Firestorm (Missoula Smokejumpers Book 4)

by Piper Stone

  Smack! Crack!

  He hissed and peppered several additional strikes before yanking her back against his naked chest, his hands covering her breasts, squeezing. “I’m going to fuck you.”

  “Yes. Yes!”

  Riker turned her around and slid his hands down her back and under her ass. Hissing, he lifted her into the air, holding her aloft, his muscles tensing.

  Panting, she wrapped her legs around his thighs and moaned as his thick and throbbing cock was slapped back and forth.

  He yanked her down, driving the entire length of his shaft inside. “Yes!” The sound of his booming voice reverberated in the air, floating through the wind as he growled and tossed back his head.

  She clung to him as he lifted her again, repeating the move. Stunned by his power, his strength, her entire body began to shake. She could feel his cock throbbing inside, filling her completely.

  A smile crossing his face, he rubbed his hands up her back, one hand clutched around her neck. Then he walked, taking long strides into the house.

  She hung her head, their lips just touching as he carried her through the house. There was no more need to talk, no questions that needed answers. They were simply consummating the beginning of a life changing moment.

  Riker stormed into the bedroom and tilted his head, kissing her lips. “All mine.”

  “Yes. Yours.”

  He sat down on the bed, his hands never leaving her.

  She began to ride him, moving forward and backward as her arms remained draped around his neck. Purring, she kissed the side of his face, dragging her tongue down his neck as she undulated, clenching her pussy muscles.

  “Ride me. Take what you want.”

  There was no need to tell her what to do. She moved in a perfect rhythm, going up and down, forward and backward, rocking as the electricity shot into overdrive. Every cell in her body was on fire, sweat beading across her upper lip. How she hungered for this man, this incredible man who was so intense.

  Issuing a single chuckle, he rolled her over, planting his hands on either side of her and rose up, straightening out his arms. As he hovered over her, dropping his head to dart his tongue around her mouth, he blew out a swath of hot air. He pushed one arm over her head then the other, holding her wrists together with one hand.

  Her legs remained wrapped around his waist and she wiggled as he pumped, lifting his hips so only the tip was inside. She watched his eyes, the change in his demeanor as he pumped into her, driving his cock as deep into her cunt as he could. She lifted her legs, shifting the angle and both moaned.

  “Tight. Jesus.” Hanging his head, beads of sweat dripped off his face, cascading onto her face and neck.

  She moaned as his actions became more manic, thrusting harder, faster and still he seemed to crave more. As he stared down into her eyes, a grin on his face, she could tell the orgasm was close. So close. “I’m going to…”

  “Not until I tell you,” he commanded and picked up the pace, the force pushing her hard into the bed.

  Struggling, she tossed her head back and forth as every muscle in her body tensed. There was no way to hold back the climax, the wave that was shooting up her legs. “Please.”

  “Mmm…” Riker kissed her lips, darting his tongue just inside, pumping even more savagely. “Come!”

  Opening her mouth, the scream was no longer silent, and she jerked up from the bed as her entire body began to shake. “Oh!”

  Growling, the sound guttural, he exploded, his entire body jerking and shaking then tensing until he stopped moving altogether.

  Covered in goose bumps, she exhaled and the moment he freed her wrists, she wrapped them around him, pulling him down until his body covered hers. This was perfect. This was amazing.

  This was love.

  Riker stood on Trinity’s back deck, a glass of wine in his hand. As he swirled the dark liquid, realizing he hadn’t had a glass of wine in years, he thought about the time he’d already spent with her. She was special, there was no doubt in his mind and the thought of her leaving was already pulling at his heart. Shit. This couldn’t be happening. He wasn’t equipped to feel the lump in his throat, the tug at his groin. Huffing, he took a sip and held the wine in his mouth before swallowing. She didn’t seem to care that he’d been married before. Then again, what did she actually know about him? Nothing.

  He heard the sound of the door and was surprised he didn’t tense. The sex had been intense, the spanking amazing and she seemed to be the kind of woman he’d been looking for. Wait a minute. Looking for? He wasn’t searching for anything or anyone. But there she was, a beautiful flower ready to open up, expose herself to the elements.

  Trinity eased next to him, her body just touching his, her face peering out at the twilight. “Am I interrupting?”

  “No. I’m glad you’re here.” He allowed his body to sag, the move easing closer to her. Even the heat of her body against his felt right. “You’re a special lady, Trinity Hargrove.”

  “Carrie.”

  “What?”

  “My real name is Carrie Simmons.” Her words were stilted.

  He glanced in her direction, studying the way her face was pinched. “A beautiful name.”

  “Not good enough for Hollywood. It took four people to decide what my name was going to be. I had no choice.” She laughed and swirled her wine. “I allowed a group of fat men to determine the new name I’m supposed to live with for the rest of my life. Can you believe that?”

  “We all have to fake aspects of our life. Why did you allow it to happen?”

  Exhaling, she took her time answering. “I don’t honestly know. I was happy doing some modeling. My cousin helped me get into the business but I’m not really high fashion model material. Still, I had fun and made good money for a few months. I did a bit part and was noticed. Then, an agent saw me at a fashion show and gave me his card. Marvin is a good guy. A pain in the ass at times but he does know his shit about Hollywood.”

  “So, you were lured.”

  “I was. I thought about the fact I could make some money, maybe buy a house and become something.” She brushed her hand through her hair and shivered.

  “Are you cold?”

  “It isn’t the Missoula weather. I’m disgusted with myself for falling into the trap. A fake boyfriend, a large house I’ll never be able to pay for and part after part in movies that mean nothing. I know. Entertainment.” She pushed her shoulder against his side. “Still, not fulfilling any longer.”

  “What would you do if you didn’t act? Go back to modeling?” He could tell she was on the edge of opening up, perhaps something he needed to hear in order to… Trust. God. The word hung there, as if he wasn’t certain about the woman behind the mask.

  She darted a cautious look in his direction. “Don’t laugh. I’d like to write books. I do write them, just not very well.”

  “That’s amazing.”

  “You really think so?”

  Her voice was so small, as if asking if she was doing anything right in her life. “I honestly do.” Turning toward her, he leaned against the railing and gave her a comforting smile. “I don’t have the ability to do anything but fight fires. Never wanted to do anything else. You have so many talents.” The moment he pressed his fingers against her skin, the same desire crept in, pushing his cock against his jeans.

  “Well, then you can help me push a book or two to a publisher.” Her laugh was light, easy. She gazed into his eyes and exhaled. “You are quite the man.”

  “I’m just me.”

  “A wonderful you.”

  He looked down, still touching her, still needing the connection, but his heart remained heavy. The burden of his guilt and the past was too much to bear alone. “I was married for several years. Rose was an amazing woman. She was sweet and filled my world with laughter, something I didn’t experience much of as a kid. We fell in love hard and fast. When we married, we had nothing. I mean nothing to our names.”

  Trinity
rubbed her hand up and down his arm.

  “She was very special, could make anything seem amazing and made certain we had what we needed. I started to make money with the fire department and while she wasn’t thrilled with my choice of profession, she knew what I wanted so she never pushed hard. When she became pregnant…” He swallowed hard as his chest tightened.

  “Take your time. I’m right here.”

  “I know you are.” Riker took another sip of wine, surprised how easily it was going down. “I was thrilled, although scared to death. Me, as a father. Me, of all people. I didn’t think I could do what was needed, but then Grace came. A little ball of wonder and joy. She was so happy from the minute she was born. She laughed, giggled all the time.”

  “The light of her daddy’s eyes.”

  “Yes,” he whispered, tears welling in his eyes. “She was so perfect. Rosy cheeks and ten little toes and fingers. I was the happiest man alive. So was Rose. She doted on me and Grace every minute of the day. I was given a promotion, which meant we could get a bigger place. Everything was going so well. We were so happy.”

  Trinity rose onto her toes, kissing his cheek. “It’s okay, Riker.”

  Sniffing, a single tear slipped down his cheek. “I’m sorry. Landen is the only person I’ve talked to about this. He’s the only one I knew I could—”

  “Trust?” she interrupted.

  “Yeah. I guess that’s it.” He could feel himself pulling away and refused to fall into the same trap he’d fallen into since leaving Baltimore.

  “What happened?”

  “Rose died. My baby died.” He heard her anguished sounds, the way her breath was ragged, just like the damn beating of his own heart.

  Trinity eased against him, resting her head on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I’m so very sorry.”

  Riker gripped the back of her head, keeping her in place, desperate to cling to the present instead of the horrors of the past. “They were my world.” As his voice broke, tears sliding down his face, he looked up at the sky and could see Grace’s face the last time he’d been home. The evening before she… “My fault.”

  “What?” She lifted her head, her eyes never blinking. “What do you mean your fault?”

  He held his breath for what seemed like an eternity before he could speak. “They died because of me. I killed them.”

  Chapter 9

  There was no way to understand why Trinity hadn’t pulled away, shoving him out the door, but she hadn’t. Instead, she’d held him while he wept, the first time he’d done so in over three years. When he finally pushed the damning memory into the ugly black box, stifling the tears and facing reality, she’d held his hands, refusing to let him go. Still, he hadn’t been able to tell her the final details. Perhaps he never would. Maybe they didn’t matter.

  Numb inside, his instinct was to go away, take his Harley to parts unknown. Perhaps the crash had been about karma after all, refusing to allow him to run.

  “Will this do?” Trinity asked as she walked out of her bedroom. When she saw the look on his face, she laughed. “I wanted to look nice.”

  “Nice? You’ve been to Ziggy’s. The place is honky-tonk,” he said as he walked closer. Convincing her to go with him to the bar had been unexpected, but his desire felt right, as if she was supposed to be by his side.

  Groaning, she smoothed down her dress. “I currently have one pair of jeans to my name. This is what I normally wear, and don’t you dare say a word.” Laughing, she sauntered closer, allowing her hips to swing back and forth.

  “You look wonderful.” And she did. With her hair swept up, pinned in the back, her fiery red dress clinging to her curves in a provocative manner, he was horny all over again. Closing the distance, he reached around, tapping her ass. “Just remember you belong to me.” He could hear a distinct echo, as if saying the words from a distance. She didn’t seem to notice.

  “How could I forget?” Whispering, she kissed his cheek. “This is unexpected. I’m glad you invited me.”

  “Just remember, the gang is well, the gang.” Riker wasn’t certain what to expect, other than ribbing from the team, but even for a single night, he wanted to feel like Stoker, or even Landen, happy to have someone on his arm.

  She remained silent during the first few miles and while he couldn’t see her face, he could almost hear her mind reeling, churning with what he’d told her. He gripped the steering wheel until his hands ached, and still there was no relief. Maybe he could forget, even for a few hours.

  Blip!

  The sound came from her purse. He looked over and noticed her body had tensed and the fact she was ignoring the call or text. “Important?”

  “Crap. No doubt just utter crap.”

  What she hadn’t told him was intriguing, but he wasn’t going to grill her on anything. She seemed to relax after a couple of minutes, until her phone rang in earnest.

  “I don’t have any reception at the cabin. I’m sure this is just my agent, trying to figure out where I am.”

  “You didn’t tell him?”

  Snorting, she darted a glance in his direction. “Not on your life.”

  “Do you want to tell me what happened to make you leave?”

  “No.”

  The word was simple. Succinct. He nodded, even though he knew she wasn’t paying any attention.

  Seconds later, she dragged her phone out of her purse, sliding her finger across and twisting her body.

  Whatever she was harboring, she certainly didn’t want him to see. He kept his eyes on the road as she stared down at the screen.

  “No.” The whisper was hoarse, filled with terror.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Trinity coughed, the sound choked and slapped her hand on the dashboard. “It’s just something I’m dealing with.”

  “The reason you left.”

  “Leave it alone. Alone!”

  Riker exhaled but remained quiet. The entire rest of the trip, she wasn’t able to take her eyes off of what had to be an email. What asshole was bugging her? He realized the defensive protection mechanism was clear and present. When he pulled into the parking lot, easing into a spot, he remained idling as he unclipped his seatbelt. “Are you certain you want to do this? My friends can be very pushy.”

  “I need this. Let’s go have some fun. Okay?” Without saying another word, she unfastened her seatbelt and slid out of the car, walking several feet ahead of him.

  After scrambling to follow, he took her arm, pulling her back. “Hold on here. Wait for me.” Wrapping his arm around her waist, he tipped her chin with his finger. “Just like you told me. I’m right here.” Lowering his head, he captured her mouth, allowing the kiss to be a gentle reminder, a softness that they both seemed to need.

  She melted into his arms, her fingers digging into his shirt, moaning past the kiss.

  In an uncharacteristic mannerism, he kept his arm around her as they walked inside and within seconds, they were noticed.

  “Holy. Fuck.” The exclamation was loud, drawing attention in their direction.

  Riker cringed as he walked them further inside, unsure of who’d issued the two words. He noticed Stoker’s face first, the man grinning from ear to ear. “Here we go.”

  Trinity nestled into his hold, her hand on his chest as they continued further in, passing by a solid two dozen people, several turning in their direction.

  “Riker Sheffield. Have you been keeping secrets?”

  Riker laughed, seeing Shannon’s bright eyes and happy smile. He walked closer to the bar, waiting for the onslaught. “Trinity Hargrove, Shannon Miller. Be careful with this girl. She’s one mean bartender.”

  “We’ve sort of met already and I heard about her reputation,” Trinity said then laughed. “I love your place.”

  Shannon narrowed her eyes and walked from around the bar, heading in their direction. “Thought I recognized you the other night. I’ve seen two of your films. I know. Not many.”

  “Don’t wor
ry. I’m not into chick flicks either,” Trinity teased. “But can we keep this quiet?”

  “A beauty like you? Going to be tough to do, but I’ll be happy to try. The boys are already in the back. Why don’t I bring you guys some drinks back there?” Shannon winked as she touched Riker’s arm.

  “Landen?” Riker asked.

  Her face clouded over. “I haven’t seen him in a couple days.”

  He lifted an eyebrow and gave her a stern look. “You and I need to talk. No, you need to talk with Landen.”

  “Don’t start with me.” Shannon turned her attention to Trinity. “What would you like?”

  “Tonight? Bourbon,” Trinity answered.

  “A girl after your own heart. Two comin’ up.” Shannon frowned then inched closer, leaning in so that only Riker could hear. “That attorney, Troy something is here. You guys okay with that?”

  “From what I’ve heard, the man has paid his dues. He might be able to help the Jackals with yet another issue.” Riker looked over the crowd, eyeing the Burnout room. He could see the captain pacing, his hands doing part of the talking.

  “Okay. Then I’ll keep that in mind. Go have fun.” Shannon patted his arm.

  Riker grabbed hers. “I’m serious. If you won’t talk with that brooding boyfriend of yours, you and I are going to talk. Okay?”

  Huffing, she narrowed her eyes before nodding. “Fine. We can talk but that won’t change my mind.”

  “Uh-huh.” Riker watched her walk away and could see past her fake bravado. Shannon was one unhappy woman. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

  “Jackals?” Trinity asked.

  “That’s what we call the smokejumping team. Makes us feel closer, I guess.” He hadn’t thought about the term since arriving. Yeah, they were close. Maybe too close, sometimes. As he neared the room, he could tell Stoker had alerted the group to their arrival. He growled under his breath before walking in.

  “Well, well. What do we have here?” Moose snarked first, giving Trinity a once over.