by Cole, Aria
I couldn’t believe he was offering to let me stay with him.
I couldn’t believe I was considering it.
But no way could I walk out that door now, beg for a bed at the homeless shelter, and try to snatch a shower before I had to work Thursday morning.
Ugh.
Work.
“Anything else you need to do today?” Blaise interrupted my anxious thoughts.
“I have to call work.” I swiped a palm over my face. “I’m supposed to work Thursday morning—”
“You’re not going back to work.”
“What, why? I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I go back to work?”
“You’ve just suffered a traumatic event. I’ll get you a doctor’s appointment—”
“No, really, Blaise. I’m perfectly fine. I just need somewhere to sleep for a few nights. I get paid next Friday. If I skip my insurance payment, I’ll probably have enough for a deposit on a new place.”
“Absolutely not.” He shook his head, determination lacing his features. “No fucking way. You’re staying here, end of discussion.” He turned to walk away.
“Blaise.” I followed his lead and shot up from my chair, following him into the kitchen.
“You’re being so generous, but I can’t keep taking all this help from you.”
“Why the hell not?” He turned, eyes hard as he watched me.
“Because, at some point, I have to face real life. I have bills to pay, a job to do, classes to get to.”
“Classes?”
“I’m in school, part time at the community college. Nursing, but it’s hard to study when I’m working too, and I hate turning down hours at work because I need the cash to make rent. Well, I did.” I paused, instantly regretting the way I’d just laid all my worries out for him.
His jaw ticked, eyes darting away before he pushed a hand through his hair. “You’ll stay here. I’ll drive you to work and class if I have to.”
“Why would I stay, Blaise? So you can feed some misplaced hero complex? I wasn’t injured in the fire. I got cut chasing my cat under the bed. I’m perfectly fine. It was like a normal Monday night for me.” I shrugged off the misfortune. I had to; that’s how a girl like me got by.
“Hero complex?” He advanced on me then, his hands cupping my jaw, lips hovering just inches from mine. His nearness sucked all the oxygen out of the room, twisting my stomach and making my knees weak. “You think this is a hero complex?” He thrust his hips against mine, the thick bulge of his very hard cock pressing between us. “I don’t want you only to feed some bullshit sense of ego I have, Brianna. I want you here because you’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted to wake up to first thing in the damn morning. The only woman I want to sink myself inside of every night.” His teeth grazed my ear. “I want to make you come so hard every damn neighbor will know I own you.”
He lifted me onto the counter, his rough hands spreading my thighs and sliding my ass across the cool granite.
Blaise’s hands trailed up my skin as his words sank in.
He wanted me.
He wanted me here.
With him.
And now his hands were crawling up my body.
Oh, God.
FOUR
Blaise
One thing I had registered the minute she’d said she’d had to get to work Thursday morning.
This woman should never have to work again.
I would take care of her.
I was determined to provide for her.
For some fucking reason, she’d been abandoned in life. I could see the hurt all over her face. The way she’d cradled that cat like it was the only thing in life she loved.
I’d love her.
And I was fairly certain I could make her love with me the way her eyes rolled back in her head when I breathed across her skin.
Brianna was so turned on I was fighting every urge in my body not to bury myself between her thighs and fill her up with my seed until she was claimed. I’d never let another man touch what was mine.
“I’m moving you into my bedroom.” I uttered, my lips brushing across her skin with every word. Goose bumps burned up her neck before a faint twitch darted across her lips.
Her eyes cut to me before she replied. “What makes you think I want to be there?”
I arched an eyebrow. “I know what a woman looks like when she’s turned on.” I pressed a thumb to her inner thigh, sinking into her silky flesh. “Your breath comes out in sweet little pants.”
Her eyes darkened, her breaths doing just that thing I was talking about. So fucking cute.
Cute.
Christ, for the first time in my life, a woman had me by the balls.
I pressed another hand behind her back and slid her closer to me. As if on instinct, her arms draped around my neck, her body molding a little more perfectly to mine.
“I’ll stay, but the cat stays with me.” She grinned against my neck.
The sweet lilt to her voice slammed straight into my balls. I groaned. “The cat doesn't like me.”
“You’ll grow on him. It takes time.” Her fingers whispered across the short hair at my neck, my cock growing with every fucking pass of her sweet little fingers.
“If that’s what it takes to get into your pants…” I cupped her cheek, sliding the pad of my thumb across her lush lips.
“You're such a pervy old man.” She swatted my shoulder playfully.
“See? I knew it!”
“Knew what? That you're pervy?” She slid off the counter, taking extra time to wiggle against my crotch.
“That you thought I was old. I should have lied about my age.” I wrapped my hands around her waist, nestling her under my heavy arms, just where she belonged.
“Nah, I just like to tease you.” She stuffed her hands into the back pockets of my jeans. “I think you’re really sexy, Chief Michaels.”
Sarcasm dripped from every word.
“You might be the most dangerous person I’ve ever met, Brianna Foster.”
“Oh, yeah?” She grinned up at me, smile wide and playful. “Why’s that?”
“Because you make this old heart feel shit again. Didn’t know it was possible.”
Her eyebrows shot into her hairline. “Romantic, aren’t you?”
I shook my head, pulling her a little closer. “’Nother piece of old wisdom, sweetheart. Words mean shit, it’s actions that matter.”
She hummed against my chest. “I’m starting to learn that.”
“Good, sweetheart. You're gonna have a lot more learnin’ to do.”
She swatted me again, laughing before swiping at a small tear hovering on her eyelash.
“You okay?”
“Great.” She grinned, another stubborn tear forming. “I have no home, not a single thing to my name, but somehow…that doesn’t matter because I’ve been swept off my feet by this cocky knight in a firefighter suit.”
I crushed her a little closer, soothing her with hands on her back. “Shit only gets better from here, Brianna. I can promise you that.”
“Thanks, but I can’t accept—”
“You can, and you will. Starting with quitting that job and enrolling in classes full time. You got a dream? You should follow it. Don’t let something like bills get in the way of that.”
“What, are you insane? I’m not quitting my job.” She backed away, arms over her chest and instantly defensive.
“Why not? Seems like a good offer. Hang out here with me, study when I’m fighting fires. Live the dream with me.”
“The dream? Jesus, you’re the most incorrigible man I’ve ever met, Blaise Michaels.”
“I prefer determined.”
She shook her head, eyes rolling up and down my body.
“Call them and quit. Tell them you need time to heal. They’ll understand.” I thrust my cell phone at her.
Her eyes narrowed as she swiped the phone from my hand and mumbled. “What kind of name is Blaise anyway?”
I gri
nned, watching her punch in the number before she huffed and held the phone to her ear. “Hi, Michelle?” Her eyes held mine as she spoke. “Hey, I just wanted to call and let you know there was a fire at my apartment last night. I’m fine, but I have a shift on Thursday—” She paused, at which point I imagined Michelle saying something about taking time off.
I crossed my arms, waiting for Brianna to interrupt her and tell her she was quitting.
Done.
Traumatized. Focused on school. I don’t give a shit what Brianna told her, I just didn’t want her to worry about anything from now on. I could give her anything she needed.
“That won’t be necessary.” Brianna continued. “I just wanted to let you know what happened before you heard about it on the news or something. But I’m fine, and I’ll be there for my shift Thursday. Thanks, Michelle. See you Thursday.” Brianna hung up and handed me back my phone, smug smile pulling at her cheeks.
“This is going to be a lot harder than I anticipated.”
The bastard cat chose that moment to curl around her feet, meowing so loudly I swear he’d call in wild cats.
“Jinx is going to need a litter box.” She picked up the cat, snuggling into his sooty gray fur.
“Of course he is.” I grabbed my keys and shoved them in my pocket. “I’ll get him something out of the garage. Get changed, and we’ll head to town. Sweat pants will be a little big, but they’ll have to do until we can get you something else.”
“Blaise, just bring me back to my apartment. I know it’s not livable at the moment, but I can get a few things.”
I paused, watching her from across the kitchen. “Brianna…”
She cocked her head, innocence radiating through every feature. For as smart and cocky as she was, she was still fragile. I could see it coming off her in waves.
“There was a back draft, took out the entire second floor. The structure caved in.”
“What?” Her eyes widened.
I nodded, pulling her into my arms and soothing her all over again. “I’m sorry.”
“All my stuff… Shit!”
“At least you got Jinx,” I attempted lamely before the surly beast snarled and swiped at my hand. “He’s a lucky little fucker.”
She rested her head on my chest, breath heating my skin, my nerves, my very heart. “I can hear the sarcasm in your voice.”
She was right; that was sarcasm.
He wasn’t lucky, he was a little asshole, but if it took me rescuing him to find her, then I was mighty glad I’d found him.
I was the lucky one in this odd little threesome we had going.
FIVE
Brianna
Blaise and I spent the rest of the day shopping, him hauling me from store to store, making me try on clothes in the dressing room, and loading his arms high with stacks of jeans, leggings, shirts, sweaters, even a pair of heavy winter boots—he said his place got a lot of snow up in the mountains.
That thought made me shudder with pleasure.
Spending the winter snowed-in with Blaise felt like a fantasy come true.
From Nordstrom’s to Whole Foods and a stop at the pet store in between, he’d shuttled me all over the city, being his funny, charming, completely cocky self. His generosity was astounding. No wonder he saved lives for a living. No matter what I’d said to him, the fact remained—he’d saved my life.
My life had come to into sharp focus when he’d said the building, my home, was destroyed by the fire. I’d been so flippant about it before then, but every fire he fought, every life he rescued…all were heroic. All were dangerous. All scared the life out of me. Blaise was a hero, my hero.
“So what’d you think of the gumbo?” Blaise pulled me from my thoughts and into his lap.
We sat curled up on his leather couch, perched in front of a blazing fire. “It was fantastic. I’ve never had it before.”
“I learned how to make it while I was volunteering in the Ninth Ward, after Katrina hit.”
“You went to Louisiana?” My eyebrows rose in surprise.
He nodded softly. “They put out a call for search and rescue volunteers. I couldn’t not go. Few of the guys from the house and I road-tripped down, stayed for a few weeks, and did what we could. It was a life-changing experience.”
“I can’t imagine.” I tucked my feet under me, Jinx crawling into my lap and curling up. I pushed my fingers into his fur, smiling when the low rumble of his purr began. My thoughts drifted to something that had been whispering around in my mind all day. Through all the piles of expensive clothes and shoes, Blaise had been a perfect gentleman. Too perfect.
Why hadn’t he touched me? Why wasn’t he trying to get in my pants? Isn’t that what men did? Didn’t they always expect something in return?
“What’s goin’ on in that pretty head of yours, sweetheart?” Blaise’s hand rested on my knee, one fingertip turning small circles.
I gnawed on my bottom lip, wondering what to say, before finally settling on honesty. “Why haven’t you…tried to sleep with me?”
Blaise’s eyebrows nearly shot up into his hairline. His eyes fell down my body, landing on my thigh, the fresh bandage he’d wrapped gently soon after we’d returned home hiding beneath.
“I’m not looking to rush you, Brianna.”
My heart cracked a little at that. “But you have. From the start. You have me moving into your bedroom!”
His grin cocked to the side then before he slid a palm up my thigh, hooking it in the waistband of my new sleep shorts and tugging me to him.
Jinx hissed then jumped off, curling up peacefully by the fire. But I felt the judgment coming off him in waves. That old cat kept one eye on Blaise the entire time. Well, Jinx did get it. Blaise had saved both of our lives. And then he’d worked his way inside my soul, and something had taken root.
I’d suddenly found myself unable to picture a future without Blaise.
A year from now, five years from now, twenty, Blaise’s face was also in my head. I imagined the way the salt and pepper would continue to sprinkle through his hair, how he would look with our baby in his powerful hands.
“Do you want my lips on you, Brianna?” Those very same lips at my ear pulled me from my thoughts.
“Yes…” I hissed.
“That’s what you’ve been waiting for, sweet girl? My hands crawling up your skin, my lips tasting your pretty pink flesh?” The thumb hooked in my waistband and slid the shorts down my thighs.
I squirmed, covering my bandage with my hand as he pushed my shorts down past my knees. I hated the bandage, hated the scar that would no doubt remain. I wished I was perfect for him. Now, not only would I worry about my too wide hips and my thighs that definitely always touched, but also this scar carved into my skin.
“I want to see all of you.” He caught my wrist and pushed it above my head, planting kisses down my inner elbow and sending shivers skittering through my bloodstream.
Oh, God… What was he doing to me?
His lips trailed down my arm, skimming the heavy curve of my breast, before landing a flurry of kisses around the creamy flesh of my bandage.
“Stop…” I whispered, tears burning my eyes.
“Never, Brianna. I won’t let you hide from me. This is a reminder I’ll carry for the rest of my life of the night I met you. The night we saved each other.”
“Saved each other?” I squeaked, fingers trembling at the force in his words.
“You saved me, Brianna. I have no doubt of that. You know this is the first day I’ve had off in three years. The first full day. And I fucking loved it. Playing hooky today felt good because I was with you. And if you're wondering why I didn’t put my hands on you earlier, didn’t shove my tongue past your sweet lips like I wanted to…” He pushed his head between my breasts, sucking in a slow breath. “I realized today you’re too fucking good for me. I realized I couldn’t push you, because you might run. You’re not used to being taken care of, sweetheart. You’re just fine being alon
e.”
I opened my mouth, about to disagree with him, before he held a hand to my lips.
“Don’t bother arguing. You can't hide yourself from me, Brianna. We’re part of the same heart. I know what's inside yours just as well as I know my own. You’re an independent woman because you have to be, not because you want to be. So I realized today I couldn’t push you, because rare, beautiful creatures like you don’t come along often, and I can’t let you go.”
My eyes scrunched closed, a thousand and one emotions rushing through my body. Through my mind.
Blaise wanted me.
Blaise was the real deal.
Blaise was the very thing I needed and hadn’t even known I wanted.
“No one has ever been there for me,” I muttered, more out of shock than anything else. “My dad left when I was young, my memories of him are hazy…and my mom was always tuned out. In her own world. When she wasn’t working, she was at the bar drinking with her friends. I had to learn to rely on myself alone. It just comes natural to me.” I paused, catching his face in my hands. “But you’re right. I never asked for that. I just wanted a normal childhood, but instead, I had to raise myself.”
“That ends now, baby. From here on out, I take care of you. You live here, you don’t worry about where you’ll sleep or where your next meal is coming from. Let me take care of you.”
SIX
Blaise
My hands pushed up the thin cotton of her shirt, sliding it off her shoulders before laying her out on the couch underneath me. I’d been fucking dreaming of this moment, dreaming of burying my cock deep inside her body and fucking her until we were lost in each other.
“Are you on anything, sweetheart?” I fisted her gorgeous tits in my palms, pushing them together and nipping at her lace-covered nipple.
Her hands pushed through my hair, soft moans falling from her lips.
“Hard to focus when I’m touching you, isn’t it?” I tugged the cups of her bra down, revealing her sweet, dark nipples to my greedy eyes. With a deft flick, I swirled a tongue at her nipple. She arched, and my teeth grazed the peaked flesh. With a hand sliding between her thighs, I cupped the beautiful mound of her pussy and pushed my fingers against her soaked lips. “Answer me, sweetheart. If I empty my come deep inside you, are we gonna make a baby?”
