Set the Night on Fire: A Bad Boy Firefighter Novel

by Parker, Weston

  I blinked at him. How did he know about the reporters? Rinehart had specifically asked me not to say anything to anyone about it, so I’d kept my mouth shut.

  Allen seemed to read my confusion. “I saw them outside the station late the other night,” he said. “They were talking to Rinehart, and he looked pissed. Real pissed. They shoved a camera in his face, and for a second, I thought he might crush the damn thing in his hands. But he kept his cool.”

  “Rinehart always keeps his cool,” I muttered.

  “So, it is about the reporters?”

  I sighed. “I can’t talk about this. He asked me not to.”

  “I understand.” Allen nodded. “But the offer still stands. If you need me to, you know, kill someone quietly for you, you only need to ask.”

  “What?”

  Allen slid his hands in his pockets but didn’t say anything.

  “Are you serious?” I asked.

  “Dude, I’m fucking with you.”

  I felt like an asswipe as Allen started chuckling. A smile tugged at my lips and gave in to the urge to laugh. It felt good. A bit of the weight lifted off my shoulders. “Thanks, Allen, but don’t worry about me. I can handle it. Rinehart has my back.”

  “Good,” Allen said. And then he walked away, got in his car, and drove off.

  I did the same and drove straight to Katie’s four-unit apartment. It was ten minutes after seven when I parked the bike and twelve minutes after when I knocked on her door.

  “Come in!”

  I let myself in and closed and locked the door behind me. Her apartment smelled wonderful. I inhaled deeply as I kicked off my boots, and then I made my way into the kitchen, where Katie was cooking away.

  I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the open doorway to watch her. She was a sight for sore eyes, and I wanted to trace every line of her into my memory to recall on dark days.

  She was wearing skin-tight black leggings that made her ass look incredible and a loose gray sweater. A white apron with yellow flowers on it was tied around her waist, pulling the sweater inward to reveal the curve of her hips. Strands of red hair hung loose from the messy bun on top of her head and framed her beautiful face.

  Katie looked up and smiled as she poured pancake batter onto a sizzling pan. “Hey. How was the rest of your night?”

  I moved into the kitchen, wrapped my arms around her waist, and hugged her from behind. She smiled and pressed her cheek to mine.

  “It was good,” I said. “But it went by slow. All I wanted was to get here.” All I wanted was to get here. To you.

  Katie put down the now empty bowl she’d been pouring from and twisted around in my arms. She placed her palms flat on my chest and went to the tips of her toes to leave a soft, velvety kiss on my lips. “Well, you’re here now.”

  “I am.”

  Katie kissed me one more time. “I warmed up some fresh fruit to put on top of the pancakes, and there’s also bacon on that plate there wrapped in paper towel. The pancakes just need a couple more minutes, and we’ll be good to go. Would you like coffee? Tea? Water?”

  “I’m good with water,” I said.

  Katie went about pouring me a glass after telling me to keep my eye on the pancakes. I did as I was told and watched as little bubbles appeared in the top layer of uncooked batter. When Katie came back, she clicked her tongue, plucked a flipper from a bucket of utensils in the corner of the counter, and began flipping them. “Have you never cooked pancakes before?”

  I shook my head. “Nope.”

  “Well, for the record, when they start bubbling, that means it’s time to flip them over. Otherwise, you’ll lose the fluffy texture.”

  “And fluffy is good?”

  “Definitely. Unless you want to eat thick, hard, dense pancakes.”

  “I have something thick and dense you can eat.”

  Katie let out a short, surprised giggle. “Derek!”

  “Katie!”

  She laughed harder and swatted at my chest as I put a hand on her right ass cheek and squeezed. Katie pushed my hand down and scowled at me. She wasn’t doing a very good job of looking serious. Her eyes were still sparkling mischievously. “Down, boy.”

  We fooled around in the kitchen until the pancakes were cooked all the way through, and then Katie plated them, topped them with a square of butter and warmed-up berries, and brought them to the kitchen table. I carried over the plate of bacon and then our two glasses of water as she grabbed three different kinds of maple syrup from her fridge.

  “What sort of psychopath are you?” I asked as I inspected the three bottles. “Blueberry syrup. Regular maple. And butterscotch?”

  Katie shrugged. “I’m a fan, okay?”

  “All right.” I chuckled as I drowned my pancakes in regular maple syrup.

  She used the regular too, which gave me more ammo to make fun of her for having so many in her fridge. She took the teasing like a champ and threw it right back at me as we enjoyed our breakfast.

  When we were done eating, we put all our dishes in the sink. I went about starting to wash them, and she scolded me. Then she took me by the wrist and led me into the living room, where she pushed me down on the couch and promptly dropped down beside me. She swung her legs up onto my lap and inched closer so that her ass was pressed to the outside of my right thigh. Her head rested in her hand as she propped her elbow up on the back of the sofa. “So,” she said. “What was bothering you when you came into the ER today?”

  Right. She’d invited me to here to talk. “There’s some trouble at the station.”

  “What sort of trouble?”

  “Me.”

  Her eyes narrowed briefly, and she reached out and ran her fingers through my hair. She paused before going back in for another pass, as if she’d suddenly realized what she just did. It was a very intimate move for a girl who said she wanted to take things slowly.

  And it felt damn good. I hadn’t experienced a comforting touch like that in a long, long time.

  She continued running her fingers through my hair and somehow managed to nuzzle in closer to me. I rested my hand on her ankles. “Tell me what happened,” she said softly.

  “I don’t know where to start.”

  Katie frowned. “Start with what’s bugging you the most. Then everything else will be easier to say.”

  “There are reporters sniffing around the station because of some shit I did when I was young. Dumb stuff. Stuff I regret and I thought was long buried. Apparently, I didn’t bury them deep enough.”

  “What sort of stuff?”

  I shrugged a shoulder. “I didn’t hang around with the best people when I was a teenager. They sort of pulled me into some illegal activity. Drug use. Robbery. Car theft. That sort of thing. I scored myself a bit of a record but somehow managed to stay out of juvie. But now it’s come to light, apparently, and the press is using me to demonize the station.”

  Katie’s fingers ceased running through my hair, but she left her hand on the back of my neck. “Surely, they can’t actually achieve anything with this nonsense, can they?”

  “Rinehart seems worried enough. They might call for his replacement for hiring a delinquent.”

  “The town would never allow that. Rinehart’s been running that station for what, four decades? He’s as straight and narrow as they come.”

  “I know. But reporters don’t give a damn about that. They just want their story. And they’re using me and the stupid stuff I did fifteen years ago to build their case. I just… I don’t want anyone else to have to pay the toll for my mistakes.”

  Katie drew herself up into my lap and held my face in her hands. “Everything will be all right. You’re a good man, Derek. I know it. And this town knows it, too.”

  “A month ago, you thought I was an asshole.”

  She smiled. “You were. You still sort of are. But you’re not bad. You’re the exact opposite. It takes a special kind of person to do what you do every day. The people of this tow
n aren’t blind to that. And neither am I. We need you. I need you.”

  I rested my hands on her hips and stared into her green eyes. “Say that again.”

  The corner of her mouth twitched. “I need you.”

  22

  Katie

  The way he was looking at me had me short of breath.

  Derek’s eyes were dark with desire. His lips were slightly parted as I ran my finger along his smoothly shaven jaw and leaned in to leave a soft kiss upon his mouth. He followed my retreat when I pulled away and wrapped his arms around my back to hold me to him, stopping me from putting even an inch of space between us.

  Being held like that made me melt in his thick, strong arms.

  I used my chin to nudge his face to the side. He let me trail kisses across his cheek to his ear, which I pinched between my teeth and giggled into when he flinched. He ran his hands up the inside of my sweater, along my back, as I kissed farther down his neck.

  “Katie,” he breathed.

  “Yes?” I asked. He let me lean back this time.

  His eyes danced back and forth between mine. But he didn’t say anything. Maybe there was nothing to be said. Or maybe my name had just left his lips involuntarily. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was we were both together.

  And his dick was growing hard beneath my right thigh.

  I giggled and went back in for more kisses.

  Derek guided my sweater up over my head, and as soon as the fabric passed between us, our lips were sealed together once more. He worked to find the clasp of my bra and flicked it open with his thumb and forefinger. He lightly pulled it off my arms and tossed it over his shoulder where it fell soundlessly to the plush carpet behind the sofa.

  Now that I was half naked, I could feel the heat of his skin rushing against mine. I hurried to get his shirt off, and once I succeeded, I set to work undoing his pants between my legs. While I worked, he ran his fingertips over my bare shoulders and down my chest, where he cupped my breast and flicked his thumbs over my nipples.

  Then he dropped his head and suckled on them. He paid them both equal attention until they were firm and sensitive. I held his head to my chest and found myself rolling my hips in his lap.

  Good lord. I was powerless to him. His touch made me lose complete control, and I didn’t want it back. I was more than happy to hand over the reins and let him steer for awhile.

  His lips wandered back up to my mouth, and all at once, he stood up, turned us around, and lowered me slowly down to the couch. Once I was on my back on the cushions, he began rolling the waistband of my leggings down. Inch by inch, he took his time as he worked them down my thighs, over my knees, and off my ankles, where he let them fall to the floor.

  Now, all I had on were my bright pink panties. They were lace, sat high on the hips, and had a little bow set with a jewel in the middle, directly in line with my navel.

  Derek began kissing down the length of my body. I watched him go. I’d managed to open the top of his jeans, and his black boxers were exposed. I wanted to get him naked. I needed to. But he wasn’t going to let me get what I wanted right away because the lower he went, the farther he got from my reaching hands.

  Before I knew it, he was on his knees in front of the sofa. I was still on my back, propped up against the back cushions, as he pushed my knees apart. He smiled up at me and then kissed the soft, sensitive skin on the inside of my thighs.

  My breath caught in my throat when he pulled my panties to the side.

  He made a soft sound in the back of his throat as he looked at my nakedness. I felt suddenly insecure, like I’d been laid bare before I was ready. Instinctively, I tried to close my knees.

  “No,” Derek said, putting one hand on each of my thighs and pushing my legs down until the outside of my thighs rested on the sofa cushions. “Just relax.”

  I licked my lips. I’d done this with him before. Why was I suddenly nervous?

  It was a foolish question to ask. I knew the answer. I was nervous because I cared now. Feelings were involved. Derek was more to me now than just a hot fireman that I could use to rid myself of the sexual tension that had been building up inside me since the first time I laid eyes on him in the ER. Our last night of passion hadn’t meant anything. There were no stakes.

  This time was different. This time, I knew I cared about him. I’d been comforting him not even five minutes ago. Running my fingers through his hair. Assuring him that everything would be fine, even though it felt like things were falling apart.

  I closed my eyes. Was I doing exactly what I didn’t want to do by letting this happen? Was I moving too fast with a man I didn’t really know? Was I going to find myself at the hands of someone who would hurt me down the road when I let my walls down?

  His tongue rolled up my aching pussy, and all thoughts of doubt suddenly vanished, like they’d been nothing but balloons full of air that had been popped. Just like that. Gone.

  I sighed and sank deeper into the cushions.

  Derek rolled his tongue up and down and stopped to trace my swollen clit. Little jolts of pleasure raced through me and spread like wildfire. I clutched at the pillows all around me, my breath quickening. He looked up at me and watched as he drew my clit into his mouth and sucked hard.

  “Oh God,” I breathed as every muscle in my body tightened in preparation for my release. My thighs quivered. Stars exploded behind my now closed eyelids. And then I came. Derek released my clit and moved away from it. I was grateful. I was so sensitive after an orgasm.

  Instead, I found myself moaning as he filled me up with one of his fingers. I’d been caught a little off guard, so when he curled his finger up toward my G-spot and pressed in deep, I yelped and sat up a bit straighter.

  He smirked.

  “What?” I asked defensively.

  “That was cute.”

  “You—you startled me,” I said. My words came out in a shaky moan, and I collapsed back into the pillows as he began to slowly massage my insides with his finger. What was this witchcraft?

  Familiar pressure began building inside me, straining against my walls as Derek mercilessly rolled the tip of his finger against a spot inside me I’d never known existed. Every pleasure center in my body sang his praises until his name slipped from between my lips and hung in the air between us like a dare.

  A dare to make me lose even more control.

  Derek eased another finger inside me.

  At first, I thought I couldn’t bear it. It was simply too much. The way he curled them inside me and flicked them against that delicious spot, the way he pressed the sole of his thumb to my clit. I moaned and writhed, and he held fast, now gently pushing his thumb back and forth and working his fingers inside me to a rhythm that made that little knot of pressure suddenly burst apart.

  I screamed. I actually screamed.

  The sound came out of me and was followed by an embarrassed giggle as I covered my face with my hands.

  Derek pulled his fingers out of me, massaged my own wetness all over my aching pussy, and kissed my hips and stomach. “You’re so sexy. I can’t handle it.”

  I peered at him between my fingers. He was still on his knees, and he plunged a hand into one of his pockets to pull out a condom. He wiggled it at me, and I grinned and let my hands fall from my face.

  How he had made me feel so good without even fucking me yet, I had no idea. But I was ready for him. I’d wanted his cock inside me the minute he walked through my door. It was all I’d been able to think about all throughout breakfast. But I’d kept my game face on as best as I could, and he didn’t see through the cracks to the horny girl who was leaking into her panties with need.

  I watched, transfixed, as Derek pushed his jeans and boxers down his thighs. He didn’t take them all the way off. Apparently, he didn’t have time for that nonsense. He left them around his thighs and rolled the condom over his erection. Even though I knew how big he was, it still caught me off guard.

  When he took hold
of the waistband of my panties, I lifted my ass off the sofa so he could pull them off of me. He threw them over his shoulder.

  I pressed my lips together anxiously as he shuffled closer to me and made me spread my legs farther apart. I did as he wanted and watched while he dragged the tip of his cock through my wetness.

  When he looked up at me and our eyes locked, he slid himself inside. He took it slow, knowing his size was not what my body was accustomed to. He, of course, did not know I was not accustomed to any size. I’d been without sex for at least two years.

  He was gentle and calm, and I relaxed into the cushions, challenging myself to take in all of him on the first thrust. There was nothing better than the first time he filled me up. I could feel him pressing into every inch of me, and it was enough to bring back that very pleasant knot of pressure.

  “Fuck,” he grated.

  He was buried inside me to the hilt. I bit my bottom lip and held his stare. His cock twitched inside me. “Fuck me,” I whispered.

  Derek shivered. He actually shivered.

  And then he leaned over me, bracing himself with his hands planted on either side of me, and kissed me. As his tongue plunged into my mouth, his hips began to slowly thrust against me. In and out, in and out. I gripped his wrists and tried to steady my breathing as the pressure built.

  My eyes fell closed. “Yes.”

  Derek kissed my jaw, throat, and chest. His lips pinched and nibbled, and the heat of his breath danced across my skin. I hooked my arms over his shoulders and pulled him down to me to kiss him some more. His muscles shifted beneath his skin as he fucked me.

  I traced my nails down his back.

  Derek groaned into my mouth and quickened his speed. I spread my legs farther, inviting him to somehow bury himself deeper inside me. I wasn’t sure how he pulled it off, but he did, and all at once, I was clinging to him for dear life as my climax tightened and then released. I whispered his name and nipped at his bottom lip.