Sweet Fire (Into The Fire Series Book 6)

by J. H. Croix

  Waffle trotted over to a water bowl by the kitchen counter. After lapping it quickly, she meandered down the hall, her tail swaying. She disappeared through a doorway. Jesse caught my eyes, his mouth curling at the corner and promptly sending flutters spinning in my belly.

  “She likes the bed in the guest room,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s pretty much her own bed.”

  “Oh,” was my brilliant response.

  Sensation was prickling over my skin at his nearness. Mingling with that was a rushing sense of uncertainty. My mind was so accustomed to constantly worrying—about work, about my mom, about Em. Letting my worries go, even if only for a little while, seemed foreign. The hamster in my brain was used to running overtime on the spinning wheel of my thoughts. I wondered if I even knew how to even do this anymore. This being anything remotely related to desire.

  I hoped it was a bit like riding a bike.

  I didn’t realize I’d spoken aloud until Jesse’s grin stretched from one side of his mouth to the other. “I think it probably is,” he murmured.

  His gaze searched my face, his grin slowly fading.

  “I can walk you back home,” he said, his tone low and quiet.

  Holding his gaze, I tried to take a slow breath. But with my heart pounding hard and fast, I couldn’t quite get that much air inside my lungs. I realized he was picking up on my anxiety. Because he was decent guy, he was giving me an out, a perfectly easy out.

  As deep as my anxiety ran, it couldn’t override the need rushing through me like a river in spring. I’d watched the water pouring down over a cliff on a mountainside the other day and been amazed at its force and speed. I felt like that inside. As if my body had been frozen and quiet, and now it was thawing and everything was running wild.

  Even if it was only once, even if it was awkward later, I could give myself this. Because nothing had chipped through the ice of my defenses the way Jesse had. Looking back at him, I shook my head. “No, you can walk me home later.” And then I caught his hand in mine and tugged him toward me.

  Just like that, I forgot everything else.

  Our mouths collided, and it was like getting caught in the center of the flame. We practically devoured each other. For me, there was an intense, driving need, specifically for him. My need was crashing up against the reality that I hadn’t had anything other than a solo sexual experience in over three years. I climbed him like a tree, my hand sliding up around his nape, gripping his shaggy curls. I curled my foot around his calf as my hands got busy mapping his chest. He was one hell of a man— all hard muscle, every inch of him.

  Jesse was just as greedy as me, his tongue sweeping into my mouth with a low growl as he held me in place and kissed me as if his life depended on it. In this moment, everything depended on falling into this fire. It was a rough, almost painful kiss. I felt the sting on my scalp when his hand tangled in my hair. When he broke free, he dusted damp kisses along my neck, sending hot shivers through me.

  My panties were wet, and I rocked my hips to relieve the ache building at my core. Feeling his arousal hot at the apex of my thighs, I almost cried out when his hand slid down my back to cup my bottom and lift me up against him.

  He held me easily, but then that wasn’t surprising. The man was nothing but raw masculinity. He murmured something against my skin, the feel of his lips alone sending jolts of fire through me.

  “What?” I gasped.

  He lifted his head as he turned and carried me over towards the couch. “I said my shoulder’s fine. Can’t you tell?”

  The devilish glint in his eyes and the curl of his lips sent my belly into a free fall, fierce desire rushing through me, hot and intense.

  I laughed softly. “I suppose it is. It has been almost two weeks.”

  “If Doc doesn’t clear me when I see him, I’m going to make him talk to you,” he teased.

  I managed to tease right back. “I suppose it’s good I had enough sense to move you back to his schedule.”

  Jesse’s eyes darkened. He leaned forward as he reached the couch, easing my hips onto the back of it. My knees fell open, and he stepped right between them. His eyes flicked down, and I literally felt the burn of his gaze on my breasts. My nipples tightened, perking up just for him. His fingers loosened in my hair, trailing along the side of my neck and down in between my breasts. He made quick work of my blouse.

  “I’ve been wanting to unbutton this all night,” he murmured, the roughened edges of his voice a lash against the need building inside of me.

  I gasped when my blouse fell open, the cool air hitting my skin and tightening my nipples to an ache. He traced over the silk of my bra, his touch light but like fire on my skin. I cried out when he squeezed my nipple.

  “Charlie…” he murmured.

  Dragging my eyes up, I found his dark green gaze waiting, the need contained there reflecting back to me. As out of control as I felt, it was a relief to see that he might be somewhere on that edge with me.

  Tracing a finger around a nipple, he watched as I arched into him and then his lips were on mine again. With a flick of his thumb between my breasts, my bra fell open and my breasts tumbled free from the silk, hot, tight, and achy.

  I needed more. I needed to feel him against me.

  The next few moments were a rush as I tugged at his shirt, and he reached behind his neck to lift it off in one swoop. Inside of a few seconds, his shirt fell into a rumple on the floor with my blouse. He lifted me from the couch—holding me with one arm, he was that strong—and yanked my sweat pants down. As I kicked them free, he eased me back onto the couch. Once again, he was standing between my knees, his hot skin against my breasts.

  The feeling of all that muscle pressed against me had me out of my mind. I was gasping and arching into him, near frantic from the lust streaking through me.

  I didn’t know if it was because it had been just too damn long since I’d been with anyone, or if the attraction between us burned that intensely. All I knew was I needed him so fiercely, I was burning up. There was nothing graceful about it. I yanked at the buttons on his fly as he dragged his fingers over the silk between my thighs. I was slick with need, my panties drenched with it.

  I cried out when he pushed the silk to the side, his fingers trailing through my folds before he sank two inside of me. I was tight, and I didn’t even care. I needed more. Dragging my palm over his briefs, I shoved his jeans out of the way. When I slipped my hand into his briefs as I pushed them down around his hips and curled my palm around his cock, he muttered something against my skin as his teeth closed over my nipple. Hot, dirty words.

  “Charlie, you’re so fucking sexy…”

  His words trailed off into a low groan. I wasn’t used to hearing myself described that way. I loved it. As he stroked his fingers in and out of me, pleasure spun tighter and tighter inside. Everything he said was like pouring gas on the fire, the flames licking inside of me.

  “So wet, can’t wait to feel this around my cock…”

  I was riding his hand, my hips bucking into him. His thumb swirled over my clit, pressing down, and I fractured inside, nearly shouting his name as my channel clenched around his fingers. My climax rushed through me, pleasure sending sparks scattering inside. I was nearly limp by the time it was over, curling boneless against him.

  Then, he was lifting me into his arms, turning to walk around the sectional and sit down with me a bundle in his lap. He produced a condom after yanking his wallet out of his pocket, shoving his briefs out of the way and rolling it on in record time.

  My brain was a haze of pleasure and passion. With need still pounding through my body, I dragged my eyes open. Just looking at him kindled the fire inside all over again. He was so ridiculously handsome with his tousled curls, his dark green eyes, and the strong features of his face.

  My eyes flicked down, absorbing the sight of his glorious muscled chest. For these few stolen moments out of time, it was mine to explore. I trailed my hand along his jaw line and
down over his chest. His breath hissed through his teeth when I trailed my fingers down over his abs and lightly gripped his cock.

  “I need to be inside of you,” he murmured, his voice tight.

  I rose up, straddling him. He positioned his cock at my entrance, nudging in slightly. I sank down slowly, taking him inside my tight clench, crying out as he filled me. The fit was snug, but it was so good. The delicious stretch of him filling me brought me right back to the edge.

  Chapter Nine

  Jesse

  Charlie sank down over me, taking me inside of her core, inch by inch. Every inch tight, hot, and slick. She was drenched, so slippery wet, I slid in easily. “So fucking good,” I murmured.

  Glancing up at her, I soaked her in. She was glorious. Her hair was a wild tousle around her shoulders, her breasts playing peekaboo with long, dark locks falling over them. I couldn’t have said what I’d expected with her, but it wasn’t this wild, thrumming, out of control madness.

  Her hips settled onto me when I was buried to the hilt inside of her. I wanted to see her fly apart again because watching her last orgasm was the hottest thing I’d ever seen. I forced myself to hold still because the frayed thread of control I was clinging to was about to snap.

  After a beat, I slid my hands down her sides and gripped her hips. She started to move slowly, and I rocked with her. Inside of a hot second, pleasure was lashing at me, whipping me hotter and hotter, faster and faster. She rode me, rolling up and sinking down, her channel pulsing around me.

  Her breasts rubbed against my chest as I tried to hang onto my control. My head fell back on a groan. I was almost there, but I wasn’t letting go until she found her own release again. Reaching between us, I pressed my thumb over her clit. She cried out, her body going taut and her channel clamping down hard over my cock and pulling me over the edge with her.

  My release came so hard and fast, I lost my breath and distantly heard myself calling her name. She fell against me, tucking her head into the dip on my neck. It felt as if we’d run a race. I could barely catch my breath and listened as hers gusted against my skin.

  After several moments, I felt Charlie lift her head. Her hair slipped through my fingers when her eyes caught mine. I wasn’t quite sure how to read her expression.

  “Well,” she said softly.

  “Well is right,” I replied.

  We simply looked at each other for a long moment before she straightened. I found I didn’t want to move. At all.

  I was unprepared for any of this. I sure as hell hadn’t expected to have this little interlude tonight. I wouldn’t deny I’d wanted it. Badly. Yet, now we faced the potentially awkward part. Not for me, but I sensed it might be for Charlie.

  “I’ll walk you home,” I said.

  Those gray eyes with just a hint of violet in them widened as she looked at me. “You don’t need to do that. It’s just a few minutes away.”

  “It’s probably smart. I’m not worried you’ll get lost, but there are moose and bears around. If there’s two of us, it’s less likely they’ll be bothered.”

  Her eyes widened further and then she smiled. My heart gave a resounding thump. I loved it when she smiled. She sat there on my lap with me still buried inside of her, with her nipples pink and still puckered tight, and her hair a wild tangle. She was everything I wanted and more.

  “But then you’ll be walking home alone,” she countered.

  “We’ll take Waffle with us.”

  She chuckled, and I wished she laughed more. She slowly rose up. We untangled ourselves and put our clothes back on.

  In short order, we were stepping onto the back deck with Waffle roused from her slumber. She’d looked puzzled at first, but the moment I headed toward the door she leapt up, awake instantly. We walked through the starry night, our breath misting the early spring air. I left Charlie at her door, unable to resist one more kiss.

  Returning home, I fell asleep with the taste of her on my lips.

  A few days later, I went in for my appointment with Dr. Johnson. I happened to see Charlie stepping into one of the examination rooms with another patient. Her eyes caught mine briefly, her cheeks pinkening before she turned away.

  Much as I would’ve rather seen her for my pesky shoulder, I realized it made sense for her to keep that line clear. She was nothing if not professional. In the days since our mutual collision of bodies, I’d felt a tug over toward her place every day. The only thing holding me back was the reality that she wasn’t living alone. Not to say that I had a problem with her niece or her mother, but it wasn’t like I could just show up and bend her over the counter like I wanted.

  The moment Dr. Johnson entered the room where I was waiting, he lifted a bushy gray brow and eyed me. “Don’t know how you ended up back with me boy,” he said gruffly.

  I shrugged, hewing to vague. “I suppose Dr. Lane was busy.”

  “Of course, she’s busy,” he muttered. “Let me take a look at that shoulder.”

  He rolled my shoulder a few times and had me do a few strength tests. There wasn’t even a twinge of pain. It actually felt a bit stronger as well. All in all, I took that as a good sign. He asked me a few chatty questions, and I took my opening to see what he might tell me about Charlie. “How long has Dr. Lane been here anyway?”

  “About six months, give or take. I hope to retire next year, so I’m hoping she stays on. Still looking for someone else to help out.”

  There was a knock on the door and a nurse poked her head in to tell Doc his next patient was there. He waved me off, assuring me I was cleared for full duty and then left. As I walked down the hall, my eyes caught on the door that I knew led to Charlie’s office. Glancing around, I saw no one happened to be in the hallway. With a quick knock, I opened it, hoping to find her in there. I was in luck. She stood by her desk, her hand curled over the edge as she spoke on the phone.

  “Em, I’m just saying that before I say it’s okay to spend the night, I want to talk to her mother.”

  I couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but I could imagine the argument. It was then that Charlie turned around, her eyes widening and a flush cresting on her cheeks. “Em, I have to go. I’ll call you back in a little bit.”

  She hung up quickly, tossing her phone on the desk. “Oh my God, you’d think I just ended her world,” she said with a sigh as she pushed her glasses up on her nose.

  I’d forgotten how much I loved her in glasses. With a shake, I forced myself to focus.

  “What happened?”

  Charlie leaned her hips on her desk, turning to face me more fully. “She wants to spend the weekend at a friend’s house, but I haven’t had a chance to talk to the parents, so… Well, you can guess how she took that. I’ll have to scout up their contact info and call them. I would love for her to spend the weekend with a friend. I just need to do my due diligence. She says that’s boring and nosy.”

  “What’s her friend’s name?”

  “Kayla Becker.”

  “Oh, I know her parents. They’re good people. Hang on, I might even have their number in my phone.”

  “How…?” Her question trailed off as I flicked my eyes back up to hers.

  “I’ve lived here longer than you, and I’m a firefighter. We know everybody.”

  She laughed. “Is that so?”

  “Hazard of the job. They actually live near my parents.”

  Scrolling through my contacts, I recited the number when I found it. “Let me call over right now and introduce you.” I didn’t wait for Charlie’s reply and quickly dialed. Janice, Kayla’s mother, answered. “Hey, Janice, it’s Jesse. Kind of an odd request, but Charlie Lane is Emily…” I paused and glanced to Charlie, wondering if Emily shared her last name. Charlie mouthed “Lane.” “Emily Lane’s aunt. Anyway, apparently Kayla invited her to spend the weekend there. I told Charlie I knew your number, so I called.”

  Janice laughed. “Oh, perfect. I was just asking Kayla how to reach Emily’s mom. But y
ou say it’s her aunt?”

  This was where I had a rather large blank in my knowledge of Charlie and how she came to be taking care of her niece. I knew her sister and her father died, but that was it. I certainly didn’t think it was my place to share that right now. “How about you just talk to her? I figured I could connect you two.”

  Charlie took the phone from me and quickly spoke with Janice. Inside of a few minutes, they had chatted and Charlie was telling Janice what time she’d drop off Emily. After she hung up and handed the phone over, she sighed. “Thank you. Now I can give Em some good news. Let me call her real quick if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not.” Seeing as I’d barged into her office, I was just glad she hadn’t kicked me out yet. I strode to the windows, looking out at the mountains in the distance. Charlie called Emily, her tone of voice alone cuing me that Emily was pleased with the turn of events.

  After she ended the call, Charlie came to stand beside me at the window, turning and leaning her hips against the windowsill. I’d wondered over the last few days how my body would react when I saw her again. I’d had this idea that perhaps I’d slaked my pounding need for her. Definitely not. Even now, in her white lab coat that effectively shielded her delectable body from my eyes, she was so fucking hot.

  Her hair was pulled back tightly again, that streak of purple almost hidden amongst the dark locks. She adjusted her glasses again, and blood shot to my groin.

  Damn. This wasn’t anything I’d expected. But then nothing about Charlie Lane was anything I had ever expected.

  “I don’t suppose you know anything about Bird Fest,” she said.

  The shift in topic only briefly threw me. Rallying and yanking my mind out of the gutter, I nodded. “I do. It’s an annual bird watching festival down in Diamond Creek. That’s about four hours south of here, give or take. Why do you ask?”

  “My mom loves birds, and she wants to go. I guess it’s this weekend,” she said with a rueful grin.