by Dee Ellis
No, she didn’t just brush past me. Charli made as much contact with me as she could manage. Her little hand slid down my forearm, fingertips trailing over my tattoos. Her nails skimmed at my skin and my knees went weak from the simple touch.
Jesus was I going soft? Other parts of me reacted too, but going soft was not a problem. I was really glad for the books then. I spun to keep up with her, adjusting the books to hide my rock hard dick, groaning as I watched her saunter away. There was much more sway in her ass than I had seen yet. My girl was teasing me and I loved it.
I caught up and fell into step beside her as the kids laughed and joked with Marcus holding center court. We were both quiet, my thoughts racing at the swift change in her. We headed from the library, pausing at the corner to wait for a light. My station was just blocks away and I suggested we walk over.
The corner was full of people, swallowing our group up. I felt like I was vibrating with the need to be close to her. To touch her and feel her touching me. Pressing close when the crowd surged, I felt her move before I could. Charli shifted to glance up at me over her shoulder, eyes dropping to my mouth as she let me press close. My free hand pressed to the small of her back, her teeth coming out at her bottom lip again.
Then she startled me by moving backwards, my hand sliding down her hip. I realized two things at once. One, I loved the feel of her in my hands. Two, Charli seemed nervous, not because of me, but because of the crowds surging around us. My hand tightened on her hip and urged her back into me.
Watching her take a shaky breath, either because of our closeness or the crowd I wasn’t sure, the need to protect her was overwhelming. It was another powerful reaction I had never felt. Charli let out a shaky sigh, her eyes stormy as they swung around the crowd waiting for the light. Closing us in.
“Right here, Sugar. Relax Charli.” Her slender neck twisted and I wanted to dip my nose into it to breathe her in.
“Crowds...uh...don’t agree with me so much.” I could see the pulse thrumming at her throat and had no doubt it was not about me.
“No worries, Charli. I’m right here.” I said again and her eyes flew up to mine and held.
Pressing closer slowly, I felt her softness relax into my front, my books clutched beneath my arm. Her eyes fluttered and she gave a nod so I pressed closer. Wanting to calm her. Wanting a hell of a lot more, but for now, just to soothe her.
Her sweet scent filled my lungs and I breathed deep, but kept my touches chaste. Charli tore at her lip with her teeth, tapped one foot at the concrete and took heavy breaths. I dipped down close to her and pressed my lips to her ear, wanting to distract her.
“Sugar, relax I won’t let anything happen to you. I’m right by your side. Until you ask me to go.” I meant more it than she could possibly realize.
“Cage....when is your birthday?” I laughed out loud as her eyes fluttered closed and she took a calming breath.
“New Year’s Day, Sugar. When is yours?” Charli leaned away, eyes searching my face then dropping to my mouth again.
“No fun. Hardly seems fair, huh? Mine....Christmas Eve.” Again her nose scrunched up and I loved her cute face and the laughter in her voice.
“Holiday babies, huh?” My eyes watched her mouth as it twisted in a sexy smile.
Then the light changed and we were crossing, but she stayed close. I thought I knew when I first saw her. When I first saw her sexy curves and wanted to bury myself inside her. When I heard her laugh and thought it was the most amazing sound I had ever heard. Or when she ran and then came right back as if she knew she couldn’t really run.
I thought maybe I knew for sure when I told her so yesterday. Maybe because I spent the last two days drunk on her scent and the way my dick came to life around her. The way all of me came to life around her.
But, no; I knew as we crossed the street together and Charli stuck close to my side, trusting my promise to stick with her till she told me to go. I knew Charli was it and I was done searching.
I knew because yes, my attraction to her was unlike any I’d had before. Before Charli I had wanted plenty of women. I had never felt all the things I had already felt for Charli in just two days. I had never reacted jealously like earlier with Finn. Had never wanted to protect someone like I did now.
Before her, I had never felt so connected by being near her. It was scary as shit but I wanted to know everything she could make me feel. I wanted to experience everything I knew I could with Charli. That’s how I knew my words from yesterday were more than smooth lines to get into her panties. I knew, as her beautiful gray eyes looked up at me and trusted me to keep my word.
Charli was my future. And I was hers.
1
After tours of all the trucks, showing them the gear we had to lug around and even letting Marcus climb into my suit, the kids seemed really into things. They listened intently and asked questions that were no longer about me, but the job itself. Devon took lots of notes and I made a mental note to tug him aside and maybe give him some time with our station captain, Hunter.
Even the girls stopped shooting suggestive smirks my way, which was a relief. Also, Marcus seemed to appreciate their attention. Charli was quiet but seemed interested as well; yesterday she had taken notes and today she was furiously scribbling in her notebook again.
I wasn’t sure what had happened between us as we stood on that corner, but I could feel the difference. Whenever I looked her way, her eyes were already on me. Instead of darting away, she continued to watch me and shit if that didn’t work some kind of magic on me.
During my tour of the station floor, the living quarters and the training rooms, she stuck close to my side. I let the kids take the lead while the two of us fell behind them. Whenever I could, I touched her. My hand at her back to guide her through the low doors. Fingertips curving around her hip to tug her down a hallway. Pressing close behind her as we let the kids talk with Hunter.
“Cage,” Her voice was low and sweet, my cock waking up, “behave.” This was said as both my hands cupped her hips, bringing her ass against my front.
“Hmm, Sugar you sure you want me to be good?” My nose pressed to her jaw as I murmured the taunt at her ear.
“Maybe not,” Her back arched her into me, her ass thrusting against my aching cock, “time and place, Cage.” Charli tipped a look at me over her shoulder as she said this, and the frothy gray storm of want in her eyes had me weak.
“Fuck, Sugar. I can’t wait to be very bad when you tell me the time and place.”
“I don’t doubt it, Cage.” Charli’s eyes were hooded as she pressed back, my fingers digging into her ass and hips.
I was done. Had I any doubts about her, which I had zero, I certainly didn’t after she looked at me like that. Charli smirked and looked away, though it seemed to take an effort on her part. Which I fucking loved. Pretending to pay attention to Hunter as he explained the courses the volunteers took, we never moved.
Charli’s back was pressed into my front, her ass nestled against my erection and driving me fucking crazy. My nose touched the crown of her head, breathing in her shampoo.
I loved her hair down, it fell to the middle of her back and I had visions of it wrapped around my hands. As I bent her over and drove into her from behind. As she knelt before me and worked magic with that sexy mouth on my cock.
“Cage?” Hunter had asked me a question but I was lost in thoughts of fucking Charli until neither of us could walk.
“Yes, sir?” Charli broke away and I felt the loss of her in my gut and hated it.
My fingers dug into her when she giggled, the noise sending a twitch to my already aching cock. Charli knew it too, knew what she was doing to me. Shit she could feel it. Fuck, I liked this.
I liked this quiet flirtation she was letting us have. I liked her playful and sexy like this. I knew, like she said, it wasn’t the time or place, but here we were. Flirting and being absolutely obvious in front of everyone.
I didn’t wan
t to upset her though. I didn't want to cross lines so I shifted away more, hating it every second more distance grew. Hunter was still talking and I had to focus hard, blinking at him as his words began to sink in.
“Yes, sir. Going to take them to the common room now. Let them meet Finn and the guys. Do some Q&A from other perspectives.” Hunter looked right at Charli, then at me and I saw him smirk and I knew I looked guilty as shit.
I did what I said, leading us upstairs to the space where we all hung out between calls. Our station always had at least eight guys on shift, two guys per truck just in case a big call came out. More often than not though, our calls were quick in and out jobs. Putting out a fire on a stove, medical calls, accidents on the freeway, simple jobs.
Though we do see fire action, as we tend to call it, we likely only battle two or three actual fires a month. Doesn’t seem like much action when you’re sitting around with seven other guys, waiting for that bell to ring. Just waiting for some kind of action.
I had to force myself to put some distance between me and Charli, not wanting to be obvious in front of the guys. Then again I thought, maybe that was the place to be absolutely obvious. I basically staked my claim on Charli with Finn, why not the other guys? Most the guys were single, or casually dating, which was why our nights off were spent at places like O’Malley’s.
None of the guys were saints and they let the badge bunnies lure them in with little effort. One of the guys, Levi, had married one of them earlier this year, in fact. Found one of the good ones. After he had to get right with the fact that a few of the guys had her first. Myself not included. That was not going to be a possibility with Charli. No fucking way.
The minute Finn noticed her as we found them all playing pool, I was thankful I’d made the effort to warn him earlier. His eyes lit up as they slid over her and even I felt dirty from the look behind them. Charli glanced up at me, brow raised and I just smirked with a shrug of my shoulder. Then her teeth came out to bite at her smile and I groaned. I loved her fucking mouth. Couldn’t wait to taste it.
Finn cleared his throat and I made a point of introducing the kids to everyone first, saving Charli for last. Which did not go unnoticed by her, her bottom lip almost entirely nipped into her mouth, her cheeks giving away her smile.
“Finn, Charli Dixon,” My eyes swung to Finn and I glared before smiling down at Charli, “Charli, Finn Cooper. No relation. Happenstance.” Finn shot me a dark look and stepped forward, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips.
“Enchante,” I bit back a growl as he lavished a wet kiss at her hand, “the pleasure is all mine, Charli Doll.” Finn’s bright eyes flashed to mine and I shook my head once to warn him.
“More Coopers. I like all the rest,” Charli shot me a sexy smirk that made my damn knees weak, “let’s see how it works for you, Finn.” Her lovely eyes narrowed on him and I loved it.
“Ooh feisty, I like it Doll. Hope Cage is behaving himself like a proper gentleman.” Finn smirked at me, eyes dropping to the hand I still left hooked at Charli’s curvy hip.
“We’re here for the kids to ask questions, see everyone’s point of view on things. Who wants to answer some questions?” I pointedly ignored his comment and turned to the rest of the guys filling the commons room.
Thankfully they were all more than willing and I was reminded why I called them brothers. Everyone took a seat, in the high bar top tables and the various bean bags filling the space. Each of my mentees took a few moments to ask questions and all of the guys were ready with different answers.
I watched Devon interact with Levi, the two seeming to have a connection that could only help me convince the kid to take a chance on himself. Charli scribbled more notes as I watched from a close distance. I took note of it all; the way she chewed on her pen cap as she listened. The fluid, scrawling script she wrote in. Very feminine. How often she adjusted her glasses. I missed nothing.
When the questions took a serious note, Devon asking about how dangerous things got, I noticed her change. Charli was sitting at one of the high top chairs, her long legs crossed, tapping her pen as she listened. Finn began telling a story about a dangerous call we had, one where I had gotten hurt. Her eyes flew to me.
I was close enough I felt her entire body tense. Our eyes met and held as he went on and on, wildly embellishing, putting fear into her beautiful eyes. Shit. As I watched, her shutters came back up. Slowly but with purpose, Charli closed herself off to me. Piece. By. Fucking. Piece.
I could not wait to get out of there and get her alone. For completely different reasons than before. I moved close to her, reaching out to her as Finn and the kids talked loudly and the other guys offered their own stories. Making it worse as they became wounded heroes of their own tales. Jesus.
Charli flinched when my hands touched her this time. Shit if that didn’t kill something inside me. I never wanted to see her upset. To see her shield herself from something. From me and this thing between us. So, stupidly, I pushed. My hands dropped to her thighs, my back to the others as I blocked her view of them and their stupid fucking stories.
“Look at me, Sugar,” I pleaded, not recognizing my weak voice, “don’t. Don’t shut me out.” Her velvety skin beneath my fingers woke me up all over, but I ignored what my body wanted as I watched her eyes.
“Cage. I don’t...please, don’t.” As I touched her, her eyes changed from hollow and guarded to something else. Something hot and needy.
Well that could work to my advantage. We were in a back corner of the loft area, just feet from my own quarters and I momentarily thought of taking her in there. Touching her exactly how I knew would please her, make her come apart in my hands. Fuck I wanted to. I couldn’t, so I made the most of what I had right then. Which was my touch affecting her the same way it was affecting me.
The voices of the others carried on behind us, but I didn’t hear a word. Charli watched my hands slip over her silky skin, her breath catching in her throat. My fingers dug into her skin, not rough but not exactly gentle. Working up her crossed legs, beneath her skirt.
“Look at me, Sugar.” I ordered roughly, knowing somehow she would obey.
Charli’s eyes lifted to mine and they were fiery silver and I growled softly. Her teeth came out to nip at her lower lip, bringing it into her mouth. My knee slid between her legs and she let out a sound as I shoved them apart, making her uncross them. Open them to me. Her hands dropped between us, wrapping around my wrists.
The contact burned through me, coiling heat and need like I’d never felt. I had to pause before I lost my shit completely. Jesus the simplest touch from her was enough to bring me to my knees. Her skin on mine, the light touch of her fingertips at my skin felt familiar at the same time it was more startling and overwhelming than I imagined. Still holding her gaze, I slid my hands up beneath her skirt and she gasped quietly.
“Behave,” Her voice ordered, but her back arched her closer to me, “please, Cage.” My fingers dug into her skin; that plea was not asking me to stop.
“Eyes on me, Charli. Don’t look away, Sugar.” I watched her teeth bite into her plump bottom lip and groaned again.
Charli obeyed, eyes never leaving mine as my hands moved. Slid up beneath her skirt, my fingers gentle at the smoothness of her thighs. Her breathing quickened and I dropped my gaze to her breasts, seeing her nipples harden beneath the pale beige of her top. I wanted to touch her but knew I couldn’t, not the way we both wanted.
For now, my touch, my closeness and my commands were to keep her focus on me. To chase away the fear and apprehension their stupid tales had put in her eyes. Though it sobered me and made me want to take care of her, the reality of what it meant left me feeling drunk. Charli was terrified because they were talking of danger and loss. Which sadly, Charli knew plenty about.
Charli was terrified of more loss. More specifically, the kind of loss I could bring in to her life. My job was dangerous and people got hurt, killed. It was rare and we hadn’t lost
a single man in my time here. But it happened.
Charli was listening to their tall tales, most of their talk being bullshit, and considering me. Us and this thing that was going to happen between us. Was already happening.
The idea of more loss had her shutting down. Trying to, at least. I wasn’t about to let her get away with that. No fucking way. Though I didn’t yet know what ghost left that haunted look in her lovely eyes, I would. Soon enough. Then I would battle it for her, with her, whatever it took to keep that look out of her eyes.
“What’s your favorite holiday,” I remembered her random question on the street corner earlier when she had been nervous, “besides New Year’s.” I winked at her as I pressed closer, my hands moving higher, thumbs working slowly against her thighs.
“Fourth of July,” She bowed her head but looked at me over the rim of her sexy glasses, “back home...it’s quite a production there.” Charli’s hands loosened on my wrists, but didn’t let go; my eyes fluttered when she began caressing me lightly, her thumbs working in circles that mirrored my movements at her thighs.
“Tell me about it.” It was just the two of us for a moment; I couldn’t hear the others talking and couldn’t look away from her as she replied.
“Back home it’s an excuse for our favorites: plenty of barbecue, too much beer and dangerous amounts of explosives. Almost the entire town heads to the river. The entire day is spent cooking and boating. Being complete white trash assholes, basically. I like it at night though; people calm down, the families and couples break off and the sky lights up for hours. Hours. It’s so loud but...it was the most solitary and peaceful time I ever had back home.” The light in her eyes dimmed slowly and I hated it.
“What did you do in the dark, under the skies that lit up for hours with fireworks, Sugar?” Our caress was in sync now, my fingers sliding higher and higher beneath her short skirt.
“Nothing,” Her breath caught as my thumbs swept over her panties, “Cage... please...” Charli’s grey eyes were alert, darting past my shoulder to the others; but I could hear Finn and Levi weaving tales and knew we were safe.
