He fucked me harder.
I whimpered, desperate and aching for more, and he delivered. When I could barely remember my own name, he growled above me, and I felt his cock grow as he came. I sighed with contentment, and he stayed inside me as he stared down at me. Then he was kissing me again, softly this time, like each little kiss could express words he could not find or did not know.
When we broke apart, he went to go clean himself up. He wasn’t gone long, and when he returned, he bent to get his clothes from the floor, but I grabbed his wrist and drew him back to me as I laid down on the couch. “Stay. Sleep with me.”
He studied me for a moment and then rolled onto the couch beside me. He went onto his back, and I curled into his side, hooking my left leg over his left side and resting my cheek on his chest. I pulled my blanket off the back of the sofa and draped it over us.
His heart thumped steadily in his chest and provided the perfect beat to fall asleep to.
23
Derek
I was a little disoriented when I woke up. I was warm—very warm—and half of me was sort of hanging off the edge of a sofa.
Katie’s sofa.
Right.
I started smiling. I couldn’t help it. I looked down at her. She was still nestled against my side, tucked between me and the back of the sofa. Her cheek was on my chest, and her breathing was deep and calm. I stroked her bare back and shoulder and lay there, suspended in time, willing this moment to last forever.
It didn’t.
Katie woke about fifteen minutes after me. Her eyes were heavy, and she had to squint to look up at me as she lifted her cheek from my chest. “How long did we sleep for?” she asked. Her voice was thick with fatigue.
“Not sure,” I said.
She groaned as she stretched, pushing me a little more off the edge of the couch. I laughed and gripped the back of the sofa so I didn’t fall to the floor.
“Sorry.” She snickered. Then she sat up, and the blankets fell from her shoulders.
She was still naked and so was I. I would have been happy to lay there with her all day. “Stay a little longer,” I said.
She looked down at me. Then she smiled and complied, lowering herself back into the cozy spot she had made for herself. This time, she put her hand on my chest and her chin atop her knuckles so she could peer up at me. “Did you sleep well?”
“Like a baby.”
“Good.”
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?”
Katie shrugged one shoulder. Then she frowned. “Actually, I think I’m going to go see Emily.”
“Why ‘actually’?” I asked. At first, she looked like she was about to say she had no plans. Then Emily seemed to pop into her head.
Katie sighed. “She was supposed to work in the ER with me last night. We were both scheduled for a twelve-hour shift. But she called in two hours before she was supposed to clock in and had to get someone to cover for her. Which isn’t like her at all. In all the time I’ve known her, she’s only ever called in sick twice. Once because she was in a car accident and another time because she had strep throat and you can’t bring something contagious into the hospital. Obviously.”
“Obviously,” I repeated.
Katie was still frowning.
“Do you think something is wrong?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe. I think I just need to go see her to ease my mind. I might be making a big deal out of nothing.”
“Well, call me when you find out. I’ll have my phone on me.”
Katie smiled. “How sweet.”
“I have my moments.”
“Apparently.”
I kissed the tip of her nose and pulled the blankets down. “I’m supposed to meet Hayden for lunch. How about you go see Emily sooner, rather than later? Then you won’t have to stress any more about it.”
“You know me so well.”
We both got up and started getting dressed. As she pulled her leggings on, I couldn’t help but watch her. Her body was insane. A true work of art. Her ass disappeared beneath the black fabric of her leggings, and I was disappointed.
After I was dressed, I walked behind her as she pulled her hair up back into the bun it had fallen out of while we were fucking. I slapped her ass and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t forget to call me.”
“Never,” she said.
And then I left, wishing I didn’t have to, and drove to the restaurant I was meeting Hayden at. I was already ten minutes late. I’d never hear the end of it.
* * *
I met Hayden at the only fifties-style diner in Searing. It had bright red leather booths, peppermint-colored table tops, chrome stools, and black and white checkered floors. It was a blast from the past with the best cheeseburger in town.
Hayden was sitting at a booth near the window with his head down when I walked in. He didn’t look up until I slid into the open seat across from him. Then he tore his gaze from his phone. “About time you showed up. I’ve been sitting here for almost twenty minutes.”
“I’m sorry. I, uh, lost track of time.”
Hayden arched a black eyebrow. “Oh?”
“Yeah. It’s no big deal. Did you order already?”
“No. I’ve been waiting for you. That’s usually how it works when you make plans to have lunch with someone. You, you know, wait until they get here so you can have lunch with them.”
“Right,” I muttered.
Hayden was watching me as I lifted the menu and started reading it. He grabbed the top of it and pushed it down to the table. “What’s up with you?”
“Nothing,” I said a little too quickly.
My friend’s eyes narrowed. “First off, you’re twenty minutes late. Secondly, you show up looking like you just rolled out of bed. And third, you know what you’re ordering. You always get the same damn thing. Why are you reading the menu?”
I swallowed and reached for an ice water that was sitting to my left. I gulped some of it down and shrugged. “I told you. I lost track of time. I’m just out of sorts today is all.”
Hayden’s harsh stare softened. “Ah. I see what’s going on here.”
“What?”
“You were with Katie, weren’t you?”
There was no sense in lying to my best friend. No sense at all. “Yes.”
Hayden slapped his hand down on the table. The little salt and pepper shakers and the specials menu danced and hopped about a millimeter to the left. “I knew it! Shit, you guys are really spending a lot of time together, huh?”
I felt my own sheepish smile playing on my lips. “Yeah. It’s been nice.”
“Nice? Who are you?”
“What?”
“‘Nice’? You don’t say shit like that about girls. You like this one. You really like this one. Did you spend the night with her?”
“Well, not really. It was more like the morning. I wasn’t off until seven. But yeah, I just came from her place.”
Hayden nodded. “Good for you, man. I’m happy you’ve found someone like her. I think she’s good for you.”
“You do?” I asked.
Hayden blinked. “Of course I do. She’s a smart girl, and she calls you out on your bullshit. What more could you ask for?”
“She’s a good cook, too.”
Hayden nodded. “I can appreciate that. Mel is a talent in the kitchen, too.”
“Not to mention she’s gorgeous.”
“Hey, that’s my woman you’re talking about.”
“I meant Katie,” I clarified. Then I had to amend with, “Mel is beautiful too. That’s not what I meant.”
Hayden held up his hands. “I know what you’re saying. Don’t get your panties in a bunch about it.”
We were interrupted when the waitress came and took our orders. She didn’t need to ask. She just double checked that we were both getting our usual: cheeseburgers with fries, a coke, and extra pickles on Hayden’s. We confirmed, and she went to put the order through to the kitch
en, leaving us alone again.
Hayden folded his arms on the table and leaned forward. It creaked beneath his weight. “Hey, I know I’m not supposed to know about this whole thing with the reporters,” he started.
“Who the hell is spreading this shit?” I growled.
Hayden shook his head. “Nobody is spreading it. Rinehart told me. But he said no one is supposed to know. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I just wanted you to know that I’ve got your back. All right? I think this whole thing is bullshit. The whole crew would think so if they knew about it.”
“Allen knows.”
“What? How?”
“Beats me,” I said. Then I took another sip of water. “But he brought it up with me when our shift ended this morning. I think he feels the same way.”
“Maybe Rinehart told him, too.”
“Maybe.”
Hayden sighed and rubbed his forehead with his thumb and forefinger. “Fucking press, man. They think they run this damn town. They’ve got no clue what we do for a living. And why they would think any of what you did when you were—”
“Hayden,” I said, cutting him off.
He looked up at me.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not your problem. It’s mine. And I can handle it.”
My friend frowned. “I never said you couldn’t handle it. I just wanted you to know that if you need anything, I’m here.”
“I know that.”
“Good.”
Luckily, between the two of us, that was all that needed to be said. We understood each other. I didn’t want him fretting over something that was completely out of his control. I was the one who would atone for it if it came down to that. I wouldn’t let the media take my crew down with me. No fucking way.
Our food arrived shortly after. The burgers were delicious, as always, and we wolfed them down in near record time. Then we enjoyed the fries and talked about stupid shit. There had been a minor grease fire the day before at an apartment complex, and Hayden told me the story of how the girl who had been cooking was so embarrassed she was as red as the fire truck.
We swapped a couple more stories about patients and fire victims until we both ran out of things to say.
I ran my thumb along the chrome trim on the edge of the table. “How did you know you were in love with Mel?”
If Hayden was tempted to poke fun at me, he didn’t do it. His expression remained neutral as he wiped his hands on his napkin. He shrugged. “Pretty simple. I knew when I didn’t want to spend a minute away from her. And I couldn’t bear the thought of her not being there.”
I nodded.
That was how I felt about Katie. I would do anything for her. Give anything for her. Risk anything for her.
She was worth everything.
24
Katie
Emily lived in the same little house she’d grown up in down one of the farm roads outside of town. She liked the peace and quiet and would often sit outside on her front porch with a book and a cup of tea. Whenever I came over, I always missed the sounds of traffic or the presence of street lights. It was weird to be so close to town but feel like you were out in the middle of nowhere.
She loved it. That was why when her parents died, she’d kept the house and decided to move back after living on her own in a two-bedroom loft-style apartment downtown. It never made sense to me, especially because I felt like her personality was much more of a “downtown” girl.
The driveway up to the little house was gravel, and it crunched under my tires as I slowed to a stop behind her little red coupe. I got out, closed the door, and crossed the grass, hopping from one stepping stone to the next until I reached her front porch. The wood had been stained dark to match the exterior of the house. It had a cozy country feel, and inside, it had been remodeled. It was much more modern than one would expect from the outside looking in.
I knocked on the door.
“Emily?” I called when she didn’t answer after a good twenty seconds or so. The house wasn’t huge. You were never very far from the door. Maybe she was in the bath or the shower or something.
I glanced at my watch. Unlikely. It was one o’clock in the afternoon.
Perhaps she was still sleeping?
I knocked again.
“Coming!” I heard her call from inside.
I stepped back and waited. A breeze picked up and rustled the long grass in the field to the right. It was owned by the neighboring farm, which was a good three miles down the road. Everyone was so spaced apart out here.
It smelled like dirt and freshly cut grass. I inhaled and closed my eyes. Maybe this was one of the things she liked about it. It was peaceful; I couldn't deny that. I would just miss the presence of other people.
When Emily finally answered the door, she didn’t open it all the way. Her fingers curled around the edge, and she peered out at me, squinting against the brightness of daylight. All I could see of her was the right profile of her face as she hid the rest of herself behind the door.
I held out a bag from one of the local bakeries. “I brought you soup. Potato bacon, your favorite. And there’s a bun in there and a little treat, too.”
“Thank you,” she said.
“Emily, what’s going on?”
“Nothing. I’m just not feeling well, and I don't know if I’m contagious. You should go.”
“I don’t want to go,” I countered. Then I stepped forward, put my hand on the door, and tried to push it open.
Emily nudged her foot under the door. The rubber sole of her shoes prevented me from being able to budge it open even an inch.
“Emily. What the hell?” My voice was raised. I was getting angry. She was hiding something from me. Something important. “You’re starting to scare me. Please let me in. I’m worried about you.”
She shook her head vigorously. Then I noticed the tears in her eyes.
“I’m not leaving,” I said firmly.
“Please,” she whimpered.
“Let me in, Em. Now.”
I wasn’t sure if my bossy mom voice was going to do the trick. Apparently, it worked because she stepped back and opened the door. The sunlight fell upon her, and suddenly, it all became crystal clear. All the pieces fell into place and made perfect sense as I looked upon her.
She had a black eye, a swollen lip with a cut through it, and a purpled jaw. And that was only what I could see. She was wearing sweatpants and a loose sweater with a high neck and sleeves that were too long for her.
I reached for my friend as grief clutched at my throat. “Emily.”
“Please,” she said, holding up her hand to stop me. “Don’t. I can’t. I’ve cried too much, and if you hug me, I’m going to start up again.”
I stopped in my tracks and let my arms fall to my sides. “Can I come in? I’ll make us tea. We can just sit if you want.”
She blinked away her tears and nodded. “Yes, please.”
I followed Emily into her house. It was quiet. The floorboards creaked beneath my feet as I went into the kitchen and filled the red kettle on the stove with water. I turned on the gas element, pulled two mugs down from the cupboard to the right of the stove, and set them on the counter in preparation. I dropped a teabag in the teapot and put my back to the stove as Emily sank into a seat at the kitchen table.
She began mindlessly playing with the frayed hem of her sleeve.
I pulled out a chair beside her and sat down. “We don’t have to talk now. But I’m going to need to know what happened.”
She sniffled and nodded. “I know.”
“Can I ask you some questions?” I knew how to approach this situation. I’d sat where she was sitting, hiding in the thin fabric of my clothes just willing the world to disappear… and to leave me behind.
Emily didn’t look up at me, but she nodded.
“Was it Brian?”
She nodded again.
Anger hardened in my chest. It was almost hard to breathe. I closed my eyes and took a steadying b
reath. I had to keep my cool here. Freaking out and throwing a fit would not help Emily, and that was my main concern. “When did this happen? After your date the other night?”
Again, the only answer she provided was a nod.
“Will you tell me why?”
Asking why he’d hit her might sound like a cruel question from someone on the outside, but it was really just a strategy to get her talking to me. The why didn’t matter. He’d hit her, and that was bad enough. What mattered was helping her find a way to open up and let me in.
Emily finally looked up at me. Her eyes were glossy, and tears clung to her bottom lashes. “I wouldn’t sleep with him.”
That fucker. That total piece of shit. That cruel, loathsome, evil bastard.
I reached out slowly and put my hand on top of hers. “Emily. I need you to be honest with me. Did he rape you?”
She looked up sharply and shook her head. “No. No, he didn’t. Thank God. I promise, Katie.”
Relief trickled through me. “Okay.”
“I just—I just don’t know what went wrong. I mean, one minute everything was great. Dinner was good. He told me he loved my dress. And afterward, he drove me back here. He asked if he could come in. I had to work the five-a.m. shift in the morning so I told him it wasn’t a good time. And to be honest, I just wasn’t ready. And then he just lost it. He called me—” She shook her head. “I don’t want to say it.”
“You don’t have to,” I whispered.
She took a deep breath. “Okay. Good.”
“Have you heard from him since?”
“No.”
“What’s his full name?”
Emily hesitated.
“Tell me,” I urged. I needed to know. There was no way I was letting this asshole get away with beating up my best friend. Absolutely no way.
“Why?”
“Because I want to know who he is. And I want to make sure he doesn’t do this to any more girls.”
That seemed to light a fire under her ass. The idea of Brian hurting other women made Emily’s jaw harden. “Brian Nickels.”
Set the Night on Fire: A Bad Boy Firefighter Novel Page 14
