All she could do was smile sleepily, roll to her back, and sigh contentedly as she asked, “When can we do that again?”
Both men grinned at each other once more across her as she drifted quickly to sleep. They silently lifted her enough to pull the covers from beneath her. Neither man wasted much time in getting comfortable, curling up on either side of her and pulling the blankets up over themselves as well.
Blaze watched Ashe close his eyes and then closed his own with a deep breath. He wondered what the morning would bring. His head was swimming, but he was too tired for his thoughts to keep him awake. His last recollection before drifting off was of strong fingers lacing through his as their hands rested on Rayne’s stomach, and a happy smile curling the corners of his mouth.
* * * *
A loud, blaring, high-pitched bell sounded, jerking all three of them awake instantly. Ashe groaned, Blaze cursed, and Rayne giggled as she jumped from the bed naked, running down the hall to answer the annoying contraption. Within minutes she was back, flipping on the lights and getting dressed. She stopped when she saw that Blaze and Ashe had covered their heads with her pillows.
“Let’s go, boys!” she shouted gleefully. “We got a call.”
“We know,” Ashe moaned.
“Can they call back in a few hours? I just fell asleep,” Blaze asked, removing the pillow. If they didn’t look so darn cute, she would have laughed. Yet, there they both were, sleepy, disheveled and tired. She didn’t blame them. She, too, was exhausted, but emergencies waited for no one. It was their job, and she was, if nothing, proficient at it.
“Let’s move it!” she yelled, clapping her hands hard. “Move, move, move!”
Groaning, Ashe said, “You didn’t fuck her hard enough.”
“Me,” Blaze replied, shocked, getting up from the bed. “What about you? You just laid there!”
“All I’m saying is that next time, we fuck her into unconsciousness.”
“Agreed.”
Ten minutes later, Rayne was laughing so hard, Blaze forgot about fucking her until she passed out. Nope, that was too good for her. Now, he was plotting her punishment spanking, flogging, and just for kicks, he was going to withhold her orgasm, until she begged him for forgiveness. “This blows,” Ashe grunted, moving up the next branch.
“Perfect, I’ll add that to the list. Only blowjobs,” Blaze responded, reaching for the next limb.
“Remind me again why we are still firefighters?” Ashe asked.
“Because you wanted to move here. We could have gone anywhere, done anything else, but no, you wanted a fresh start somewhere new,” Blaze replied sarcastically. “So tell me, Ashe, how’s the new life working for ya?”
“Fuck you, asshole, and get your ass out of my face.”
“I’m going,” Blaze growled, lifting himself up higher.
Blaze still couldn’t believe that he was climbing up a damn tree for a fucking cat. But apparently it was not just any cat. It was Marmalade, and her owner was frantically pacing below with his partner and a beautiful woman named Savannah, who was too busy laughing with Rayne to be worried about the cat.
They arrived at the call within record time. It looked like a simple rescue job, something a ten-year-old boy could handle, but that was not the case. Blaze thanked the good lord that he insisted on bringing the ladder truck, because when they arrived on the scene, it seemed too easy. Rescue the cat, get back to the house, and continue where they all left off. Well, that was not the case. The cat in question wasn’t just any ole cat…it was Marmalade, a cute, fluffy orange kitten that belonged to one of the biggest men Blaze had ever seen. Hercules Meriwether was, for lack of a better word, a Greek God. Tall, extremely muscular, and beautiful, but that wasn’t what was worrying Blaze. Nope, even though the man could snap him like a twig any time he wanted, he was currently standing on the sidewalk, wringing his hands in worry, begging like a little school girl for someone to help his precious little Marmalade. With him, his lover Virgo and their woman, Savannah, were still laughing with Rayne.
“Hurry guys, Marmalade is moving again!” Hercules shouted up at them, frantically.
Growling, Blaze moved up another branch, when he heard Rayne, “Yeah, hurry up!”
“Woman,” Blaze grunted, as his foot slipped. “If you think you can do better, then you get your ass up here!”
“I can’t. I’m afraid of heights.”
“Thanks for the information. I’ll add suspension to your list of punishments.”
“Oh!” Hercules gasped. “She’s moving! Baby, stay put and let these nice firefighters get you. You’re scaring daddy to death, baby. Just stay put.” Blaze and Ashe both turned to watch as the cute little orange cat stretched her legs, extending her claws, and meowed. “Come to daddy, precious, and I’ll give you extra catnip to play with.”
“I think he’s nuts,” Ashe whispered, moving higher.
“I think you’re right.” Blaze nodded.
“Um, Blaze,” Ashe murmured as he stopped.
“Yeah?”
“I think we got a problem here.”
“What?”
Just then, the tall tree that both of them were in started to lean to its side. When they arrived, they had realized the ladder on the truck was too heavy. So instead, they both chose to climb the tree to rescue the cat. Normally, that wouldn’t have been an issue, because as young boys, there wasn’t a time when they weren’t up a tree having fun. So that’s what they did. They both put happy smiles on their faces, and started to climb. At the time, it seemed like a good idea, but that was then. Now, the tree that they were in was slowly tilting to the right, and the further they climbed the more it bent.
“Ashe, you go. You’re higher, and you weigh less than I do.”
“Got it,” Ashe said, moving further up the tree.
That was when everything went wrong. Ashe moved up another two feet, when the cat moved. Ashe reached for the cat at the same time the tree bent further, and Ashe lost his footing. As Blaze went to grab for his partner, both men fell from the tree as the tree snapped back, and a screeching meow was heard. As both men landed on their backs, they looked up to see Marmalade flying in the air.
“This isn’t good.” Ashe chuckled.
“Nope.” Blaze laughed.
“Marmalade!”
Chapter Seven
The next day…
Rayne was whistling as she entered the lounge at the firehouse, not surprised to find Blaze chilling out and Ashe on the emergency phone line at her desk. Placing a stack of papers before him, she listened to his conversation.
“Celestial Fire Department, what is your emergency?”
“Who is it?” Rayne whispered.
Ashe covered the receiver and said, “It’s the sheriff.”
“Goddess, what does he want?”
“I don’t know, he hasn’t said yet.”
“Then ask him.”
“Woman, I just did, but then you started talking.”
“Then stop talking to me, and see what he wants.” She smiled, leaning against her desk. Ashe growled, putting the receiver back to his ear. As Rayne listened, she made a mental note to educate the boys on phone etiquette. As a first responder, kindness and gentility worked best in a tense situation. Apparently, neither Blaze nor Ashe had been schooled in that department. She had to admit she had her work cut out for her. How these two men survived without, she would never know.
“You need what?” Ashe asked, shocked. “Uh huh, and how did that happen? Really! You don’t say. I’m not sure we’re qualified to help you with that. Why don’t you ask you wife? Is anyone else around that could help you? Then ask him. Sorry, dude, I ain’t gonna touch your junk.”
“Give me the phone,” Rayne ordered, hearing enough. Ashe shivered, handing her the receiver, and Rayne silently shook her head. She had dealt with Pisces long enough to know that when he called, it typically had something do with Henry. “Pisces, it’s Rayne. What happened?”
> “Oh thank the Goddess. Landon and I were enjoying the morning sunrise, when Henry stopped working. You have to help me!”
“Do you think you may have just overworked him?”
“No. Henry is a straight-up dude. He’s always ready to play.”
“Maybe he’s tired and needs a rest.”
“Never!”
“Look, Pisces, I’m sorry to hear that Henry isn’t standing up with you, but take a breather. Go read a book or take a swim. There is nothing the Celestial Fire Department can do for you.”
“But you guys work with hoses all the time!”
“So?” Rayne questioned, not understanding where Pisces was going with this.
“So…come fix my hose!”
Rayne didn’t dignify Pisces with a response. Hanging up the phone, she walked over to the couch and sat between Blaze and Ashe. Both men were still sore from yesterday when they fell out of the tree. Doing her job diligently, she checked them both over, only to find a few scratches and scrapes. However, now both men were complaining for sore limbs and bruised asses. She tried to be sympathetic but every time she looked at them, she couldn’t help but smile.
They looked so darn cute.
“So what’s on the agenda today, boss?” Blaze asked, flipping the television channels with the remote.
“Oh, I thought we could go over some fire safety stuff. I’ve invited some of the residents over tonight, to give a small class. Education is a must in this town, especially since everyone here seems to do what they want. That and since you two have arrived, we’ve gotten three times as many calls. I can’t figure it out. Typically, the town is a very safe place to live.”
“Sounds interesting,” Ashe said, getting to his feet and stretching. “I’ll leave you both to it. I’m gonna go shower.”
Rayne didn’t say anything as he walked away. When Ashe was gone, she turned to Blaze and smiled. “I guess that just leaves us. Are you ready?”
“Oh yeah, fire starter. I’m ready, are you?”
“I’m always ready.”
“That’s good to hear,” Blaze whispered as he took her face in his hands and kissed her.
Confused, Rayne sat there looking at him. Blaze was normally shy and quiet, that was until he got angry, and then he was a beast. Nevertheless, there he was, giving her one of the best kisses she had ever received. He was demanding yet gentle, and he had totally knocked everything that she was thinking out of her mind. Sighing happily, she returned his kiss ardently.
Since Blaze and Ashe arrived in town, they had systematically uprooted her life. Though she wasn’t ready to admit it yet, it was for the better. She had never been happier, and laughed so much in her life. Of course, she purely thought it had to do with the massive amounts of sex, but she wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. The universe had a way of providing, and apparently, it thought she needed to get some.
Yet, she wondered what was going to happen when the newness of their relationship faded, even if they had a relationship, which got her thinking again. Did they? On the other hand, were they just fuck buddies or worse, was she just convenient?
Shaking off the unwanted feelings, Rayne broke the kiss and looked away, but not before seeing Blaze’s confusion, mixed with lust and wanting. Rayne took a gulp of air, trying to calm her nerves. She had never seen him that way before. Then again, she had only known him for two days now, but still, the looking was unsettling, yet erotic.
“Something wrong?” Blaze asked curiously, sinking onto the couch, leaning back and stretching out his legs. His shorts weren’t hiding much from a sitting position, and she caught a clear glimpse of his hard cock straining heavily against his workout shorts.
Rayne shook herself again. “It’s just the heat,” she grumbled, moving to sit on the other end of the couch. That had to be it, she thought. Blaze was a handsome man. Even though he clearly had a magnificent body, dreamy bedroom eyes, an amazing six-pack that made her drool, and the strongest set of legs she had ever seen that held the most delicious cock on the planet.
She had never really considered how fit he was, then again, she figured he would have to be, given his profession. Seeing this much of him, up close and relaxed, was unexpected but welcome and she found her eyes crawling over him, marking every curve of his delicious body appreciatively.
“See something you like, fire starter?”
“Sorry.” She blushed. “I didn’t mean to stare.”
“It’s all right. Stare away.”
Rayne was not a short woman and not exactly slim, either, though she wouldn’t call herself plump. Voluptuous would be a much more accurate word. From her smooth shoulders and arms, down to her firm, rounded breasts, the small pooch of her belly, her wide hips, supple thighs, and shapely legs, everything she could see she believed was alluring and what made her a real woman. When she looked at Blaze tantalizing in his casual reclined position, she could feel herself getting aroused as she looked him over.
Blaze stared at the woman who captured his heart, and for the first time in his life, he felt whole. So many times in his life, he drifted, letting time pass him by, but sitting there with Rayne, he knew…his life was before him. He was in love with her. Wholly, completely, and absolutely in love with her. The realization shocked him to his core, and for the first time since meeting her, he felt uncomfortable and unsure of himself.
“What?” she asked softly. There was no accusation in her tone, just curiosity. Blaze pulled his eyes up to hers, shaken from his life-altering realization. Her big blue eyes were glowing at him from the dark veil of her bangs. Her soft cheeks were red with one of her near-constant blushes. God, she was so beautiful, he thought. How he ever endeavored to deserve her, he didn’t know, but he was going to spend the rest of his life cherishing the gift.
“Nothing,” he said, smiling. Standing, Blaze grabbed his water glass off the coffee table, finished his drink, and headed into the small kitchen, hoping she didn’t notice his change in demeanor. He felt like a timid school kid, too scared to make a mistake. He was in uncharted territory, and without Ashe as his backup, he was flying solo. God help him.
“Are you sure?” she called after him. “You were giving me a weird look, Blaze.”
“Sorry,” he called back, silently berating himself for not hiding his emotions better.
To distract himself, Blaze poured himself a fresh glass of water and returned to the living room with it. Before he could sit down again, he caught a glimpse out of the window as a flash of light lit up the night sky in the distance. He crossed the room and opened the windows, letting the fresh mountain air in. The living room had big sliding glass windows that had a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains. He looked up at the sky, smiling at all the winkling stars. Up above, the moon was full and brilliant, illuminating the area around it. For as far as his eyes could see, everything shone bright under the large celestial moon.
“Are you okay?” Rayne asked. “You got quiet all of a sudden.”
“Something popped into my head that I wasn’t expecting. It’s all right.”
She didn’t press him more about his silence, to his relief. Instead they talked about work, and what she’d had planned for the upcoming weekend, casual things, safe things, giving him time to catch his bearings. He was surprised to find out that she was a candidate for the upcoming mayoral election. Her dreams and determination knew no bounds, which made him love her even more. After a while Blaze found he was having trouble averting his eyes from her. On opposite ends of the couch, he said nothing, just stared as she lay back, and set her feet in his lap. He smiled at the gesture as he willingly massaged her dainty feet.
Later on, he looked up as she removed her shirt, leaving her in a white tank. Blaze covered his eyes quickly. Her tank top was small, her breasts visible through the thin fabric, and God help him, he wanted her even more. He couldn’t get control of his emotions. He was all over the place, and he feared one small move on her part and he was going to jump
her and ravage her body until morning. Not that it would bother him, but it might upset her.
“Is this okay?” she asked, softly. “It’s a little warm in here.”
“It’s cool,” he assured her. He was in a conundrum, on one hand, he knew the sexual chemistry between the two of them was off the charts, but what confused him was their waking hours, when she spouted orders like a drill sergeant, busting his balls for not following. She could be so submissive when she wanted to be, and too damn dominant. He wondered if there was a happy medium, a place where she could just be herself, and not so damn bossy.
“You have to be really uncomfortable in those shorts,” she said, dropping her shirt on the floor.
“I’m fine,” he admitted.
“What do you typically wear?” she asked.
“My boxers,”
“So strip,” she said, smirking. “You shouldn’t have to suffer just because I’m here. If it makes you feel better, I’ll take my jeans off, too, and we can both lounge in our underwear.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Blaze said, calmly.
“I’ve already seen you naked, Blaze. If you’re more comfortable watching TV in your underwear, then strip. We’re friends, right?” she said, her voice lilting. She’d put a slight emphasis on the word “friends.” That was not the word he would use to describe her, but the rest of his strictly platonic female friends. She was not his friend. God help him if that was all they ended up being.
“Here, I’ll start,” she said, standing. Rayne wobbled a little before righting herself. Once she was steady, she slid her jeans down over her round bottom and stepped out of them. He wished he could have seen her in panties, but apparently that was not in the cards for him. Instead, he sat and watched in pain as her jeans gave way to the cutest little boy shorts he had ever seen. They were blue, lacy, concealed nothing, and damn sexy. Probably because they were so tight, hugging her curves snugly.
Blaze gulped, wondering what had gotten into her.
Great Celestial Balls of Fire [Celestial Nights 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 7
