin.

  But it wasn’t enough. He cupped her face between his hands and claimed her mouth, tasted her surrender. He dragged his hands down along her sides, down past her hips, and grabbed the hem of her dress. Slowly, so slowly, he dragged the material up, exposing her skin to his touch.

  She moaned again, nothing more than a soft sigh as he pulled the dress higher, past her waist. He broke the kiss and stepped back, just enough so he could pull the dress over her head, then tossed it to the floor with his shirt.

  She stood before him, a wet dream come to life in a lacy thong and matching bra and high heels. His mouth dried up at the sight of her, his breathing ragged as he drank her in. She looked up at him, almost shyly, and he tried to smile but his mind wasn’t working, he couldn’t focus, could only stare.

  “Beautiful.”

  The word was a harsh whisper, ragged in the heavy air between them, and Jay realized the word had come from him. He let his eyes feast on her, watched the rise and fall of her chest, the fullness of her breasts that were barely restrained by the lacy fabric holding them in place.

  He reached out with one finger and traced the line of her collarbone, spread his fingers wider and brought them lower, dipping into her ample cleavage. She grabbed his wrist and for an awful second he thought she was trying to stop him.

  But no, she was using him for balance as she leaned down, trying to kick off her heels.

  “No.” He stopped her with that one word, saw her looking up at him in unspoken question. He shook his head. He swallowed, licked his dry lips. “Leave them on.”

  Angie straightened and his gut clenched at the expression on her face. Passion, desire, need.

  He grabbed her waist in his hands and claimed her mouth once more, guiding her until her back was against the wall. This scene had played out a hundred times or more in his mind.

  It was time to witness it in the flesh.

  He grabbed both her hands in one of his and pulled them up, holding them above her head as he broke the kiss. Her chest heaved, her heavy breasts spilling over the flimsy material of the bra. His free hand caressed her throat, down lower, her skin flushing under his touch. He pulled at the lace of her bra, freeing her to his gaze.

  Her nipples were hard peaks, begging for attention, and he gladly complied. He lowered his mouth to one breast, its weight heavy in his hand as he suckled, teasing her with his tongue, nipping gently with his teeth. Her body shuddered at the touch, her hips thrusting forward to meet air.

  He moved to her other breast, tasting and teasing, running his hands down her sides until his fingers hooked into the material of her thong. He looked up at her, at her closed eyes and parted mouth, at the rapid rise and fall of her chest and the heavy beating of the pulse at the base of her neck.

  “Beautiful.”

  He dropped to his knees and pulled her thong down past her hips, her thighs, her knees. Down to her ankles. He raised first one foot, then the other, tossing the material behind him.

  And he watched her. Just watched her.

  He reached out with one finger and ran it gently up the inside of her calf, the inside of her thigh. Her hands dropped to his shoulders and she spread her legs, opening herself to his gaze.

  Jay swallowed, his mouth dry and his mind blank. Need shattered inside him, but he pushed it down, ruthlessly. Not yet.

  He leaned forward and dropped his mouth against her wet heat. His tongue flicked out, teasing her clit as he ran one finger between her lips. She was wet, so fucking wet. He slid his finger inside, felt her hips buck against his mouth as she tightened around him, her nails digging into his shoulders.

  Not yet.

  He smiled against her flesh, the salty tang of her body hot against his tongue.

  Then he pulled away and sat back on his heels, looking up at her. Disappointment crossed her face as her eyes fluttered open. She looked down at him.

  And he smiled up at her.

  “Show me.”

  Desire flared in her dark eyes as she watched him, hesitating for only a second. Her tongue darted out and licked her parted lips and Jay’s gut clenched again, desire and need hardening his cock even more.

  But not yet.

  Angie lifted her hands from his shoulders, moved them to her neck. Slowly, so slowly, she dragged her hands down her body, her palms skimming her own breasts. She rolled each nipple between her own fingers, squeezing them. Her breathing was shallow and her head fell back with a small moan. Then she spread her fingers and dragged both hands down across her stomach, down further until she touched herself.

  She spread her legs even further and leaned against the wall, her hips thrust forward. Light from the small nightlight bathed her with just enough light so he could see her clearly. Jay leaned closer, watching as she held herself open with the fingers of one hand.

  Watching as she stroked her clit with one finger, slow at first, teasing.

  Her strokes became bolder, harder, faster, unleashing something inside him. His hands closed around her hips and he moved his face closer, still content to watch.

  Angie’s breathing was ragged now, her tiny moans echoing in the stillness around them as she pleasured herself. Jay slid a finger deep inside her, felt her grip him as her slickness coated his finger. He pulled it out, then slid two in. Out, then in, his rhythm matching her own strokes against her clit.

  She tightened again, a hard squeeze around his fingers that made his cock tighten in response. She called his name, a ragged whisper in the air, then shattered. Her hands dropped to his shoulders, her nails digging into his bare flesh. Her hips thrust forward, bucking against his hand, riding his fingers. Jay lowered his mouth to her, his tongue gliding over her clit as she rode her climax hard against his hand.

  Now. Fuck, now.

  He pulled away from her and stood up, his hands tearing at his pants and pushing them down past his hips. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her, stepping forward to pin her to the wall as he drove his cock deep inside her.

  She tightened around him, saying his name over and over as drove into her, his rhythm harsh and demanding. Her legs tightened around his waist and he felt her mouth against the corded flesh between his neck and shoulder, her teeth nipping and biting.

  And damn, he was ready to explode. Now. Felt his balls tighten as her body squeezed his, urging his own release.

  “Fuck!” He pulled out of her and held his breath, praying for control. But her hips were still thrusting against him, searching, and he didn’t think he could wait much longer, didn’t think he could deny his need for another minute.

  He shook his head and tried to step away, but Angie’s hold around his waist was too strong.

  And his willpower too weak.

  The need to drive into her, to fill her with his release was overwhelming. Blinding. But he couldn’t, not yet.

  “Angie, wait.” He didn’t recognize his own voice and shook his head, searching deep down for strength. “Condoms, wallet.”

  A small groan fell from her mouth, her breath hot against his skin. Her legs dropped from his waist and he held onto her as she gained her balance, the feel of her body against his straining cock almost too much to bear.

  But instead of standing, instead of letting him get to his wallet, An
gie dropped to her knees in front of him. He stood frozen, watching as she looked up at him with a small smile on her face. And shit, fantasies did come true because she closed her mouth around him, a small sigh escaping her as she sucked him.

  He stood still, looking down, watching as she ran her tongue along his rigid length, watching as the tip of his cock disappeared into her hot mouth. She leaned forward, taking all of him, her mouth sucking greedily.

  He dug his hands into her hair and dropped his head back. Christ, it was too much, he was going to—

  He clenched his jaw and tried holding his breath, tried willing her to stop. But his hands were knotted in her hair as his hips thrust forward, driving himself deeper into her hot, wet mouth.

  “Angie, stop, I’m going to—”

  But he couldn’t speak, the words dying in his throat as her hands grabbed his ass and pulled him closer. And shit, he couldn’t stop, kept thrusting into her mouth, his hands gripping the back of her head until he exploded.

  Seconds went by, sensation rocking him. His breath tore from him on a low groan and he finally looked down, watching Angie suck him, watching her throat move as she swallowed. Another groan escaped him, louder this time, and his knees buckled, bringing him to the floor next to Angie.

  She looked up at him and he barely had time to register the brief flash of shyness in her eyes before his mouth closed over hers, hot and demanding. His tongue thrust against her, tasting, savoring.

  He pulled away with a groan and stood up, bringing her with him. Neither of them said a word as he led her to the bed and followed her down into the softness of the mattress.

  And he was ready again, his cock coming to life as he gazed at her body, flush and welcoming.

  He was playing with fire and he didn’t care. And if he was going to hell then so be it, because he would gladly burn for Angie.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Angie spun on her heel and reached for the bottle of tequila but bumped into Rick instead. The glass fell from her hand and smashed against the hard floor, drawing a chorus of “oooooooos” from the crowd. Angie cussed under her breath and stepped around the broken glass, grabbing the broom and dustpan from the back corner behind the bar.

  “Slow down girl, you’re entirely too distracted.”

  “Yeah, sorry.” Angie swept up the glass and dumped the shards into the trashcan then quickly washed her hands. She turned back and grabbed another glass, starting over again.

  Distracted wasn’t quite the right word, but she wasn’t going tell Rick that. She was just glad the crowd was manageable instead of overwhelming—she could only imagine how flustered she’d be then.

  But even flustered wasn’t quite the right word. Excited, tired, energized. Excited. Definitely excited.

  She still couldn’t believe more than two weeks had gone by since her dinner date with Jay. She had expected—had been afraid—that she wouldn’t see him again. Tried to tell herself it would for the best. But the exact opposite had happened.

  Instead of not seeing Jay again, there had been two weeks of quiet phone calls, lasting hours as they just talked, getting to know each other. Two weeks of meeting for a quick lunch while she was working at the clinic, or for quick dinners afterwards. More than two weeks of laughter as she discovered his sense of humor, his relaxed way of looking things, his ability to be so even-keeled over just about anything.

  And more than two weeks of intense, mind-blowing, earth-shattering intimacy. Jay may be relaxed and even-keeled about almost everything—except in bed. And while they didn’t spend every night together—they couldn’t, not with his work schedule, not with hers, and certainly not with her brother—they made use of every moment they were given.

  Memories of last night brought a smile to her face and sent heat rushing through her, and she was certain her cheeks were flushed. She tried to wipe the grin from her face as she finished the margarita and placed it on the bar next to the other drinks.

  The guest placed a large bill on the counter then left with his drinks, and Angie figured she probably hadn’t done a very good job controlling her smile. Yeah, no doubt the guy had thought she was trying to flirt with him or something.

  She rang up his tab then tossed the remaining bills in the tip jar before taking a sip of her soda. Yes, she was definitely distracted, flustered, tired. Excited.

  Funny how just the memory of her time with Jay could have that effect on her. But not even the excitement of the memories could dispel her tiredness, and she had to stifle the yawn that was trying to break free.

  To say she hadn’t slept much the last two weeks or so would be putting it mildly. She had worked at the clinic today, and had two hours to spare before her shift at the bar started. The two hours had been spent wisely and she had managed a quick nap, but not much more.

  Motion from the corner of her eye caught her attention and she looked over. Her smile broadened and she walked over, leaning across the bar as Jay leaned forward.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself.” Neither of them said anything else, they just stood there watching each other. Jay grinned and leaned a little closer and Angie wondered if he would actually kiss her, right there at the bar.

  His gaze dropped to her mouth and she held her breath, waiting. But his grin only broadened as he looked back into her eyes.

  She cleared her throat and looked down, trying to tame the burn that just his look caused. “So, what would you like?”

  “Hm. I don’t think you’re serving what I want right now.”

  “No?”

  “Definitely not.” Desire flashed in his eyes and she felt the flame curl higher in her stomach as he pinned her with a smoldering look. Angie wished she could offer some witty comeback, some sexy response, but all she could do was grin at him.

  He cleared his throat and leaned back just a bit, putting some space between them. He glanced over his shoulder and she followed his gaze, her eyes resting on the guys from his shift.

  Including her brother, Dave.

  She swallowed her sigh of frustration and turned back to Jay, noticing the same look of frustration on his face.

  “Well, since I can’t have what I really want right now, how about another round?”

  Angie smiled then busied herself with pulling the assorted beers from the cooler. She arranged them on a tray then passed it to Jay. His hand brushed against hers when he grabbed it, his touch warm and lingering against her fingers before he finally straightened.

  He lowered his gaze to her mouth once more, then offered her another smile and a slow wink. She swallowed, her gaze hungry as she watched him walk away.

  “Need me to hose you down?”

  “What?” She turned to face Rick, not really catching his words. He raised his eyebrows in question as he glanced at the spot Jay had occupied before looking back at her.

  “I said, do you need me to hose you down? Maybe throw you in the cooler?”

  “Was it that obvious?”

  “Let’s put it this way: I was tempted to pour ice down your back just to see how fast it would boil.”

  “Shit.” Angie shook her head and busied herself with straightening behind the bar. Had she been that obvious? Yeah, she had been. And if Rick had noticed, that meant anyone else could have noticed.

  “Don’t worry, I could have poured ice over his head and gotten the same reaction.”

  She knew Rick was trying to comfort her, trying to reassure her that the entire encounter—that her reaction to it—wasn’t one-sided. But that wasn’t the problem.

  The problem was her pig-headed, over-protective brother and what he would do if he found out.

  “So. Doesn’t he work with your brother?” Angie moaned, not surprised that Rick knew who everyone was. Of course he knew—he was the main bartender, he knew everyone who came in here.

  And it wasn’t like Dave and Jay and the rest of their shift never came in here. No, they were pretty much regulars, along with all
the other firemen and paramedics that came in. There was no sense in lying to Rick, so she let out a deep breath and nodded.

  “Yeah. Yeah, he does.”

  “And I take it Dave doesn’t know?”

  “No, Rick, he doesn’t know. And I’d like to keep it that way.”

  Rick held his hands up, mocking surrender as he laughed. “Easy girl. I’m not about to tell you what you can and can’t do. But if you want to make sure he doesn’t find out, you need to tone it down some.”

  “Okay, yeah. Thanks.”

  She offered him a smile to let him know she really did appreciate his advice, then moved to wait on another customer. The next hour passed in much the same fashion, with lulls between customers and what she hoped were inconspicuous glances between her and Jay. It was during one of these glances—which was probably too long to be considered a glance—that she felt a sharp jab in her side. She rubbed her hand along her ribs and shot Rick a dirty look.

  “What was that for?”

  “Just a heads-up.” He nodded over her shoulder and she turned around, expecting to see Dave glowering at her. Instead her eyes came to rest on Todd, and she didn’t bother hiding her groan. Rick looked at her, silently asking if she wanted him to wait on her ex, but she shook her head then walked over to where he was standing.

  “What do you want?”

  “You must not make much in tips if you treat all your customers this way.” Todd’s comment drew a laugh from his two friends but she ignored them, facing Todd with one hand on her hip and a plastic smile on her face.

  “What I do or don’t make isn’t any of your business, Todd. Now do you want something to drink or not?”

  “Yeah, give us three Jager Bombs.”

  Angie rolled her eyes, not surprised that his drink choice reflected his maturity. She moved to the second cooler and grabbed two cans of energy drinks, then filled three pint glasses halfway full before pouring three chilled shots. She took everything back over and placed the drinks on the bar.

  “Do you want to start a tab or pay now?”

  “No, we’ll definitely start a tab.”

  She started to turn away but Todd grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. “So who’s the guy?”