Firelighter

by Jackie Wang

  Before I could mutter another half-baked excuse, Dom silenced me with a lightning fast kiss, a peck, really, that lasted less than a second. But the simple gesture managed to shut me up and wind me all at once, and my eyes grew wide. “I thought we were going to stay friends,” I whispered. “This doesn’t feel friendly.”

  “You and I,” Dom said, pointing to my chest, then his, “we couldn’t possibly be friends.”

  “People will talk—”

  “Let them.”

  “I could lose my job—”

  “With your talent, you can easily find another.” Dom winked. I let out a sigh. Getting involved with a single dad who was almost ten years my senior was bad enough, but one whose son was in my class…? Nuh-uh. Everything about this screamed bad idea. Every bone in my body resisted the temptation to go with Dom’s plan.

  “You need to stop living for others, and start living for yourself, Winnie. Chase your own happiness for once. Be selfish.”

  I folded my arms across my chest. “Reckless, you mean.”

  “All just a frame of mind.”

  “You’re asking me to risk everything.”

  “Your job isn’t everything.”

  “It is at the moment.”

  “Then you need more to live for. You need…this.” Dom leaned in again, kissing me more softly this time. His lips feathered mine, sending a tremble that began at my mouth and ended in my toes. “Tell me you don’t want more. Tell me this is all one-sided,” he whispered. There was almost a desperate edge in his voice. “Say the word and I’ll stop and never bring it up again.”

  “I…I don’t know, Dom.”

  “Two kisses weren’t convincing enough?”

  “You’re asking a lot. I barely know you.”

  “How about three?” He kissed me again, and I should’ve hated him for it, but each kiss made me feel less certain about my convictions and more certain that I wanted to be with him.

  “You’ve met my son, my friends and my parents. They’re the most important people in my lives. You know I’m a firefighter. I grew up here. What more do you want to know? Ask me anything.”

  I thought for a moment. It was none of my business, but he said I could ask him anything. “Nate’s mom…” I trailed off, an open-ended question.

  “Ran off with her Brazilian boss and abandoned us both. Next.”

  There was a flash of anger in his response, but not enough emotion to indicate that he still cared about her. She was out of the picture. For good.

  “Nate—how will he react to you dating his teacher?” I asked, looking around to make sure he wasn’t around to eavesdrop.

  “He’s the one who’s been pushing me to ask you out, Winnie. He thinks I’m in love with you.”

  I laughed. “So he doesn’t mind?”

  “He wants this to happen. And so do I. So what do you say, Win?”

  “Fine,” I finally conceded. “Just one date, and no promises. If things go south, we’ll go back to the way things were. No hard feelings?”

  “It won’t go south,” Dom said. “Not when you’re dating a Fieri.”

  “Cocky much?”

  “What you call cockiness, I call confidence.”

  He was a lot more confident than when we first met.

  “So…I guess I have to go to dinner at your parents’? No getting out of that?”

  “Not a chance. I want them to like you as much as I do.”

  I scratched the back of my neck. My shirt stuck to my back, and I felt insanely warm. “No pressure, though, right?”

  Dom’s chest shook with easy laughter. “None at all.”

  Chapter 7

  Dominic

  “Don’t worry, Winnie, Grandma and Grandpa won’t bite,” Nate reassured Winnie. Winnie’s anxiety was so palpable even a six year old could feel it.

  Winnie twisted and untwisted her purse straps. “Don’t you think this is moving too fast?” She looked like a kidnapped victim desperate to jump out of my moving vehicle.

  “It’s dinner with my parents. Not a session inside a medieval torture chamber.”

  “What’s the difference?” Winnie groaned.

  I laughed, cutting the engine. I turned to Winnie, who looked gorgeous in her teal sweater and conservative slacks. She looked like a modern-day Venus, but always covered up every inch of skin. Winnie had straightened her hair and it cascaded down her back. I liked it like that, not tied up or parted in any way.

  “Are we going inside are are you two gonna keep staring at one another?” Nate said, unbuckling his seat belt. He popped open the passenger door and I snapped out of it.

  “Come on,” I said. “I can smell my mom’s roast already.”

  “Okay,” Winnie grumbled, like a reluctant sheep being led to the slaughter.

  Winnie had nothing to worry about. My parents welcomed her with open arms and tight hugs. They’d already put up their Christmas tree, and the house was covered in festive artwork and streamers. Stained glass ornaments dangled in front of snowflake-plastered windowpanes. They had a bit of an obsession with the holidays. Nate ran off to help Mom finish making the pie crust. He loved being his nana’s helper, and Mom loved him because he was so clean.

  I brought Winnie into the living room and we sat in front of the gas fireplace. Though it was toasty indoors, we didn’t peel off our coats yet. I rested my hand over her gloved ones. “What are you thinking about?”

  “I’m…I’m glad I came over tonight,” Winnie said. Her flushed cheeks looked like peaches.

  “So am I.” I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  “I’m glad because…it gave me a chance to see you before I left,” she finished.

  “Left? Where are you going?”

  “I’m flying home for the holidays tomorrow. Won’t be back until school resumes January fourth.”

  “Oh.” I should’ve expected it. Especially after Winnie told me how much she missed her parents and her brother. “Well, take care of yourself. It’ll be cold in Maine.”

  “Tell me about it. I grew up there, remember?”

  I laughed. We both did. “Right.” I thought for a moment. “Damn. I wish I knew this was the last time I’d see you before the holidays. I would’ve got you something for Christmas.”

  “No need. Seriously, Dom.” Winnie pulled at her gloves and removed them. Her warm skin enveloped my cold fingers. “Don’t look so sad. It’s only for two weeks.”

  To prove her wrong, I grinned. But my grin couldn’t hide my disappointment very well. “I’m not sad. Please tell me you’ll at least call me. And have a good time while you’re there.”

  “I will.”

  “In that case, I’m happy.”

  During dinner, my parents asked Winnie about growing up in Maine, her schooling, her hobbies, and generally safe conversation topics. I was glad Dad didn’t bring up politics (he was a diehard Republican), and Mom, religion (diehard Christian). They were trying to make a good impression, too, I realized. After all, Winnie was the first woman I’d brought over since Lisa left. They probably thought things between us were getting serious.

  At the end of the night, Mom asked Nate to help her clean up the kitchen and Dad told us they wanted to keep him for the night. “Go, enjoy your night,” he said. “It’s only eight-thirty. Not too late to grab a drink or two.” He shot me a knowing wink and I groaned inwardly. I didn’t need my ancient dad giving me dating advice, even if he was apparently quite the playboy in his youth. Mom said Dad once had drinks with Hugh Hefner, but I highly doubted that.

  “Thanks, Dad. I’ll come pick Nate up tomorrow.”

  “Night, son.”

  “Night.”

  “Night, Dave,” Winnie said beside me. “Thanks again for dinner.”

  “You’re welcome back anytime, sweetheart.”

  Thank God my parents liked Winnie. Even if they didn’t, I wouldn’t really care. But I was glad that they did.

  Af
ter we got back to the car, Winnie let out a long breath, as if she’d been holding it for minutes.

  “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” I asked, running the crook of my index finger along her cheek. “Worse part is over. Now the kid’s off to bed and we get to do whatever we want.” I shot her a mischievous grin. “Let’s paint the town red.”

  “Really, Dom?” Winnie smirked. “My flight is first thing tomorrow morning. I need to catch some shut-eye.”

  “Are you really tired, or is this just an excuse so I can drive you home?”

  “I’m really that tired. It was a long day. One of the parents, a baker, brought everyone sugar cookies around lunch. They were hyped up on sugar the rest of the afternoon and an absolute nightmare to manage. And I barely had a chance to take a shower and get changed before you came over and picked me up. Tomorrow I have to get up at five.”

  “All right then, I’ll take you home.”

  “Thanks, Dom.”

  “But as soon as you set foot back on Texan soil, you call me. I’m going to take you out on a proper date.”

  “With candles and roses and everything?” Winnie teased.

  “The whole shebang, and more,” I promised. I really wanted to give us a shot. Meeting Winnie had been the highlight of my year, and I was a firm believer in fate. “Will you go out with me when you come back?”

  “You bet.” Winnie smiled tiredly. Her eyelids fluttered and it didn’t take long before the gentle motion of the car swayed her to sleep. After I pulled up at her apartment, I spent a few seconds just looking at her. I didn’t have the heart to wake her up. God, this woman worked so hard and lived in a shitty place just to help out her family. She deserved so much more. A woman like Winnie Williams deserved a man who could lasso the sun and moon for her. Someone with no baggage. Someone who could take care of her and her family the way they needed. Could I give her all of that? I was no longer in love with my ex, but I was still angry at Lisa. And that anger meant I still felt something for that callous bitch. Resentment? Hatred? Love and hate were both dangerous emotions because they exhibited such similar symptoms. The two were separated by a blurry line with no end and no beginning. I was certain I fell on the hate side, but how could I really be sure? After all, I’d loved Lisa and she’d loved me for all those years, and we made a baby together. It felt like eons ago when she told me she was pregnant.

  I leaned in and soaked up Winnie’s caramel-scented skin. She always smelled so goddamn sweet, it gave me a toothache just thinking about her. She was too perfect, too selfless, too generous and brave. Could a woman like her even be real? I looked at her lips, flawless, smooth, half-parted, beckoning for a kiss. I’d kissed her three times already, at the party, but those were furtive, stolen kisses. Rushed kisses. I wanted to give her something unforgettable. A kiss that she’d think about every single day she was in Maine.

  I leaned down and brushed a stray hair away from her pink cheeks. Her eyelashes fluttered, like little dandelion seeds, threatening to scatter in the wind. Outside, the temperature had dropped significantly, heralding the arrival of frost and maybe even snow. Winnie grumbled a little, shifting in her seat. I unbuckled her seat belt so I could gain unfettered access to her soft form. Just as the tip of my cold nose pressed against her warm one, she startled awake, jolting from her dream and into my arms.

  “Dom!” she cried, surprised by my closeness.

  “Were you dreaming about us?” I asked, brushing my nose along her cheeks, inhaling softly.

  “Were you watching me sleep?” she mumbled, sitting up. “How long was I out?”

  “Pretty much the entire ride back. I just pulled up.”

  “Were you about to—” her question turned into a sigh as I reached up and cupped her jaw.

  “Yes.” I leaned in and parted her lips with mine, relishing the sweet crumbs that clung to her cotton candy lips. Soft perfection.

  “Oh.”

  “Yup.”

  “Again,” she whispered, slightly more breathless.

  Who was I to deny her? I leaned in and pressed against her lips again. She purred quietly like a guinea pig. I traced my index finger along the shell of her ear and she shivered. Trailing down to her neck, I tugged off her thick scarf and nibbled on her collarbone. She rewarded me by angling her body toward mine, allowing me easier access. Goosebumps prickled up her delicate neck. Her skin was so soft.

  I snaked my left arm around her waist, squeezing and stroking, back and forth. It didn’t take long before my erection became noticeable through my jeans. I rolled back into my seat and tugged on Winnie’s sweater, urging her to straddle my lap. There wasn’t too much space, but I reclined my seat and we managed somehow. The steering wheel dug into her back, and my hard-on dug into her crotch. She couldn’t really maneuver around very much, but she didn’t need to.

  I wanted to hold her down and make her squirm for me.

  Wanted her to beg for my touch and scream my name.

  I lifted up the edges of Winnie’s sweater and pulled it over her head. She was wearing a v-neck t-shirt underneath, and her nipples were already so hard I could see them poking through her shirt. Her black bra was lacy, as if she wore it hoping she’d get lucky tonight. I wondered if she wore a lacy g-string or thong to match.

  I slipped two fingers through her collar and underneath her bra, twisting her buds until she mewed.

  Fuck, that noise made me so hard I wanted to come in my pants. Her need only amplified mine.

  “Do you feel how hard I am right now? Because of you?” I whispered.

  Winnie nodded.

  “It’s practically a crime, what you’re doing to me. You should be punished for making me feel this way,” I murmured, running my thumbs over the waistband of her leggings.

  “What’s stopping you?” Winnie asked, so innocently and sweetly I’d almost missed the underlying suggestion.

  “I have plenty of space in the backseat, but I’m guessing a classy woman such as yourself would prefer a bed instead?”

  Winnie grinned. “I’ve never done it in a car before. I kind of like that idea.”

  Winnie never ceased to surprise me.

  “The windows are tinted, and it’s dark out.”

  “You’re kind of kinky, aren’t you, Dom?” The tip of her tongue flicked over her front teeth.

  “I’ve never done it in a car before, either. It’d be a first for both of us. And it might not even be as fun as it sounds.”

  “Only one way to find out…” Winnie popped open the driver’s side door and checked for traffic before stepping out. Then she slipped into the backseat and beckoned for me to join her. Adrenaline raced through my veins as I followed her into the backseat. I’d had the car for almost three years, but tonight, we’d christen it for the first time.

  Together, we pushed down all of the backseats, leaving plenty of room for our naughty escapades. Without further invitation, I crawled on top of Winnie and caged her in with my arms. She reached up and cupped me through my jeans, stroking my length.

  I moaned, something I rarely did. I needed to be inside her…yesterday.

  I tugged down her leggings and her black thong, throwing them in the footwell.

  “You’re fucking gorgeous.” I was practically panting, salivating over her beautiful body. I dove between her legs and flicked my tongue over her sex. She mewled again and that sound drove me insane. Everything about this woman drove me insane. I ached to bury every inch of my cock inside her sweet, wet pussy. Make her feel just how badly I craved her.

  “Fuck…Dom…” Winnie tensed against me.

  “Say my name again.”

  “Dom—oh—Dominic!”

  After I resurfaced from between her legs, I tore open the condom I kept in the glove box and sheathed myself. Then, slowly, I buried myself inside the tightest pussy I’d ever had. She felt incredible clenched around my length, so smooth and wet I slid in effortlessly. I rocked against her, at first slowly, then faster and faster. She lifted her legs
and hooked them around my waist, allowing me to penetrate deeper. Harder. Faster.

  Fucking hell, I was in trouble.

  If it was this good in the backseat of my car, what would sex with Winnie feel like on my King-sized bed?

  Despite wanting to make our first time in a vehicle last longer, I found myself coming within minutes.

  Disappointed by my performance, I resolved to make her come on my fingers. Probing her inner walls with two slick digits, I managed to find her pleasure center and stroke it until she climaxed all over my hand. Her explosive orgasm made my spent cock swell up again. I had a feeling with a woman like Winnie, I could go all night.

  “That was fucking fantastic,” she said as she pulled her leggings back on.

  “Good enough to get me invited upstairs?” I winked, removing the condom and tying it off.

  “Good enough to get you almost anywhere,” Winnie replied suggestively.

  “Almost?”

  “Almost,” she repeated.

  “You do have to get up early tomorrow,” I said.

  Winnie frowned, as if afraid I’d suggest leaving.

  “So we should probably get some sleep. Together.”

  “No one invited you to spend the night,” Winnie said, pretending to be offended.

  “Trust me, baby, when I’m done with you, you’ll be begging me to stay tonight, and many more nights in the future.”

  “Oh? Is that so?” Winnie laughed. “Let’s go upstairs, then.”

  Once we got inside her apartment, we didn’t hesitate to strip down and start making out. Within minutes, before we’d even locked the front door, I’d sheathed myself and buried my cock inside her again. She was bent over her dining table, ass up while I drilled her behind. I had more freedom to move, now that we weren’t confined by the sides of a car. I gripped her hips while she gripped the edge of her shaky table. Together we rocked and moaned so hard the neighbors could probably hear us through the thin walls. The table was so light it began moving with us, its legs screeching against the floor. Frustrated by the lack of stability, I opted for a change in position.

  I scooped Winnie up into my arms and brought her into her bedroom, relieved to find that she had a Queen-sized bed. There, tangled between her sheets, I fucked her long and hard for what felt like hours, making her come two more times.