Play With Fire: Into The Fire Series

by J. H. Croix

  Jasmine narrowed her eyes and actually pouted. I burst out laughing.

  Pouting wasn’t the kind of thing she usually did. As fucking hot and sexy as she was, there was no artifice to her, none whatsoever. Which only made her hotter and sexier to me.

  When I laughed, she rested a hand on her hip and rolled her hips over my aching cock. I sucked in my breath, the air hissing through my teeth. “I’m serious.”

  She took a deep breath, and I could still hear a slight hitch in her lungs. My mind spun back to what couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes ago when she started coughing, and I’d looked into her eyes and realized she simply could not catch her breath.

  As I’d raced up the stairs to grab my medical kit right away, knowing I had an inhaler, I recalled an elderly man I’d carried out of a fire once. He’d had asthma and had been deep into an attack. They’d told me later that his age had been a major factor, yet he died.

  Jasmine took another breath, letting it out with a sigh. “I’m fine. See.”

  My heart thudded so hard inside my chest, I thought it might burst. I lifted a hand, brushing her hair back from her face and sifting my fingers through the silky locks. “I know. We don’t have to rush. Plus, I’m filthy and I need a shower.”

  Uncertainty flashed in her eyes as she caught her bottom lip in her teeth, worrying it. I sternly ordered my cock down. She wasn’t doing it to be sexy, but my cock sure thought she was.

  “It doesn’t have to be a thing,” she said softly.

  “A thing?”

  Her mouth twisted with another sigh. “My asthma.”

  “It’s not a thing. I’m just pointing out the obvious. You were on your way to a pretty serious attack there. Now I know I need to stay stocked up on this,” I replied, gesturing to the inhaler sitting innocuously on the coffee table now.

  She rolled her eyes and giggled. I was relieved to see the worry fade from her face. “I need a shower too,” she said, shifting gears quickly.

  Adjusting her in my arms, I stood and lifted her with me. I wasn’t ready to let her go. Even though my week had been shit—Bill had died, and I was still reverberating from that shock—right now, with Jasmine in my arms and her legs curling around my hips, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be.

  The air between us had cleared. The blunt truth about how much she meant to me and how deeply I cared was out there. I was the luckiest fucking guy in the world because she loved me too.

  I carried her into the bathroom, reluctantly easing her down. Once the hot water was flowing, and we climbed in the shower with steam cocooning us, I realized my judgment had been rather shortsighted.

  Between leaving for the fire and then going down to Denver, I hadn’t been skin-to-skin with Jasmine for two weeks. I glanced over to see soap bubbles rolling over her curves, her dusky pink nipples pebbled under the water. Before I even realized what I was doing, I reached out to cup one of her breasts, rolling my thumb back and forth over a taut nipple. With the soap rolling down out of her hair, she lifted her eyes, her lashes spiky with the water. In the mist, her sapphire eyes stood out.

  “I thought you were treating me like I might break,” she murmured with a slow smile.

  The evidence of my arousal was obvious, with my aching cock thick and swollen.

  As if to be helpful, she added, “Steam is really good for my lungs.”

  Then my lips were on hers, and her legs were winding around my waist. I held her high against me, turning us together and bringing her back against the tiled wall. I drew back, catching her bottom lip with my teeth and giving it a tug. I bit back a moan as her slick pussy rocked against my cock.

  “I love you,” I murmured on a ragged breath through the steam and water raining down around us.

  Her head fell back against the tile as she opened her eyes. “Love you too,” she said on the heels of a gasp when my cock slid over her swollen clit.

  I didn’t want to wait. Reaching between us, I adjusted my angle and sank home inside of her snug, wet, clenching heat.

  My forehead fell to hers once I was seated deeply inside of her.

  “Fuck, Jasmine. You feel so good.”

  With her eyes right there and our lips brushing against each other as we spoke, she replied, “You do too.”

  Her heel spurred my ass and made me forget how much I missed her. Holding her tight, with the hot water and steam cocooning us, spinning us into a world where only we existed, I drove back and sank inside of her again and again. Her pussy clenched and throbbed around me. I felt her body tightening and shudders rippling through her. Only then did I reach between us, pressing my thumb over her clit and watching as she cried out.

  My own release thundered through me, heat twisting at the base of my spine and whipping like a lash, the force so intense, my knees almost gave out. Her forehead fell into the crook of my neck. We stayed like that for several moments, catching our breaths in the steamy heat of the shower.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Jasmine

  My feet were resting on Donovan’s lap while he leaned back into the couch. He was conveniently wearing his jeans and no shirt. I was thinking I’d be content to just look at him all the time.

  It was ridiculous actually. He was so fucking sexy—all rugged, hard, muscled planes. Before I even thought about it, I leaned forward and dropped kisses over his chest.

  He chuckled, his eyes canting down to mine, glinting with mirth. “I don’t think I can handle another round, sugar. I’m fucking exhausted.”

  “You don’t need to handle anything,” I replied. “I just wanted to taste your skin.”

  We’d ordered pizza and lounged around his suite. Our shower had left me giddy, fizzing with joy inside. He told me a little bit more about Bill, what had happened while he was in Denver, and more about his family. Apparently, his parents were coming up to visit in a couple of weeks.

  He wanted me to meet them. That wasn’t the least bit terrifying.

  For a flicker, I experienced a beat of fear. It all seemed so real, so big. But then Donovan dipped his head and dropped a kiss on the inside of my wrist. I remembered that when I was with him, it was always okay, it was always right.

  We had the television on, but we weren’t really watching it. I drifted off to sleep at points. Seeing as I had hardly slept at all last night and I’d busied myself to the point of distraction today, that wasn’t a surprise.

  “Have you met my parents?” I asked, realizing he may have and I just didn’t know it.

  As soon as my question came out, I remembered my mother had mentioned meeting him. “Oh wait, my mom told me she knew who you were.” Suddenly, I remembered that I had an older brother who was friends with Donovan. Not that I’d forgotten, I’d just conveniently put it out of my mind. “I think we need to tell Levi about us.”

  “Glad you mentioned it. I was thinking that myself before I went to Denver. But I figured it was your call, not mine,” Donovan replied.

  “Just so you know, he’s kind of a typical older brother. You may not think that because he’s so laidback and always teasing. But he’s not with me. Well, sometimes he’s not.”

  Donovan lifted a shoulder in an easy shrug. “I’d be overprotective if I had a little sister. I get it. If he needs to haul off and hit me, I’ll deal with it.”

  “He won’t hit you! That’s not okay with me. I’ll tell him we’re serious, and he’ll deal with it.”

  Donovan chuckled. “I’d punch me.”

  “Even if I told you not to?”

  He nodded, the sly look in his eyes making my belly do a quick little flip.

  “Sugar, most men don’t like to think about who wants to fuck their little sister. I love you, but I’d be flat out lying if I didn’t say that’s what started this. That first night I saw you, I wanted you.”

  A little thrill raced through me. “You did?”

  “Oh yeah. You’re gorgeous when you’re angry. Hot as fucking hell. We haven’t even had a proper fight
yet, but I can already tell you I’m gonna love it. We’re gonna have amazing make-up sex.”

  My heart was doing that wild and crazy beat again, about to fly right out of my chest. My cheeks heated as I looked over at him. I couldn’t quite believe he’d wanted me the first time he saw me. My thoughts must’ve shown in my eyes.

  He brushed his thumb across my cheek. “Yeah, I have it that bad, sugar.”

  Epilogue

  Jasmine

  More than a year later

  * * *

  Standing on the deck behind Midnight Sun Arts gallery, I leaned on the railing, looking out over the water. Kachemak Bay glittered under the sun. The mountains rose tall on the far side of the bay, their peaks snow-tipped and bright against the blue sky.

  An icy wind gusted off the water, and I tugged my jacket tighter around my shoulders. I took another deep breath of the bracing salty air before turning and walking back inside. I bumped into Donovan as he was walking down the hallway.

  “Cold?” He smiled. “It’s busy in the gallery,” he murmured as he stepped closer, caging me in his arms against the wall. I looked up into his hazel gaze, taking in his dark hair and the chiseled lines of this face. He still took my breath away. My pulse skittered wildly while my belly spun in a flip.

  I kept thinking the effect he had on me would start to fade. No such luck, but I wasn’t complaining. He pressed closer against me where we stood in the back hallway, currently in a private place. My breath hitched when he traced my lips with his fingertip. Teasing, I caught it in my teeth, swirling my tongue around it, savoring as his eyes narrowed and darkened with desire.

  The saving grace in how much power he held over me was the fact I had as much over him. I knew how to bring Donovan Ryan to his knees, and he knew how to do the same to me.

  “Don’t make me crazy,” he murmured, dipping his head and fitting his mouth over mine. His tongue swept in swiftly, sensually curling around mine before he drew back. He dropped his hand, sliding it down across the side of my breast and into the dip of my waist before palming my ass as he rocked his arousal into me.

  Just like that, and my panties were a lost cause. Someone called my name, and Donovan’s mouth curled into a delectable grin.

  “Duty calls,” he murmured. “We’ll finish this later.”

  One more roll of his hips against me, and my sex clenched, my nipples tightening.

  “No fair,” I muttered.

  He chuckled as he stepped back. “You started it, sugar.”

  My cheeks were hot as I leaned against the wall, shaking my head. “You’re the one who started it.”

  His gruff laugh echoed through my body, sending little pinwheels of pleasure through me. Dear God. I was probably headed for an early death based on the effect he had on me.

  I pushed away from the wall as he held his hand out, curling his strong grip around mine. He led me back down the hallway and into the gallery. It had been a busy year. Time had folded into itself. It was winter, and every Winter Solstice, Risa had a big show at the Diamond Creek location of Midnight Sun Arts. They had an event at every location, but this location was her baby. Or so she said. She’d invited me to come down and mingle with the guests for the show.

  Over a year and a half ago, in the summer, or thereabouts, Donovan had taken a weekend to get my studio in working order. Then I got busy. I was selling plenty of my work. My home had always been Willow Brook in my heart. But now home was also Donovan.

  We got married last spring. He’d declared he didn’t want to wait. I hadn’t wanted to wait either. Levi never did punch Donovan. I took that as a win, although there had definitely been a few tense moments.

  I was now the proud aunt of Glory, Lucy and Levi’s baby daughter. They named her after my mother, Gloria, but Glory stuck as her nickname. She was as feisty as I expected with Lucy as her mother.

  Janet’s B&B was no longer our private love nest. Although we’d pretty much christened every room of that place through last winter before I finally gave in and moved into Donovan’s new house. Which was now our house.

  With Donovan’s hand warm in mine, I threaded through the crowd. I wasn’t the only artist here tonight. Risa was the one who called my name, and she came over to check with me, her eyes bright as she slipped her arm over my shoulders.

  “We’re going to run out of your stuff after next week by the time I ship all these orders. Just so you know. Seeing as we haven’t even gotten through Christmas yet, you might want to get busy next week.”

  A little flash of anxiety zipped through me, but I ignored it. Lately, my motto was that some problems were better to have. This was definitely a good problem to have.

  With a grin, I replied, “Absolutely. I’ll do my best, but you know I’d rather have this problem than the other.”

  She chuckled just as someone called her name. She started to spin away, but turned back quickly. “I can’t help it. I have to say it. Told you so,” she said with a wink, referencing her comment last year that she was confident she’d be able to sell my work. With a wave, she hurried off to talk to whoever had been calling her.

  Donovan was a good sport, always coming to events like this with me, although it definitely wasn’t his element. One of the things I loved about Alaska was the hodgepodge of people. In the gallery tonight, there was a mix of artists, fisherman, business people, and more. The sentiment that tied everyone together was the warmth and sense of community.

  Later that night, Donovan was leaning against the headboard on the bed in the small suite we’d rented in the B&B beside the gallery. His muscled chest gleamed in the shadowy light. He held his hand out as I stepped out of the bathroom. It was a miracle I was even standing at this point.

  He’d just fucked me thoroughly and sent me flying more times than I could count. But he did that often. Tugging one of his T-shirts over my head, I climbed onto the bed beside him, propping up the pillows behind me as I curled into his shoulder.

  “So, we drive back in the morning?” I asked.

  “Yeah, assuming the weather cooperates.”

  He chuckled, his eyes flicking to the window. I followed his gaze. We’d left the curtains open because there was no one to look inside. A set of French doors led out onto a small balcony. The moon was high above, shimmering on the water, its silvery light illuminating the snowflakes falling.

  Glancing back to me, he continued, “It’ll have to get a lot worse than this. But if it does, we’ll just hole up here.”

  Then his lips were on mine, his warm embrace holding me strong and sure.

  Donovan

  Another few months later

  * * *

  I walked outside, ignoring the biting cold and taking a deep breath of the winter air. It was a clear, chilly day, and spring was right around the corner. I had a surprise for Jasmine, but I had one last thing to do.

  Letting myself into the small building at the back of our property, I scanned the space as I closed the door behind me. When I’d bought this property, this building was the only thing here and had once served as a two-room cabin. I thought I had everything just so. The last thing was to get her kiln installed today.

  I’d invited my parents up for a few weeks, if only to keep Jasmine distracted while I finished this project. Mama had insisted Jasmine take her to Anchorage today. Things were much better than I ever could’ve imagined. Jasmine and I had been married for over a year now. If anything, my love for her had only deepened in that time.

  I wouldn’t lie, the sex was amazing. But that wasn’t why I loved her, although it did pretty much make me a slave to her.

  I was just about to pull my phone out to call Levi when there was a sharp knock at the door. Opening it, I found him standing there with Cade. “We’re here. We’ve got the kiln in the back of Cade’s truck,” Levi said, by way of greeting.

  “Awesome. Let’s do this,” I replied.

  In short order, we had her brand new, shiny kiln set up in what was going to be Jasmine’s
new studio. She was still using the studio behind Firehouse Café, but sometimes she was gone for hours upon hours. I’d learned that once she got going, she lost all sense of time. I didn’t mind it one bit because she loved it. Yet, I wanted her to be able to work more easily, especially in the winter. I didn’t like worrying about her driving home at odd hours after bursts of inspiration.

  In the meantime, the owners of Midnight Sun Arts had decided to add another gallery to their small local chain here in Willow Brook. It would only be open during the summer, but Risa was already hounding Jasmine to help her with it. Jasmine had declared she did not want to be in charge of sales, but she’d help with the rest. Unbeknownst to Jasmine, they were going to use her almost-former studio as storage for the gallery.

  As we were walking out after Cade had already driven away, Levi paused by his truck. He’d been right pissed at me when he first found out about Jasmine and me. Like I told Jasmine at the time, I’d have been pissed too. He never did punch me though.

  “You’re a good man,” Levi said, reaching out and clapping my shoulder. “I might’ve been pissed as all hell at first, but I wouldn’t trade you for another brother-in-law, not for a second.”

  I chuckled. “I love Jasmine. But I’m pretty sure you know that by now. I’d do anything for her, anything at all.”

  Levi held my gaze, nodding once. “I know.” At that, he turned away.

  A few hours later, my mama and Jasmine returned to the house. Mama came up to me, dropping a kiss on my cheek and enveloping me in one of her warm hugs. Even though she hadn’t even been baking today, somehow, she still smelled like cinnamon and sugar. But then, she always smelled like that to me.

  Leaning up to whisper in my ear, she said, “I’m going to go upstairs for a nap. You take Jazzy out and show off that studio.”