by Jamie Pope
“You’re so tired. You should go to bed.”
“I should, but I don’t want to get up. I like it here.”
“You could sleep here. My bed is pretty comfortable.” She had liked sleeping with him the other night. She liked the way he smelled and how his heavy arm felt wrapped around her. She had missed it last night when she’d slept alone. One night with him and she was becoming addicted.
“Yes.” He kissed her forehead and then stood up to strip off his shirt, shoes and his pants. He stood before her in just a pair of gray boxers. She found him delicious and that ache started to form between her legs again. “Come lie with me for a little while.” He extended his hand and they walked the three feet to her bed.
That was the good thing about being in a tiny apartment with a gorgeous man. They were never very far from a bed.
They crawled under the down comforter and he pulled her to him and just held her close. That was all. His eyes were closed and his hand was stroking up and down her arm, but he didn’t make a single move.
He was aroused. She could feel it against her leg, but he hadn’t even tried to kiss her yet. She knew he was tired from working so hard all night, but his body told her that he wanted her and she was more than happy to oblige.
She leaned in and kissed his throat. He made a sound deep in his throat that spurred her on. She moved her lips over to his Adam’s apple and down to the base of his neck.
He responded and she was feeling a little bolder so she placed her hand between his legs and rubbed him through his underwear. He hissed out a breath. “What are you doing to me, Hallie?”
“I’m asking you to make love to me. I know you’re tired, but I enjoy slow, sleepy sex.” She kissed his mouth. “Have you tried it? It’s quite good.”
His lips curled into a smile and he took her mouth in a long deep kiss. And she felt like she was falling again, which always made her feel heady and happy, a new rush every time. He curled his hand over her behind and pulled her even closer to him so that their bodies were lined up just right.
“I planned an entire evening for us. Dinner, then The Nutcracker, and then I was going to take you back to my place and seduce you. It was going to take all night, but I couldn’t stay away from you long enough. I couldn’t even make it twenty-four hours. The only thing that got me through last night’s shift was the thought of seeing you today. I wanted it to be special, but now I just want you so damn bad I can’t think straight.”
She pressed her mouth to his briefly then let out a long sigh. “Fine. We’ll do it your way.”
“Not my way. If I had my way I would have had you in bed the night I moved in.”
“Oh, really?”
“When I saw you this weird thing happened and all my senses went on alert. I remember it was really hot that day even though it was October and you were wearing a sundress. White with little pink flowers that looked like cherry blossoms. I thought you were a different kind of pretty than most New York women. I liked that about you.”
She never imagined she could feel so close to someone. She placed one hand on his cheek and kissed him again as she slid her hand inside of his underwear. “We’ll wait until Wednesday when you’re all rested, but in the meanwhile I’m going to make you feel good.”
“No.” He rolled on his back and pulled her on top of him. “We’re going to make each other feel good.”
* * *
Two days later Asa was headed back to the station with his partner, Miguel. Their shift had been fairly quiet so far. One heart attack. A couple of slip-and-falls, which of course reminded him of Hallie. He had spent every ounce of his free time with her the last few days. He had napped most of that day in her bed after they had eaten breakfast. She had stayed in bed with him for a while, but spent her time grading papers, and catching up on things to prepare her for her return to work. He had slept like the dead for those hours, feeling comfortable in her place, liking that he knew when he woke up she would be there. They had dinner together before his shift. She had made him honey-glazed salmon with fresh green beans and brown rice. It was nice and when midnight came near and he had to leave for work, he didn’t want to. That was new for him. He was usually the one putting space between him and whoever he was seeing. But not this time.
He wanted to see more of her. In fact he was counting down the hours till he clocked out so he could be with her again. There was little that was better than coming home to someone who was happy to see you and that was what he got with her. His apartment had just felt like an apartment, but when she was with him, wherever they were felt like home.
“What’s going on with you?” Miguel asked. “You’ve been weird these past couple of days.”
“Weird?” He looked over at him.
“Yeah, quiet, but not depressed or anything. Like you’re thinking about something.”
“You know that slip-and-fall we had last week in front of the school?”
“Yeah? You said she was your neighbor.”
“She is. We’re seeing each other.”
Miguel gave him a sly grin. “I knew you had a thing for her.”
“I’ve never been with anyone like her.”
“You think it could be serious?”
“Too soon to tell,” he said, knowing that a week was far too early to know anything for sure. Their attraction could burn out; whatever they were experiencing could fade. But his gut was telling him something different. He could see himself in it for the long haul with her. “I’m taking her out to dinner at Gotham’s Grill and then to see The Nutcracker tonight.”
“Oh, so you’re in love with her?”
The question jolted Asa. “I didn’t say that.”
“You must be if you’re planning to spend that much on one date. You’re not getting out of Gotham’s for less than two-fifty and that’s if she orders cheaply. Is she one of those picky, pain-in-the-butt girls? The kind who won’t give a man a chance till she sees what’s in his bank account?”
“You’ve met her. You know she’s not like that. She teaches high school English to inner-city kids.”
Miguel nodded. “She’s a tough little thing.”
“She’s from the South and she’s missing her family and isn’t having a great time in New York, and I want to show her that it’s good here.”
A call came over the radio then, ordering all rescue units to report to the tracks near the Hudson River and Asa felt dread completely wash over him.
A commuter train had derailed. There were already casualties.
Miguel hit the sirens and looked over at him. “You had better cancel your reservations. You’re not taking that girl anywhere tonight.”
* * *
Asa didn’t need to call Hallie to tell her that their evening was off. The television was on in the teachers’ lunch room and she saw the derailment on the news. There were passengers trapped. Dozens and dozens of people injured. It looked like a scene from a disaster movie. Hallie knew Asa was there assisting in the rescue efforts. And even though she knew that he hadn’t been in the crash, her heart jumped into her throat as if he were.
She got up from the table, leaving her salad half-eaten as she went for her cell phone. There was a text message from him.
Emergency at work. Sorry about tonight.
It struck her then that she had gotten similar messages from Brent. He had canceled on her countless times. He always had an excuse. He always told her it was an emergency, that things were life and death.
It was real estate.
She’d sworn to herself that she would never be with a man who put his career before her again. But Asa was the sender of the message this time and it really was life or death.
She sent him a text back.
Tell me you’re okay when you can. I’ll be up when you get home.
<
br /> “Hallie?” Meredith, another English teacher walked into the office. “Are you okay? Do you know someone on that train?”
“My boy...” She stopped herself from saying boyfriend. What was Asa to her? Were they in a relationship? It had only been a little over a week—did she have the right to call him her boyfriend? What exactly were they doing together? It never occurred to her to ask him, to question it in his presence. She was too busy feeling good. “I’m seeing a man who is a first responder. He’s on-scene. I was just checking to see if he was okay.”
“Is he?”
“I don’t know yet. I’m sure he is. He’s just doing his job.”
“My husband is a police officer. I know the feeling.”
She hadn’t known that about Meredith and now she felt silly that she hadn’t. “This is a new relationship. Does it get better with time?”
“No. It doesn’t. The more you love them, the more you’ll worry.”
“Oh, don’t tell me that. I’m not sure I’ll be able to carry on with my days.”
“You’ll manage.” Meredith smiled softly. “My guy works crazy shifts sometimes, and leaves me alone on weekends and nights a lot of the time. If you’re ever in the same position, we should commiserate. I know a place that does endless margaritas and quesadillas that will simultaneously make you love the world and hate yourself.”
“That sounds like fun. I would like that.” The knot in her stomach loosened slightly. It was nice to know that she didn’t have to be alone if she didn’t want to be, anymore.
Chapter 10
It was a little after eleven that night when Asa got home. He had been on the scene of the derailment for ten hours and at work for nearly sixteen that day. Exhaustion had set heavily into his bones, but he didn’t think he could sleep. At least not with the images of the carnage flashing through his mind.
Hallie’s door flew open as soon as he walked past it. She was still mostly dressed. Her feet and legs were bare, but she was still wearing the dress she must have worn to work that day.
“Were you just going to walk past my door?” She had been worried. It was etched deeply into her face.
“I was coming back.” He was going to drop his bag and then go see her. He knew she had been worried. He just wanted to shake off some of today before he went to her. His tough day shouldn’t bring her down.
“You don’t have to come back. I’ll come with you.” She closed the door behind her and stepped out into the hallway. He knew he wasn’t going to be good company tonight, but he couldn’t turn her away. He didn’t want to be alone tonight.
Nodding, he led her to his apartment. “Sit down,” she ordered him once they got inside. She went to the refrigerator and opened the door. “You should eat something. I can order Chinese or make you grilled cheese and tomato soup. I have salmon left over at my place.” She shook her head. “No one wants to eat salmon after a tough day. It doesn’t scream comfort food.”
“Hallie...”
“I could go to the bodega and get you a slice of chocolate cake.”
“You’re not leaving this apartment.”
She looked at him helplessly. “I want to do something for you. Let me.”
Those simple words lifted some of the heaviness off him. “Just come sit with me on the couch.”
She nodded and did as he asked, snuggling into his side. He felt calmer as he wrapped his arm around her and buried his nose in her springy short curls.
“Are you sure you’re not hungry?”
“No. Not right now. It’s late. I don’t want to keep you up all night.”
“I was worried about you. All day. They kept playing the footage on the news. It looked terrible.”
“It was terrible. There were kids there. You think you’re prepared for everything, but you’re never prepared for that.”
“Is everyone out?”
“Yes. People were only trapped in a couple of the cars.”
“Did everyone make it?”
“No,” he said simply, not wanting to go into detail. She didn’t ask anything else and he was glad for that. He didn’t really want to talk about it right now. “I’m sorry about tonight.”
“Don’t apologize. I’m happy you’re home.”
He kissed her forehead, glad she was here. It would be nice to come home to this every night. He was starting to understand his best friend, Marcus, who only seemed happy when he was home with his wife.
“Can I stay here tonight?”
“You don’t need to ask.”
“You shouldn’t be so relaxed about that policy. I could be one of those clingy women who stay one night and never leave. I could be a complete and total nut job. You really don’t know me that well.”
He took her face in his hands and kissed her. “I know you well enough to know that I don’t want you to leave.”
“Let me run back to my apartment and lock up.”
He nodded and she left him alone. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back to rest on the couch. He didn’t have one clear thought. Just a bunch of images of the day flashing through his mind. He had been feeling a little weary lately. First the crane collapse and then this. When he had first started his job, he’d loved every single moment of it—the excitement of racing to the scene, the rush of using his medical training to save lives. These past couple of months he had lost the exhilaration he had felt before. He was starting to feel like maybe something huge was missing. He was wondering if he might have taken the wrong path in his life.
He felt movement at his feet and saw that Hallie was kneeling on the floor and removing his shoes.
He hadn’t heard her return, but realized that she must have been back for a while. The Christmas tree was plugged in. The lights were dimmed. There was a beer on the coffee table before him.
“Asa?” She ran her thumbs over the top of his foot. “Is your job often like this?”
“Like what?”
“So devastating?”
“I wouldn’t have gotten to know you if it weren’t for my job.”
She smiled up at him. “Talk about your silver linings.”
“Come here.” He reached for her hand and pulled her up on the couch.
She wrapped her arms around his middle as she rested her head on his chest. “I want to take care of you tonight.”
“Just be here. That’s all I need.”
He lightly ran his fingertips across the exposed skin at the opening of her dress. Her skin was so soft, felt so good beneath his fingertips that he was content just to touch her there, but she let out a soft sigh and pushed herself closer to him and it made him want to feel more of her. His fingers grazed the fabric of her dress before his hand slipped inside of it. She wore no bra beneath it. There was nothing impeding his access to her breast, to her nipple, which he gently stroked. His intention wasn’t to arouse her, or to turn this comfortable situation sexual. But he knew he was turning her on. He felt her nipple tighten. He felt her body go laxer. He cupped her breast, loving the way the weight felt in his hand. Loving that he was the only one getting to touch her so intimately.
She pulled away from him for a moment and pulled a condom out of her dress and handed it to him. “Hold this for me.”
She unwrapped her dress then to reveal that she was naked beneath. “I wanted to wear something special for you tonight, but this was the best I could come up with.”
He swallowed hard as he gazed at her body. Beautiful brown skin and curves. She had a birthmark on her hip, a scar on the lower part of her tummy. She was the sexiest woman that he had ever seen.
She straddled him and he felt the heat from her sex through his pants. He wanted to burst from them, rip them off and toss them away, but he just watched her. She took the condom from his hand and undid his pants. Th
ere was a moment when she looked into his eyes and he felt like he could see the world in them, his future in them. But then her eyes went down to his manhood, which was fully erect. She stroked him, causing him to lose focus. “Do you want to do this tonight?”
He couldn’t form words, he was so choked with lust and a dozen other emotions, so he just nodded. She opened the condom with her teeth and then rolled it down his length. He was expecting her to take his hand and lead him to his bedroom to start things, but she didn’t. She rose up, took him in her hand and slid down onto him. There was no foreplay. No buildup. She was ready for him and let out a slow, deep moan as he filled her.
It was probably one of the most erotic moments of his life. He wasn’t sure if it was that she was naked and pressed against his fully clothed body, or if it was because he had wanted this for so long, but it was wonderfully good. She kissed his mouth once before she started to move. Slow, long strokes. His hands sunk into the flesh of her behind and he watched her face. He wanted to close his eyes and give in to the sensation of being with her, but he couldn’t look away. Her mouth was slightly open, her eyes closed, her breasts bouncing as she moved on top of him.
She dug her fingers in his shoulders as she rode, moaning and panting, calling out his name. He had her, but seeing her enjoy sex like this made him want her even more.
“Kiss me,” he ordered as he cupped the back of her neck and pulled her mouth to his. Her pace quickened. He could feel her clenching around him and then her body went tight before the waves of orgasm shook her.
She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his neck as she recovered. He was still hard inside of her, but he just held on to her, stroking his hand down her back, enjoying the feeling of having a satisfied woman wrapped around him.
“I’m sorry, honey.”
“Why are you sorry?”
She kissed the seam of his throat. “I wanted that to be good for you.”
“Do you think we’re done yet?”
“I just wanted it to last longer. I’ve never orgasmed so quickly in my life.” She kissed the side of his face, dropping slow pecks along his cheek. “I’m sorry.” She kissed his shoulder. “But this is all your fault. If you weren’t you, this wouldn’t have happened.”
