Arson & Ache: A MFM Firefighter Romance (Surrender to Them Book 8)

by Kelli Callahan

  They’ll be carrying me out of here if I have another glass—wait, that means I would be in their arms. No, that’s a foolish thought.

  “It’s been a while since I’ve gotten tipsy from wine.” Donovan reached over and picked up the bottle. “Probably a good thing I can’t afford anything this good.”

  “Yeah.” Kincaid nodded. “Too much of that and I’ll be waking up in a bed I don’t recognize—not that it would be a bad thing.”

  He looked—directly at me when he said that.

  I had a third glass once the second one was finished, and it was definitely a mistake. The odd thing was that I didn’t feel that drunk. I was just buzzing and full of energy. Maybe I was just looking at my dates through wine-goggles, but it seemed like they were actually interested in me. Their fingers brushed against mine when they reached for their glasses, they locked eyes with me when we talked, and some of the things they said were barely hidden behind an innuendo. I found myself squirming in my seat a couple of times before my third glass was done. I looked at my watch and realized we were behind schedule. We still had several more stops to make before the night was over, and since I had banished the photographers from the restaurant, I wasn’t really paying attention to the itinerary.

  You know what? Fuck the itinerary. I’m just going to have fun. We already have more than enough photographs as it is.

  Kincaid

  Marissa really started to come out of her shell once she had a couple of glasses of wine. I was pretty confident that the third one wasn’t a good idea, but she was having a good time. We left the restaurant after we finished the bottle, and I was definitely feeling it. Alcohol always ripped my filter off, but I usually needed a few glasses of whiskey to really let go. Apparently, wine that was older than my grandfather had the same effect. Marissa didn’t seem to care much about the schedule we were supposed to be keeping once we got back in the limousine, and I wasn’t going to argue with that. Hanging out with her was a lot of fun, and for once, my mind wasn’t permanently focused on the serial arsonist. I did set out to show my date a good time, and it looked like I was going to get that opportunity—I just wasn’t sure where Donovan was going to fit into that plan because he seemed to be interested in Marissa too.

  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Drunk girls are usually his type.

  “Okay, where are we going next?” I looked over at Marissa once we were all in the back of the limousine.

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged and looked at her phone. “The itinerary says you’re supposed to take me on a tour of the fire station, so I can pose with a hat.”

  “I guess the photographers will be waiting for us there.” Donovan nodded and sighed. “Should we head that way?”

  “We don’t have to do that. Where would you guys take me if we were on a real date?” Marissa looked up at me and bit down on her bottom lip.

  “My place.” The filter didn’t give me a chance to catch the words before I said them.

  “You better be careful. I might not say no.” Marissa sucked the edge of her lip between her teeth and I saw something new flash in her eyes—desire.

  “I think we should probably just take you home and call it a night.” Donovan blinked with surprise registering on his face as he realized exactly where the conversation was heading.

  It isn’t like Donovan to send a drunk girl home early. He must be losing his touch.

  “I don’t want to go home.” Marissa looked over at Donovan. “I’m having fun and I never get to have fun.”

  “Okay, then let’s head to the fire station.” Donovan nodded and leaned forward to tell the driver where to take us.

  We went to the fire station and endured another round of photographs, but there wasn’t as much posing as the other locations. Marissa was definitely having fun, and I was glad the chief wasn’t there to see us bring a drunk girl into the station. She wasn’t falling down and throwing up at least, but she was certainly floating on a cloud dripping with wine. What she didn’t see was how beautiful she looked when she just threw her inhibitions out the window and allowed herself to have fun. The first part of the date was so serious while she was following the itinerary and trying to make sure everything was perfect for her boss. I made sure she got a few shots with a helmet on so she could check that off her itinerary at least. I took a look at the board where I had assembled all of the Fireball evidence and it had never been clearer—I needed a distraction in the worst kind of way.

  There will be time to deal with that shit tomorrow, and the night is still young.

  “Alright, let’s go before one of these guys asks you out.” I chuckled and put my hand on Marissa’s shoulder.

  “I’m already going out with two hot firefighters—what’s wrong with a third?” She looked up at me and grinned.

  “Well for starters, their wives might have a problem with it.” I nudged her towards the limousine.

  “What? Are you the only two single firefighters at the station?” She looked over her shoulder at us as we walked.

  “No.” Donovan chuckled and shook his head. “But most of the single guys got auctioned off earlier today and they’re out on dates—just like we’re supposed to be.”

  We climbed back into the limousine and headed downtown. I didn’t really care what was left on the itinerary at that point. I just wanted to spend more time with Marissa before her buzz wore off and she came to her senses. Donovan seemed to be right there with me—mentally at least. I could tell he was struggling with some of the same thoughts I was having. Marissa was gorgeous, funny, and so incredibly smart. She was a little timid before she got carried away with the wine, but I was pretty sure that side of her was just buried beneath the surface. She admitted that she didn’t date much, and that couldn’t have been more obvious once she got a little intoxicated, because she couldn’t seem to make up her mind between the two of us. She truly had no idea what she really wanted—she was just enjoying the moment.

  We spent a couple of hours downtown, just walking around with the cold December air sobering us all up a little bit as we enjoyed each other’s company. Once the buzz was firmly worn off, Marissa mentioned that she had never been to the Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum. I took that as a hint and we all headed there to check it out. It had been years since I had been there myself, and Donovan hadn’t been since he was a kid. We spent a couple of hours there before we saw everything that they had offer. It was starting to get late by that point, and I knew we were going to have to call it a night. We told the driver to take us to Marissa’s apartment building, so we could see that she made it inside safely before he took us home. As much as I craved more than just a platonic end to the evening, she was a lot less flirty once she sobered up.

  “I had a really good time.” She turned towards us once she stepped into the lobby of her apartment building.

  “Me too.” I nodded and smiled.

  “We should do it again some time.” Donovan looked at me, and then turned to Marissa. “Would you be up for that?”

  “Sure!” A smile formed on the corner of her lips.

  “Okay.” I extended my arms for a hug. “It’s a date.”

  And apparently, it’s another date with the both of us…

  I had questions for Donovan, but I didn’t want to ask them in front of Marissa. We both hugged her goodnight, exchanged numbers, and waited until she was on the elevator before we headed back to the limousine. I was torn. I really did like Marissa, but another date with the two of us was going to push things towards the friend zone. It wasn’t realistic for her to date the both of us—not if it was ever going to be a serious relationship. I could see myself going down that road with Marissa if a few more dates went as well as the one we had—though I would have preferred to have been alone with her. I had been hurt before, but Marissa seemed like she was worth the risk. I wasn’t even sure she saw how amazing she really was. She was certainly gorgeous—I would be dreaming about those curves as soon as my head hit the pillo
w.

  “Alright man let’s just put it on the table. You like her, right?” I looked over at Donovan as soon as the limousine pulled away from the curb.

  “Well fuck yeah I like her. Don’t you?” He looked at me and nodded.

  “Yes, but we can’t both like her. That isn’t going to work.” I narrowed my eyes and growled under my breath.

  “Why not?” He shrugged. “You don’t like to share?”

  “No, why would I share?” I scoffed and shook my head.

  “Because I’m not backing down. I think she’s amazing and I’m going to pursue her.” Donovan leaned back against his seat.

  “Then I guess we’ll just have to see who wants her more.” I growled under my breath again.

  “We don’t have to do that.” Donovan shook his head back and forth. “Why don’t we just both date her and see where it goes? Tonight was a lot of fun.”

  “Yeah—I guess it was.” I turned my head towards the window. “I don’t know how something like that would work. Two guys and one girl?”

  “You’ve never heard of a polyamorous relationship?” He chuckled and folded his arms across his chest. “Traditional relationships are overrated.”

  “Like you’ve ever had one.” I turned back towards him. “What’s your longest relationship? A month?”

  “Watch out when you start throwing rocks Mr. Glass House.” Donovan sighed and tilted his head to the side. “Having a relationship last longer than a month isn’t impressive when they’ve all still blown up in your face—your way just hurts more.”

  I guess he’s right about that.

  We spent the rest of the ride in silence, but my mind was spinning as I thought about what he said. I had never considered a polyamorous relationship. How would that work exactly? I was fierce and loyal when I was involved with someone—I expected the same in return. My last girlfriend thought I was too possessive, and she valued her freedom too much to stay with me. She craved dominance in the bedroom, but she didn’t like it anywhere else. I never considered my possessiveness to be a bad trait before I was with her. I had seen the horrors of the world and I just wanted to protect the woman I loved. It wasn’t about jealousy, despite what she thought. Maybe I took it to extreme at times, but that was just my nature. I couldn’t change that. It was a part of who I was.

  “See you at the station on Monday.” Donovan broke the silence when we pulled up outside my apartment building.

  “Yep.” I nodded and reached for the door.

  But I won’t be waiting until Monday to go to the station—I’ll be working through the weekend.

  Once I was alone in my apartment, my thoughts returned to Marissa. She really was an amazing woman, and I needed to see her again. There was something inside of me that demanded it—a connection that had formed without even tasting those perfect lips. She was able to take my mind away from Fireball, make me laugh despite all of the stress I was under, and that was the kind of distraction I needed. A woman like that was worth fighting for, even if I had to compete against my best friend. I wasn’t sure a polyamorous relationship was in my future, but I wasn’t going to back down. The alpha male in me wanted to claim Marissa, and I was ready to let the beast run free. Those gorgeous curves were going to be mine. Just thinking about them made my cock swell in my pants. I might have to endure another date with the Donovan playing third wheel, but I was definitely going to turn up the heat the next time we were together. She wasn’t going home alone again if she looked at me with desire in her eyes—she was going to get exactly what she was begging for.

  I’d never take advantage of a drunk girl, but she wasn’t drunk enough to say something that wasn’t simmering below the surface already. She wanted me.

  Marissa

  The next day

  I flirted. I freaking flirted with two amazingly hot, panty-melting, gorgeous firefighters—and I was still a virgin when I woke up the next morning. The wine gave me the courage to say things I would have never said without it coursing through my system. I liked the freedom more than I liked the buzz, because my own awkwardness was part of why my bed had always been empty when the sun came up. I was the nerdy girl in high school that crushed on guys I couldn’t have. College wasn’t much different. When someone did show interest, I didn’t really know how to respond. The wine let me rip away all of that awkwardness and just be a woman—a woman with two firefighters that might as well have been holding the keys to the my chastity belt by the end of our date. It was too bad they didn’t use them, because I wasn’t sure I would be able to tap into that courage again, even if they did ask me out on a second date.

  I’m probably letting my imagination get away from me. I’ve never even had one hot guy interested in me—now I have two?

  I was scared to think of the reality of the situation. They only went out with me because they were obligated to do so. They seemed to be interested in hanging out with me again, but would they actually call me? I was afraid to get my hopes up. At least it was an amazing night—much more so than I initially imagined when Ms. Stone told me that I was going to have to go out with them both. I could float on my cloud for a little bit and imagine that they liked me. The high I got from that was a lot stronger than the wine—and it didn’t wear off like the buzz. They lit a fuse inside me that was still burning, even after I slept off whatever alcohol was left in my system. I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling when I was fully awake—as awake as I could be without some coffee in my system.

  I’m not even sure which one of them I would choose if I was forced to do so—I really did like hanging out with both of them.

  Donovan seemed to be a little more reserved than Kincaid. It was almost like he was holding something back when we were on our date, but I still saw something in his stare when he looked at me. That wasn’t the look of a guy who was just being nice because he had to go out with me. I felt a tingle that made my hair stand on end when our hands brushed together and especially when his hand lingered a lit bit longer than it had to. There were sparks, and plenty of chemistry—at least that’s what it felt like. Before I went out with Donovan and Kincaid, I never quite understood what people meant when they said two people had chemistry—I definitely didn’t know what kind of feeling it would leave me with.

  Kincaid didn’t hide his interest at all. He was blatant about it, to the point that he even suggested taking me home—and in that moment, I wouldn’t have said no. My body was practically begging for him to turn that suggestion into a night that made my virginity a permanent part of my past. Would I have woke up with regret? I didn’t think so. Not if the beautifully inked Kincaid was next to me. He might break my heart—either of them probably could. Everyone had a few regrets on their way to finding the one they were meant to be with, and I was long overdue. The only regret I was really feeling was the unquenched desire burning inside me so hot that the covers were starting to feel like a cocoon. I pushed them away and even a slight touch along my inner thigh was enough to make my pussy tingle.

  Oh yeah—I’m definitely going to have to take care of that.

  My pussy might have been untouched by a man, but that didn’t stop me from imagining one between my thighs on a regular basis. Masturbation was always a good way to relieve the stress that came with my job, and I didn’t really have any shame about the things I did when I was alone in my apartment. I stripped off my sleep shirt, grabbed my panties, and did a nice little acrobatic move that sent them sailing to the end of my bed while I landed with my legs spread wide for what was about to happen. I closed my eyes and imagined the two gorgeous firefighters that were permanently etched in my thoughts. I knew exactly what they looked like without a shirt, and I pretended that my hands were caressing their ripped physiques—one on Donovan and one on Kincaid. They could both be my fantasy—those amazing bodies were going to be all mine until I was soaked in my own lust.

  “What kind of dirty things are you going to do to me?” I grinned and bit down on my bottom lip. “You can do any
thing that you want—both of you.”

  I imagined their lips on my skin, kissing and teasing while their rough hands explored my intimate areas. I squeezed my breasts, rubbed my nipples, and moved a hand slowly down my abdomen. My pussy had never been wetter. I rubbed my clit several times and then pushed a finger inside my wetness—as far as I could without shoving it straight through my hymen. I could pretend to be a sex maniac in my fantasies. It was a safe place to imagine things I had never experienced before. I fingered myself until my index finger was covered in my own desire and then moved it back to my clit. The bundle of nerves formed a knot as I pushed away the hood and started to move my finger in a circle around it.

  “Oh god, your dick feels so good.” I moaned and rubbed a little harder.

  A real dick would definitely hurt—my pussy was so tight that I felt resistance when I tried to penetrate myself with more than one of my fingers. In my fantasy there was no pain. It was just amazing bliss from the first moment my finger swirled around my clit. I imagined Kincaid between my thighs, thrusting his cock into me, while Donovan teased my bodies with his lips. Then they switched. Donovan was inside me and Kincaid was moving his lips towards mine. Every real kiss I had was awkward, but the one I shared with Kincaid in my fantasy was fueled by passion. Kincaid pulled away and Donovan descended towards my lips without missing a beat with his vigorous thrust. I imagined my lips parting and Kincaid’s cock moving towards them. I could please two men at once—I could make both of them come at the same time.

  Fuck me harder—make me come!

  The things I said when I was alone in my apartment were filthy—and some of my thoughts were so filthy that I didn’t even have the courage to say the words out loud. That was the beauty of a fantasy. I could just let go of the timidness and pretend that I was a sexual deviant obsessed with cock. I took Kincaid in my mouth and Donovan in my pussy. Both them sent me reeling towards euphoria with glorious thrusts. I felt a pressure building up inside of me—one that would bring me the ultimate bliss I needed to satisfy my simmering desires. I rubbed my clit harder—imagined the two of them slamming into my body—and then the pressure sent me over the edge. My pussy started to spasm and my body writhed on the bed.