by Jessica Gray
Jules headed for an empty high top and slid onto a stool, patting the one next to hers for him to take. “Second thoughts?”
“Never.”
Mitch put a tray with half a dozen shot glasses in front of them and smirked when she shot him a glance. “I ran out of Vodka.”
Tyler didn’t believe him for one second but he was actually glad for the lie. Jules grabbed the farthest glass and raised a brow at him when he failed to follow suit quickly enough.
He took the shot glass closest to himself and held her gaze as they both lifted them to their lips and tossed the liquid back. Tyler barely noticed the burn as the vodka slid down his throat, watching Jules occupying all of his attention in that moment. She swallowed, her Adam’s apple bobbing as she handled the fiery liquid with ease.
After downing the second of his three shots Tyler found himself staring at the glass, trying to decide which of the two was real. He placed a hand on her forearm, stalling her attempt to down number three. “Whoa! Slow down there, sweetheart.”
Jules shook her head, winked at him and brushed his hand off. “That’s not the way this game is played. Drink up or vacate that stool.”
Tyler had never backed down from a good challenge in his entire life, and despite knowing better he picked up drink number three, matching her pace in tossing the liquid back, sending a short prayer of thanks to Mitch who’d refused to give them a dozen shots.
“You okay?” That sounded an awful lot like Gunner’s voice. He’d forgotten his friend was here as well. But Tyler didn’t look, because he kept his eyes trained on Jules who grabbed the last shot. Thank God, it’s done. Tyler felt the vodka burning down his throat all the way into his stomach and he suddenly feared for his stomach lining. It was a good think he’d eaten two steaks before coming to the bar.
“Let’s go, before you do anything stupid.” Gunner insisted with a glance on the empty glasses.
“Wait…” Tyler said, completely satisfied with himself.
Jules slammed the shot glass back onto the table top, rum side down, wiped her mouth with her hand, and then she grabbed his shoulders and crashed her lips over his.
And this was no ordinary kiss.
She nudged his lips open, and Tyler eagerly complied, wrapping his arms around her back, pulling her soft body flush against him, while his tongue received hers, dancing, exploring, enjoying. She tasted like oranges and vodka, soft and burning, her fire consuming him, reawakening his body, his shaft springing to life and straining against the confinement of his khakis.
Their lips moved against one another, teeth biting, grazing, tongues surging and retreating. He lost himself in the kiss, in the sensations flooding his body, learning the taste and shape of her mouth, sucking on her tongue and hearing her moan in pleasure as he deepened the kiss.
Forgotten was Gunner, wanting to bring him back to base, forgotten dozens of onlookers who’d followed their shot-downing competition with cheers, forgotten everything but the passionate woman in his arms. With the few brain cells still working he filed the kiss under out-of-this-world and decided that whatever it took, he’d convince her that he was the one for her.
Just when he thought he’d finally died and gone to heaven, Jules pulled away from him, regaling him with a smile so sweet it tightened every fiber in his body. “Jules…”
“Sleep well, Tyler” she murmured and slid off the stool before he could comprehend what was happening.
He stared after her, as she left the bar, leaning on one of her friends for support. A stab of jealousy crushed him, as he tried to come to grips with her behavior. She’d just knocked his socks off with a kiss so carnal he had almost come in his pants like a randy school boy. And then she pulled back and walked out on him?
To say he was baffled would be the understatement of the century.
Chapter 4
Jules staggered down the sidewalk, leaning on Kelly, her lips – and the rest of her body – still tingling from the kiss.
“What exactly was that about?”
“I have no idea,” Jules answered, still reeling from the physical impact. If she hadn’t broken the kiss, she’d have jumped Tyler right there in the bar in front of everyone. That was so unlike her. She always, always, always stayed in control.
Her middle name was control.
“First you start a stupid drinking game with that random guy and then you kiss him like you mean it?”
“I know. It probably wasn’t the brightest thing to do…” her liquor and lust fogged brain didn’t quite work as it should, and she stopped talking. She’d have one hell of a hangover tomorrow morning.
“Was it good? I mean the kiss?”
“Hmmm…fuckingamaztacular!” Aftershocks of heated desire still ran through Jules’ body.
“Wow. That sounds like I want to have one too. Do you think I should go back?”
Jules knew that Kelly was only teasing her, but still her neck hair stood on end and she wanted to bare her claws like a cat. “Don’t you dare.”
“I wouldn’t,” Kelly said after taking a long look at her friend. “He’s all yours. And let me say this, you’re already in way over your head.”
“I’m not. It was nothing.” It was a lie. Initially she’d just wanted to show him how tired she was of being hit on, wrestle him into defeat downing the shots. When he didn’t succumb, her anger about the incident with the dumbass drunks grew with a vengeance and she wanted to lash out. Punish Tyler as a stand in for every single man on earth who’d ever harassed a woman, by teasing him and then leaving him high and dry.
But that plan had backfired, because the very moment her lips had crushed over his with fury, she’d lost control. Control over her actions, her reactions and the powerful sensations of passion blazing through her body.
She should have known better than to kiss the very man who’d turned her insides to mush with nothing more than a glance from his deep blue eyes and a few words uttered in his deep, sexy voice.
“Damn it, I don’t need complications like Tyler right now,” she mumbled out as they continued down the street.
“Who says he’s a complication? To me he looked like a nice guy.”
“Relationships are always complicated.” The walk back to the base and the fresh night air helped to clear some of the fog in her head.
“They don’t have to be that way,” Kelly said.
“Since when are you an expert? When was the last non-complicated relationship you had?”
Kelly kept silent. She’d just broken up with yet another guy who couldn’t understand why she wanted to spend her summers chasing fires in the wilderness.
Jules scoffed. “See? And it’s not only you. I’ve been watching my mother’s chaotic love life unfold since I was a little girl. You know what advice she gave me regarding relationships?”
“Take what you can from the rich bastards and be prepared for when they inevitably leave you for a younger woman,” Kelly said on a long sigh. She knew everything about Jules’ mother and her resignation where true love was concerned.
“I never believed in true love. It just doesn’t happen. And if it does, something or someone comes along and rips it apart. Story over. No, thank you very much. I have a great job, great friends, good sex in winter seasons. What more could I want?”
“Someone to return home to every night,” Kelly said with a wistful expression on her face.
“Not gonna happen. Not in this lifetime.” They had reached the base camp where the hotshots worked, slept, and ate during fire season. “Thanks for bringing me home.”
As she arrived at her quarters she was still feeling drowsy from the alcohol, but at the same time oversensitive. Her swollen lips reminded her of the kiss and whether she wanted it or not, the memories sent hot shivers of lust between her legs. A roaring fire that threatened to burn anything and anyone.
She stripped down, stepping into the shower and allowing the cold water to rush over her skin. It helped to wash some of her stupo
r away and replace it with a resolve to forget Tyler and that this night ever happened. Minutes later the roaring fire of passion succumbed to the icy water and she stepped out of the shower with a satisfied smile on her face. See how easy it was to forget him?
Jules stepped into a pair of sleeping shorts and a long t-shirt. Choosing to forgo combing or blow drying her tousled hair, she simply fluffed it out with her fingertips and flopped onto her bunk. Now, to get a good six hours of shut-eye before she’d have to face the beast of hangover she knew would be waiting for her.
Jules awakened just before sunrise, groaning as she rolled over and cursed whatever had possessed her to slam four shots in a row with sexy Tyler. After brushing her teeth, twice, she combed her hair out and dressed for the day in loose cut-off shorts and a pale blue t-shirt that matched the color of her eyes.
On base she didn’t give much thought to her clothing, practical was the most important necessity. Usually she started her day with a three-mile run, since running fast could make the difference between death and life, when a wildfire turned on her.
Not today. Every step reminded her painfully of the alcohol excess the night before. The sun broke the horizon as she stepped out of the building and once again her heart warmed as she admired the sheer beauty of nature out here in the mountains.
It was such a change to the crowded, smoggy and dirty L.A. The city made her feel like a prisoner, but out here she was free like a bird. A smile passed across her face and she set out for a leisurely walk and some easy stretching. Birds chattered away in the trees and she inhaled the fresh scent of damp earth and foliage. What a great way to start the day!
She walked along the dirty path circling the base camp, at peace with herself and the world, humming a popular tune, when she almost bumped into a man squatted down tying his shoes behind a curve. She skidded to a halt, feeling her head exploding at the abrupt change in movement.
“Hey, move to the side of the road next time,” she called out, before a sudden and unexpected heat flushed her body.
Chapter 5
Tyler somehow managed to return to base camp, despite the utter shock in his bones. Back in his quarters, he took a long shower, taking care of his arousal. But instead of the relief he so yearned for, jerking off only augmented his frustration.
He wanted her. Only her.
Jules. This woman had shaken the very foundations of his being and he wanted, no he needed, to hold her in his arms to feel whole again. Turning the water to icy he stood under the shower, the water pattering down on his skin like needle pricks. The spreading pain, followed by numbness was a welcome distraction from his inner turmoil.
His mind though, wouldn’t stop reliving Jules’ kiss and the taste of her lips on his tongue. Sweet, pungent, earth-shattering. Never had any woman created such fervor in his blood. He turned off the water and grabbed a towel, rubbing himself dry. With a sigh he downed an aspirin and three glasses of water to mitigate the hangover that otherwise would attack him in the morning.
He sure as hell didn’t want to fail the fitness test, because he’d become distracted by a pretty set of eyes. Annoyed by his own stupidity in jeopardizing his first season as a hotshot by drinking too much, he shook his head and hung the wet towel on a hook. Then he walked into his room and flopped naked onto the bed. Despite being tired he couldn’t fall asleep. Thoughts of Jules weaseled their way into his overworked brain, and within seconds he was hard all over again.
That woman was strong. Incredibly so, but beneath that harsh layer he’d seen the softness in her eyes. Eyes that made him go all mushy inside.
Tyler had always been an early riser, enjoying the early mornings, when the rest of the world still slept. It was his sacred time, and a night of heavy drinking wasn’t enough to shatter this habit. So, he woke even before his alarm rang, and decided to go for a run.
Running always helped him to get centered and relax his mind. He definitely needed any help he could get for the upcoming fitness test later in the day. Tyler spent a few minutes stretching his calves before he set out on a light jog up the dirt road. They day before, he’d taken a long walk with Gunner, Florence and Steven to get acquainted with the surrounding of the base camp.
The dirt path circled the base and would be perfect for his light run. For all he knew, everyone else was still asleep and he put on his earplugs to hear his favorite running app, Zombies, run!
He’d gone a quarter of a mile when the first zombie attack happened, and he sped up his pace. Just as he’d escaped the vicious monsters, his left foot lost its grip in the shoe. He glanced down and spied his shoelace untied. At least it happened after I got rid of the zombies. He grinned at himself. It would have been a shame to lose his winning streak in the game.
He stopped and squatted down in the middle of the path to lace his shoes. The next moment he heard a gasp and a not so nice greeting, as a pair of firm and gorgeous female legs skidded to a stop.
“Sorry,” he said before looking up into Jules’ pale blue eyes. His heart leapt with joy, identifying her even before his eyes did.
“Hey, move to the side of the road next time,” she scolded him, before recognition hit her and her eyes went wide as saucers. “You?”
“Good morning to you too,” he said, squinting into the rising sun. Despite the dark circles under her reddish eyes, she still looked incredibly sexy, stirring his desire for her.
“I should have known it.” She put a hand on her forehead. “Cocky, bigheaded, thinking you’re something else. Must be a rookie.”
“Seems like you have plenty of experience,” he chuckled and rose to his feet, dusting his hands off on his running shorts. He could kick himself. He should have guessed she and her friends were hotshots. Usually he wasn’t such a fool, but apparently the blood needed to oxygenate his brain cells had pooled in other parts of his anatomy last night.
She raised an eyebrow at him. “I do, wannabe hotshot. We’ll see how well you hold up in the fitness test later.”
“Not a problem for me,” Tyler boasted.
“Well then, I might just add a few extra requirements for you.”
“Doesn’t worry me.” She couldn’t faze him. He’d do whatever she or any other of the experienced hotshots required him to do to prove he was apt for the job. And knowing that she was a hotshot only made him fall harder for her. Wasn’t it a special stroke of destiny to find out that the woman he desired was one of the rare examples that not only tried to understand his profession, but also actually loved it?
“Then you might as well get out of my way and continue your training.” Jules took a step back and lifted one ankle behind her butt, stretching her muscles out by pulling the foot against the back of her leg.
“Hmmm…I guess I’d rather to some stretching.” He mimicked her movements, slow and determined. Looking at her while she stretched those fantastic limbs of hers, caused a slow burn to move along his spine, spreading from head to toe.
“You’re gawking,” she said after doing three dozen sit-ups.
“I wouldn’t call it gawking, but who can blame me for watching the hottest woman on earth while she’s doing sit-ups without even breaking a sweat. I never knew exercise could be so sexy.”
“Hitting on me again?”
“Caught red-handed,” he quipped, grinning.
“Well I have to give you credit for being honest,” she said, moving to do prisoner squats with her hands behind her head.
God, that woman knew how to drain the blood from one head, and send it rushing straight to the other one. Tyler’s gaze locked on her firm breasts molded by the t-shirt stretched across her chest, before he tore his eyes upwards until he reached her eyes. Smirking eyes.
“Done with your appreciation of my breasts?”
“They are gorgeous, and if I had my way I would do much more than stare at them.”
“You wish, rookie.” She blew a strand of her unruly hair from her forehead and it took all his self-control not to use his fing
ers to tuck it behind her ear.
“You’re right, I wish. That kiss was spectacular. Nothing like I’ve ever experienced before, and I’d love to repeat it. And more…”
For a moment she looked wistful, but then her expression hardened, and she said, “I told you yesterday and I’m gonna say it again. I’m not interested.”
“Your kiss didn’t say anything close to not interested.”
Jules shook her head. “It doesn’t matter what happened yesterday, rookie. Today fire season starts. And since it looks like we will be colleagues, you and I are off limits. Off, off, off.”
“Rules. Rules. Rules,” he retorted, giving her the smile that had been known to melt panties far and wide. “Sometimes rules need to be broken.”
Jules rolled her eyes and straightened her back. “Your charms don’t work on me. That policy has served me well over the years and I’m not going to violate it.”
“There’s a first time for everything,”
“Not for this. Although I do admit the kiss was kinda good.”
“Kinda good only?” Tyler said with mock indignation.
“Okay. Really, really good. But it doesn’t matter. Off limits, remember?”
Heat flushed his body at her confession. So she was interested. Not that he hadn’t already known that, but it helped to hear it from her own lips. Tyler couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. “I’m going to make you break your…rules.”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” she said, and spun around to veer off the dirt road and into the trees.
Tyler chuckled mumbling, “Oh, but I can be very patient when I see something worth the wait. And you’re definitely worth the wait.” He fell into pace again and jogged back to the camp, thinking about the lovely Jules and the challenge she’d unknowingly issued. He wasn’t exactly known to back off a challenge…
