by J. H. Croix
Chapter 24
Cade
I stood under the hot water, my hands resting against the tiles and my head bowed. The fire this afternoon had gone from bad to worse, necessitating back up support from my crew for the local crew after the hotel beside the house on fire was threatened. The fire had started after the homeowner left the coffee pot on when they left the house. The house was a total loss, but we’d managed to keep the fire from spreading to the hotel. With the hotel adjacent to a swath of spruce forest, it was a damn good thing.
It was high summer in Alaska with not enough rain and acres and acres of spruce forest filled with spruce trees dead or dying from spruce bark beetle. As such, the already problematic fire conditions that were getting worse with every dry summer out West were made much worse with so much dead, dry fuel. Blue spruce trees were hardier and more able to resist the beetles, but flying overhead, sometimes my heart cracked. We’d fly for miles and see nothing but brown, dead swaths of spruce trees. Keeping that section of forest from catching fire was a lucky break.
I’d had a long afternoon and was tired as hell. I’d come to know Amelia tended to work late in the evenings. No surprise, so when I arrived at her cabin to find her gone, I headed straight for a shower. I stood there and let the hot water pound down on me. I heard a soft click and glanced over my shoulder to find Amelia stepping into the shower with me. I let my hands fall and turned to face her. The second my body knew she was near, my cock swelled. By the time I was facing her, I was rock hard and ready. She was untangling her hair from a messy ponytail. She had a streak of dirt on her cheek and one on her arm. My eyes traveled over her—savoring the contrast of her strong legs and lush breasts.
“Dammit,” she muttered as she glanced over at me.
She couldn’t miss the fact I was fully erect, her eyes widening slowly with a naughty grin curling the corner of her mouth.
I stepped to her, satisfaction rolling through me when her breath drew in sharply as I came flush against her. “Dammit, what?” I murmured, my lips feathering against her neck.
“I can’t get this thing out of my hair,” she said between gasps.
I lifted my head, reaching up to help her. She dropped her hands. It took a minute, but I managed to get the elastic out and let it fall to the floor. “There,” I said, my voice coming out rough when I met her eyes and saw them darkening.
“How was your day?” she whispered.
“Busy. Yours?” I returned as I slid my hands down to cup her bottom.
Another gasp from her when I pulled her tight against me. I bit back a groan at the feel of her heated core against my cock.
When she didn’t answer me, I repeated my question in between licks and nips along her neck. “Your day? How was it?” I murmured.
“Oh God, it was fine,” she muttered as she curled her hand around my cock and stroked.
Steam cocooned us as the water fell around us. She felt so fucking good, slick and wet all over. I reached between her thighs and found her hot, wet and ready. I wasn’t in the mood to wait. I hooked my hands under her thighs and lifted her, pressing her back against the tiled wall.
She curled her legs around my hips as her head thumped against the wall. I had my cock in my fist about to sink inside of her when I looked at her. My heart gave a resounding kick. Her hair was a damp, tangled mess, her eyes like molten honey, her nipples pink and taut, and her breasts so full and round. I loved the sight of her, loved everything about her. So much it almost hurt.
She rolled her hips as she bit her lip. I adjusted her where I held her with one arm hooked firmly under her hips and nudged into the cradle of her hips, lifting my hand and brushing the damp strands of hair away from her face. I traced her lips with my thumb. Her eyes darkened, and she caught my thumb in her teeth, drawing it in to suck on it lightly.
“I love you,” I said, the words burning fiercely inside and coming out rough.
In the pulse of the moment, I felt her tense. Her eyes took on a sheen and a tear slipped out one corner. It wasn’t that I hadn’t known I loved her, forever it felt like. But I hadn’t spoken the words aloud in seven years. I waited, wondering if I’d said too much, too soon. I drew my thumb out of her mouth and trailed my fingers down her neck, across the wild flutter of her pulse.
“I love you too,” she finally said, waiting just long enough I thought I might die from it.
“Okay then,” I managed.
Words were a poor substitute for everything I felt, so I used my body. I eased my hips back slightly, adjusted my angle and slid home in one swift surge. She cried out and tightened her legs around my hips. With my eyes locked to hers, I held her with the water pounding down around us and poured everything I felt into the beat of the desire that lived and breathed between us as its own force.
Every stroke brought me deeper, every raw groan from me and rough cry from her, every slap of our wet skin, all of it was more than words could ever say. In the heat of this frantic, wet coupling, we were rough and wild, but underneath was the fierce tenderness that bound us together—that which we’d lost sight of before. I felt her tightening, shudders rippling through her. I sank again and again and again into her creamy clench until I felt her throbbing around me. Her nails scored my back when she cried out. I followed her over, my own release thundering through me with such force, my knees almost gave out.
But she was there, her hands sliding up to cup my cheeks, murmuring my name and feathering kisses over my face. We stayed like that, my cock buried deep inside of her, my lips against hers and hot water streaming over us, for so long the water started to cool.
Chapter 25
Amelia
I pushed through the door into the Firehouse Café and gave my raincoat a shake once I was inside. The morning had dawned gray and rainy, and the rain hadn’t let up all day. Lucy and I had finally decided to call it quits early after pushing through some work in the chilly rain for a few hours. I pushed my hood back and glanced around. The café was crowded with tourists, which figured. Any planned fishing trips on the lake or to nearby rivers had likely been cancelled, along with any other outdoor activities. The hardcore eco-tourists wouldn’t blink at rain like this, but those were the ones who took off on weeklong backcountry hikes, the kind my brother used to lead with his wife. The tourists who crowded the streets of Willow Brook and the highways of Alaska with their campers usually preferred the wilderness when it was comfortable. Even during the warmest time of year in Alaska, rain meant chilly days.
I wove through the tables and joined the line to the counter, leaning against one of the old fire poles decorated with painted fireweed. My mind spun to last night when Cade had brought me to tears in the shower before making love to me so fiercely. In spite of my memories of what we had before, I hadn’t recalled the intensity, the fierce tenderness and a feeling of intimacy so deep it shook me to my core. Maybe it was because we’d lost each other. Maybe it was because the loss and regret coloring the present made it that much more precious. Whatever it is, it felt so good, it was overwhelming.
The line inched forward. Lost in my thoughts, I jumped when I heard my name. I glanced over my shoulder to find Earl standing behind me. When I’d seen him the other night, I’d expected to feel something. But then I should’ve known better. All I felt was a gentle sense of sadness. I felt genuinely bad things had played out the way they did, but nothing other than that. He stood there with his blondish-brown hair and brown eyes. Objectively speaking, he was a handsome man. At the moment, I couldn’t even believe I’d ever tried to date him, much less agreed to marry him. My body’s response to him was, at best, lukewarm.
I aimed for casual and friendly, well aware that the last time I’d seen Earl, Cade had ended up punching him. Whatever bruising there had been had faded in the weeks since. “Hey Earl, how’s it going?”
His gaze was considering. After a beat, he shrugged. “Fine as I can be after everything.”
The line inched forward. I felt a fla
sh of guilt, but I didn’t know what to do with it. I wondered if now was the time to say anything, but no one was paying attention, and the hum of conversation in the café drowned out individual conversations.
“Earl, I meant what I said the other night. I’m sorry about all of it. I don’t expect you to admit it, but I know you weren’t crushed by what happened. Your ego is bruised maybe, but I know what love is and we didn’t have it. I’m more sorry than you know it took me as long as it did to think about what that meant for us. I wish you the best and I hope you find what you want.”
Earl looked away, staring at the chalkboard above the counter where Janet was rapidly taking orders and entering them in the computer. “I hear you and Cade are back together,” he said, his tone flat.
My stomach fluttered. Hearing it out loud like that made it oddly real. I beat back my response. The last thing Earl needed was me looking all gooey-eyed and silly over Cade. When he glanced to me, I nodded. “We are. I know how it looks Earl, but it just happened. I had no idea Cade was coming home when I decided I couldn’t marry you. I’ll admit him being here has made it more than clear why it’s a good thing we didn’t get married, but it just happened.”
Earl rolled his eyes, a look of disgust passing over his features. I got pissed because I knew what it had been like when we were together.
“Fine. You get to be pissed, but while you’re busy with that, think about how you reacted when I told you I was leaving,” I snapped back.
The afternoon I’d been standing in the makeshift dressing room at the church, my thoughts had been spinning so fast on their own little hamster wheel, I’d almost gone through with getting married. But I couldn’t. I’d dashed to his dressing room, not really sure I was going to go through with actually breaking up with him. Then, I had. He hadn’t even looked particularly upset, more annoyed than anything. He could’ve fought for me right then, but he didn’t even try. Knowing that after the fact, he’d casually announced the wedding was canceled and then gone fishing just summed it all up perfectly. He didn’t even let it ruffle the waters of his life.
I hoped for his sake, I truly did, that someday he’d see why I did what I did. Not because I needed him to forgive me because I could live with him blaming me for all of it. Rather, I hoped he’d see what he could have when it happened for him.
His eyes flicked from the chalkboard to me, slightly wide. Good, maybe he’d start thinking a bit. After a moment, he shook his head. “Whatever, Amelia. If that makes you feel better about your choices, fine. You might want to watch your back though. Shannon’s back in town, and I’m pretty sure you can guess why.”
A sliver of worry ran through me. I ignored it. I sure as hell didn’t need Earl watering those seeds of doubt inside of me. He’d done that well enough by barely bothering to notice me even when we were supposed to be in love.
At that, he muttered something and spun away. “Take care,” he said quickly over his shoulder before shouldering his way back outside.
The doorbell jingled cheerily as the door closed behind him. I sighed and turned back to find the person in front of me stepping away. Janet stood behind the counter with a wide smile. “Hey hon, so good to see you. What can I get for you?”
I eyed the chalkboard and then looked at Janet. “Strong coffee and one of your ham and cheese thingies.”
Janet chuckled. “Good thing I know what you mean.”
She tapped the keyboard and gave me the total before spinning away to pour my coffee. “Give me a few on the ham and cheese to heat it up. By the way, don’t listen to Earl,” she said, her voice low.
I had wrapped my hands around the paper cup of coffee, savoring the warmth. “Did you just hear our entire conversation?”
Janet shrugged with a sly gleam in her eyes. “I was trying to eavesdrop, hon. I have no shame about that. I don’t care about you dumping him because that was the best choice for both of you. He’s a nice guy, but he’s got just a tad too much ego. Anyway, only thing I care about is that bullshit about Shannon. Don’t you even worry about it,” she said, her words becoming fierce with her last sentence.
I rolled my eyes and shrugged. “I knew Shannon was back because Lucy heard about it and told me. I’m not worried, except for the fact she’ll be stirring up some shit. Does she even know Cade and I are back together?”
Janet returned the eye roll. “She does as of this morning. I made sure to tell her when she showed up here with her sister. Trust me, she looked surprised. Can’t say I blame her. If she had her ear to the ground, the news you’d bolted on Earl would’ve traveled to her slowly since she’s been in Anchorage. I don’t give a damn, but she pissed me off before, and I told her that today. I swear, her sister annoys the hell out of me. Gayle isn’t a bitch, but she stands by and watches her little sister be one. Least she could do is call her out on her shit. Since she won’t, I will.”
I stared at Janet and almost burst out laughing. Everything with Cade was so fragile and new, it worried me knowing Shannon had blown into town again. I didn’t trust her. At all. But I didn’t mind having friends like Janet get my back. As far as I was concerned, Shannon getting shamed for what she’d done wouldn’t be a bad thing. What I couldn’t figure out was why Shannon was so stuck on Cade.
I took a gulp of my coffee and bit back my bitter laugh. “Thanks Janet. I know you’ve got my back. I’m just hoping she gets the message loud and clear. I’m not up for dealing with her. I’m really not.”
Janet waved her hand dismissively and spun around when the bell dinged at the server counter. She snagged my ham and cheese roll and handed it over on a plate. “You have nothing to worry about. But people gossip, and they like drama. You and Cade have given them plenty to talk about, but Shannon showing up like this stirs up ugly shit. Ignore it. Don’t believe anything you hear. Cade loves you. He always did. Time and distance made you both stupid.”
I sensed someone approaching from behind, so I stepped to the side. “I’ll do my best. Thanks for being you.”
Janet waved me off. “Go sit down and dry off.”
Chapter 26
Cade
I leaned against the inside of the garage bay door at the front of the fire station and dragged my sleeve across my face. I’d spent the last few hours tuning up my old favorite motorcycle.
“See you got your old bike ready to roll again.”
I glanced up to find Beck entering the garage from a side door. “Yup. My dad pulled it out of the back of my parents’ garage over the weekend and dropped it off here for me to tune up.”
Beck came to lean beside me, casting an approving gaze over the bike. I loved this motorcycle. It was an old Indian and couldn’t be purchased new anymore. Just finding one used cost an arm and a leg and then some. When I’d moved to California, I left this bike behind, figuring I wouldn’t have time to ride. I’d found time, but I hadn’t wanted to bring this baby there. At the time, I’d hated the fact I thought of Amelia whenever I thought of this bike, but that’s how it was. I’d logged more miles on it with her than without. Now I could enjoy it and enjoy thinking about her. Win, win.
Beck rolled his head to the side with a slow grin. “Damn fine bike. Didn’t know you’d left this thing in storage up here the whole time. I’d have been happy to ride her for you.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Dude, you can use my other bike, but not this one.”
Beck shrugged. “Oh well. You’d best not leave it here. Too tempting for someone else to ride.”
“No worries. I planned to take it out to Amelia’s place tonight. Figured today was a good day to tune it up, seeing as the weather sucks. Rain’s finally stopped though, so I can enjoy the ride without rain.”
Beck nodded and slipped his hands in his pockets. “I popped in to let you know Shannon’s out front asking to see you. This is when it’s nice Maisie’s so cranky. I happened to be passing by, and she told Shannon you hadn’t mentioned anyone stopping in for a meeting with that stone cold don’t
give a damn look she throws around,” Beck said with a low laugh.
“What the fuck is Shannon doing here?” I asked, running a hand through my hair and kicking my heel against the garage door behind me. The sound of my boot hitting the heavy-duty steel door sent an echo through the cavernous garage. Not only did I not want to deal with Shannon, but now I had to worry about how Amelia might react.
Beck shrugged. “Hell if I know. She sat herself down and said she’d wait. Want me to chase her off?”
I shook my head. “Nah. I’ll deal with it. Dude, I haven’t seen Shannon since she pulled that shit trying to hook up with me. Fuck, I’d better tell Amelia.”
I slipped my phone out of my pocket and punched in a text.
No idea what’s up. Shannon’s here. Figured you might want to know.
I looked to Beck and rolled my eyes. “Any suggestions on how to get her to get a fucking clue?”
Beck shrugged. “Dude, you are way more experienced with relationships than me.”
I threw a faux glare Beck’s way. “Man, the only relationship I’ve ever had was and is with Amelia. I’d say you’re way more experienced at chasing off women than me.”
Beck started laughing, and my phone beeped.
I glanced down to see Amelia’s response.
Ugh. Forgot to tell you last night. Lucy heard she’s back.
I tapped out a swift reply.
Uh, coulda told me. Heads up would’ve been nice.
Uh, we were busy. With much better things.
I grinned and could practically see her grin. So true. We’d been quite busy with each other.
Right. Things we’ll be busy with later. Meantime, she showed up here at the station. Beck’s not so helpful telling me how to chase her off.
