Ladder 54: Five Firefighter Romances

by Maren Smith

  Theo might be surprised at what she dreamed. But she knew better. Nothing good would come of this, but the words came out without her conscious permission. “I’ll give you thirteen hours.”

  Cursing herself for not bringing a towel to the porch, she got out of the tub and walked to the door leading into the kitchen, her dripping body leaving a mess. “You can stay thirteen hours, but tomorrow morning you go home.”

  She heard him get out of the tub and follow her into the house, but she wasn’t going to turn and risk another glimpse of his long, lean frame stalking her. Warm oak floors were smooth under her bare feet, and she grabbed a few towels from the laundry room.

  Throwing one at him, she prayed he would dry from the waist down first, but instead he ran it over his wet hair, leaving it tousled and enticing before swiping the fabric over the rest of his body. She was grateful when he slipped back into his jeans, but his bare feet and muscled chest were just as bad for her equilibrium.

  She grabbed a pair of jeans from the dryer, but he smirked and tugged them out of her hands, replacing the denim with the cotton of his shirt. “Let’s start with our first lesson. You’ll wear just my t-shirt. I need to learn about you, and this will be the easiest way for me to do it.”

  His dark eyes defeated her spark of temper, and she knew that she would obey. She nodded slowly and slipped his shirt on. His unique scent of bay rum and lemon surrounded her and tickled her nose. The soft fabric covered her, falling past her bottom to the tops of her thighs, but she felt naked under his hot gaze.

  He nodded in approval as he ran his hand over the matching custom cabinetry lining the walls and the pale marble countertops. A stainless steel industrial fridge rested along one wall, across from a gas grill-topped stove. He took a step toward her.

  “It’s beautiful, Selene. I can see why this place brings you so much joy. Can you cook?”

  “I can, but I don’t. I have a personal chef make up frozen meals a few times a month,” she said, backing a little further into the corner.

  “That doesn’t sound very Greek to me,” he spoke softly as he invaded her space and loomed over her.

  She darted under his arm, putting the kitchen island between them. “The house had been gutted by transients when I bought it, but I loved the property and the exterior so much I had to have it. I finished this room a couple of months ago, but the rest has been done for a few years. My brother Castor did all of the woodwork in here. He’s actually pretty—”

  Following her, he cut off her escape and turned her around gently. Setting a finger under her chin, he tipped her head up. “I thought you had more guts.”

  “Excuse me? You don’t know even fucking know me—”

  He looked disappointed and she shuddered under the weight of his scowl. “You interrupted me, sweetheart. I was going to say that I thought you had more guts than to try to change the subject and talk about your house when I’m creating a whole new kinky world for you. I think I should also remind you that good Greek girls don’t swear. Do you understand that there will be punishments if you don’t obey me?”

  The reminder lit a fire across her ass that followed an invisible series of wires right down to her achy and damp pussy and she shuddered as she bit back her argument. She hadn’t been the one to start talking about a kitchen she never used. “I… Okay. But what am I supposed to do now?”

  “Where do I find your bedroom?”

  Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Upstairs, last door at the end of the hall.”

  He wrapped an arm around her waist and she almost whimpered under the electrical storm that raged through her body. The touch was so pleasurable, so comforting, that she nestled closer to his side just to feel the hard muscles in his chest while she escorted him to her bedroom.

  The king-sized sleigh bed and the honey oak columns entwined with climbing plants captured his gaze, and he gave a small nod of approval. Small fireplaces rested at each end of the enormous room, their fronts laid with antique tile and matching carved mantels holding framed photos and knickknacks from her travels. A huge abstract painting that picked out the soothing pale blues and greens of the walls hung behind a comfortable sitting area with an overstuffed loveseat and two chairs.

  “Beautiful,” he murmured, but his eyes weren’t on the room. “So very beautiful…”

  Gently pinching her chin between two fingers, he lowered his head and kissed her. He tasted like ouzo, spicy and sweet. Why did he have to be so damned gorgeous? Maybe she could have resisted his beautiful body, but she couldn’t resist the innate kindness and protective nature he’d had since he was a kid.

  Taking her hand, he led her to the couch and helped her sit before laying a blanket over her. “Watch the sunset while I get things ready for us.” Bending down, Theo dropped a kiss on her forehead.

  She looked up into his warm brown eyes, confused at the soft innocence of his lips brushing her face. “What was that for?”

  He stared at her for a moment, but she couldn’t read his expression. “I wanted to.” Lowering his head, his lips met hers.

  His tongue teased at her lips as he increased his demands with patient resolve until she relaxed for him. Butterflies jumped and danced in her belly and she whimpered as wet need pooled between her legs. Her lips tingled, and she struggled to open her eyes when he pulled away and cleared his throat. A chill breeze raised goosebumps on her arms.

  “What’s going to happen, Theo?” Selene hated the nervous question. She was a grown woman!

  He knelt to light the gas log in the fireplace, his silence giving her a momentary reprieve from the overwhelming force of his personality. This would have to be a one-night stand. Her life was in Chicago and she wouldn’t ask him to leave Montana. If she sent him away right now, would she miss what she’d never had?

  It would hurt to let him go. She should call out whatever the hell safeword he wanted and forget she ever knew him. When the gas whooshed as it caught, she shivered and steeled herself for what she needed to do. The words stuck in her throat when he straightened and faced her.

  “You’ll get everything you didn’t know you wanted, little one.”

  Chapter Five

  He wasn’t sure how he managed such a feat, but he took a step back and said, “I’ll be right back. I need to get my bags from my car.”

  At her nod, he raced down the stairs and outside to grab his luggage, detouring to her kitchen on the way back for ice and snacks, along with a few bottles of water. He scowled at the contents of her refrigerator. Aside from some fruit and a bag of cubed cheese, her fridge was nearly empty. Opening the freezer, he found several labeled plastic containers he assumed must have come from her chef. Judging by the menu of healthy and flavorful choices, she wasn’t going hungry.

  His arms full, he trotted back up the stairs, pausing at the doorway to look at her, wondering again if giving her the night she’d paid for was a good choice. He could probably scrape together the money to reimburse her, but he knew her well enough by now to know that would insult her. By her own admission, she’d never intended to make him keep his obligation.

  Dropping his bags by the bed, he set the ice and snacks down on the bedside table, then walked to the couch.

  She turned to face him, her brown eyes huge in her pale face. “What are we going to do, Theo?”

  He sat down next to her and tugged the clip from her hair, allowing the wavy brown strands to fall to her shoulders as he went through the laundry list of filthy things he wanted to do to her curvy little body. He’d had too much time to think about it and the possibilities were endless. Reminding himself that she was new to D/s, he decided to start with a few of his milder fantasies.

  “I want to tie you up and use a flogger on your pretty ass until it’s hot and pink, and you’re crying out in a mix of pain and pleasure. I want to kiss you all over and taste that sweet pussy of yours. I want to drip hot wax on you; controlling the heat with the distance between the candle and your skin. And then I w
ant to cool it with ice.”

  Her mouth fell open and a blush suffused her face, but she didn’t say a word. He took that to mean she was interested.

  “I want to drop hot wax on your clit as I push a piece of ice up inside you and I want to see if you come from it.” Bending toward her, he wrapped a hand around her throat and whispered in her ear, “And I want to make you come so many times that you fall unconscious and are late to work tomorrow. Actually, you might as well call in. I’m not going to let you leave until I’ve had my fill of you.” Standing over her, he held out a hand. “Tell me now if you want that, or if you want me to leave. Otherwise, I’m not going to give you a choice.”

  She accepted his hand and stood, her eyes wide and glassy.

  “Yes or no, Selene.”

  She bit her lip and nodded. “Yes.”

  The second he got her answer, he crushed his lips to hers, taking her mouth in a brutal kiss. He yanked his shirt over her head, leaving her bare for him. The hair on her pussy had been trimmed and waxed into a neat landing strip, leaving the fleshy labia bare and glistening with arousal.

  Ignoring the desire to drop to his knees and taste the offering, he snaked an arm around her hip, holding her up as he pulled her into his embrace, his free hand wrapped around the back of her neck. He couldn’t get enough of her sweet lips, even though he knew kissing her was his worst idea ever. Kissing meant intimacy, which was more than either of them could give.

  With a growl, Theo pulled away from her, his breathing labored. His cock pressed painfully against the zipper of his jeans and her eyes widened as he adjusted himself. “Fuck, Selene! You drive me crazy!”

  She smirked, rubbing her belly against his thick cock. “Join the crowd, honey. Why don’t you kiss me again?”

  He picked her up, tossing her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing as he strode toward the bed, his bare feet making no sound on the thick carpet. Instead of fighting him as she’d done after the auction, she stroked his ass, squeezing and releasing the hard muscles of his butt.

  The little minx nipped his hip, her sharp teeth sinking into the muscle. His feet stalled in shock as he registered the pain from her temerity and his hand crashed down on her ass, making her ample flesh jiggle. He liked the feeling so much, he did it again, making her squeal and kick her feet.

  Clamping an arm around her thighs, he delivered several sharp spanks to her bare backside, then spun her around before dropping her to her feet next to the only column that didn’t have a plant around it.

  “Are the rings at the tops of those columns structural?” he asked.

  She shook her head and he caught her when she swayed. “I don’t understand.”

  “Will they pull out if I tie you to them?”

  “No, I mean, probably not. They were meant for heavy plants.”

  “Good. If not, I’ll pay to have them fixed. Stand still, or I’ll spank you again.”

  “You haven’t spanked me yet.”

  He tugged her hair, forcing her to look up. “Trust me, you’ll know it when I do.” Lowering his hand, he took a step back, pinning her in place with his steady gaze. “For tonight only, you will call me Sir. Understand?”

  “Yes, I mean, yes, Sir.”

  Damn, he liked hearing that word from her. Liked it way too much to be good for either of them. “Okay.” He pinched her chin between two fingers, holding her face steady as he looked at her. “Have you ever played or had a dominant lover?”

  “I hardly think that’s any of your—”

  Laying a finger over her lips, he cut her off. “Actually, it is my business. I don’t need names or details, but I do need to know your level of experience. Have you ever been bound, flogged, caned, had anal play, or sensation play—”

  Trying to shake her head at each thing he asked about, she held up a hand. “I’ve been spanked, okay? I don’t mind anal if there’s plenty of lube, but aside from that, nothing.”

  He scowled and tapped his foot.

  Blinking, she added, “Sir.”

  Pushing down the hot surge of jealousy at the thought of someone else spanking her delicious ass, he went on with his lecture. “Good. We’ll use stop light signals for safewords. Red if you want to stop, yellow if you want a break, and green if you’re okay to continue. If you say red, I will stop everything and I’ll stay with you until I’m sure you’re okay. I will also ask what color you are during our time, and you will tell me red, yellow, or green.”

  “Okay. I think I have it.”

  He nodded. “Thank you, but you forgot something.”

  A line formed between her brows and she wrinkled her nose. “Huh?”

  He dragged her forward, pressing her chest against the column with her wrists held in one hand over her head. Without a word, he delivered several spanks to her bare ass, making her shriek and dance. The sound, a meaty whap that echoed through her oversized bedroom, was supremely satisfying, as were her screeches of pain.

  “Sir! Red, yellow, or green, Sir!”

  The blows stopped immediately and Theo pressed up against her, his hand stroking her abused backside. “That’s a good girl. You won’t forget again, right?”

  “No, Sir.”

  Oh, thank fuck! Spanking her had been a risk, and he’d purposely kept his blows light. They probably stung a little bit, but if she was tough enough to get into a fistfight with her brother whenever she visited her parents, she was tough enough for a barehanded spanking. He probably wouldn’t have to give her another, at least not for forgetting to call him Sir.

  Most important, she hadn’t safeworded. Hell, he’d have quit for no or stop. She was new to D/s and he wouldn’t let either one of them forget it. Selene would be a test of everything he’d learned over the last ten years. It was easy to give a woman pleasure; he wanted to give Selene memories.

  And not the kind of memories that would make her scowl and drink to forget. This was going to be their only time together. He wanted her to reminisce and smile a secret, naughty sort of grin that would make the nursing home staff wonder what she’d been up to. It would be a memory she would keep to herself and not share with her children. Her grandchildren would wonder what Yaya was thinking about. Maybe she would tell one or two nurses, who would blush crimson and giggle.

  Damn. He ought to be a writer. That shit would sell as chick lit. He bit his tongue, reminding himself to focus on what was important; namely making Selene come as many times as possible before dawn.

  “Thank you, little sub.” He pulled her a few feet away from the column. “I have a couple of questions I need to ask before we get started.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  She lowered her head and he tugged on her hair to make her lift it again. “I need to see your face at all times. I’m not one for eye contact restrictions. I want to see what you’re feeling.”

  “Okay. I mean, okay, Sir.”

  “Thanks. First off, do you have any medical issues I need to know about? High blood pressure, diabetes, claustrophobia?”

  “No, Sir. I’m good.”

  “Any circulation issues?”

  “No, Sir.”

  “Good. I’m going to restrain your arms above your head. Are you okay with being still?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Good. Let’s see how you do while I get what I need.” He took her hands and laid them against the pillar, as far as she could comfortably reach above her head. He trailed his hands down her sides, enjoying the quiver of her muscles.

  “Okay, Sir.” She bit her lip. “How long will you leave me tied? And what happens if I get uncomfortable and can’t do it?”

  “All you have to do is say ‘yellow.’ Say ‘red’ if you want everything to stop. I will not leave you unattended, either.”

  “Thank you, Sir.”

  “Good girl. Now keep your hands there. I’ll tell you when you can move them.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He watched her stand against the pillar. Her back arched, thrusting her a
ss out into the perfect target for what he planned. Tearing his gaze away from her, he rummaged in his bag of tricks.

  The handmade single tail was too much for a novice. He left it coiled in the bottom of the bag, choosing instead a soft deer hide flogger that delivered a gentle sting without too much thud. He set the dragon’s tongue off to the side, unsure if he’d use it. That one gave a pretty good bite, but could be a nice counterpoint to the flogger. He left the solid impact tools in the bag. The paddles and leather straps were well beyond what he intended for tonight. Lastly, he picked out leather cuffs and a narrow collar.

  Stroking a fingertip over the supple leather of the collar, he spared a brief moment for wishful thinking and put it back before retrieving the plastic bag containing his wax supplies.

  The chain between the wrist cuffs clinked as he carried them to her, but she didn’t react. She hadn’t moved a muscle at all.

  Damn, he was proud of her.

  “Put your arms down and turn to face me, please.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He put a bundle of leather in her hands. “This is a flogger made of deerskin. It stings, but is gentle enough for a novice. It won’t leave a permanent mark even if I use a little force.”

  He liked watching her handle the leather falls of his favorite flogger more than he ought to. Turning her to face him, he took the flogger from her and said, “Give me your wrists, please.”

  She held out her hands and metal clanked as he wrapped the soft leather cuffs around her wrists. He pushed a finger in between the leather and her skin as he tightened them. He backed up a step to look at her.

  “Put your hands behind your head, Selene. I want to see you.”

  He moved around her, his hands brushing her skin as he braided her hair and laid it over her shoulder. “You look beautiful like this.”

  “Thank you, Sir.”

  She shivered when he laid his hands on her ribs and moved them up to wrap around her throat. “One more thing and we’ll get started.”