Burn Me Anthology

by Shantel Tessier

He’s being foolish in his thinking. Soon my dad will be home and Alec will be gone, probably back to wherever he’s been and the threat that’s impelling him will be gone.

  So should he kiss me today and that happen tomorrow, where would that leave us?

  “He’s gone.”

  My tear-stricken face lifts to Alec. I quickly glance away, wiping my eyes with the sleeve of my sweater. “Yep.”

  “What’s your problem?”

  A chuckle escapes me, and I sniffle, shaking my head. “Again, with those people skills.”

  “What’d he do?” he growls.

  “Nothing, Alec.” I fight the wave of new tears.

  He steps closer and my heart starts hammering in my chest.

  My gaze flies to his and I watch him watch me, seeing the creases that begin to form around his eyes.

  I take a deep breath when his hand lifts, bracing myself for his touch. The second his calloused knuckle finds my cheek, my eyes flutter closed. And with a gentleness I didn’t know he possessed, he wipes away the tears his brother caused, leaving nothing but warmth behind.

  With a deep sigh, his hand falls to his side and he walks away without another word.

  I stand there, taking a few minutes to catch my breath and calm my nerves.

  As I go to pass his room, a question dawns on me. “The break in…” He lifts his head, but doesn’t turn around as he takes his watch off. “They only broke the garage door and lock, yet you changed them all. Why?”

  “You really wanna hear the answer to that right now? From what I can tell, Rowan said something that threw you off your game tonight.”

  “Why’d you change all the locks, Alec?”

  He pulls his phone from his pocket, dropping it beside his watch as he turns to face me. “It’s simple, really. Rowan had a key and that’s not fucking acceptable.”

  “What makes you think I won’t give him a new key?”

  “Try it, Oakley.” His dark eyes narrow. “I’ll change them again. Even you won’t have a key.”

  My brows pinch. “This is my house. If anything, I’ll change them, and you won’t have one.”

  A sinister laugh leaves him, and he starts toward me. “Pull some shit, Oakley, I dare you.”

  “And if I do?”

  “Try it and find out,” he growls.

  “You’re psychotic.”

  “We’ve been over this.”

  “I hate you.”

  “You sure wish you did, don’t you?” He gets closer. “It would make this a lot easier, wouldn’t it? Tell me, when you stir in the middle of the night, pulling out that little red vibrator from under your mattress, who is it you’re thinking about?” I gasp, pushing away from him, but he cages me against the frame of the door, his pec muscles brushing against my chest. “Yeah. I hear you. Hear you grab your sheets, hear your head thrash against your pillow, the soft muted mews that leave you.” He licks his lips and I sag against the frame, the metal from the door clasp digging into my back.

  His head tips, his forehead sliding across my hair until those lips are near my ear.

  I squeeze my eyes closed.

  “I’m with you every time, princess,” he breathes, and heat pools between my legs. “My dick is in my hand while yours is on your pussy.”

  “Alec…” I plea. For him to keep talking or to stop, I don’t know.

  “Then, every time I nut, every time I hear you nut, I get angry.” He slides his lips lower, so his warm breath fans my neck. “Ask me why.”

  “W- Why?” I pant.

  “Because he’ll never be able to make you feel like I can. And you’re too senseless to see it.”

  My eyes fly open, my head pulling back to glare at him. “You’re an asshole.”

  “I know, but I’m right, which is why you haven’t denied it.”

  I squeeze past him, my heart hammering in my chest in horny anger. It doesn’t help that when I pass, his very solid, very apparent, hard-on slides across my hip.

  I storm into my room, kicking the pillows that have fallen from my bed.

  How dare he and, oh my God, he listens to me masturbate! Worse… he sits outside my room and jacks off to thoughts of me, to sounds I make.

  Anger flares inside me as the ache builds. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to force it away, but it only makes it more intense, more overpowering.

  With a low growl, I drop onto my bed, reaching under my covers for my tiny vibrator. A quarter of the size of the perfectly capable dick two rooms down and across the hall.

  I scowl at the ceiling, spinning the hard rubber between my hand.

  This is him winning.

  Ever since we were young, he controlled the situation and I backed away, the broken coward. But tonight, he showed his cards, laid out more than ever before.

  Alec wants me, straight-up.

  I’m tired of being the weak one where men are concerned.

  Shutting off my brain, I throw all inhibitions out the window.

  I toss my yoga pants and underwear to my floor, then sprawl across my bed.

  He wants to listen? To come when I come? Fine.

  I’ll make him as desperate as I feel. In the end, we’ll both finish, but his desperation will be high tonight.

  Tonight I have no reason to hold in my cries, no need to try and control my breathing. I’m hot and need to finish.

  And I need a good one.

  Tossing my vibrator to the floor, I lick two fingers on my left hand, already making my way to my center with the right.

  I slide my fingers low, coating them with myself, then drag them up to rub my clit lightly.

  My hips buck at the contact, my left hand gripping my breast hard, sliding my wet fingers to pinch my nipples. The warm, wet spit mixing with the light grip sends me into a tailspin. I slide a finger inside myself, a moan making its way through my chest, low and needy.

  Then I hear him.

  His rapid intake of air, the sound of his zipper lowering, the shuffle of his jeans falling to the floor.

  My head presses into my pillow more, my mouth parting as I slide another finger inside myself.

  My back bows as the tips of my fingers glide down my stomach, my muscles tightening the closer they get to my clit. My pussy squeezes my fingers as I roll my clit between my fingers.

  “Mmm… fuck.” I clamp my eyes closed.

  Right then, Alec moans and adrenaline surges through me, goose bumps raising across every inch of my skin.

  The sounds he’s making, they’re completely wild, deep grunts and uncontrollable groans. He doesn’t even attempt to hide his level of arousal and it spurs me like it shouldn’t, driving me to make his need to come stronger, irrepressible.

  Switching hands, I blindly reach over the edge of my bed, feeling around for my vibrator.

  Once it’s in my hand, I click it on and Alec growls.

  It’s angry and desperate, jealous of my toy.

  Good.

  Lube isn’t needed, I’m so fucking hot, so I slide it inside, instantly crying out, my toes curling into the sheets, knees completely bent and in the air now.

  I slide back on my pillow to get a better angle, and make the mistake of opening my eyes.

  Every muscle in my body locks.

  Completely fucking naked and glowing from the light sneaking in from the hall, Alec stands inside my door. He’s leaning against my wall with one hand on his dick, the other gripping his neck.

  His muscles constricting with every stroke, he pants, watching me watch him. His tongue pokes out, sliding across his lips before he bites into the sandy pink flesh, and God damn, if I don’t want a taste.

  I inhale deeply, grinding against the vibrator that I have stilled inside me.

  “Pull it out, nice and slow,” he pants.

  I glare at him, but for some reason, do as he says, sliding it out of me slowly.

  “Let the need build, let it consume every fucking inch of you.” His face pinches as he squeezes his dick, and I sneakily pinch my
nipples to feel something.

  He stares, his greedy eyes covering every inch of what he can see.

  I shift my leg and the vibrator slips in some, making my hips lift into it.

  “Spin it. Push it back in while you do.”

  “Ooh… fuuck,” I whine, whimpering and squirming.

  I’m so close. I pull one leg up, sliding my free hand beneath it to grip my ass, pinching it as I roll.

  My pants grow, not stopping this time. I quickly drop my leg and bring my hand to my clit, pushing down as I frantically fuck myself with the vibrator.

  “There we go, chase it. Fucking come, Oakley.”

  And I do, long and hard and to the sound of his release.

  To the thought of his hands on my body.

  To the want of his dick inside me.

  I try to catch my breath, but before I have time to come down from that unthinkable high, Alec speaks.

  “Now you’ll never be able to fuck him without thinking of me.” With that, he storms out, slamming the door behind him and I could almost laugh.

  He’s such a prideful man, pushing before he can be pushed. His defense mechanism.

  I wait to feel dirty, humiliated by his words and quick retreat, but it never comes.

  In fact, I feel empowered. Desired.

  Seen.

  Chapter 12

  “For real, don’t worry about it. I’m bummed about girls’ day but I’ll live. Unlike half these patients I’m working with,” Hannah whispers into the phone, making me laugh. “But enough of that. How goes it with the bigheaded Blaze?”

  My face heats at the mention of Alec. I told her everything before the other night, minus the reasons why he’s here. “Han, he’s… intense. Different than I expected, but in a good way.”

  “Oooh,” she teases. “Are we feelin’ him?”

  “There’s definitely a desire to,” I joke, and she cracks up.

  “Get it, girl! I’m dying to hear more, but I gotta get back to work. Call me later?”

  I grin. “For sure.”

  Right as I hang up, the door swings open and in storms Alec.

  “Where’s the fire?” I tease, but he shoots past me.

  “Office. Now.”

  With a sigh, I stand and head his way, wondering what version of Alec I’ll get today. It’s been four days since our little masturbation session and he’s on edge, hardcore.

  Day one, he acted like nothing happened, like I was the pain in his ass.

  Day two, he tracked my every move with fiery eyes and I’ll admit, I played into it a bit, licking my lips extra slow and overexaggerating my stretches. It was a new kind of fun I wasn’t used to.

  But yesterday, day three, he got pissy, barking at every little thing anyone did wrong during drills, Rowan especially. So today should be interesting.

  When I reach him, he tosses his phone to his desk, holding the door open for me to enter.

  I squeeze past him. “What seems to be—” I’m cut off when the door slams shut and I’m hoisted at the hips by two large, angry hands.

  I stare wide-eyed, at Alec, who has yet to look at me. He quickly rounds his desk, setting me on the short bookcase behind it and wedges himself between my knees.

  His grip tightens on my waist before lowering to my thighs where he squeezes, a deep rumble releasing from within his chest as he does.

  Still, he hasn’t met my gaze, but I can’t take my eyes off him.

  His nostrils are flaring, jaws clenched tight, and his breathing is out of control. A measured man on the edge, a sight to see in itself.

  “I learned something today.” His voice comes from his chest, cavernous, rough and oh my God, I’m sweating.

  I slowly drop my head against the wall, my eyes still on his, waiting to see the look they hold. “Care to share with the class?”

  He chuckles, but it’s short and then his eyes fly to mine.

  And I swear the hunter green is as dark as a forest’s night, burning and bold.

  He stares, then glares and shifts closer. “Let me ask you something, Oakley…”

  My back bows at his raspy tone, my head staying stiff against the wall.

  He knows.

  He’d never grab hold of me, position himself perfectly but still inches away, if he didn’t.

  He wants me to push back, to pull myself in and even stranger… I want to.

  My hands drop beside me, palms flat against the wood. “Ask,” I dare.

  His hands come around, sliding up my skin to the crease where my thigh meets my pelvis. He smirks, slow and suggestive. “You’d like me to, wouldn’t you?”

  His head tilts slightly and those eyes rake over my chest, watching the force and rapid speed it raises in. “Yeah. You want me to.”

  My hands glide down the wood, gripping its edge firmly. “So do it.”

  His gaze comes back to mine in pure challenge.

  Challenge accepted.

  Using the hold I have on the wood, I slide my ass along it, bringing myself directly against him, but I don’t stop there. I lift my feet until I find a shelf beneath, allowing my knees to bend and prop myself up.

  Now my chest is in his face, my eyes almost even with his, my pussy against his dick.

  His smirk is gone and in its place, the impassioned gaze of an unruly man, ready to burst.

  No one has ever looked at me with such raw, unapologetic want.

  I lift further, dropping my head back. Officially begging.

  It only takes a few seconds for one strong hand to come up and case my neck in, and then his hot breath travels down against my skin.

  His breath is slow, deep. Deliberate.

  A shiver runs through me, his grip tightening at my reaction.

  “I’m gonna tear you up, Oakley,” he whispers. “Every inch of you will know me… feel me. Want me.”

  My thighs tighten against him.

  “And you will. You’ll want all of it. But you know what?”

  “Hmm.” I squeeze my eyes shut, anticipation killing me.

  He drags his lips across my neck, his dick twitching against me as he does. “You’ll get none of me… until you want none of him.”

  My body freezes and slowly, I lift my eyes to his.

  A deep flush colors my face when I see the vile look in his eyes, disgust and distrust burning heavy.

  “Why you let me believe you and Rowan were together is beyond me.”

  “Alec…” Unexplainable dread raises in my chest and I reach for him, but he pulls back, and I’m shocked by how much it stings.

  “I don’t want you after dark.” His eyes flit between mine. “I want you around the fucking clock. No exceptions.”

  I inhale deeply, a tingling feeling making its way across my ribs.

  I can’t believe he just said that.

  “You want me, I know it. For the first fucking time in eleven years, Oakley, I see it. Your desire, for me.” He steps away and I fight not to reach for him, because if I did, what would that mean? I’d be admitting I want the man who treated me like dirt for years, the man who embarrassed and harassed me, time and time again.

  But worst of all, I’d be admitting I want the brother of the man I’ve loved most my life.

  I already know I do. I want Alec in a bad way. I want to know him, feel him, everything. But wanting and admitting aloud are two very different things.

  Am I ready to give up on Rowan? To move from one Daniels boy to the other?

  Alec sees my inner turmoil and scowls at me.

  “You can either wait around, hoping, or take what’s already yours.” My brows draw in more, pressure forming in my chest. “And I damn sure won’t touch you until it’s clear to everyone, that you don’t belong to him.”

  He walks to the door, angrily pulling it open, but before he exits, he turns to me. “You want me?” He raises a brow. “Show me.”

  With that, he storms out, leaving me where I sit.

  ***

  “Hey, Dad,” I whisper, h
iding in the storage room.

  “Talk to me, Oaks.”

  A sad laugh escapes. He could always read me by my tone. “When are you coming home?”

  He sighs through the line. “I don’t know yet, baby girl. Soon, I hope.”

  “Dad, where has Alec been these last two years, and don’t say you don’t know.”

  “He’s been working for me, Oaks. I’ve been in contact with him the entire time.”

  “So, he never even went to fight the fires? Is he even a real fireman?”

  My dad chuckles. “Yes, he is. And yes, he did. You sure you wanna hear all this? You don’t wanna ask him?”

  “I’m asking you, Dad.”

  “Okay.” I hear him sit—wherever he is. “You know how you spent every extra minute at Blazer as a kid, started working there the day the school signed off on your permit?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, Alec picked up on your passion.”

  “Blaze?”

  “Yeah, Oaks. All you wanted was to be a part of the program. Well, all Alec ever wanted was to be a part of you.”

  A humorless laugh leaves me. “Please. It was his life goal to make me miserable.”

  “Oakley, that’s not fair. You were blinded and I swore to an eighteen-year-old boy that I wouldn’t intervene.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Alec was harsh to you sometimes, yes, but all that came from his need to protect you. It was instinctual for him when it came to you. Instant, almost. He saw you right away…” My brows pinch. “But, Oaks… you saw Rowan.”

  I shake my head, even though he can’t see me.

  “He waited, hoped you’d come around, but you never did. He joined Blaze for you, Oakley. Became a fireman, a man of honor, for you. He wanted to be his best version of himself… for you.”

  “I quit when he joined,” I whisper into the line, feeling completely weighted.

  “You did. And he almost gave up, Oakley, did you know that?”

  “No.” I sit up straighter.

  “Yep. He brought me his withdrawal papers personally, and I knew instantly it was because of you. We had a nice long talk, one we were meant to have eventually and that’s when I knew for sure.”

  “Knew what?”

  “I knew I’d finally found the man that would lose his life for you, protect you when I no longer could.”