That Hot Night: A Firefighter Romance

by Piper Sullivan

  That was sweet but I didn’t want or need sweet from Rafe. Sweet made things complicated, made it hard to remember that this was just sex. Nothing serious. Then it hit me and I smiled. He was here for sex and food was the pretext. “Come on in.”

  Relief mixed with satisfaction in his eyes as Rafe closed the door behind him and waved me forward. “What are you up to today?”

  “Just finished the calendar.”

  “Can I see?”

  I turned to look at him over my shoulder, a smile on my face. “Worried you won’t look good?”

  “Not at all, just curious how it came out. Plus an advanced look would let me give everyone else a hard time before they get to see ’em.” He wiggled his brows as a slow smile crossed his face. “What do you say?”

  Once in the kitchen I turned to face Rafe and realized, immediately, why it was such a bad idea. He wasn’t just good looking, everything about him was compelling. Engaging. Magnetic. “Depends on how satisfying I find lunch.” If the past was any indication, it would be so damn satisfying that it would take a few extra weeks, maybe months, to forget.

  He barked out an amused laugh and finally, stepped close enough that I could smell his masculine scent, leather and man with a hint of the ever-present smoke. “Janey,” he groaned and slammed his mouth down on mine, hard and fast. The visceral growl of his words hit me low in my gut and made my nipples bead. His hands grabbed at me like he couldn’t get enough of me, like it hadn’t been just a few days since we kissed like teenagers on top of the fire truck.

  The heat moved south like the slow journey of lava through my veins with every sweep of his tongue. His big hands gripped and grabbed at me like he couldn’t get enough and I did the same, letting my hands slide up the hard planes of his abs and chest, over his shoulders and the wide expanse of his back. My fingers found his hair and tangled there, pulling a simultaneous growl from both of us.

  Rafe pulled back first, a smug satisfied smile on his face. “Hey Janey.”

  “Hey yourself,” I smiled back because I couldn’t help myself. “Is that pre-lunch?”

  His brows dipped first in confusion and then in recognition. “Let’s just consider that a proper greeting. Come on.” He grabbed my hand, something I couldn’t remember him doing. Ever.

  “Come on…where?” I left our hands clasped but kept my bare feet planted firmly on the ground.

  “Lunch. Didn’t I say that like five times? At least?” His smile lit up his whole face and I found myself nodding, willing to follow him anywhere. Even in my work from home clothes.

  “You did but,” I looked around my mostly clean kitchen and shrugged. “I have no plans to cook right now.” Or ever. But I would happily consume Rafe for the next hour or two.

  “Oh no you don’t,” he said with a wide grin and took a step back. And then another. “I came here for lunch woman, not…that.”

  “So you don’t want…that?” Because if he didn’t, then I was really confused.

  “I do. Obviously. But that’s not why I’m here. Lunch,” he said again as if I were hard of hearing, or maybe English wasn’t my first language.

  “No lunch,” I said again, my voice thick with sarcasm as I waved a hand around my clean, food-free kitchen.

  Rafe smiled again and stretched his arms out until they landed on my shoulders. “I can’t tell if you’re screwing with me or not, so I’ll be clear.”

  I snorted a laugh. “That would be helpful.”

  He spun me around until I faced the back door, more specifically the windows that made up the top two-thirds of my back door. Out in the yard there was a blanket set up with plates and cups. And food. “Lunch,” he said, pride ringing in his voice.

  “A picnic?” I closed my eyes and looked towards the ceiling, sending up a silent prayer to anyone who was listening. Please don’t let this be a picnic. A romantic picnic. For two. For me.

  “A picnic,” he said, oblivious to my inner distress. “No cooking required.”

  Yep, a picnic. Not necessarily a romantic picnic, but a picnic nonetheless and I was touch. Dammit I was really, truly touched. “Rafe,” I gasped quietly. “This is…nice.”

  He snorted a laugh and put his hand to the small of my back, giving me a gentle push towards the door. “It’s more than nice and you know it, but I see that I’ve surprised you.”

  “What gave it away?”

  His brows rose at my sarcasm but instead of responding, his hand kept me moving towards the blanket. The picnic. “Smartass.”

  “What is all this?” It didn’t make sense. Rafe didn’t do special things for his women, at least not that anyone in Tulip knew about. As far as we all knew, he was a dinner and back to her place kind of guy. So what the hell was all this?

  “It’s called lunch, you know, the meal between breakfast and dinner? What is so hard to understand about this?” His smile was so engaging, so intoxicating that I didn’t realize we were already in the middle of the backyard. “I know what this is about. You’ve seen the photos on Facebook.” Rafe kicked off his sneakers and lowered himself to the blanket, extending a hand to me.

  But I didn’t reach out to take his hand because his words echoed in my brain. “Photos? On Facebook?”

  “Yep. You know how they are.” Rafe shook his head and unpacked the food from the adorable cherry cloth lined wicker basket as if he hadn’t just dropped a big ass bomb on me.

  “I know how who are?” I shook my head, trying to catch up to this strange conversation.

  “The matchmakers, Janey. Keep up.” He shook his head with a smile and tugged on my hand until I sat down across from him. “Have some of this, Reese is trying out a southern style sangria.” He handed me a plastic cup filled with a pink liquid and fruit. “Try it.”

  “Rafe. What photos?” I started to stand, ready to head back inside to see exactly what he knew that I didn’t.

  As if he knew I wouldn’t let it go, Rafe handed me his phone. “Have a look.”

  I took the phone with shaky, slightly moist hands and found what I was looking for…with a gasp. “What…how?” There were no words, just questions.

  “That was my response too. Fun fact, Reese and pretty much the whole town thought you were behind the sneak attack photos.” His smile said he wasn’t bothered by any of it, then again why would he be? This was all a boost for his ego, meanwhile the whole town would pity me when this ended.

  “But…why? Why would anyone do this? The matchmakers have tons of women lined up for you.” I could hear the panic in my voice and tried to calm it before Rafe picked up on it. Another look at the photos revealed something more, a lot more if you zoomed in real close to see the intensity of Rafe’s gaze in the moonlight. I could practically feel his gentle touch on my jaw. “I don’t get it.”

  “Well Janey,” he plucked the phone from my fingers and shoved it into his back pocket, where I definitely would not be reaching for it as long as there were stealth old ladies with cameras roaming freely around Tulip, “it looks like the old girls have found my match.”

  My match. I shook my head because Rafe couldn’t mean me. I wasn’t his type and he wasn’t looking for anything more serious than just sleeping together. That’s what made this arrangement perfect.

  Or perfectly stupid.

  “That doesn’t make sense. Eddy said…no. They’re screwing with you. Making you think you’re safe from their meddling while we, you know.” I nodded, liking that idea more and more.

  “Face it Janey, we’ve been found out and now we’re in this thing together.”

  “Together? No, we’re not. This is a mistake. It has to be.”

  “Would that really be so crazy? You and me, dating?” He waved to the food laid out all around us. “We’re halfway there.”

  We are? I shook my head. “We’re friends who sleep together sometimes, Rafe. That’s it.” He knew this which meant he was messing with me.

  “If that’s what you need to tell yourself, go right ahead. Just pick up
some food and eat or I’ll have to tell Reese you didn’t like it.”

  His threat worked and I picked up the plate he’d assembled and took a bite of barbecue chicken with a long, low moan. “You don’t fight fair.”

  Rafe leaned over and put his thumb and forefinger under my chin, lifting it until our gazes locked together. “Don’t you forget it, sweetheart.”

  Oh, holy hell.

  Rafe

  “Captain Montgomery, thanks for all your help. No hard feelings.” Captain Sylvester from the Ogden FD held out a soot-covered hand, his expression sheepish yet grateful. The Tulip FD had been called in to assist on a ranch fire that straddled Tulip and Ogden.

  I looked at the hand and slid my own dirty hand against his. “None at all. I’m just happy we could help. And that none of us had to stay all night.” Sylvester had initially opted for a more cautious approach that would have risked the fire spreading from the main house on the ranch, to the dry land and older buildings beyond. “We’re good, Captain.”

  A slow smile across his craggy face and he ran one hand through his salt and pepper hair. “Great. I’ll forward all the paperwork to you by the end of the week, Captain. Have a good night.”

  I nodded and watched Sylvester walk off, smiling and shaking hands with a few of his men before wishing the Tulip firefighters a good night. He We managed to save most of the property and every firefighter on duty walked off on their own power, so I considered it a win.

  What I didn’t expect when I turned my back to the property, was to see Janey there. I wasn’t crazy enough to think she was here for me but she was here and I took advantage of the moment and strolled over to her with a smile on my face. “Janey. I didn’t realize you were interested in shooting news stories.”

  She looked up with a small smile curving the corners of her mouth and shrugged. “I’m not. These are for a new series I’m working on.” She notched her chin in the air defiantly. “I do more than calendar shoots, Rafe.”

  I frowned at her tone, wondering if she was feeling hormonal but too damn smart to say so. “I know that, jeez, I’m just asking why I’m getting the pleasure of seeing your face after a long night of fighting fire.”

  “Oh. Right.” Even in the dark night with the moon hanging low, I could see the blush staining her cheeks at my compliment. “Sorry. I guess I’m a little on edge about this new series. It’s something new for me, something I’ve never really contemplated and I’m more than a little nervous about it. That’s not your fault and I know that, so I’m sorry.” She sighed heavily and blew a stray tendril from her face with a bashful smile.

  I took advantage of her admission and that look in her eyes, and pressed into her personal space. “Tell me more about this project.” I never gave it much thought but I assumed she liked taking engagement and wedding photos, plus all the other photo jobs she did around town.

  She shook her head and tucked a few strands of hair behind one ear. “I’m not ready to talk about it yet. It’s new and something I haven’t experimented with before and like I said…nervous.” She was cute when she rambled and the mortified look on her face when she realized she was nervous and rambling, was even better. “Anyway don’t you have some firefighting duties to get back to?”

  “Nope.” I flashed a smile down at her. “We’re just about done.”

  Janey nodded. “You managed to save the land. That’s great.” Her smile widened and she looked up at me like I was some kind of hero.

  “That’s the job,” I told her honestly, not looking for another person to see me as something more than a man. Especially Janey.

  She shook her head, determination shining in her green eyes like she was ready to fight if she needed to. “I heard you arguing with Captain Sylvester about saving the land and stopping the spread first. You did it, Rafe. Don’t downplay it. Modesty doesn’t suit you,” she said with a wide, teasing grin.

  “Yeah, well what does suit me?” Verbally sparring with Janey was fun and the smile that spread across my face could not be contained.

  She shrugged and arched a brow. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  Hell yeah I would, but I didn’t tell her that. Instead, I nodded and licked my lips before taking another step closer. “I would. Badly. Tonight?” The invitation could go either way with Janey since I was never really sure how she felt. I mean, I knew she wanted me. I’d have to be blind not to see that much, but the rest of it was anybody’s guess.

  Her smile, when it came, was sweet with just a hint of heat behind them. Janey leaned in and whispered, “Your place or mine.”

  That was easy. “Mine,” I told her quickly. “Use the spare key under the pot of tulips on the back porch.”

  “Tulips?”

  “Eddy got them for me.” And someone, probably also Eddy, made sure to water it or whatever to keep it alive so I let the pot stay. “You know, I kind of like the idea of you waiting for me when I get home from fighting fires. Waiting, naked.”

  Heat flashed in her eyes and a blush tinted her cheeks before she shook her head and took a step back. “Careful what you wish for, Captain. I might end up robbing the place.”

  Her words elicited a laugh that drew stares from several firefighters, journalists and other rubberneckers who’d lined up to witness the shit show live. “If you do, I know where to find you. In fact, I think you should,” I told her and leaned in to nip her ear before I whispered in it. “That way I can chase you. Tie you up. And make you give it all back.” She shivered against me as I knew she would, and with my point made I took a step back just in case those ninja photographers were around again.

  “Good to know,” she said, voice thick with desire. “See you later, then.” Janey lifted her equipment bag and turned away, a smile still on her face as she made her way back to the long line of cars parked on the highway at the edge of the property.

  “Can’t wait,” I called out to her with a smile on my face.

  Tonight couldn’t come soon enough.

  Janey

  After stopping at home for a quick shower and a few essentials, I made my way over to Rafe’s place. I found the key quickly and even though it felt weird, it seemed even weirder to sit out on his porch where the whole town could see me. Not that Rafe and I weren’t Tulip’s worst kept secret, because we were. Everyone either knew or thought they knew what was happening between us, which was pretty funny because I didn’t even know what was going on anymore.

  Showing up at his place like this and using his key, even though it was Rafe’s idea, felt weird. Awkward. Like I shouldn’t be here and definitely not in only my lingerie. This wasn’t me. I wasn’t the kind of girl who waited for a man in his bedroom. I wasn’t the kind of girl who seduced anyone. Ever.

  Yet here I was, dressed in a pale blue negligee with matching panties underneath. See through panties which I had to buy while Hope and Mikki gave me knowing looks. Draped over Rafe’s king sized bed, doing my best to look sexy and seductive while I waited for him to show up. Nervously.

  Though this girl wasn’t me, the girl dressed in sexy lingerie for the sole purpose of having sex, the longer I sat the waiting the more I thought maybe she should be me. Maybe the girl next door role is why my life wasn’t where I wanted it to be, personally or professionally. Maybe it was time for a change.

  All thoughts of who I was and who I wanted to be, fled the moment I heard Rafe’s key in the front door downstairs. My body stiffened in anticipation as rolled onto my back and closed my eyes, listening as he kicked off one heavy duty work boot and then the other. The keys went flying in the air with a jingle before crash landing on the little ceramic plate right beside the front door. His footsteps were on the move, coming closer as they climb the steps one by one, his slow likely exhausted pace gave me pause.

  Was this a good idea?

  I was at the fire for at least a couple hours, watching and documenting the expressions each firefighter wore. I saw their sweat slicked faces, the exhaustion on their faces and fatigu
e around their mouths when the helmets came off. Maybe Rafe just wanted comfort tonight, not seduction. That thought sent a knot of worry snaking into my gut and I scrambled off the bed to stand, hoping to at least grab a t-shirt before he made his way to the master bedroom.

  “Holy fuck, Janey.” Rafe’s deep dark growl stopped me in the most inelegant pose imaginable, one leg on the bed while the other was on the floor, looking like a kid caught doing something they shouldn’t be.

  My eyes widened at the intensity in his growl and the hot look on his face. “Rafe. You’re home.”

  His lips tugged into a sexy grin. “And just in time too. Going somewhere?”

  “No,” I said too quickly and slid my other leg until I stood on the floor, back straight and shoulders squared. My gaze focused on his. “I was just going to put on some clothes.”

  “The hell you were,” he growled and dropped his leather duffel bag beside the door before he took a step into the room. “You’re gorgeous how you are Janey.”

  His words sent a shiver of satisfaction through my body and I couldn’t stop the stupid grin that crossed my face. “Gorgeous? Now I know you’re tired.”

  “I was tired when I left the fire house,” he admitted and took another step forward, each movement a slow seduction meant to keep me on edge. It was working. “But all I could think about was you.” He took another step closer and brought one hand up to my cheek, his thumb sliding up and down the length of my jaw. “Here. Waiting for me.”

  “And?” I don’t know how I managed to squeak out the question around the knot of desire pooling in my belly.

  “Better than I imagined.”

  Oh hell. I practically melted at his words, or maybe it was his touch, firm and somehow gentle at the same time. Both of his hands cradled my face before they slid down to cup my neck. My shoulders. Down my arms until both hands rested low on my hips. “Rafe,” I purred against his lips and leaned in because the man always smelled so damn good.

  Then we were kissing and I wasn’t thinking about anything other than the feel of his lips on mine, his hands as they roamed my body and sent pleasure spiking at every nerve ending. My mind was full of Rafe. “Janey,” he grunted and picked me up to toss me on the bed. “Fuck me, Janey.”