Kale (The Fire Inside #1)

by Theresa Marguerite Hewitt

  Arriving at the clinic, the front lights are off. It’s a little past ten pm when I look at the clock on the dash. Damn, this has been a long ass day. The adrenaline from the fire fight slows in my system as I climb out and circle around to the critter, getting it out and cradling it in my arms. I knock on the door, hard enough to wake the dead, but when there is no response I use the Captain’s key to enter the facility.

  I am settling the fawn down on the exam table when I hear a noise behind me. Turning, I’m unprepared for the sight before me. Starting at the light green toenails, I gaze up the most gorgeous, tone, lightly tan legs to a pair of red Spiderman boy shorts and painted on tight blue tank top that is barely holding the cups of the most luscious breasts I’ve seen, possibly ever. Her tone arms swing down, dropping the baseball bat as she realizes I pose no threat. My eyes roam upward and my heart stops as she speaks.

  “Kale, what the hell? There is a buzzer on the front door.”

  Only three feet away stands none other than Paige, pushing her glasses back on her nose, her hair in a mess on top of her head as she’s trying to wake up obviously. Shit! She’s half naked in front of me, looking hot as hell. My mind goes completely blank. I stand there dumbfounded as she moves over to the fawn and begins the care regimen. Snapping back to it, I help her wash up the baby and get its vitals.

  Who is this little hottie standing beside me in the skin tight clothes that I’m guessing she uses as pajamas? I try and hide the sneak peeks I keep taking at her body, but not when she bends over to get something from under the sink and I take in her perfectly round ass that is asking for a spanking. I have to snap out of it when she straightens and I put my attention to the fawn, stroking its wet head trying to decipher the tight feeling in my chest.

  “Kale, how did you get in?”

  “Captain gave me a key in case the volunteer couldn’t answer.” I manage to finally speak.

  “You scared the shit out of me. I didn’t know anyone still had a key. When we switched to the buzzer they should’ve all been turned in.”

  “Sorry, Paige.” I say, stepping back and running my hand through my hair.

  She’s moving around me and I can’t stop staring at her tits and ass, wanting desperately to reach out and touch her, to pull her into me and memorize the feel of them against me. My dick is becoming painfully harder by the second.

  Once she has the fawn situated, hooked up to an IV and in the observation room, she’s leaning over a sink washing her hands when she looks at me. Her hair is falling around her face in pieces from the messy bun and I want so bad to brush them behind her ear, to see how her seemingly baby soft skin would feel against my rough hands.

  “Kale, you can leave now. Go shower and rest. Thanks for saving Bambi, your job is done.” She gives me a sweet smile and I chuckle a little, standing there, not wanting to leave just yet.

  I should turn and run. ‘This is Paige, God damn it’ I scream at myself, trying to picture her as the pigtailed little thing that I used to pick on, but all that comes to mind is how her lips will feel on mine.

  She goes to move past me as I’m standing in the doorway. I turn to the side to let her through, but I stay in the way. As she brushes against me, a gasp escapes as she feels my erection against her hip. I laugh as I lean down to whisper in her ear.

  “What did you expect? You’re half naked, gorgeous, and your Spiderman panties are screaming for you to crawl all over my dick and weave your web.”

  She shutters beneath me. “Oh. My. God. I was asleep. I thought you broke in. I jumped up. I never got dressed. Then I had to work. Oh. My. God.” She’s muttering to herself as she drops her head to avoid looking at me. She is trembling slightly and I can see the goose-bumps cover her arms.

  She’s so innocent and beautiful. I lick my lips in anticipation. Cupping her chin, I bring her head back up as I transcend with my mouth crashing down on hers. Unrelenting, I attack her lips before she can think through anything we’re doing; hell, before I can think what I’m doing. I’m kissing her, exploring every nook and corner of her soft mouth. Lost in the sensations of her melting under me, I forget who she is. As she gives into me, kissing me back just as hungrily, I can’t stop to allow either of us to think of the consequences of our actions.

  Without hesitation or thought, I bring my arms down to cup her ass. Pulling her to me, I rock her hips against my erection. The small moan that escapes her lips only pushes me further as I pick her up, gripping her thighs and forcing her to wrap her legs around my waist. Her arms come flying up to my neck to stabilize herself as I push her against the wall. Grinding my erection against her panties, she’s frenzied as she’s pulling herself to me, seeking more; the little moans leaving her lips, replacing her words. Oh yes, baby, surrender.

  Moving us down the hall to the small bedroom without breaking our kiss isn’t easy, but I’m not giving her a second to breathe, much less stop this. Taking my hand and moving it up her thigh, I brush my thumb over her wet panties. Pulling her mouth away abruptly as she trembles against me, she has no idea what she’s in for. I can’t stop the smile as she whispers my name. Fuck, it sounds so good coming from her luscious lips.

  Laying her back across the quilt, I pull her hands from my neck and pin them over her head. Holding them in place with one hand, I use the other to remove her glasses and lay them on the night stand. The only light in the room is coming from the doorway where the hallway lights peek through, but it seems like I see her perfectly for the first time. Her eyes meet mine with the unspoken questions dancing between us. Unable to handle the depth of her gaze, I drop my head to her neck where I kiss right below her ear. She arches her hips up to me, silently asking for more. She wants this as much as I do. Whispering in her ear as my breath comes down in pants on her neck; I let her know she can relax. I’m going to take care of her.

  “Baby, I’m gonna peel these clothes off of you. Keep your hands over your head, hold onto the rails of the headboard and don’t let go. You don’t come until I tell you to. Are you ready Paige?”

  She doesn’t speak, only nods her head in agreement, as her breathing quickens in anticipation. Removing my grip from her wrists, she holds onto the rails. Good girl, I think to myself, giving her my most mischievous smirk.

  Pulling myself off of her, I hook my fingers in her panties and glide them down. Looking at Paige, she’s biting her bottom lip in excitement and nervousness. She looks sexy as hell. I run my hands teasingly up and down the silky smooth skin of her legs. Picking up her left foot, I rub it to relax her, making sure to use the pressure points to my advantage. I know I’ve succeeded when she lets out a long, content sigh and her eyes slide shut.

  Guiding my hands up the back of her very tone calf, I run my nose along the inside of her leg. At her thigh, I begin feathering kisses with gentle bites on the inside, close to her juncture. The smell of smoke, sweat, and arousal takes over my senses, filling me with an adrenaline rush greater than that of jumping into a blaze. I need to hear her moan my name. I need to hear Paige screaming out in pleasure because of me.

  Resting her knee on my shoulder, as her calf drapes over my back, I bury my face in the softness of her pussy. Licking her folds apart, I let my tongue lead the dance with her body as she arches into me. I feel her tense as the sensations wash over her. I bring my hand up to gently insert my finger, as I suck on her clit. She’s writhing beneath me trying to set a rhythm. She’s tight, as her core begins to clinch around my finger. Curling up into the come here motion I catch her g-spot, as I pull and lick at her pussy lips. As I feel her tighten, I graze my teeth over her swollen nub, sending her over the edge as she cries out my name. Slowing my finger and tongue as she rides out her orgasm I moan my approval at her responsiveness. Pulling my finger out, I allow her body a moment to relax.

  “That’s your one pass, Babe,” I laugh against her skin, looking up the irresistible line from her stomach to her face as she looks down, languid confusion evident in her eyes. “You don’t c
ome until I tell you. Got it?” All I have to do is raise an eyebrow and she slowly nods at me, biting her bottom lip.

  I kiss up across her hips and stomach, moving her tank top up as I do. Reaching her breasts, I trail soft kisses across them both before taking her left nipple in my mouth and sucking. I move her leg off my shoulder as I run my hand up and down her sides as my other arm holds my body weight off her just enough that she feels me over her but not enough to hurt her.

  She’s small beneath me, as I kiss my way around her collarbone. She’s arching her back, pushing her breasts back to me, seeking, demanding, and begging. I chuckle against her skin as I reach her neck.

  “Kale, please.”

  “Please what, Paige?” I ask in a whisper against her. I nip at her earlobe and feel her tremble more prominently against me. She is so responsive it’s almost too much for me to handle right now.

  “More, Kale, I need more,” she says back in a desperate pant. She is worked up and ready for another release. She molds to me, responds to me, and calls out to me in a way I have never experienced before. It’s like there’s something in her green eyes that is calling to me as they reflect the meek light from the hallway.

  I pull my shirt over my head, wanting to feel her breasts brush against my chest. Looking down, I’ve marked her body with the sweat and soot from my own. It’s erotic to share the dirt and grime of my job, from my body to hers. I have never fucked someone coming directly off a fire before. Seeing the black against the light tan of her flawless skin, I’m busting to get out of my pants. Dropping them and my boxers, I reach into my wallet and drop the foil packet on the bed beside us.

  She lets go of the bars. When she reaches her tank top that is bunched up above her breasts, I straddle her and grab her wrists stopping her. After removing her top, I lean over her placing her hands back on the rails of the headboard. As I kiss each hand in its placement, I feel her mouth come around my cock.

  Typically, a female topping from the bottom would piss me off. However the warm, wet, soft feeling of her mouth invites me; calls to me. Before I can stop myself, I push deeper into her. She swirls her tongue. Then, as I start to pull away, she sucks and moans around me and I grip the rails, my knuckles turning white. The vibration goes straight to my balls. Not wanting this to be over before I’m in her, I pause for a moment to get control over my body. Pulling out, I come down and kiss her hard. Biting at her bottom lip as she is wiggling under me, I smile. She’s a hellcat wanting to come out.

  I kiss her jawline to her ear, where I suck on her earlobe. “No more trying to finish this before I’ve started. When I come, it’s gonna be after you’ve made it home at least once more tonight, little vixen, and it won’t be from your mouth. And this is your warning, next time you take your hands from where they’re supposed to be, I’m gonna redden that pretty little ass of yours.”

  With that, I roughly suck on her neck, hearing her gasp, knowing I just marked her skin and not caring that I’m losing control quickly with her under me. Breaking away, I open the foil packet and roll the condom over me. I drop back over Paige. I run my thumb over her cheek gently as I meet her eyes. The emotions pouring out overwhelm me, making the tightness in my chest grow, so I kiss her as my hand roams down to her wet, waiting pussy.

  Running my fingers through her folds I feel her breathing become erratic as she’s wanting more. Lining my cock up with her entrance, I slowly push the tip in. She’s tight like a glove as I move my way in little by little. Looking into her eyes, I can see pain. Am I hurting her? I pause, not liking the way she’s biting her lip, trying to hold it in. But she rocks up, pulling me further into her. Kissing her, I try to still both of our motions so she can adjust to my size. Gliding slowly out and trying to gently slide back in, I laugh a little when Paige looks at me.

  “Kale, please. Too slow…move damn it.”

  My vixen wants me to move, okay, baby. She’s tight and pulsing around me as I begin to move in and out. I can see the restraint she’s using to keep her arms on the rails. To reward her good behavior and quick learning, I lean down and suck on her breasts, nipping as I pull my mouth off of her. Her body is relaxing under me as she’s now moving her hips to meet me, thrust for thrust. I feel her tightening and fuck, she is squeezing the shit out me like I’ve never felt before and I love it.

  I reach between us, using my fingers in a scissoring motion; I run across her nub while whispering in her ear, “Come for me, Babe. I wanna hear you scream my name.”

  One last swipe and my touch sends her over the edge, her head falling back as she cries out my name. It sounds damn good the second time escaping her swollen, well kissed lips. Her body milks me as she rides through the aftershocks. Looking down, her body is now as sweat covered as mine. Our scents have joined together with the lingering smoke, sending my senses into overdrive. I come with a reckless abandon as I kiss her once more.

  Full. I feel overwhelmingly full. Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming. Kale is inside me, draped over me after just giving me my first two orgasms, EVER!

  Letting go of the headboard, I run my hands up and down his back as he’s softly kissing me. His head drops to my neck as he pulls out of me. I wince at the slight pain and adjustment of the loss of contact, it leaving me with an empty feeling. Looking at me, our eyes meet, silently judging the head space of each other for a moment. Kale leans down and kisses my nose.

  “Bathroom?” He questions.

  I point to the door inside the bedroom that connects to the hallway’s full bathroom. As he gets up, I realize I’m butt ass naked and insecure as hell. Quickly, I grab the quilt and cover myself. Looking over my body, I have red marks on my breasts from his sucking, on the inside of my thigh in a few places, but mostly I’m covered in sweat, both his and mine, and black soot. It’s dirty and it’s hot.

  Watching him walk away, I have a bad feeling. The look in his eyes that last second, it held a coldness and distance that wasn’t there only thirty seconds before.

  I hear the shower turn on. I may be laying in the bed, but I feel like I am drowning in cold water. Kale is already out of the bed before the sheets have time to cool. He is washing away the grime of his job and the remnants of being with someone like me. He didn’t invite me with him. Shame, embarrassment, and sadness wash over me.

  Why did I let this happen? Yes, this has to be a dream…a nightmare. I finally have a moment with him and before anything can really begin, he’s already realized I was a mistake, I just know it.

  Trying to keep the tears at bay, I lay there. The shower turns off within minutes of it starting. Kale comes out wearing a serious face that I don’t often see and my heart breaks a little silently. He’s gathering his clothes and putting them on. Looking over at me, regret fills his face.

  “Paige, you…this…was… a mistake.”

  Hearing the actual words come out of his mouth, the mouth that just treasured every inch of me, crushes me. It’s one thing to think it, but another to hear it verbalized by the man I’m completely in love with. I was a mistake. Self-preservation kicks in before I can stop myself.

  “Kale, don’t. I get it. One night of fun, that’s all. Look, no one needs to know, least of all Piper, okay. You showed up, neither of us expected it. Go home, move on… whatever. I need to shower and do my rounds on the animals; so, if you would go ahead and leave, I would appreciate it.”

  With that, I shove past him into the tiny bathroom. Turning on the water, I step in the shower and let the tears flow as freely as the water in the pipes. I try not to let out a sob until I hear the back door slam shut, and when I do, I let it all out; falling to the floor and holding my knees to my chest. I feel as if he reached in and ripped out my heart, turning it to a smoldering pile of embers right before my eyes. I slap the palms of my hands against my forehead, calling myself stupid over and over again, hearing my mothers’ voice in the back of my mind.

  ‘You’ll never be good enough, you’re just one to settle for,’ she used to say
in a drunken slur from our ratty couch; a half empty bottle of vodka in one hand and a cigarette in the other as another three burned in the ashtray. I let out a frustrated scream, not wanting her to be right, but I know she is.

  Once I’m composed enough to stop crying, I get out and scrub my body dry more roughly than needed. After dressing in my regular work clothes, I do my rounds and leave the notes for the next volunteer and vet. I change the quilt and bed sheets to the room and clean up.

  Luckily, I have to work today at my county job. I may be tired from little sleep, my body may be sore from the activities of the night before, but my mind needs to stay busy. It’s like it is on repeat in my head…Paige, you…this…was…a mistake.

  You were a mistake, he said it alright. What do I do with that?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Allison arrives and after a quick shift change, I am stopping by my house for a scarf to cover up the evidence of my evening’s rendezvous that are left on my neck. Damn you, Kale Benson! Once back in my car, I decide to turn up the radio in an attempt to drown out my thoughts. The sound of some song going on about having a bad day fills the tiny space of my car. Shaking off the omen of this song, I find myself singing out loud, off key, and trying to keep the tears at bay.

  I will not waste my day on Kale…I will not waste my day on Kale. Cry in your pillow tonight, Paige Lockley, but do not break down over him today. I will not waste my day on Kale Benson. I continue the pep talk to myself all the way up to my office, humming it as I wave a fast hello to a few coworkers. Setting my purse in its drawer in my desk, I start up my desktop computer. While it’s booting up, I make my way down the hall to the break room for a cup of coffee.

  Looking forward to the caffeine jolt to my system, I quickly pull out my favorite oversized mug. Pouring the hot, dark java into the cup, my eyes are drawn to the two peas in a pod logo. Kale bought me and Piper matching cups for our apartment in college. Frustration builds as I can’t seem to escape him because he is everywhere I go. Not paying attention, I turn with the full mug in my hand to make my way to the fridge for my creamer when I slam into someone. The coffee splashes all over my cream knit sweater and light blue scarf. Arms come out to steady me as I look up to see Ralph, my boss, and his now coffee covered white button up shirt.