Burning Up: Firefighter Contemporary Romance Series Box Set

by K. C. Crowne

  But I couldn’t let her win that easily.

  “Come on, you couldn’t do this without me,” I teased. “Besides, someone has to force you to let loose and relax.”

  I feared she might take it the wrong way, but she nodded her head, taking me by surprise.

  “You’re right. This is supposed to be fun,” she said, reaching for her bottle. She took a large swig of the beer before putting it back down. “And I’m sure everything will be just fine.”

  Ooo000ooo

  “What do you mean we can’t do trivia on Friday?” Hannah asked, her voice rising in panic.

  We were seated in Mario’s office in the back of the bar, and we’d presented him with what we were looking for. He came back with his answer - trivia was not available on Friday night that week.

  “The guy who does the trivia isn’t available. He has another gig on Friday nights,” Mario said, shrugging. “I’ve been trying to get him in on Friday nights for a while, but the other place has been working with him for years and is owned by a family member, so he won’t budge.”

  “Could you call him? Maybe ask him to do it this one time?” Hannah pleaded.

  “Yeah, tell him we’re willing to pay even more,” I added. I was ready to pay the difference. I’d pull out my wallet in a heartbeat if it meant we could set this up.

  Mario thought about it for a second and agreed. “Sure, we can try, but I can’t promise anything.”

  Mario dialed the number and put the guy, whose name was Al, on speakerphone. Al answered and the two exchanged pleasantries, and Mario told him what was going on.

  “I’ll even pay double,” I added. “If we can get you in here that evening. Anything to make this work.”

  Al sighed. “Sorry, guys. No can do. We’re hosting a special event that night. It’s been hyped for months already. My brother would kill me if I backed out now.”

  Hannah tried pleading with him, and so did Mario. There was no budging. I could tell we weren’t going to get anywhere. No amount of money would make this guy change his plans, so I sent Logan a text message.

  Hey, man, any chance we could hold the party another night? Trivia guy isn’t available that Friday.

  He responded fairly fast.

  No, it’s the only night we have free - is there anything we can do? Melody is an emotional wreck these days, and she had her heart set on this. I’ll literally do anything to make it work.

  Sadly, there seemed to be nothing we could do.

  The call with Al ended, and Hannah was in a panic. She was nearly hysterical, and I knew Logan was worried too. Melody was pregnant, she wanted a damn trivia night party, and I had to find a way to make this work. I couldn’t let my buddy down.

  “Hannah, calm down,” I said. “Breathe for a second, we’ll figure it out.”

  She shot me a look of death, but her face relaxed quickly. She bit her lip and nodded, though I could see she wasn’t entirely sure about everything working out still.

  Then, her face lit up. She had an idea. “What if someone else ran the trivia instead?” she asked. “Would that work?”

  Hell, that was a damn fine idea, I had to admit.

  Mario thought for a moment then agreed. “Sure. I have all the equipment. Al didn’t want to lug his around. You’d just need to find someone to handle the trivia part.”

  Hannah beamed proudly, and she had a right to be proud. But there was still one question we needed to answer. “Do you know anyone else who could run it?”

  Mario shook his head. “I don’t, but I’m sure you could find someone.”

  “It’s such short notice, though,” she mumbled, a contemplative look on her face.

  “I got it,” I said, clapping my hands together. “Why do we need to find anyone?”

  “What do you mean?” Hannah asked. “Someone has to run the show.”

  “Yeah, but what if we did it ourselves? It can’t be that hard, can it?”

  I looked to Mario for confirmation, but he simply shrugged. “I leave it all up to Al, I have no clue.”

  Hannah looked doubtful, maybe even a bit nervous.

  “I mean, if you don’t want to, I could do it myself,” I said. “No pressure or anything.”

  “No, no, I like the idea,” she said, speaking slowly. “The best man and the maid of honor being trivia masters, it could be fun.”

  “Hell yeah,” I said. “That’s the spirit, Hannah.”

  Maybe there was hope for the girl yet. She was showing signs of loosening up, going with the flow. It gave me some hope that we could have fun together. We’d yet to fight all evening; that had to be some sort of record or something. Maybe we could get along if I tempered myself.

  “We can do this,” Hannah acknowledged, speaking slowly as if she was trying to convince herself more than anything.

  I looked to Mario and said, “So it’s set then? The back room is ours, we have access to the equipment, and we can host a trivia night for the party?”

  “Of course,” he said.

  “Oh, and I wanted to ask about a specialized drink,” Hannah said, opening her file. “As well as food.”

  There she was, back to her normal Type A self, but at least she was willing to have some fun. I had to give her some mad credit for that. And these things needed to be done, and she handled them like a pro, setting the rest of the party up with very little input from me. She had it under control, and for that, I was thankful.

  Sometimes it was nice not to worry about the details, but when it came to something this important - well, the details mattered.

  I texted Logan back and told him, We have it under control. The party is on.

  Ooo000ooo

  “We should celebrate,” I announced, sidling up to the bar and waving the bartender down. There were no seats at the bar, but there were a few seats left in the bar, but they were going fast. “I’ll get the drinks, you find us a table.”

  Hannah was all grins and giggles, and it was completely fucking adorable. She was practically giddy, talking nonstop about how awesome it felt to have the party planning completed. I was happy too, I didn’t want to let my best friend down, but Hannah took it to a whole other level. I wanted to extend that feeling for as long as possible.

  I thought she might argue with me, but she reached for her wallet, pulling out some cash. “The next drinks were on me, remember?”

  I did remember. I hated taking money from her and refused it at first. When I wouldn’t take it from her hand directly, she dropped it on the counter in front of me just as the bartender stopped by to take our order.

  Hannah then skipped across the bar to a far corner table. One of the last ones left. I watched as she slid into the booth, still smiling and happy, and I couldn’t help but grin like an idiot in response. I ordered our drinks and carried them over to the table, slipping into the booth beside her.

  “Cheers,” she said, picking up her bottle and holding it out to me.

  “Yes, cheers to coming together and making this work,” I said, clinking glasses with her.

  Hannah chuckled. “I can’t believe we did that - and that we’re going to host the trivia event ourselves. How crazy is that?”

  “I think it’s awesome,” I said, leaning back in the booth, letting my arms spread out a bit on the back of the seat. My left arm touched Hannah’s shoulder, and she looked at it for a second. She didn’t move away, so I didn’t either. Not like it was an intimate touch, and the booth was pretty cramped and all. “Who knew we’d make a perfect fucking team?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” she said, giving me a playful look. “But yeah, we were awesome in there.”

  “And we’re going to be awesome trivia hosts too.”

  Hannah’s face fell slightly, and she looked away, studying the bottle in her hand. “I sure hope so.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re nervous? You, Hannah Wheeler, the queen of high school theater and debate team?” I pretended to gasp, melodramatically acting shocked. But it was true
. Hannah had been on stage all throughout high school, so speaking in public should be nothing for her. She spoke in front of hundreds, if not thousands, of people at least a few times, without so much as an ounce of nervousness. She laughed and took a drink from the beer, meeting my eyes again. “This is different, though. These are our friends, and I want to make sure it’s perfect, you know? I don’t want to let them down.”

  “Let me tell you a little secret, Hannah,” I said, putting my beer down on the table and leaning a little closer to her, as if I were whispering some deep, dark secret to her. “Perfection is overrated. These things are meant to be fun and silly, and if something goes wrong, we can play it off and I’m sure everyone will laugh about it. Because no one cares if it’s perfect.”

  Hannah still didn’t seem convinced.

  “Besides, I have no doubt it’ll be as close to perfect as it can be, with you in charge,” I said.

  She looked stunned. “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. ”

  “Yeah, well, don’t get used to it. I’ll go back to being an asshole tomorrow,” I said with a wink.

  Hannah and I were still sitting close together. Closer than we had to be. Hannah’s hand brushed against my arm, and I realized it was intentional.

  “You know, maybe I was wrong about you,” she murmured. “Maybe you have grown up.”

  “Nah,” I teased. “I just act like a grown up sometimes, but adulting is overrated.”

  She smiled, and it was a genuine smile that went all the way to her baby blue eyes. I found myself getting lost in her gaze, thinking again about what it would be like to have my way with her - to take her into the bathroom at the bar and fuck her pretty little brains out. My body reacted to the imagery, and I tried to adjust, but it only brought Hannah’s attention to the growing problem in my jeans.

  Her cheeks flushed, but she didn’t pull her hand away from my arm. Her fingers were soft and warm against my flesh, and even though I knew I shouldn’t - she was my best friend’s little sister and all - I moved my arm so my hand was touching hers.

  She looked at our hands, touching, almost clasped together, and her breathing quickened. When she lifted her gaze k to me, I knew she’d felt the same electric energy I’d felt when she touched me. She licked her luscious, pink lips, and I was dying for a taste of them. She leaned forward, almost like she was inviting me to kiss her, but I knew Hannah would never come on to me like that. Or at least I didn’t think so.

  But God, I wanted to press my lips to hers, to run my hands up her thighs and up her mini skirt.

  My erection was throbbing, almost painfully so. With all the blood flow down below, I knew I wasn’t thinking clearly.

  “I’ll be right back,” I said, scooting out of the seat.

  Hannah seemed hurt but nodded her head, turning forward and staring off into the crowd instead of looking at me. I hurried to the bathroom, which was gender neutral, single restrooms with a thick, wooden door. I sat down on the toilet and contemplated whipping my dick out and taking care of business really fast. I didn’t want to think with my cock, not around Hannah. I didn’t want to screw things up with her, or Logan.

  Breathe, Justin, I told myself.

  The very idea of masturbating in a public bathroom was appalling. Not sure why the idea of sex in one is hot, but masturbating just feels creepy. There’s no way I’d be able to get off, at least not fast enough to not raise some red flags with Hannah or cause her to worry.

  There was no time. I just needed to get my shit together and go back out there and wait until I got home like a normal person. Standing up, I washed my hands even though I didn’t use the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face, hoping it might distract me, if even just a bit.

  It didn’t do a damn thing.

  With a sigh, I left the bathroom and headed back to the table. Hannah caught sight of me, her gaze moving over my body like she was checking me out. Was she? Was she admiring the view? It sure as hell felt like it. Not that I’d blame her; I knew I looked good, and she was a warm-blooded female. I was used to getting checked out by women pretty regularly, but never Hannah.

  But there she was, checking me out.

  That didn’t help the events going on in my jeans, however. Not in the slightest.

  When I reached the booth, I slipped in beside her again, keeping a little distance between us. There wasn’t much room there, so it was hard, but I tried to give her some space.

  And wouldn’t you know, she scooted closer to me, her hand back on my arm like before, her head resting on the back of the seat. She stared up at me with those big, blue eyes and licked those lips again, practically begging for me to kiss her.

  Maybe I’d been reading all of this right all along.

  We did make one hell of a team, put our differences aside. Hell, we hadn’t argued or bickered all evening.

  And God, she looked so fucking beautiful, I couldn’t stand it.

  I couldn’t fight it a second longer.

  I moved closer to her, her breath warm against my face. I gave her a second to back away, to stop it from happening if she wanted to, but she didn’t. I closed the distance, pressing my lips to hers, her lips parting for me.

  My tongue gently explored her mouth as my mind and body went berserk.

  Her lips were sweet and soft against mine. Her mouth minty fresh, she must have chewed some gum or something before I came back out. As if she’d planned this all along.

  It was on.

  My hands had a mind of their own, reaching for her, rubbing her legs before moving up higher. Hannah changed positions, opening herself up to me even more.

  She was inviting me in, and how could I say no?

  I ran my hands up her smooth thighs, up beyond the hem of her skirt. My fingertips brushed against her panties, her wetness soaking through them. Hannah whimpered as I teased her over her panties.

  I pushed them aside, rubbing her pussy gently, and that brought out another whimper. She wrapped her hands around my neck, pulling me into her. I kissed her with even more intensity, as I played with her clit, circling it and teasing it.

  Her hands tightened around my neck as she trembled, crying out against my lips. I knew we had to be careful, we didn’t want to get caught, but I couldn’t stop. No one else in that bar mattered but Hannah, and I had to make her come.

  I buried two fingers inside her, and she groaned, pulling away from my lips. Her head fell against my chest as I continued fucking her with my fingers. I slid them in and out of her tight, wet hole, imagining what it would feel like to be inside her - to truly be inside her.

  Hannah

  Hannah, what in the hell are you doing? I scolded myself, briefly pulling away from Justin’s lips. But I saw the lust in his eyes, the way he looked at me like I was the only woman in the room, and I kissed him again.

  The way he touched me drove me absolutely crazy. He knew how to push my buttons, in more ways than one. All night long, my panties were wet just looking at him, and with his fingers buried deep inside me, I was literally dripping.

  I knew we were in public, that this was wrong, but I couldn’t stop it. My climax hit me hard and fast, taking me by surprise. I cried out, whimpering against his lips and threatening to scream, but Justin pressed his mouth against mine. He silenced me as I came, my body trembling as I held onto him, pulling him close to me. My legs shook wildly underneath the table, and I prayed no one would see what we were up to.

  As my orgasm subsided, I thought maybe that would be enough. Maybe I’d realize this was all a mistake, but no… my appetite should have been sated, but it wasn’t.

  It was nowhere near enough.

  I needed more of him, and I needed him now.

  I nudged him. “Come on,” I said. “To the bathroom, now.”

  His eyes lit up like the sky on the Fourth of July. He hesitated only a second to smirk at me before clambering out of the booth. I was right behind him, taking his hand in mine and leading the way. My c
heeks were flushed, and I was slightly embarrassed, worried that someone might have seen us fooling around. Before we got to the hallway with the bathrooms, Justin stopped, pulling my hand backward until I was standing a few inches away.

  “We need to be smart about this,” he said, whispering the words against my lips. “You go first, I’ll wait a few minutes, then knock and tell you it’s me. Let me in then.”

  I listened to the instructions and the reality hit me. We were going into a public bathroom together. We were doing this. Sure, I had plenty of time to back out, I knew Justin would be okay if I changed my mind, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to do this.

  I nodded and let go of his hand. I walked alone to the restroom, opening the last restroom door in the hall, with just a quick glance backward at Justin. He was standing not too far away, looking as handsome as ever and watching my every move.

  My eyes dropped n to his crotch and the hard-on that was very visible for the world to see. Impressive, I thought. Soon, I’d get to see it in real life. More than just see it; I’d get to experience it.

  Still riding the high from fooling around in the booth, I stepped into the bathroom. I locked the door and paced the room before sitting down on the toilet.

  Hannah, seriously, are you going to do this? I thought. This is crazy! But that’s what turned me on the most, honestly. I’d never done anything truly crazy like that before, and there I was. Before my conscious could talk me out of it, there was a knock on the door.

  “It’s me,” Justin called, his voice barely audible.

  My heart skipped a beat as I jumped from the toilet and rushed to the door, fumbling with the lock. The doorknob turned, and I stepped back as Justin walked inside, quickly shutting the door behind him.

  I heard the lock click, and then it was on. Justin pushed me up against the wall of the bathroom, kissing me deeply as e his hands explored my body. I went straight for his belt, fumbling with it until he reached down to help me. Once it was off, the rest was easy. His pants slid down his hips as he continued kissing me. I felt him before I saw him; my hand couldn’t fully grasp his member. I gasped as I stroked him, amazed at how large and thick he was. Much larger than any of my toys or any man I’d ever been with before. Would he fit inside me? Yes, it was a silly question, but one that crossed my mind briefly as I stroked him.