by J. H. Croix
He drew that last word out. How in the hell could the word fact sound sexy coming from his mouth? It was, trust me, it was. Oh God, I was so screwed. Correction: I wanted to be screwed. By Beck. Now.
He stepped closer, lifting one hand and trailing his finger down along the collar of my t-shirt. My pulse went from wild to wilder, racing so hard and fast, it took my breath away. My channel clenched in response to his touch. All he had to do was touch me with one finger, and I was mush inside and out. I felt ridiculous, almost melting in place as his finger followed down along my collar, pausing at the point of the V where it dipped down between my breasts.
I hoped like hell he couldn't actually feel my heart beating. With his fingertip resting just inches away from where it pounded away under my ribs, he was quiet. His eyes scanned my face, dipping down and then coming back up. The path of his eyes felt like a caress, sending hot shivers chasing through me.
“I'm not the guy you think I am, Maisie. You have no idea what I think.”
I was discovering I had a serious weakness for his voice like this. I was fairly certain he could persuade me to do anything right now. Anything he said in that low, gruff, almost whisper was a straight shot to my body’s desire for him. I forced myself to focus.
Thank God he didn’t expect me to reply because I wasn’t sure I could.
“Don’t get me wrong,” he continued. “I love to flirt, but when I have one woman on my mind, that's the only woman on my mind. Right now, that’s you. Let’s just see where things go because this feeling isn't going anywhere. You know it, and I know it.”
I stared at him, willing myself to be sensible when I was feeling anything but. I wanted to do far more than simply fantasize about him. As far as I was concerned, sex was kind of fun, but nothing amazing. I considered that maybe if we actually did something about this, I’d realize the fantasy was better than reality. These heated thoughts would fade into nothing after that. I could stop thinking like a crazy woman. I didn’t dare share my train of thought. I stayed quiet, looking at him, and then next thing I knew, my thoughts were tumbling out.
“Here's the deal. We get it out of our systems and then you keep your mouth shut. Forever,” I said flatly.
My voice sounded normal, but it belied the tornado of emotion swirling inside of me. Desire, need, and the wild thrum of giving into it pounded through my body.
“Of course,” he said, cocking his head to the side and looking surprised.
I wasn't sure if he was surprised that I was actually willing to go along with this, or surprised that I asked him to keep it quiet. I felt the need to clarify because it was really important to me that no one viewed me as one of Beck’s flings.
“We work together, Beck. Maybe it’s nothing to you. But the way the guys might look at me if they think I’m just another one of your flings, well…”
My words trailed off because his gaze had sobered. I wasn’t sure what I saw in his eyes, but I wondered if it was hurt. Not much, just a little. I fumbled ahead. “I mean, your reputation precedes you. You’re ‘Fun time fireman,’ or whatever.”
A low chuckle escaped from him. “Okay, fair enough. I'm not the one that brags about people that I'm with, but I joke around a lot. I can see why you might get that idea.”
“Don’t go thinking I’m saying I want something serious. It’s just I work here, and I don’t want the other guys to think…” I flushed because I didn’t know how else to explain what I meant. “It’s just this can't go anywhere,” I finally said.
Beck stared at me, the air around us getting heavy, and then nodded sharply. His teasing gaze had faded away. The air went from weighted to electric inside of a second.
Chapter 10
Beck
Maisie stood in front of me, her curls tumbling around her shoulders. I didn’t think I’d ever seen her with her hair down before. It was a sight to behold—pure glory. Her curls alone were sinful, so wild and unruly. She always had them in a ponytail or shoved under a baseball cap. Her wide eyes held mine. I was close enough to see the flutter of her pulse in her neck. It was a relief to know she felt something, though I doubted she was as caught up in desire as I was. I’d been out of my fucking mind over it ever since I’d kissed her last week.
Running into her at dinner the other night had only made matters worse. Maisie was showing me the limits to my control, an entirely unfamiliar feeling for me. There were so many women passing through town all summer long that it was easy to enjoy casual, guaranteed-to-end relationships. I didn’t think much of it. Yet Maisie didn’t make anything easy. Even though I could sense the desire coming off of her in waves, she was close to glaring at me. Damn. I loved to ruffle her. The only downside was whenever she was annoyed with me, it turned up the dial on my desire.
She’d practically stunned me into silence just now. I’d been prepared to argue with her, yet she just said we could do this. The unspoken this being to take that kiss much further. My cock had been hard since the second I looked across the room and saw her. It was just us here now. The station was deserted and dark with nothing more than the soft glow of a single light in this room. My mind flashed to the sight of Maisie in the showers. Oh hell. She was so fucking gorgeous, and she had no idea the effect she had on me.
My fingertip rested at the V in her shirt. I could easily, so easily, slide my hand down to cup one of her breasts. But if she wasn’t going to argue the point, I was going to take this slow and wring every ounce of need out of us. I caught the end of one of her curls and wound it around my finger. Her breath hitched, and my cock throbbed. In a distant corner of my mind, I wondered if this was a good idea. I brushed that worry aside. Two long years of lust running on high idle in my body whenever I was anywhere near Maisie, and my engine had been revved to madness since that kiss.
I gave her curl a slow tug and let it go. It bounced against her cheek. Her breath drew in sharply, and her eyes narrowed when I chuckled. Little did she know how her getting annoyed with me only served to amp up the lust burning through me. Hell if I knew why, but Maisie was the one and only woman who had that effect on me. I loved teasing her if only because it was so much damn fun.
“Really, Beck? You’re pulling my hair? Isn’t that a bit childish?”
Lust jolted me when she rested a hand on her hip and rolled her eyes. Oh, she had no idea what she’d just done.
I kept a leash on my need, just barely, and arched a brow. “I suppose that depends. I can think of reasons to pull your hair that have absolutely nothing to do with being childish,” I drawled.
It took most of my willpower to keep from twining her hair around my hand and yanking her to me. The one and only reason I held back was to see how she responded.
Her breath drew in sharply, and her eyes darkened. The backs of my fingers rested just below her collarbone. I could feel her heartbeat kick up its pace.
“So, let’s make things clear,” I said, my voice coming out rough.
I didn’t feel in control, hardly at all. But she’d just told me we’d get this—whatever she meant this to be—out of our systems. She’d also demanded I forever keep it quiet. I didn’t mind that. I understood why she wouldn’t want the other guys to know anything. I couldn’t tell her the plain truth—I’d go flat crazy if I thought any of the guys I worked with were interested in her in any way. Hell, that fateful afternoon I’d walked in on her in the showers I’d done some fast talking to keep the guys from finding her there. I didn’t want anyone to know how fucking gorgeous she was.
Her gorgeous brown eyes—like dark chocolate—held mine. Inches away from her, I was close enough to see her thick lashes curled against her cheeks. I wasn’t used to noticing things like this. Hell, I even thought her freckles were hot. They were scattered across her nose and cheeks, and I wanted to follow them where they led me.
“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice husky.
“Well, you said we’d get this out of our systems. What do you mean by this?�
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Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink. I couldn’t see too well in the dim light, but I was close enough not to miss it. Hot damn. Maisie hot and bothered was a turn on beyond my wildest fantasies. I could feel my cock straining against my zipper. I’d jacked off more times than I wanted to admit to the memory of kissing her and the sight of her naked in the showers.
She bit her lip. Oh hell. I was trying to be sort of a gentleman here, and she had to go and do that. Her pearly white teeth dented her plump bottom lip. She rolled the corner of it and twisted her mouth slightly before sighing.
“Um, this,” she said, dropping her hand from her hip and gesturing between us.
I eyed her, thinking I could just say fuck it and fuck her right now. If this were any woman other than Maisie, that’s what I’d be doing. But this was Maisie, and she made me feel all kinds of things. I might want her like crazy, but I wasn’t about to take things further than she intended.
I couldn’t help but slide my hand up to trace along her collarbone. She was so close, and I needed to touch her. “Right. To me, this would be whatever we started last week. This would be not stopping until I’m buried inside of you and you’re screaming for more. Is that what you mean by this?”
Her lips parted, and her pulse raced under the translucent skin of her neck. I couldn’t help but dip my head and drag my tongue over it. She was salty and sweet, and I almost groaned. At nothing more than the subtle taste of her.
I forced myself to lift my head. Her eyes were dark, and her breath came in sharp little pants.
“Well?” I asked.
“Yes…” she whispered on a breath.
Thank fuck. I was at the end of my rope. I threaded my hand in her hair and finally—fucking finally—fit my mouth over hers again. Kissing her was like a drug. She didn’t hold back, not even a little. I tugged her to me, one hand tangled in her hair and the other sliding down her back in a heated pass to cup her bottom. Did I mention how perfect her body was? She was all dips and swells, every curve lush and soft. My fingers sank into the give of her ass, and I growled into her mouth. God, I’d been thinking about the feel of her for too long. Having it real was a hot jolt of relief and madness at once.
We’d come together in front of a long run of counters against the back wall and the showers just beyond. I had plenty of ideas about those showers, but right now, I spun us toward the counter. In a few fumbling strides, her hips bumped against it. I slid both hands down to cup her hips and lift her onto the counter, pulling her tight against me. Oh yes. I could feel the damp heat between her thighs against my cock.
I didn’t ponder much when it came to sex. I was a man of action. Just like firefighting, I worked on instinct, but I was in control. Always. Just now with Maisie, I was learning there were some things I’d never experienced. Namely, being out of control. I was usually measured and orchestrated with what I did. Not with her.
Our kiss was a hot, wild, wet mess. I couldn’t get close enough. I devoured her mouth. Our tongues tangled, while my hands roamed her body. Just as I remembered with vivid clarity from our kiss, she was all soft curves. It was a pure high to have her pressed up against me. I needed to taste more of her and dragged my lips from hers, trailing a wet path down her neck. Her skin pebbled everywhere my lips landed. She made these hot, breathy sounds—something between a breath and a moan—that drove me fucking wild.
Between that and her hips rocking against me, I was barely, just barely, hanging onto a thread of control. I licked along the collar of her shirt, right down between her breasts. Impatient, I shoved her t-shirt up, leaning back just enough to yank it up over her head. She was quite helpful when it got caught on her wild hair.
“Dammit,” she murmured and deftly reached up, untangling a few curls caught in the collar before tossing the shirt to the floor.
Her eyes snagged mine—liquid brown and pooled with need. I’d never cared so much in my life to see a similar level of frantic reflecting back at me. Because I’d never been as frantic as I was now. For a beat, I was frozen, almost stunned. She snapped me out of it when she slid her palms up under my shirt.
Oh hell yes. I needed more than seeing her breasts. I needed to feel her against me. I reached behind my neck and lifted my t-shirt up and over my head in one rough move. It fell to the floor beside hers. I stared down at her. Fuck. I’d been fantasizing about her breasts for too long. They strained against the black silk of her bra, her nipples taut little beads. I trailed a finger down between them before circling a nipple. It tightened under my touch. I could’ve lost myself in her breasts and gave in to the urge, cupping them in my hands, teasing her nipples with my thumbs, and savoring every breathy moan from her.
I couldn’t say I meant to go slow because all thought had fled, but she made it near impossible when she rolled her hips against my cock.
“Dammit, Beck. Don’t…”
Whatever she meant to say got lost in a low moan when I dipped my head and laved my tongue over the silk, wetting it and lightly scoring her nipples with my teeth. I alternated between her breasts, savoring the feel of her arching into me, the heavy weight of her breasts in my palms, and almost came in my jeans when she murmured my name.
That was how out of control she made me.
I flicked my thumb between her breasts, and they tumbled free, the silk giving way. My memory of them from the brief moment in the showers didn’t do them justice. They were round with dusky pink nipples, damp and taut from my attention. My heartbeat kicked up another notch, and my cock hardened even further. I was so hard, it was a miracle I didn’t explode.
With a measure of control I had to force into action, I stepped back just as she reached for the buttons on my jeans. Because God help me, if she got her hands on me anytime soon, I’d lose what little control I had.
“You are so fucking gorgeous,” I murmured, my eyes coasting over her.
She sat there on the counter, her thighs caging me, her lush breasts begging me to touch them again, and the soft curve of her belly yet another reminder she was all woman and more. Her hair was a rumpled mess, her curls falling around her shoulders. Her skin was flushed and just as I’d guessed, freckles were scattered randomly all over the place. I could spend hours making sure to lick and kiss every one, and maybe, just maybe that would satisfy my urge to taste her.
When my eyes landed on hers, I saw desire, surprise, and impatience reflected there. My heart squeezed—a sensation so odd I didn’t know what to make of it.
She moved suddenly, nudging me with her knee and sliding off of the counter.
“What are you…”
My question trailed off when she shimmied out of her jeans inside of a few seconds.
Oh. Well. That was quite all right with me.
She briefly lost her balance as she kicked her feet free. I steadied her, my hand landing on her hip. Excellent. I curled both hands on her hips and lifted her right back onto the counter. I was surprised to see she had on black silk panties to match her bra, which she was quickly shimmying free of her shoulders.
I meant to say something, something teasing and taunting. Before I could form a word, she dragged her palm roughly over my cock. Inside of a breath, she tore the buttons open and slid her hand inside my briefs, the zipper sliding down roughly on its own.
I groaned, my cock throbbing in her touch.
“Maisie…”
Damn. She stole my words again. They were lost in a hot jolt of lust.
Chapter 11
Maisie
I looked up at Beck as I curled my hand around his cock, the skin hot and velvety. I wasn’t the least surprised to discover he was quite the handful, literally. His gaze was fierce, the need contained within making me catch my breath. I should’ve been thinking more clearly—something, anything sensible—but I was far past that. The only thoughts tumbling through my mind were driven by the overwhelming need humming through me.
The moment I’d let the gates holding my desire back open, it h
ad raced through me with such force, all I knew was what my body wanted. Beck. Now. I didn’t care this was flat crazy, and I’d probably regret it. I’d even forgotten that I’d cast this net, thinking it likely reality wouldn’t live up to fantasy. The opposite was turning out to be the case. I couldn’t have fantasized the way it felt as if his gaze lit fires under my skin everywhere it landed, nor the heat spreading like wildfire through me, nor the sweet, tight pleasure coiling in my belly, the way my channel throbbed with nothing more than a look, the way my nipples tightened to an ache so acute and pleasurable when his teeth scored them. No, I couldn’t have imagined any of this because imagination only goes so far when prior experiences don’t even come close.
Being the loner I was, I’d tried my hand at dating here and there, but it was unsettling and annoying. Sex was best described as a letdown. I’d get turned on and hope for more, only to find myself rather ho-hum about it all.
This. Here. Now. This was far more than I’d imagined. The intensity of my need barreled through me with such force, I couldn’t see past it. All I knew was what I wanted—to be closer to Beck, to have every inch of him bared to me and his cock, every generous inch of it, buried to the hilt inside of me. Maybe, just maybe that would slake my need.
The ache at the apex of my thighs grew. I was hungry, greedy and needy, and I didn’t give a damn. I didn’t hold anything back and didn’t even consider it.
“Fuck, Maisie,” he muttered, his voice husky.
God, I loved his voice like that. He was always so suave, teasing and calculated. Right now, he didn’t feel like that. He felt as wild and rough as I did.
I dropped kisses all over his chest. What a glorious chest it was. Beck shirtless was like a drug for my eyes. He was all hard planes. He wasn’t the tidy fit you saw with guys who worked out all the time. He was lean, sinewy and hardened. You just knew he had this body because he’d earned it through the brutally hard work he did. A jagged scar ran along the bottom of his ribs on one side. I distantly wondered how he’d gotten it. I traced it with my tongue, all the while stroking his cock.
