by Jen Talty
“You make it sound like I’m a predator or something.” Renee clutched her necklace, which carried her wedding band along with Devon’s. She loved him; there was no doubt in her mind about that. She’d tried hard not to fall in love with Devon, and she’d broken up with him more than once, but he just wouldn’t take no for an answer.
When she’d finally broken down and told him how she felt and her weird superstition about love, and he hadn’t died, she thought for sure the curse had been lifted.
“Not at all,” Ryan said. “But do you mind if I make an observation?”
“I’m all ears.”
“After Jared divorced his first wife and he lost his son, he used women for sex. He was upfront about it, telling anyone he got involved with that it would never go anywhere.”
“Did he tell you that?”
Ryan turned her head and smiled. “He was supposed to transfer to Rochester. I set out to seduce him, telling him I wanted a goodbye thing, but then I got kidnapped, and Jared decided he didn’t want to move which was a good thing because I was pregnant anyway, but we’re not talking about me, and my point is ever since Devon died, you’ve totally shut down. You’re not the same person, and I understand that death changes you. Jared and I get that better than anyone, but you’ve taken your heart and soul and buried it with Devon. Now, this hot firefighter, who you have an odd history with, share an intense moment, and you’re trying to find a way to go back to the person you were before Devon, but there is no going back. Just like there was no going back for Jared after his son died. Once he realized that and allowed his heart to open, he was able to live again.”
“What are you saying?”
“You weren’t really living before Devon, and you’re not living now. I know it hasn’t even been a year yet, and there isn’t really a time limit on grief, but just going out and having sex isn’t the answer. Not for someone as passionate, kind, and loving as you.”
“Then I’m going to need a really good vibrator.”
Ryan laughed. “Doesn’t every woman?”
“Please don’t tell me with your hunk of a man that you need one.”
“Oh, I don’t need it, but I do possess one, or two, and we have fun with it.”
“I’m so glad the emphasis was on the we,” Renee said. “But that was a little too much information. I have to see Jared sometimes out in the field, and the way my mind works, it’s going to go right to him holding a vibrator and not a gun.”
Ryan burst out laughing. She brought her knees to her chest and rolled left and right.
The wood planks on the dock rattled.
Renee glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, God. Here comes your husband,” she whispered. “I hope he didn’t hear that.”
“Hear what? And dare I ask what the heck is so funny?” Jared stood over them with his hands on his hips. For a man somewhere between forty-five and fifty, he was about as sexy as they came.
And buff.
Not overly muscular, but he still had rock-solid abs.
His hair had started to turn gray and thin a bit, but he’d still make the cover of the New York State Trooper calendar.
“Nothing, and no, you may not,” Ryan said. “Where are the kids?”
“Caitlyn is doing her homework while Bella is driving her crazy, and the twins aren’t back yet. Your brother should be dropping them off any second now.”
“It’s your turn to deal with those two,” Ryan said. “And if they are full of mud from practice, they can jump in the lake.”
“That’s why I’m out here,” Jared said. “But also, Caitlyn reminded me that there is no school tomorrow.”
“What? Why not?”
“Some teacher seminar thing,” Jared said.
Renee sprawled her hand across her stomach. Devon had wanted a baby right away. She’d wanted to wait five years. They agreed to split it down the middle, but fate had other plans.
And then fate changed its mind.
She always knew she wanted to be a mother, but she never thought she’d get the chance, because she never thought she’d be able to love someone.
Now she found herself mourning for the child she lost, and the children she would never have.
“I guess I’ll be taking the kids out on the boat for the day.” Ryan took her husband’s hand and stood. “Renee, do you want to come with us?”
“I’m going to pass, but thanks for the offer.”
“If you change your mind, you know where we are.” Ryan looped her arm around Jared’s waist. “See you later.”
Renee checked the time. It was just a little past nine. Since she’d done the expo, she’d earned herself three days off. Normally, she be looking to pick up a shift, or even asking her aunt for hours in the family security business, anything to keep her mind and body occupied.
But tomorrow, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do.
For now, a fluffy pillow and Netflix had her name written all over it.
Fletcher knew he didn’t have to walk the three quarters of a mile to Renee’s house to give her the bag and water bottle she’d left in his pickup. Neither thing seemed to be all that important. A text message would have done the trick.
He leaned against the railing and watched Renee as she strolled up the path from the waterfront with her hands stuffed in her short pockets. Her long blond hair cascaded over her shoulders, touching the top of her perfect breasts.
And they were perfect.
She lifted her gaze and paused midstep about twenty paces away. “What are you doing here?”
“You left these in my truck.” He held up her possessions.
“Oh. Thanks.” She scurried across the grass and took them. “You didn’t have to bring them over.”
“I wanted to see you.”
She cocked her head. “Why?”
What a loaded question and he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to tell her the truth. He hadn’t slept well, if at all, in days. She consumed his thoughts and dreams. He had no idea which end was up, and he had no idea what to do about it. He hadn’t been this conflicted since he found his wife with another man. Only that situation sent him down a dark path.
This one made him feel like he was betraying a brother, yet at the same time, she stirred things in him that he thought had died.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
“Sure.”
He followed her through the front door of what everyone referred to as the carriage house. It was uncanny how it looked identical to the main house, only about an eighth of the size.
“Do you want a drink?”
“Just a soda or water.”
She ducked her head in the fridge and pulled out a couple of diet sodas. Her kitchen was open to a small family room that housed a sofa and a recliner which faced a fireplace. A television was perched on an entertainment unit in the corner.
He sat on the sofa, hoping she’d sit next to him, and she didn’t disappoint.
Tucking her feet under her butt, she sipped her soda. “So, what’s up?”
He inched a little closer, strategically placing his arm over the back of the couch. He resisted twisting her hair between his thumb and forefinger. She had him tied in knots, and he had no idea when or if he’d ever be able to change that fact. “I can’t stop thinking about the rooftop.”
“Oh, that.” She let out a puff of air. “I’m sorry. I had a bit to drink. We were playing a game. I got carried away.”
“Did you?” He rested his hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Because it took every ounce of energy I had to turn you down. You have no idea how badly I wanted to make love to you right there on that rooftop, not caring if anyone came up there and walked in on us.”
“So, why did you turn me down?”
Why the fuck did she need to be so goddamned blunt? It made him fucking crazy because it’s exactly what he’d want in a woman. He liked no-holds-barred when it came to the ladies he dated. He’d preferred a gal to call it like she saw it
over sugarcoating a situation.
“To be totally honest, I did so for more than one reason.”
“I’m listening.”
“Shit, you’re really going to make me vocalize all this, aren’t you?”
“Damn fucking straight I am,” she said. “I want to make sure I understand loud and clear so there aren’t any miscommunications or assumptions.” Shifting, she bounced to sitting cross-legged, glaring at him with a tinge of fire and dollop of flirt flashing in her sweet eyes.
He didn’t know if she would be using him to be that first hurdle in moving past her husband’s death, or if he would be a physical desire she needed filled. It shouldn’t really matter other than they worked together and even then, he didn’t do long-term relationships, so a fling between them would be fine. It might even help them deal with their issues—hell, it would probably solve their conflict at work. The best part would be when their romp in the hay ran its course, they would slip into a nice easy friendship.
Fuck. Did he just really talk himself into going to bed with her if she still wanted to?
“First, you threw me off guard. Considering that you’ve spent the last few weeks trying to get me fired, showing me literally the best breasts I’ve seen was far from what I expected.”
The corners of her mouth tipped upward into a beaming smile.
“And then I was honestly worried about how things would be because I didn’t know if what was happening was about me, or something else.”
“Oh, I see.” She rested her cheek in the palm of her hand.
He chuckled. “No. I don’t think you do. The 29 is your station. I’m still an interloper trying to make it my home, and that’s what I want. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. Its why I’ve been bending over backward doing whatever Cade has asked when it comes to you. When we were in the city, being with you didn’t feel right. It wasn’t on our turf, and I didn’t know what to expect the next day. For all I knew, we’d go back to being our usual combative selves.”
“We’ve had some issues, but that’s more because of what transpired on the roof,” she said.
“I think for us it’s a little more complicated than that.”
“Why?”
“You know why,” he said.
“You need to be specific.”
“You’re killing me.” He reached out and fanned her face, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “I don’t do relationships that last more than a few months. Maybe three tops.”
She lowered her chin and raised both brows. “That long, eh?”
“I’m going to say this at the risk of getting slapped, but a lot of women start thinking long term right around then, and I did the marriage thing once. I don’t plan on doing it again.”
She made a clicking noise. “I’m with you on that one.”
“But I don’t do one-night stands well either. I kind of like coming back for seconds, thirds, and more, especially with someone who has breasts like yours.”
“You did not just say that.” She dropped her head back and burst out laughing.
“Hey. You’re the one that bragged about them and then showed them off.”
“Fine. I’ll give you that.”
He rested his hand on her thigh, massaging the toned muscle gently. “New York City just felt like it would have been one and done, and if I was going to be with you, I wanted more than that.” He pressed his finger against her lips. “And when I’m with a woman, I’m only with her, and I expect the same in return.”
She leaned in, her lips millimeters from his. Her hot pink tongue peeked out and rolled over her skin like a missile seeking its target. “I have one thing to add.”
“Yeah. What’s that?”
“No one can know we’re sleeping together.”
“Not that it bothers me, because I like keeping my personal life private, but why?”
“Trust me, you don’t want to get harassed by the likes of Cade and Gavin, much less anyone else there, but mostly because I don’t want my family reading too much into this. They look at me getting back out there as if I’m getting back on the horse or something.”
He cocked his head. “That’s a weird statement, but it also brings me full circle to what concerns me. It hasn’t been that long since—”
She covered his mouth with her hand. “We’re just having a good time, not getting involved.”
“Fair enough.”
“Are we done talking now?”
Instead of answering with words, he took her mouth with a wet, sloppy kiss. He lifted her into his arms and fumbled through the tiny hallway into her shoebox of a bedroom where she’d stuffed a queen-sized bed between the four walls. Gently, he sat her on the edge of the mattress.
She glided her fingers into the top of his jeans.
He gripped her hand and waggled his finger under her nose. “Not yet, sweetheart.”
“Oh, yes, right now.” She took the hem of his T-shirt with her free hand and lifted it before pressing her mouth on his firm stomach. She swirled her tongue around his belly button.
“Nope.” He tilted her chin.
She smiled as she eased down his zipper. “If you thought I was bossy at work, just wait.”
He hissed and then inhaled sharply, gripping the wall for support, unable to exhale much less use his words to tell her to stop.
Not that he wanted her to. Far from it.
Quickly, he tossed his shirt across the room and kicked out of his pants.
Her long warm fingers ran up and down the length of him, followed by her sweet tongue, swirling over the tip. Every once in a while she’d curl her lips over him, taking him deep into her mouth, cupping and squeezing him until he thought he couldn’t take it another second, only to repeat it all over again in slow motion.
He seriously thought he’d died and gone to heaven.
“Do you always get what you want?” he managed between ragged breaths as he fisted her hair and tugged, heaving her to his chest. He held her gaze for a long moment.
She licked her lips and smiled.
He groaned.
Slipping from the bed, she shed her clothes and stood before him gloriously naked. Her heavy breasts calling to him to hold them firm. His palms lifted them while his thumbs rubbed her tight nipples. She held his gaze. Her deep breaths pressed her chest harder into his grip.
She took his hand, running it down her tight stomach and across her shaven womanhood. Gliding two of his fingers inside her, she let her head fall back, heaving her breasts higher.
He took a nipple in his mouth, twisting and nipping at it while he let her guide his hand, stroking her insides. She knew what her body demanded, and he was happy to let her show him what and how to please her. He found himself desperate to know what really made her crazy. He kissed his way to her lips. “Tell me what you want.”
She blinked. A slow smile spread across her angelic face. “I want you to go down on me.”
A low growl developed in his gut and vibrated to his throat. “Gladly.” He gave her a little shove, enjoying the way her breasts moved as she flopped onto the bed.
He knelt in front of her, lifting her legs over his shoulders. He’d never seen anything so pretty, and she tasted like a morning sunrise with a slight lake breeze doused with honey.
She rolled her hips against his motions. Her fingers digging into his scalp as her soft moans filled the bedroom. She guided his head, fingers, and made demands of him, and he happily caved to every single one. The need to fill her full of passion took over his entire being. It became his only purpose.
He couldn’t even begin to think about his own release until he knew she’d had her fill.
“Oh, my God. Right there.” She clutched his head, staring down at him, grinding against his mouth. She grabbed his hand and pressed it against her nipple. “Please.”
He tugged at it. Hard. Pinching and twisting all while his tongue dove deep and before brushing a gentle feather-like stroke over her hard
nub.
“Do that again,” she said, dropping her legs to the side.
He caught her gaze and nearly lost it.
She bit down on her lower lip. Her lust-filled eyes commanded him to take her over the edge. Jerking her hips, she arched her back. “Fletcher,” she said with a throaty moan.
The way his name rolled off her tongue made his heart race.
Her thighs slammed against the sides of his face. She dug her fingernails into his shoulders. “Oh, God, yes. Fletcher.” Her body convulsed. “I want you inside me right now.”
“You are demanding.” He kissed his way up her taut belly, giving her nipples a good twist with his mouth as he thrust himself deep inside her, holding himself there for a long moment. She was so hot and perfect, it took his breath away, and he could have sworn his heart stopped for a second.
She cupped his ass and encouraged him to pump harder and faster.
He couldn’t deny her, but then she wiggled beneath him, pushing him to his back and climbing on top of him.
Her breasts swayed in front of him, her nipples hovering over his face. He darted his tongue out, capturing it, sucking to the roof of his mouth. He toyed with the other breast, massaging it while she grinded over him, making his toes curl.
He did his best to focus on her and her pleasure, hoping to hold out as long as he could. “I want you to come again,” he whispered. “Can you do that for me?”
She flattened her hands against his chest and sat taller. She took his hands and pressed them over her tits, using his thumbs to fan her nipples. Then she reached between them, rubbing herself as she rocked back and forth. She stared at him, her lids heavy with lust. Her breath cut short.
“I can,” she whispered. “Oh, Fletcher.” She fell to his chest, her body spasming against his, sending him into sexual bliss.
He raised his hips, pumping his release into her, holding her tight while she nibbled on the soft spot of his neck just under his earlobe. He thrust one last time, running his hands up and down her back, trying desperately to fill his lungs with oxygen.
It took long moments before either one caught their breath. He pulled the covers over their bodies and sighed. “I hate to bring this up, but I’m going to have to leave before the sun rises. My grandmother gets up really early, and she’ll be worse than Gavin and Cade.”
